christtheking-lombard-il

From the Pastor's Desk - 10/18/2026

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 20:14:51 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

THANK YOU for your kind donations to the parish. Things seem to have become more expensive quickly in recent times. We feel it also at “church”! Thank you for your continued financial support in helping with paying the bills and keeping up with aging equipment. Unfortunately, money is the grease that makes the world turn. Parish life doesn’t exist on a different planet. What you give is between you and the Lord. Your financial and prayerful support are both appreciated.

We also might want to look at how we give of ourselves by way of volunteerism. Helping to be part of the weekend liturgy is important with the many ministries that are needed. Also, ministries that involve things that take place during the week such as funerals and visits to the sick. What is the gift you have that God has given you? So often, the gift of having compassion for others and the church is what is needed—and to discern where God is calling you to minister.

Also, when we think of discernment; do you know of anyone who might make a good priest? Vocations are a concern for all of us. Discerning the priesthood is a lengthy process and is not something done quickly. If you see someone who might make a good priest, talk to them about it. Encourage them to at least think about what God may be calling them to do with their life.

Peace……..Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 10/11/2026

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 19:25:15 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Bishop-Elect Cahill will become our new Ordinary on Wednesday, November 11th. Please keep Bishop Cahill in our prayers as he prepares to leave his current diocese of Victoria, Texas, and comes up here to Joliet. Bishop Cahill was up here for prayer and a brief “meet and greet” with the priests a couple of weeks ago. He looks forward to working with all the priests, and getting to know people here in our large diocese! He has a good sense of humor and is easily approachable.

Also, pray for seminarians. The numbers are just not what they used to be. Do you see someone who may have a vocation as a priest? If so, please encourage them to think about it. Don’t be too pushy; rather give encouragement in a good way. Our culture today is not about God or religion. It is certainly not about encouraging a man to give his life to the Church as a priest. Much of what the church is, and what a priest is, are both counter-cultural. For me, priesthood is a privilege and a joy. Yes—it is different from most other avenues a man can take. Prayer and walking with God are so important. Staying focused on who Jesus is in our daily life is foundational.

People have asked me if we will soon know the outcome of the possible merger of our 2 parishes of Ascension and Christ the King, now that we have a new bishop appointed. Well, I don’t know. We continue to wait, and trust in the Holy Spirit. Waiting is hard to do, and is certainly something we are not used to in our modern age. Let’s use our time well as we “wait” for a decision. In the meantime, it is important to continue to do the things we do when at church, well. God does not abandon us. We must stay close to Him who gives us life, healing and hope.

Peace……..Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 10/4/2026

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 20:47:47 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

Here we are, the first Sunday in October! It is a stark reminder that Summer is gone, and we are now in full force with the Fall season. Hallowe’en decorations are going up, and the little ones can hardly wait to get into costume and go trick-or-treating! With the change of the seasons taking place, I always encourage people to take note. Life is changing. Things are happening. The nature outside is getting cooler and darker. Colors are changing. We are slowly but surely getting prepared for the next season—Winter. I pray you take time to see what goes on in nature. It is all God’s work. It is amazing! This weekend many people will be remembering St. Francis of Assisi—our patron saint of nature. May we, like St. Francis, find God in all that God has gifted us with.

We eagerly anticipate the installation of our new bishop—Bishop Brendan J. Cahill from the Diocese of Victoria, Texas. Bishop Cahill is currently scheduled to be taking over our diocese on November 11. Bishop Cahill is 63 years-old, was ordained a priest in 1990, and became bishop in 2015. There is information about our new Ordinary on the Diocese of Joliet website with electronic presentation. Bishop Brendan J. Cahill - Diocese of Joliet Bishop Cahill has an impressive resume, and seems quite comfortable and happy with being priest and bishop. He is a man of experience. Please keep Bishop-Elect Cahill in your prayers as he prepares for his big move from southern Texas to our great Midwest!

Peace………Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 9/27/2026

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:02:35 GMT

This is a subtitle for your new post

Religious Education classes have begun! Grades 1-8 are meeting to learn about our Catholic faith on Sunday mornings at Christ the King in Lombard or at Ascension in Oakbrook Terrace on Tuesday evenings. It is important to pass on the ways of our Catholic faith. In the rite of baptism, we hear the words reminding us that parents and godparents are the first teachers of their child in the ways of faith. Oh, how true that is! What takes place in the home deeply forms a child. Teaching, talking and learning about God our Father is so important in the family home. It is at home that we experience the presence of God at Christmas, the time of a death of a loved one, the birth of a new baby, the sacraments of our youth—all these are important markers in our life. What goes on at home is paramount to learning about our Catholic faith. The religious classes that a student partakes in, only augments or supplements what mom and dad are doing and saying at home.

Thank you to mom and dad. You are taking time to bring your child to church for class. Thank you for bringing them to Sunday mass. Our Sunday liturgy is the focus of who we are as we receive the body of Christ, and take it into the world as believers. Thank you to our religious education teachers/catechists and their helpers. As you donate your time, you are living the gospel of Jesus Christ in proclaiming the Good News to our youth. Thank you to all in the parish who attend mass and support our young people. Your example will be with them their entire life.

Peace………Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 9/20/2026

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 22:02:24 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

On Friday, September 18, Sean McDaniel received the Order of Candidacy. The gathering took place at Our Lady of Mercy Parish on Eola Road in Aurora. Sean has been in the Deacon program for 2 years now, and will be ordained in 3 more years. After his ordination to the Diaconate, Sean will be assigned to a parish by the bishop.

When I received Candidacy as a seminarian on my way to priesthood at St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, I was then put on the roster to “serve” the mass that we would have daily as a community. Sean will be shadowing me in my different ministries for some time, and will also assist me at some of my masses as a server. He will not distribute communion or read. He will assist me at the altar, help set up for mass, and learn how the Roman Missal works with the ribbon setting that we use on the altar. I appreciate Sean’s willingness to help and learn about becoming a deacon. Sean is in the insurance industry and does travel out of the country quite a bit. I am glad to have him.

Please pray for vocations. The number of our retired priests continues to grow. We have been blessed in many ways with priests in our diocese; but those days are slowly, but surely coming to an end. Many of our seminarians today are men who have completed college and have been working at some kind of career or job. Pray for, and encourage men to think about priesthood for our Catholic faith.

Peace……Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 9/13/2026

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 21:49:39 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

This weekend we are remembering the 25th Anniversary of the terror attacks here in our country. We will perhaps go back and think where we were 25 years ago—where we were, what we were doing. The news came and it was unbelievable. We lived in a very frightening and uncertain time. God bless all who lost their lives that day. God bless the families who lost their loved ones. May we remember to keep World Peace in our prayers. There is so much happening in our world now. God gives us hope and healing.

With the school year kicking in, the regular meetings and activities in parishes pick up as well. Last week the priests in our Deanery met after taking a few months off for the summer. We have 22 priests in our deanery who get together once a month for a meeting with our Dean, Fr. Tom Paul, and then have a nice dinner and fellowship. We start our meetings with saying Evening Prayer together. Our next big deanery event will be during Advent for reconciliation. This year it will take place at Ascension on Saturday, December 12, from 8:00-3:00. We plan on having 4 priests present during that time, and all people in our deanery are invited to come for confession. We expect a few hundred people to attend during that time frame. Yes, Advent is not that far off—and neither is Christmas!

Peace……..Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 9/6/2026

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 20:46:34 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

A week ago last Wednesday, the priests of the Diocese of Joliet gathered at the Pastoral Center for a day of reflection. The purpose of this day was to help the priests in active ministry with some of the current challenges that they face. Our world is not what it was not so long ago. We looked at the different ages of the priests, realizing that the men in the room came not only from different backgrounds and cultures, but also from different “times” or eras of seminary and church life. It was important to note that priests need to support one another in priesthood. This is something that is also important, and carried out with fellow Catholics. A good question to ask ourselves is “How do I support someone else who is Catholic, especially if I am involved in ministry?” To support a fellow Christian is important; we share the same baptism and are all followers of Jesus Christ. The world is not so willing to go along with this today. Being mindful of supporting other Christians and especially other Catholics, even though there may be differences in who we all are, is vital. We are called to be disciples of Jesus. Let us give the answer “here I am Lord. I come to do your will.”

This Monday is Labor Day! A traditional holiday that marks the ending of Summer. We are reminded of the importance of work. We should be mindful that works gives a person dignity and contributes not only to one’s bank account, but to others in our world. I hope that you find joy and satisfaction in the work that you do; whether it be work at home, community or driving someplace to take care of what needs to be done at an office or corporation. Work is important. We also need to be mindful to pray for all who are seeking good employment, especially those who are looking for a good job for the first time. Please keep the unemployed, and those that are looking for a good job, but who are under-employed, in your prayers.

Peace……..Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 8/30/2026

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 20:15:35 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

Our last weekend in August! Summer is moving along; and sadly, with the first of September on Tuesday, the Fall Season arrives for us in the Chicago area, although the calendar tells us we are officially in Summer a few more weeks. I hope you take advantage of the warmer weather and all that it has to offer. A parishioner not long ago told me that the 2 most beautiful words in the English language are “summer afternoon”. Yes, how true! May we take the time to appreciate the Summer Time that is left.

Please register your child for Religious Education classes for either parish – Ascension and Christ the King. Passing on our Catholic Faith to our children is what we are all called to do. As a parish, we do that in different ways. Supporting mom and dad, and other family members, is something we cannot ignore. Our faith is a beautiful gift. The sacramental years are wonderful markers in the lives of our children. Confession, Communion and Confirmation all help our young people with a great framework of Christian order in the life of the church.

Please remember to pray for world peace. There is much unrest in our world right now. Praying for peace gives each of us something important to do; we are blessed of course in our own lives with the peace of Jesus Christ. He gives us the guidance we need in a turbulent world.

Peace……Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 8/23/2026

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:28:23 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

This Wednesday, the 26th, all the priests of the diocese will be at the Pastoral Center in Crest Hill for the entire day. It is a time where we get together every other year and spend time together praying and learning. Our day starts at 10:00 and concludes in the evening with dinner. Please keep the priests in prayer on Wednesday. Then, every other year, we spend time at Convocation—the 4 days of getting together for more in-depth learning, prayer and fellowship. Our next Convocation will be in September of 2027 right here at the Westin Yorktown Center.

Thursday, the 27th, we remember St. Monica. She is a good saint to pray to for guidance and help, especially for the conversion of someone. St. Monica had her son, Augustine, who was a bishop and doctor of the church. He was not always saintly! Monica prayed and prayed, cried and cried—and God’s divine intervention touched the soul of her son. We can see the importance of the persistence of prayer. Calling on God to help, guide, protect and heal is good for us to do.

We are still in the waiting stage of the possible merger with our 2 parishes of Christ the King and Ascension. In the meantime, while we wait, we are called to be faithful people. God is always with us wherever we are. He hears our prayers and gives us the grace we need. The Eucharist sustains us, especially at uncertain times. The Eucharist/Jesus is always present.

Peace……..Fr. Jeff