January 15th

Dear Friends,

With the Christmas Season behind us, we shift back into “Ordinary Time” for a few weeks prior to the beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday is on February 22nd this year). While it is quiet time liturgically, behind the scenes things are busy.

We’re working on preparing a series of Mass attendance reports and information mailings for the families of children preparing for First Communion and Confirmation; we’re preparing the mid-year month financial report for the parish; we’re preparing for Catholic Schools Week (which starts the last weekend of the month); we’re preparing for the next round of ALPHA (to begin on March 1); we’re preparing for the St Patrick’s Day Corned Beef Dinner (on March 4th). Finally, we are looking ahead to Lent to consider what we can do to help support parishioners in their Lenten journey.

Since there’s so much preparation taking place, I don’t have a lot else to write about- other than to let you know that I’ll be away next weekend. I am returning to Guatemala to visit the children and others with whom I worked from early 2013 until mid-2015. I’ll write a bit more about that for next weekend’s bulletin.

We are approaching the anniversary of a Supreme Court decision that was overturned last June. For 50 years Roe v Wade provided the legal basis for permitting abortion in our country. During these past months since it was overturned some States have restricted it, while others (such as our own) have strengthened access and taxpayer funding for it. January 22nd (January 23rd this year, since the 22nd falls on a Sunday) remains the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. It seems like such an uphill battle in a State like Illinois, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep the prayers coming.