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From the Pastor's Desk - 6/14/2026

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 19:36:50 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus—Friday, June 12. May we never forget the love and mercy that the sacred heart has for us. It is there for us; all we need do, is seek that sacred heart out. We are also challenged to live like the sacred heart for others. How might we share this special love?

Sunday, June 14—Flag Day. Some people fly the American flag every day. On Flag Day, we are encouraged to show our American Pride and put the flag up for all to see. How blessed we are to live where we live. We are encouraged to pray for our men and women in the Armed Forces and to pray for our nation. Much has been given us as a country, and we know that much is also expected. May God bless America.

Sometimes people ask me what is something good to pray for. Well, so many things are “good” to pray for, but perhaps the one thing that comes to mind, is to remember the poor. We live in a material world. It is hard to be spiritual, at peace, and even aware of God if basic things are not there, especially adequate food. Jesus tells us that the poor are always with us. We don’t always have answers, but Jesus tells us also that it is good to give. We can give financial help, but our prayers are so profound. We may never know what impact our prayers or other help may have. As people of faith, we must pray for the less fortunate.

Peace…..Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 6/7/2026

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 19:50:21 GMT

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June is busting out all over! As the song goes, from the musical, Carousel! Summertime is here, and all the good things that accompany it. May you have good memories this summer with the out of doors, visiting, etc. May you all be kept safe in your travels. June is also a month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; something to reflect upon at this beginning of summer that is so full of life.

This weekend is Corpus Christi Sunday—the body and blood of Christ. We are a Eucharistic people as Catholics. We connect in an intentional way with Jesus who is present to us in the Eucharist at every mass. We connect with Christ when we approach the sanctuary of the church and know that the Real Presence is in the tabernacle. Let us be proud of who we are, acknowledging that Christ is part of our life. He guides us and is with us. We certainly have much to be thankful for.

Please pray for the 6 new priests ordained this weekend at our cathedral in Joliet by Bishop Spies. These men will begin a life-long journey with Christ in a most unique way with Holy Orders. May God watch over them, protect them and bless them in many ways.

This Friday we want to remember the Sacred Heart of Jesus—His love for us is ever present, full of love and mercy.

Peace…….Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 5/31/2026

Thu, 28 May 2026 21:27:27 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

Yes, we are now back in Ordinary Time; and this weekend we remember the Most Holy Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We begin each mass with this invocation. As people of faith, let us remember the power that each person of the trinity has for us, leading us and guiding us. While the liturgical color in Ordinary Time is green, on this special Sunday we wear white, celebrating the foundation of our faith.

This week on Tuesday, June 2, I will be celebrating my 36th Anniversary of receiving Holy Orders. I appreciate all the love, prayers and support from so many good people these past 36 years. Many stories that are good, holy and powerful. It is your stories that I see and hear. It is your faith that keeps me going forward as a priest in the church. If I were all by myself, that would be nothing—but with YOU all good things in Christ are made apparent. Thank you for being who you are. Thank you for sharing your faith with me in different ways. I appreciate each individual, each child of God. Please pray for me as your Parish Priest. Please pray for all priests who serve, and pray for vocations for the future of our church.

June, July and August are the Summer months for us. May you have a good and safe summer with cherished memories.

Peace…….Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 5/24/2026

Wed, 20 May 2026 19:57:43 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

A good, happy and holy Pentecost to you! Some say this is the beginning of the church on earth; a birthday celebration. Today we conclude the holy season of Easter. These past 50 days have helped us to see in the scriptures the resurrected Jesus. The friends of Jesus did not immediately recognize him after he was raised. This should be a sign to us that Jesus may be in our life at any time. May we be good people of faith so that we may recognize Jesus.

On Pentecost, Jesus is trying to calm his scared friends. He comforts them. He breathes on them and says “receive the Holy Spirit”. We may think of this holy spirit as part of our own Confirmation. The sacred chrism that the bishop anoints us with is consecrated at the cathedral at the beginning of Holy Week. The oil is brought into the church for Easter and used throughout the year. May we take to heart the sacred chrism that anointed us; maybe a long time ago. It is still fresh within us. We are the body of Christ here on earth. We are the church, much like the apostles who were the early church. We have a mission to go out into the world and share the good news.

How might we as baptized and confirmed people of faith share the good news? How do we live our life? What might we want to do different so as to do a better job of sharing Jesus with others? Some good Pentecost questions!

May we remember this Memorial Day weekend all who died for our country, the United States of America. May God grant them eternal rest in the heavenly kingdom. May we also pray for all who have died and ask God to take care of them with His loving care.

Peace……Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 5/17/2026

Thu, 14 May 2026 20:13:59 GMT

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This Sunday in our diocese, we remember the Ascension of the Lord. This special day helps to bring to the conclusion of our Easter Season. Next week is Pentecost. The ascension of the Lord reminds us death did not have the final say. Jesus goes up into the clouds, into the kingdom of heaven. Where Jesus has gone, we too will follow. Let us pray that we may be up to the task of following Christ. It is not always easy, but that is our goal. We want to imitate Christ, especially when we think of the cross on which he died. May we always be mindful of the need to love and forgive.

This Friday, May 22, an old saint was recently added to the calendar—St. Rita of Cascia. She has been given priority in recent years, as she was a woman who had faith, had a not-so-good marriage, and sons who were her biggest worry. St. Rita lived the kind of life we used to not talk about. She has come into her own day on the calendar now, and encourages us to be honest about the relationships that we may find ourselves in, especially when they are not so good. St. Rita persevered in her faith. She never gave up on God in her difficult marriage. St. Rita may be a saint you will want to pray to for help in any family situation.

May God bless you and your families as school comes to an end and summer vacation starts!

Peace……Fr. Jeff

From the Pastor's Desk - 5/10/2026

Thu, 07 May 2026 20:29:54 GMT

From the Pastor's Desk...

A good, happy Mothers Day to all of our mothers! May God bless you in your vocation as a mom! May the Blessed Mother, Mary, help you in all that you do. Your work every day is important. May we all be thankful for mothers who look after their children. Being a mom is not always easy. May God guide and bless our mothers. May we be thankful for our mothers who have gone home to the Lord, may they rest in eternal peace in the heavenly kingdom.

This weekend I am not at either location for mass; I am in Lincoln, Nebraska, as one of my nephews is graduating. A wonderful event for our family, so I am out “west” staying in Omaha with a classmate, and then spending time in Lincoln with part of my family for the graduation. May we be mindful that this is indeed graduation time in our country. May God watch over and bless our graduates. Schools of all sizes are having their end of year festivities, and graduation ceremonies are a big part of that. May the summer bring good memories and keep all our students and families safe. May our graduates find good work, and may they use their education well.

The Ascension of the Lord will be celebrated next Sunday on the 17th. Then, on the 24th, we conclude our Easter season with Pentecost.

Peace……..Fr. Jeff

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