updates from the Pastor
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Fr. Joe McCormickMay 18 - Pope Leo XIV - Chicagoan, Augustinian
The white smoke initiated the holy excitement. Then came the announcement “Habemus papam” confirming the excitement. Then the identification of Robert Francis Prevost as Leo XIV pushed our excitement over the top. An American! A Chicagoan from the South side! An Augustinian from our rather small Midwest Province! And even a personal friend! Reaching for words to describe it… surprising, even shocking, thrilling, jubilant, excited, awesome, proud, so grateful, and prayerfully concerned for our brother’s well-being with such a burden of responsibility on his shoulders.
I have always loved the weekends here at the parish when the community gathers to pray, worship, socialize and catch up with each other on personal news from parishioner lives. But following the announcement of the new Pope, this past weekend was the most fun weekend I’ve experienced here at the parish.
Of course, I happily shared with parishioners…and several journalists… my personal relationship with Pope Leo. I’ve known him as a fellow Augustinian for almost fifty years. And the first time I included aloud his name in the Eucharistic Prayer at Mass as Leo, it stuck in my throat. Even all these days later, it still seems hard to believe.
I have also thoroughly enjoyed how so many others among us here in southwest suburban Chicago have stretched to trace their personal connection to the new Pope. As one said, “I met him—as Cardinal Prevost--last year when he gave a public interview at our neighboring St. Jude Parish in New Lenox during his last visit with his brother.” Or this one…“My uncle has a neighbor, who works with a woman, who used to be married to a guy, who went to grammar school with the Pope in Dolton.”
While we may all be having fun with the excitement of the many “firsts” this Pope brings us and possible connections to him, the most important thing is that this man—Robert Francis Prevost, OSA—is a good and faith-filled man with the wisdom and compassion we need in our Holy Father. Let us keep him in our prayers as he begins this awesome papal ministry to us and to the world.
April 20
I wish everyone a very happy Easter. And this Easter, I also invite everyone to bask in the joy and excitement of the promise for renewal and growth that is held out to our parish community with the May 4 Groundbreaking celebration for St. Bernard’s new 5500 sq. ft. addition of multi-purpose space and offices on the east side of the church facility.This major capital project has been a long time coming with some smaller improvements along the way like the glass wall and doors that now separate the worship space from the social space of the foyer.
The additional multi-purpose space adjoined to the current foyer area will allow for larger events and a greater variety of activities. As parishioner Mary Jo O’Connor says…
“I am most excited about the new multi-purpose room(s). It opens a whole new range of opportunities that we can offer to parishioners. I can see it being used for baby or bridal showers, scout meetings, or funeral lunches, just to name a few. And it will really help for parish get-togethers like the yearly Volunteer Appreciation Dinner or the Saint Joseph's Table.”
Many Religious Ed parents are also hopeful that the additional space may allow the current two sessions of RE classes in late afternoon and early evening to be consolidated into one time period that would be so convenient for parents with different-aged children. Of course, other parish leaders and groups are also looking forward to additional activities and events in the new space such as social events, Bible study, holiday crafts bazaar, retreats, youth group, expanded Children’s Liturgy of the Word during Masses, and so much more.The theme of our capital project and its planning has been Building To Grow, Growing To Serve. We hope our good parishioners, associates and many visitors will continue to support this great project in the months to come with their gifts of time, effort, money and prayers.
May the Spirit of the Risen Christ renew St. Bernard’s Parish and each one of us in our faith, hope and charity this Easter. Hallelujah!
April 13
It has happened so often over the years. For example…
A person new to the area comes to St. Bernard’s church location during the day to see a priest or seek other pastoral assistance and no one’s there…the place is all locked up. Why? Unlike the vast majority of Catholic parishes, the parish offices are a mile away from the church location.
Every couple months, a stack of mail from several months back, oftentimes with checks enclosed, gets discovered as having been addressed incorrectly to the church location on 143rd Street (which the Post Office does not recognize as a mailable address).
Several years ago, when a previous bishop was new to the diocese and scheduled to lead St. Bernard’s Confirmation, he drove to the address of the parish offices on Parker Road and wondered where the church and everybody was!
The multiple and steep stairs at the Parker Road house where the parish offices are located are a significant obstacle to staff, parishioners and other visitors with mobility issues. Frequently staff have to drive to the church to meet people there who cannot handle stairs.
Large deliveries of supplies for the church are frequently left at the parish offices on Parker Road leaving them to be re-delivered by parish staff to the church location.
The list of mix-ups getting in the way of effective and efficient parish ministry and administration could go on and on. The parish’s planned capital expansion project of added multipurpose meeting space and offices will provide such an improvement. As one parishioner says…
“As a founding member of St. Bernard’s Parish in 1978,
I am excited to see our campus come together.
Watching the changes that have occurred over the
years from the disjointed Religious Ed office in Pebble
Creek, then to the Parker Road space along with the
parish offices, and R.E. classes at the Junior High. Mass
at Schilling school, then Goodings Grove School to
finally in our own building in 1988. The phrase “We Are
St. Bernard’s, Together We Are Church” has
exemplified who we are as a parish community. Now
to have one cohesive campus for offices, RE classes,
celebrations and of course the spiritual celebrations of
the Mass and sacraments will soon be a reality.”
(Lori Paruszkiewicz)
And another…
“I am most excited about having our staff in a central campus location to better serve our Parish community. Also, more storage space for RE and staff to better organize and serve our Mission.” (Don Guinta)Yes we are… BUILDING TO GROW (very soon!) AND GROWING TO SERVE!
April 6
At its meeting on March 26, St. Bernard’s Facilities Task Force approved the parish’s hiring of Ward Contracting & Building Restoration (wardcontracting.com) to provide the general contracting services for the parish’s addition of multi-purpose space, meeting rooms and offices. This decision is a significant step in the long process of the parish’s Building To Grow, Growing To Serve capital project.
You may recall that the original bids for the project from two general contractors (Ward and one other) in late November came in at approximately $3.2 million… well over the amount the parish was able to afford. And these two companies were the only ones of the four recommended by the diocese who responded to our request for a bid.
So, the parish’s architect, Dante Domenella, spent a couple months consulting with both companies in order to modify aspects of the project that would reduce the cost to a figure closer to $2.5 million. That modified (or “value engineering”) plan maintained the basic integrity and design of the original plan with significant changes to the HVAC system and modified other components.
The modified plan was then re-submitted for formal bids to these two and two other companies last month. Again, only Ward and one other company responded with a bid. While the Task Force discussion of the two submitted bids recognized both companies as very good choices, the group voted unanimously for Ward.
The appropriate documents and contract will now be drawn up and signed by the bishop whose diocesan officials approve all such transactions since the parish plant, like all parishes, is owned by the diocese.
At the same time, the parish’s original Building To Grow, Growing To Serve campaign committee has reassembled to brainstorm ways of raising the additional funds needed to complete the project.
Watch this space, your email, and your ground mail for continuing updates in the weeks ahead.
March 16
As mentioned this past weekend, we thank the Men’s Club for creating and donating the new Stations of the Cross for our worship space in church. The new Stations have been installed permanently on the walls by our maintenance man, Alex, and will remain in place now throughout the year. Persons are welcome to pray the Stations with others on the Fridays of Lent after the 9am Mass or during the Holy Hour added this year on Friday evenings. Of course, persons are also welcome to “say” the Stations privately in church from their seat or by walking the Stations around the church. A few booklets to use are available in the foyer.
The Stations of the Cross have been a favorite devotion of mine since my youth. I especially appreciated praying the Stations when they were outdoors, for example, at retreat houses. Identifying with the suffering of Jesus’ passion has always been a helpful balm whenever I struggle with difficulties in life. Adding the “15th Station” of the Resurrection is what makes it all worthwhile.
Of the traditional 14 Stations, four of them are not mentioned in the gospels but flow only from other early honored traditions: the three Stations where Jesus falls (3rd, 7th & 9th) and the 6th Station at which Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
The name “Veronica” comes from the combination of a Latin word (vera) meaning “true” and a Greek word (eikon) meaning “image.” So, “Veronica” means “true image.” And it was a true image of the face of Christ that was left on Veronica’s veil when she used it to wipe the face of Jesus.
Whether it actually happened or not is not as important as the meaning of this sixth Station. We are to serve the suffering Jesus in others. And we are to reflect the life of Jesus and carry the likeness of Jesus among all we encounter. It’s a powerful Lenten message for us as we commit ourselves to follow the Way of the Cross.
March 2
This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. You may know that the word “lent” comes from the Old English word “lecten,” which means “spring.” Here in our northern hemisphere, the Church’s season of Lent coincides with the season of Spring. In our springtime, all of nature gets reborn as we near Easter Sunday (even though in Chicago we can still get some cold or snow even into April). The first sight of crocus popping out of the soil—even if through some snow--is received with great joy and hope that the cold and nature’s death-like look of winter is passing.
In a similar way, the Church’s customs and traditions of Lent are meant to foster a renewal within and among us. We might give up something for Lent as a way to allow some craving or ache to remind us that our deepest desires are fulfilled only in Christ and his promises. Our Lenten fasting can also help us identify with Christ’s fasting in the desert for those forty days before he began his public ministry. And our added Lenten acts of service or prayer reflect our desire to live by the teachings of Jesus to serve those in need.
St. Bernard’s Parish offers a variety of ways and opportunities to grow in our faith during Lent. While every one of us chooses our own personal Lenten sacrifices, I am most impressed by the large number of parishioners who choose to attend the 9:00 am Mass on Fridays of Lent and stay for the Stations of the Cross following the Mass. For those who are free to do so, I encourage this Lenten practice. And this year we are adding a second service with the Stations of the Cross at 7pm on Friday evenings for those who find this time more manageable.
The Fridays of Lent, as “little Good Fridays,” are marked by the Church with the traditional abstinence from meat. And, so, Friday is a good day to make some special sacrifice out of reverence for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
May this Lenten season be a springtime of renewal for our faith and our following of Christ through his Passion and Death into his Resurrection glory.
February 16
“Planned obsolescence”… it’s a business strategy that intentionally designs products to break down after short use. Products may be made with a fragile design that will break down. Or products may be created to become unfashionable rather quickly and, therefore, unusable. We see planned obsolescence in so many things manufactured like cars, household appliances, electronics, software, clothing.
Planned obsolescence is good for the manufacturers and their profits. So, some would say it’s good for the economy. But it has a negative impact on consumers and the environment. When consumers need to replace items more often, that requires increases to the cost of living and one’s lifestyle is more threatened by inflation. And the trashing of so many obsolete items (e.g., plastics) is a grave threat to the environment.
Some economists and environmentalists suggest reducing planned obsolescence by producing and selling fewer items while expanding and developing new revenue streams through repair, upgrade, resale and other services.
Sadly, the notion of obsolescence has spread among us and formed something of a “throw-away” culture, maybe especially in the wealthier western countries. The notion has even invaded our relationships, our work, leisure and even religious practices. Multiple changes in jobs and careers are common. Many Catholics drop their religious practices when their children age or when enticed by some other activity. And marriages come apart too often and sometimes too easily.
At our parish’s Special Wedding Anniversary Celebration this weekend, we highlight not the misfortune of obsolescence but the virtues of perseverance, commitment, faithfulness and qualitative depth in the marital relationship.
A wedding is always very joyful. But a wedding anniversary adds to that joy a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction for what has been accomplished. There is no need to say it’s been perfect. But the long-lasting togetherness of a married couple has been a great witness for us all and has offered every husband and wife a new love, resourcefulness and energy that has made at least a corner of our big world a better place. Thanks to our anniversarians and congrats!
February 2At our Masses this weekend, we offer the traditional Blessing of Throats in memory of St. Blaise who, as both a medical doctor and spiritual doctor, was known for his extraordinary power to bring healing to the sick and suffering.
Blaise lived and worked as a physician in the region of modern-day Armenia. He was also known for his strong Christian faith at a time when many Christians were still being persecuted. When the local bishop died, Blaise was chosen as his successor by the acclamation of the people…a common way for bishops to be chosen in those early years of Christianity.
In time, he was martyred for his faith. The tradition claims that, as he was being led to his martyrdom, a distraught mother begged him to heal her son who was choking on a fish bone. His prayers for him brought about a healing. Thus, St. Blaise has been remembered as a patron of those struggling with illness, especially throat ailments. And, so, the throat blessing offered on or near his annual feast on February 3 has been an old tradition.
The true sacrament of healing in the life of the Church, of course, is the Anointing of the Sick offered to anyone who is suffering with any physical illness or condition. We offer it to patients in the hospital and care facilities as well as to persons who are homebound temporarily or more permanently. Here at St. Bernard’s, we offer the sacrament at a communal celebration during a weekend Mass usually in the fall. When this sacrament is offered to someone who is nearing the end of life, it is often referred to as the Last Rites.
The Anointing of the Sick (a sacrament) and the Blessing of Throats (a sacramental) both express the Church’s mission to reflect the great compassion of Jesus himself for those struggling with ill health. So many of his miracles are healings of one kind or another.
As disciples of Jesus, we each are called to make every effort to speak and act in ways that foster healing and harmony. At the same time, we need to avoid words and actions that aggravate pain and divisiveness in our relationships and in society as a whole. As we get our throats blessed, let that blessing be a guard against harsh words that can come out of our throats and mouths.
January 19
The Church’s six-week long Advent/Christmas season has come to an end and we return to what the Church calls “Ordinary Time,” which extends to the beginning of the Lent/Easter season in early March. Green is the liturgical color for Ordinary Time.
From that title “ordinary time,” you can tell professional marketing people were not involved branding this Church season. Marketing folks would stress the word “ordinary” is not very engaging and does not prompt interest much less excitement.
I recall Kermit the Frog of the Muppets singing his theme song “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green.” In it, Kermit begins by lamenting his green coloration, expressing that green "blends in with so many ordinary things" like the grass and wishing to be some other bright, flashy color that stands out.
But the green of the Church’s Ordinary Time has always meant to signify hope. We might like to interpret our lives as a series of significant events strung together like the precious beads of a necklace. But without that often ordinary string that links the beads, the beads would roll away disconnected and in different directions.And, so, the hope of the Church’s Ordinary Time reminds us of the importance of those ordinary days and routines that hold us together… even those “down times” when we can relax and recharge for all that is yet to come. In this sense there is really no time that is just plain, old ordinary. All time is precious filled with joy and peace, or with the hope and opportunity that leads us to that joy and peace.
By the end of Kermit’s song, he recognizes positive associations with the color green and concludes by accepting and embracing his greenness.
December 1
This time every year, the Catholic Church in the US promotes a special collection to support the aged and infirm religious Sisters, Brothers & Priests. As religious order priests, we Augustinians of the Midwest Province receive an annual grant of over $100,000 from this Retirement Fund for Religious. For this we are so very grateful.
Religious order Sisters, Brothers & Priests do not receive any pension as diocesan priests and other Church employees receive. Our religious communities do receive Social Security compensation for each of us… normally at a very low level due to our vow of poverty. We also go on Medicare; and those infirm needing skilled nursing care frequently get Medicaid support. The normal expenses of our retired Augustinians are funded by the Midwest Province and its retirement fund, dubbed “The Journey of a Lifetime Fund.”
Back in the late 1980’s & 90’s, I was asked to set up the first Development Office for us Midwest Augustinians. The primary focus was to establish this retirement fund for the Augustinians. A province-wide capital campaign in those days raised about two million dollars as a basis for the fund. The fund has grown over the years, but so has the number of retired and infirm Augustinians and the related expenses to the province.
The Augustinians try to keep their aging members in active Augustinian communities around the Midwest. But, when they begin to need added support, they move to our retirement community at St. Anthony Village in Crown Point, IN. Here there are facilities for our retired men in independent living, assisted living, memory care and skilled care. The two men I had been living with originally in the St. Bernard friary residence moved to the assisted living area in Crown Point in recent times.
We Augustinians are very grateful for your support of our retired Augustinians either through this national collection for The Religious Retirement Fund happening in parishes at this time or through your direct donations to the Midwest Augustinian Retirement Fund at our Midwest Augustinian Province (housed in the former St. Barnabas convent in Beverly) at 10161 S. Longwood Drive, Chicago, IL 60643. Or click here to donate:
November 17
I am excited to offer a new opportunity especially for the people of St. Bernard’s. I have begun to plan a pilgrimage to the Marian Shrines of Fatima, Santiago, Lourdes and Paris in Lisbon, Spain and France scheduled for this coming September 2025. I would love to have parishioners and their relatives and friends join us for this leisurely 10-day tour (September 2-11, 2025). The pilgrimage will allow you to spend ample time at the inspiring shrines at Fatima and Lourdes and also wander along the famous Camino de Santiago in Spain. And we conclude our tour in the beautiful city of Paris.
I am very happy to be hosting this tour personally. As one who enjoys travel, I will try to include a sense of prayer in our trip while also offering a fun and relaxing experience touring through Lisbon, Spain and France. We will stay only in specially selected hotels and enjoy the delicious cuisine of our various stops. And, of course, there will be plenty of time for shopping and personal explorations along the way.
Mass and other prayers will be offered as a regular part of our daily routine. The evening candlelight processions at Fatima and Lourdes promise to be quite inspiring. I am especially excited to visit the newly restored Notre Dame cathedral in Paris which just re-opens this December after the devastating fire of 2019.
The tour cost is $4,999 per person, based on double occupancy hotel, from Chicago. Economical “add-on” air fares are available from many US cities as well. So, spread the word and invite relatives and friends to join you. The cost includes daily breakfast and dinner. Additional costs will be for daily beverages and lunch and, of course, whatever spending money you desire for incidentals, souvenirs and other shopping.
We will be accompanied each day by an English-speaking guide and will travel through the lovely countryside in a modern motor coach or high-speed train. Our tour company, Unitours, is one of the largest tour operators in the world and has been conducting pilgrimages since 1957. So, I am confident that they will give us their best. I am currently working with Unitours to develop a more detailed brochure on this great trip opportunity for us. For more info in the meantime, you can go online to Unitours.com.
November 3
Within our Catholic tradition, the month of November has long been a time to remember and pray for the dead. The month begins with All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Different parishes and cultures mark this observance in different ways.
Here at St. Bernard’s, we have on display near the church entrance through the month our Gallery of Life with photos shared by parishioners of their beloved dead. Included in the gallery is a poster acknowledging those lost through miscarriage, still birth and early infant death.
On or close to All Souls Day, St. Bernard’s celebrates a special Mass of Remembrance and reception for all those whose funerals were celebrated at the parish during the previous year. Personal invitations are sent to the bereaved families.
St. Bernard’s also observes a Novena of nine Masses for those deceased enrolled by parishioners.
Many have the custom of visiting cemeteries and the graves of their loved ones especially in November. Within the Mexican culture, there is the significant observance of el Dia de los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) in the very early days of November. Graves get decorated and shrines to the deceased family members are created as a way of remembering them and celebrating their lives with love and devotion.
In my mind, that Mexican custom of celebration leads us to the second focus of November that comes at the end of the month, namely, Thanksgiving. While we certainly grieve the loss of those we have loved in life, we can also give thanks to God for their lives and all they meant to us. Combining the notions of death and thanksgiving can also remind us that life is short…that it’s a gift… and that we should always show gratitude for those living and loving among us while they are living and loving among us.
October 20
Our Church has long observed the month of October as “Respect Life” month. In recent times and in most Catholic communities, efforts supporting this theme have focused primarily on the need to protect the life of the unborn. This focus flows from the recognition of our Catholic leaders (Popes, bishops, theologians and teachers) that the right to life is the fundamental human right from which all other rights flow.
At the same time, the Church has also supported the rights of so many others who suffer and struggle and frequently have little, if any, voice in our society... the poor, the homeless, the migrants, the victims of war and violence, the disabled, the very young and very old. And, so, we frequently hear the phrase “womb-to-tomb” when speaking of the Church’s pro-life position in its fullness, or “the seamless garment” of the pro-life issues.
This October, in the wake of the horrific death and destruction of the two hurricanes Helene and Milton, we should be shaken to start paying more attention to the challenges of climate change since care for creation has been closely associated with the other pro-life issues by our Catholic leadership…
"The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all. At the global level, it is a complex system linked to many of the essential conditions for human life." – Pope Francis, Laudato Si', June 2015
"How can we separate, or even set at odds, the protection of the environment and the protection of human life, including the life of the unborn?" – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Address to the Members of the Diplomatic Corps, January 2010
"Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God" (16). – Saint Pope John Paul II, World Day of Peace Message, January 1990
I direct any and all interested in this important and timely pro-life topic to explore it from the Catholic perspective at the the website of the “Catholic Climate Covenant,” (at catholicclimatecovenant.org). This group was founded in 2006 in association with our US Catholic Bishops. I would further invite any and all parish members interested in helping me to set up a “Creation Care Team,” as described on this website for us here at St. Bernard’s to contact me to begin some discussion.
October 6
Only a month left before the national election for our country. In fact, many of us may have already submitted our completed mail-in ballot as I have. This is the third week our parish bulletin has been including an insert from our Catholic bishops as a voting guide to “Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship.” The fourth and final insert of this series will be next weekend.
FIND ALL THESE ARTICLES BY CLICKING HERE
If you have been reading these articles, you have probably noticed that our Catholic leadership is offering us principles that can help us form our decision-making for voting. But the bishops are NOT telling us more specifically HOW to vote. For a long time, our Catholic leadership has remained non-partisan when it comes to specific candidates or political parties. The bishops do speak out for or against specific legislative issues that are grounded in moral principles long held by our Catholic Church.
But certainly in recent times neither political party has promoted ALL of the Catholic Church’s teachings and proposals regarding the protection of human life. As Pope Francis recently responded when asked about the two leading US Presidential candidates: “Neither is for life.” In other words, neither candidate nor their respective party embodies the fullness of the Church’s pro-life teachings and action.
The Illinois Right To Life organization has put out a voter guide that rates the general election candidates according to their support for legislation against “abortion, assisted suicide, embryonic stem cell research and related pro-life matters.” But it does not specify what this organization sees as “other pro-life matters.” For this organization, the latter usually includes only Republican party concerns. These concerns certainly reflect and embrace our Catholic church teachings, but not in their fullness.
With its commitment to the protection of ALL human life “womb-to-tomb,” our Catholic leadership in the US has long supported proposals such as comprehensive immigration reform, common sense gun control measures, an improved child tax credit to support families, an end to capital punishment, the embrace of diversity. These and other pro-life proposals are embraced more by the Democratic party, even though this same party can be so dismissive of the life of the unborn.
Of course, another age-old guide for voting is the character and personal quality of the candidates. Which one would you prefer your child or grandchild to grow up to imitate? Or, as Pope Francis also suggested, “which is the lesser of two evils?” There IS a great complexity to this coming election and a lot at stake for our country. May the Spirit of God guide us through it and beyond!
September 15
This summer an article appeared in America magazine entitled “Invisible Grief.” The author explained why our Catholic Church can and should do more for families experiencing perinatal loss (e.g., miscarriage, stillbirth, early infant loss). The article and its references really opened my eyes to a human experience of loss to which I had never given much thought. Frankly, I was moved by the statistic that at least 10-15% of pregnancies in the US end in miscarriage or still birth.
Rarely in my 47 years as a parish priest have I been approached by a woman or couple with a request for some pastoral care in such a situation. And for those few times I was approached, I am sure my response was inadequate based on some new awareness and learnings that I have acquired in recent weeks.
This loss from miscarriage, with its distinctive qualities, was never given any attention in pastoral ministry formation. Perhaps, one big reason for this was that, especially for previous generations, women and couples having miscarriages did not talk about it… sometimes not even with close relatives and friends. But today’s generation is different and much more transparent about such situations.
In recent weeks, I have initiated some discussion of this difficult and so personal a topic among our parish Pastoral Staff and Respect Life volunteers. There is consensus that we should do something…give thought to some pastoral outreach and support for families in such situations. I sense that in a safe and caring environment as our parish can offer, persons affected by perinatal loss might find some comfort and support.
As October is Respect Life month in our Church, the US Congress ruled a few decades ago that it is also “Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness” month. And, so, it is timely for me to invite women or couples with concerns or experience in the area of miscarriage, still birth, or early infant death to contact me and help me form a small study group to explore how St. Bernard’s Parish might initiate some pastoral outreach and resources for families experiencing such loss. We might begin with a discussion of the article mentioned “Invisible Grief.” We have already posted some resources on our parish website (here).
September 1
Last weekend’s gospel, which ended the long Bread of Life discourse of Jesus in St. John’s gospel, challenged us to make a choice. After hearing about Jesus and his way of life as a source of strength and nourishment for us, he challenged us to choose to follow him and his teachings, or not.
The nominating conventions for both political parties are now over and we enter into the final stretch of the race for the White House. This election seems to be distinctive in various ways. We will need to make a choice and I certainly encourage all our parish members to be sure to vote. But discerning how to cast our ballot is difficult, even when trying to use the teachings of our Church to guide us.
Yes, the Democrats, as a political party, have changed over the years to be fierce promoters of the right to choose abortion, which alienates so many of us people of faith. But many of their other concerns and values are in harmony with the pro-life ethics of our Church. For example, support for struggling families, care for refugees escaping dire situations, care for the homeless, respect for minorities, a social safety net for the poor, the mentally ill and addicted.
These people were all once unborn children. They were worth protecting then and they are worth protecting now. Republicans, as a party, are often guilty of dismissing serious fiscal and strategic support for such groups of our neighbors even though they are fiercely against abortion. And, so, really, neither political party promotes our Church’s pro-life stance in its fullness.
Recently a lay friend who has worked in and for the Church most of his adult life introduced me to the “Democrats For Life,” which I had never heard of. It is an advocacy group associated with the Democratic party that reflects many of the Democratic concerns while being against abortion on demand, euthanasia and other “planks” of the party that are not pro-life. They may frequently support Democratic candidates, but they remain associated with the party in order to more strategically “rattle” the party from within to modify some of its positions that do not respect life.
I remember an old Scripture professor once describe how the biblical prophets were impactful because they remained WITHIN the Israelite community as they challenged the people to change. He said “If a passenger doesn’t like the direction of the boat, he can just jump out of it. But if he stays, he can rock the boat and help alter its direction.”
I suggest that both of our political parties need prophets who promote with courage the fullness of the Church’s care and respect for all human life from the womb to the tomb as we strive to do at St. Bernard’s.
August 18
The Catholic Extension Society of the US has initiated a special campaign to repair and rebuild mission churches in Puerto Rico that have been damaged or destroyed by recent natural disasters. In 2017 Hurricane Maria was the strongest hurricane to hit in a hundred years that devastated the island. Then in 2019-2020, an earthquake swarm hit the island. From these disasters, about 1,000 Catholic properties have remained in ruins. Then, just last year, Hurricane Fiona ravaged the island again.
There are parishes in six Puerto Rican dioceses poised to begin the recovery and rebuilding process. Our nation’s FEMA is willing to help, but it requires an initial investment of $5,000 from each parish before FEMA contributes to the remainder of the recovery cost. Raising the initial investment of $5,000 in mission parishes is a significant challenge.
So, the Catholic Extension Society has initiated the “Catholic Kinship” campaign throughout the Catholic parishes in the US. Its goal is to get 1,000 US mainland parishes to raise $5,000 each for this effort. Of course, the campaign will be happy to accept any and all gifts in support of the overall goal of $5,000,000.
Because Puerto Rico is a territory of the US, relief efforts there come under the umbrella of the US Catholic Extension Society, which funds poor missions and ministries within the US. On the other hand, the US Catholic Relief Services funds international relief efforts beyond the US.
St. Bernard parishioners can contribute this month to this “Catholic Kinship” campaign with Puerto Rico in a variety of ways. A special envelope for this purpose has been prepared and included in the mailed packets to parishioners for August-September. The same envelope is inserted in today’s bulletin with a flyer about this effort. Additional envelopes are available at the church doors.
Finally, you can contribute on the parish website (stbernardhg.org). Or simply scan the QR code. Make checks payable to St. Bernard Parish, with a notation of Catholic Kinship or Puerto Rico Relief.
August 4
The long-awaited wall divider and doors separating the church worship space from the foyer will be installed this week. At the main entranceway there will be a large mostly-glass wall and double doors. At the end of the hallway on the opposite side there will be a smaller doorway installed. The purpose of these additions is to help keep the noise and distractions of the more social space of the foyer from detracting from a more prayerful and reverent tone of the worship space.
St. Bernard’s is a very friendly and sociable community. While it is quite appropriate to greet one’s neighbors as attendees find their way to their chairs in church, extended visiting and socializing among persons in the worship space can be a distraction to those wishing to pray privately in preparation for the service. Such extended visiting and socializing really should occur in the foyer before or after the worship service. We hope to furnish the foyer in a way that fosters this socializing. As the bishops’ guidelines for church art and architecture point out, “The narthex (aka “foyer”) is a place of welcome—a threshold space between the congregation’s space and the outside environment” (Built of Living Stones, Par #95).
For the past several years, the parish’s Facilities Task Force and Worship Committee has consulted with parishioners in a variety of ways to discern what changes to our facilities might be helpful for the parish’s life of faith. Over time, a consensus surfaced that it would be most helpful to distinguish more clearly our space for prayer and worship from our space for socializing and other active activities. So, we began to move the devotional fixtures from the foyer area into the church’s worship space.
First, the devotional area with the votive lights and the murals of the Blessed Mother and the Sacred Heart were moved from the foyer area into the northwest corner of the worship space. A statue of St. Joseph was set up there as well. Then, the Reconciliation Room was moved from the foyer area to a space behind the altar area. Most recently, the tabernacle was moved to the center of the altar area (aka “sanctuary”) to make room for the Blessed Mother statue which was moved from its alcove in the foyer.
When the Holy Family table returns from being repaired and restored from its artist Jerzy Kenar, it will be re-located from the foyer to the area just outside the new dividing wall on the new carpeting. This space, with the table and benches, is designed to welcome any parent of a young and restless child who may need to step outside the worship service for a short while, but still being able to view the service.
We sincerely hope that these changes help all our parish members to foster a lively sense of faith and friendship in Christ!
July 21
I think we need a new capital campaign. But before you throw this aside saying “Geez, they want more money!”… No, I’m not talking about financial capital, but SOCIAL capital.
Since social scientist, Robert Putnam, published his ground-breaking study titled: Bowling Alone almost 25 years ago, he has continued to study how connections between and among people in the US have been deteriorating resulting in a significant increase in personal loneliness. This trend has also weakened the sense of community among people that threatens the strength of our nation. Putnam has coined the need for “social” capital to renew our great nation.
While our American culture has been strong in promoting the rights of individuals, this positive thrust has often gotten hijacked by an individualism that has fostered extreme positions and threatened the common good. Social and moral issues get politicized and then fall into one corner or the other. Opposing views become vilified and demonized rather than discussed, debated and respected as differences. Extremism is often nurtured by social media and 24/7 news outlets scrambling for audiences.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Putnam distinguished two types of the “social capital” we need. Ties that link you to people like yourself are called “bonding” social capital. “Bridging” social capital refers to your ties to people unlike yourself. So, ties to people of a different generation or a different gender or a different religion or a different politic or whatever, that’s “bridging” social capital.
While both Putnam’s forms of social capital are important in keeping persons from sliding into isolation and loneliness, there is a particular need today to foster the “bridging” social capital to help us deal with the threats of extremism.
Putnam recognizes the power of faith communities for being able to nurture both types of social capital. Yes, we may share the same Catholic faith (which is so comforting), but within every parish community there are men and women-- young and old-- Republicans, Democrats & Independents—liberals and conservatives—rich and poor— different ethnic groups, and so many other differences. Yet, we recognize and celebrate the glue of our faith that holds us together. Our society, as a whole, needs to discover or recover the glue that holds us together.
So, yes, we desperately need a capital campaign in these turbulent times, but one that raises not money but social capital among us. We call this not uniformity, but community. While much of God’s will is mystery, we do believe that God wills love and a sense of community among all his people.
July 7
Christmas in July…it’s a secondary and much less significant observance focused on Christmas-themed activities, entertainment and shopping. While a few churches and church camps in the US have observed Christmas in July in the past 100 years, it is promoted more in the US as a marketing tool for sales and entertainment. Think of the Hallmark channel and its cards. And watch for Christmas in July sales by some of our commercial companies and stores.
I do not mention Christmas in July as though we Americans need a reason to shop or an excuse to have parties. But I do mention it for another reason that is more worthy of attention. Historically, more than one Baptist church in the US held Christmas in July back in the 1940’s so that the congregation members could provide gifts early enough so there would be ample time for their distribution in the far-away missions. During World War II, the US Army & Navy, with the cooperation of the US Post Office, also promoted Christmas in July as an early Christmas mailing campaign for service persons overseas.
With modern communications and global delivery services, so much advance time is no longer needed for shipping gifts to arrive at Christmas in December. However, there is an aspect of the Christmas season at the end of the year that would be most appropriate and helpful in July.
Traditionally, every Christmastime, people tend to be more generous not only with their gift giving within families but also with their charitable giving to their church and other not-for-profit organizations. But in the summertime, most charitable organizations (including churches) see a significant drop in the donations they receive. This is why St. Bernard’s hosted a food drive this past weekend for Daybreak Center for the Homeless in Joliet. Its coordinator informed us that their pantry shelves tend to get emptied in the summer months.
So, if you are going to observe any part of the Christmas in July activities, I encourage you to especially make a nice gift to your preferred charitable organizations during these summer months. It will be a big help!
June 16
My earliest memory in life goes back to when I was just about four years old they tell me. My parents took my older sister, brother and me to some carnival or amusement park. Could it have been even Riverview way up on the north side? Who knows! I recall entering the haunted house concession (Aladdin’s Castle?) with the family. But because of the darkness of the passageways through which we walked, I felt very much alone.
There were screams and other scary noises. Witches, goblins and spiders would light up along the way and jump toward us as we passed. I remember getting more and more frightened as I slowly walked along the dark passageways. And, finally, when one scary monstrous skeleton came at me, I only remember screaming bloody murder and a big, strong arm swooped down from behind, picked me up and carried me hurriedly out into the light of day. It was my Dad who had been walking right behind me all the way.
I have always cherished that very early experience of my father as a protector and savior, especially on this Father’s Day weekend. Many spiritual writers suggest that it is our experience of our fathers that help form our understanding of God. For those of us who were fortunate to have strong and caring fathers, growing into an understanding of God as father was rather easy and engaging.
At the same time, I have heard some new, young fathers say, unfortunately, that from their fathers they learned what NOT to be. While they have my sympathy, I am always happy to hear them say how much they nevertheless learned from their limited father and how seriously they take their role as father.
On this Father’s Day, we give thanks to God for our fathers—living or deceased—for what we have learned from these good though imperfect men. May God, the father of us all, be their protector and savior in this life and in the life to come.
June 2
For the first three days of this week, all the Augustinian priests and brothers of the Midwest Province (with few exceptions) will gather at St. Rita High School in Chicago for what we call the Intermediate Chapter, an important aspect of our community’s self-governance.
Most religious communities have meetings for self-governance called “Chapters” every four years. At such Chapters, the superior, or provincial, elected by the members for a four-year term is installed and the community members develop programs and policies to be implemented over the next four years. Then, an “Intermediate” Chapter is held two years later to review how those programs and policies are being implemented. So, this next week will be the latter Intermediate Chapter.
Usually, the members elect representatives to attend these Chapter and Intermediate Chapter meetings. But at the last Chapter, the representatives voted to begin including ALL the province members as attendees to these meetings. Such Chapters are referred to as “Chapters of the Whole.”
It seems there are two basic reasons for including ALL the members to these meetings of self-governance. First of all, our numbers have diminished to a point where all of us can be easily accommodated. I suspect there will be about forty friars at next week’s meetings which reflects the number of the more active members among us.
Secondly, it is a critical time in our province’s life and history which demands the prayerful attention of all of us. Not only have our numbers dropped significantly in recent decades, but so much has been changing in the Church and the society at the same time. So, we need to prayerfully discern where the Spirit is calling us in the days ahead.
In the spirit of Pope Francis’ synodality, lay affiliates and collaborators will be invited to this Intermediate Chapter to join in our discussions of how we Augustinians can best serve God’s people in the future given our changing circumstances.
Please remember the Augustinians in your prayers this week during this important time for us.
May 19
Traditionally, May has been a month with devotions focused on the Blessed Mother. And, so, our young children held a May Crowning at the 10:30 Mass on May 5. Of course, May is also the month in which Mother’s Day occurs when we acknowledge and bless mothers of children and also those women who may not have children of their own but who nurture other children in a variety of ways as “spiritual mothers.” St. Bernard’s had beautiful prayers, music and gifts for the women who attended our Masses on Mother’s Day weekend.
May’s focus on women prompts me to acknowledge the very important and growing role of women in the life of the Church. The majority of pastoral staff members of parishes in the US are women as is the case at St. Bernard’s. And I am so grateful for the competence and grace of Mary, Jenny, Margie, Julie and Jackie here at St. Bernard’s. In fact, in places where the shortage of priests is so severe that parishes may not have a priest-pastor, it is often a pastorally trained woman who is the “pastoral coordinator” of a parish.
But at higher levels of the Church also, there is an ever-increasing number of women in key roles. In recent times, it has been noted that there are 1,165 women working at the Vatican compared to 846 just ten years ago, making up 23.4% of the total workforce. When it comes to roles in the Roman Curia, the governing body of the Roman Catholic Church, more than one in four employees is now a woman.
That Roman Curia consists of many “dicasteries,” which is a Vatican word for “commissions.” Whereas in the recent past, these commissions were made up of cardinals and bishops, there are now several lay women and men as members. In fact, Pope Francis has announced that lay women can now become the chair (or “prefect’) of some of these commissions. Pope Francis has also created a committee of ordained and lay theologians to research and study whether women may be ordained to the permanent diaconate.
I, for one, welcome all of these developments that bring competent and care-filled women into the Church’s various leadership roles. The Pentecost Spirit continues to breathe new life into the followers of Christ.May 5, 2024
There is a long-standing tradition within the Church to celebrate the Sacraments of Initiation especially during the Easter season. Of course, those three sacraments are Baptism, Holy Communion and Confirmation. When individuals first enter the Church as children or adults, the tradition of celebrating all three sacraments with them at the same time has been renewed in recent decades. However, for pastoral reasons especially with children, the three sacraments can be separated in time so the children can be formed with their age mates for First Communion and Confirmation.
Since Lent is a penitential season, these sacraments are normally not celebrated during Lent, including infant Baptism. Instead the season is meant to be a time for preparing for these sacraments.
And, so, since Easter, there have been several infant Baptisms again on Sundays after the last Mass. This weekend, we celebrate First Communion with 32 young second graders and their families. And, on May 22, our Bishop Hicks will join us to celebrate Confirmation with 21 eighth graders.
The celebration of these Sacraments of Initiation during the Easter season remind us of the many converts to the Christian way following Jesus’ resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The first reading at Mass during this season is from the Acts of the Apostles which reflects the bold preaching of the apostles and the acceptance of that message by the throngs of people.
During these Easter season days, let us remember in prayer all of those near and far—young and old—who are moving more deeply into the faith through their formation for and celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation. And let us also encourage through prayer their parents and families who are the primary source of the faith for their members.
April 21, 2024What’s the best way to give witness to our Catholic faith and attract others to join us? Different surveys over the years have asked people who do not belong to any particular faith community what would attract them to one. Very frequently the response has been: a sincere welcome.
In times past, we exercised our Catholic faith in a somewhat private and individualistic way: I said my prayers, I went to church, I did good deeds. A more cynical phrase suggested that the Catholic layperson was supposed to “pray, pay and obey.” And, of course, there was a pretty strong strain of judgement that was woven into our religious practice, which could prompt an exaggerated dose of guilt.
But recent renewal within the Church has called us back to Jesus’ own outreach to welcome of ALL God’s children. Whether it was in the call of his apostles, the healing of the sick, the forgiveness of sinners or in his dining with the Pharisees, Jesus demonstrated God’s love for all and promoted the importance of that same outreach and welcome for all of us to imitate as his disciples.St. Bernard’s parish has a fine reputation for being a welcoming community. We have been recognized by many as a warm and friendly community. The Greeters and Ushers before Mass offer assistance and sincere greetings to all who arrive. We will be adding automatic doors to make easier access for our less mobile folks. Hospitality and refreshments after Mass foster the love experienced at Mass to spill over into our relationships with one another. The recent parish survey reflected that Pastoral Staff and key parish leaders are quite approachable.
Next weekend, St. Bernard’s will begin hosting a “Parish Info Center” in the foyer after weekend Masses. The Parish Info Center will be a source for registering in the parish or Religious Ed, getting Mass cards and scheduling Mass intentions, etc. It will be a place for visitors to get information about the parish. It will also be a place for parishioners and the parish offices to leave materials for folks to pick up. We plan to locate the Parish Info Center in the foyer alcove where the statue of Mary had formerly been. The Parish Info Center will basically be a place of welcome for all, especially our visitors and new parishioners.April 7, 2024
We all know the saying “April showers bring May flowers.” The saying actually has a long history originating in a poem by an Englishman Thomas Tusser in 1157. It is easy to take the saying quite literally in our Midwest region as it describes the change of seasons in our springtime.
But lately, I’ve discovered that the saying really has a metaphorical meaning as well. So, as a proverb, it means that even after long periods of adversity, good times will follow. Gloomy, rainy weather and storms make the earth fertile to blossom anew. And this is another expression from nature of the Good Friday-Easter mystery: the cross leads to resurrection.
The Lord never promised us a perfectly happy life here on earth. But He also does not will that we be burdened with unavoidable pain and suffering. What God does will is that we be grateful for the good and happiness in life that we know and that we exert ourselves to find meaning in the unavoidable hardships that we get dealt.
It can be quite difficult to find meaning in suffering and hardship. We are blessed if we can find something new and good for ourselves that has somehow resulted from some loss. But, sometimes the meaning of a loss is discovered more by those around us who note our courage and perseverance though the loss. And the patient way we accept loss becomes a powerful witness for others. And recognizing that witness can be a comfort for us.
The pattern of dying and rising is reflected in nature as the deathlike grip on nature yields at this time of year to the beauty and freshness of Spring. April showers bring May flowers… in nature and in our lives as disciples of the Risen Lord. Alleluia!March 17, 2024
HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY… especially to those of Irish descent. As I write this column, I sit with a couple of scones from Winston’s Irish Market in Tinley Park. And I am reflecting on my family Irish heritage as a McCormick (or McCormack as was the original spelling) but also my religious community’s Irish origins as well.
My great, great grandfather John McCormack migrated from the north of Ireland near Belfast in the early 1850’s toward the end of the potato famine and settled in northwest Indiana where he married and raised a family.
My family research discovered that his son, my great grandfather John McCormack, married his wife Mary in September 1884 at St. Vincent DePaul Church in Elkhart , Indiana. I discovered this family detail while I was pastor just across the state line in Michigan. In fact, I had been helping out hearing Confessions at this same St. Vincent Church over 125 years later. What a coincidence! The McCormick family eventually re-located to the south side of Chicago in the Irish neighborhood of St. Columbanus.
The Augustinian friars are organized in three provinces in the US that are becoming more collaborative in recent years and moving toward some consolidation. The “mother” province of St. Thomas of Villanova is centered around Villanova University near Philadelphia. The Midwest Province of our Mother of Good Counsel is centered in Chicago. And the Western province of St. Augustine is based in San Diego, CA.The US Augustinians grew out of the thriving Irish province of Augustinians in the 18th century. Arriving in 1796, Fr. Matthew Carr was the first Augustinian missionary sent from Ireland to establish an Augustinian community in the new nation. He established St. Augustine Church in Philadelphia in 1801 and its academy in 1811. While some additional Augustinians emigrated to the US in the following years, many more came when the original Villanova College was established in 1842, which helped attract a growing number of American vocations.
As the number of Augustinians grew, they were invited by bishops to move west to establish parishes and schools. The first Augustinians in Chicago established St. Rita High School in 1905 near 63rd & Western and founded several parishes nearby. By 1941 the Midwest province had grown enough to become a distinct province. And in 1968 the California province was established.
The missionary spirit of St. Patrick himself sent to the Emerald Isle to convert the Druids to Christianity in the fifth century was also embodied by the Irish Augustinians who came to this new country to spread the gospel message. And so many of our ancestors showed such great courage and hope as they migrated to a new and unknown land... some to seek a better future and others to provide pastoral care for those seekers.
Erin Go Bragh & God Bless America!March 3, 2024
The changes announced in recent months for our worship space will finally take place in the coming weeks. On the weekend of March 16-17, the tabernacle will be moved to the center of the sanctuary between the altar and the Four Seasons Panels. Augustinian Brother David Relstab of Providence High School, who serves as a Lector at St. Bernard, has designed and built a table for the tabernacle that resembles our altar and ambo design.
The wooden statue of the Risen Christ currently near the tabernacle will be moved to a new location near the entrance of the worship space. Christ’s extended hand will offer a gesture of welcome to all.
The Blessed Mother shrine in the foyer alcove will be moved into the worship space into the corner where the tabernacle has been. A rack of votive lights and kneeler will be arranged in this space as well.
Finally, the long-awaited wall that will divide the worship space from the social space of the foyer has been contracted to be installed in the spring…most likely shortly after Easter. The Holy Family Table will be re-located to the area of the former baptistry outside the new glass wall as a “family space” where a parent may rest awhile with an active or restless child while still viewing Mass.
These changes have been discussed by both the parish Worship Committee and the Facilities Task Force for a long time. At the same time, they have been presented to the parish at large for consideration and have received general acceptance often with enthusiasm.
With the tabernacle moved to the center of the worship space, we will encourage all to return to the practice of showing reverence for the Blessed Sacrament there when entering and leaving the worship space. The usual practice is to genuflect on the right knee toward the tabernacle as you enter or leave a row of chairs. Or, for those who find that difficult, a bow toward the tabernacle can replace the genuflection.
And once the dividing wall is installed, we hope to encourage all to try to limit their socializing in the worship space before Mass in order to respect the desire of one another to prepare for Mass prayerfully. Hopefully, the social space of the foyer will become more and more the place for socializing and sharing hospitality. Parishioners are most welcome to linger in the foyer for visiting before Mass as well as afterwards.February 18, 2024
Once again we have begun the season of Lent. Originally, this season was meant more for those converts preparing to be baptized at the Easter Vigil. These “catechumens” normally had been learning about Christ and the Christian faith for some time. That pre-Lenten catechumenate period was a time for the catechumens to study the Christians and their beliefs and practices. It was also a time for the Christian community to get to know the catechumens and discern if the catechumens were fit to become Christian. Once the catechumens “passed that test,” they entered into the period of Lent as a final 40-day retreat in preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter, which included Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.
In time, all Christians were drawn into the spirit and activities of Lent as a penitential time for being renewed in the life and grace of Christ. And, so, Christians started to take on added ways to be mindful of Christ and his power over their lives. They would certainly strive to put aside sinful ways. But they would also give up some good things as a way to “empty themselves” leaving an ache that would prompt them to long for Christ to fill their lives anew. Of course, Christians use Lent not only as a time to give up things but also as a time to take on new things that also draw them closer to Christ, e.g., more prayers and devotions, Scripture reading and reflection, charitable deeds toward those in need, etc.
The examination of conscience by which a Christian reflects on his/her thoughts, words and actions and discerns how they may or may not be aligned with the ways of Christ is a very good and helpful Lenten practice. We use this devotion especially in preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. But we can also use it as a more frequent review of our daily lives…even at the end of each day asking ourselves: What went well today and what didn’t? Today, various guides to the personal examination of conscience are available online and through apps such as “I CONFESS.”
As the saying goes, this year “let us not just go through Lent, but let us allow Lent to go through us” to renew us in the grace of Christ.
February 4, 2024
This weekend St. Bernard celebrates its many volunteers who fill the variety of roles that maintain and support the life and ministry of the parish. Some church commentators suggest that we should not refer to them as “volunteers” since they are only exerting their baptismal call to be an active witness for Christ. However, the time and talent that these good people offer is often over and above the kindnesses required of disciples of Jesus. They are the backbone of the parish and their involvement is certainly worth acknowledging and celebrating. At the same time, we want to thank the spouses of our many volunteers for supporting their spouses in this work. And so, we celebrate with the annual “Parish Volunteer Appreciation Party.”
Pew research have found that volunteerism and donations to the poor are especially common practices for those who are highly religious. Among people who pray daily and attend services weekly, 45% also say they volunteered in the past week (including 23% who did so mainly through a church or other religious organization). Just 28% of Americans who are not highly religious say they volunteered in the past seven days. The gap is even bigger when it comes to helping the poor: 65% of the highly religious say they donated money, time or goods to help the poor in the past week, compared with 41% of all other U.S. adults.
Cultivating volunteerism is one of the major impacts religious communities have on society at large. And volunteerism has always been very important in the development of our society here in the US. However, there has been a shift in volunteerism. In the past, developing families with their financial burdens had been more generous with their time than with their money. Today, with families headed by parents who both work and with many more activities for the children, the parents have less time to offer. So, it is the “empty nesters” and seniors who are doing so much more of the volunteering both within and outside the Church. And yet no gift of time is too small when it comes to volunteering.
While we appreciate and celebrate the many who volunteer in St. Bernard’s in so many ways, we also acknowledge those who volunteer their time & talent to important causes outside of the Church. As we offer the bread and wine at Mass, we are really offering to God our time and talent as well as our treasure as we ask God to bless these gifts that ultimately come from Him.
January 21, 2024
The dictionary defines the phrase “busman’s holiday” as a vacation that involves doing the same thing that he does at work. The phrase was supposedly first used way back in 1893 in the UK to describe a busman who went off on a vacation excursion by bus. As you read this, I am beginning the second week of a “busman’s holiday” serving as chaplain on the Nieuw Amsterdam, a cruise ship of the Holland America line.
My duties as chaplain are very limited. I lead Mass each day usually for about 30-40 guests (aka passengers) with many more at the Saturday vigil and Sunday Masses. I usually have an additional late 11pm weekend Mass for the crew. I also lead an ecumenical Christian service on Sundays for our Protestant sisters & brothers. I make myself available for Confessions and counsel and get a few “takers” during the week. I enjoy the remainder of the cruise relaxing and touring as a guest. As a return for my pastoral service, I receive free cruise passage and onboard discounts. Though the chaplain travels alone, I meet many wonderful folks along the way and strike up new friendships all the time.
Last week, our Caribbean cruise docked for a day in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Phillipsburg, St. Marten with the rest of the days at sea. This week we will spend a day in Grand Turk in Turks & Caicos, Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas and Key West, FL with the remainder at sea.
The Holland America line, which caters toward a “more mature” crowd, is the only cruise line that still tries to have a Catholic priest on every one of its cruises throughout the world. For this reason, Holland America cruises are highly promoted on the website of Catholic Cruises and Tours LLC (Most other lines only try to have a priest on board for their Christmas & Easter cruises.) It is also for this reason that I get so many guests attending my daily Mass onboard as Holland America tends to attract many devout and active Catholics.
The Apostleship of the Seas—USA is the agent of the Catholic Church that works with Holland America in arranging and assigning priests to cruises. And they are always looking for more priests to serve. If you know of any priests who might appreciate the opportunity to serve as a cruise chaplain--a great “busman’s holiday” for priests--encourage them to contact the Apostleship of the Seas ([email protected]) to sign up or get more information. I would also be happy to share with any priest additional info from my many years of experience as a cruise chaplain.
January 7, 2024
Beds-Plus is a not-for-profit organization that serves the homeless in the metro-Chicago area, mostly in the south and west suburban regions. Prior to the pandemic, the program arranged for nightly shelter for the homeless in various churches throughout the suburban areas. Many St. Bernard parishioners assisted our late friend Bridget Daley through this shelter program.
With the pandemic, Beds-Plus needed to assure the safety of the clients and the churches needed to discontinue their participation. But the number of homeless persons has steadily risen since that time. And, so, Beds-Plus has renewed its program with new space, staff and services. This past fall, Beds-Plus has rented out an entire motel (Aloha Motel) at 85th & Cicero near the southwest border of Chicago and suburban Hometown. At this site, Beds-Plus provides transitional housing, food, medical assistance and other services to over seventy persons who are currently homeless. The goal of Beds-Plus is to help their clients find permanent housing through the dedicated work of its case workers.
At its site at 85th & Cicero, Beds-Plus has an immediate need for lots of volunteers to help prepare and serve meals and help with a variety of other housekeeping and organizing tasks at the site. The volunteer assistance is welcome anytime between 8am and 8pm daily. Orientation and training is provided, both in-person and on Zoom.
In recent months, many parishioners of St. Bernard’s responded so positively to assist serving meals at Daybreak Center for the homeless in Joliet. But because of the great support of so many churches, schools, community organizations and businesses that Daybreak enjoys, the time slots for St. Bernard’s parishioners to serve meals are somewhat limited. At the same time, the renewed Beds-Plus program has very few volunteers at this time. For these reasons, I bring to the attention of our Daybreak volunteers and others throughout our parish community the needs of Beds-Plus. Perhaps, St. Bernard’s can support both Daybreak Center in Joliet and Beds-Plus in Chicago.
I invite any from St. Bernard’s who might be interested in learning more about Beds-Plus to contact me by email or text. Or just sign the Sign Up sheet in the foyer. I’ll arrange a meeting either at St. Bernard’s or at the Beds-Plus site at 85th & Cicero to discuss this important work and how St. Bernard’s might support it. For now, click on this link to get more information about Beds-Plus and its good services (https://beds-plus.org/).Christmas 2023 - December 24
Jesus was born in the poverty of a Bethlehem stable. After his birth, the Holy Family became homeless migrants to Egypt due to the king’s threats of violence against the child. The Son of God was introduced to the experience of poverty and homelessness early on. And this experience undoubtedly helped shape his special compassion for the poor in his adult ministry of preaching and healing. As his disciples we are called to reflect the light of that Christ-like compassion among the poor of today.
As we come to the end of another calendar year and reflect on the life of St. Bernard’s Parish this past year, I have special appreciation for the renewed commitment of so many of our parishioners for the poor and underserved. This season’s coat drive sponsored by the Knights of Columbus gathered a mountain of new and gently used winter coats for adults and children who are homeless and in need. This is in addition to their annual Tootsie Roll Drive that raises funds for local and state programs that serve intellectually disabled persons.
This month the parish’s Catholic Action Committee also gathered funds and gift cards from generous parishioners for so many in need within our local school districts and throughout the area served by Catholic Charities. At Thanksgiving time, the Men’s Club sponsored a drive for personal care products for St. Coletta’s, which serves intellectually disabled persons in our area. And just a few weeks before that, the parish held a very successful food drive to help re-stock the pantry shelves at Daybreak Center in Joliet, which houses the homeless and serves three meals a day 24/7 to those in need.
And in the past few months, numerous parish members have stepped forward to volunteer as meal teams serving those meals at Daybreak Center. They have also recruited the support of local restaurants to donate prepared foods to distribute at these meals at Daybreak. Because of such interest and commitment to serve that has surfaced within the parish, we have also begun to explore supporting the organization known as Beds-Plus, which also serves the homeless on the southwest side of Chicago.
I am a firm believer that such genuine and sincere commitments to serve the underserved will be the principal source of renewal for the Church today and tomorrow. Such compassionate outreach and efforts toward a more just society certainly find a welcome reception among the younger generations today. But we serve not to save the Church, but rather to save those so desperately in need today in imitation of Christ, our Savior born in that cold stable.December 17, 2023
ST. BERNARD’S STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES:
Preliminary Report #1
Over the past two months, the parish’s Pastoral Council members have been conducting listening sessions with various parish groups and the parish members at large to surface what people see as the strengths and weaknesses of the parish. Besides two town hall meetings open to the entire parish, these parish groups were surveyed: the music ministry, the religious ed catechists, the religious ed parents, the Men’s Club, the Pastoral Staff, and the Pastoral Council members themselves.
Survey participants referred to a large variety of issues related to our facilities, people, programs, activities and spirit. At its November meeting, the Pastoral Council reviewed all the findings of all the different listening sessions and identified some common threads running through the strengths and weaknesses that were surfaced. The strengths mentioned by many are summarized below.
One strength identified and affirmed by many was the welcoming atmosphere of St. Bernard Parish community. The hospitality of the parish is reflected in both the people as well as in the parish’s various events such as the Hospitality Weekends after Mass. There are a good number of ministries and opportunities to serve in the parish.
The Men’s Club, in particular, is recognized as a strong promoter of community life in the variety of events it hosts throughout the year. The ever-expanding music ministry also welcomes many--both young and old. The Children’s Liturgy of the Word during Mass and the Religious Ed program in general are affirmed as vital programs reaching out to youth and their families.
Finally, the feedback surfaced satisfaction and appreciation for the competence and helpfulness of the pastoral staff in general and in particular for the leadership, ministry and homilies of the Augustinians. The staff’s growing use of technology in parish ministry was also recognized.
In next week’s installment, the weaknesses will be summarized.
(Submitted by Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA,
main facilitator of process)Putting Christ In The Center: A Proposed Change for Our Worship Space
Through the bishops, the Catholic Church in the United States has been promoting what it calls a “Eucharistic Revival.” The goal is to increase among us Catholics a renewed reverence for the Real Presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. To serve this purpose, the many (Arch)Dioceses and parishes in the US have been holding programs and activities that can help deepen our faith in the Eucharist.
To this end, Fr. Joe has suggested that the Worship Committee of St. Bernard consider relocating the tabernacle in our worship space from its shrine-like and prayerful space in the front corner to the center of the sanctuary area immediately behind the altar. In fact, both locations are approved by the Church’s guidelines for the worship space and each serves a different purpose.
From the building of our church in 1988, our church tabernacle has been like the ancient ark of the covenant on its pilgrim journey wandering through the desert to the Promised Land. Originally, the tabernacle was in its own Chapel of Reservation in one of the foyer alcoves. Such a separate location was common for the churches built or renovated in the ‘70’s, 80’s and early 90’s. During this time, the original hand-me-down bronze tabernacle was replaced by a lovely, new glass tabernacle. However, it subsequent years, glass tabernacles were no longer allowed and the bronze tabernacle returned for use.
About fifteen years ago, the parish leadership moved the tabernacle into the worship space and located it on a shelf against the stained glass window of St. Bernard on the north side of the church. There was general appreciation for moving the tabernacle into the worship space. However, with the church seating at that time in the round, the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle did not seem to get the special focus it deserved in that arrangement.
When the parish community chose to reconfigure the worship space into the current semi-circular format about five years ago, the tabernacle was relocated to the southwestern corner of the church in a shrine-like area that persons appreciated using as a personal prayer space. A spotlight and banner were installed and the Risen Jesus statue was moved there to adorn the space. At the same time, the tarnished hand-me-down tabernacle was restored to its original bronze finish.
Now as the Eucharistic Revival invites us to renew our reverence for the Blessed Sacrament and again make it the CENTER of our faith life as Catholics, the Worship Committee’s proposal to move the tabernacle to the CENTER of the sanctuary behind the altar can be a strong visual of our spiritual renewal at this time. The move could take place as soon as the new year once appropriate furnishings are acquired.
The Worship Committee members are very open to hearing your comments on this proposal. Feel free to talk with or contact any of the members: Corinne Cirillo, Sue Furlan, Tom & Tricia Krusenoski, Lloyd Ottenstroer, Becky Straub, Kurt Mikuta, Greg Grill, Julie Kane, Deacon Joe Ferrari and Fr. Joe McCormick.December 3, 2023
For so many people, Christmas is their very favorite season… shopping, lights, decorations, gifts, parties, cookies and so many other good things. But as the liturgical geek that I am, I actually love this season of Advent in the Church that precedes the Christmas season. The themes, hymns and colors of Advent are pretty much drowned out by the rush of the Christmas season. But, if we allow it, the Advent spirit is beautiful and inspiring and comforting and a true preparation for the great gift of Christmas.
Advent is all about HOPE. The Scriptures, prayers and music of Advent prompt us to dream of everything good that is NOT YET. The biblical prophecies of old point to the coming of the Messiah and the messianic era of peace and harmony that results in the nearness of God. Those biblical prophecies have been fulfilled since Christ HAS COME. And yet our faith moves us to sense that there is always more to come… the coming of Christ at the end of time, the coming of Christ at the end of our personal time here on earth.
To appreciate the true Advent spirit, we are invited to be mindful of all within our life and world that is still unfinished, unresolved, unanswered. We allow ourselves to feel the struggle of adjusting to new personal situations, we feel the tension of conflictual relationships, we are left with the confusion of unanswered questions. Then, of course, there are all those experiences that force us to wait and wait and wait.
In Advent, we find hope as we gather all these personal experiences of NOT YET and lift them up to God in prayer and worship seeking serenity, reconciliation, wisdom and patience. As we sing this season “O come, O come, Emmanual,” we are really pleading “O come, O come, whatever it is that we need” to live fully alive with God and others.
May this season of Advent re-kindle within us the hope that is the fuel of our perseverance in faith and love.November 19, 2023
It’s Thanksgiving week and there are so many reasons to give thanks at St. Bernard’s. Our weekend Mass attendance has been growing steadily since the end of the pandemic with a 20% increase annually for the past two years. Expanding Children’s Liturgy of the Word at all three weekend Masses has been a big draw for more young families. And our Religious Education program was short of student desks due to the increase in enrollment this year. Needing to purchase more desks was one of those “nice problems” to have.
And the volunteerism at St. Bernard’s has also grown. Our recent renewal and recruitment of Eucharistic Ministers has yielded a whopping 60 signing up to serve. St. Bernard’s new involvement with Daybreak Center for the Homeless and its Shepherd’s Table of Meals has attracted over 20 parish volunteers. It just seems that people are seeking ways to become more active.
There has also been a rise in generosity and good stewardship. The generosity of parishioners in recent times has not only helped the parish meet its budget but has also grown the parish “Hunger Fund” that serves the needy to almost $10,000. The capital campaign effort continues to gain more supporters. And the Bernard’s Bucks raffle that was just completed was the most successful ever and will benefit the Building To Grow, Growing To Serve capital fund.
The parish Pastoral Council has just concluded a series of listening sessions within the parish and among various parish groups. The Council will now be reflecting on the findings of these sessions and will report back to the parish at large in the days and weeks to come. There is a great deal of positive satisfaction with the parish which is a great basis for continuing development and spiritual growth. This listening and reflecting process is the first stage of planning for the future of St. Bernard’s.
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect on our personal, familial and community lives, to note our blessings and give thanks to God. One great gift that graces us is St. Bernard’s expanding music ministry... the adult choir and instrumentalists, the Children’s Choir, the Chimes Ensemble, and the Cantors. You are all invited to gather in church as a parish community on Thanksgiving morning at 9:00 am for a Mass of Thanksgiving. Julie Kane and the combined choirs will be present for the first time together and will certainly enhance this special liturgy. Join us!
Have a wonderful holiday of thanks!November 5, 2023
We love having more and more young families with us at weekend Mass. We consider them an integral and treasured part of our community as we gather to celebrate the Eucharist. Young children are invited to take a children's story book from the basket near the song books on their way into the worship space to help focus their attention. There is a rocking chair in the back row of chairs near the entrance-way where a parent may comfort a restless toddler. We also know that, for some families, sitting right up front helps their youngsters see more and pay more attention to what’s going on. Others like to stay closer to an exit for an occasional, temporary “escape.” We understand.
We realize that, occasionally, our youngest children may like to “celebrate” in a way that makes listening to the Word of God and the prayers a challenge for both parents and others around them. A child’s innocent but startling outburst might turn heads. But we certainly try not to give scolding stares as we understand the challenges that parents often face in church as they try to teach their kids “church talk” and “church behavior.” Of course, parents are always welcome to walk their restless child in the foyer area for a brief period before returning to the worship space.
St. Bernard's provides Children’s Liturgy of the Word at all of its weekend Masses for children pre-k through 4th grade or so. This service leads children after Mass begins to the Children’s Chapel off the foyer. There they receive from the leaders the day’s gospel reading and message at their younger level. They are taught simple prayers. And they usually do a craft that expresses the gospel message. They then return to their parents in the worship space for the second part of Mass. Children love this addition and it offers parents the opportunity for more attentive prayer.
We would love to hear other ideas or suggestions from parents that would help make attending Mass with their children a good and supportive experience. As we strive to welcome and support our young families at our weekly Masses, we hope all our parishioners will strive to be cordial, patient and helpful to them.October 15, 2023
As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect those who are most vulnerable, from conception to life's natural end. During October, the Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, a time in which we're invited to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life.
As St. Bernard’s Respect Life effort continues to cherish babies in the womb and provides resources to women with difficult pregnancies through our publication “Walking With Moms in Need”, the parish’s effort has also expanded to show care for the homeless and underserved beginning during this Respect Life Month.
Parishioner Peggy Grill and I explored the needs of the Daybreak Center for the homeless in Joliet which provides temporary and longer-term shelter for the homeless. Sponsored by the Diocese of Joliet and Catholic Charities, Daybreak Center also operates Shepherd’s Table, which offers three meals a day to those in need. The meal attendees can number from 35 to 100. And we discovered that Shepherd’s Table needs additional volunteers to form Meal Teams to serve the meals on certain days and at certain times.
I thought that St. Bernard’s could surely recruit three to five parishioners to form a Meal Team that could serve a meal once a month. I was overwhelmed when over 20 parishioners volunteered to become involved. So, we are in conversation with Shepherd’s Table to get our Meal Teams scheduled for more than once a month.
In addition, some of these energized volunteers sought and received donations of prepared meals from local eateries, e.g., Tazza Ristorante, Pizza Mia and Chesdans. And, when a certain person with some association with St. Bernard’s heard of this new parish outreach to the homeless, he made an anonymous donation of $1,000 to the parish’s Hunger Fund that will support this Shepherd’s Table service group in the future.
Finally, to help Shepherd’s Table restock the shelves of its food pantry which provides many of the side dishes to the main entrees served, St. Bernard’s new Shepherd’s Table group will sponsor a Food Drive at the weekend Masses October 21 & 22. The flyer in this bulletin promotes this food drive and those items especially needed by the pantry at Shepherd’s Table.
May God bless this new outreach of St. Bernard’s Parish. We are St. Bernard, Together We are Church.October 1, 2023
The Vatican Synod on Synodality is taking place this month. All Catholics should pay close attention to this important gathering, its discussions and results. “Synod” is one of those fancy church words that usually means a gathering of representative bishops from around the world to advise the Pope in leading the Universal Church. Since the Second Vatican Council in the 1960’s, there have been 19 such synods, each on a different topic.
This synod is unique in that the topic is synodality, which refers to the process of listening and responding that every synod should employ. In preparation for this synod Pope Francis called for a world-wide consultation conducted over the past two years in dioceses, church organizations and parishes. Fr. Jeff Raths, OSA, conducted one such consultation at St. Bernard’s last year. This was meant to be a listening session to what the laity thought about the Church today, their concerns and perceived needs. All such consultations from around the world were gathered and funneled up to the Vatican to be shared at the October synod.
Another unique aspect of this synod is that Pope Francis has included not only bishops to be present, but also priests, religious and laity (including women) with the right to vote on propositions offered. So, it is worth Googling “Synod on Synodality” in the course of this month to get updates on this important gathering.
In the spirit of the Synod on Synodality, St. Bernard’s Pastoral Council has initiated a process to discern the concerns and needs of those associated with the parish. So, in coming weeks, members of the Pastoral Council and I will be conducting informal surveys of various groupings within the parish as well as with the parish at large.
Our goal is to listen to persons express what they see as the needs of St. Bernard Parish as we restore our life after the pandemic and move into the future. The Pastoral Council will then collaborate to create some goals that will help St. Bernard’s grow into the future. We hope to take the motto of the recent capital campaign seriously…BUILDNG TO GROW, GROWING TO SERVE!September 17, 2023
The US Catholic bishops have initiated a national program among us Catholics. “The National Eucharistic Revival” is a movement meant to restore understanding and devotion to the great mystery of the Eucharist by helping us renew our worship of Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist.
St. Bernard Parish began its observance with a special 4-part series on the Eucharist during our recent Lenten season. We have also increased our encouragement to participate in our monthly First Friday Holy Hour with Mass, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction. And, BTW, I thank parishioner James Straub for restoring our church monstrance that holds the Blessed Sacrament during Adoration.
Traditional devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist for centuries focused on the consecrated bread often carried in the monstrance in procession or mounted on the altar for private or communal Adoration and Benediction.
But with the significant renewal of the Eucharistic liturgy flowing from the Second Vatican Council of the 1960’s, the wine consecrated as the Precious Blood of Jesus has been shown equal reverence and offered to the faithful at Communion time in the Mass. The fullest sign of the Eucharistic Banquet is to eat and drink as Jesus invited at the Last Supper.
Because of Covid, it has been over three years since the Precious Blood has been shared with the faithful at Mass. But, since we have now “tamed” Covid, at the direction of the Diocese of Joliet and with the support of our parish Worship Committee, St. Bernard will be restoring the practice of offering Holy Communion under both forms of the consecrated bread and wine in the coming season.
To do this, we need to increase the number of our lay Eucharistic Ministers at Mass. So, we are currently seeking additional parishioners to volunteer for this role.
We hope to have three ministers of the consecrated bread and two ministers of the chalice at each weekend Mass as in the past. To allow our Eucharistic Ministers to be scheduled on a rotating 3-week schedule, we need at least six new Eucharistic Ministers at the 4pm Saturday Mass; four at the 8:30 Sunday Mass; and two more at the 10:30 Sunday Mass.
If you are willing to become a Eucharistic Minister, please add your name to the Sign Up list on the Holy Family table in the foyer. Former and “retired” Eucharistic Ministers are welcome to renew and re-join.
September 3, 2023
It’s Labor Day weekend and the unofficial end of summer. I do hope it’s been a good summer for all of you. While we in the Midwest have had a few really hot days and a few big rainfalls, the summer has really been quite pleasant for us. In fact, many weather professionals have suggested that parts of the Midwest are real climate havens that seem to escape the worst of the results of climate change.
Our parish life tends to follow the academic year. And, so, we are preparing to resume many of the parish programs, events and group meetings. We are also starting a few new programs and services. An inspiring number of parishioners have expressed interest in the new Meal Teams St. Bernard is forming to assist at the Shepherd’s Table of daybreak Center in Joliet. These daily meals provide needed meals for homeless persons and others who are struggling with making ends meet. Similarly, many are showing interest in supporting St. Bernard’s new Prayer Shawl Ministry that will create warm shawls and blankets for those struggling especially with health issues.
Many have bemoaned the hit that our parish—like so many others—has taken due to the recent pandemic as well as the abuse scandal and other challenges. I firmly believe that the best way for us to rebuild and renew the Church is through genuine Christ-like service with those in need. Pope Francis has certainly led us in this direction.
With the looming capital needs and projects of St. Bernard Parish, there has been much attention to financial support. As we move through this new year of parish life, let us also remember that the true vitality of any parish community is how it serves the weakest members near and far.August 20, 2023
I have shared before the fact that the Augustinian high school seminary boarding school in Holland, Michigan that I had attended was closed and sold to the State of Michigan in 1977, who turned it into a medium security prison(!). We did the usual joking about how the place seemed like a prison to us when we were students. But after that joking got old, we reflected with regret that our world seemed to need more prisons than seminaries. How sad!
In a strange sort of way my spirit was lifted when I learned about another monastery…Clairvaux. Clairvaux was the monastery in northern France founded by our parish patron St. Bernard in 1115 as his first Cistercian community, which was set up as a reformed form of the Benedictine monastic way of life. While Cistercian abbeys developed and flourished beyond Clairvaux, the abbey of Clairvaux experienced some significant decline. After the French Revolution, the state confiscated the monastery of Clairvaux and when Napoleon came into power he converted Clairvaux…you guessed it…into a high security PRISON! And it was still used as a prison as late as 2022.
Again, it is sad to think the world needs more prisons than monasteries. But some would say that it would be even worse if large building complexes that outlived their original purpose just sat empty and abandoned. Consider the 280+ acres and abandoned buildings of the former Tinley Park Mental Health Center on Harlem near 183rd.
The term “re-purpose” is used to describe the act of using a place or object for something new and different from its original purpose. Though there may be some grief at the loss of whatever the original purpose was, the new and different use promoted can be a source of great hope.
As we continue to strive for the renewal of our faith and our Church in these turbulent times, the regrets over what has been lost are understandable. But there is always hope that comes from that seed Jesus mentioned that has to die in order for the big new blade of wheat to grow. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, pray for us!August 6, 2023
St. Bernard’s Oktoberfest is coming September 10!
We would like to make our parish Oktoberfest celebration an opportunity for a reunion of St. Bernard’s former parish staff along with our current staff. So, we hope to invite our former parish staff as guests of the parish. But to help the parish do this, we invite parishioners to become a GOLD SPONSOR as they make their own reservations. For $200, parishioners can receive TWO reservations for themselves valued at $75 each as well as an additional $50 to help fund the presence of a parish staff person from the past or present. Our parish office will be inviting former staff.
We also encourage parishioners to arrange with fellow parishioners, relatives and friends a full table of ten who can have great fun as a Trivia Team during the celebration. Of course, singles, couples and other smaller groupings are most welcome to form other tables and make new friends.
The several beautiful baskets with valuable gifts and certificates that will be raffled off at Oktoberfest will be on display in the foyer in the near future. Whether you plan to attend Oktoberfest or not, you are most welcome to check them out and purchase raffle tickets for those baskets of your choice. Winners need not be present at Oktoberfest on September 10.
This Oktoberfest will be both a FUNDraiser and FUNraiser as we celebrate our parish life and anticipate its next phase to be ushered in by the work of the Building To Grow, Growing To Serve campaign.July 16, 2023
“Christmas In July”… where did that come from? And does it have anything to teach us?
I understand that the idea of Christmas in July was first promoted back in the 1940’s for a rather noble reason. Some churches wanted to gather donations and gifts in July in order to have enough time in those days to organize and distribute them to their world-wide missions for Christmas in December. The military imitated the idea as certain support organizations encouraged Christmas greetings and gifts in July for those overseas so there would be sufficient time to arrive by December. Remember that deliveries were much slower in those days.
Of course, it should be no surprise that our American entrepreneurial spirit prompted advertisers and merchandisers to sort of hijack that original spirit of Christmas in July as a way to make more money. And, so, more modern-day marketing has encouraged folks to host celebrations, enjoy decorations and do gift-giving for Christmas in July as sort of a mini-Christmas.
For me the notion of Christmas in July reminds me of two important things to remember. First, so many people are in the generous spirit in December and contribute so much at that time to the poor. But the “poor are always with us,” as Jesus said and they need our support year-round. In fact, so many service organizations struggle in the summer months with enough donations when the general public is distracted by their summertime activities. So, during Christmas in July, let’s renew our support for those underserved in our midst.
Secondly, renewing our focus on Christmas…in JULY reminds us that Christ is with us not just one time of the year when we celebrate his birth in December. But more than once a year…in fact, Christ is with us ALWAYS. So whatever feelings of “comfort and joy” we experience at Christmas in December we should allow ourselves those same feelings and experiences at Christmas in July and, in fact, throughout the year. So, merry Christmas in July!July 2, 2023
Parishioners Rob and Laura Martin agreed to serve as Campaign Chairs: “We were happy to be involved and support the capital campaign...Building to Grow, Growing to Serve. Having a functional modern parish office along with modern meeting spaces for various parish committees has been a long time coming!” - Rob and Laura Martin
When a priest is appointed by his bishop to start a new parish, the usual first step is for the new pastor to purchase a home that serves three functions: a rather simple residence for him; an office for him and the first one or two staff or volunteers; and a small chapel for daily Mass and smaller services like baptism. Normally, a local school gym or commercial property would be rented by the new parish for weekend Masses.
To this end, in 1978, St. Bernard’s founding pastor, Fr. Schutter, purchased the current house owned by the parish at 14135 Parker Road. Ten years later, the current church and parish center were built and dedicated. Again, as is somewhat typical for a parish’s first facility, the building was designed as a multi-purpose space as the young parish was in its early years of development. But the parish offices remained off-site…about a mile west of the new parish facility.
Now, 45 years after its founding and after much discussion and consultation among parishioners, the decision has been made to expand the facility and make some modifications to the current space. There will be a new dividing wall separating the worship space and the social space of the foyer. The new addition will add more multi-purpose space adjacent to the east side of the foyer. The expansion will also accommodate the parish offices and storage so that the Parker Road house can be sold.
This change signals that St. Bernard’s Parish has moved into a new phase of its existence where its offices and ministries and activities are more consolidated at the parish church campus. This change will add to the quality of St. Bernard’s parish life and ministries. Many like Rob and Laura Martin above recognized that it is time! And we thank them for supporting the Building To Grow, Growing To Serve campaign.June 18, 2023
The first grade religious ed class was asked to draw a picture of God. The lead catechist walked around the classroom to inspect the work. One first grader depicted God in the form of a brightly colored rainbow. Another drew an old man coming out of some big clouds. And there was one drawing that looked a lot like Superman. But one little girl was proud to show her creation off as she said: “I don’t know what God looks like, so I just drew a picture of my daddy.”
No father is perfect. But on his best day as a father, any father can be a great expression of some aspect of God…God’s unrelenting love, his readiness to forgive, his guidance toward what is good, his gentle challenge to grow into the best person a child can be.
On Father’s Day, we thank God for our fathers—both living and dead. When they are at their best, we learn from them how we should live. When they struggle with their own human frailty, we may also learn from them how not to live, or how to accept and manage the limits and imperfections that come with being human. They are always an example for us.
On Father’s Day, we pray for our fathers through the intercession of St. Joseph. May the fathers among us grow in their love for their families and their love for God. May the fathers who have passed beyond us know the reward of their labors from God whom Jesus invited us to call Father of us all.June 4, 2023
This past week the diocese informed us that St. Bernard has just reached its goal of $58,355 toward this year’s Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA). So, I want to thank all our parishioners who made a donation, especially those donors responding to the recent follow up diocesan mailing that put us over the top. As in the past, I expect more parishioners will still make their gifts in the weeks ahead. These donations may be “late in the game,” but they are still important because St. Bernard’s receives back 70% of all surplus donations to the CMAA. And we deposit these surplus funds into our building fund.
Meeting our parish goal for the CMAA also shows our support of and loyalty to the bishop and the good work he is doing in our diocese. Since his arrival, Bishop Hicks has conducted a thorough study of the diocese, its central diocesan offices as well as its parishes and schools. As a good steward, he has reduced the number of positions at the diocesan pastoral center from 100 to 70. He has also asked these diocesan staff to be more knowledgeable of and attentive to local parish needs. I can personally attest that they have been very helpful for me, especially in the growing number of administrative issues that a pastor and our staff have to deal with today.
Bishop Hicks has also addressed a few parish schools with urgent problems in enrollment and finance. For example, our two neighbor parish schools in Lockport are now to be combined as one school with two campuses for different grade levels. Change is always difficult. But this change does seem to hold promise for a more successful private Catholic elementary school for our area. And I encourage St. Bernard families to consider this new Catholic school for their young children.
The supportive and cooperative relationship between St. Bernard and the diocese has “paid off” literally for us in another way. I remind you of the gracious gift from the diocese to St. Bernard of $231,000 toward the purchase of the current 4-bedroom friary residence for St. Bernard’s pastor and other priests located in the Farmview subdivision just off Parker near 154th. Such a substantial grant from a diocese to a parish is, frankly, highly unusual. And we are very grateful for the diocese’s huge help in acquiring the great asset for St. Bernard’s.
There are many reasons to support our bishop and his diocesan appeal… most are selfless, but some serve us here at St. Bernard also. Much to share, much to be thankful for!May 28, 2023
Attorney General Report
Dear Parishioners & Friends,
A report on clergy sexual abuse in Illinois over the past 70 years was released Tuesday, May 23 by the Attorney General of the state of Illinois. I can only express my personal regret to all victims and families. I am also saddened by the impact this kind of news has on all Catholics, including my fellow clergy in the pastoral ministries. I hope to be supportive and responsive to you and your concerns in the aftermath of this report. I am certainly willing to gather with individuals or groups to hear your concerns and address them as best as I can. Please stay tuned to communication blasts and bulletin articles in the coming days. Let’s hold one another in prayer through such a difficult terrain. Bishop Hicks has prepared a 2-minute video as a response as well as a longer video that presents again the dioceses program of the past 20 years that assists victims and assures a safe environment in our churches and schools. For these videos, click on these links:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIssFF7Fsps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PYw5sqDlT8
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSAMay 21, 2023
We are entering an exciting season for St. Bernard’s Parish. Numerous parishioners have been asking “When is the parish construction project going to begin?” Finally, I can say SOON!
A sub-committee from our Facilities Task Force has been working hard in recent months with the architect and engineer to plan the installation of the water and sewer project required by the village for any expansion to our building. So, THIS summer the parish campus will be connected to the city water and sewer. It’s not a very “glamorous” part of the project, but necessary for the actual construction NEXT summer of the new multi-purpose center designed for the east side of the church building.
We also hope to do some interior remodeling THIS summer including the new separation of the worship space from the foyer and social hall area. So many have expressed interest and even excitement over this modification, which will help separate the more lively activity and conversation of the foyer area from the more prayerful worship space.
As we actually embark on the parish construction work in this first phase, we are well aware of the need to raise needed funding for the TOTAL project to be completed next summer. Thanks to a very active capital campaign last summer, we have already succeeded in raising over $1.5 million toward our goal of $1.8 million.
So, during the coming season, we will be renewing our BUILDING TO GROW, GROWING TO SERVE campaign. We will be seeking new donors from those who have not yet made a gift or pledge. We will also be asking those who made a one-time gift last summer to consider renewing their commitment with an additional gift this season. And we are also very grateful to those who have fulfilled their original pledge in the course of this past year but HAVE CONTINUED with additional payments and, thus, raising their total pledge.
Please watch for a personal letter from me in the weeks ahead seeking your support for this project which promises to revitalize our parish life and ministry. Of course, I would also welcome your thoughts and ideas on the proposed project as we move forward. And, certainly, I ask for your prayers for this campaign of BUILDNG TO GROW, GROWING TO SERVE.May 7, 2023
“The parishes in the archdiocese of Chicago are all in turmoil over the closing or consolidation of so many!”
“So much of our identity as Catholics had been connected to our parish…and we’re losing that.”
“Is there going to be a similar major reorganization to our parishes in OUR diocese of Joliet?”
“As our two neighboring Lockport parishes are forced to merge their schools next year, is that the beginning of the consolidation of the two Lockport parishes as well?!”
“Will Homer Glen be able to maintain its two Catholic parishes when our neighboring large suburbs - like Frankfort, Mokena, New Lenox -- only have one parish each?”
“Is our Catholic Church dying on the vine?!!”
These are all reasonable questions surfacing among us Catholics these days. There certainly are changes and shifts within the Catholic Church within our region and throughout the United States. How are our Church leaders and members managing these many changes?
On Wednesday, May 17 at 7:00 pm, I will host the viewing of an hour-long documentary video presenting the variety of situations in various regions of our country that are impacting Catholic parish life. The video is titled: “The People of God: How Catholic Parish Life Is Changing in the US.” Following the viewing, I will lead a discussion on possible implications for us here - the challenges and hopes for the future. All are most welcome to attend.
April 16, 2023
The Easter message is the essence of our Christian faith. Loss is never the last word. Every loss in life yields at some point to something new…new insight or understanding, new experiences or opportunities, new relationships with others, self or the world. And if that newness does not come in this life, we believe it will in the life to come.
Sometimes the fullness of that Easter message comes in a timely way. For example, the disciples of Jesus were traumatized by his sudden and horrific death. But within days of that terrible loss, they met the Risen Christ and came to believe that he was not just gone and that he and his message would live on. Their shock and sorrow turned rather quickly to joy.
Sometimes, our human experience of loss is resolved in a similarly timely way. A cancer threat goes into remission; being laid off leads to a better job; a geographical move away from familiar family and friends leads to the discovery of new friends and experiences. In such timely transformations, it is rather easy to see and embrace the Easter pattern of dying and rising, loss and gain.
But frequently, a significant human loss does not lead us to any equitable gain in any timely way. For example, the sudden death of a young person is a sting that does not go away. It shakes the foundations of our life. It can even cause us to question our faith in a loving God. And there are no good answers to the questions that rack us at such times.
In such a case, our Christian faith simply urges us to hold on… to those we love and those who love us, to familiar experiences that can afford some comfort and order. When there is such a traumatic loss, we benefit from exerting the biggest dose of patience we can exert. The word patience comes from the Latin word meaning “to suffer with.” We are also challenged to hold what may be just a blind trust that we will at least survive and maybe even grow from this experience.
The Easter message is always all about hope… hope that something new will come… if not sooner, then later…if not in this life, then in the life to come. So, sometimes our Alleluia to that is a shout; sometimes just it’s just a whisper. But it is there. Happy Easter!April 9, 2023
It’s Easter again. Christians have been celebrating the resurrection of Jesus at Easter from the very beginning. It’s the most important day in the Church’s calendar (even though Christmas is always celebrated with more festivity). It was because Jesus’ resurrection occurred on Sunday that the early Christians moved their sabbath from Saturday to Sunday. And every Sunday is meant to be a “little Easter.” Even non-believers celebrate Easter as a holiday that helps welcome Spring and all of the new life that sprouts at this time of year.
The Church’s celebration of Easter is much the same every year …same Scripture readings and prayers, same hymns and rituals, same family customs and foods in the Easter basket. But while Easter might be much the same every year, we’re not. We’ve changed since last year; our life has changed since last year. And that’s really what makes Easter different and new each year for us if we pay attention to the movements and experiences of our lives.
So, Easter offers the impetus for us to look at our lives and discern what has died and needs to come back to life. Are there important family projects or concerns that have faded in importance because of distractions? Are there once-significant relationships that have diminished because of insufficient attention? Have some of the deeply shared promises or commitments in our lives lost their original vigor? The grace of Eater can prompt renewal and re-commitment.
Maybe there have been some things that died that needed to die and should stay dead… bad habits, abusive relationships, addictive behaviors, feelings of inferiority, misinformed extreme positions. But has some new life grown in their place? Have we searched for new ideas, new approaches to problems, new affirming relationships? Easter is all about newness in life.
Because we’re not the same as last year, this Easter is not the same either for us. My hope is that all may use the gift of Easter to find the renewal and newness needed at this time to become the best persons we can be in the eyes of those dear to us and in the eyes of our Risen Lord.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! Happy Easter!March 19, 2023
The Solemn Feast of St. Joseph falls on March 19 every year. St. Joseph is celebrated as the Patron of the Universal Church. Because March 19 falls on a Sunday of Lent this year, the liturgical celebration of the feast this year is moved to Monday, March 20.
I have always found it rather ironic that St. Joseph, my personal patron saint, is remembered and reverenced with such great solemnity even though he actually has no spoken words in the Gospels. In fact, he only appears in one of the Gospels -- St. Matthew’s -- as a significant person in the story of Jesus’ conception and birth. So, what is it about Joseph of Matthew’s Gospel that has prompted such a strong tradition about him and so great a reverence for him? FAITH!
But not so much the kind of faith that we think of when we use the expression “THE faith.” In this latter sense, “the faith” refers to the many doctrinal concepts of our religious tradition that we learn and give intellectual consent to. These are good and helpful and enlightening. But, as Fr. Richard Fragomeni pointed out in his presentation in our parish Lenten series, even a non-believer can learn and know “THE faith” in this sense.
But for believers, “faith” also and most importantly refers to that relationship of trust that the believer has with the Lord experienced most significantly in prayer and reflection. This aspect of faith is what we celebrate in the life of St. Joseph. He showed a great trust in the message he received from God in a dream that he was called to be the husband and protector of the pregnant Mary… even though he was so confused and troubled by her pregnancy. In another dream, he was missioned to flee with Mary and the Baby to escape the treacheries of King Herod.
The importance of the dreams of St. Joseph remind us of the important dreams of an earlier Joseph, son of Jacob in the Old Testament. Because of that Joseph’s dreams and his wisdom in interpreting dreams, he became a great leader who saved and protected his family and the Hebrews from famine.
Sometimes our dreams can contain only wild, fantastic and unintelligible images (such as the Oscar-winning film “Everything Everywhere All at Once” were for me). But sometimes, our dreams can surface needs, concerns or unresolved issues that we don’t acknowledge in our waking hours. And it is only for each one of us to acknowledge and interpret the possible meaning of our personal dreams (though sometimes with the help of another).
May all the hopes and dreams we have for ourselves and our loved ones be grounded in our trusting faith in the Lord, in imitation of St. Joseph.March 5, 2023
You may know that the word “lent” comes from the Old English word “lecten,” which means “spring.” Here in our northern hemisphere, the Church’s season of Lent coincides with the season of Spring. In our springtime, all of nature gets reborn as we near Easter Sunday (even though in Chicago we can still get some cold or snow even into April). The first sight of crocus popping out of the soil—even if through some snow--is received with great joy and hope that the cold and nature’s death-like look of winter is passing.
In a similar way, the Church’s customs and traditions of Lent are meant to foster a renewal within and among us. We might give up something for Lent as a way to allow some craving or ache to remind us that our deepest desires are fulfilled only in Christ and his promises. Our Lenten fasting can also help us identify with Christ’s fasting in the desert for those forty days before he began his public ministry. And our added Lenten acts of service or charity reflect our desire to live by the teachings of Jesus to serve those in need.
While every one of us chooses our own personal Lenten sacrifices, I am most impressed by the large number of parishioners who choose to attend the 9:00 am Mass on Fridays of Lent and stay for the Stations of the Cross following the Mass. For those who are free to do so, I encourage this Lenten practice. The Fridays of Lent, as “little Good Fridays,” are marked by the Church with the traditional abstinence from meat. And, so, Friday is a good day to make some special sacrifice out of reverence for the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
May this Lenten season be a springtime of renewal for our faith and our following of Christ through his Passion and Death into his Resurrection glory.The Lenten Fast Lane
From Fr. Joe’s February 25-26 Homily
Author Unknown
Fast from judging others;
Feast on Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from fear of illness;
Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute;
Feast on speech that purifies.
Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger;
Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism;
Feast on hope.
Fast from negatives;
Feast on encouragement.
Fast from bitterness;
Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern;
Feast on compassion.
Fast from suspicion;
Feast on truth.
Fast from gossip;
Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm;
Feast on prayer that sustains.
Fast from anxiety;
Feast on faith.February 19, 2023
There is a phrase sometimes used to criticize (jokingly?) someone who is lazy: “couch potato.” It’s a caricature of a lazy person as one who sits all day on a couch just watching TV. I’ve heard some priests and lay leaders rephrase this as “pew potato” to refer to those who attend Mass but do nothing else in the parish. However, this is an unfair characterization.
Sometimes a hidden personal weakness due to age or some health condition keeps a person from volunteer activity. But such people are usually quite generous with their monetary contributions. Or, they may have simply scaled down their previous active involvement in the parish as they age hoping younger persons will replace them (a hope we might all share!). We should be grateful for the earlier service of these good folks and commit to affirming them today.
But I have also become so aware that so many of our parishioners perform a great deal of Christian service outside of the parish and mostly unseen to parish leadership. Many are taking care of grandchildren. Others are caregivers for aging relatives or friends. Of course, many also are active in other service organizations outside of the parish… Meals on Wheels, school assistants and parents clubs, pantry volunteers, scouting, etc. So, it’s more understandable to accept how these folks may have less time for parish volunteering.
And, yet, every parish is so very reliant on its volunteers to assure that the parish can be faithful to its role of fostering worship, service and community life. So, I DO encourage our parishioners--especially the younger ones and the younger, healthy seniors--to find ways to volunteer in the parish. As we emerge from the pandemic, we are really rebuilding the parish. And we need so many to volunteer not only their “treasure” (i.e., money) but also their “time and talent.” If you can volunteer some of your time to the parish and would like to consider how, please feel free to contact any of our Pastoral Staff or parish lay volunteer leadership to discuss possibilities.
Because our parish volunteers are so important, the parish’s Pastoral Staff hosts this weekend our first “Parish Volunteer Appreciation Celebration.” Thanks to the scores of parishioners who have volunteered any amount of time to the parish in the past year (and their patient spouses!), St. Bernard’s is what it is today. We are St. Bernard’s—Together we are Church. Thank you volunteers!February 5, 2023
At our Masses this weekend, we offer the traditional Blessing of Throats in memory of St. Blaise who, as both a medical doctor and spiritual doctor, was known for his extraordinary power to bring healing to the sick and suffering.
Blaise lived and worked as a physician in the region of modern-day Armenia. He was also known for his strong Christian faith at a time when many Christians were still being persecuted. When the local bishop died, Blaise was chosen as his successor by the acclamation of the people…a common way for bishops to be chosen in those early years of Christianity.
In time, he was martyred for his faith. The tradition claims that, as he was being led to his martyrdom, a distraught mother begged him to heal her son who was choking on a fish bone. His prayers for him brought about a healing. Thus, St. Blaise has been remembered as a patron of those struggling with illness, especially throat ailments. And, so, the throat blessing offered on or near his annual feast on February 3 has been an old tradition.
The true sacrament of healing in the life of the Church, of course, is the Anointing of the Sick offered to anyone who is suffering with any physical illness or condition. We offer it to patients in the hospital and care facilities as well as to persons who are homebound temporarily or more permanently. Here at St. Bernard’s, we offer the sacrament at a communal celebration during a weekend Mass usually in the fall. When this sacrament is offered to someone who is nearing the end of life, it is often referred to as the Last Rites.
The Anointing of the Sick (a sacrament) and the Blessing of Throats (a sacramental) both express the Church’s mission to reflect the great compassion of Jesus himself for those struggling with ill health. So many of his miracles are healings of one kind or another.
As disciples of Jesus, we each are called to make every effort to speak and act in ways that foster healing and harmony. At the same time, we need to avoid words and actions that aggravate pain and divisiveness in our relationships and in society as a whole. As we get our throats blessed, let that blessing be a guard against harsh words that can come out of our throats and mouths.January 15, 2023
This week’s bulletin includes a flyer announcing something new for St. Bernard’s. The flyer includes an invitation to a celebration for St. Bernard’s many volunteers and their spouses. It is only because of the parish’s many members who have given of their time and talent in the past year that St. Bernard’s is as strong and vibrant as it is today. And we are also grateful to the spouses of our many volunteers for supporting their spouses’ volunteer efforts. And, so, our parish Pastoral Staff will host this Volunteer Appreciation Celebration on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.
St. Bernard parish community is blessed to have so many helping to foster the worship, faith formation, service and community-building that is the mission of the parish. It can be easy to forget—or just not realize--how many people there are whose volunteer time and talent goes into these many activities. Today’s bulletin flyer attempts to identify the many different groups of parish members whose volunteer time and talent make us what we are.While some of the parish groups may have their own celebrations among themselves, we see a value in bringing together the members from ALL our parish groups to recognize each other and celebrate what we have been building together here at St. Bernard.
Now there may be some among you who wonder whether they are included in this invitation. They may think to themselves “Well, I did help this past year working on this or that parish project, but it wasn’t all that much. So, this party is probably really not for me.” If you are thinking this way, then YES! YOU ARE INVITED! As we said regarding the size of monetary donations to the recent capital campaign…No gift is too small! The same goes for volunteer time and talent.
I truly look forward to celebrating with St. Bernard’s corps/core of active members. So, sign up today!January 1, 2023
The new year brings hope for St. Bernard’s continual renewal of faith and restoration of parish activity and ministry after the long pandemic. The 50% increase in our Christmas Mass attendance over last year was a strong sign of the continuing return to in-person Mass participation. The holiday’s successful and fun-filled return of the White Elephant Christmas party for women of the parish will hopefully prompt some of the other activities for women in the new year. The parish Music Director, Julie Kane, has expanded the music ministry this season with the return of the Christmas concert and the addition of the Hand Chime Ensemble.
An important aspect of the parish’s return to normalcy in the new year will be a renewal of the parish’s Pastoral Council (aka Parish Council). With so many of the parish’s activities and programs curtailed during the pandemic, the Pastoral Council went into a long recess of almost three years. During this recess, some of us in leadership have been reconsidering the role of this advisory leadership group. For much of its history, the Pastoral Council has been a forum for representatives from some of the parish groups to report their plans and activities. So it has functioned as a coordinating body for parish life.
As we move forward, we hope the Pastoral Council will shift its focus from coordinating to more of a planning group for the parish. The new Pastoral Council will be charged with assessing ongoing needs of the parish community and planning how those needs and concerns can be met by modifying current activities or promoting new ones.
With this new direction in mind, I have asked the Facilities Task Force to transition into the new Pastoral Council. This Facilities Task Force has collaborated with me for the past several years assessing the parish’s current physical facilities and how they might be improved and expanded to accommodate the needs of our parish life today and into the future. Now that those plans are pretty much in place with our architect and contractors, this same group will re-direct its focus from planning for the physical facilities to planning for the various programs, ministries and activities of the parish as the new Pastoral Council.
While the majority of the new Pastoral Council will consist of the former Facilities Task Force members, we will be seeking some additional new members to help represent the various demographics of the parish. And all the members will serve a particular term of up to three years on the Pastoral Council before being replaced. This procedure is recommended as a way to help keep the group and its ideas fresh. At this time, we would welcome from the parish at large any additional names to consider for this important leadership group of the parish.December 18, 2022
Christmas is meant to be a time of great joy and hope as families and friends gather in a variety of ways to celebrate and renew the love, the traditions, and the memories of these cherished relationships. Of course, such celebrations are rooted in the birth of the Savior and the great hope that event brought to the world. Certainly we wish that Christmas can be all this and more for you.
But we also acknowledge that for many Christmas is a difficult time. Perhaps, it is the very festivity of the feast that highlights the often contrasting experience of hardship for some. Christmas can be a time when the hardship of losses can be accentuated. The loss of a job can drain resources and prevent the usual gift-giving. The grief from the loss of a recently departed loved one can resurface rather acutely with the empty seat at the table. The loss of health can limit one’s ability to be with others and lead to some loneliness as well as anxiety. Then, of course, the war-torn parts of the world are overwhelmed by the destruction and atrocities of such tragedy.
For those who struggle at this time there is still reason to hope. The original Christmas story has been so romanticized and sanitized over time. It can be helpful to remember that Jesus was born into poverty. There had been scandalous rumors about his mother. There was talk of divorce. The holy man predicted that a sword of sorrow would pierce the heart of the baby’s mother. His new family became homeless and had to flee the violence that was threatening.
And, yet, due to the trust and courage of Mary and Joseph, hope survived through it all. The child survived and grew in wisdom and strength. And the challenges that surrounded his birth prepared his family for what was still to come.
Hope grows not when everything is perfect, but when things aren’t thanks to the perseverance that comes with trust and courage. So, even if and when Christmas cannot be merry, it can always be a time for new hope. I pray that gift comes to all this season.
December 4, 2022
After our parish Thanksgiving Day Mass, I drove to Crown Point, IN to join our retired and infirm Augustinian friars for their noontime Thanksgiving meal with turkey and all the fixings. Currently, there are nineteen friars in our retirement community. They live in the context of St. Anthony Village, a large senior care facility with all levels of care for mostly lay people. We have several friars in the independent area, the assisted living area and in the skilled care area.
Fr. Tom Osborne, OSA, who had been living in our St. Bernard Friary house with Fr. Terry Deffenbaugh and me, moved to our retirement community a few months ago as he started to need some additional assistance.
Like most other religious order priests, brother and sisters, we Augustinians do not get a pension when we retire. We do get Medicare and Social Security at the minimum level…about $500/mo. And those in skilled care are able to be funded by Medicaid. But, in general, the Order itself has to fund the retirement costs of its members. And this is the case for all religious orders, which is quite different from how diocesan priests are supported in their retirement through pensions and other personal investments.
For this reason, the US bishops recognized this growing unfunded liability of the religious orders over forty years ago and began the annual nation-wide collection for the Religious Retirement Fund. I am personally grateful to our Bishop Ron Hicks for supporting and promoting this special collection in his letter reprinted in this bulletin.
Of all the special “second collections” at Mass, this annual collection has been the largest and most popular. In fact, it used to be double the size of the next largest second collection. Undoubtedly, this is because so many Catholics have benefitted over the years from the teaching, health care and other ministries of the religious orders. And they want to express their gratitude.
In recent years, we Augustinians of the Midwest Province have received an annual grant of over $100,000 from this national collection. That almost covers the Order’s annual expenses of two of our nineteen friars in our retirement community. It’s a help, but the need is great. As a religious myself, I thank you for your generosity to this Religious Retirement Fund special collection. Envelopes for this purpose were included in the mailed packets to parishioners; and more are available at the church doors.
By the way, though I am turning 74 next month, I have no plans to retire, at least not until our capital project is well underway. And, since so many ask, there is no specific retirement age for us priests anymore as long as our health remains good as mine is. Knock on wood and light a candle!November 20, 2022
(Reprint from November 2021)
As we enter this Thanksgiving week, we remember that there are two primary ways to show gratitude: by actually expressing thanks and by sharing what we have with others.
For some people actually saying thanks can be difficult for different reasons. Some may hold a certain pride that prompts them to feel entitled to what they have. So their response to the good they have is not so much “Thank you” as it is “Of course.” They feel they got it on their own. They forget that even the resourcefulness, ambition and smarts that got them what they got came from elsewhere… their good genes, their education, or our good God… or all of the above.
Others have a hard time saying thanks because they have a hard time accepting gifts to begin with. They may struggle with some low self-esteem that prompts them to react as though they are not worthy of any generosity from others. They might make a fuss over not accepting a gift. Or they may have a misguided sense of humility that prompts them to always be the giver and never the recipient of gifts.
In this season of thanksgiving, it is good to counter these two misdirected tendencies. While we can exert healthy self-esteem by acknowledging the material and spiritual gifts we have, we need to recognize that all of it and even the ability to get it came from elsewhere. And we believers say that all we have and all we are ultimately comes from God. Life itself is a gift. And we should direct our thanks to the proper source.
And the second way to express our gratitude for all we have and all we are is to share our gifts with others. But we are generous not because we don’t think we are worthy of having such gifts ourselves, but rather because we see our solidarity with others and recognize our common humanity. Generosity along with justice are the virtues that bridge us human beings together in one common humanity. In this sense it is good to remember that even the poor have something to give to others. After all, real thanksgiving involves both receiving graciously and giving generously.
Happy Thanksgiving!November 6, 2022
Pregnant and parenting moms in need are in our parishes, communities and families. Pope Francis urges that our parishes should be “islands of mercy in the midst of the sea of indifference.” One application of this is to strive to help everyone in the parish to know where to refer a pregnant woman with a difficult pregnancy or a mom in need with a new baby. Inspired by St. John Paul II’s promotion of a culture of life, a new program or effort for parishes promoted by our Catholic Bishops is called Walking With Moms In Need. A small group of St. Bernard’s parishioners, including myself, have begun to discuss this effort and how we might incorporate it into our parish life.
Critics of the Pro-Life movement that opposes abortion have claimed that pro-lifers show little care for the mothers of difficult pregnancies and their infants. While this claim is inaccurate, our Church has encouraged us to demonstrate such care more clearly through this nation-wide initiative of Walking With Moms in Need in our parishes. It has just been reported that since Roe was overturned, there has already been a 6% decrease in legal abortions. But such decreases alone do not signal moral success without bolstering forms of care for those women who bring those difficult pregnancies to term and continue needing support after they give birth.
We welcome other parishioners to join our group in this effort, which includes a process of researching the various resources in our area that can support women with difficult pregnancies. Our group will assess the effectiveness of such resources and also identify gaps in such support. The group will then plan and implement our parish’s own response to such gaps with activities and other needed forms of support. It is the hope that with such raised awareness among parishioners, more helpful, practical and realistic alternatives to abortion will be more widely known, more acceptable and promising.
Certainly, St. Bernard’s long association with and support of the Waterleaf Women’s Center in Aurora will be an important part of the parish’s piece in this effort. Tanya Singh, Peace & Justice Ministry Coordinator of the Diocese of Joliet, has pledged to assist St. Bernard’s in this effort. Tanya offered leadership in this same effort in St. Petronille Parish in Glen Ellyn. Any parishioners who would like to be part of this effort should contact me or Peggy Grill for more information. In the meantime, we will be reporting on our efforts and our progress in the bulletin and online.October 16, 2022
One of the many ways St. Bernard’s observes this Respect Life month is to highlight our care and respect for the sick and elderly members of the parish. This weekend we host the annual Healing Mass with the Anointing of the Sick at our Saturday afternoon Mass at 4:00 pm. Some of our Hands of Care lay ministers assist the priests in the anointing rite.
St. Bernard’s is blessed to have a good number of parishioners who have volunteered to serve as “Hands of Care” ministers to the sick and shut-ins. Our Hands of Care ministers visit the sick and share with them prayer and Holy Communion. These visits may take place in the homes of the sick, at nearby Victorian Village or at Silver Cross Hospital. Some of those visited are just temporarily rehabbing after a hospital stay or surgery. Others tend to need long term care assistance.
We encourage any parish member who is confined at home due to a temporary or long term health issue to inform us through the parish office. It is our practice for Deacon Kevin or me to arrange the initial visit to become acquainted with the patient and their situation and offer them Communion. I can certainly offer the patient the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick as well. Then, we arrange for one of our parish’s many Hands of Care ministers to visit the person on a more regular basis, usually once or twice a month on a day and time convenient for both. In recent times, our Hands of Care ministers have been visiting up to twenty of our confined parishioners.
In addition, some of our Hands of Care ministers bring Communion to residents at Victorian Village on a weekly basis. On a monthly basis, I also offer Mass at Victorian Village for those who can attend. Finally, several of our parish’s Hands of Care ministers are resuming participation in Silver Cross Hospital’s volunteer program of offering Communion to Catholic patients on a daily basis. Actually, ministers from various neighboring parishes assist in this special hospital program. Neighboring pastors, like me, also take turns providing emergency anointings as needed at Silver Cross when the patients’ own parish priest is not available.
We miss those parishioners who cannot join us at Mass due to illness or advanced age. But we do not forget them. If they or a family member alert us to such a situation, St. Bernard’s is here to offer prayer and outreach, especially through our Hands of Care ministers.
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
PastorOctober 2, 2022
For a long time, the Catholic Church in the U.S. has observed the month of October as “Respect Life Month.” As might be expected, this observance prompts a great deal of information and advocacy on the Church’s sacred embrace of human life from the moment of conception and its subsequent moral position against abortion. According to the US Catholic bishops, abortion holds a preeminence among the many threats to human life and dignity today in our society. And so the issue has marshalled a great deal of passion and advocacy in our Catholic community since abortion has been legal in the US.
St. Bernard’s Respect Life Committee has certainly focused its energies and efforts on this issue in recent times. Much education has occurred and many lives have been saved. Parishioner Bill Jacobs has led the committee energetically for many years and has indicated the need to step away from the leadership. I have pledged to lead St. Bernard’s Respect Life Committee until another parishioner may step up to do so.
At the same time, I have encouraged St. Bernard’s Respect Life Committee to pivot a bit in its focus and activity. For example, many critics of our Pro-Life movement have claimed that pro-lifers show little care for the infants and mothers of difficult pregnancies once the child is born. While this claim is inaccurate, our Church has encouraged us to demonstrate such care through a program it encourages called “Walking With Moms In Need.” I would like to establish this program here through our parish Respect Life Committee.
In addition, I hope to lead our Respect Life Committee to reflect on what Pope St. John Paul II called “the culture of death” in our modern society… a culture of such serious self-centeredness that nurtures disrespect, harshness and even violence toward others. It has also become a “throw-away culture” that denigrates our giving time, effort or understanding to someone or something whose value is not immediately perceived by us.
Besides the preeminence of the abortion issue, there are other threats to human life and society that are being cultivated by this societal atmosphere of disrespect and negligence… racism, gun violence, human trafficking, abuse, suspicion and hatred of immigrants, demonization of political opponents, hate-speech, bullying, climate change, bad news bias in media news, etc. I hope St. Bernard’s renewed Respect Life Committee can study these issues, the Church’s teachings and pastoral strategies regarding them and shape activities to foster greater respect for life across the board… from womb to tomb.
I understand that many—maybe most—of the current members of the Respect Life Committee may choose to pursue primarily the focus against abortion and they are finding ways to do that. But any and all parishioners wishing to join us in this renewed approach to our parish’s Respect Life work may join us at a small gathering this Monday night at 7pm in the foyer. Together we will create our direction for the future. “We are St. Bernard’s, Together we are Church.”
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
PastorSeptember 18, 2022
In this new Fall season, as school resumes after the summer break, so too do the various programs of our parish life. This year especially, with the taming of Covid with vaccinations and therapies, we look forward to resuming more of our parish programs and activities.
Our weekend and weekday Masses, of course, have been going strong for months. The choir and music ministry has resumed their grace-filled presence at our 10:30am Sunday Mass and are already planning another beautiful Christmas concert. The Children’s’ Liturgy of the Word program at the same Mass is also attracting more and more young children with their families. The last piece of “normal” is working this year to get our youth back involved as Altar Servers.
The Religious Ed program kicked off last week with several new catechists and volunteers as well as its long-time faithful participants. And—happily--for the first time in several years, the enrollment has actually increased over the previous year.
While the Men’s Club has resumed meeting and planning the season’s activities and even attracted several new members at the last meeting, the parish’s Women’s Club went into hibernation during the pandemic. We have started a “Mom’s Facebook page” during the pandemic and hope to gather a new leadership group soon to resurrect the Women’s Club and its various activities. (Any women interested in helping with this should contact me.)
The pandemic has boosted the popularity and need for the parish’s Hands of Care ministers who visit the sick and confined and bring them Communion. And the Seniors monthly “Happy Hour” gathering has grown in numbers.
While the parish’s excellent Finance Council has met throughout the pandemic, the parish’s Pastoral Council became inactive and stopped meeting. In its place, the Facilities Task Force and the more recent Capital Campaign Committee have done a great deal of parish planning focused on the parish’s planned expansion of facilities. A goal for this year is to re-start the Pastoral Council with a new focus of planning for the parish---not just new facilities, but also new programs and activities that can serve the parishioners and community.
Finally, I have requested the parish’s Respect Life Committee to expand its focus and activities to the variety of life issues that find support in the Church’s teachings and pastoral activities which, of course, includes abortion, but is not restricted to it. (Any wishing to join this expanded pro-life effort should contact me.)
The recent capital campaign surfaced a great deal of positive energy and spirit in and for St. Bernard’s Parish community. That spirit was celebrated in the parish’s observance of the feast of St. Bernard, our patron, in late August. All in all, we have great hope for the renewal of our parish community in this new season and coming year. I hope all will respond generously if and when asked to respond to any of the many ways to serve and build up our parish.
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
PastorSeptember 4, 2022
(From the Labor Day message of the US Catholic Bishops, 2021)
Imagining A Better Economy and a More Fraternal World
In Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis shares a vision for a post-COVID world that aspires to a global fraternity which leaves no one at the margins of society. He decries the reality that women are not yet recognized as having the same dignity as men, that racism shamefully continues, and that those who are poor, disabled, unborn, or elderly are often considered dispensable.
In response to this throwaway culture, the Holy Father invites us all to “...dream, then, as a single human family, as fellow travelers sharing the same flesh, as children of the same earth which is our common home....”
Pope Francis reflected that such a universal fraternity can only be accomplished when our social and economic systems stop producing victims. Rejecting a neoliberal vision, Francis writes that markets cannot solve societal problems on their own; therefore, proactive policies centered on the common good must be created.
…Pope Francis promotes a new ethos around economic thinking, as he writes… “I see ideas formed from the periphery, reflecting a concern about the grotesque inequality of billions facing extreme poverty while the richest one percent own half of the world’s financial wealth. . . . I see thinking that is not ideological, which moves beyond the polarization of free market capitalism and state socialism, and which has at its heart a concern that all of humanity have access to land, lodging, and labor. All of these speak to priorities of the Gospel and the principles of the Church’s social doctrine.”
It is our task not only to reflect on the present ills of our economy, but also to build consensus around human dignity and the common good, the bedrocks of Catholic social teaching, and to answer the Pope’s call to propose new and creative economic responses to human need, both locally and globally.
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
Pastor
August 21, 2022
This weekend we celebrate the feast of our parish patron, St. Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard was a 12th century French abbot and a major leader in the renewal of Benedictine monasticism that led to the formation of the Cistercian Order. Due to his great wisdom and holiness, Bernard was also a recognized advisor to various civil and Church leaders of his day.
In 1115, Bernard’s religious superior commissioned Bernard to lead a small group of monks from the abbey of Citeau to establish a new abbey in northeastern France. He set up this new abbey in an isolated glen known for its barrenness and, so, had been called Val d’Absinthe, or Valley of Bitterness. But with a vision of what the abbey could become, Bernard named it Claire Vallee, which means Valley of Light. The term evolved rather quickly into Clairvaux.
Light has always been a natural symbol for hope and joy. The light of the Paschal candle in church symbolizes the new life of resurrection, especially at the Easter Vigil service when it enlightens the darkness of the church. Darkness, of course, has always reflected the gloom of despair. In darkness we lose our way and can stumble and fall. Darkness evokes emptiness and fear.
Clairvaux…the Valley of Light… isn’t that a good nickname for our parish community! Our parish campus is, after all, in something like a valley surrounded by the towering pines once planted by Fr. Schutter and our early parishioners. But, more importantly, our parish community is called to be a source of light for the surrounding community, that is, a source of hope and joy in our recognition of the presence of God among us and our service of Jesus.
The pandemic has left us with a rise in mental health challenges among young and old. There is more depression, isolation and frustration. The politics of today seems more divisive than ever leading to distrust of our institutions and even violence against one another. Stubborn biases impact our acceptance of facts and truth.
Perhaps more than ever, faith communities can be a source of reconciliation and hope. Let us pray that our St. Bernard’s parish community can serve as a true and joyful Valley of Light in the spirit of our patron saint, St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
Pastor
August 7, 2022
St. Bernard’s is blessed to have a good number of parishioners who have volun-teered to serve as “Hands of Care” ministers to the sick and shut ins. Our Hands of Care ministers visit the sick and share with them prayer and Holy Communion. These visits may take place in the homes of the sick, at nearby Victorian Vil-lage or at Silver Cross Hospital. Some of those visited are just temporarily rehabbing after a hospital stay or surgery. Others tend to need long care assistance.
We encourage any parish member who is confined at home due to a temporary or long term health issue to inform us through the parish office. It is our practice for Deacon Kevin or me to plan the initial visit to become acquainted with the patient and their situation and offer them Communion. I can certainly offer the patient the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick as well. Then, we arrange for one of our parish’s many Hands of Care min-isters to visit the person on a more regular basis, usually once or twice a month on a day and time convenient for both. In recent times, our Hands of Care ministers have been visiting up to twenty of our confined parish-ioners.
In addition, some of our Hands of Care ministers bring Communion to residents at Victorian Village on a weekly basis. On a monthly basis, I also offer Mass at Victorian Village for those who can attend. Finally, five of our parish’s Hands of Care ministers are resuming their partic-ipation in Silver Cross Hospital’s volunteer program of of-fering Communion to Catholic patients on a daily basis. Actually, ministers from various neighboring parishes assist in this special hospital program. Neighboring pastors, like me, take turns providing emergency anointings as need-ed at Silver Cross when the patients’ own parish priest is not available.
So much of Jesus’ ministry and so many of his miracles were among the sick and suffering. The compassion of Jesus for the sick has continued through the ministries of his Church. So many of our modern day hospitals and health care programs had their origins in the Church’s early compassionate outreach to the sick. Even today, the famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN was started by a Catholic nun.
Besides providing forms of physical healing, the Church has also focused on the personal and spiritual welfare of the sick. Our Hands of Care ministers provide this important outreach of compassion. St. Bernard’s motto is “We are St. Bernard’s, Together we are Church.” Thanks to our Hands of Care ministers, when some of our parish members can’t be “together” with us due to ill-ness, we are pleased to bring St. Bernard’s to them!
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR HANDS OF CARE MINISTERS!
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
Pastor
July 17, 2022
I occasionally get the question from parishioners: Will our Diocese of Joliet go through a big reorganization and consolidation of parishes as has been going on in the Archdiocese of Chicago in recent years?
Maybe because our close neighbors in Orland Park and Lemont are in the Archdiocese and because we have so many friends and relatives in the Arch, many of us are familiar with the parish reorganization there called “Renew My Church.” And we certainly understand the great stress and even distress such consolidations and closings have caused in both the people and their priests. The program was not just for the many parishes close to one another in the old city neighborhoods. The project actually has involved ALL the parishes of the Archdiocese—city and suburban.
So many changes in the Church and society prompted this massive reorganization effort. The mobility of Catholics, the shortage of priests, and financial burdens have prompted such efforts in many of the historically Catholic areas of the East and Midwest. As painful as such change can be, it does seem necessary in order to position the Church better to serve and evangelize in the future.
As I have mentioned before in this column, Bishop Hicks and his Diocesan leadership have been involved in an assessment of Diocesan operations here in our Diocese. The first phase of this effort has involved significant change at the Diocesan pastoral center in Crest Hill (aka “the chancery”). The hundred or so positions there have been re-visioned and reduced to about seventy. The goal is to re-tool Diocesan staff to be more focused on the local parish needs and resource them accordingly.
Last week, Bishop Hicks announced the initiation of the next phase for our Diocese, which will address the number of parishes and schools in our Diocese. In order to insure continued vitality in the Diocese, the bishop and his leadership recognize the need to consider possible mergers, consolidations or closings. However, unlike in the Archdiocese of Chicago in which ALL of the parishes and schools had to participate, Bishop Hicks pledges that that will not be the case in our Diocese. In the Diocese of Joliet, only certain specific areas of the Diocese that require some examination will be involved. And, I sense that we in Homer Glen will be spared of such involvement.
As difficult as such work is, I think we can salute Bishop Hicks for this important administrative challenge that he is accepting.
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
Pastor
July 3, 2022
As we celebrate our great nation’s birthday, I am conscious of how much we tend to take for granted about our country. Most often we talk about our many rights and freedoms enjoyed in this country. And certainly we can be grateful for them. But this year I am more conscious of and grateful for another distinctive quality of the United States… our culture of volunteerism.
It was the French political scientist Alexis de Tocqueville, who, in his study of America in 1831, was the first to note a strong and unique tendency toward volunteerism among US citizenry. More recent studies have found Americans to be 15-30% more likely to volunteer than most other countries in the West.
This strong volunteerism often connects individuals from different sectors of society in order to face community issues. Benjamin Franklin founded the first volunteer fire department in 1736. In the 1800s the rise of the social reform movement around issues such as poverty, temperance, women’s rights and the abolition of slavery mobilized many, including women and young people. From these movements came the YMCA, the Red Cross and the United Way.
Other studies have shown the positive mental and physical benefits of volunteering. Those who volunteer feel more socially connected, feel less lonely and depressed, and have a greater sense of purpose in life. Adults who volunteer have been found to have less hypertension.
In a related way, I sense that it has been our uniquely American embrace of volunteerism that actually helped the renewal of our Catholic Church in America after the Second Vatican Council. So many of our lay Catholics were formed by the American culture of volunteerism and, therefore, ready to become more involved in the new lay ministries within the Church, especially in the areas of liturgy and catechetics. The universal call to service and holiness for ALL the baptized was grasped more readily by American Catholics than by Catholics in other parts of the world.
Many acknowledge that even with our separation of Church and State, we committed Catholics help form the conscience of the nation. But, as Americans, we can also acknowledge the great impact of America’s culture of volunteerism on Catholics here and afar.
Thank you America & Happy Birthday!
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
PastorJune 19, 2022
Thanks to a generous parishioner, the parish has acquired a lovely statue of St. Joseph with the Christ Child. It was to arrive just in time for display near the ambo this Father’s Day and throughout our Father’s Day novena. But when the original shipment of the statue arrived a couple weeks ago, we found that both heads had been broken off in transit. It was quite shocking to unpack that crate and find the headless St. Joseph and Christ Child. Fortunately, the supplier was very gracious in shipping us a new statue.
There is in our English language an idiom that we sometimes hear used. For example, “when the man was told he was fired, he almost lost his head!” In this context, “to lose your head” usually means to panic, to have an emotional outburst.
My earliest memory as a young child included “losing my head” in panic as my family walked through a haunted house at a local amusement park. As ghoulish ghosts and skeletons popped out at me, I screamed in panic. And all I remember is a big strong arm from behind swooping down and picking me up and carrying me quickly out of that scary venue into the light. It was my father. And that early experience of being saved and protected by my father became something of a metaphor for how I came to experience and understand God the Father and my relation to him.
One of the most beloved contemporary hymns today is “Be Not Afraid,” used so often at funerals. But that phrase “be not afraid,” or variations of it like “fear not” or “do not fear,” is said to be the most frequently repeated phrase in the Bible. Of course, St. John’s letter says that “fear is driven out by the love of God.”
There are many distressing elements of life today…political strife, wars, gun violence, harsh speech, pandemic, economic instability. But through it all, we have the Lord Jesus saying to us “Fear not, I am with you through it all. I will carry you into the light.” So, let’s not lose our heads!
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
Pastor
June 5, 2022
As I reminded everyone in a previous column, our current church facilities, with its open floor plan, allow only one meeting or event to occur at the same time due to acoustical challenges. But our planned addition and modification to our church facilities will provide up to six distinct rooms for a variety of activities to occur at the same time.
On Wednesdays when the parish faith formation program for youth gathers, several of the portable classrooms in the church will still be needed. We have already begun to repair and upgrade those partitions and hardware that will be used. But the new multi-purpose rooms planned to adjoin the foyer may also be used for some new activities already envisioned by our creative program leaders. Such activities will serve and hopefully attract new young families to the parish.
Because that same planned multi-purpose space will be adjacent to the foyer, the new space will provide much more room for bigger crowds at social functions or fundraisers. Up to now, the parish has been reluctant to invite the general public to events, like fish frys, due to the limited space in the foyer. But with the added multi-purpose space, a good-sized overflow will be able to be accommodated.
Currently, many in parish leadership have been brainstorming on new and exciting activities and programs that the new addition will be able to accommodate. Such activities will certainly benefit current parishioners. But our hope is that such added activity by the parish will also attract many new members to the parish, and especially younger families.
I invite all parishioners at this time to join us in “dreaming.” What are the activities, programs and events that could help St. Bernard grow as a caring community centered in Christ in our Homer Glen area? Please feel free to share your dreams and thoughts with me or any other pastoral staff member as we move forward together. Remember we are “Building to Grow, Growing to Serve.”
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
Pastor
May 15, 2022
“Open Floor Plan”… it’s a popular design for contemporary homes. With an open floor plan, the kitchen, dining and family rooms form one large open space. It allows parents working in the kitchen to keep an eye on the toddlers in the family room. It allows the hosts in the kitchen to still be engaged with the party guests in the dining and family rooms.
The same idea of an open floor plan sometimes characterized the design of a new parish’s first parish center as was the case at St. Bernard. The worship space has been really only minimally separated from the social space of the foyer. This design for a parish center is ideal for an event that includes liturgy with a reception that follows. But if there is a second liturgy occurring while the reception is still happening—as has been the case on Hospitality weekends, Fr. Jeff’s First Mass, etc.—the lack of separation of the spaces causes a very distracting level of noise in the worship space.
Also, as our Children’s Liturgy of the Word program held during the 10:30 Mass in the foyer grows in popularity, the program leaders find themselves competing with the sound of the Mass’ spoken words and music coming from the worship space.
Even beyond the weekend services, we have found the open floor plan of the parish center has become an obstacle in the growth of parish activities. Why? Because it really only allows one event or meeting to occur at the same time. For example, when the choir rehearses in the worship space on Thursday evenings, no other meeting or activity can occur in the foyer since the music—as lovely as it may be—carries into the foyer. And the religious education program for youth takes over the entire facility on Wednesdays.
When the senior citizens have their monthly luncheon and bingo in the foyer, we cannot host a funeral that day, which has been an understanded disappointment to some bereaved families. From another perspective, on those days when the parish center has the morning Mass and then a funeral, our maintenance workers can’t do much maintenance all morning…again because of the way the noise carries throughout the area.
The open floor plan might be very helpful for some families, but not as much for the growing number of events, programs and activities that St. Bernard has developed over the years. So, with the advice and support of so many, the proposed plan for modifying the current parish facilities includes a plan to separate the worship space and the foyer with a wall that will allow easy access between the spaces. And, with a sufficient size window, the divider will also provide a place of temporary respite for a parent with a restless child.
Join us for the parish town hall meeting next Sunday, May 22 at 3pm or the following Wednesday, May 25 at 7pm for a more complete discussion of this and other plans for other modifications and the new addition.
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
Pastor
May 1, 2022
We are going to build together.
As you know, we recently concluded a successful planning study at St. Bernard. With that in the past, we now eagerly turn our attention to the campaign phase and a major fundraising effort that will fund our building expansion project.
A key element in successful campaigns is the volunteer assistance provided by parishioners. We would be extremely grateful to those members of our faith family willing to serve on our campaign team. There are a variety of roles that need to be filled. Hopefully, with the winding down of our religious ed program and local school activities, there will be more adults with some availability and able to assist in the effort.
If you are willing to serve your parish as a campaign volunteer, please reach out to Jim Rogers who is guiding our efforts. You can reach him at [email protected] or by phone at 402-706-8019.
We will provide more campaign information over the coming weeks and months. In the very near future, we will be hosting some town hall meetings for the parish where we will present and discuss the planned addition in more detail. They will be Sunday, May 22 at 3:00pm and Wednesday, May 25 at 7:00pm. All are invited! We’d be blessed to have your support and help as we move forward.
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
Pastor
April 17, 2022
Several months ago, the parish leadership began planning for an addition to our church facilities to accommodate our parish offices and additional multi-purpose space for activities and events for all ages. In recent weeks, we called upon the Steier Group to conduct a planning study that presented the proposal to parishioners and sought their ideas for such a project. We received a wonderful response - valuable feedback as we look to the future of our parish. The flyer below has more details of the plan and the study.
After gathering and analyzing data from the study, representatives from the Steier Group reported their findings to our parish leadership on April 5. That included the Pastoral Staff, the Finance Council and the Facilities Task Force. The feedback from parishioners did not surprise us. We are in desperate need of more multi-purpose space and a unified church campus with our offices on site. The added multi-purpose space will be used for activities for parishioners, especially our youth. The planning study found that our parish is prepared to do something about this. In fact, the study found there is significant support for a major fundraising effort:
· 77% of respondents personally favor a capital campaign
· 83% of respondents indicated they would make a gift to the campaign
· 17 respondents indicated they will serve as a member of the campaign team
· Another 45 indicated they wish to serve in additional volunteer roles
Based on the information provided by the study, the Steier Group recommended that our parish move forward with a capital campaign. Our parish leadership fully agreed and voted to proceed with the effort. There are posters of the proposed addition in the foyer area. You will hear much more about this important project in the coming weeks and months.
We thank those who participated in this critical planning study for St. Bernard Parish. Their input has been extremely beneficial and will help to ensure the success of our upcoming campaign. With the Lord guiding us and our parish, we trust our efforts will be abundantly blessed.
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
Pastor
April 3, 2022
In my written and spoken remarks, I often refer to “parish leadership.” In the past, that phrase would have referred to the pastor and perhaps other ordained clergy on the parish staff. But today, when I use that phrase, I refer to those who comprise the Pastoral Staff as well as other parish committees. And I acknowledge that many, if not most, of these lay leaders are women.
While I accept the responsibilities that go with my role as pastor, I rely a great deal on the wisdom and experience of others in leadership roles in the parish. This is an aspect of “synodality” being promoted by Pope Francis today. This consultative and collaborative dynamic reflects the shift that has been taking place in Church leadership in recent decades. We have seen this same shift to more lay leadership at the diocesan level as well.
In recent weeks, Pope Francis has signaled that this shift is also coming to the Vatican and its bureaucracy that oversees and governs the universal Church, known as the Roman Curia. In recent weeks, the Pope issued a 54-page document that reforms the Roman Curia – a reform that was recognized as a major need by the Cardinals before the election of Pope Francis in 2013. While this reform reorganizers the various offices and commissions of the Curia, it eliminates some and creates others needed for the Church of today and tomorrow.
These Curia offices and commissions have been traditionally led by (arch)bishops, if not Cardinals. But, the reform now allows LAY Catholics, including WOMEN, to leadership positions in these groupings with the ”power of governance.” This shift to recognizing the larger “pool of leadership” for the Church is significant. The reform’s document notes that such “power of governance” comes not from Holy Orders but from the mission of the specific role and the commission of the Pope.
Jesus insisted that among his disciples leadership was to be all about service. But history attests that “the power of governance” has also been a significant piece of the Holy Orders of service. With recent and continuing shifts in leadership recognition, the Church will benefit from a pool of strong, loving, and wise candidates that is so much larger than the shrinking pool of well-qualified men who pledge lifelong celibacy. We benefit from them all!Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
March 20, 2022
For our Lenten journey this year, our parish Worship Committee has adopted the theme: COME BACK TO ME.
Of course, these are the words of Jesus to us as individuals and as a community of faith. Our Minister of Music, Julie Kane, and our Worship Committee chairperson, Corinne Cirillo, collaborated in writing a beautiful hymn customized with this theme. The hymn is being used as a Post-Communion hymn at our Masses throughout Lent. In addition, the Worship Committee developed a litany with this same theme that we are using at the beginning of our Lenten Masses.
The words of Jesus, COME BACK TO ME, form a perennial invitation for Lent. For the spirit of the season always invites and challenges us to renew our relationship with Christ through the traditional acts of prayer, fasting and almsgiving (aka charitable giving). We are encouraged to reflect on and examine our lives to identify those ways we have lessened our discipleship. We can do this either by falling into sinful acts or habits or by neglecting to do what we know is good and right. We name those as sins of commission or omission. Conversion is not a once-and-for-all act but a life-long aspect of our discipleship. By acknowledging our human weakness and sin, we welcome the grace of being drawn closer to Christ.
But the Lenten theme, COME BACK TO ME, has a particular relevance to our situation today as we struggle to emerge from and manage the pandemic. COME BACK TO ME can be understood to mean COME BACK TO CHURCH.
Certainly, we Catholics are to develop a personal relationship with Christ. But our tradition also stresses that none of us can believe alone… at least not with any depth and authenticity. We need the community of faith to support us, challenge us and guide us in cultivating our relationship with Christ. We need the teachings and traditions of the Church and its leaders. But we also need the people of the community. We need the sharing of life’s experiences, the sharing of personal and family news, the smiles, the hugs and even the fraternal corrections. So, we cannot live on television Mass alone in our den. It’s good for us to be HERE… back in church with our friends, neighbors and fellow parishioners.
Now that we have entered a new phase of very low Covid presence that aligns with Lent, this is the perfect time for all our parish members who have been staying away to return to active participation at Mass in the church. Masks are still welcome, though optional. And for those who need it, there is a section of seats near the tabernacle that fosters social distancing and mask wearing. This Lent, Jesus says COME BACK TO ME.Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
March 13, 2022
Don’t Miss the Parish-Wide Planning Study
The parish-wide planning study is now underway at St. Bernard. All parish members should have received by now a letter inviting them to participate in a personal interview or a written survey about the project being proposed by the parish leadership. The purpose of this parish-wide consultation is to gauge support for the proposed project whose major aspects are:
· Adding offices and a multi-purpose space for meetings and social gatherings at our church campus facilities.
· Moving the parish offices from the Parker Road house to our church campus and selling the house.
Sincere thanks to all our participants. Your thoughts are extremely valuable to us during this planning process. I encourage everyone who has not participated to please do so. Your input will help us make informed decisions regarding how we proceed to address these projects.
We hope to receive completed surveys by March 29. The survey was included in the recent mailing from me. The same survey is also available on the table near the posters of the proposed project in the church foyer. You may return your completed survey by mail, in the regular collection at Mass, in the survey dropbox near the posters in the foyer, or in the dropbox near the garage of the parish office.Thanks so much!
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
March 6, 2022
We need your input!
As you should know by now, you will soon receive an invitation to participate in a planning study for St. Bernard. The review begins March 7. The purpose of this parish-wide study is to get your thoughts before making any final decisions regarding our long-range plans.
We will ask everyone to share their opinions regarding our needs as identified by our leaders—the Pastoral Staff, the Finance Council and the Facilities Task Force—and the possibility of conducting a major fundraising effort.
We conducted a similar study a few years ago but postponed plans because of the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic. Now in 2022, we believe it is again important to get your most recent thoughts. Your feedback will enable us to determine potential campaign support. If we choose to move forward, the planning study will also provide us with information to identify prospective campaign leaders and to establish a realistic campaign goal.
The Steier Group, our development firm, will compile this information and present it to leadership. At that time, we will make an informed decision regarding how we will proceed.
This study is the next step in the process and is extremely important. I encourage each parish family to participate. Your input is valuable as we plan for the future of St. Bernard Catholic Church.Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
February 28, 2022
Dear Parishioners,
We need your help.
As you may have heard, after a two-year delay, we have again turned our attention to expanding and improving our facilities at St. Bernard. With the blessing of the Pastoral Staff, the Finance Council and the Facilities Task Force we have re-engaged with our architect.
However, because conditions have changed since we first introduced our plans, we believe it is important to hear from you again before proceeding. So, we hired a development firm to collect your thoughts on our proposed plans.
A planning study of our faith community begins March 7. It will gauge support for a potential major fundraising effort as well as help identify potential campaign leaders should we move ahead with our project.
This is our parish and our community and as such, we will invite everyone to participate in the study. In the coming weeks, please look to receive a letter requesting participation, along with a fact sheet detailing the projects and directions on how you can provide feedback.
A successful planning study depends upon your involvement. I ask you to please take time to share your thoughts. It will take mere minutes. More feedback allows us to make more informed and better decisions regarding our projects and a potential fundraising effort.God Bless,
Fr. Joe McCormick, OSAFebruary 20, 2022
As we communicated last weekend, St. Bernard will conduct a planning study beginning March 7. Many will recall their participation in a similar study for our previous pre-pandemic plan. There was good support for our plans then. So, hopefully, this new review will confirm continuing support.
Through your participation, this study will provide leadership with valuable feedback regarding newly developed plans for our proposed expansion and renovation projects and the possibility of a major fundraising effort. The Steier Group, a Catholic fundraising firm, will conduct the study.
Here are details:
Q. What is a planning study?
A. It is a review of an organization ahead of a possible capital campaign. A planning study gauges campaign readiness, potential campaign support and helps identify possible campaign volunteer leadership.
Q. How will the study determine support?
A. The study involves surveying the entire St. Bernard community. The Steier Group will administer the survey asking questions designed to help determine interest and support. The firm will compile data and feedback and present it to our leadership. We will then make an informed decision about the projects and a potential campaign. Hiring an experienced, professional development firm like the Steier Group ensures an effective and successful planning study.
Q. Why should we conduct a planning study?
A. Many churches use planning studies when considering a fundraising campaign. It is a wise first step. That’s because the study provides valuable information on how a faith community views the proposed projects and a potential capital campaign.
Q. What is a capital campaign?
A. A capital campaign is a fundraising effort for big projects and needs, such as major renovations, new buildings and eliminating debt. Capital campaigns fund specific projects and needs. They are not for regular, ongoing costs, such as salaries and utility bills.
Q. What is expected of parishioners during the planning study?
A. Initially, we will only ask for your feedback and prayers. Your input and participation will help us make wise decisions about our projects and a potential campaign. You will learn more about how you can participate in the coming weeks.
If you have questions, you are welcome to contact me at any time.Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
February 13, 2022As you probably know, St. Bernard’s previous plans to purchase and modify the neighboring Goodings Grove School into a parish pastoral center were scuttled thanks to pandemic-related concerns. We understood and accepted this decision, but our problems didn’t go away. Each passing day serves to remind us that we need more space to improve our ability to assist in our spiritual growth, to continue to grow our ministries and to ensure our parish can readily serve its people.
Since stepping away from our original plans, leadership never lost sight of its goal, choosing instead to push disappointment aside and wait to re-engage. We believe now is the right time to get back to square one. So, with the support of the Pastoral Staff, the Finance Council and the Facilities Task Force, we are again focused on expanding and improving our facilities and have re-connected with our architect to resume planning.
However, since our previous study and planning to expand our facilities, some conditions have changed. We are in a different position today. And, so, we need to hear from you again. To learn more, beginning March 7, we will conduct a planning study. This comprehensive review involves surveying the entire parish community. It will provide us with insight as to what you think about our plans, while gauging support for a potential major fundraising effort—a capital campaign.
We have hired the Steier Group, a Catholic development firm, to conduct the study. We will share more details about the review, the projects and a potential capital campaign in the coming weeks.Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
February 6, 2022We are now engaged again in the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal (CMAA), which funds some very good and important works and ministries within our large seven-county diocese of Joliet. Some of these efforts were described in the brochure with last weekend’s bulletin and in Bishop Hicks’ video viewed at Mass. But, of course, these programs and the diocese as a whole require significant administration by the bishop and his diocesan staff. And this administration at the Blanchette Catholic Pastoral Center (aka “the chancery”) in Crest Hill is also funded by the CMAA.
And, so, it is understandable for donors and prospective donors to the CMAA to ask about the diocesan administration at a time when, unfortunately, there has been a significant amount of diminishment within the Catholic community at large. We are close enough to the parishes of the Archdiocese of Chicago to know the massive reorganization and consolidation that has been going on among its parishes.
Perhaps not as visible and public but just as real has been a significant reduction in the administrative and support services of the archdiocese. As painful as this process has been for so many priests and laypersons, it has been necessary as the Catholic population has changed in various ways. So many of the oldest (arch)dioceses of the Northeast and Midwest have had to undergo such change in recent years as much of the Catholic population has moved south and west.
Our own Bishop Hicks, coming from the archdiocese and its “Renew My Church” effort, has demonstrated his willingness to evaluate his diocesan administration here in Joliet in the light of so many changes. Since last Fall, the diocese has used the Reid Group, a management consultant firm for notfor-profit and faith-based organizations, to assess the effectiveness of the mission and administration of the diocese.
The results of this study were just made public in a 43- page document that offered an extensive assessment and recommendations. The majority of the recommendations apply to the 90 employees at the diocesan pastoral center, how their work circumstances can be improved and how they can better reach out and serve the parishes of the diocese. There is also an acknowledgement of the need to review the current quantity and quality of diocesan staff.
But the recommendations also include a few that extend out into the diocese. For example, there is a call to identify criteria for assessing the viability of Catholic parishes and schools to help create a more sustainable future over the next 10-20 years in the diocese. While St. Bernard’s displays healthy communal and financial viability, there could be changes in other areas of the diocese.
Responsible stewardship can call for difficult organizational decisions. But such difficulty can still find some solace in the Church’s mission of outreach and care for those experiencing loss of any kind. After all, we do believe in Resurrection! May the Holy Spirit guide our diocese through all that is to come!Fr. Joe McCormick, OSA
January 23, 2022
It’s now been over two years that the Covid pandemic has wreaked havoc on us and our world. The most tragic victims, of course, have been those who died from the virus, those who have experienced long-term effects from it and their families. Our army of health care workers have been true heroes and so often victims as well.
But even for those of us who have been pretty distant from Covid’s serious illness and death, this has been a very discouraging period. We’ve shut down and reopened and shut down again. We’ve modified so many of our activities, even canceling so many of them. Besides the dramatic closure of businesses, schools and churches, many important projects have been put on hold.
It was in the course of the pandemic that I was informed that the plan for St. Bernard’s to purchase the neighboring Goodings Grove School as a parish pastoral center was no longer considered feasible by the school district officials. After so much discussion, negotiating, planning and collaborating with parish members, with school officials and even with our neighboring parish, the entire effort imploded and died due largely to concerns and uncertainties raised by the pandemic.
I must admit, I was seriously disheartened by the collapse of the effort and, for several months, had little energy to even try to pick up the pieces. But now--even with the latest Omicron variant—there is reason to hope that the coronavirus is becoming more tamed… thanks to vaccinations, more testing, and better treatment methods. So, it’s fair to expect life to return to a more normal pace of activity in the months to come.
It’s also a new year and with that annual celebration, we normally become more hopeful… whether with or without new year’s resolutions. And my hope has been renewed to redouble our efforts to improve our parish facilities in order to improve the effectiveness of our parish mission of service, community, evangelization and worship.
So, with the support of parish leadership, we have re-engaged our architect to resume our planning for our own improvement of and addition to our parish facilities. We may not be purchasing Goodings Grove School. We may not be building as big an addition as previously considered. But we are hopeful that our parish community working together can consolidate and expand our facilities in a way that will serve the parish well. Watch our parish website, Facebook page and bulletin for further developments and proposals in the weeks and months ahead.Father Joe McCormick, OSA
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