On December 8th the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary as the Immaculate Conception is the Patron Saint of the United States.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the very generous donation of $2,500.00 to the Village of Streamwood's 13th Annual Holiday Helping Program. The church's contribution will help us meet our goal of assisting many families, including at least 100 children, with gifts this holiday season. Please note, no goods or services were received in exchange for this monetary contribution.
Next weekend December 7/8 we will have with us representatives of the Catholic Christian Community from Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the Holy Land, who will be displaying some beautiful olive wood creations.
This Sunday we begin the Season of Advent, the time of prayerful and vigilant preparation for both - the celebration of Christ’s birth, and his second coming at the end of time. Advent is a time to take life a little more slowly and to focus on what we need to do to turn away from our sins, to get closer to God and to grow in holiness of life.
T u e s d a y D e c e m b e r 3 r d i s #GivingTuesday. We invite you to contribute to our annual Coats for Kids program. Next weekend the Giving Trees will be in the narthex.
As Thanksgiving approaches, it is fitting to look back at the year through different lenses. These include looking at the year as families, individuals, Knights of Columbus and Ladies Auxiliary members, and St. John’s parish family members.
This coming Thursday we will celebrate Thanksgiving Day. It is my prayer that all of us in our parish family will offer a continual prayer of gratitude to our loving and gracious God for all the blessings received throughout the year.
With this Sunday we conclude our liturgical year by celebrating the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This solemnity was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism - a way of life which leaves God out of man's thinking and living and organizes one’s life as if God did not exist.
Sunday, November 17, 2024, is the World Day of the Poor, a day established by Pope Francis in 2017 for
Catholics to "reflect on how poverty is at the very heart of the Gospel." The theme for 2024 is "The
prayer of the poor rises up to God" (Sirach 21:5)
On November 11th we recognize those men and women who have served our country in the military. Since its beginnings, the Knights of Columbus has supported active military personnel and our veterans.
Mary’s Millennium Council #12801 has received the distinction of Star Council, the international organization’s top award for local councils. The plaque was presented to our Grand Knight, Richard Capinpin, and Past Grand Knight and Program Director, Gary Pappin, by District Deputy Richard Lambke at our awards dinner held October 25th at Villa Olivia. In addition to the plaque, pins recognizing the achievement were presented to the Grand Knight, Program Director, and
Membership Director.
Please continue your prayers for deacon candidate, Richard Capinpin, as the Most Rev. Robert
Casey will preside at his institution into the Ministry of Acolyte on November 9, 2024 at the Chapel
of the Immaculate Conception, University of Saint Mary of the Lake.
Sometimes. We hear this complaint: “When is the church going to do something about the shortage of
priests? Each year it gets worse and worse, and nobody seems to be doing anything about it. We need the
church more than ever, but parishes are being forced to merge or close because priests are not
available.”
We sincerely thank you for your generous $10,000 donation to the Hanover Township Human Service food pantry. Your contributions help us keep the shelves stocked during these difficult times.
In western North Carolina, among the areas hit the hardest by Hurricane Helene, a local priest is rallying Knights and others to get supplies to victims of the storm. Traveling around western North Carolina in the days following Hurricane Helene, Father Joshua Johnson found the immensity of the damage hard to comprehend.
In a couple of days, once again, we will be celebrating All Saints and All Souls’ Days. All Saints’ Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1.
Today is World Mission Sunday which celebrates the love and mercy of God as we extend His caring heart to our neighbor half a world away, through our prayers and sacrifices.
We are pleased to announce that several gentlemen became members of Mary’s Millennium Council #12801 on Thursday October 3rd. They didn’t take this invitation lightly, prayerfully considering the invitation before joining our ranks.