Non-Parish Offsite Community Events
National Novena for Migrants and Immigrants
March 14-22 at 12 pm CT – Online
9 Days of Prayer led by 9 Bishops
Migration is the story of humanity, from the many accounts in Scripture to the migrants seeking better lives today.
Join CTU for 9 days of prayer and reflection on the dignity of migrants.
MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION
The Sequel – Study on the Books of the Bible
Welcome to a sequel! – That is how Dennis Hamm, S.J., introduces his commentary on the Acts of the Apostles.
A group of parishioners gathers on Zoom every Thursday morning from 9:30 to 10:45 am to study and reflect on one of the books of the Bible. After Easter, we began a study of the Acts of the Apostles, guided by reading the New Collegeville Bible Commentary and discussing its historical context and scriptural insights.
We invite anyone interested in learning more about this important book describing the early Church community to join us. Commentaries will be provided.
Please contact Eugene Wedoff at erwedoff@me.com for further information. We are all members of the “Sequel,” those who have come after. This is an opportunity for us all to reflect on what that means.
Healing Prayer, Healing Song: An Ecumenical Service to Pray for Healing
Join us on Thursday evening, March 20, at 7:30 pm at Ascension Church for Healing Prayer, Healing Song – This is a newer ecumenical prayer outreach for our Oak Park community. The service includes scripture, healings songs and prayers from various traditions, shared silence, and the opportunity for individual prayer, laying on of hands, and anointing.
A special “Healing Choir” provides musical support and songs of healing at the service. Additionally, an ecumenical prayer team of pastors and other pastoral care ministers assist in this ecumenical outreach of prayers for healing, wholeness, and unity in our world.
As an ecumenical service, we recognize the unifying power of Christians from different traditions, ethnicities, and races to join as one, to intentionally pray for the healing of division and for a deepening of unity in our world. The service will also be livestreamed on March 20 – CLICK TO WATCH
To date, each month we have welcomed approximately 100 persons at each prayer. The service began in February of 2023. We are hoping to continue to “grow” this service and invite you to experience the service for yourself as a way to pray for healing and unity in our world.
The service will be offered 5-6 times each year during the academic year. David Anderson is currently seeking several additional persons to assist with the team. For more information, contact David Anderson at d.anderson@ascensionoakpark.com.
Mark your calendars to join us in prayer this year! – Our schedule for this year (typically on Third Thursdays at 7:30 pm) – March 20 and May 15 – Ascension Church is located at 808 S. East Avenue, Oak Park, IL 60304.
Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop
Saturday Morning, March 29
St. Edmund Murphy Hall
“Contemplative prayer allows the hunger and thirst for God to well up.”
– Fr. Thomas Keating OCSO
Sponsored by Spirit and Light: A Catholic Collaborative for Living Faith
Are you looking for a way to explore or deepen your relationship with God? Centering Prayer is a gentle, silent method of consenting to God’s presence and healing action within us. This program will provide the basics of a centuries-old method of silent prayer which consists of simply sitting in silence with God while opening our minds and hearts in wordless communion.
Registration will be at 8:15 and the program will start at 8:30 am and end by 12:30 pm. No charge. Donations cover materials and refreshments. Register by sending an email to rbrtgorman@protonmail.com – Walk-ins welcome.
You are encouraged to attend four follow-up sessions on Wednesday evenings in April from 7 to 8:30 pm on Zoom. We will pray and watch videos of the Trappist monk, Fr. Thomas Keating discussing this form of prayer.
Bob and Kathleen Gorman have been active with Contemplative Outreach for 10 years. They are commissioned presenters of the Centering Prayer method and serve on teams that facilitate 9-day silent retreats for Contemplative Outreach. They are active in the Oak Park Catholic Community.
Spiritual Classics for All Oak Park Parishes
April Discussion – Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Are you seeking spiritual renewal in Lent? – Come to the next Spiritual Classics gathering on Tuesday, April 1, at 7 pm in the Ascension Parish Center Dining Room, when we’ll discuss Richard Foster’s book, Celebration of Discipline. All Oak Park parishes are welcome.
Hailed as one of the best modern books on Christian spirituality, Celebration of Discipline has helped millions of seekers discover a richer spiritual life infused with joy, peace, and a deeper understanding of God. Foster explores the central spiritual practices of the Christian faith and shows how these practices open a path to spiritual growth.
On Tuesday, May 6, we will discuss selected short stories of Flannery O’Connor. For more information about our monthly Spiritual Classics discussions, send an email to llaffc@ascensionoakpark.com.
Faith and Film for the Oak Park Catholic Communities
Showing of “Sound of Hope”
The Faith and Film Ministry is pleased to announce the showing of the movie “Sound of Hope” on April 5 following the 5 pm Mass in Murphy Hall on the Saint Edmund Campus – 188 S. Oak Park Avenue.
This Christian-based film is a true story based on the lives of Reverend Martin, his wife Donna, and their congregation, who transformed the foster care system in the small town of Possum Trot in East Texas. In the 1990s, Martin and his wife led the adoption crusade that impacted the lives of nearly 80 children in the foster care system. They encouraged their congregation at Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist Church to go through the process of adoption despite the difficulty they experienced throughout the process, resulting in several lives being saved.
The film not only shares a story of hope and love but also serves as a powerful reminder of the significance of remaining obedient to God’s calling. This is a story of resilience and determination, but it is also another reminder of remaining obedient and faithful in tough situations.
Please come and join us at this showing. It is well worth your time, and we truly appreciate your support of the Faith and Film Ministry.
Calling all Little Lambs Ages 18 Months – 3 Years of Age!
Parents and toddlers are invited to a special space prepared just for them! – Join us from 9 to 9:45 am on the second Saturday of the month (next on April 12) at St. Edmund in the designed Toddler Atrium room adjacent to Murphy Hall – Please park in the parking lot behind the St. Edmund Church and enter through the back door to the church and hall.
For more information, contact Mary Ellen Lesniak (mlesniak@hotmail.com) or Laura Kelley (lkelley@spiritandlightcenter.org).
The young child has a different relationship to the environment… he absorbs it. The things the toddler sees are not just remembered, they form part of his soul. – Adapted from Maria Montessori
LITTLE LAMBS ATRIUM – We believe there is a deep bond between God and the youngest child which produces in the child the desire to draw nearer to God. As parents and catechists, our job is to nurture that relationship. Little Lambs Atrium, therefore, is a prepared environment in which the youngest child’s spiritual life is fed by prayer (listening to God’s Word in scripture), work (using beautiful hands-on materials to experience God’s gifts), and celebration (praising God through song and sacred movement).
In this special space, both parent and child can build a stronger relationship with our God who declares that each of us is a beloved child of our Divine parent.
NEXT – New Catholics In Conversation
NEXT – New Catholics in Conversation is a continual inquiry and faith sharing experience to those new to Catholicism. Each month, we explore a new topic of Catholic life and see how it impacts our everyday lives. The sessions run exactly one hour and include a reflection, conversation and prayer. We meet on the second Monday of the month at 7:15 pm, ordinarily at the McGivern Center on the Saint Edmund Campus.
Schedule 2025
- April 14 – Holy Week – The Days We So Need
- May 12 – Vulnerability, Belonging, Compassion
For more information, contact Pat Carew at pat@enerstar.net.
Maryville Academy Mission
Maryville is a child care organization rooted in Catholic social teaching and dedicated to the preservation of the dignity of children at every age. Our mission is to protect children and strengthen families while helping them reach their fullest potential by empowering their intellectual, spiritual, moral and emotional growth.
Maryville Academy, one of Chicagoland’s oldest social service organizations, began its 140th anniversary in July 2023. We are full of gratitude for all the Lord has accomplished for children, families and communities over the years through the dedication of countless clergy, religious, lay personnel and community partners. As an apostolate of the Archdiocese of Chicago, we share in the Church’s works of mercy and thank you for the privilege of carrying out our mission to protect and serve children and families in your name and with your help. We appreciate this opportunity to reacquaint you with or introduce you to “your” Maryville.
Saint Mary’s Training School was begun in 1883 by Chicago’s first Archbishop, Reverend Patrick A. Feehan, and was renamed Maryville Academy by the children’s vote in 1950. It has provided a home, education, career training and therapeutic care while upholding the dignity of each child. Over the years, as the needs and circumstances of youth changed, we responded with best-practice methods and programming. Yet we have held true to the essential mission, striving to make a positive difference.
Maryville is dedicated to protecting children and strengthening families through comprehensive services in four key areas – Family Services, Residential Services, Healthcare Services, and Education Services. These services are available in Bartlett, Berwyn, Chicago, Des Plaines and Niles. Many of their programs are community based and are designed to be of assistance to you, or those you know or serve.
Catholic Youth Organization (CYO): (312-491-3534) – provides a safe and positive environment for young athletes in Cook and Lake Counties through sports leagues / camps, open gyms and tournaments.
Children’s Healthcare Center: (773-205-3606) – is a welcoming, supportive facility that offers 24-hour nursing care for children who are medically fragile and technology dependent. The nursing staff gives parent / caregiver training to safely transition the children back to their homes.
Crisis Nurse: 24-Hour Helpline – (773-205-3637) – one of seven in Illinois and the only one serving Cook and Lake counties. It offers free child care services to parents with children under age 7 who are experiencing an emergency or crisis. It provides a safe, secure and loving environment for 4-72 hours in one stay and up to 30 days a year.
Family Behavioral Health Clinic: (847-390-3004) – has counseling services, DUI evaluations, risk education (English, Spanish, and Polish, in-person or telehealth appointments), smoking/vaping cessation services and play therapy. Medicaid and private insurance (not HMO) are accepted. NARCAN training for groups is available.
Maryville Academy Mother’s Recovery Home Network (Saint Monica and Saint Josephine Bakhita Homes): (312-491-3500 / 872-250-9720) – is a recovery and unification program that helps moms become sober, self-sufficient and independent so they can care for their children and keep them safe. Moms 18-35 years of age accompanied by children younger than 11, receive recovery, vocational and parenting coaching. Referral is via the Department of Children and Family Services INTACT unit or from an assessment by our Family Behavioral Health Clinic.
Charles H. Walsh Sr. Academy and Career Tech High School: (847-390-3020) – opened in November 2023 and continues Maryville Jen School’s founding vision of preparing diverse learners to enter high-demand trades or be college-ready for a successful future. Walsh Academy has an open enrollment policy and welcomes students 14-22 who are within a one-hour driving distance from the Academy. It is a leader in providing a comprehensive curriculum that offers academics, integrated social-emotional learning, and career-technical educational instruction for students.
Maryville also continues to provide residential programs: Casa Imani and Saint Mary of Celle are therapeutic homes for parenting and pregnant adolescent girls who experienced childhood trauma and are currently in the care of DCFS. Casa Salama Home for girls, 13-20, in DCFS care, diagnosed with cognitive and mental challenges. Saint Dominic Savio Home and Saint Teresa of Calcutta Home offer clinical care and life skills education for youth aged 14-18 who are referred to Maryville by the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. Casa Esperanza, Saint Rose of Lima, San Francisco and San Juan Diego Homes are short-term homes for newcomer youth displaced by war, violence or trauma. Saint Gabriel Home is a long-term group home for male newcomer youth 12017.
Maryville Golf Academy: One of Maryville’s family services programs, teaches, life lessons inherent in golf to Maryville children and youth in underserved Chicago neighborhoods and helps them develop as players, caddies and clubmakers.
Maryville is blessed with 500 employees. Our funding comes from government contracts, grants, donations and fundraising. We are proud and appreciative of our Maryville staff and grateful for the donors, volunteers, faith communities and organizations who support our work.
We invite you to partner with us by praying each day for Maryville’s children, families and staff; supporting our fundraisers; becoming a “Maryville Ambassador” to connect us with your parish; joining our team (go to maryvilleacademy.org for job opportunities); volunteering for a few hours each week (please visit our website to apply); contacting DCFS for information to become foster or adoptive parents – some of our Maryville children need families; or inviting our outreach coordinator to speak to your faith community or parish ministry or group about Maryville.
Thank you for the privilege of serving with you to strengthen and help children and families so they are safe, healthy and supported in growing to their full potential. We look forward to furthering our relationship with you. For more information, please contact Dolores (Dee) Stanton, community / parish outreach coordinator at 847-294-1899 or stantond@maryvilleacademy.org.
Maryville Academy
1150 N. River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016
847-294-1999 – www.maryvilleacademy.org
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR DELIVERIES
Catholic Charities is working on a pilot program to provide food pantry delivery one Saturday per month to pantry clients 65 and older who live in Cicero and Berwyn. We are looking for volunteers to do the deliveries, which will be from 10 am to 2 pm one Saturday per month. The starting date is still to be determined, but we hope to begin by the end of April. Volunteers will have to undergo a criminal background check and take an online driver awareness course.
If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering, please contact Claudia Andrade at candrade@catholiccharities.net or 708-329-4023.
FATHER AUGUSTUS TOLTON CAUSE FOR CANONIZATION
from Black Saints and Popes presentation
Father Augustus Tolton was the first black diocesan priest in the United States, the son of slaves of African descent. After studying in Rome, because no American seminary would accept him, he was ordained for the Diocese of Quincy, in southern Illinois, and later came to Chicago to start a parish for black Catholics. He died young, at only 43 years of age.
Fr. Tolton’s cause for sainthood was introduced in the Archdiocese of Chicago in 2010 by Francis Cardinal George, OMI.
“Tolton’s story is one of carving out one’s humanity as a man and as a priest in an atmosphere of racial volatility. His was a fundamental and pervasive struggle to be recognized, welcomed and accepted. He rises wonderfully as a Christ-figure, never uttering a harsh word about anyone or anything while being thrown one disappointment after another. He persevered among us when there was no logical reason to do so.”
– from Bishop Joseph N. Perry, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago – Diocesan Postulator for the Cause of Augustus Tolton
What Can I do to Help the Cause of Canonization of Father Augustus Tolton?
You can pray the special prayer for his canonization that simultaneously presents to God a request for healing or other special intention.
O God, we give you thanks for your servant and priest, Father Augustus Tolton, who labored among us in times of contradiction, times that were both beautiful and paradoxical. His ministry helped lay the foundation for a truly Catholic gathering in faith in our time. We stand in the shadow of his ministry. May his life continue to inspire us and imbue us with that confidence and hope that will forge a new evangelization for the Church we love.
Father in Heaven, Father Tolton’s suffering service sheds light upon our sorrows; we see them through the prism of your Son’s passion and death. If it be your Will, O God, glorify your servant, Father Tolton, by granting the favor I now request through his intercession (mention your request) so that all may know the goodness of this priest whose memory looms large in the Church he loved.
Complete what you have begun in us that we might work for the fulfillment of your kingdom. Not to us the glory, but glory to you O God, through Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, you are our God, living and reigning forever and ever.
Amen.
– from 2010 Bishop Joseph N. Perry, Imprimatur – Francis Cardinal George, OMI – Archdiocese of Chicago
Other ways to help the Cause for Sainthood of Father Tolton would be to attend the various events sponsored by the Archdiocese for the promotion of the Cause, or to help with your donations, used strictly to support the Cause.
To report any spiritual or physical favors granted through prayer in Father Tolton’s name, please write:
Office of the Cardinal – Archdiocese of Chicago
835 North Rush Street
Chicago, Illinois 60611
To request the prayer card for the canonization of Father Augustus Tolton, call or write:
Bishop Joseph N. Perry
Phone: 312.534.8376
3525 S. Lake Park Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60653
ARCHDIOCESE OF CHICAGO
OFFICE OF HUMAN DIGNITY AND SOLIDARITY-IMMIGRATION MINISTRY
“Let us work together to find concrete solutions to help the poor, refugees, victims of modern forms of slavery, in order to promote peace.” – Pope Francis
Support of critical funding is needed for migrants and refugees overseas. The final figures for this life-saving aid have yet to be determined, and Congress has until December 7 to pass a final bill. It will help migrants and refugees around the world meet their basic needs, and addresses factors, like violence, hunger, and lack of economic opportunity, that force people to migrate. Your voice makes a difference. Raise it today!
ACTION: Oppose cuts to foreign aid and ensure Congress is funding these life-saving programs at the highest levels possible. Visit the USCCBs site https://www.confrontglobalpoverty.org for ways to contact your officials.
For additional ways to advocate for immigrants and refugees visit: www.CatholicsAndImmigrants.org.
