Non-Parish Offsite Community Events
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, on Thursday, April 4, we will begin 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.
Spiritual Classics for All Oak Park Parishes
May Discussion – Marguerite Porete and The Mirror of Simple Souls
Join us for the upcoming Spiritual Classics discussion on Marguerite Porete’s classic writing, The Mirror of Simple Souls. We will meet on Tuesday, May 7 at 7:30 pm in the Ascension Parish Center Dining Room. Jeff Wood will lead the discussion. All Oak Park parishes are welcome.
The Mirror of Simple Souls is a dialogue among allegorical figures conversing about the nature of the spirit and the relation between the soul and God. Because human love is like divine love, Porete shows how the human soul can achieve a lasting union with God. Porete lived in a beguine community in the fourteenth century and the book became enormously popular throughout Europe at the time.
If you have any questions, or would like more information about our monthly Spiritual Classics discussions, send an email to llaffc@ascensionoakpark.com or check out the Spiritual Classics webpage on the Ascension and St. Edmund website. Reading the book is not required in order to join the discussions – feel free to just come and hear about Porete’s medieval spirituality.
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 Saturday, May 11 at St. Edmund in the designed Toddler Atrium room adjacent to Murphy Hall – Enter through the ramp off of Oak Park Avenue just to the north of the Church building at 188 S. Oak Park Avenue.
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.
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.
