April 9, 2021 | Weekly Update

April 9, 2021 | Weekly Update

Happy Easter Jesus is alive! Alleluia!

For us Catholics, Easter is not a one-day event but a 50-day season of celebration! How awesome is that; for Death has been defeated by the God who went down into the muck of sin and despair and arose victoriously!

The Church asks us to celebrate “Divine Mercy Sunday” on this 2nd weekend of the Easter Season of which Father Don will be preaching at all the Masses.  Before all the Masses this weekend, we will pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  There will also be Divine Mercy holy cards given out for anyone who would like to have one after all the Masses this weekend.  Sign in ahead of time here or at the door.

Why is the Church asking us to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday?  Let’s break it open; mercy comes from the Latin misericordia, “to suffer with another.” A polish saint of the 20th century, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, received visions of Christ and was encouraged to write about the divine mercy of God, who desires that all souls return to him.  Check out the video message in the Flocknote email that gives insight into the ‘why’.   Or click here to dig deeper.

THIS COMING WEEK
This Saturday 4/10
  • 1st Saturday 4/9 after the 8:30am Mass is the First Saturday Devotion
    • This devotion is one of the principal points of the Fatima message.  It consists of the following on 5 consecutive first Saturdays: Going to Confession, Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion, Praying five decades of the Rosary, and Meditating for 15 minutes on the mysteries of the Rosary.
    • Find out the reasons why the five Saturdays from our Lord Jesus to Sister Lucia as well as additional details here.  We hope you incorporate this powerful devotion into your life. Please connect with Bonnie Ramirez 630-723-4289 for any questions.
  • Outdoor Confessions tomorrow morning is dependent upon the weather. If it is raining heavily, Father James will hear Confessions in the Narthex.  If it is light rain where you won’t be drenched, he will hear Confessions outside.
Also this Saturday 4/10 @ 7pm
  • Is a Divine Mercy Virtual Event with “The Chosen” star Jonathan Roumie who plays Jesus and Father Chris Alar.  Sign up for email reminders about this exciting virtual event.  You will receive the reminder 24 and 2 hours ahead of time and a free printable PDF with the prayers of the Divine Mercy Chaplet from our wonderful partner, the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M.  Click here to sign up https://ascensionpress.com/pages/divine-mercy-novena
Mobile Food Pantry on Weds 4/14
  • Please spread the word on the Mobile Food Pantry this month. Share the attached link. If you have a Facebook account, share the Facebook post from our page, this is an easy way to help someone you may be unaware that is in need of food.
Make it a Pizza Night for a good cause on Thurs 4/15
  • Need a good reason to have a pizza night or rather a pizza day?  And not just any pizza, but really good pizza!  Little Pops Pizzeria by New York and Eola is donating 20% of all sales on Thurs 4/15th from 11am to 9pm to our Knights of Columbus Council #12005.
  • Please support our amazing Knights of Columbus Council on Thursday, please don’t forget to mention “KNIGHTS’ so your sales will count.  If you order online (here is the link) please type in “KNIGHTS” in the NOTES section.
Earth Day Celebration on Sat 4/17
  • Celebrate Earth Day @ OLM on Saturday 4/17th @ 10am.  Gather at the west end of the parking lot where we will start with prayer and directions.
  • We will then disperse to do a spring cleanup of the grounds including our neighboring properties. Families, kids, people of all ages welcome.
  • The Justice & Peace Ministry who is organizing this will supply gloves, bags, and a few trash picker devices. If you have tongs, bring them along.  They will have surprise handouts for the kids and are asking that everyone wear a mask.
    We pray for God’s help to work together to protect our common home, the Earth, let us pray to the Lord!
Eucharistic Adoration Weekly Sign-Up
  • Did you know we have Eucharistic Adoration at the following times?  Mondays and Thursdays immediately after daily Holy Mass through 6pm, and Wednesdays 9am – 12pm.  Sign-up here.
LOOKING AHEAD
Don’t Get Scammed by Fake Fathers!
  • Father Don and Father James DO NOT send texts or emails asking for money or gift cards.  If you receive a message appearing to be from Father Don or Father James, please discard it and DO NOT SEND ANY ELECTRONIC MONETARY AID.
An Easter Magnify on 4/21
  • As one of our rockstar saints, Pope Saint John Paull II has said “We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song” so let’s get our worship on and praise the King of Kings at Magnify.  Sign in ahead of time at this link or at the door
  • Hear Father James speak—worship lead by Josh—time of prayer for it’s what makes our relationship with Jesus stronger—and opportunity for Confession to be freed from what’s burdening us—family time with the kids and Jesus; so many cool reasons to go to an Easter Magnify.
Bible Study | Bible Timeline: The Story of Salvation starts 4/27
  • Returning again is the Ascension Press Bible Timeline study on Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm starting on 4/27th for 22 weeks with summer break.
  • This is an awesome study; it conveys the biblical story from beginning to end and will give you the keys to understanding the amazing story woven throughout Scripture. It is an awesome way to understand the Bible and more importantly our own story—our faith history and how things came to be.  Connect with Joe Glasgow at jglasgowjr@gmail.com for details.
  • Purchase the workbook and sign-up at https://bit.ly/2QcDTu9
Aurora Day of Service on 5/1
  • Teens from our LIGHT youth ministry program are hosting a Day of Service in the community.  To help with the cost of the trip they are asking you to put them to work for you!
  • How does it work?  Do you have an outdoor job you simply don’t have the time or desire to do such as mulching, weeding, fence painting, yard clean-up, etc.  Fill out the slip at this link and return it to OLM by April 25th.   You will receive a call a few days later to confirm the job and location….and at the designated time (we arrange transportation), “SUPERTEENS” will arrive to do the work on May 1!  Our teens and adult leaders will all wear masks and practice social distancing for safety.
  • Please mail forms by 4/20th so we get your job scheduled!  You can drop off the form in the dropbox located in the lobby of the PLC too.  Connect with Ann Marie at (331) 431-3729 or Dave at DaveM@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org with any questions.
CRHP Christ Renews His Parish Renewal Weekends sign up by 5/10
  • Are you in need of renewal of your faith?  Do you need a break from your busy schedule of personal, business, and family obligations so that you can refresh yourself spiritually and renew your heart?
  • Come to the Renewal Weekends: Women’s Renewal Weekend is on 5/15 thru 5/16, Men’s Renewal Weekend is on 5/22 thru 5/23.
  • Proceed to this link for details and sign-up.  We pray you sign-up soon as spots are filling up fast.  COVID safety notes: we follow the Diocesan Covid guidelines.
  • Connect with Kevin Nemetz @ 630.301.2312 Kevin@tix4cause.com or Vicki Petersen @ 708.250.7634 crhpolm@gmail.com
Bible Study | Revelation: The Kingdom Yet to Come starts 5/12
  • How exciting to have a Bible Study on the book of Revelation!  Wednesday evenings from 7pm to 9pm starting on 5/12th for 11 weeks until 7/21st.
  • Discover what the mysterious figures and images of Revelation mean and see how Revelation is more than an apocalyptic vision of the “end times.” Explore the Church’s teaching on the second coming of Christ and the Last Judgment.  Connect with Joe Wiacek at joewiacek@gmail.com for details.
  • Purchase the workbook and sign-up at https://bit.ly/2QcDTu9
Bulletin
  • Don’t forget to check out Father Don’s insightful weekly Bulletin article located here.
Supporting OLM through the CMAA
  • The Diocesan Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA) allows us, together, to do our part in building God’s kingdom here on earth.  Father Don and Bishop Hicks are asking us to join them in supporting the CMAA to help the poor and vulnerable, form our future shepherds, and spread the faith through our Catholic schools, faith formation programs in parishes, and programs for young adults.
  • Our parish’s goal for the 2021 CMAA is $154,400, with 70 percent of any amount we raise over this goal returned to us for our use.
  • If you wish to donate now, please click here https://bit.ly/2MOQHVY  Read the following report at this link https://bit.ly/3dd154X on how your gifts to the CMAA helps. For further details, please click here https://bit.ly/3jQxf7i Thank you for prayerfully considering supporting the 30 ministries and shining Jesus’ light brightly in our diocese.
For the Hispanic Community
  • Please proceed here for the OLM Hispanic Ministry upcoming events and resources.
    Continúe aquí para conocer los próximos eventos y recursos del Ministerio Hispano de OLM.
  • Starting next week 4/14th, there will be Stations of the Cross in Spanish every 2nd Wednesday of the month after the 12pm Mass.
    A partir de la próxima semana, habrá Estaciones de la Cruz en español cada segundo miércoles del mes después de la misa de las 12 pm.
Joining the Stream Team
  • As we continue to welcome more Mass attendees, we started livestreaming the 4pm, and 12pm Mass times (in addition to the 10am Mass).  This is so that when we’ve reached the social distancing capacity inside the Church, we proceed to invite people to watch the Mass inside the gym where the livestream is being shown.
  • We are seeking creative individuals who are interested in joining our “Stream Team” to help.  It is fun, easy and fulfilling to take part in.  If you are interested or know someone who would enjoy volunteering in this role, please connect with zara@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org
A Note from the Intercessory Prayer Ministry
  • How can we be praying for you today?
    There are times when life is overwhelming when all we have is questions. In those moments, hope can feel far away. The great thing about prayer is that it shifts our perspective toward the One who stands ready to listen. No matter what you’re facing, we’d love to pray with you! Submit your prayer requests at this link

DID YOU KNOW?  that we have a women’s work-out ministry called MARY’S SQUAD?
Workout details.  Stretch and strengthening mat workout while we pray the rosary using SoulCore.  Concludes with 10 minutes of meditative silent prayer followed by group prayer intentions.
Who.  For all women 14 years and older.
When. Saturday mornings @ 9:15am & Wednesday evenings @ 6:30pm.
Where. Via Zoom.  Connect with Kathy kmbroadus@sbcglobal.net for questions, access to zoom links, and for news of when they will start having sessions in-person at the PLC.
About SoulCore.  SoulCore integrates the prayers of the rosary with core strengthening, stretching, and functional movements; inviting participants to nourish body & soul and encourage deeper reflection on the Mysteries and virtues of the rosary.  For more information on SoulCore click here.

CELEBRATING 50 DAYS OF EASTER FOR HE IS RISEN Amen Jesus has risen!  And we’re called to “Go” and tell it on the mountains of the public spaces, shout it from the rooftops of the market places, declare it in your heart, until you believe that Love is real and His glory and power has been witnessed by many!  Listen to Father Don’s Easter homily that speaks about this very message.


Were you out of town for Easter Triduum?  Here are the homilies that can help us this Easter season to focus our prayer and attention on a practical difference Jesus’ resurrection makes.

LAYING IT DOWN ON SUNDAY.  What do Fr James, St Peter, and Kanye have in common? Apparently, Fr James has expanded his music horizons this Lent and had a bit of a reality check. This Easter’s message is for everyone, because “duh!” (listen to find out)

LAYING IT DOWN ON FRIDAY. How does God respond to evil? For the worldly-minded, insufficiently. But for the believer, perfectly. Jesus responds to the problem of evil with His very Body and Blood–bearing our guilt, our infirmities, and our offenses in Himself. (Is 52) If we let Jesus absorb these things on the Cross, then He can show us what it means for evil to be crushed and transfigured into glory.

LAYING IT DOWN ON THURSDAY.  John’s Gospel is unique for many reasons, not the least of which is his account of the Last Supper. At first, the washing of feet seems like another instance of Jesus simply telling us to “love our neighbor”. Good as that may be, there’s much more behind the foot-washing than we might expect. Father James speaks about Jesus’ challenge to us this Holy Thursday is to hear His words again and again: “Do you realize what I have done for you?” For, when it comes to our Lord, we can always go deeper.

IN THE NEXT UPDATE KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THIS SECTION FOR WE WILL POST EASTER TRIDUUM PICTURES.

 

 

 


March 20, 2021 | Weekly Update

Devotion to St. Joseph is one of the choicest graces that God can give to a soul, for it is tantamount to revealing the entire treasury of our Lord’s graces. When God wishes to raise a soul to greater heights, He unites it to St. Joseph by giving it a strong love for the good saint. 
—St. Peter Julian Eymard

Honoring St. Joseph this weekend 
  • Father James is preaching at all the Masses this weekend except for the 10am Mass where Father Don will preach because of the Scrutiny.  We will be honoring Saint Joseph at all the Masses.  We look forward to seeing you in-person or on the livestream.
  • Register ahead of time at this link or see you at the livestream.
Why are we celebrating St. Joseph this weekend?
  • Pope Francis declared this a year in honor of St. Joseph. At all the Masses the weekend of March 20 & 21, we will recite the Prayer of Consecration to St. Joseph, and you will receive a holy card of St. Joseph as you leave Mass courtesy of Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Home.
  • Let us grow closer to St. Joseph; check out our St. Joseph page where you can get access to the following.
    • Go to Joseph Virtual Conference (speakers include Fr Don Colloway, Bishop Ricken, Dr. Mark Miravalle, Fr Chad Ripperger just to name a few)
    • Read the Apostolic Letter “Patris Corde”
    • Consecration to St. Joseph
    • Magnificat’s “Nine Days with Saint Joseph”
    • Links to watch on FORMED: the film “Joseph of Nazareth: The Story of the Man Closest to Christ” and a four-part series “Saint Joseph”  
    • myParish App ST JOSEPH button details
THIS COMING WEEK
St Vincent de Paul Clothing Drive 3/20 – 3/21
  • 3/20th is the first day of spring, perhaps it’s a great time for our closets to go through a ‘spring cleaning for a good cause‘ for the St. Vincent de Paul clothing drive! Click here for items they will accept (whether in good or bad condition)
  • Your donations go to the St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Shops where much of your donations are given away free to needy families in the community. Some are sold at reasonable prices at the thrift shops so that needy families can shop with dignity. “Proceeds” from the thrift shops go into a general assistance fund where St. Vincent de Paul Conferences at the churches help families with rent, mortgage, or utility assistance.
World Down Syndrom Day 3/21
Holy Week Services & Easter Masses Registration 3/22
  • Registration goes live on Monday 3/22.  Download our myParish App to get live alerts: text “App” to 88202.  We pray to see you either at the in-person services or at the Livestream on this holiest of weeks.  Praise God we are able to safely gather this year as compared to Holy Week 2020.
  • Check out the Holy Week Schedule at this link (it is also where the registration links will be posted).
A Lenten MAGNIFY 3/24
  • We hope to see you Wednesday 3/24th 7pm at a Lenten MAGNIFY; where Jesus who is present in the Eucharist is personally waiting for you. He died on a cross to heal you and make you whole. Bring the family, friends, neighbors. Dive deeper into the last week of your Lenten journey at Magnify.  There will be Eucharistic adoration, praise & worship, scriptural reflection, and confession. Join in person or online, register ahead of time at this link.
Let us be in Prayer 3/25
  • Let us be in prayer for our Father Don on Thurs 3/25th for he will be having surgery to remove part, or all of his thyroid.  Part or all of his thyroid needs to be removed. Because this surgery requires general anesthesia, he will be in the hospital overnight and discharged the next day.
St Peregrine Prayer Service 3/27
  • The St. Peregrine Ministry accompanies caregivers and those who live with serious illness, especially cancer, and chronic illness to provide prayer support, resources, education, and sacred space for sharing. Please come to the St. Peregrine Prayer Service led by Deacon Tony Leazzo on Saturday, 3/27th at 1pm via livestream.
    After the prayer service, join in a conversation via Zoom from 1:30pm to 2pm to learn more about the ministry and form a community of support for one another.  Zoom details will be posted during the livestream.
  • For questions or additional information, contact Jolene LeRoy RN Director of Pastoral Care at jolenel@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org or call 331-707-5380
LOOKING AHEAD
Easter Flower Offerings
  • This Easter we will decorate the church with lilies around the altar. If you would like to make a gift towards the flowers please go to this link and log into Online Giving and choose “Flowers:”.
  • If you wish to memorialize your loved ones you can add their names in the Comments section.
  • The recommended donation is $10.00. Thank you for your generosity and for helping to make our church beautiful during the Easter season.
Confession Schedule
  • We encourage you, please don’t wait at the last minute.  Here is the Lent Confession schedule and Confession Resources.  Or see the graphic below.
  • Upcoming:  Saturday 9am – 10am and 1:30pm – 2:30pm.  Tuesday 7pm – 8pm.  Magnify 3/24th 7:30pm – 8:20pm.
  • Last Confessions before Easter 3/28th Sunday 4pm – 5:30pm, Tuesday 3/30th 8:30am – 10am & 7pm – 9pm.
Eucharistic Adoration Weekly Sign-Up
  • Did you know we have Eucharistic Adoration at the following times?  Mondays and Thursdays immediately after daily Holy Mass through 6pm, and Wednesdays 9am – 12pm.  Sign-up here.
Stations of the Cross Fridays
  • We hope to see you at the Stations of the Cross on Fridays @ 7pm.  We will be using the “Way of the Cross” by Saint Alphonsus Liguori.  For those attending in-person, you may bring your own or you may take one that we have available for your own use.  They are for you to keep but we ask that you bring them with you each time you come to the church to pray the Stations of the Cross. 
  • You can also scan the QR code when you come in to view the booklet on your cell phones or click on this link https://qrco.de/bbyN6k 
  • Praying the Stations of the Cross is a wonderful way to enter more deeply into the life of Jesus and the Pascal Mystery; if it’s been a while or if you’ve never prayed the Stations of the Cross, we encourage you to embrace this powerful prayer this Lenten season to understand better what Jesus did for us.
Bulletin
  • Don’t forget to check out Father Don’s insightful weekly Bulletin article is located here.
Supporting OLM through the CMAA
  • The Diocesan Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA) allows us, together, to do our part in building God’s kingdom here on earth.  Father Don and Bishop Hicks are asking us to join them in supporting the CMAA to help the poor and vulnerable, form our future shepherds, and spread the faith through our Catholic schools, faith formation programs in parishes, and programs for young adults.
  • Our parish’s goal for the 2021 CMAA is $154,400, with 70 percent of any amount we raise over this goal returned to us for our use.
  • If you wish to donate now, please click here https://bit.ly/2MOQHVY  Read the following report at this link https://bit.ly/3dd154X on how your gifts to the CMAA helps. For further details, please click here https://bit.ly/3jQxf7i Thank you for prayerfully considering supporting the 30 ministries and shining Jesus’ light brightly in our diocese.
Mission Trip Help our Teens Fundraiser
  • Support our teens on their Senior High Youth Ministry Mission Trip this summer who are traveling outside their comfort zone to experience the call of Jesus to serve the poor. Please pray for their trip and consider donating financially; donations can be made through this link.
For the Hispanic Community
  • Please proceed here for the OLM Hispanic Ministry upcoming events and resources.
    Continúe aquí para conocer los próximos eventos y recursos del Ministerio Hispano de OLM.
A Note from the Intercessory Prayer Ministry
  • How can we be praying for you today?
    There are times when life is overwhelming when all we have is questions. In those moments, hope can feel far away. The great thing about prayer is that it shifts our perspective toward the One who stands ready to listen. No matter what you’re facing, we’d love to pray with you! Submit your prayer requests at this link
Knights of Columbus Robert H. Weaver Scholarship Application
  • Calling all High School Seniors at Our Lady of Mercy, the Knights of Columbus Robert H. Weaver Council #12005 has established a scholarship program for high school seniors seeking financial assistance for continuing education (accredited trade school / junior college, college or university only). Scholarships are awarded primarily on the basis of merit to Our Lady of Mercy parishioners who are high school seniors.
  • All applications must be submitted no later than Saturday, June 19 @ 4pm.
  • Proceed to this link for application details, requirements, and contact information.
Joining the Stream Team
  • As we continue to welcome more Mass attendees, we started livestreaming the 4pm, and 12pm Mass times (in addition to the 10am Mass).  This is so that when we’ve reached the social distancing capacity inside the Church, we proceed to invite people to watch the Mass inside the gym where the livestream is being shown.
  • We are seeking creative individuals who are interested in joining our “Stream Team” to help.  It is fun, easy and fulfilling to take part in.  If you are interested or know someone who would enjoy volunteering in this role, please connect with zara@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org
Save the Dates for the CRHP Renewal Weekends in May
  • Women’s Renewal Weekend is on Saturday 5/15 through Sunday 5/16
  • Men’s Renewal Weekend is on Saturday 5/22 through Sunday 5/23
  • Registration links will be posted sometime in the next week or two.
  • If you have not taken part in a CRHP Christ Renews His Parish Renewal Weekend, we encourage you to prayerfully consider it for it is truly life-changing