ARTICLE FROM OUR PARISH BULLETIN – APRIL 27, 2025
Dear Brothers and Sister in Christ,
We mourn the passing of Pope Francis – a shepherd whose Papacy reshaped the soul of the Church through his humility, compassion, and prophetic witness. His life was a testimony to the Gospel truth that “true power is in service,” not in dominance or prestige. He knelt beside the suffering, walked with the excluded, lifted the burdened with dignity and love. As we honor his memory, we are called not just to grieve, but to live. Pope Francis reminded us that the Church is a field hospital. And now, more than ever, we are its workers.
Here in Oak Park, our Migrant Ministry stands as a living answer to that call. Every act of welcome, every article of clothing shared, every cup of coffee given, every listening ear offered to the stranger at our door – these are all holy moments that echo Pope Francis’ vision of mercy without borders. He often said, “Each migrant has a name, a face, a story.” Let us keep their stories sacred. Let us deepen our commitment to advocacy, accompaniment, and radical hospitality, not as charity, but as justice. And in our new One In Love Ministry, we listen with understanding to those walking the journey in and with the LGBTQ+ community and our neighbors along the edges of belonging. It is another way we have begun to carry the same spirit as Pope Francis who challenged us with the simplest and most powerful question, “Who am I to judge.”
His words cracked open the doors of dialogue, and now it’s our turn, through this ministry, to continue the conversations.
Our welcome must be more than polite, it must be prophetic. Real inclusion means not only to make space, but to honor the image of God in every person, especially those long left in the shadows. Another effort we have begun is the work of Neighborhood Bridge where we assist those in need, connecting them with services that can offer real support. I am proud to say that we have been doing our part to follow the Pope’s example of service.
In this sacred time of mourning, may we rise with admiration and devotion. We are a blessed community with many who live with Pope Francis’ dream of a Church that sees and cares for the poor and disadvantaged around us. The best way we can honor Pope Francis now is to be sure that his spirit continues to find root here, in our pews and in our hearts.
This is Divine Mercy Sunday, and it holds a special meaning as we remember Pope Francis. Francis gave strong witness to God’s mercy, always kind, always prayerful, always faithful to the Gospel and ready with words of encouragement. His Papacy, and presence, was a gift. Pope Francis challenged us in our thinking on many issues. We can take comfort on this Divine Mercy Sunday that he is now in the embrace of the very mercy he preached and believed in so deeply. The Pope reminded us, “Mercy makes us new, it is the path that joins God and man, for it opens the heart to the hope of being loved forever despite our sinfulness.”
Divine Mercy Sunday invites each of us to walk this path – to open our hearts to forgiveness, to extend compassion, and to live in the hope of the Resurrection.
Let us also honor Francis by continuing to be a community of prayer, kindness, and love. May he inspire us to trust in the Lord’s mercy and to share it with others.
Father Carl Morello
Pastor
Ascension and St. Edmund Parish
St. Catherine of Siena – St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish
ARTICLE FROM OUR PARISH BULLETIN – EASTER LETTER FROM CARDINAL BLASE CUPICH – APRIL 20, 2025
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
For more than a thousand years, the Church has sung five words that capture the message of Easter: Christ our hope has risen.
This simple phrase powerfully expresses the conviction that our hope is the very person of the Risen Christ. He not only rose from the dead two thousand years ago but is present and active in our world today. As the Risen One, He shares with us His victory and triumph over sin and death, drawing us into the fulness of life that God has desired for humanity. Yes, indeed Christ our hope has risen.
We recall this core belief in this Jubilee Holy Year when Pope Francis has called us to be Pilgrims of Hope. This is an invitation to be a people who journey together, confident that we are sustained by this closeness to the Risen Christ as we face the challenges of life. As pilgrims of hope, we walk with the Risen One and lean on his presence for personal support, but we also discover the power to bring hope to our world, our families, communities, workplaces, and nation. This is a great grace and responsibility.
May our Easter faith that Christ our hope has risen grow stronger so that we will join in His work of bringing hope to our world with new enthusiasm, putting aside all of our fears and anxieties, in this knowledge that by conquering death, the Risen Lord has given us the sure hope and promise that we too have risen with Him and will live forever. Yes, Christ our hope has risen and so have we.
Happy Easter!
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Cardinal Blase Cupich
Archbishop of Chicago
