Dear Friends in Christ: purpose for our lives. In other words, there might I was surprised to learn recently that the largest be plenty of work and grape vine in the world is not found in the famed mountains of activity in wine regions of France or Italy, but in a our lives, but without a greenhouse in a small town south of London. It vital union to Christ and is known as "The Great Vine," and it was one another all that work originally planted in 1768. Around its base it and activity will not yield measures thirteen feet in circumference! And any lasting fruit. Having a each year it yields an average of 600 pounds of relationship with God, sweet, black, dessert grapes, which are sold to with the Church, with each other, and with our the public during the first three weeks of loved ones, is essential to being Catholic and September. (Its record yield was back in 2001... being a follower of Jesus Christ. We cannot be 844 pounds!) Obviously, a vine that old and large Christian all by ourselves, separated from those needs to be carefully tended every year in order relationships. It is faith and love that binds us all to yield such an abundant crop. And that yearV together, as branches connected to the same long tending involves not only watering, and vine, Jesus Christ. And our "fruits" will be in fertilizing, and preventing pests and disease, but working for the common good, and in caring for also pruning, leafVthinning, and disbudding. each other, and in passing the faith onto younger generations, and in serving the At the time of Jesus vineyards were everywhere. community beyond our own four walls. In this weekend's Gospel Jesus emphasizes two important things about such vines: first of all, So, whether we spend our time this week that they must be carefully tended, and visiting a sick relative, or caring for an elderly secondly, that the vine has a living and parent, or teaching children about faith and connected "structure" to it. In other words, the service, or supporting a charity, or finding some vine produces fruit through its branches, but the other way to reach out to those in need...all branches are dependent of the central vine itself those things are fruits of the true vine. Let us for life. Jesus then goes on to say that He is the always keep our hearts open to Christ, then, so "true vine," and we are His branches, and the our connection to one another and the Church Father is the "vine grower." He is speaking, of will always stay strong, and the life that flows course, about the essential connection of love only from Jesus will continue to surge through between Himself, the Father, each of us, and the each of us, yielding fruit that will truly last. Church. In other words, as followers of Jesus Christ, we all share in a single life (a single In Christ, "structure," as it were), as branches connected to the Great Vine, Jesus Himself. And true life and fruitfulness is only possible if we stay connected with one another to Christ, because He is the source of it all! If we are not united intimately with Christ and our fellow believers, then we cannot bear fruit that is worthy of our calling and of God's Page two Your gift to the Diocesan Appeal allows all of us to work together to support ministries and programs that share Christ’s love with others. www.rockforddiocese.org/donate Page three Monday, April 30, St. Pius V, Pope 8:00 AM Donald Cunningham Federico, Mario & Roland Villanueva Tuesday, May 1, St. Joseph the Worker 8:00 AM Laverne LeBreck Patricia Timmins , Hans-Jurgen Kopka & Edeltraud Wallich 12:00 Noon Charles Pappalardo Special Intentions of Friends of Russ & Joanne Wednesday, May 2, St. Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church 8:00 AM Richard Vaughn Family Jeff Nastek 12:00 Noon Walter Michalowski Joseph Schopen Thursday, May 3, Ss. Philip and James, Apostles 8:00 AM The Hamilton-Kinsella Family Ted Sulaski 12:00 Noon Isabelle Hargadon Arnold Luzum Friday, May 4 8:00 AM James F. Brandt Jack Vitone & Chon Carranza Saturday, May 5 8:00 AM Ken Zehnder Sharon Downey 10:00 AM First Communicants & their families 12:30 PM First Communicants & their families 5:00 PM Isabelle Hargadon Timothy Twohig ADORERS NEEDED Sunday, May 6, Sixth Sunday of Easter 7:30 AM Special Intention Syl Schubert Listed below are the days and times when 9:00 AM Jack Vitone adorers are needed in the Our Lady of Perpetual Manfred Krupka & Special Intention of Juliana Krupka Help Adoration Chapel. To sign up, contact 10:30 AM Ed & Mary Domagalski Robert Prange Angsten Deacon Lincoln at (847) 257V6242 or 12:00 Noon Brianna Soto In Thanksgiving of the Barde Family [email protected] 5:00 PM The People of St. Mary Parish SACRAMENT OF CONFESSION Wednesday11:00 11:45 AM Saturdays8:30V9:00 AM And 4:00V4:45 PM or any time by appointment with any priest. The candles in the Adoration Chapel next to the Blessed Sacrament are burning this week In Memory of Joe O’Malley, In Honor of Dennis Lynch, In Memory of Don Kroft, For the Special Intention of John G. Flesch, and In Memory of Arthur W. Schultz. The flowers next to the Tabernacle this week are In Honor of the First Communicants. The Sanctuary Lamp next to the Tabernacle is burning this week In Memory of Suellen O’Malley. Page four DIOCESAN APPEALS THE WEEK AT A GLANCE Each year, the Diocese of Rockford conducts four appeals, and every other year, the Diocese conducts an additional appeal: In January, the Diocese conducts the National Appeal. Those who give to this appeal can choose whether they want their funds to go to nationwide organizations such as the Retirement Fund for Religious, Monday, April 30 The Catholic Communication Campaign, or 6:00 PM—Rainbows the Catholic University of America, or 7:00 PM—Homebound EM Training whether they want their funds to be Tuesday, May 1 distributed to those organizations by the Diocese of Rockford. 6:30 PM—1st Communion Practice 6:30 PM—Thriving with Hope In March, the Diocese conducts the International Appeal. Those who 6:45 PM—Webelos give to this appeal can choose whether they want their funds to go to 7:00 PM—Courageous Women Bible Study international organizations such as Peter’s Pence, Catholic Relief 7:00 PM—K of C Officers’ Meeting Services, or Aid to Central and Eastern Europe, or whether they want 7:00 PM—LOTW Small Group their funds to be distributed to those organizations by the Diocese of 7:00 PM—Venture Crew Rockford. Wednesday, May 2 In October, the Diocese conducts the Mission Appeal. Those who give 8:00 AM—Veritas Home School 9:00 AM—LOTW Small Group to this appeal can choose whether they want their funds to go to 12:30 PM—Senior Club Meeting Mission organizations such as Missions in the United States, the 1:00 PM—St. Vincent de Paul Meeting Church in Latin America, or Propagation of the Faith, or whether they 6:30 PM—1st Communion Practice want their funds to be disbursed to those organizations by the 7:00 PM—Follow Me Bible Study Diocese of Rockford. 7:00 PM—Charismatic Prayer Once a year, a missionary priest comes to the parish for the Mission 7:00 PM—LOTW Small Group CoVop Appeal. Your gift to this Thursday, May 3 appeal goes to the religious order 8:45 AM—Follow Me Bible Study that the priest represents. 9:00 AM—MMP 4:00 PM—Open Youth Room Every three years in November, the 6:00 PM—Youth Choir Party Diocese conducts an appeal for the 6:00 PM—Summer Camp Counselor Meeting Military Archdiocese of the United 6:30 PM—Haitian Ministry Meeting States. All of the funds given to this 7:00 PM—Saintly Women’s Study appeal go to the Military 7:00 PM—Young Adult Ministry-Adoration Archdiocese. 7:00 PM—Super Singles 7:00 PM—AA Meeting In April/May every year, the Diocese 7:00 PM—Cub Scout conducts the Diocesan Appeal. This 7:15 PM—Adult Choir Practice is the only appeal for which we have Saturday, May 5 a goal that the parish needs to 8:30 AM—Al-Anon reach. Your gift to this appeal 8:45 AM—Follow Me Bible Study supports ministries such as 10:00 AM—1st Communion Mass Seminarian Education, Lay Ministry 12:30 PM—1st Communion Mass Formation, College Campus Ministry, 2:00 PM—AHG Meeting Retired Diocesan Priests, Life and 5:00 PM—AHG Fudge Sale after Mass Family Evangelization, Youth Sunday, May 6 Ministry, Religious Education, All Masses—AHG Fudge Sale after Mass Catholic Charities, the St. Elizabeth 9:00 AM—Childcare during Mass Center and many more in our own 10:30 AM—Childcare during Mass 3:00 PM—SPRED Mass diocese. 6:00 PM—Lifenight Page five SENIOR CLUB MEETING Wednesday, May 2nd, 12:30 PM Blue skies, sunshine, green grass, tulips popping up out of the ground. It's MAY the beautiful month we honor our BLESSED MOTHER and all of our SOUP KETTLE Mothers. So a BLESSED AND St. Mary Parish's involvement with HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all the Highland Avenue Church of the Mothers both living and deceased. Brethren Soup Kettle in Elgin has been an awesome and rewarding St.