Per the "Stay at Home Order" all parishes are closed for all liturgical services, including private prayer. The Church will remain closed until further notice.
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Welcome to Christ the King

Fr Jeff Stoneberg, Pastor

Christ the King Rummage Sale
Aka / White Elephant Sale
Cancelled
Due to the COVID-19 Virus statewide restrictions and by order of the Bishop, this sale will not be held this year.
Please do not bring your treasures to the school gym as you most likely were planning to do! We hope and pray that things will be closer to normal as next year rolls around.

Hope to see you then!
Joe & Mary Maderak
Don & Judy Knox

Click the graphic for more updated information from the
St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry!

Resources for Prayer at Home

Updates from Fr. Jeff

5/23/2020

God bless you and your loved ones on this Memorial Day Weekend. It is also the Ascension of the Lord, as we move into the last week of the season of Easter. Yes, next Sunday is the conclusion of Easter with Pentecost. It is hard to believe, as so many of us are confused as to what day of the week it is, not paying attention that Pentecost is almost here, and that we begin the Summer this weekend! I hope all is going well with you.

This past week was busy here at the parish as we received information from Bishop Pates about opening up our parishes. All of the Catholic bishops in Illinois have been working closely with the Governor’s office in Springfield. We want to open up and not have any issues. So far, we have had ZOOM meetings and webinars to keep us all apprised of what we are to do.

We do have a core team of Greeters and Cleaners for opening up. Deacon Matt Novak is our Compliance Manager and is diligently working on completing the forms to send into our diocese. After they are submitted, we will know within the same day or next day if we are given a “certificate” to open up. Phase I for us would mean we could start hearing confessions; and it is my goal to start confessions next Saturday, May 30^th IF we are given approval. Please visit the website and Facebook page for the updates. If all goes well, I would hear confessions next Saturday from 3:30-4:30. You would need to come in the door C-2 which is by the entrance to the Parish Life Center.

When confessions do start to take place, you will be greeted by someone when you enter the building at door C-2. You will need to remain in the narthex. Confessions for the foreseeable future will be held in the Parish Life Center. The confessional screen has been moved in there. What is different, is that you will need to stand for confession; either behind the screen for anonymity or simply keep social distancing of 6 feet apart for face-to-face. Everyone must wear a face mask. After confession, you must immediately leave the building and do your penance then. Perhaps you would want to say your penance on one of the benches near the Blessed Mother statue in the rose garden. Where you have been in the building must all be sanitized.

All chairs have been removed from the narthex. All papers and “flyers” have been removed from tables and informational racks.

When we are given permission for mass to start; and that can be at any time—it has to be by reservation only. Again, please read this website and Facebook to see what the procedure will be for making a reservation for ANY mass. This is the new normal for awhile. At the beginning we are only allowed to have 10 people in the church for mass. We do not anticipate it will be only 10 people very long before it will be raised to perhaps 50.

This is Memorial Day weekend. We pray for all who have died in war. What they died for, is seen in how we live today. We have much to be thankful for. Those who died sacrificed. We are all sacrificing now, but in a different way. Please keep close to Jesus. Keep on praying. Know that He loves you and is with you always.

Let the Summer begin!!!!!............Fr. Jeff

5/16/2020

There is much suffering and sadness in our world right now. It is a difficult time for many people. Most of us have experienced things that we never have before. We have the suffering of the corona-virus that has affected the entire world. People are hurting and frustrated. What to do? How to do it? Where do we go? What now? The virus has claimed lives and some lives are now changed forever because of illness and death. We also have suffering because over 36 million people in our nation are out of work. No regular income. How is the mortgage/rent paid? How will food be purchased? Medicine is needed, but no money. With the suffering comes the sadness that things are very, very different. As people of faith we look for hope in all of this; and we find it when we remember who we are—Children of God.

I recently told a parishioner that we will slowly be opening up again. Things will be different, and we will only be able to have 10 people in church at a time. Her response was beautiful and unexpected—“Jesus started out with 12!” You see, in the midst of the suffering and sadness in the world all around us, and even in our own lives, we are not alone. Jesus is with us. Remember when you made Confirmation? The bishop put sacred chrism on our heads and said “be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit”. Those were more than just nice words. They are words of hope that we call upon now. The Holy Spirit is with each one of us as we ask the how? And the why? And the Where? Jesus suffered on the cross, so He understands our suffering and sadness. He also rose from the dead as if to tell us in faith, that there is some place better—it is Salvation. The Kingdom. The Eschatological Banquet. You better believe that the Holy Spirit is alive and well. Call upon that Spirit. You have been sealed with it!

This Friday, the 22^nd, is a Memorial of St. Rita of Cascia. I attended St. Rita of Cascia grade school for 8 years in Aurora. My parents were married there, and it is there that I also received baptism, first confession, first communion, confirmation, graduation from 8^th grade and celebrated one of my 1^st masses as a priest. St. Rita knew what sadness and suffering was all about. She was married to an abusive husband, and her sons were not much better! After her husband was killed, she entered the convent and led a contemplative, prayerful life. She has recently been added to the church calendar. You see, it was not that long ago, we didn’t talk about such things in public, like abuse. St. Rita endured much, and so now she is recognized as someone who can give hope because of her suffering and great sadness.

A few days ago I wrote you a letter about the Bishop’s plan to get us all back into church. We will be starting with the Sacrament of Reconciliation when we are able. Keep looking to this page for information. Vince Zaprzal and I will do our best to keep you informed of what is taking place.

God bless you and your loved ones………….Fr. Jeff

Fr. Jeff's 5/13/2020 Letter

Fr. Jeff's 5/10/2020 Letter

Fr. Jeff's 5/3/2020 Letter

Fr. Jeff's 4/25/2020 Letter

Fr. Jeff's 4/18/2020 Letter

Fr. Jeff's 4/8/2020 Letter

Fr. Jeff's 3/28/2020 Letter

4/28/2020--Announcement Regarding Father Peter Jarosz's Mass of Christian Burial

The Mass of Christian Burial for Father Peter Paul Jarosz, in accord with his specific request, will be on Friday, May 1st at 10:00am at the Cathedral of St. Raymond Nonnatus. It will be live-streamed at https://youtube.com/dioceseofjolietil.

A Memorial Mass will be offered at Christ the King at a later date when we are able to gather together to celebrate Fr. Peter's life and ministry.

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