06/28/2026

Dear Friends,

It was a joy to attend Fr. Raymond Grieshaber’s priesthood ordination and First Mass last weekend, and it is a blessing to have him at our parish celebrating the 4:30pm and 11am Masses this weekend! Please continue to keep him in his prayers as he prepares to begin his assignment as associate pastor in Mount Prospect.

Over the next few weeks I will be making home visits to the homebound in our parish who receive pastoral visits on a regular basis from parishioners trained as Ministers of Care. Since they cannot come to Mass, we “bring the Mass to them” by sharing the scripture readings and bringing Holy Communion. We have about 10 people right now, but I am sure there are others in the parish who could benefit from this ministry. If you or someone you know is homebound and unable to attend Mass on the weekends, please let me know. It can mean a lot to receive a home visit from a priest, and then getting on a schedule to have Holy Communion brought to them can help people to feel connected to the community, not to mention the advantages of the spiritual fortification that comes from receiving the Eucharist.
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For those who might be wondering: The damage visible at the southeast corner of the St Gabriel School roof was caused by the recent storms. We’re working on arranging repairs. There was also a water line break under the sidewalk along 45th- and we are also working on getting that issue resolved. The storms also brought water into our Nativity of Our Lord church. We already know that roof is bad and are waiting for our Generation-to-Generation capital campaign fund to build up to the point where we can afford to have that roof replaced.

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

​-Rev. James F. Hurlbert