christtheking-lombard-il

From the Pastor's Desk - 5/3/2026

Wed, 29 Apr 2026 20:23:17 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

On this 5th Sunday of Easter we enter into the month of May. May is a month dedicated to the Blessed Mother. I encourage you to remember Mary in your prayers this month. She said yes to God, not knowing what would take place or how it would all turn out. Pure trust. Her love of God allowed her to love her son, Jesus. Mary gave birth to our Lord in a most humble setting, and watched him die in a very sad situation. Mary should give all of us hope and encouragement. With God’s grace we are able to get through the frustrating and difficult times in our lives. Mary, and her mother, St. Anne, are wonderful saints to pray to for guidance and intercession, especially if you are a mother or grandmother.

Next weekend is Mothers Day. We might want to ask the Blessed Mother to watch over our own mothers in all that they do. The vocation of a mother is vital to our families and our church.

In our Diocese, the Ascension of our Lord is moved to Sunday, May 17.

Peace……Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 4/26/2026

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:11:20 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

Congratulations to our 2nd grade students in Religious Education as they receive Jesus for the first time; it is First Communion Day! What a beautiful day as we share our faith and our little ones come to the table of the Lord for the first time. Let us keep our children and their parents in our prayers, that they may always walk with Jesus. I thank our parents and grandparents for passing on their faith. As a Catholic people, the Eucharist is the main focal point of who we are. We believe that the Real Presence of Jesus is in the Eucharist. Jesus gives himself to us so freely. May we allow the grace of Christ to transform us as we receive holy communion. Talk to Jesus at that time. Thank him. Let him know what you may need help with. He is present.

This Thursday, April 30, our 8th graders will be receiving the sacrament of Confirmation with Bishop Dennis Spies at Holy Ghost in Wood Dale. Please keep these young people in your prayers as they receive the holy spirit in a most special sacrament of the church. May the holy oil, the sacred chrism, give them the strength to be good stewards of the gifts they have been given. May we all remember our own confirmation; pray to the saint that we chose, and know we are blessed because God is truly with us.

Fr. Bob Schoenstene says THANK YOU for the cards of support and encouragement he has received. His broken ankle continues to heal. He is hoping to be back sometime in June to both locations for weekend mass. He is keeping you in daily prayer, and he certainly appreciates the prayers you send his way for healing.

Peace……Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 4/19/2026

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 21:11:56 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

God bless you during this Easter season. This weekend is the 3rd Sunday of Easter. We celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and anticipate the great feast of Pentecost at the end of Easter. I pray that you know Jesus; that he is with you all the time. His holy spirit is with each one of us. We offer our prayers, no matter what they are for, and he hears them. Last weekend was Divine Mercy Sunday. This is not ordinary human mercy—but God’s holy, sacred mercy that is given to us. Mercy is a form of healing for the soul. Pray for the mercy you desire, or pray for someone who may need God’s wonderful mercy.

Next weekend is First Holy Communion for our 2nd graders. Each location will have students receiving Jesus for the first time. (Lombard and Oakbrook Terrace.) The children and their families will attend Sunday morning mass. May we all be welcoming to the children and their families, some of whom will be visitors. I pray that this is the first of many, many times our 2nd graders will receive Jesus. We need to set a good example now, and teach them who Jesus is. This is something we are all called to do. Remember, we are called to MAKE disciples; and this starts right where we are at.

Thank you for your help in the Annual Diocesan Appeal. This is a good way to be an active participant in our Catholic Faith.

Peace………Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 4/12/2026

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:47:50 GMT

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A most blessed and happy Easter to you. What a joyful celebration we had last weekend as we came to celebrate the Lord’s resurrection. He is risen, Alleluia, Alleluia. Thank you for coming and being part of this joyful day. We are now in the Easter season which goes for 50 days taking us to the great feast of Pentecost; the coming of the Holy Spirit. We are very blessed because of our faith in Jesus. Let us never take that for granted. May we deepen our faith, knowing that in all our daily activities He is with us. Our liturgical color for this season is white. We add alleluia to the liturgy, as it is truly a joyous time to celebrate and remember that Jesus rose from the dead.

This weekend we have a special time to remember the Divine Mercy that comes to us from Jesus. All we need do is reach out to Jesus in prayer—He is certainly there. I encourage you to reflect on what you desire God’s mercy for. And then, spend some time on reflecting on how YOU might reflect mercy around you. The Divine Mercy is a gift; and Jesus reminds us that what we receive as gift is meant to be shared. How might we share Divine Mercy?

With the absence of Fr. Bob Coleman who went home to the Lord in December, and with Fr. Bob Schoenstene’s recent broken ankle, the mass times are getting harder to fill at both locations. These were 2 loyal, faithful priests. Please pray for other “loyal” priests to help. I am so thankful for the priests that come to both locations to help—and I know they are being stretched. All this requires prayer and faith in God.

Happy Easter……..Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 4/5/2026

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 20:28:31 GMT

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A most happy and joyous Easter to you! May the blessed peace of the risen Lord be with you and your loved ones at this special time for us. Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. His suffering and death have given us resurrection and hope. As you spend today and this week with family and friends, may you know the joy of the risen Lord. We are truly blessed to have our faith in Christ. He knows you. He loves you. All you need do is ask him to be part of your life. Jesus is there.

Next Sunday is Divine Mercy Sunday; a somewhat “newer” day for our church. We are reminded of the love, mercy and compassion that comes to us from Jesus. Again, we need to only ask Jesus to be part of our life. He is there for each of us. His mercy is not human mercy—it is divine mercy. Let that be our prayer for the week so that we may understand what a great gift this mercy is for each of us.

Fr. Bob Schoenstene, our weekend help who comes to us from Mundelein, broke his ankle and will be out of commission for a few months. Please pray for good healing for Fr. Bob. Many of you have asked for his address to send him a card. Here it is: Fr. Bob Schoenstene, St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, 10006 Maple Ave., Mundelein,
IL 60060.

Happy Easter…………Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 3/29/2026

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:16:41 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

May you be blessed with a good Palm Sunday and Holy Week. This is a most special time for us as we prepare now to celebrate Easter next Sunday. I hope that your Lenten journey went well. Today, so much of what we do during lent, leads up to today—Passion Sunday. As we take the palm branch home with us, we find a good place to put it; maybe by a crucifix, a statue or holy picture of a saint. This palm reminds us of the suffering of Jesus before he was crucified. We walk through this week with the crucifixion very much on our minds.

Holy Thursday—We remember the Lord’s last supper with his friends. This is where he tells us that he gives himself to us now in the form of bread and wine; the body and blood of himself. We are to consume this holy food, and then we, ourselves, become holy. Jesus does something spectacular for us before the supper; he washes the feet of his friends. They are surprised at this, and wonder what is “going on”? Then Jesus gives the mandate to go and wash one another’s feet also. In other words, we are to take care of one another in a real and intentional way.

Good Friday we come and venerate the cross. We humbly come before the holy cross and remember that this is how Jesus suffered and died. He died for us.

May you have a good Holy Week……

Peace……….Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 3/22/2026

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:44:38 GMT

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The Annunciation of the Lord is this Wednesday, March 25. This day reminds us during the time of Lent how we might be open to God using each of us as a tool to build up his Kingdom. What gifts, talents do we possess that would be beneficial to our church? Our Lenten journey is almost over. I pray that you may make the most of these remaining days.

This week I will be away on retreat. I return every year either before Easter or right after, to St. Meinrad in southern Indiana. This is where I started out in the seminary in January of 1984. I spent 2 ½ years attending St. Meinrad Seminary College before going to St. Mary of the Lake in Mundelein for Theology. A retreat is a time to get out of the ordinary routine. Priests are required to have a weekly retreat once a year. Of course, the priest may go on more than one retreat, but this mandatory time away is meant to give us a good perspective on our personal faith life. It is a time to focus on who we are and what we are about. I encourage you to go on a retreat, near or far, at some point in your life.

Next weekend is Palm or Passion Sunday. Our holy week will begin with the blessing and distribution of Palms. We hear the story of Jesus’ passion and crucifixion. May these remaining days of Lent be fruitful for you.

Peace……Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 3/15/2026

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 19:13:33 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

Congratulations to Archbishop Hicks of New York; our former Bishop! Archbishop Hicks will travel to Rome for his elevation to Cardinal. This is quite an honor for him, and also for us. The big day is on June 29th. Bishop holds his roots in Chicago and Joliet close to him and mentions our diocese often. A lot of responsibility to be sure.

This is the middle of March—and also the middle of Lent. We celebrate in a special way today with Laetare Sunday. We are reminded that our Lenten journey is half over and Easter draws near. So, we may want to check ourselves; how are we doing with our Lenten practices? This might be a good time to encourage ourselves to keep going with what we have been doing for Lent, and also to perhaps adjust some things for the rest of the season. Easter is a joyful time for all Christians. This big day will soon take place for people of faith, it is celebrated because we have prepared carefully for the full understanding of Easter. While we will never be complete in this life of knowing Easter, the Lenten practices will help us to get a glimpse of what this wonderful, powerful day brings to all humanity.

May the rest of your Lent go well as we approach the holy mountain of Easter Joy!

Peace……Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 3/8/2026

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:34:05 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

This weekend we move our clocks ahead 1 hour; we see more daylight at the end of the day, and are reminded winter is ending and spring is beginning! This also tells us that Easter is approaching. I pray that your Lenten season so far has been going well for you. May you continue on this journey towards the holy mountain of Easter where we experience the light of Christ.

Lent is also a time where people will often come and make their “Easter Duty”—a term that was once used as a reminder to go to confession before Easter! This sacrament is a beautiful gift for our faith. We confess our sins to the priest, and with the presence of the Holy Spirit, God’s grace is given to us to guide us and keep us on the path towards salvation. We have a special opportunity here in this area of our diocese once again with confession. Coming up on Saturday, March 21, we will have the Lenten Deanery Reconciliation event at Immaculate Conception Church in Elmhurst. It is hoped that people from all over our deanery will come to IC that day and receive the sacrament of reconciliation. There should be 4 priests present between 8:00 in the morning to 3:00 in the afternoon. You can come and choose a priest; some will be in the traditional confessional, others will be behind a screen or you may also go face-to-face.

Many people find this annual event beneficial. We also have this during the season of Advent. So, think about it. If you are looking for something extra to do for Lent, and if it has been awhile since you have gone to confession, this may be very helpful for you.

Peace……Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 3/1/2026

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:19:43 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

Catholics are known for mass or liturgy. It is the gathering of the faithful to hear the word of God and to receive Jesus in the Eucharist. The priest, with the different people in the parish, make liturgy happen. It is also known as a ritual. With a ritual, there is only so much improvising one can do. It is pretty much like a train on a track. Yet, the liturgy is alive and moving, filled with the holy spirit. I am very thankful for all the people who help with making mass happen; the readers, extraordinary ministers of communion, the ushers, cantors, musicians—and others. Having mass, especially on a Sunday or a funeral is something that requires focus and good effort. Again, I am thankful to all who help with mass. Many liturgists I have heard through the years will speak of making a "holy fuss” when we celebrate.

And so, once again, we ALL have an opportunity to renew ourselves in what we do. Next Saturday, March 7, Fr. Brian Geary, one of our priests here in the diocese, will give us a liturgical enrichment day. It will be held at Ascension Church beginning with mass at 8:00 am. Check-in will take place at 9:00 am with a light continental breakfast. Fr. Geary will present until noon. All those who participate in liturgical ministries, as well as all parishioners, are invited. There is information in the bulletin. Hope to see you there.

 Peace……Fr. Jeff