Saint Isaac Jogues Parish

SAINT ISAAC JOGUES PARISH 8149 Golf Road ~ Niles, IL 60714 847/967-1060 ~ Fax # 847/967-1070 Website: http://sij-parish.com Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time February 19, 2012 Page Two Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time February 19, 2012 SHROVETIDE FAREWELL The French term Mardi Gras accurately describes Shrove Tuesday as “Fat Tuesday.” Butter and oil Of Collops, Pancakes and Pączki... are a cultural common denominator on the last days before Lent. The Russians call the time To observe the excesses of Carnival and the wanton “Maslenitsa” or “Butter Week.” abandon of Mardi Gras, one could never imagine that the same season has a serious side. Carnival Without much success, I have tried to trace the ori- is also known as Shrovetide. To “shrive,” in Old gin of the popular Polish custom of Pączki Day. English, means to pronounce absolution. While the Pączki are “jelly doughnuts.” In Poland, the Thurs- greater part of the populace in pre-Reformation Eng- day before Ash Wednesday (Tłusty Czwartek), is land was absorbed in merriment and often gross “Fat Thursday.” It signals Poland’s final indulgence amusement, the Church urged all to prepare for Lent before the great Lenten fast. There is locally no with a good confession! In fact, on Shrove Tuesday, agreement on where to find the best Pączki. Some a bell was rung to call the faithful to the Sacrament say Oak Mill Bakery, others Ann’s in Ukrainian Vil- of Penance. Oddly, even today, the bell is still rung lage. Still others will direct you to the Old Warsaw and the long ago reformed members of the Church Restaurant or other contenders. of England queue up not for confession, but for pancakes! The bell has been renamed the “pancake bell” in honor of the custom of serving pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Shrovetide has a cross-cultural culinary significance. In the days of the strictest Lenten fast, all meat, eggs, and cream had to be used up before Ash Wednesday. Hence, in England, the Monday before Ash Wednesday was called “Collop Monday” be- At the risk of seeming unimpressed or a cultural cause fragments of left-over meat (collops) were snob, I have never been impressed by Pączki. In served. At Eton, and other bastions of higher learn- deference to the custom, I like my Pączki dusted ing, scholars would compose poetry and humorous with sugar and filled with apricot, raspberry or rose “valedictions” to accompany collop banquets. That jelly. Where does one find the best Pączki? Hands is why “Collop Monday” was also known as “Poet’s down, I would say Warsaw! Founded in 1869, Day.” Blikle’s, on Nowy Swiat St., is a great bakery. I had read about Blikle’s before my first visit to Poland in Shrove Tuesday, in England and many other places, 1973. Renowned for tortes and chocolate me- was “Pancake Day.” Rich and poor alike feasted on ringues, Blikle’s has an international reputation. My buttery pancakes, then “tossed” pancakes in a skillet favorite story involves a young French officer who as part of a race! This custom has survived without lived above Blikle’s from 1919-1921. He was a de- religious implications, as customs often do. voted customer. When he returned on a “state visit,” he greatly praised Blikle’s pączki. His name was Charles DeGaulle. As all Frenchmen, he would never have wasted praise on an ordinary jelly doughnut! I brought a Blikle’s “sampler” home to Chicago. They were still fresh after a nine hour flight. On Shrove Tuesday, I know I will enjoy the local pączki, but never so much as those I carried home in my flight bag 39 years ago! Enjoy Shrovetide! -Fr. Luczak Page Three Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time February 19, 2012 Financial Update This week’s Financial Update focuses on the Parish’s financial results for the first six months of our fiscal year. Through December we are $17,636 AHEAD of our budgeted results. Significant factors leading to this favorable result are: Actual December YTD Versus Budget Inc(Dec) • Looking at Income, a $9,966 rebate from the Annual Catholic Appeal has INCOME Actual Budget Vs. Budget helped to offset shortfalls in our Sun- SUNDAY $279,830 $282,350 ($2,520) day, Christmas and Deficit Collec- CHRISTMAS 31,335 32,500 (1,165) tions. Another $2000 will be received DEFICIT REDUCTION 23,087 30,000 (6,913) in February, 2012. STIPENDS 9,654 10,650 (996) REBATE ACA 9,966 0 9,966 • Expenditures are less than our RAFFLE 9,216 12,000 (2,784) budget due to the elimination of staff ORGANIZATIONS 13,957 13,200 757 positions, lower utility costs, and the LEASE INCOME 49,629 49,629 0 unusual lack of snow this winter. ALL OTHER INCOME 9,109 7,102 2,007 TOTAL $435,783 $437,431 ($1,648) Although we are favorable versus our budget for the first six months we still Inc(Dec) have some major challenges facing the EXPENDITURES Actual Budget Vs. Budget Parish. PAYROLL & BENEFITS $273,370 $289,230 ($15,860) • Sunday Collections continue to lag UTILITIES 47,116 51,666 (4,550) behind our budget. Through the first LITURGICAL SUPPLIES 14,025 15,126 (1,101) week of February we are $3,439 be- ADMIN EXPENSES 15,382 13,409 1,973 low budget. RECTORY EXPENSES 6,337 5,325 1,012 • The total Christmas Collection of MAINTENANCE 9,325 15,728 (6,403) $42,698 was $5,302 short of our tar- SHARING 6,102 4,345 1,757 get of $48,000. DIOCESAN CHARGES 60,211 60,252 (41) ALL OTHER 28,597 24,668 3,929 • We need your continued support of TOTAL $460,465 $479,749 ($19,284) the monthly Deficit Reduction Collec- tion. NET EXCESS (DEFICIT) ($24,682) ($42,318) $17,636 Please help us meet these challenges ! St. Isaac Jogues Handbell Choir is about to rise again! The music ministry is looking for people who would like to play the handbells for special Masses and celebrations. You do not need experience with bells, but it is helpful if you have some amount of music reading experience. Even if your last experience with note reading was back in school, we need you! Singers, piano players and band students from 9th grade on up come out and give us a try. I am a handbell in- structor of many years and you will learn a lot while having a good time. The plan is to practice on Mondays from 7:00 - 8:00 PM. The handbells will give you a chance to make music without having to commit to a particular Mass time every weekend. Please come and share your talents. We will meet in the church hall for our first rehearsal on Monday, February 20th at 7:00PM. "Interested musicians should enter through the HFR door and head downstairs for some joyful ringing." LET THE RINGING BEGIN! Page Four Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time February 19, 2012 SPIRITUAL LIFE RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION Last evening we received Patricia Gries into the full communion of the Catholic Church as she made a pro- fession of faith, was confirmed and shared at the Lord’s Table for the first time. We welcome and congratulate Pat and we pray for God’s blessings upon her as she lives her life in Christ with the Catholic Church and with our parish community in particular! This afternoon Anthony Green will participate in the Rite of Election at Holy Name Cathedral with his sponsor, family and catechists. Anthony is preparing to be initiated into the Church (Baptism, Confirmation and Eucha- rist) at this year’s Easter Vigil. Today he will have his name called aloud as being one of “the Elect”, those called and chosen by God, with the affirmation of the Church, to come to the waters of salvation. During the Rite of Election Anthony will be greeted and welcomed by Cardinal George, who will preside at this first of five Rites of Election that will be held at the Cathedral. Please pray for Anthony to receive the grace, strength, and help he needs to follow the Lord more closely each day. ASH WEDNESDAY: FEBRUARY 22 This week we mark the beginning of the holy season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. It is a day of fast and ab- stinence (please see Lent overview given out today). Masses will be at 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Word Ser- vices will be at 12 Noon and 4:00 p.m. Ashes will be distributed during all four services. “PRAYING AROUND THE TABLE” The first of our three Soup Suppers and Presentations will be held this Thursday, February. 23rd at 6:30 p.m. in the Holy Family Room. The presentation “Praying With Icons” will be given by iconographer, Melpo DeFotis. Mrs. DeFotis will talk about icons, how icons draw people into deeper spiritual understanding and will guide us in an experience of meditation with an icon. Some of her icons will be available for purchase that night. Mrs. DeFotis has devoted her time to studying and painting/writing icons since the mid-1980’s and is drawn to the Byzantine and Russian style of icon painting. Her icons can be found abroad and in the U.S. in private collections. She completed her BA in Liberal Arts at Syracuse University and studied oil painting with artists in New York City and Chicago. She has taught iconography workshops at the Dormition Orthodox Monastery in Rives Junction, MI, and is a member of Sts.

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