Parish Bulletin – June 26, 2022
Unified Parish of St. Catherine-St. Lucy and St. Giles
Dear Community Members of St. Giles and St. Catherine-St. Lucy,
Here are some things you should know…
As July 1 quickly approaches and our parishes officially unite as one, for the most part, things will remain the same with a few exceptions. First, our bulletins will become one source of information. We have been working with J.S. Paluch Co., who currently provides both bulletins, to expand and create one new bulletin. Until our unified community decides on a new name for our new identity, the bulletin will be called St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish Bulletin.
More information will be coming out in July about the naming process. The names of all our church buildings will remain the same. It is the new community formed that takes on a new name. Again, more information will be shared when available and all will have the opportunity to be part of that process.
Also, Matt Brophy, our Operations Director, and Rachel Faulman, my Administrative Assistant, are working together with the office staff and volunteers at St. Catherine-St. Lucy to determine how best to handle calls and business as our parishes become one. Having designated office hours and forwarding calls to the St. Giles receptionists during already existing office hours are items being discussed and decided on as we want to be sure anyone who calls St. Catherine-St. Lucy has their call answered.
At our last unification meeting on June 20, a plan was made to have Mass Meet and Greets at both church sites. On the weekend of July 9-10, folks from St. Giles are invited to attend a Mass at St. Catherine-St. Lucy and say hello after Mass to folks there. On July 16-17, St. Catherine-St. Lucy folks will be invited to attend Mass at St. Giles with time for greeting after Mass in the gathering space. Please keep these dates in mind. And, you don’t have to wait to attend Mass at either church. In any case, I ask all to be aware of anyone new walking through any of our doors. Let’s not forget the importance of a smile and the words, Hello, Welcome!!
To all, BE AWARE!! I have had my e-mail “spoofed” several times now by scammers. The message is sent to those in my contact list, and it sounds as if it is legitimately from me. You are asked to purchase gift cards to help with an urgent matter… and then send the card numbers to “me.” Please do not do this, it is a scam! If you look closely at the actual email address sending the request, you will see that it is not my email address of frcarl@stgilesparish.org. Several people have had the good sense to check with me and alert me to what is happening. I wanted to give everyone a heads up.
Finally, this week Monday through Thursday (June 27 – 30), I will be away at our Archdiocesan Priests Convocation with Cardinal Cupich. This is a time for fraternity, prayer, speaker presentations and Mass together as a presbyterate. The theme is Christ, the light of hope in our hurting world. Please pray for the success of our convocation which takes place every four years. Fr. Tom and Fr. Ed will handle the weekday Masses at St. Giles. At St. Catherine-St. Lucy, Deacon Kevin will do a communion service on Tuesday, June 28, with Mass on Wednesday, June 29, at 8:30 am as usual.
My heartfelt gratitude to Fr. John McGivern, who has been administrator of St. Catherine-St. Lucy. I ask that you hold Fr. McGivern in prayer as his role here and as Pastor of St. Edmund comes to a close. He, like all of us in different ways, will begin a new chapter in his life. As this unification process brings about changes, challenges and new opportunities, I’d like to share this verse from a prayer called, A Covenant Prayer, a Psalm of Trust. We prayed it at our joint Unification Team meeting last week.
“Blessed be the God who unites two streams to form one active current together, enriching the lives of all on whom our fullness overflows.
Blessed be the God who sinks deep roots in us as the new creation of church taking the best of what has been for the seeds of what will be.”
And with the Spirit to guide us let us say, AMEN!
Have a blessed week ahead.
With you a Christian. For you a priest.
Fr. Carl Morello – Pastor of St. Giles Parish
