Last week during the homily, we presented to you our new Vision, Core Values, and Aspirational Values for Our Lady of Mercy Parish. To help us implement these, we need to add a few new members to our Parish Pastoral Council.

The role of the Pastoral Council is to help bring forth the vision of the parish. The focus of the Pastoral Council is to develop broad, visionary strategy for the whole parish over a longer-term period. The council prayerfully discerns how God is calling the parish to fulfill its vision and provides direction on how the parish can best achieve this in a continual process. The Pastoral Council meetings will be every two months for a strategic, workshop style session with the Parish Leadership Team. The Parish Leadership Team is Fr. Don, Fr. Mark, Phil Britton, Zara Tan, and Mary Jo Trapani. These meetings will be on a Saturday morning or afternoon, or Sunday afternoon.

We need people on the Pastoral Council who have the gifts, interest and availability to do big-picture parish strategy work. The ideal Pastoral Council member:

• Has a daily prayer life and is a participating member of Our Lady of Mercy, with an eagerness to carry out the parish vision, and is 16 years old or older.
• Is a passionate visionary thinker and planner. Has skills to address the driving question, “Where are we going and how will we get there?”
• Is committed to the importance of welcoming and inviting parishioners and people in our community to know Jesus, be formed in an ongoing was as a disciple, and sent out on His mission.
• Is excited about what the parish has been doing the past couple of years and the direction in which we are moving.
• Has an availability of time and energy and easily works with groups.

If you fit this description, please consider submitting your name and contact information to frdon@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org as a possible candidate for our Pastoral Council by October 25th. If you know someone else who fits this description, please encourage them to submit their name as well. A discernment meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 12th at 7:00PM. Please prayerfully consider whether joining the Pastoral Council may be the way you are being called to help bring forth the vision of our parish!

Have a blessed week!

Fr Don

Today the Church throughout the United States celebrates Catechetical Sunday. The words of the disciples on the road to Emmaus when encountering the risen Jesus but not recognizing him, “Stay with us” is the theme for Catechetical Sunday. Catechetical Sunday also gives us the opportunity to say “thank you” to the men, women, and teens who volunteer in our faith formation programs at Our Lady of Mercy. Fr. Mark and I truly appreciate your desire and commitment to sharing our Catholic faith with our children. Guided by our Directors of Religious Education, Mary Jo Trapani, Candy Rice, and Dave Miserendino, our catechists and volunteers receive the support they need to help our children experience Jesus and become missionary disciples. Fr. Mark and I are deeply grateful for the expertize and passion Mary Jo, Candy, and Dave, along with Jean Rehmer and Jean Palasz bring to the Religious Education Program at Our Lady of Mercy.

Stay with us! That is the message I would like to get out to all our parents concerning religious education for their children. We have 1,186 children in our parish between the ages of 5 and 13 – the formative years of faith development. As I write this article, we currently have 475 children of this age group registered to attend our religious education program this fall. Where are the other 711 children??? I know that some are attending Catholic schools, but that still leaves us with a huge number of children not receiving the Good News and coming to know Jesus. We are deeply concerned!!

Parents who have not registered your children in our program, how can we help? Maybe God and church are not a priority in your life at this time. No matter the reason, we want to invite and help you to reconnect. Call me, Fr. Mark or any of the RE staff if you would like to talk. We pray that you feel God tugging at your heart. We want nothing to stand in the way of your children and you experiencing Jesus’ love and mercy. Parents, if you’ve been away from God and/or the Church, we would love to welcome you to try ALPHA. Find out more at alpha@olmercy.old.diocesanweb.org. Help your children discover the goodness of God and the joy of being a part of the family of Our Lady of Mercy. RE classes begin the week of September 23rd. Registration is still open – call the RE office. If you have something holding you back, Fr. Mark and I are more than willing to meet with you to address any issues or concerns you may have. We are here to help!! Call us! Be a part of us! Stay with us!!

Have a Blessed Week!

Fr Don

Numbers don’t tell the whole story!! Inserted in today’s bulletin is a copy of our annual stewardship and financial report. This report covers the fiscal year that began on July 1, 2018 and ended on June 30, 2019. But as I’ve said, numbers and statistics don’t tell the whole story. The people’s lives we have been able to touch and change through the ministries provided through your financial support in the Sunday collection, tell much more of the story!

ALPHA was first introduced in the fall of 2018. Since then, countless souls have grown in understanding and deepening their relationship with God – some for the first time. Today at Mass, you heard Naomi Kibler share her ALPHA experience with you. There are many other stories similar to hers. Many have encounter Jesus in a life changing way. ALPHA has changed the way many understand and experience church and the importance of community. It is not uncommon that those who go through ALPHA develop a much more intentional prayer life and understanding of the Holy Spirit. People who have been away from the church and attend ALPHA have a new enthusiasm for the faith and knowing more about Jesus. Additionally, over 60 parishioners deepened their understanding of the Eucharist by participating in the Bishop Barron Bible Study series on the Eucharist.

Perhaps you saw the cover story in the Diocesan magazine of March 2019 on “Fit Shepherds” at OLM. Guys witnessed to how they have grown spiritually and have become better husbands and fathers. Because of what we are doing at OLM, several parishes have reached out to us for direction on starting a group at their parish.

The volunteers in our St. Vincent de Paul chapter give hope to individuals and families who are struggling to make ends meet, not only by material support, but by personal engaging visits as well. I often get thank you notes from people who have been helped.

I’ve just mentioned a few ways in which some of our ministries have made a difference in people’s lives. I could go on and on about how ALL our parish ministries touch people’s lives, but you get the point. Your gifts of time, talent, and treasure truly make a difference in making our parish one of intentional disciples!

The last two years, I talked at all the Masses, asking you to fill out a commitment card for your financial support. I am not doing that this year, but simply asking you to continue your level of support, and if possible, to increase your support if your means allow. God has been so good to us!

Have a blessed week!

Fr Don

Today’s gospel speaks a lot about being of humble service. Of course all those who minister in the Church, whether ordained or lay persons are called to be of humble service. One of those ordained ministries is that of the permanent diaconate. We currently have three men from our parish studying to be ordained permanent deacons. Doug McIlvaine and Rodney “Bugsy” Sindac have successfully completed the Diaconate Aspirancy Year and will be admitted as candidates for the permanent diaconate at a Mass celebrated on Friday, September 6th at St. Ann Parish in Channahon. We congratulate Doug and “Bugsy”, their wives and families on this step toward ordination. Upon completing their studies and with approval of the bishop, they will be ordained permanent deacons in 2022. Our other candidate for the diaconate, Dr. Tony Leazzo, will receive the ministry of Acolyte at a Mass on October 4th at St. Mary Immaculate in Plainfield. Congratulations to Tony and his family. Upon completion of his studies and with the approval of the bishop, Tony will be ordained a permanent deacon on August 22, 2020. Information about becoming a permanent deacon is on the Diocese of Joliet website – www.dioceseofjoliet.org.

A deacon is an ordained minister of the Church. There are three groups, or “orders” of ordained ministers in the Church: bishops, presbyters (priests), and deacons. All ordained ministers in the Church are called to functions of Word, Sacrament, and Charity, but bishops, presbyters and deacons exercise these functions in various ways. As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As minister of Sacrament, deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services. As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshaling the Church’s resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs. But no matter what specific functions a deacon performs, they flow from his sacramental identity. In other words, it is not only WHAT a deacon does, but HOW a deacon is, that is most important.

I conclude with a word of thanks to our current permanent deacons and their wives for their ministry at OLM. Deacon Bob Vavra (now retired), Deacon Tim Kueper, Deacon Art Tiongson, Deacon Phil Rehmer, Deacon Tony Martini, and Deacon Michael Plese have served our parish well! Let us pray for our deacons and deacon candidates.

Have a blessed week!

Fr Don

144,000 that’s it! According to the Book of Revelation that we heard from today, only 144,000 people will merit salvation – that’s if you take the Book of Revelation literally. Several years ago I visited a parishioner at a former parish who was on their deathbed. Since childhood he believed, and still believed on his deathbed that only 144,000 were going to make it to heaven. “I’m not one of them” he told me. Having made peace with his flawed self a long time ago, he said “it doesn’t matter what I do.” He felt more comfortable in the doomed sinner category. Let the 144,000 have their reserved bleached white celestial garments! He will make do with whatever awaits the rest of us. At times I’ve jokingly said that it doesn’t matter where I go….I’ll know people in both places! But the belief that only 144,000 will make it need corrected. Revelation doesn’t say 144,000 merit saving. It says uncountable multitudes do, underscoring this assessment with a number signifying completeness. Twelve represents all Israel, and also the 12 apostles or the ingathered New Israel of the church. Twelve times 12 is 144, which has a superlative effect in numerology. Think of the three zeros like ellipsis dots…as if to say this number goes on and on. Far from a limiting tally, the 144,000 predicts a vast ocean of rescued souls. In the Gospel today, Jesus seems to be narrowing the gene pool of the saved by the teaching that the gate is narrow. But rather, he is saying divine rescue comes more easily to the outsider (presumed damned) than to the insider (presumed saved.) This is Gospel good news!!

I would like to inform you about a few projects that have been happening this summer. We are in the process of making our grounds on the west side of the church a more park like setting for your enjoyment. Through the generous donation of the Savoie family, outdoors stations of the cross have been installed on the west wall of the church building, and a pathway is being installed by the Boy Scouts. This is all in memory of Timothy Savoie. A dedication ceremony will take place on September 8th. Well also plan to add benches. The Boy Scouts are also installing a permanent fire pit for use by our various youth ministry programs and parish organizations. A picnic table and outdoor furniture have been added outside of room 114. An outdoor conversation area has been added on the patio outside the west doors and we plan a pergola over it. We are also in the process of installing energy efficient and long lasting LED lighting in the church. Profits from this year’s MercyFest will be directed toward LED lighting in the gym. The next project I am looking at is a new sign for the outside of church. Thanks for your generosity that makes all this possible!

Have a blessed week!

Fr Don