(Look to this page for the up coming events, special seasonal information and other news.)

If you have items that you would like posted to the Web site or items that didn't make it to the bulletin, make your request through the "Contact Us" Page

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Scholastic Book Fair Is Here!!
Parent Club is hosting a Scholastic Book Fair in the school library. The book fair will be open after all the Sunday Masses. All are invited to stop by and look at all the great books. This is a great time to get a jump start on your Christmas shopping . . . there is no better gift than a good book!
We are participating in One for Books. For every dollar donated, Scholastic Books will match the donation with a donation of up to one million books to three non-profit organizations. The organizations include: Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc., National Center for Family Literacy, and the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation.

“And The Greatest Gift Is Love”
Husbands and wives, the most precious gift that you give to each other is your love. Why not renew your love with the experience of a Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend? The Weekend provides couples with good marriages the opportunity to look at their relationship and give thanks for the gift of each other in an atmosphere of privacy. The next dates are November 14 – 16. For information or reservations, consult our website at www.wwmechicago-gary.org or call Kris and Jim at 800-442-3554.

Free Concert!
Sunday, November 16, at 3:30pm at St. Philip the Apostle Church, 1233 W. Holtz Avenue in Addison.
The St. Cecilia Concert will feature the Choirs of:
St. Catherine Laboure Adult Choir
St. Philip the Apostle Parish Adult Choir
St. Philip the Apostle Parish Contemporary Group
St. Viator Parish Adult Choir
Addison Trail High School Choir!
A Reception will follow the concert.
COME SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR YOUR PARISH CHOIR! See Vince for more information.

Pancake Breakfast!
Sponsored by The SCL Youth Group, Sunday, November 16th in Marian Hall from 8:00am to 1:00pm Tickets $5 per person for all the pancakes, sausage, fruit and coffee/juices you can eat and drink. Tickets will be sold after Mass this weekend and next. Please come join us and support our teens!

SCL Coffee Hour
Sunday, November 16, Noon-1:30pm
“Catholic Faith in a Culture of Relativism and Secularism”
With Msgr. Robert Dempsey, Past Editor of the English edition of L’Osservatore Romano; Doctorate in Theology, U. of the Holy Cross, Rome; Chicago Archdiocesan Subcommittee on Bioethics; and Pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Parish, Northfield.
Our topic: How can we keep the Faith, live the Faith, share the Faith in a culture that is indifferent and increasingly hostile to religion and to Catholicism? Is relativism tolerant? Can authentic spirituality reject organized religion? Please come with your questions and bring a friend to the third in our series: “Speaking the Truth in Love”
Sponsored by the SCL Women’s Club & the Liturgy Team.
No charge. Refreshments served

Steak ‘N Shake Fundraiser
THIS Wednesday, November 19 from noon until 9:00pm. Steak ‘ N Shake will give 20% of what we spend on our Fundraiser Day to SCL School! Bring this voucher in and show it to your server! You pay nothing extra! Purchase Gift Cards and 20% goes to SCL! You may give vouchers to family, friends, business associates but no vouchers can be given to others on Steak ‘N Shake property.

Market Day
Don't forget to pick up your Market Day order on Wednesday, November 19, from 1:30 - 2:30pm in the Rec Room! Thank you for supporting Market Day and SCL school.

Steak ‘N Shake Fundraiser
Wednesday, November 19 from noon until 9:00pm at 2121 Willow Road in Glenview. Steak ‘ N Shake will give 20% of what we spend on our Fundraiser Day to SCL School! Bring this voucher in and show it to your server! You pay nothing extra! Purchase Gift Cards and 20% goes to SCL! You may give vouchers to family, friends, business associates but no vouchers can be given to others on Steak ‘N Shake property.

Breakfast With Santa
Sunday, December 7, after 8:00 Mass until 1:00pm in Marian Hall! Don’t miss the fun-filled morning to get in the spirit of Christmas. Cost is $7 per person or $30 for a family of five when you purchase your tickets ahead of time.
Children under 3 will be admitted free. Tickets will be sold after Mass this weekend and next weekend and in the school office! Prices at the door are $8 per person and $35 for a family of 5. Get your tickets TODAY!

Attention All 13-30 Year Olds!
The challenging message of World Youth Day 2000 in Rome is being spread throughout the United States by an initiative called Bread of Life. Bread of Life is responding to the call of Pope John Paul II to enable young people to live and proclaim the Gospel. You are invited to a Bread of Life Retreat on February 27, February 28 and March 1, 2009 at St. Benedict Parish, 2215 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago. You will have the opportunity to gather with other young people your age for prayer, adoration, singing, and learning about our Catholic Faith. For more info email breadoflife@stbenedict.com, or visit our website at www.breadoflifechicago.org or call 773-588-6484 x 204.

Trivia Challenge
February 28, 2009 at 7:00 pm, Marion Hall! Save the date for St. Catherine Laboure Trivia Challenge! Everyone is welcome. Teams of up to 10 people, $200/team (just $20 a person!). Proceeds to benefit SCL School. Cash prize for highest team score. Start forming your team now!

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DEVOTIONAL

Children’s Mass
Our next Children’s Mass will be next Saturday, Nov. 15th at the 5:00pm Mass. Students from SCL School will be serving as Lectors, Ushers/Greeters, and
Gift-Bearers. Please encourage your family to participate in our Children’s Masses.

Book Of Life
You are invited to place the name of your deceased loved ones in the Book Of Life (by the Baptismal Candle in the Sanctuary) throughout the month of November. All those whose names are written in our Book of Life will be remembered in prayer for the entire month.

Thanksgiving Day Mass
Food & Sock offering
Please plan on joining us for our Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9:00am. This year we are asking that you bring canned goods for Northfield Township or White Socks for our Kits For The Homeless, as an offering to be brought up during the offertory.

Advent Email Retreat
Kolbe House, the Archdiocesan Jail Ministry, invites you to participate in our Advent email retreat starting on December 1. Every Monday during
Advent you will receive an email that contains a short reflection written by one of the jail chaplains, some scripture passages, some suggested actions to do, and a prayer. This retreat will relate the theme of sanctuary, one of the essential elements of jail ministry, to the Sunday scripture readings.

To participate in our Lenten email retreat, send an email to kolberetreat@aol.com. Your email address will not be shared with anyone else. You will not be asked for any donations. If you prefer, you can also participate in the retreat by visiting the Kolbe House web site at www.kolbehouseminstry.org.

Within These Walls
Within These Walls is a pamphlet available through the work of the SCL Liturgy Committee, packed with reminders of our Catholic view of life—a wealth of signs, symbols, images, artifacts, and visual stories. A deeper understanding of these Catholic treasures can enlighten us about who we are, all that our faith calls us to be and to do, and where our God is found. This guide is also intended to help young families answer questions from inquiring little minds about what they see in church. Please take a copy home with you.

Attention Ministries!
Want to promote your ministry? How about sponsoring a Parish Coffee House! All weekend’s are available until September!!! Call Anni in the rectory to schedule.

PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY
O God, holy and eternal Trinity, we pray for your church in the world. Sanctify its life; renew its worship; empower its witness; heal its divisions; make visible its unity. Lead us, with all our brothers and sisters, towards communion in faith, life, and witness so that, united in one body by the one Spirit, we may together witness to the perfect unity of your love. Amen
The Prayer of the Fifth World Conference on Faith and Order World Council of Churches

A LITURGICAL REVIEW…
According to the USCCB (United States Council of Catholic Bishops) “In the Creed we are invited to bow at the words which commemorate the Incarnation: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary and became man. This gesture signifies our profound respect and gratitude to Christ who, though God, did not hesitate to come among us as a human being, sharing our human condition in order to save us from sin and restore us to friendship with God. This gratitude is expressed with even greater solemnity on the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord and on Christmas when we genuflect at these words.”

SHHHHH...
Please refrain from talking in the vestibule during Mass. Those that use the vestibule for seating because of health reasons and small children are trying to participate in the Mass. Thank you.

IN CHURCH -WHAT NOT TO WEAR
Appropriate dress is an important part of attending or serving as ministers at Mass. Sunday Mass is a celebration that is worthy of special consideration of how we dress and behave. Here are a few guidelines to help make appropriate choices.

Hats—for men are not acceptable in church.
Bare midriffs, Tube tops, Bare shoulders, Short shorts, Mini skirts, Gym shorts, Excessive exposure of flesh—this form of dress is not appropriate for church.

And a few other reminders:
Cell phones - should be silenced upon entering the building this is your hour with God! Let others leave a message.
Genuflecting - one should always genuflect before entering the pew (even if you are late) as a sign of respect to God.
Gum chewing - is not allowed in church.
Beverages - We live in a coffee society however the church is not the appropriate place to bring drinks (except for bottles for infants).

The Church is God’s house. So, while visiting, we ask that you please conduct yourself with respect and reverence, for God, for yourself, and for your neighbor. Thank You!

FIRST ENCYCLICAL LETTER OF POPE BENEDICT XVI
Pope Benedict XVI's first encyclical underlines the “back to basics” approach of his papacy, taking one of Christianity's fundamental beliefs and illuminating it with deeper analysis.
In its title, Deus Caritas Est or God Is Love, the encyclical presents the faith in a clear and positive perspective. It states, “The core mission of Christianity is to help people accept God’s love and share it, recognizing that true love involves a willingness to make sacrifices. To read the entire Encyclical, go to the Vatican website at www.vatican.va and search for Encyclical.

CHAPEL (Q)UESTIONS & (A)NSWERS
Q. We always see notices of chapel vacancies. What does that mean?
A. It means that some of the 163 hours in the week don't have adorers who come every week at that day and time.

Q. Sometimes I go to the chapel for a visit and see a dozen people there. Why not just tell them to split up and go to one of the uncovered hours?
A. With the chapel open 24 hours a day, it means it's available to everyone when they need it most. However, in order to keep it open for those very same people, we need a few souls who are willing to schedule a regular commitment. The chapel runs on charity and God's grace.

Q. I go to church every Sunday. Why do I need to go some weekday for another hour, too?
A. Keeping the Sabbath Holy is a commandment from God. Going to the chapel involves exercising a different aspect of our "free will." The very fact that you don't have to go makes it kind of special. Like bringing your wife flowers or chocolates on Wednesday just because you love her.

As of July 31st, 2007, our St. Catherine Laboure Chapel has been open for adoration in excess of 100,000 hours. Come Spend the most rewarding hour of your life in our Perpetual Adoration Chapel.

PEACE OF HEART COMES FROM THE EUCHARIST
The most powerful means of obtaining peace of heart is from Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Christ could not have been plainer than when he told us to eat His Body and drink His Blood. Communion with him is through receiving the Blessed Sacrament.
Spiritual nourishment from the Eucharist does not end with Holy Communion. There is also a nourish-ment that takes place in “spiritual communion.” As we pray before the Blessed Sacrament our souls are fed by the Person of the Savior in the two faculties of spirit that need to be constantly fed. They are the mind and the will. In the mind we need light; in the will we need strength. Both needs are met in an extraordinary way through prayer before the Holy Eucharist. All we need to do is to believe sufficiently in order to come to Him in the Blessed Sacrament and ask very simply, “Lord, teach me. Your servant is listening and ready to learn.”
Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

We need help for the following Chapel hours:
Monday 3:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm & 3:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am & 2:00pm
Wednesday 10:00am, 12:00pm(noon) 2:00pm
Thursday 1:00pm
Friday 4:00am, 7:00am, 9:00am, 1:00pm, & 11:00pm
Saturday 4:00am & 2:00pm
Sunday 6:00am

If you would like to take one of the vacant hours, please call or mail Evie Ulivieri 847-724-6291  evuliv@sbcglobal.net. Saturday we need extra help between 10:00am & 7:00pm (since weekends can be difficult) 

WHO IS JESUS ANYWAY?
What instructions could his first century message have for 21st century people? What is the content of our “preaching?” What does it say about your faith in Jesus? Some in his home town thought he went too far for a local lad; some of us are reluctant to believe Jesus can do all he promised. Even that cross thing of Jesus, that’s often too difficult to explain. My “sin” is involved in that? My “sin” is no more? All because of this Jesus? Think for a moment what healing could take place if we believed that we are part of the world God loved. Lay out in your mind what we could give up, in both frenetic behavior and fear we might miss something if we trusted that we will live under the protection of the divine forever and that this present living is but a time of listening and proclaiming? Who is this Jesus anyway? “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Amen. Fr. Walter W. Harms

PRAYING THE ROSARY
The Rosary is a meditation, a time to recall and think about the life of Jesus as seen and experienced by Mary. As the model of faith, Mary’s life sets a pattern that we strive to follow: saying ‘yes’ to God’s will in our lives and sharing His love and message with others. The Mysteries of the Rosary form a mini-lesson of faith, using the highlights and significant moments of the life of Jesus. Like paging through a family scrapbook, we see in brief the events of salvation history that are the core of our belief and the hope of our eternal life.

COME ON HOME!
Have you been away from the Church for a while? Did you drift away imperceptibly? Did you walk away resolutely? Run away as fast as you could? However you got so far away, we just want you to know: We miss you! And where we’re at fault for a misunderstanding between us, we do ask for your forgiveness.

God reconciles us to himself in Christ, not counting our sins against us. In Christ we are also reconciled with each other. God gives us the message of this reconciliation so that we can minister it to each other, forgiving as we are forgiven. He appeals to us, each through the other –be reconciled to God! Be reconciled to his universal family, the Catholic Church.

Join us for worship. Talk to a friend or family member about coming back. Fr. Bob, Fr. Al, and many of us at St. Catherine’s would welcome the opportunity to help you come home — home to the sacraments, home to the Church, home to your Catholic family. Just call the rectory at 847-729-1446. We’re stronger together in the Body of Christ, and together we strengthen the Body of Christ. Let’s not be strangers. Come on home!

The Mass
I’m Not fulfilled—It does nothing for me. Going to church is not about being entertained. For that you can go to a concert, a movie or a comedy club. Our Catholic Mass is about giving thanks and physically receiving Jesus Christ – the Eucharist.
We don’t have big bands and big production numbers. Really though, what could be bigger than the Sacrificial Gift our God has already given to us. So, can you be fulfilled at Mass? Yes, if you are focusing on the gift. Can it do anything for you? Yes, if you allow the gift of the Word and the Eucharist into your soul. Every time one receives the Eucharist, the healing, comforting, joyful, loving energy of Jesus is present.

So that means everything will be perfect if I just go to communion! Well, we are human and not really meant to live perfect lives, but we can live more simply if we trust in the guidance of our Lord and in the strength of his Precious Body and Blood.

Each and every time we receive the Eucharist, something shifts within us. It may turn our personal joy into something bigger, and united with Jesus. It may be a contentment that consumes us and slows down the worry. It may be a complete trust that gives us the strength to endure. It may be the communal experience that comforts loneliness. And sometimes it may be the acceptance that where we are in our life situation and what we’re experiencing is where we are meant to be. We share this gift of the Mass as family with those in attendance and the millions of Catholics around the word experiencing the same great source of energy, and sharing in His most precious gift is most comforting, inspiring, and uplifting.

Do you get all that just from showing up?! Not really. In our work we are expected to contribute effort; a good relationship requires loving and giving energy, success requires devotion and consistency. So why do we expect God to fulfill us just for walking in the doors on Sunday! Open your ears to the Word, open your soul to the Gift, spend time pondering His great act of mercy and with that effort – with that devotion and giving of yourself – you will begin to receive what is promised to all who believe.

Monday Evening Holy Hour: 7:00pm. Holy Family Chapel. Miraculous Medal Novena, Rosary, and Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
First Friday Devotions: (Sacred Heart) Devotions follow the 8:00am Mass. Holy Hour in the Chapel from 3:00 to 4:00pm that concludes with Benediction.
Mother of Perpetual Help Mass & Novena: 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7:00pm in Church.
First Saturday Devotions (Our Lady of Fatima): Devotions follow 8:00am Mass on the first Saturday of the month.
Morning of Recollection for Women: Every 3rd Wednesday of the month at 10:00am.
Our Lady of Fatima/Sacred Heart Devotions: Welcome the statue of the Blessed Mother/Sacred Heart into your home and pray the rosary daily. Contact Rose Alfon 498-2489, Zeny de Guzman 480-0159, or Lynn Hughes 501-5210.

LET US BE YOUR SERVANTS, LORD
Eternal God,
I struggle to put into practice in my own life
the beautiful example of my Lord.
By my service to others,
small and unimportant as it is,
I strive to pattern my life upon that of Jesus.
To be Your servant is indeed to be
a messenger who proclaims the secret of the gospels:
that in humble and loving service, God becomes present in our midst.

While I strive daily to “know all these things,”
I often find it difficult to “put them into practice.”
Help me, Lord, by Your Grace
not to seek positions of honor or authority
but rather to pursue the path of humble service.
Regardless of the task or ministry that I am entrusted to perform, may I find in it the lesson of the Last Supper, when my Lord washed His friends’ feet as an example of holy service for my life.

May the saintly servants of God, the ancient ones, together with Mary, the Handmaid of the Lord, daily help me in my efforts, to be a humble servant of the people of God.

Amen.

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LEARNING EVENTS

Jeff Cavins Bible Study
The Gospel of Matthew
Join a Weekly Bible Study at St. Catherine Laboure. Building on the foundation laid in the Bible Timeline Series by Ascension Press, Step Two in Jeff Cavins’ Great Adventure Bible Study Program is “Matthew: The King and His Kingdom.” This study shows how Jesus builds on the foundation laid in the Old Testament to inaugurate the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Experience how Jesus relived the life and struggles of Israel to become the faithful and victorious King!

Join us this year at St. Catherine Laboure in one of our five study groups on the Gospel of Matthew. Groups meet once a week in the evening on Tuesday or Wednesday, or on Thursday mornings and afternoons. Each hour and a half session includes study and discussion of the text, a video lecture on the text by Jeff Cavins, and faith sharing. $30 registration includes the 24 week study set. Most groups will be starting the Third week in September.

Enrich your understanding and appreciation of this marvelous Gospel that is being proclaimed at our Sunday liturgies this year. You will come away with fascinating knowledge of this ancient text and a deeper, more responsive love of our Lord Jesus Christ. More info, call Karen 847-998-4704.

Bible Study at Home
Available are DVD’s of Jeff Cavins: The Great Adventure—A Journey Through The Bible and The ACTs of the Apostles. Contact Anni in the rectory at 847-729-1414 to sign out a DVD. Limited copies are available.

Entertainment Books On Sale
The Advocates for Mental Illness Education, one of our parish ministries, is selling the 2009 Entertainment books for $20. Please see Anni in the Rectory to purchase yours or call Vi at 847-729-1457.

Church History Course
A series of sessions on the history of the Catholic Church will be offered this Fall at St. Martha Church in Morton Grove. They will extend over twelve Thursday evenings, beginning on September 11 and ending on December 11. Each session will take place in the large auditorium church building from 7:00 to 8:30pm. Sessions will be offered by Father Dennis O'Neill. All are welcome, and there is no charge. The only expense would be the book we will use as a text - "A Concise History of the Catholic Church - Revised and Expanded Edition," by Thomas Bokenkotter (New York: Image Books, 1990). It is available in paperback edition and can be obtained second-hand either from abebooks.com or Amazon.com. You are welcome to invite any non-Catholics who are interested in our faith. To register, please call St. Martha Rectory 847-965­0262.

IRISH DANCE LESSONS
Trinity Academy of Irish Dance has expanded and is coming to your neighborhood! Children (ages 4–12) decide their own level of participation in this renowned program. Besides being a Chicago institution, Trinity Academy is the most widely recognized Irish dance program in the world. Fall classes are currently open for enrollment – call 877.326.2328 or visit www.trinityirishdancers.com for more information or to register online.

ALZHEIMER HELP
The Alzheimer Association would like to extend an invitation to anyone with a loved one or friend with Alzheimer’s or dementia to support group meetings. The meetings are confidential and are held every 3rd Thursday of the month from 7:00-8:00pm at 2155 Pfingsten Rd. in Northbrook. Please call Sarah Frame at 412-7303 if you have questions or need further information.

ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT
The Alzheimer’s Association of Greater Illinois Chapter invites caregivers, family members, and friends of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease to participate in an Alzheimer’s Association support group. The group meets in the Skilled Art Room of Classic Residence by Hyatt Care Center at 2401 Indigo Lane, Glenview. Meetings are held the third Thursday of every month at 2:00pm. For more information, call the Alzheimer’s Association’s 24 hour helpline at 1-800-272-3900 or Barb Monstvil at 904-4700

PIANO/ORGAN LESSONS .
If you or your child (children) would be interested in private music lessons (30 min.) each week at our parish convent, 3360 Thornwood, kindly contact me for details and to reserve a lesson time. Students- Grade 3 and up - should have their own keyboard or piano as a practice instrument. Sr. Christine Baker, 729-2220.

PIANO LESSONS!
Professional, degreed, experienced, and patient teacher has several openings in this area. All ages. Adult beginners encouraged. For information, call Jerry 847-328-7279.

ARCHDIOCESE TO IMPLEMENT NEW CHILD SAFETY PROGRAM
In an effort to protect our children, the parishes and schools of the Archdiocese of Chicago are proud to implement a new child safety education program called the Child Lures Prevention Program. This is a proactive child-safety initiative that explores the techniques used by predators to lure children into dangerous situations. It teaches children how to recognize predatory behavior and protect themselves. Watch for further information in the weeks ahead on how you can help your children to protect themselves. It just could be the most important information you ever receive. For more information about this program or any of the other initiatives undertaken by the Archdiocese to keep children safe, please contact the Archdiocesan Office for the Protection of Children and Youth at 312-751-5388 or email your questions to SAFEKIDS@archchicago.org

WORLDWIDE MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER
The Marriage Encounter Weekend is a powerful experience for couples who believe that their Sacrament of Matrimony is a sign of love in a world that hungers for stability and commitment. For information or reservations, please consult our website at www.wwmechicago-gary.org or call Kris and Jim at 1-800-442-3554.

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INFORMATIONAL

♪ MUSIC CORNER ♪
The next Cherub choir rehearsal will be Thursday, November 20, from 6:00pm-7:00pm in Church. The Cherubs will then sing at the 5:00pm Mass on Saturday, November 22. New members are always welcome and must be at least in second grade.
For more information checkout the music website at www.musicscl.com, or contact Julia Bray, Cherub Choir Director or Vince Zaprzal, Music Coordinator: email musicscl@yahoo.com or after Mass.

High School Open House
Regina Dominican
Wednesday November 19, 6:00-8:00pm
Contact: Pattie Fuentes at pfuentes@rdhs.org or
847-256-7660 ext 223.

The Willows Academy
October 26, 2:00-4:30pm
November 9, noon-2:30pm
1012 Thacker st. Des Plaines
Contact: Sheffield@willows.org or847-824-6900

Continue The American Dream -Become A U.S. Citizen
Saturday, November 22, 9:00am to 12:00 Noon
at St. Emily Parish Center, 1400 E. Central Road, Mt. Prospect.
Services Provided:
Photographs ($10.00)
USCIS application processing fee $675.00
FREE - Application service
FREE - Legal Consultation regarding citizenship
FREE – Information for citizenship classes
Questions please call (312) 673-3245

Regina Class Reunion
There will be an all-class Regina Dominican High School reunion in honor of the school's 50th anniversary on Saturday, November 29, from 2:00-6:00pm in the Regina cafeteria. Price of $40 includes food, 2 drinks, and a class picture. Please contact Sr. Mary Hrovat at 847-256-7660 if you are able to attend.

Go Green with SCL
Help save the environment and contribute to SCL’s fundraising efforts! Please save your Newspapers, Magazines, Shopping Catalogs, Mail, Envelopes, School Papers, Office Papers.We cannot Recycle: Cardboard, Cereal Boxes, Tissue Products, Phone Books, Plastic or Glass.
Please deposit all paper products in the green and yellow containers located near the south exit of the parking lot at any time! If you need assistance unloading your car, students will be available after all the masses on the third weekend of each month! Together we can make the earth a little Greener!

Women's Club
We are a spiritual, social, and service ministry of women who meet in Guilds and, through fellowship and fund raising efforts, we are able to give support to the parish and local charitable organizations. The Women's Club is a member of the National Council of Catholic Women, based in Arlington, Virginia, which links us with thousands of women across the country and provides us with rich resources crucial to the lives and work of Catholic women. We meet September through May and plans are underway for a terrific year. Please consider attending one of the upcoming social events and joining one of our five guilds!. We believe you will enjoy both the fellowship and the opportunity to know more parish members and to grow spiritually. Sign up by calling Bertha Novaczyk at 847-998-6186 or speak to a guild representative in the vestibule during our Coffee House next weekend. Watch the bulletin for all of our upcoming events.

Attention Business Owners, Professionals and Self-Employed
Liturgical Publications, Inc. (LPi), our bulletin publisher, will have Jeff Tkachuk, our parish representative, visiting our parish within the next few weeks to service our bulletin. We would like to thank our present advertisers for renewing their ads and thereby continuing their support of our parish. As an added bonus, LPi has recently formed an advertisers buying group of 100,000+ businesses called LPi Family. Advertisers now can save more than the cost of an ad in buying group savings. Membership in the LPi Family buying group is FREE to all of our advertisers. To obtain information about advertising for the new publication year, please contact the parish office or call Jeff directly @ 1­800-950-9952 ext 2513. Keep in mind; our advertising sponsors make your bulletin possible.

Cub Scouts
First to Fourth grade boys – interested in becoming a Cub Scout? Pack 154 at St. Catherine Laboure is recruiting new scouts. For more information, go to www.GlenviewScouts.com, or contact Paul Zieske at zieskep@juno.com or 847-612-0283.
District website: Northeast Illinois Council Boy Scouts of America: www.neic.org.

News From The OLPH Phoenix Group
The OLPH Phoenix Group is a group of Catholic singles age 50+, who share a social life by attending events of common interest together. Each first Friday we get together for snacks and planning. Members bring activity ideas, and those interested work out the details. We plan movie nights, day trips in the Chicago area. These events supplement our monthly bridge group, restaurant group, and book group. If you would like to meet new people and make new friends, why not join us at 7:30pm on August 1. We meet in the Francis Room of the Lafayette Building of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Glenview. For more info call Mary Jane at 847-398-3528. All members take turns driving.

Join Us For Bridge
St. Catherine Laboure Bridge Club is looking for ladies to play in our monthly group. We meet every third Wednesday of the month at 1:00 in the afternoon. We are flexible if one should work in the daytime. Please call Helen Liska at (847) 827-4750 or Ann Macur at (847) 498-9642.

Before You Leave For Your Summer Vacation
Have you registered your first grader for classes starting in September? Class lists are made, but it's not too late to add your child's name. We still have space in the kindergarten class which has limited enrollment. Stop in the rectory (9-5) Monday through Friday and ask Anni for your registration form.

Affordable Housing with Homesharing
Are you looking for a more affordable place to live near your workplace? Do you have an elderly parent living alone who is looking for companionship and extra income?
Homesharing is a free service which provides win-win matches between homeowners with an extra room to rent and those seeking an affordable rental. If you, a family member, or friend needs an affordable housing option, this free program could be for you. All applicants are interviewed, screened, and backgrounds are checked. Call Jackie Grossmann, Homesharing Coordinator Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs 847-501-5732 x401 Jackie@interfaithhousingcenter.org  Website: www.interfaithhousingcenter.org

Foreclosure Prevention Counseling
Helps homeowners - facing mortgage payments beyond their ability to pay - to re-negotiate their loan and avoid displacement. If you are behind on your mortgage payments, are worried about a loan, or can anticipate that you may have difficulty in the future, get help early. One-on-one counseling is available by contacting Jasmine S. Brewer, jasmine@interfaithhousingcenter.org or 847-501-5768. Interfaith Housing Center is a non-profit HUD-Certified Counseling Agency in Mortgage Delinquency & Default Resolution. For more info about Interfaith Housing Center’s 35 years of service to residents of Chicago’s northern suburbs: www.interfaithhousingcenter.org or 847-501-5760.

COMPLIANCE WITH “NO PARKING” SIGNS IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING
As you may know, the School Board voted to make the portion of Thorndale which runs in front of school a “No Parking” zone from 7:00am 9:00am on school days. As always, the circle drive in front of school is a “No Parking” zone at all times. Parents dropping off students are asked to follow the regular traffic flow to the back of school and drop their children near the Marian Hall entrance. The Glenview Police will help us establish an efficient and safe traffic pattern during the first week of school. All parents and visitors to the school will need to park in the rear of the school or in the church parking lot and enter the school through the front entrance. These changes have been made to insure the safety of the children of St. Catherine Laboure School. Your cooperation in this matter is most appreciated.
Laurie Konicek

Defibrillator
The Knights of Columbus in conjunction with Glenview State Bank have donated a defibrillator to St. Catherine Laboure Parish. The Defibrillator will be mounted in the vestibule of the Church, to be available as needed. We need to have as many parishioners as possible properly trained on how to use this unit. The training will take place in late February and/or early March. Training should take only a few hours and will be free of charge. Interested individuals should contact Brian Burgh 847-682-5846 or the rectory.

GIFT CARDS!
Offered by our SCL Women’s Club, St. Martha’s Guild! From your purchase of a wide selection of gift cards, we earn a percentage to be used for SCL Women’s Club projects! Manna Group sells certificates to us at a discount; you buy them at full value and we keep the difference! And there is NO additional cost to you - we even deliver them to your house! Gift certificates have many uses: grocery shopping, clothing shopping, dining out, travel, and home improvements!  For more info, call Lou at 498-6337.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TODAY TO MAKE YOUR MARRIAGE BETTER?
What does the Sacrament of Marriage reveal to us about God? In the Scriptures the relationship between God and God's people is often described in terms of a marriage. The early Christians, reflecting on Christ's love for us, also used this image. Christ and the Church embrace in mutual love and self-giving, even as do husband and wife. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the church” (Ephesians 5:31-32).

In each of the sacraments a window opens and we can glimpse the mystery of God and God's plan for the salvation of the world. In Christian marriage we see that God was not content to be alone, but embarked on a whole new life project. Out of love God created us and all that is. God is faithful no matter what. Whether we are faithful or faithless, God is faithful; whether we wander away in sin or remain in the embrace of love, God is always there and is ever ready to embrace us.

This sacramental sign, which the husband and wife give to each other, they also give to the entire community of witnesses. We all have made commitments to God and God has made commitments to us. There are times when we wonder if God will be faithful. We have never seen God, but we can see the fidelity of Christian husbands and wives. Their love for each other is a sacramental sign and witness of God's love for me. Our human lives are interconnected, like a fabric, woven together by many commitments. The fidelity of their commitment strengthens our own commitments.

VETERANS
Join a new AMVETS Post named after Christopher Zimny, a fallen Hero in Iraq who lived in Glenview. For more info call John Waskowski at 847-729-5029 or Richard 847-293-6980.

CLOTHE YOURSELF IN JUSTICE!
Consumers are moral agents in economic life . . . By our choices . . . We enhance or diminish economic opportunity, community life, and social justice. -U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Catholic Framework for Economic Life, 1996

-Here are a few tips for how you can express your values through your clothing decisions.
-Commit to buying clothing that is used, certified organic, fair trade and sweat-free.
-When purchasing large quantities of T-shirts for church, school or other events, support groups like the worker-owned fair trade zone (http://www.fairtradezone.jhc-cdca.Org), No Sweat Apparel (http://nosweatapparel.com), and North Country Fair Trade (http://www.ethicalgoods.org).
-Shop at local second-hand clothing shops. Yard sales are also great places to find used clothing.
-Make clothes last longer. Often, the more you pay for an everyday item, the more durable it is and the longer you will wear it.
-Learn to sew your own clothes.
-Organize a clothing swap with friends, neighbors and co-workers. Bring clothing that you’re tired of wearing or that doesn’t fit, and trade it for clothing that interests you.
-Write letters to clothing companies that could do a better job. As a conscious shopper, you have a right to let companies know that you’re dissatisfied with the way they treat their workers or with the materials they use in their clothing.

MAKING SENSE OF STEM CELLS -WHAT DOES THE CHURCH SAY?
Stem cells are a potential source of vital cures for many terrible diseases. Despite claims to the contrary, the Catholic Church supports and even encourages research on stem cells to turn this potential into a reality.
The Church approves of research into three of the four forms of stem cells, including those from adults, which continue to show great promise. In fact, adult stem cells are already being used to treat various conditions such as broken hips and to heal scar tissue following a heart attack.
Stem cells for such research can come from many sources, not just from a process which kills human embryos. These sources include the placenta (afterbirth), amniotic fluid, and parts of the living body such as fat and bone marrow. Stem cells can even be donated after death.
What the Church strongly opposes is the use of and research on human embryos because this causes their destruction. Despite the availability and promise of stem cells from other sources, some researchers are focused on using human embryonic cells and promoting human cloning. Almost as bad, legislators in several states, including Illinois, want to use public funds – taxpayer money – to finance their efforts.
When governments seek to use public funds to experiment with and destroy human life, it’s not only immoral but also poor public policy.
Measures now being considered by the Illinois General Assembly would establish and fund the Illinois Regenerative Medical Institute and research that would allow for human cloning. Worse, it specifies that human embryos created by such cloning would be destroyed to harvest their stem cells.
Some would call this “Frankenstein Science.” When done for stem-cell research, it creates human embryos solely in order to kill them for their cells. It clearly denies the human dignity the Church insists is a gift from God.
The Church cares about those who suffer from diseases that stem-cell research might cure. It endorses moral research for such cures. As Pope John Paul II said: “There is no suffering, no matter how grave, that can justify killing a life. There are no reasons, no matter how noble, that make plausible the creation of human beings, destined to be used and destroyed.”
How you can learn more and what you can do to help. For more information about the Church’s perspective on stem cell research and to learn about how Illinois legislators are planning to use your tax dollars to fund immoral research and human cloning, visit www.catholicconferenceofillinois.org. You can also call the Conference at 312-368-1066 or 217-528-9200 and get the names and contact information for your local state representative and state senator.

WOMEN’S CLUB-COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP
The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women is offering a college scholarship to help assist high school senior girls pursue higher education. For an application contact Pat Klein at 498-2268.

SCHOOL NEWS -HEART OF THE SCHOOL AWARD
Nominate Teachers and Those Who Work "Behind the Scenes" In Our Schools For a 2006-2007 Heart of the School Award.
The Heart of the School Awards seek to recognize outstanding, unique and innovative accomplishments by individual teachers and non-administrative professional staff members of the Archdiocese of Chicago in the areas of: Arts - Behind the Scenes - Catholic School Identity and Mission - Innovation and Creativity -Leadership - Rising Star and Technology. You’re invited to nominate your candidate on line at schools.archchicago.org, or download the forms, available in English, Polish and Spanish, and mail or fax them.

Q&A: WHAT TO READ
How are the readings for each Sunday chosen?
Each Sunday the word of God is proclaimed in our church in the form of three scripture readings and a psalm. The first reading and the psalm always come from the first testament of the Bible (the “Old Testament”), except during the Easter season, when the first reading is from the Acts of the Apostles. The second reading is a selection from one of the non-gospel books of the second testament of the Bible (the “New Testament”). The third reading is always chosen from one of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. It is clear from the title “Liturgy of the Word” that the scriptures are very much an integral part of the Sunday Eucharist.

This emphasis on a more thorough and varied use of the scriptures is a direct result of the renewal of the liturgy called for by the Second Vatican Council: “The treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare may be provided for the faithful at the table of God’s word.” To meet this need, a new lectionary (or book of readings for worship) was published in 1970. It included assigned texts for each Sunday based on a three-year cycle of readings. And, as noted above, each Sunday included three readings as well as a responsorial psalm.

This was a major change. Previously, only one set of Sunday readings was used year after year. Two readings and a psalm verse were appointed for each Sunday. And one of those readings, the gospel, was almost always from the Gospel of Matthew. The gospel readings in the 1970 lectionary include selections from all four evangelists: Matthew in what is called Year A, Mark in Year B and Luke in Year C. We hear the Gospel of John during the major liturgical seasons as well as during Year B (the year of Mark), perhaps because Mark’s gospel is the shortest of the four and wouldn’t otherwise fill out the whole year.

The gospels were assigned first. The first reading was chosen for its connection to the day’s gospel. The psalm that follows the first reading is related to it. The psalm is the assembly’s response to the word that has just been proclaimed. The second reading is not necessarily related to the other readings. Selections from the chosen book are simply read somewhat in order.

As people baptized to live not by bread alone but by the word of God as well, the liturgy of the word should not be the only time we hear the readings. One way to live with the lectionary is to do an attentive reading of the scriptures before the liturgy each Sunday—a fruitful and enriching way of entering more deeply into the prayer. Another approach is to hear the word proclaimed in the assembly first, and then spend the following week re-reading and meditating on it. Whichever method you choose, Liturgy Training Publications has published several helpful resources to aid you.

Copyright © 1997 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1900 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago IL 60622-1101; 1-800-933-1800. Text by Kathy Luty. Art by Luba Lukova.

NEW PASTOR ASSIGNMENT PROCESS
On July 1, twenty parishes of the Archdiocese of Chicago will received new pastors. This new pattern of assigning pastors according to a yearly schedule should result in greater continuity of pastoral governance, fewer temporary administrators of parishes and easier preparation for priests and parishioners as changes are made.

When we profess in the Creed that we believe in an “Apostolic Church,” we are saying that Christ wills that his people be governed by ordained bishops and priests. The methods of assuring the Church’s governance are adapted according to many circumstances, but the assigning of bishops and priests is never merely an administrative action; it is an exercise of faith.

I ask all Catholics of the Archdiocese to pray for the priests newly assigned and the parishes they will serve. I also ask everyone to pray for all the priests of the Archdiocese, for our seminarians, and for those who are now being called by God’s grace to serve here as priests.

I am grateful to all our priests, especially those newly assigned this year. Their obedience to this new call fulfills the promise they made when they were ordained. As we all know, a promise is often easier to make than to keep, These are faithful priests who are keeping their ordination promises, and all of us should be proud of them.

May the Lord bless you and your families this summer. You are in my prayers; please keep me in yours.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I.
Archbishop of Chicago

A “CATHOLIC BIBLE” AND A “PROTESTANT BIBLE”
Catholic and Protestant Bibles both include 27 books in the New Testament. Protestant Bibles have only 39 books in the Old Testament, however, while Catholic Bibles have 46. The seven additional books included in Catholic Bibles are Tobit, Judith 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, and Baruch. Catholic Bibles also include additions to the Books of Esther and Daniel which are not found in Protestant Bibles. These books are called the deuterocanonical books. The Catholic Church considers these books to be inspired by the Holy Spirit.

CAN YOUTUBE IGNITE YOUR SPIRIT? “WORD ON FIRE” VIDEOS ARE HOT!
A prominent Catholic evangelist is engaging pop culture and posting videos on YouTube. The bold move is paying off. Fr. Robert Barron’s “Word on Fire” videos are drawing thousands of viewers from the United States to Japan.

“From the time of St. Paul, Christian evangelists have gone into the most public and popular arenas in order to spread the Good News,” says Fr. Barron, a leading Catholic theologian and professor at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois. “YouTube is a place where the whole culture--good, bad, ugly and sublime--can be engaged. That's why I wanted to bring my preaching there.”

YouTube is a free, video-sharing website which allows users to upload, view and share video clips at www.youtube.com. Type “Fr. Barron” into the search area to find his short and lively video commentaries on contemporary culture.

Fr. Barron’s topics include the Oscar-winning movie “The Departed,” “The Jesus Tomb,” the HBO series “Rome,” “Lord of the Rings” and Bob Dylan’s music. Another compelling video series by Fr. Barron called “Faith Clips,” which explains the basics of the Catholic faith, is also posted on YouTube.

You can find “Word on Fire” videos, DVD’s, book information and Fr. Barron’s weekly radio sermons on his website, www.wordonfire.org. His sermons are broadcast every Thursday morning at 9:00am, Saturday at 1:30pm and Sunday at 8:30am on Relevant Radio, 820 AM.

For more information, please contact Nancy Ross at 847-204-7754 or rossnancy@comcast.net.

NEED HELP?
Al-Anon - Meets Fridays at 8:00pm at Glenview Community Church. Al-Anon is for families, relatives, and friends whose lives have been affected by someone else's drinking. For further information, call 847-680-4640.

"BINGO" KEEPS THE BRAIN SHARP.
St. Catherine Laboure Bingo is every Tuesday night at 7:00pm in Marian Hall. Come join us!  It's air conditioned!

ST. CATHERINE’S BINGO NEEDS YOUR HELP!
The St. Catherine Bingo Committee operates a State of Illinois licensed Bingo Game once each week on Tuesday night in Marian Hall. October 2007 marked the 36th anniversary of Bingo at St. Catherine’s and 36 years of legalized Bingo in the State of Illinois.

Help is needed in all phases of Bingo operation. Additional volunteers are needed to:
Work in the kitchen - selling snacks, coffee and Bingo supplies
Sell Bingo Cards - selling Bingo Cards to players during and between Bingo Games and calling back numbers of winning Bingo cards
Call Bingo Games - Operate the Bingo machine and call the numbers
We ask that you volunteer for one Tuesday per month or more if you wish. The first Bingo game starts at 7:00pm and ends by 10:00pm.

In addition to helping St. Catherine Laboure Parish raise money, you will meet and make new friends among Bingo workers and Bingo players. We have many regular Bingo players that tell us that SCL Bingo is the best in the area. This honor is due completely to our volunteer Bingo workers. Please call Russell Lundsgaard for questions or to volunteer at 847-724-6344.

MENTAL HEALTH-MENTAL ILLNESS RESOURCES
In conjunction with the Advocates for Mental Illness Education, and St. Vincent de Paul Society, educational and resource materials will be made available to our parishioners. The wall bins in the vestibule will hold an assortment of free pamphlets, books, and literature on health issues. Selections will vary and materials will change on a regular basis if interest is shown. If you have comments or additional information, contact Vi at 847-729-1457.

NETWORKING GROUP FOR UNEMPLOYED PROFESSIONALS
Mary, Seat of Wisdom Parish of Park Ridge has been conducting a networking group for unemployed professionals for the past six months and they would welcome any interested members of St. Catherine’s to participate.  The group meets every other Friday from 10am until noon.  For more information contact Tom Mannard (tmannard@aol.com) or 847-981-5170.

Educational/Support Group for Family Members of those who were sexually abused as minors:
Program for Family Members of Those Sexually Abused as Children.
The Archdiocesan Office of Assistance Ministry has developed a new program for family members of those who have been sexually abused as children by priests, deacons, or other employees of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Chicago. This program will focus on education regarding church related sexual abuse of minors and will include open discussion among group participants. There will be four sessions, each lasting two hours. The sessions will be held on designated Saturdays from 10:00 am to noon at the Archdiocese Pastoral Center, 155 E. Superior. Participants will be asked to commit to all four sessions so that the continuity of information and group cohesion are not affected by absences of group members.
The first session will take place on Saturday, September 27. There is no fee for participation. Parking will be available at the Holy Name Cathedral lot at State Street and Superior. Those interested in attending should contact Kathleen Leggdas at 312-751-5268 or at kleggdas@archchicago.org.

Church policies
How have the newly revised norms for Church policies dealing with allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy been made stronger and clearer? Learn more by visiting the Archdiocese of Chicago’s website, where you’ll find Cardinal George’s latest column on the issue taken from The New World.  www.archdiocese-chgo.org

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YOUTH C.L.U.B. NEWS

What does Youth C.L.U.B. stand for? Ever wondered why we always have dots after the letters for CLUB in all of our posters? Wonder no more. They stand for Catholic Leaders Understanding our Beliefs. Pretty cool huh? That's because our teens are pretty cool too. Eight years ago, our first batch of teens sat down and made up the name for our youth group. They did not want us to be just like any other youth group in the country. They wanted a name that can set them apart and they sure chose one to be proud of.

Why the Youth C.L.U.B. character logo?
Ever wonder why the Youth C.L.U.B. character logo looks the way it does? If you look at it closely, you should be able to see the word YOUTH on the character itself. If you have a difficult time doing so, here are some tips.
The outstretched hands are a Y, the head is an O, the smile is a U, the body is a T, and the legs are an H. Mrs. Chua came up with the character eight years ago when the youth group was formed and we have been using it ever since.

Teen Mass
Our teens participate on select Sundays as lectors, ushers and Eucharistic ministers for the 11:00 Mass. People have commented on how the youth are the church of the future, but by their presence at church, they are clearly showing us that they are the church of the present too! They want to participate and contribute to our parish in every way they can. Hooray for our parish who have lovingly welcomed them. Hooray for the youth who have taken their share of responsibility in ministering to us too.

Youth CHAT - Dating
Our teens stayed after mass to meet and talk about "dating" and boy did we have a good and interesting discussion. They talked about the issues that teens face as they deal with friends of the opposite sex. They learned the importance and need to focus their energies on forming good and healthy friendships rather than to commit to exclusive "relationships." They will continue having “chats” after the 11:00 Masses. All HS teens are welcome to join anytime!

We're Planning for a Retreat
One of our more ambitious projects this year is to work on a retreat for our teens sometime in Spring 2008. We have not done anything like this before and we will need your prayers so that we will be able to prepare one that will help our youth grow even more in their spiritual life. The plan is to have talks, lots of activities, discussion groups and food and more food. This will be open to ALL HS students. If you know of anybody who wants to go to the retreat or be part of making this retreat, please let us know through email kzchua@sbcglobal.net OR leave a message on our phone 847-564-3284.

Respect Life Dinner
Thank you very much to the SCL Respect Life Committee for providing funds for the Youth C.L.U.B. to attend this year's dinner. Several teens with Mr. and Mrs. Berrafato attended the dinner with Mrs. Lundsgaard and Russ Lundsgaard. The talk was given by Chris Godfrey, starting right guard for Super Bowl XXI champion NY Giants. After his talk, there was lively discussion within the group. It helped all of us understand the importance of life.

C.L.U.B. Chat "What Do I Do on Sunday?"
So - what do you do on Sunday? The teens came up with a list of things that they could do on Sunday instead of attending church. The list was long and included: sleep, football, work, homework and shower (hmmm). We talked through it and found that nothing is more important than church and even more importantly, there is almost no good reason to miss Mass.  It just needs to be our priority. One of our teens reminded us of the Third Commandment "Keep holy the Sabbath day" which indicates very clearly how important our God thinks going to church is.

We also discussed if missing Mass is a sin and if so, is it a mortal sin? The teaching of the church says that because we are required only one hour out of 168 hours a week, we should be able to understand why it is a mortal sin to miss Mass deliberately on Sunday. We are "stealing" that one hour from God.

The topic then turned to asking the question "Is it a sin to be late for Mass or leave early from Mass?" We learned that it is a venial sin. The Mass is our weekly gift to God and we do not want to give him an incomplete or tarnished gift. Hopefully by understanding what our faith teaches us, our teens can now better appreciate the importance of the Mass . . . and maybe even give extra effort to come to Mass on time or even early! We have lots more topics to go through for the next few months.

If you are a HS student and want to be involved, just stay after the 11:00am Mass and join us!! No registration necessary!

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED !

St Thomas Of Canterbury Soup Kitchen
We will prepare and serve dinner on Friday, November 21. All soup kitchen volunteers, and anyone who wishes to join us, meet at 3:00pm in the SCL parking lot for the drive to St. Thomas.

THE GIFT OF YOU
Are you Interested in becoming a Minister of Care?
A basic training course for the Ministry of Care program will be held at Resurrection Medical Center/Chicago (RMC) and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital/Park Ridge (ALGH) from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, on the following Wednesdays: September 17 (RMC), September 24 (RMC), October 1 (RMC), October 8 (ALGH), and October 15 (ALGH). If you wish to learn more about this training course, please call the rectory 729-1414 or contact me in church after the 5:00pm Saturday Mass.
Richard Manella,
Coordinator of the Ministers of Care.

A Call To Service
Part of the joy of being a Christian is gathering to celebrate the Liturgy where we are blessed to be a group of believers coming to share at the Table of the Lord. In doing so, we also have the special opportunity to serve our community as Eucharistic Ministers. A number of current EM’s are moving or are faced with medical problems and are unable to serve, so I am reaching out to you to search your heart to see if the Holy Spirit is calling you to come forward and be a part of this wonderful ministry. There will be a training session; you will be asked to serve once every three weeks as part of a team, and to serve as a sub when needed. If you are a confirmed Catholic, at least sixteen years of age, and have the desire within your heart to serve, please contact me by email: wolfbsn@hotmail.com or phone: 847-998-6186. Bertha Novaczyk

Join the Liturgy Team
The Liturgy Team facilitates the SCL community’s celebration of our unique and communal experience of God in our lives. The team strives to bring alive our rituals and symbols in meaningful and thoughtful ways that utilize all five human senses. Team members utilize a variety of ways to raise awareness, educate and catechize people about the rituals, symbols, and traditions of our prayer celebrations. Team leadership contributes to developing ongoing relevant and vibrant liturgy by coordinating open dialogue between the liturgy team and the entire parish.Team members can choose to be involved with education, environment, or lending a helping hand when needed. We meet four to five times a year. Contact Lou Cosmano at 498-6337 to join or for more information.

Driver Needed
A woman in St. Catherine's neighborhood is in need of a driver to take her to a Milwaukee Doctor about once a month. She has a car, supplies the gas and is willing to pay the driver. If you are able to assist or have any questions, please call Mary Beth Wejman at 847-724-0726.

New Ministers of Care
We are pleased to announce that the following parishioners have completed their Minister of Care training at the Carmelite Spiritual Center: Patrick Cusack, Gisela Di Spigno, Guy Di Spigno, Judy Hiertz, Mercedes Manansala, and Adoracion Olindan. We now have 34 committed Ministers of Care to bring the Holy Eucharist to homebound parishioners and to residents in local nursing homes /rehab centers, as well as to Glenbrook Hospital. Parishioners are reminded to call the Rectory to arrange for a visit from a Minister of Care.

MALE OR FEMALE -YOUNG OR OLD . . .
Ushers are needed for the 5:00pm Mass. Volunteer as a sub or a regular! Please contact Lou Cosmano for more details or to volunteer! 847-498-6337 email: Lcosmano@comcast.net.

MEAL ASSISTANCE
Would you be able to cook an occasional meal for a parishioner who is ill? We are looking to expand our list of volunteers who can provide this service. If you are interested or would like more info, please call Betty Quinn at 224-639-4101.

IGNATIAN LAY VOLUNTEER CORPS
Retired? Eager to “give something back?” The Ignatian Lay Volunteer Corps is accepting new members (age 50+) to work with the materially poor in the greater Chicago area two days weekly, and reflect and pray on that experience in the Ignatian tradition. For further information contact George Sullivan, 773-975-6871 or gsullivan@ilvc.org. or the JLVC National office at (toll-free) 888-831-4686 or visit website at www.ilvc.org.

MEALS ON WHEELS NEEDS YOU
Catholic Charities is in need of volunteer drivers to deliver meals to homebound seniors throughout the northern Cook and southern Lake County area. Delivery routes typically require about 1-1.5 hours of your time. Deliveries take place during the lunch hour Monday-Friday, and you can volunteer as infrequently as once per month, or as often as you want. Partner with a friend, or better yet, get your work unit involved. Some supervisors are willing to add a little flex to the lunch hour for personnel involved in community service. It’s also a great ministry for Moms with toddlers—it benefits kids and seniors alike. All that is required is a car and the desire to be Christ’s hands and feet in the world. To volunteer or inquire, call Jim Wogan at 782-4126.

ONE HOUR CAN MAKE A LIFETIME OF DIFFERENCE!
Mercy Home for Boys and Girls (West Loop and Beverly) is seeking dedicated tutors to spend an hour a week helping a youth with study skills and homework. We will provide full training and support. Study sessions take place Monday to Thursday evenings, and you'll have a set schedule one day a week. Please contact us for more information or an application. volunteer@mercyhome.org or 312 -738-7552 or www.mercyhome.org

COOKS NEEDED
St. Vincent DePaul is looking for cooks to help make heart healthy, low fat, low sugar meals. The days meals are needed are Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. If you are able to help please contact Toni Dautel at 847-729-7166.

MEN OF THE PARISH, BE A MAN FOR OTHERS- BECOME A KNIGHT OF COLUMBUS!
The Knights of Columbus is the world’s largest Catholic family fraternal service organization with over 1.7 million members in more that 12,000 local councils throughout the world. The Knights provide members and their families with volunteer opportunities in service to the Catholic Church, their communities, families and young people. We invite all Men of the Parish to consider joining the more than 73,000 Knights of Columbus in Illinois in deepening your faith and helping others. Here are just a few reasons to join:

Support for our Church: Membership in the Knights of Columbus is only open to practicing Catholic men who pledge themselves to live up to the commandments of God and the precepts of the Catholic Church.

Community Service: The Knights donate more than $130 million every year to a wide range of charitable activities and programs, such as Special Olympics, World Youth Day, and most recently Hurricane-Disaster Relief.

Protection for your family: Our membership
insurance programs begun in 1882 have the highest ratings from both Standard & Poors and A.M. Best.

Orphan Fraternal Benefit: The Knights help
support orphaned children and provide up to $7,000 in educational grants.

Higher Education Scholarships: Programs
available for members and their families for college tuition and fees.

Fraternity: All of us need each other, and as a member of the Knights of Columbus you will
become part of a very special community of men dedicated to the strengthening of family life in America.

FAITH, FAMILY AND FRATERNITY MAKE UP THE FOUNDATION OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS!

DID YOU KNOW?
The Knights of Columbus, has announced the Order’s Hurricane Relief has surpassed $9,000,000! The contributions are to assist in the restoration and rebuilding of churches, schools, and other Catholic facilities in the storm-affected regions in the gulf.
The Knights of Columbus is the largest Catholic men’s fraternal organization in the world. For more information, please call Rick Nash at 651-8718 or John Teschky at 724-8324.

Poder Learning Center (www.poderlc.org) in the Pilsen area of Chicago is looking for volunteer tutors to assist with their English as a Second Language or computer programs for Hispanic adults. Please call Margarita Valerio at 312-226-2002 if you are interested in helping out.

NURSES/RETIRED NURSES WE NEED YOUR HELP!   Please consider:

• Working a few days in a pay period, either PM or Night Shift

• In a cheerful and peaceful home for the aged

• Where your skills are appreciated

• Working alongside the Little Sisters and our dedicated staff

Contact: Sr. Bernadette, Don or Sylvia Maculitis, St. Joseph ‘s Home for the Elderly/Little Sisters of the Poor at 80 W. Northwest Highway, Palatine, 847-358-5700

Share our Faith
The Liturgy Team is looking for individuals interested in being a part of our “Education Team”. The purpose of this team is to keep current with liturgical laws, practices, and customs and within those laws and in harmony with the pastor and priests, come up with ways to evangelize. Our mission is to bring alive our rituals and symbols in meaningful and thoughtful ways and to utilize a variety of ways to raise awareness, educate, and catechize people about the rituals, symbols, and traditions of our prayer celebrations. Several ideas were sparked at our planning session, but we need your help to start the fire. No time to go to meetings? That’s OK! Do the work on your own time and share your ideas with the Education Team Chairperson. For more info or to join us call Lou Cosmano at 847-498-6337 or use our "Contact Us" form, Attention: Lou Cosmano.

SPRED (Special Religious Education) is an agency of the Archdiocese which has designed a unique program for persons with developmental disabilities to help them know God and prepare for full participation in the sacramental life of the parish. The goal of SPRED is to help our friends develop an awareness of God, an awareness of themselves as persons of dignity who are loved by God, an awareness of themselves as an integral part of the parish community and the entire church.
Two years ago we started our own SPRED group at St. Catherine’s. We have seven participating young adults with disabilities and only four volunteers at this time. We have two more young adults waiting to join our group but not enough volunteers. We are in desperate need of helper catechists. We are looking for compassionate, kind, loving people who are willing to share faith and friendship with our friends who are developmentally challenged. If you fit this description or you know of someone who does, please consider joining our ministry. We meet on Monday evenings from 6:30pm-8:00pm—twenty-four times from October to May, twelve times with our friends and twelve times to prepare for our sessions.
Our last two years with our friends have been so rewarding and we have developed wonderful relationships. We have watched our friends grow in God’s love and have experienced all of them make the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It was a wonderful experience.
If you’re interested in volunteering your time or would like more information, please call Carol DuBois at 847-486-0818

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DONATIONS NEEDED

Diapers Needed
The Women’s Center is in desperate need of diapers in all sizes. A playpen is in the vestibule of church for your donations. Thank you for your generosity!

Kits For The Homeless
Our next meeting is November 12 in meeting 1 at 9:30am. Volunteers are always needed & welcome!

Coat Drive!
Our SCL Boy Scouts are involved in a project to help the poor face the cold of winter. They are collecting coats, sweaters, gloves, and scarves for our own Northfield Township Food Pantry. Please place your items in the boxes in the vestibule of church.

Supporting Our School Is Easy!
If you shop at Dominick's or Target, please register your Dominick's Fresh Values card or Target Visa card designating our school as the beneficiary. Target gives back 1% and Dominick's, 4%, to St. Catherine's for every purchase made. To register, go to: Target Visa Take Charge of Education: www.target.com/tcoe
Dominick's e-scrip program: www.escrip.com/merchants/identity/dominicks/index.jsp

Collecting Winter Warmth for the Poor
Some of our SCL Boy Scouts are involved in a project to help the poor face the cold of winter. They are collecting coats, sweaters, gloves, and scarves for the Northfield Township Food Pantry.
If you didn’t have a chance to help St. Vincent de Paul with their clothing drive, or left a few extra winter items in the closet (just in case), the Scouts will have a box in the vestibule of church the next two weekends for your donations. It’s just one more good way for expressing thanks to God during the month of November!

Thank You From The Society of St. Vincent de Paul
Catherine Laboure thanks our parishioners for their continued support of our activities on behalf of the poor and needy of our community. We are very pleased to report that during our yearly accounting period (10/1/07-9/30/08), we disbursed $28,493, an increase of $4,799 over our distributions in 2007.
Your generosity enabled us to distribute funds for rental assistance, utility bill payments, toiletry kits to the homeless (1,300), and food coupons to needy families ($990). Please continue your support by the use of the poor box on the wall next to the pamphlet rack in the vestibule. Once again, thank you for supporting these worthy activities.

Bike Thank You
St. Vincent de Paul Society would like to thank two Parish families for their donations of men's bicycles. One was requested for a local man who needed a bike, the other will be given to another person in need. Thank You!

2008 Annual Catholic Appeal
“For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” - Luke 14: 1,14 As the year rushes onward, we wish to recognize those of you who not only support our parish, but also have made a gift or pledge to the 2008 Archdiocesan Annual Catholic Appeal. Results to-date are $110,316 pledged and $95,494 paid in. On behalf of this St. Catherine Laboure family of ours, our thanks go out to all who have already completed their pledge payments, as well as to those who are still making payments.

For those of you who have not had an opportunity to make a pledge or a gift this year, but still desire to be a part of the 2008 campaign, please contact Karen Whitehead at kwhitehead@archchicago.org. or 312-655-7461. Whether your gift is large or small, when combined with the gifts of thousands of other parishioners throughout the Archdiocese, every gift makes a very real difference in the ability of both the Archdiocese to provide ministries and services and our parish to care for its needs and responsibilities. Thank you again for your support.

Rebuilding Lives, Restoring Dignity
Catholic Charities wishes to thank each person who gave to the 2008 Mother’s Day Appeal. Your gift will help women raise their families, care for loved ones and live with dignity. When times are tough, your help is needed more than ever. Your generosity means we can do more for the poor and vulnerable in our midst.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY “PROJECT HOPE” NEWS
As part of our ministry, we are joined with Our Lady of Perpetual Help and St. Phillip’s of Northfield in supporting a local family. Catholic Charities chooses and monitors this family and provides needed social services. The title of this program is “Project Hope.” We recently received an email from the Project Hope social worker that we wanted to share with you:
“I am the social worker who works with the families that Project Hope supports. I wanted to send this email to express my appreciation and awe at all that you do to positively impact the lives of these families. I am truly amazed by the generosity and love that you show to the families. I can also tell you that it means a lot to these families knowing that there is a community who is praying for them and rooting them on as they travel down their difficult roads. As one who works on the front lines, I want to share with you that your presence in their lives truly makes a difference. From the sponsoring of the apartments to the Christmas and Easter baskets to the cards of encouragement to the endless other ways you bless the families, I sincerely thank you for all you do.”
Thank you to all our generous supporters who provide the funds which enable us to take part in this wonderful program.

Women’s Center Needs
We urgently need baby cribs, bassinets and infant car seats. May God bless you for your assistance. It will be a great help if you can deliver these to us, otherwise call 773-794-1313 to have a volunteer pick them up.

Help for Katie
Our granddaughter, Katelyn Thiele was born with a translocation of chromosomes. This translocation has caused major delays in her fine and gross motor development. She is four years old and is still unable to sit up unattended. She does not speak, walk or crawl.
Because of her developmental delays, Katie attends several therapy sessions per week. Her insurance provider does not cover all the cost for these therapies.

Jewel Food Stores has agreed to sponsor “Shop & Share Days” for Katie. Shop & Share costs you, the customer, nothing. You just do your regular shopping and turn in the slip below when you check out. Jewel will donate a percentage of regular grocery purchases to the Friends of Katie Thiele Fund, which will help for Katie’s therapies and medical expenses that are not covered by insurance.

Again, Shop & Share costs you nothing extra, but your participation will do so much to help provide Katie with the services she needs. Please try and do your shopping at Jewel on Katie’s Shop & Share days, and turn in the coupon found in the Parish bulletin.

Thanks for your support.
Janice Seipp
7th Grade Religious Education Instructor

SHARING PARISH GRATITUDE
Dear Fr. Mair,
As the end of the year has passed us, it is only right to recognize the blessings received during the course of the year. On behalf of the community of St. Roman, I would like to thank you wholeheartedly for your on-going support to our parish. Your sharing contribution, as always, has helped fund the various programs and ministries offered to our parishioners throughout the year. And for that we are grateful. Please know that we continue to hold you and your community members in our prayers, that God may continue to bless you all.
Sincerely,
Rev. Walter Yepes, Pastor

AUTO SALES BENEFIT MARYVILLE
Buy a car from the North Shore Towing Public Auto Sale and a donation is made to Maryville – Our Lady of Guadalupe Chapel. Or donate your car. For info call NS Towing 847-864-2828 or Maryville 847-294-1806.

VEHICLE DONATIONS TO HELP THE NEEDY
St. Vincent de Paul Society is accepting donated vehicles through the "Vehicles for the Needy Program." Anyone with an unwanted vehicle in any condition is encouraged to make a tax-deductible donation. RV's, boats, golf carts, and other vehicles are accepted. The Society will arrange for the vehicle and its title and keys to be picked up. Donors will receive a receipt for the amount the vehicle was sold for. Your vehicle donation can help volunteers provide emergency assistance with rent, utilities, transportation, food, clothing and also furniture to help a neighbor in need get through a crisis. Call 312-655-7181.

DONATE YOUR CAR
The University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary is looking for donations of good working autos to be used in the seminarian field education programs for seminarian students to travel to parishes or hospitals as part of their preparation for priesthood. Many students do not have their own transportation. Donating autos that are used in the required mission of the charity, receive preferential tax treatment, so be sure to consider this option along with consulting your tax advisor. Contact Mr. Stan Rys at srys@usml.edu or 847-970-4811.

From The School Sisters Of St. Francis
We thank you for the donation from the heart of your community to the heart of Guadalupe Homes. Each gift of this kind contributes to the good of the children: to their needs and their education. This year a big project there is rebuilding of the homes themselves. The buildings were put together quickly after the civil war had brought about the need for an orphanage. Leaking roofs and crumbling walls are now being replaced.
We visit the children at Guadalupe Homes fairly regularly. Just meeting the children and spending time with them is a great part of our reward for caring for them.
We thank you for your generosity. The children and Sisters pray with us for you and your community at St. Catherine Laboure that you may be blessed.
Gratefully,
Sister Marietta Hanus

HELP A CHAPLAIN AND “GOOD SHEPHERD
The Chicago Tribune on Sunday, May 20, told the very inspiring story of a Chicago priest, Fr. John Barkemeyer, serving as a military chaplain in Iraq. Through a charity called “ComPadres,” you can support Fr. John and other chaplains as they serve the troops. The best and most efficient way to make a donation is by by contributing on line by visiting www.thecompadres.org or mailing a check directly to ComPadres at: ComPadres c/o St. Rita High School 7740 S. Western Ave., Chicago, IL 60620

Your contributions are tax deductible. Donations are used to buy PX and Phone cards that are great morale boosters for the troops; religious goods, snacks in large quantities and toiletries; Microsoft Xbox game platforms that provide relief from boredom and tension for troops in the most dangerous combat outposts, and other games and entertainment devices for wounded troops waiting for evacuation.

THE WOMEN’S CENTER
At the present time we need new baby items, especially onesies, sleepers and outfits for layettes. We desperately need gently used boys’ and girls’ winter clothing size 5 and larger and small and extra large maternity clothes. We also need donations of cleaning supplies, paper products, and toiletries (soap, shampoo, tooth paste, tooth brushes, etc.). Please call for our address where these can be dropped off. The families who receive them are grateful for your generosity. Also needed are baby cribs, mattresses, crib sheets, toddler beds, baby swings and porta-cribs. Call 773-794-1313.

GOD’S LOVE
At the wedding feast at Cana, Jesus reveals himself to his disciples and they begin to believe in him. Everyday, God also gives us signs of his love and so we also can respond in faith and trust. As you place a gift in the St. Vincent de Paul Poor Box, know that you are a sign of god’s love to those who are suffering, and you give them reason to believe and trust as well.

HOLY SPIRIT GIVING TREE
Our work in the community continues all year round and anyone wishing to make a financial contribution to Advocates for MI Education, an organization that serves adult mentally handicapped and the homeless, may do so by dropping a check in the Sunday collection made out to Advocates for MI Education or by mailing a check to Advocates for Mental Illness Education, P.O. Box 893, Glenview, IL. We are a not-for-profit organization and all donations received will be acknowledged.

BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION
Our school continues to benefit from the Box Tops For Education program that is sponsored by General Mills. Over 3,100 Box Tops have been turned in already this school year. Please go to www.BoxTops4Education.com to learn more about the program and to track our school's progress.
Our SCL Parent Club is collecting “Box Tops for Education” labels from General Mills products: Yoplait yogurt, granola bars, Hamburger Helper, Fruit roll-ups and many others. We receive 10¢ for each box top we send in, so please help us by placing your box tops in the red can in the Church vestibule.

H.O.M.E. (Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly)
H.O.M.E. is a nonprofit organization committed to preserving the independence and dignity of low-income elderly in Chicago through a variety of housing and support services. Programs offered by H.O.M.E. include the only citywide moving and relocation services for the elderly, a furniture donation program, free shopping transportation services, volunteer services and upkeep and repair services for elderly homeowners in the city of Chicago. Your generous contribution is gratefully received.

Port Ministries
Port ministries was started eighteen years ago by Fr. Gus, a Franciscan priest on the south side of Chicago, to provide basic needs for the poor and homeless. Today Port Ministries has four locations serving the poor and homeless. They serve over 250 meals five days a week. There is an emergency shelter that provides sleeping quarters for sixty-five men nightly, serving them supper and breakfast. In addition, they have a food pantry and a bread truck that provides over three hundred lunches daily for children in the neighborhood. Please continue to support Port Ministries with your ALMS so they may continue to serve the poor and homeless.

Lincoln Park Community Shelter
The Lincoln Park Community Shelter was established in 1985 by a group of concerned individuals in the Lincoln Park community committed to addressing the short-term problems of homelessness by providing a safe place to eat and sleep. Originally, the agency was open seasonally and provided basic services such as food, clothing and shelter. In 1998, the On Track program was implemented. The goals of this program are to empower clients to attain sobriety, mental stability, physical health, livable wage employment and housing. Year round operations began in 1999 and continue. Over the last 16 years, the Lincoln Park Community Shelter has been privately funded and has relied on the generous support of volunteers. Over 400 people volunteer in different capacities. The estimated value of donated goods and services exceeds $300,000 per year.
The programs of the Lincoln Park Community Shelter have long been supported by various denominations. Since its inception, the Shelter has been a faith-based organization and has operated out of Lincoln Park Presbyterian Church, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, and St. Clement’s Catholic Church. Kitchen, sleeping, shower and laundry facilities as well as office and storage space are donated by these churches. Please be generous with both your prayers for the homeless and your alms donations.

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SUPPORT & PROTECT LIFE

Thank You!
The Saint Catherine Laboure Respect Life Committee thanks all parishioners who supported this year’s “A Rose for Life” project. A total of $1,728 was donated. The funds collected are used to purchase respect life education materials for the parish and to send members of the teen club to the Archdiocesan Chastity Education Initiative Banquet, Educating Minds, Inspiring Hearts. Job Well Done!
To: Russ Lundsgaard & The Respect Life Committee Job well done for your time & dedication on The Rose for Life Project. Barbara Faber

40 Days for Life - Thanks
A big thanks to all who signed up for an hour or more on St. Catherine’s day at the 40 Days for Life Vigil in Chicago. Your witness and prayers at this 21st century Calvary where innocent unborn lives are taken daily helped in changing the hearts of mothers to Choose Life.

THE WOMEN’S CENTER
Ways you can help us:
Register your Dominick’s Fresh Values card with The Women's Center, and we’ll earn a percentage of what you spend—any day or time. Call us at 773-794-1313 to register.
Help clients obtain needed items at our Cicero Family Room.
Be a receptionist on Friday afternoon at our Cicero location (Call Katie at 773-794-8807 for both volunteer opportunities.)
We need diapers, crib sheets & blankets, bumper pads, receiving blankets, sleepers, gently used maternity clothes and children’s clothes sizes 4 and up, baby swings, baby cribs and mattresses, high chairs, infant car seats and toddler beds. Call 773-794-1313.

Women’s Center Needs
Volunteer ultrasound sonographers and greeters are needed for our Chicago and Evergreen Park offices. For more info call 773-794-1313. English and bi-lingual Spanish/English language volunteers are needed to answer phones and make appointments in our Cicero Ave office. Volunteers are also needed-at-our Cicero Ave-office Monday through Thursday to sort clothing and any weekday to help prepare baby bottles for our Spare Change project. Please call Katie at 773-794-8807.

We urgently need infant car seats with handles, toddler beds, baby cribs, crib mattresses, bumper pads, extra crib parts, porta­cribs, pack and plays, bouncers and baby bath tubs.
At the present time we desperately need diapers in all sizes, onesies, receiving and crib blankets, new clothes for layettes, and crib sheets. Call 773-794-1313 for the address where these can be dropped off. Thank you for your generosity.

USCCB ON LIFE ISSUES
The State’s interest in respect for life is advanced by the dialogue that better informs the political and legal systems, the medical profession, expectant mothers, and society as a whole of the consequences that follow from a decision to elect a late-term abortion. Carhart v. Gonzales (upholding the federal partial-birth abortion ban), April 18, 2007.
I thought I would feel less guilt [over my abortion] as time went on. Instead, the guilt turned into anger, the anger to sadness, and it just seems to get worse with time. I need your help God! I don't want to feel alone anymore. I don't want to take revenge on myself for what I've done. I have to change! … It still hurts so bad inside when I think about [my baby]. I can sometimes hear my soul breaking when I cry. I would not wish this experience on my worst enemy. But I know that I have to get better for my baby. Be a better woman. A good role model. And maybe one day, if I'm lucky, a good mother. I can assure you I will try. -- A grieving mother

WORD OF LIFE
In a decision so fraught with emotional consequence some doctors may prefer not to disclose precise details of the means that will be used [to perform the abortion]. …It is, however, precisely this lack of information concerning the way in which the fetus will be killed that is of legitimate concern to the State . . . The State has an interest in ensuring so grave a choice is well informed. It is self-evident that a mother who comes to regret her choice to abort must struggle with grief more anguished and sorrow more profound when she learns, only after the event, . . . that she allowed a doctor [to take her child’s life in a gruesome way].

Carhart v. Gonzales (upholding the federal partial-birth abortion ban), April 18, 2007

WHO PAYS FOR ABORTIONS?
Since the legalization of abortion on demand in 1972 in the United States, approximately 47,281,000 innocent babies have been killed. Ever wonder about where all the nuns have gone? Based upon the current statistics, out of 47 million lost souls we should have had over 10,700 nuns. Do you hear about a priest shortage? Out of 47 million, we should have almost 7,000 priests. In addition, there should have been about 62 more bishops and maybe an additional cardinal or two. And how about in the medical profession? We should have had over 100,000 additional doctors, some of whom would have gone into
research. With all those additional medical researchers, only God knows what diseases would have already been eliminated. Who ultimately pays for all abortions? We all do.

ROE V. WADE
As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, the principal focus of her interventions in the public arena is the protection and promotion of the dignity of the person, and she is thereby consciously drawing particular attention to principles which are not negotiable.
Among these, the following emerge clearly today: protection of life in all its stages, from the first moment of conception until natural death; true recognition and promotion of the natural structure of the family—a union between a man and a woman based on marriage and the protection of the right of parents to educate their children.
These principles are not truths of faith, even though they receive further light and confirmation from faith; they are inscribed in human nature itself and therefore they are common to all humanity.
Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Members of the European People’s Party, March 30th, 2006

PRO-LIFE

• God's love does not differentiate between the newly conceived human infant still in his or her mother's womb and a child or young person or adult or elderly person. God does not distinguish between them because he sees an impression of his own image and likeness (Gn I: 26) in each one of them.
  Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the 12th General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, February 27, 2006

• It is not only the deaths of more than forty-five million of our children that we mourn today. We do not just grieve for the loss of all the talents, all the abilities and all the unique gifts these children would have brought to society. We cannot but also wonder about everything that we have lost as a people by the destruction of our children."
  Cardinal Justin Rigali, Homily for Pro-Life Mass, January 23, 2006

• Sometimes a single issue will be so important that it overrides a whole range of lesser issues. Human slavery is one such historic issue. It simply cannot be condoned no matter how much political support it might enjoy. The same could also be said for the classification, discrimination and even elimination of people for ethnic reasons. The Holocaust is wrong and cannot be justified on any grounds. So also is the taking of the life of an unborn child. The arbitrary destruction of such life cannot be justified on the grounds that one should be free to choose to kill.
  Bishop Donald Wuerl, St. Thomas More Society Loebig Lecture, May 25, 2004

• It's a good time [during Respect Life Month] to reflect on God's great gift of life, the many public issues that flow from it, and the priorities we need to have in defending it. Next month, in the November elections, each of us will face the task, in the voting booth, of building a culture of life - or its opposite. Each of us will make that choice as an individual, but we'll bear the consequences as a community. So we need to choose well. Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap. and Bishop Jose Gomez, Statement issued  October 9, 2002

RESPECT LIFE
In Mark’s gospel, Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah speaking about hypocrites, “This people honors me with their lips but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine human precepts.” These words are a reminder to all churchgoers to bring to the weekday workplace the Respect life truths we hear and speak on Sundays.

WILL YOU JOIN THE BLESSED MOTHER AND ST. JOHN IN PRAYER AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS?
By praying with the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants, you can intercede to save our unborn brothers and sisters whose lives are in danger at the American Women’s Medical Center abortion clinic, 110 S. River Road in Des Plaines, a new location. This abortion clinic is a “modern day Calvary” where the innocent unborn lives are taken daily. Please join the Rosary Vigil, held on the third Saturday of every month from 9:30 – 10:30am at the above location. Through the Helpers’ prayer and presence, many abortion-bound mothers hearts have been changed, and their babies saved from death. Cardinal George and Bishops Manz and Conway have prayed with the Helpers of God’s Precious Infants at past vigils. Won’t you join us too? For more info, call Russell Lundsgaard at 724-6344.

NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING
Are you interested in a method of family planning that is highly effective, easy to learn and use, physically harmless, and is morally acceptable? The Archdiocese of Chicago offers instruction in the Ovulation and Sympto-Thermal methods of NFP. Nearby NFP sites are: St. Norbert Parish, Northbrook & Resurrection Medical Center, Chicago. For more info, please contact Maria Garcia at 312-751-8273.

HURTING FROM AN ABORTION?
Considered by some to be a simple medical procedure, abortion often leads to spiritual and/or emotional problems: post-abortion aftermath.
It is no coincidence that you are reading this. Heal the wounds. There is hope for the future. Call Project Rachel, the Archdiocese of Chicago’s post-abortion reconciliation and healing program. Confidential and compassionate, One-On-One Lay Counseling, Referrals to Trained Priests & Understanding Professional Counselors, Support Groups, and Day-Long Retreats Provided. Call 312-337-1962 or 888-456-HOPE

PRO-LIFE PRAYER
O most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Free us from the falsehoods that lead to the evil of abortion. Protect and guide our leaders and give them the wisdom to proclaim that God’s law is the foundation on which this nation was founded and that He alone is the True Source of our cherished right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the “culture of death” and lead us into a new Millennium of Life.

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VOCATIONAL

THAT WE MAY HAVE PRIESTS…
Mundelein Seminary, as Cardinal George so proudly proclaims, is one of the finest major seminaries in the world. This year nearly 80 men are preparing to be priests for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Your Financial and prayer support enables us to provide these young men with the educational and spiritual formation necessary to face the challenges of priesthood. Because of you, the healing touch of Jesus will live through the work of these future priests for you, your children and your grandchildren, well into this century. How many times in our lives has a priest brought healing to us and to our families? How many times has a priest celebrated the liturgy on Sunday, throughout the week and at special parish and family celebrations, bringing Christ to us through the Eucharist? How many times has a priest stood with us in joy at the birth of a child; at our bedside in the hospital, or in sorrow at the death of a loved one? Let us pray for vocations to the priesthood; that we may have priests whose lives are directed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the service of God’s people.

KNOCK . . . AND THE DOOR SHALL BE OPEN TO THEE?
A pastor went out one Saturday to visit his church members. At one house it was obvious that someone was home, but nobody came to the door even though the pastor had knocked several times. Finally, the pastor took out his card and wrote "Revelations 3:20" on the back of it, and stuck it in the door. { Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and him with me.} The next day, the card turned up in the collection plate. Below the pastor's message was the notation "Genesis 3:10". { I heard your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.} DO NOT BE AFRAID, OPEN THE DOOR TO THE POSSIBILITY OF A RELIGIOUS VOCATION.
Contact the Archdiocesan Vocation Office for further info at voca@archchicago.org. Or contact Fr. Bob or any of our Priests or Sisters for guidance in discerning your future!

AN INVITATION
Mary set out in haste, carrying the Good News of God’s great love within her. Wherever you go today, take God with you. Consider this as a brother, sister, deacon, or priest. The spirit of God is upon you. The possibilities are endless!!! Scripture tells us the Jews asked for miracles and the Greeks demanded signs. Do we demand signs or do we hear the Lord speaking to our heart? Is Jesus asking you to follow him as a priest or brother or sister? Are you waiting for an invitation? This is it!! “Come and See.” See the possibilities.

For more information, contact any of our parish priests or religious or Sr. Peter Mary Hettling, CSJ, in the Archdiocesan  For more information contact Sr. Peter Mary Hettling, CSJ, in the Archdiocesan Vocation Office at 312-751-5245 or phettling@archchicago.org

WHO ME A PRIEST?
If you have ever thought about the priesthood and would like to take a closer look, consider joining us at Mundelein Seminary for a Ministry Weekend. Ministry Weekends are a time away for reflection and conversation which can be helpful in discovering your life direction and vocation. College-age and older men are invited to join us October 6th-8th. For more information contact Fr. Joe Noonan at 847-970-4845 or jnoonan@usml.edu. For more details about vocations, please see our website at www.chicagopriest.org.

FOCUS
“No one does a more dynamic job of reaching college students for Christ than FOCUS.” –Most Rev. Charles Chaput, Archbishop of Denver Diocese.
If you would like to send in a tax-deductible gift, checks are made payable to FOCUS with my missionary ID# 7007 in the memo and sent to: FOCUS, PO Box 1210, Greeley, CO 80632.
Be sure to also check out our website at www.FOCUSonline.org. 
If anyone would like to find out more about FOCUS or would like to support this work, you can contact  Matt Marcheschi, by email at mmarcheschi@focusonline.org

TOGETHER IN GOD’S SERVICE
Formation for Lay Ecclesial Ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago—Do you want to serve the Church as a Lay Ecclesial Minister? Do you possess the gifts & passion for full-time Church ministry as a Pastoral Associate or Director of Religious Education?
The Archdiocese wants to sponsor lay women and men for graduate level theological study at Chicago area Catholic theological schools

Together In God’s Service provides:
+Education for Ministry at one of the schools
+Spiritual Formation through Mundelein Seminary
+Commissioning in preparation for commissioning as a Lay Ecclesial Minister of the Archdiocese
+Financial Aid (1/3 of school tuition (core curriculum classes) paid by Archdiocese and 1/3 matched by the school, leaving you only 1/3 of the cost!)

To learn more about Together In God’s Service, contact Graziano Marcheschi, University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary, 837-4552. Email: gmarcheschi@usml.edu

THAT WE MAY HAVE PRIESTS…
Over 98% of diocesan priests in Chicago experienced their educational and spiritual formation in our seminary system. To meet the challenge of priesthood, today’s