St. Stephen Deacon & Martyr Catholic Church
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
St. Stephen Deacon & Martyr Catholic Church 17500 84th Avenue, Tinley Park, Illinois 60487 708-342-2400 St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr Catholic Church 17500 South 84th Avenue, Tinley Park, IL 60487 www.ststephentinley.com Parish Office Phone: 708-342-2400 | Parish Office Fax: 708-342-1545 Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8:30am—12:30pm and 1–8:00pm | Friday 8:30am—12:30pm and 1-4pm Saturday Noon—5pm | Sunday 9:30am—1:00pm Religious Education Phone: 708-342-1544 RE Office Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 8:30am—12:30pm and 1pm-4:30pm | Friday 8:30am—12:30pm Evenings and weekends by appointment. Please call to schedule. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Parish School (CJB) 9250 West 167th Street, Orland Hills, IL 60487 Phone: 708-403-6525 | Fax: 708-403-8621 | web: cjbschool.org | email: [email protected] Pastor Anointing of the Sick—Please contact the parish office if you or a loved one Rev. Thomas A. Bernas need this sacrament. Associate Pastor Rev. Mirek Kulesa Baptisms are celebrated every Sunday at 3pm in English and 1pm in Polish. Pastor Emeritus Baptisms can also be celebrated with the Parish Family at one of our weekend Rev. James Finno Masses. Please contact Fr. Tom in the parish office for the necessary Deacons preparations. A baptism preparation class is required to have your child Robert Conlin baptized at St. Stephen’s. New parishioners are required to register. William Engler Chuck McFarland Communion for the sick, elderly, handicapped, or homebound parishioners William Schultz can be arranged by calling Barbara Black at 708-466-9962. Pete Van Merkestyn Funerals can be arranged through the parish office. Administrative Asst. to Pastor Marriages - St. Stephen’s Parish welcomes the celebration of the weddings of Laura Uher both registered parishioners and the children of registered parishioners. For Adult Formation more information, please contact the parish office. Barbara Black Confessions - Saturdays after the 8AM Mass or by appointment. Communications Maintenance Director New parishioners are invited to register: nd th • After the 10am Mass on the 2 and 4 Sundays of every month. • At the parish office. Director of Music and Liturgy David Boyle For those in need: Morning Receptionist • Counseling services are available through the Holbrook Counseling Center Noreen Galvin of Catholic Charities. To get help, call 312-655-7725 or visit the website at catholiccharities.net Director of Religious Education • For Bereavement and Crisis Counseling, please contact Deacon Pete Van Sandi Morgan Merkestyn. Appointments will be taken on Wednesdays at 10am, 11am, and Assoc. Director of Religious Ed. 12pm. Please call the parish office or email Deacon Pete at Leslie Krauledis [email protected] to arrange for an appointment. Religious Ed. Admin. Assistant • For parishioners struggling and in need of assistance, please contact Dee Zvejnieks Religious Education Secretary the St. Vincent de Paul Ministry through the parish office. • For those seeking help through a twelve-step program, St. Stephen’s offers CJB Interim Principal English and Polish support groups. Please contact the parish office for more James Antos information. CJB Admissions Director • For information about Domestic Violence awareness, services, and Cynthia Labriola Devlin prevention, please contact Deacon Bill Schultz at the parish office. FATHER TOM’S TIDBITS Dear Friends, Today's Gospel reading is the third of three parables in chapter 13 that deal with the theme of the unexpected reversals brought by the Kingdom of God. The other two parables are about the tiny mustard seed that grows into a large tree and the small amount of yeast that makes a large batch of dough rise. All three are about the few and the many and the Kingdom of God. As this parable opens, Luke reminds us that Jesus is making his way to Jerusalem. This journey, this exodus as Luke refers to it, makes up the entire middle of the Gospel. He is teaching as he goes. A question from the crowd gives Jesus the chance to make a prophetic statement. Luke uses this question device a number of times in his Gospel. A few weeks ago, the question “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” led to the parable of the Good Samaritan. The question about will only a few be saved uses typical Christian language about salvation but also expresses the Jewish concern about whether everyone who calls himself a Jew is actually faithful to the covenant. This was a concern of the Pharisees. Jesus answers that they must strive in the time remaining to enter through the narrow door because many will be trying to get in but won't be strong enough. He then moves to a parable about another door. Once all those entering the master's house are in and he locks the door, there will be no way for others to get in. Those left outside may knock, but the master will say he doesn't know them. Unlike the Gospel reading from a few weeks ago where Jesus was teaching about prayer, and we were told to knock and the door would be opened, in this parable, the master will not open and say he does not know us. People from the north, south, east, and west will take our place inside. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets will take our place in the Kingdom of God. Those who do not make it through the narrow door will be cast out to where there is wailing and grinding of teeth. The answer to the question if only a few will be saved is no. In the end, many will be saved, but many who thought they would be saved will not be saved. The parable is a prophetic warning to repentance in order to enter the kingdom. We are preparing for another year of instruction in our Religious Education Program as well. You may be asking yourself, “What is the Religious Education Program?” The Religious Education Program, formerly known as C.C.D., was instituted to provide a fundamental religious education to those students attending public schools. The purpose of the parish Religious Education Program is to assist parents with their sacred responsibility of educating their children in the Catholic faith. Students are taught Catholic Christian doctrine in an atmosphere which reflects love, care, and respect for the uniqueness of each person. The gifts and talents each of us possesses are the means through which our commitment to the Christian challenge of service can be fulfilled. We are called to help our children recognize and develop their gifts and talents. We are called to foster in our children a sense of Christian responsibility and social justice. We are called to be witnesses to our Catholic faith, to teach by example and to model Christian qualities. The Religious Education Program is seen as an ongoing process for adults as well as for children. In the programs for young people, we seek to have parents involved in the process. During preparation for the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist and Reconciliation, parents and families are actively involved in bringing the young person to the celebration of these sacraments. There is an integration of family activities both at home and at church. The National Directory for Catechesis lists six goals for catechetical programs. They are: 1. To promote knowledge of the faith by teaching the “basics” of the faith as revealed in the signs of creation, Sacred Scripture, Catholic tradition and human experience. 2. Provide liturgical education which teaches about the form and meaning of the liturgy and the sacraments and help individuals prepare their minds and hearts to enter into these mysteries of our faith. 3. Provide Moral Formation which teaches the moral teachings of the Church which are the fulfillment of the Commandments. 4. Introducie various prayer forms which teaches that a “climate of prayer” and participation in prayer invites individuals into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 5. Promote Community Life, teaching that the human person needs to live in society. Society is not optional, but a requirement of human nature. 6. Instill a Missionary Initiative that promotes that all Christian service is an expression of love and is performed by Christians for the purpose of building up the Kingdom of God on earth. Christ’s method of formation was accomplished by diverse yet interrelated tasks. His example is the most fruitful inspiration for effective catechesis today because it is integral to formation in the Christian faith. Catechesis must attend to each of these different dimensions of faith; each becomes a distinct yet complementary task. Faith must be known, celebrated, lived, and expressed in prayer. The Church clearly defines the purpose of catechesis and what the expectations are of the parents and catechists, in terms of sharing the faith with the children entrusted to us. This year we are making some changes in our program to enhance the religious education process for our students and their families. These changes are designed to allow for more opportunities for the children and their families to deepen their relationship with the Lord. Some of the more noticeable changes include adding additional time and additional class days to allow the catechists to have more classroom time with the students; we are instituting an expectation that students preparing for their First Communion and Confirmation will be required to attend Mass weekly. By attending Mass weekly, the students and their families will be able to participate in the liturgical celebrations of the Church and they will also experience first hand the various liturgical practices, celebrations, and seasons of the liturgical calendar, We are adding additional formational sessions for parents and catechists to help them develop their own faith, and provide them with additional resources to assist them in their roles as parents and catechists.