​Dear Friends,

At this weekend’s 11am Mass we conclude our celebration of Catholic Schools Week. Our parish is blessed to sponsor two schools which serve a total of over 400 students: Saint Gabriel School and Bridgeport Catholic Academy, each with its own personality and proud traditions.  During the past couple of years, we have endeavored to explore areas where our schools can work together and collaborate. Mr. Dan Flaherty serves as principal of both schools and works closely with the Assistant Principal at each: Mrs. Julie Jurisic at St. Gabriel and Mrs. Katie Thompson at BCA. 

Bridgeport Catholic Academy was founded in 1985, picking up where Nativity of Our Lord school (which began when the parish began) left off. Originally six parishes came together to combine forces into this regional school model with sites on five parish campuses. When enrollment diminished, the other sites closed- with operations consolidating at the Nativity campus. Until 2019 BCA was a semi-independent Catholic school overseen by the Archdiocesan Office of Catholic Schools and with area pastors serving on the School Board. Renew My Church returned governance and oversight to the local parish, and formal collaboration with Saint Gabriel school was initiated. One real benefit of this is that a much stronger parish-school connection can be forged. We continue to draw from the larger community, and work to help families from other parishes maintain their connection with their own parish church, even while attending at our parish’s school. Built in 1963, it is a modern school building (by city Catholic school standards) and boasts a beautiful gymnasium and a chapel. The classrooms, like those at Saint Gabriel, are outfitted with up-to-date technology. The  Pre-K through 8 program at both our schools supports interaction and mentoring across grade levels.

 

One goal of Catholic schools is to prepare students so that they can attend the high school of their choice, and I am told that is the case with our schools. The overwhelming majority of our graduates attend an excellent local Catholic High School (over 90% of our students are Catholic). I am proud of our dedicated and talented teachers and staff and can say from first-hand experience that the environment in our schoolhouses exudes positivity and warmth. Our Catholic  Schools deserved this week of celebration!



May your week reflect the encounter with Christ

We experienced at Mass today!

Dear Friends,

At this weekend’s 9:30 Mass we initiate our celebration of Catholic Schools Week. Our parish is blessed to sponsor two schools which serve a total of over 400 students: Saint Gabriel School and Bridgeport Catholic Academy, each with its own personality and proud traditions.  During the past couple of years, we have endeavored to explore areas where our schools can work together and collaborate. Mr. Dan Flaherty serves as principal of both schools and works closely with the Assistant Principal at each: Mrs. Julie Jurisic at St. Gabriel and Mrs. Katie Thompson at BCA. Our dedicated and talented teachers and staff are among the heroes of the pandemic. They made the necessary adaptations and accommodations to teach our children during a time and under conditions that many others would not.

Saint Gabriel’s educational mission was in place from the parish’s beginning. Already in 1880 the Sisters of Mercy created an initial school faculty, and over 200 children walked through the doors and took their seats in one of the four classrooms. As time progressed new buildings were constructed which now boast large classrooms, a beautiful cafeteria and a 400-seat auditorium. Our PK-8th grade mission remains strong; we have seen incremental but consistent growth in recent years. While we draw students primarily from the Canaryville and southern Bridgeport neighborhoods, we want to expand our outreach into the Back of the Yards, where Catholic school availability has declined. 

Both of our schools are funded by tuition and Big Shoulders and Illinois Tax Credit scholarships, in addition to vigorous fundraising and the generosity of individual donors. While the parish does not formally subsidize the schools, we do send out monthly school support envelopes that a number of parishioners use to support our educational mission. Our parents make a significant financial sacrifice to send their children to our schools (next year’s tuition will be $5,600 for the first child- a great deal, when you think about it, but still a sacrifice). 

We will close out Catholic Schools week next Sunday at the 11:00 Mass at Nativity of Our Lord, so I’ll write about BCA in next week’s bulletin.  Be on the lookout for kids in uniforms! 
*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *
A note to our parish donors: Because changes in tax laws mean that most of us do not benefit from itemizing our parish donations on our tax returns, we are not sending out individual statements to each family. However, we are happy to provide them upon request. Please either call the parish offices or email nativitygabrieloffice@nativitystgabriel.org to request a statement. 

May your week reflect the encounter with Christ We experienced at Mass today!

Dear Friends,

Praying for the sick is a work of mercy, and parish bulletins generally list sick members of the community so that others can pray on their behalf. Sometimes these lists get so long with names of people who remain indefinitely, and the sheer length of the list means that few people ever notice when new names are added. Sometimes people on the list recover or die, but their names remain on the list because no one realizes it. Some names were added by friends or family, but no one remembers who added the name or how to follow up. To help focus our prayer, we are going to start a new list from scratch at the beginning of February. If you would like your name or the name of a friend or loved one who is sick listed (make sure you have their permission), alert Wanda or Kathy in the offices, and we’ll publish their names for four weeks or so, and then remove it. If you/they would like the name to stay on the list longer, just let us know as that four week period ends. This will hopefully help to keep our sick list up-to-date, as well as keep its size manageable so that we can better hold before us in prayer those who are ill.

Next Saturday, January 22nd, marks the 49th anniversary of the Supreme Court Roe v Wade decision that paved the way for the high level of abortion access available to women in most of our country. As you know, we live in a State which has enacted laws ensuring continued access to abortion even if Roe v Wade were to be overturned at the Federal level. In fact, according to the Chicago Tribune, Illinois has some of the least restrictive abortion rules in the nation. I think we all realize that the goal of disciples of Jesus is to persuade, not to force… to draw towards conversion, not to ramrod our viewpoint down others’ throats. That said, the blood of innocent children cries out for response. And as Christians, we are obliged to call out evil when we see it, especially the evil of the direct taking of innocent human life. We are also called to work for the legal protection of the most vulnerable among us. Drawing our society into a deeper appreciation for a moral conviction based upon divine revelation: this is our challenge. And so we need to remain humbly reliant upon the Holy Spirit to guide us, so we can respond as God’s instruments, as we work to soften the hearts and open the eyes of those who do not see God’s gift of life where we do.

May your week reflect the encounter with Christ We experienced at Mass today!

​Dear Friends,

I was truly pleased with our Christmas Masses, and so grateful that concerns about crowds and illness were put aside so that people could gather for an hour of worship. Like so many, I am aggravated that this COVID business has lingered the way it has. The disruption it has caused to the lives of so many is maddening. People have gotten used to living in fear, and with good reason- illness and death from this has been a reality. But we are told that the risk of serious illness or death is greatly diminished for those who are vaccinated. We now find ourselves in what I pray will be the final gasp of the pandemic, even if we will need to learn to live with it at a reduced level- just as we have learned to manage living with the seasonal flu. 

We close out the liturgical Christmas Season with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Last weekend we noted how God was made manifest in Christ to the Three Kings. The Bethlehem manifestation was limited to the Holy Family, the shepherds, the Kings, the angels and the animals. At His Baptism, Jesus’ manifestation as the Son of God becomes evident to more people as he emerges from the Jordan River. The Holy Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove, and the voice of the God the Father proclaims from the heavens in an audible voice: “You are My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” Jesus’ public ministry has begun.

Our own baptism initiates us into the life of Christ and His Church. When we were baptized our parents promised to raise us in the practice of the faith. Practicing the faith includes attending Mass each Sunday (or Saturday evening). You may have noticed Second, Seventh and Eighth graders handing me small cards after weekend Masses. This both gives me a chance to greet them and also provides a way for me to track and confirm that those preparing for the further initiation sacraments of Eucharist and Confirmation are living lives in accordance with what we believe Christ wants from us (attending Mass). Our lives as disciples means developing a relationship with Christ through prayer, modeling our lives on the actions and teachings of Jesus, and studying the truths of the Catholic faith (familiarity with the Bible and the Catechism). Sunday (or Saturday evening) Mass has also been an integral element of Christian discipleship since the beginning. COVID gave us a dispensation from the obligation if we are sick or worried about getting sick. Yet for those seeking further initiation into the Church, these sacraments presume active participation in the life of the Church as disciples of Jesus. 

One additional thank-you I missed for Christmas church decoration: Carly Perminas. Thank you Carly! Our churches sure are decorated beautifully, and it is a shame to have to take down our decorations- but with this weekend’s feast of Baptism of the Lord, the Christmas Season comes to an end. It’s back to Ordinary Time until March 2nd (Ash Wednesday- the start of Lent).


May your week reflect the encounter with Christ We experienced at Mass today!

​Dear Friends,

Here’s to hoping that 2022 will be a better year than 2021 and 2020 were (at least from the perspective of the pandemic). Starting a New Year always gives a boost to our hopes for other new starts in our lives. 

I always like to begin the New Year by giving thanks. At the parish level there are so many people to thank, but in this space I would like to at least offer some words of gratitude to the following:

… to my fellow professional/pastoral staff members, Kim Osowiec, Dan Flaherty, Deacon Colm Mitchell, Deacon Erik Zeimys, Deacon Rob Morris, Ann Rubich, and Jenni Simental, and to the secretaries at both our sites: Wanda Dybas and Kathy Bailey, who are in many ways the faces and the voices of the parish, and whose knowledge of the parish and dedication to our ministry make all the difference in the world 

…to those who work so hard to maintain our campus and tackle the necessary repairs: Joe Hermle and Tim Smith

…to those who provide such wonderful music at our liturgies: our music Directory, Carl DiSanti, vocalist and choir director Kenned McIver, and vocalist Greg Krajewski.

…to the members of our wonderful choir: Mary Ann O’Connell Stanislaw, Debbie Simental, Diane Griffin, Herb Schellhase, Jean Sehring, Judy Mangan, Karen Daly, Kathleen Knoppe, Kathy Bailey, MaryLu DeMarco, Maureen Burns, Muriel Loftus, Patty Sullivan, Walter Rudziewicz, John Czubaja, Anthony Dugo, and Mary Ellen Sheehan (and members-emeritus Mary Kay Sopron and Kay Bilotta).

… to those who decorated our churches so beautifully for Christmas: at Nativity of Our Lord- Kim Madia, Dee Settino, Cathy Guisti, Terry Huels and Erin Fitzgerald.  At Saint Gabriel- Joe Hermle and family: Eileen, Joey, Carrie, Joseph, Elizabeth, Michael, Katie, Mikey and Jessica, along with Tim Ligue, John McManus and Jack Johnson.

Happy New Year and Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God to all!

May your week reflect the encounter with Christ We experienced at Mass today!

Dear Friends,

As we gather for Christmas, our eyes turn to the Christ child. Our parish has a special relationship with this feast: the Archangel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was to be mother of the Savior of the world, and our Nativity church stands as a memorial to the event of the that birth. 

Though we still struggle to contain COVID, vaccines and careful interaction has helped keep people out of the hospital and some sense of normalcy has returned to our lives (at least compared to last year at this time). To be sure, the psychological trauma of the past twenty-two months will have lasting impact. And I cannot help but think of those living in countries where so many are still in hospitals and dying because the vaccine has not yet made it into the arms of people there.

In our parish, we have been able to resume most activities, and we are now looking ahead to see how to draw more people to Christ so that we can grow. The challenge is moving past mere “cultural Catholicism” to having a living relationship fed by encounter. The future of the Church will be to engage hearts and draw them into inner conversion to Jesus. Our parish life will center on making disciples of Jesus who feel personally connected to Him and who develop this connection through their participation in the sacramental life of the Church. Our task is to become ministers of awakening, helping to bolster the faith of those for whom it has become dormant.

For those reading this who have been cautious about returning to church: welcome home! While I have been your pastor for a year-and-a-half now, it feels like I am still in the beginning stages of getting to know our parish. I want to get to know you.

The celebration of Christ’s birth calls us to re-birth: a re-birth of normality in our lives; a re-birth in our united parish; a re-birth in our own sense of the closeness of the Savior. “Emmanuel” means “God is with us,” and with us He is. Our challenge is to recognize that presence, and to respond to it. 

May God bless you and those you love throughout the coming Christmas Season!

May your week reflect the encounter with Christ We experienced at Mass today!

​Dear Friends,
​
A generous (anonymous) parishioner wanted us to have rose vestments for the Third Sunday of Advent and the Fourth Sunday of Lent, and so made a special donation for their purchase. (thank you!) The rose color of “Gaudate (rejoice) Sunday” is intended to convey the joy of the nearness of Christ’s coming and our celebration of His Nativity, and reflects the tenor of the Readings of the day.

The roof over the Saint Gabriel vestibule has finally been replaced, although the work we did was not as extensive as it probably should have been. Much of the inner brickwork of the parapets also had to be pulled out and replaced, but the terra cotta coping tiles will eventually also need attention. We’ll install a poured membrane product there as flashing in order to buy us 10 years or so. With luck, the interior vestibule repairs and painting will be completed and fully open in time for Christmas, but I can’t promise that yet. Right now I am trying to keep our main focus on the bell tower. Bidding documents for that work went out to prospective contractors last week, and I hope to have a good idea before Christmas the exact dollar amount we need to plan for. I really want to get this done in 2022, and hopefully we can put in the order for the needed custom brick fabrication over the winter so that the bricks will be ready to go when we are.

Flashing near the Nativity bell tower was repaired a few weeks ago, and some church roof work was also done in the Fall. That roof will need to be replaced sooner rather than later, but not tomorrow. We do have a water issue in the section where the rectory/parish center joins to the church and plans are in place for those repairs to be done soon.

The Christmas mailing will go out soon (maybe it already has), but for those who are trying to line things up now, here’s the Mass Schedule: Christmas Eve 3pm at St Gabriel, 4:30pm at Nativity, and then we are going to try a 10pm “Midnight Mass” at Nativity (it is the church feast day, after all )… on Christmas morning we’ll have Mass at 9:30 at St Gabriel and 11am at Nativity of our Lord.

May your week reflect the encounter with Christ We experienced at Mass today!

Dear Friends,

We are moving into the “Marian week” of Advent-

On December 8th the Church marks the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. This is also the patronal feast of the United States. We call to mind the wonderful and fitting gift that God the Father gave to the one who would be the mother of His Son, applying to her at her conception the graces available to all after their baptism. Mary was preserved from Original Sin, making her a most suitable vessel for the Christ-child in her womb. Non-Catholics are sometimes confused by this doctrine, thinking it means that Mary did not need to be saved by Jesus’ cross and resurrection. She did indeed need to be saved; but in a beautiful- almost poetic- way, God (who does not exist in time) applied the fruits of salvation to her soul before she was born. Mass on the 8th will be at 8:15 at Nativity of Our Lord (the usual Wednesday morning Mass location); at St Gabriel at 1pm for the School children (others are also welcome to attend), and 7pm at St. Gabriel. 

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on December 12th, though it falls on a Sunday this year which means that Masses that day must be focused on the theme of the Third Sunday of Advent. Saint Gabriel had celebrated a Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass in December, but the decision was made the past couple of years to hold off on this until the COVID situation is behind us. 

Some weeks ago, I posted a request from the office of Special Religious Education seeking some volunteers to help with their catechetical program for young people with special needs. This program’s headquarters, chapel and religion classrooms are just up the street at 2956 S Lowe (check out their web site: www.spred-chicago.org). Working with the developmentally disabled is incredibly rewarding and a true exercise in Christian discipleship. The Chicago program for this has become a national model, and this site on Lowe attracts people from all over the country to learn about the process and receive training. They are in great need of help, though, and it seems that a parish like ours, being as close as we are, should be able to help staff their volunteer corps. As part of your Advent prayer I invite you to look into this and then consider/pray over whether God might be calling you to this volunteer ministry. For more information, call Elizabeth at the SPRED Center at 312.842.1039. We did not receive any response when this was posted before; I truly hope some motivated and generous parishioners might consider this now that it is being repeated before Christmas. 

May your week reflect the encounter with Christ we experienced at Mass today!

​Dear Friends,

With the First Sunday of Advent we enter into the liturgical period preparing us for our Christmas celebration. These weeks during which the hours of sunlight are at their low point of the year remind us of the spiritual darkness into which Jesus, the light of the world, first emerged. Just as the days start getting longer after Christmas, the world’s hope began to light up after the birth of the Savior.

To help in your Advent preparations, we purchased some little booklets of daily meditations that you are welcome to take home with you. These are from Bishop Robert Barron, the well known author and speaker at the center of the Word on Fire ministries. There are lots of additional Advent resources, including inspiring videos and talks, available at that website: www.wordonfire.org. The website also has instructions for receiving the daily reflections found in the booklets via email each day. Another inspiring speaker and writer, Matthew Kelly, has Advent reflections and support available through the website: www.dynamiccatholic.com. You might also be interested in receiving daily Advent reflections from Chicago seminarians- you can sign up to receive these at: https://usml.edu/advent-reflections/

Here at the parish you might consider attending daily Mass during the week (if you are not working). Remember that we gather at 8:05 am for a 25-30 minute Mass- on Mondays and Wednesdays at Nativity and Tuesdays and Fridays at St. Gabriel. My parents attended daily Mass on most days during their entire adult lives, and regularly talked about how important that became as an anchor in their spiritual lives. Even if you don’t attend every day, consider trying just once a week. You may be surprised at the difference it makes.

I will make extra time to hear confessions during Advent: On Saturdays, I’ll be available 15 minutes earlier than usual, starting at 3:30pm. I will also be in the confessional during the Tuesday evening prayer and adoration from 6-7:30pm on December 14. At Nativity I will be in the confessional for the regular First Friday Holy Hour, December 3, from 7-8pm, and again on December 16 from 6 – 7:30pm. 

Remember that Saint Gabriel is also open for private prayer on Saturday mornings, from 9 – 10:30. 


May your week reflect the encounter with Christ We experienced at Mass today!