6725 W. Devon Ave. Chicago, IL. 60631 Our Lord, Jesus Christ, King of the Universe November 25, 2012 Mass Schedule: Saturday Vigil: 5:00 p.m. Sunday: 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. (Mass in Polish) Monday through Saturday: 8:30 a.m. Holy Days: Please see the bulletin Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy: Tue. - Sat. following 8:30 a.m. Mass Confessions: 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Sat. or by appointment St. Thecla Staff: Pastor: Rev. Gene Dyer Associate Pastor: Rev. Artur Marat Pastor Emeritus: Rev. Gerald Rogala Deacons: John X. Rottman, Robert Cnota, Steven Wagner and Michael McManus Choir Director: Mrs. Ewa Kowcz-Fair Business Manager/Minister of Care: Mrs. Joan Czerlanis School Principal: Mr. Dan Gargano Religious Education Coordinator: Mr. Ron Mazzoni Parish Admin. Asst./Bulletin Editor: Miss Kathy Dusza School Secretary: Mrs. Bea Sansone Office Hours and Addresses: Parish Office: 6333 N. Newcastle Ave. Hours: Mon. - Fri. 9:15 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (773) 792-3077, e-mail: parish@saintthecla.org School: 6323 N. Newcastle, (773) 763-3380 http://www.saintthecla.org/ A VISION FOR ST. THECLA Be it known to all who enter here that Christ is the reason for this parish. He is the unseen but ever-present teacher as well as the source of our inspiration.
Weekly Parish Information Mon. Nov. 26th, 8:30 a.m. Tue. Nov. 27th, 8:30 a.m. Wed. Nov. 28th, 8:30 a.m. Thu. Nov. 29th, 8:30 a.m. Fri. Nov. 30th, 8:30 a.m. Mass Intentions +Luke John McLoughlin +Joseph & Charlotte Kupiec +Mary Koelbl +Lawrence & Helen Meyer (Collective intentions) +William G. LaFleur, +William J. LaFleur, +Maraet Hail, +Henry & Mary Czerlanis Sat. Dec. 1st, 8:30 a.m. +Edward Saraniec 5:00 p.m. +Rosemary Kwok, SI - 50th Wedding Anniversary, Dave & Lori Schimpf Sun. Dec. 2nd, 8:00 a.m. +Sally Bukowski 10:00 a.m. (Collective intentions) +Catherine & Joseph Wlodarczyk, +John & Mary Bryk, +Guy Anthony Grandolfo, +Deb & Jean Kwidd, +Ruth Kissane 11:30 a.m. Mass in Polish + - denotes deceased, SI - denotes special intention PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.. Parish Calendar for this week Monday - 3:00 pm. 9:15 pm. Sport s games, school gym. 3:10pm 3:55pm.Children s choir practice church Tuesday -7:30pm 9:00 pm. Knights of Columbus Officers mtg. - Parish Office Dining Room. Wednesday - Eucharistic Adoration 1:00 p.m. - 6:45 p.m., Benediction 6:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. - church. 6:30pm 9:30pm. Sport s games. Thursday - 9:30 a.m. Al-Anon mtg., St. Joseph the Worker Friday - 10:00 am St. Thecla band - Queen of Peace. Saturday - 9:00am 12:30pm. General Anders Polish Language School - all facilities 9:00 am 12:00 pm. Sport s games. Sunday- 11:00am 12:30pm.Breakfast with Santa - Moriarty Hall. Dear Parishioners, Prior to coming to St. Thecla, I was a stay-at-home mom. Our second child is due any day now, and I will be a stay-at-home mom again. It was not an easy decision to make, however, I look forward to this next chapter in my life. I m very grateful for my time here. Now that I look back, I can say that the last 2+ years have gone by really fast. Please know that St. Thecla will always have a special place in my heart. Sincerely, Anna Piech Being a full-time mother is one of the highest salaried jobs since the payment is pure love. - Mildred B. Vermont We truly wish Anna and her husband Chris all the best as they prepare to welcome their new child. And we thank Anna for the wonderful work she did here. Kathy Dusza is our new parish office administrative assistant please join in welcoming her here to St. Thecla. More to come..fr. Gene Today s Readings First Reading - One like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship (Daniel 7:13-14). Psalm - The Lord is king; he is robed in majesty (Psalm 93). Second Reading - Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead (Revelation 1:5-8). Gospel - For this I came into the world, to testify to the truth (John 18:33b-37). The English translation of the Psalm Responses from the Lectionary for Mass 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved. Readings for the Week Monday: Rv 14:1-3, 4b-5; Lk 21:1-4 Tuesday: Rv 14:14-19; Lk 21:5-11 Wednesday: Rv 15:1-4; Lk 21:12-19 Thursday: Rv 18:1-2, 21-23; 19:1-3, 9a; Lk 21:20-28 Friday: Rom 10:9-18; Mt 4:18-22 Saturday: Rv 22:1-7; Lk 21:34-36 Sunday: Jer 33:14-16; Ps 25; 1 Thes 3:12 4:2; Lk 21:25-28, 34-36 2 Stewardship November 25, 2012 Thoughts on Giving Feast of Christ the King Jesus answered, My kingdom does not belong to this world. (JOHN 18:36) How often do we put all our time and energy into building a kingdom here on earth, forgetting that life here is short? The real kingdom is in the next life. Yet, how much time and energy do we invest in working for that eternal kingdom? Weekly Contributions: November 18, 2012 Due to an earlier bulletin deadline, the totals will be printed in next week s bulletin. Thank you for your generosity to help meet our weekly financial goals. Please remember St. Thecla in your Will. Sign up for Automated Giving by visiting www.parishpay.com or by calling 1-866-parish-1.
Year of Sunday Mass/Rok Mszy Świętej Niedzielnej November 25, 2012 In the Book of Revelation, John tells us that Jesus Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is and who was and who is to come, the almighty. (Rev 1: 8) What stands in the way of God truly being the Alpha and the Omega the be all and end all of your life? How can your participation at Mass help you to recognize God s presence in every aspect of your life? Listopada 25, 2012 W Księdze Apokalipsy Św. Jan mówi nam, że Jezus Chrystus jest Alfa i Omega,... Który jest, Który był i Który przychodzi, Wszechmogący (Ap 1: 8). Co stoi na przeszkodzie aby Bóg był prawdziwie Alfą i Omegą początkiem i końcem w twoim życiu? W jaki sposób twoje uczestnictwo we Mszy Św. pomaga Ci rozpoznać obecność Boga w każdym aspekcie twojego życia? The great old stand-by entrance hymn begins, We gather together to ask the Lord s blessing. We do gather for Mass, and what an assortment we are - all sizes, ages, shapes, and colors. Although there is no fuss in our gathering for Mass, something extraordinary is at work. Coming together out of our individual lives to worship God speaks to us insistently of our special prayer, our worship, as something that can only be offered with other people. Without discounting our personal prayer as necessary and important, at Mass we must pray as the Body of Christ, joined to him and with one another. And here in this gathering for Mass, we glimpse something of our gathered future. As grain, once scattered on the hillsides, Was in this broken bread made one, So from all lands Thy Church be gathered Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son. Słowa starego Aktu na wejście Mszy św. brzmią: Gromadzimy się wspólnie, by prosić Boga Ojca o Jego błogosławieństwo. Przybywamy na Mszę św. i to w tak zróżnicowanym asortymencie - o różnej wielkości, rozmiarach i kolorze (skóry). I pomimo, iż naszemu przybywaniu na wspólne świętowanie Mszy św. nie towarzyszy żadne specjalne poruszenie, to jednak dzieje się coś nadzwyczajnego. Gromadzenie się na Mszę św. oraz opuszczanie naszych domostw, indywidualnych zajęć i obowiązków, na czas składania chwały Bogu Ojcu, świadczy o powadze wspólnej modlitwy wiernych w Kościele. Bez umniejszania roli modlitwy prywatnej, tak samo koniecznej i ważnej, musimy razem zanosić nasze modlitwy - jako Ciało Chrystusa, złączone z Nim i z każdym człowiekiem z osobna. W każdorazowym uczestnictwie w Mszy św. mamy szansę uchylenia rąbka naszego wspólnego, w przyszłości, świętowania w Niebie. Niczym z ziarna, raz rozsianego po pagórkach, Powstał w tym połamanym chlebie Jeden, Tak ze wszystkich krańców ziemi, ZgromadźKościół Twój Ojcze, Do Królestwa Niebieskiego poprzez Syna Twego. November 25 Our Lord Jesus Christ the King In today s Gospel Jesus reminds us that, Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." What is God s desire for you? For information about priesthood, contact Fr. Brian Welter at bwelter@archchicago.org or 312-534-8298 or go to www.chicagopriest.com. For information about religious life contact Sr. Elyse Ramirez, OP at 312-534-5240 or at eramirez@archchicago.org, and for the Permanent Diaconate program contact Deacon Bob Puhala at bpuhala@usml.edu or 847-837-4562. 3
Spirituality / We are all familiar with the gospel account of the 10 lepers who for years lived with a contagious disease that meant automatic isolation and discrimination. At the moment of knowing Jesus was in view they asked and received healing. As human nature would have it only one was able to return and live life praising and thanking Him. In a parallel scripture passage St. Paul (in Titus 3:1-7) urges us to look at the spiritual leprosy in our lives. Slander no one, be peaceable, considerate, exercising all graciousness toward everyone. For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, deluded, slaves to various desires and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful ourselves and hating one another. But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared, not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior, so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life. No one is exempt from spiritual leprosy but we are not without hope. The 2nd century homilies of the Church compared this condition to nature. The first grapes produced from a new vine were always sour and unusable. The vine must shed these grapes so natural good tasting ones could emerge for a long time. We recall the lesson of Original sin; namely that we are all under its effects, yet we can encounter Jesus just like the lepers and St. Paul we encounter Him in the Mass and the Sacraments where and when he gives us His grace. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become His children who partake in the divine nature of eternal life. The Lord wants to give us His grace and in return can we give Him our free will? What does it mean to surrender our entire being while at Mass, when going to Confession? Ask for the grace to change the ways of sin to the ways of virtue. Ask for the Lord to reveal himself in your soul. Accept his grace which shows us how to depend more and more on God and do the next right action with all humility and meekness. Next weekend we begin the season of Advent a time to reflect on Christ s first coming and His second coming at the end of life. I like the painting on the left Christ knocking at the door...notice there is no door knob. The person on the inside has to use their free will to open it. Always be ready to open wide the doors to Christ.know you are in my prayers always..fr. Gene Jest nam wszytskim znana ewangelia o dziesieciu tredowatych, ktorzy przez lata zyli w zarazliwej chorobie co znaczylo automatyczna izolacje I diskryminacje ze spoleczenstwa. Kiedy poznali Jezusa poprosili go o laske I zostali uzdrowieni. Wtedy jeden z nich, widzac, ze zostal uzdrowiony, wrocil glosno chwalac Boga. Upadl na twarz I dziekowal Mu. W rownoleglym fragmencie pisma Sw. Pawel (Listy do Tytusa 3:1-7) namawia nas na spojrzenie na duchowy trad w naszym zyciu. Przypominaj im, że powinni podporządkować się zwierzchnim władzom, słuchać ich i okazywać gotowość do wszelkiego dobrego czynu: nikogo nie lżyć, unikać sporów, odznaczać się uprzejmością, okazywać każdemu człowiekowi wszelką łagodność. Niegdyś bowiem i my byliśmy nierozumni, oporni, błądzący, służyliśmy różnym żądzom i rozkoszom, żyjąc w złości i zawiści, godni obrzydzenia, pełni nienawiści jedni ku drugim. Gdy zaś ukazała się dobroć i miłość Zbawiciela, naszego Boga, do ludzi, nie ze względu na sprawiedliwe uczynki, jakie spełniliśmy, lecz z miłosierdzia swego zbawił nas przez obmycie odradzające i odnawiające w Duchu Świętym 1, którego wylał na nas obficie przez Jezusa Chrystusa, Zbawiciela naszego, abyśmy, usprawiedliwieni Jego łaską, stali się w nadziei dziedzicami życia wiecznego. Nikt nie jest zwolniony z tego tradu duchowego ale nie jestesmy bez nadzieji. W drugim wieku homilli Kosciola porownano ten stan do natury. Pierwsze winogrona ktore wyrosly na winorsli byly zawsze kwasne I bezuzyteczne. Winorosl musiala zrzucic te winogrona zeby slodsze I lepsze winogrona mogly sie pojawiac pozniej przez dlugi czas. Pamietamy rowniez o przypowieci o Grzechu pierworodnym za ktorego skutki wszyscy musimy cierpiec. Tak samo jak kiedys tredowaci I Sw. Pawel dzisiaj spotykamy Jezusa we Mszy Sw. przez sakramenty gdzie On obdarza nas laskami. Laska jest darem I niezasluzona pomoca, ktora Bog nas obdarowuje I wzywa nas abysmy zostali jego dziecmi I uczestniczyli w jego Boskiej naturze I wiecznym zyciu. Bog chce nam dac Jego laske, a my czy mozemy dac Mu w zamian nasza wolna wole? Jak mamy przezywac uczestnictwo we Mszy Sw i spowiedzi? Poprosmy Go o pomoc pwyzbycia sie grzechow I wejscia na droge cnoty. Poprosmy Boga rowniez o Jego pojawienie sie w naszych duszach. Zaakceptujmy laske, ktora pokazuje nam jak mozemy liczyc na Niego coraz bardziej I jak zyc w pokorze. W nastepnym tygodniu zaczynamy okres Adwentu, ktory jest czasem refleksji. Lubie obraz ktory jest tutaj po lewej stronie Pukanie do drzwi. Zauwazmy ze na drzwiach nie ma klamki. Osoba ktora jest wewnatrz musi uzyc swojej wolnej woli zeby otworzyc. Badzmy zawsze gotowi na otwarcie takich drzwi szeroko Jezusowi zawsze w modlitwie..fr.gene. 4 Intencje Mszalne - niedziela, 2 grudzień, 11:30 a.m. +Kunegunda i Jakub Stopa +Zestar Edwin i zmarli z rodziny Zestar Bolesław
Prayer List, US Military United States Air Force: AB Michael J. Archam, A1C Heather Bosh, A1C Shane Garrison, SSgt. Adam Krey, TSgt. Richard L. Larsen, Lt. Andrew May, 2ndLt. Peter A. Schroeder, SSgt. James E. Stay United States Army: MAJ. Terence W. Bacon, SGT. Sean Doherty, SGT. Rachel Hall, CPT. Gina Marie Healy, CPT. Michael J. Kaye, SGT. Robert Lach, CPT. Jared Lampe, WO. Steven Larmay, PFC. Thomas J. Lyons III, PFC. Raymond Rau, SPC Thomas Rohl, 1LT. Michael Spiwak United States Marines: LCpl. Philip E. Blais, 2ndLt. Kevin Bowler, PFC Michael T. Brennan, Pvt. James Dinela, LCpl. Kyle Elmer, SSgt. Benjamin Juhasz, LCpl. Nathaniel J. Juncer, Capt. Michael C. Mroszczak, PFC Brian Pasterczyk, Capt. Craig V. Platt, LCpl. Jose Rivera, MSgt. Richard L. Sroka, SSgt. James E. Stonehouse United States Navy: CAPT. Steven Stancy As a civilized culture, we respect animals, plants and even the planet, but we consider the pre-born disposable! That proves we are not as civilized as we think. Catholic teaching recognizes the inherent value of all human life. We are indeed made in the image and likeness of God. As Catholics we celebrate and defend the sanctity of life in all of its natural stages. Each of us regardless of age, race, physical or mental ability, or economic status is inherently valuable. There is no stage of life that is insignificant. When every life is respected, when physicians, family members and other caregivers respond generously to the needs of vulnerable persons in their care, we all benefit. ~ William L. Toffler, MD Life Matters: Doctor-Assisted Death by Suicide, Respect Life Program 2012 Keeping in mind... Sick List - We pray for all those in nursing homes, homebound or who require extended care and those who care for them: Help us with the responsibility of keeping the sick list up to date and accurate. Please call the office when the status of someone s health changes. Joseph Augustin, Charlotte Bartkowicz, Geraldine Barnum, Joseph Bednarz, Gino Belcaster, Rosemary Besyk, David Bergthal, Stella Bieniek, Robert Blachowiak, Franciszek Bosak, Marian Brown, Ken & Bernie Buck, Herlinda Castellanos, Eileen Cobb, Susan Christ, John Dooley, Donald Edsey, Kenneth Ellinger, Genevieve Erazmus, William Edwards, Nicolette Garrigan, Leon Gaska, Frank Gibbons, Joan Giuntoli, Ireta Gross, Patrick Hall, Dorothy Hennessey, Adeline Hickok, Regina Horak, Teresa Jozefczak, Joseph Kaye, Theresa Kennedy, Michael Kielbasa, Beverly Kisiel, Rita Koch, Mary Kozlowski, Stephanie Krupa, Norman Kwidd, Sophie Lally, Maria Laskowski, Arlene Lewandowski, Elizabeth Link, Joan Lomasney, Diane Marzano, Martin McCaffrey, Edward McGinniss, Lorraine McMahon, Edward McManis, Dolores Mick, Imleda Mizones, Lillian Morris, Katharina Mueller, Matthias Mueller, Kim Murphy, Julie Muza, Joseph Nalepa, Therese Neiman, Theresa Nitka, Kathleen Numec, Danuta Okrzesik, John Orloff, Patricia O Toole, Zofia Pazik, Giselle Piekarski, Estella Plaza, Caroline Plodzien, Thomas Podgorny, Roman Poniatowski, Raymond Prybil, Dolores Ptasnik, Theodore J. Ptasnik, Joe Pulizzano, Mary Ann Pulizzano, Eleanor Purciarello, Eileen F. Redding, Stephania Rosa, Sylwester Rosa, Virginia Rozmarynowski, Stanley Sadej, Nancy Samp, Mary Sarlo, Eugene Sendlak, Peter Schroeder, Janina Sikora, Laura Smith, Janina Sroka, Helena Starzynska, Judith Wolff-Stenzel, Dorothy Struck, Helen Surdey, Dorothy Taylor, Janis Taylor, Nick Wagner, Cecilia Walega, Mary Wargo, Christine Wasowski, Mary Widelka, Anthony Wiorski, Irene Wlezien, Edward Wnek, Julia Wojtanowski, Paul Wyncott If you know someone who has lost a child or grandchild to abortion, or was in any way responsible for an abortion, and now suffers from remorse or sadness or simply doubts that God can ever forgive them, please let your friend know about the Church s post-abortion ministry, called Project Rachel. The diocesan Project Rachel office makes referrals for confidential counseling by specially-trained priests and lay counselors to help anyone involved in an abortion find forgiveness, peace, and hope once again. More information can be found at www.hopeafterabortion.com or by calling 1-888-456-HOPE. Bring the good news of peace, hope, and salvation to someone who is wounded by abortion and see their lives transformed. Contact Us Option Line is a 24/7 Call center for those experiencing needing help finding a Pregnancy Help Center in their area. Phone: 800-712-HELP (4357) 5
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Parish Life The Leisure Club meets on Thursday, November 29th at 11:30 A.M. in the Queen of Peace room. Not a member?... come to the meeting and bring a friend. May God bless our sick and shut-in members. Tickets for our Christmas party at the White Eagle on December 6 th will be sold. Price is $23.00. For information, please call call Joanie Ptak at 312-608-4092 or Terri Krajewski at 773-631-0215. God s blessings to all! Blood Pressure Screening this weekend Volunteers from Compass are in the back of Church to check blood pressures this weekend after the 5:00 p.m., 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Masses. It is a quick measure you can take to monitor your health. Plan to stop by. From the 41st Ward Office Ald. Mary O Connor invites you to the 41st Ward Public Safety Town Hall meeting with Commander James O Donnell (16th District) Monday, November 26 (6:30 PM) at the Taft High School Gymnasium 6530 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. For more information: 41st Ward Office (773) 594-8341, ward41@ cityofchicago.org, www.ward41.com Dear Parishioners, I want to thank you for your recent letter regarding the water fee exemption for religious and not-for-profit institutions. Your feedback is welcome and most appreciated. I am very much aware of the challenges this fee imposes, especially in today s difficult economic climate. I also recognize the myriad of benefits religious institutions provide to their surrounding communities. Unfortunately, in such an economic climate, we all must make difficult decisions. Not only was the City of Chicago facing a $635 million deficit last year when the exemption was removed, but the City continues to face a $369 million shortfall this year. The good news is that the much needed revenue generated by the water fee is already being put to use for your benefit. This includes repairing antiquated water infrastructure both in our ward and citywide. The improvements being made are benefitting us today and for years to come. Please know that those in municipal government did not arrive at this decision easily, but recognize, above all, that we must keep our government sustainable. Of course I am also open to finding alternative solutions to resolve this issue at which time the City s financial outlook improves. Most of all, know that my door is always open to you and your parish. Regards, Mary O Connor Alderman 41st Ward The Year of Faith has begun! (Oct 2012 Nov 2013) This year commemorates the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. Tune into our weekly, interactive discussions to discover little-known highlights from the Council as well as helpful ideas to deepen your awareness and renewal in faith. Go to www.relevantradio.com, keyword Faith for more information. Chicago 950AM, Chicago West 930AM, NW Indiana 1270AM The door of faith is always open rediscover the joy of believing! Pope Benedict XVI CCHD - Catholic Campaign for Human Development Thank you for your contributions to the Collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD)! Your generous gifts will help CCHD end poverty in America through better education, improved housing, and economic development. Through CCHD and its beneficiaries, we manifest Catholic social teaching and carry out Jesus mission to bring glad tidings to the poor... to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free (cf. Lk 4:18). 8
Financial State of the Parish - Update Stewardship As members of the St. Thecla Finance Council and the Parish Staff, we want to provide you with an important update on the financial state of the parish. We are one-third of the way through the fiscal year 2012-2013. While we have made much progress improving the financial position of the parish, we are still facing a financial challenge. As a parish, we set a necessary goal of a near break-even budget for fiscal 2012-2013. If current trends continue, we are at risk of missing our target and of running a larger deficit than planned. Our endowments are depleted, and we no longer have a safety net to fund budget shortfalls. Church Collections: Church collections are running about 15% ahead of last year. However, the collections are still about $15,000 short of budget through October. We need everyone s help to close this budgetary gap. If you have not increased your weekly offering since our last appeal, please do so now if at all possible. School Enrollment: Enrollment fell short of our budget expectations, but we are hopeful that we can still deliver significant financial improvement in the school operations over last year. We continue to focus efforts on publicizing our parish school, through targeted marketing campaigns that will boost enrollment for the next school year. Our students continue to outperform many of the local private schools on standardized tests and they also enjoy small class sizes, the care and dedication of faith-based teachers, access to technology and numerous after-school sports, clubs and activities. Please join us in spreading the word about all that St. Thecla School has to offer. Fund Raising: We have had a couple of very successful fund raising events so far this year. Our Hair Razor Haunted Scenes event raised approximately $25,000. Our Texas Hold em event raised $2,845. Our thanks to all of those who organized, donated to, and attended those events. We have just kicked-off the Brick Pavers project and hope that this fund raiser will help us close the budget gap for this fiscal year. Details on our spring 2013 fund raising event will be announced in the coming weeks. Continued parishioner support of all of our fund raising efforts is very important. Parish Expenses: Overall, parish expenses are running about 3% under budget for this fiscal year through October and continue to be well-managed in our view. Working with the parish staff, we will continue to look for opportunities to reduce expenses. Next Steps: Help us fill the budget gap. 1) We ask that all St. Thecla parishioners consider an increase to their contributions to the parish so that we can meet our collection budget. Please consider electronic giving or try to make catch-up contributions with your envelopes in order to get your donation to St. Thecla even when you can t. 2) Help us spread the word about all that St. Thecla School has to offer. 3) Consider purchasing a brick for the main entrance to our church through our Brick Pavers fund raising project and continue to support all of our parish fund raising efforts. As a parish, we simply cannot afford to run a significant budget deficit for a fifth straight year. The parish endowment balance that funded prior year deficits is exhausted. We must get to the point where we are balancing our annual budget and building a prudent reserve for unexpected expenses or for one-time capital needs. We are confident that with your help we can achieve this goal. We need that help now. We are thankful for your continued generosity and we appreciate your active support for this gift of our parish! The St. Thecla Finance Council members: Alyssa Kupka, Mark McHugh, Paul Schutt and Parish Staff members: Fr. Gene Dyer, Joan Czerlanis, Dan Gargano Budowa naszej przyszlosci przy pomocy cegielek. Prosze rozwazyc kupno cegielek na ulozenie chodnika przed kosciolem. Aplikacja jest na stronie 7. Na cegle moze byc wyryte nazwisko rodziny, ktora zakupi taka cegielke albo nazwisko osoby zmarlej jako pamiatka.wszyskie fundusze z cegielek beda przeznaczone na potrzeby naszej parafii. Wszystkie pytania odnosnie tego projektu moga byc uzyskane w przedsionku naszego kosciola. Dziekujemy. 9
General information Baptisms: 1:00 p.m. on the First and Third Sunday of the month, (in English), Second and Fourth Sunday of the month (in Polish) Baptismal Prep Class: Will be confirmed at time of Registration of the Baptism. Please contact the Parish Office to arrange a Baptism. Marriages: The Pastoral Guidelines for Marriage Preparation for the Archdiocese of Chicago ask that a minimum of 4 months be set aside for personal preparation for marriage. Couples should refrain from setting a firm date or making any other arrangements until after they have met with a parish priest or deacon to discuss marriage plans. Please note that Weddings do not take place during Lent. Bulletin Deadline: All articles must be e-mailed or dropped off at the Parish Office by 10:00 a.m. on Fridays (8 days prior to publication date). Holidays subject to longer lead times. Please e-mail articles to parish@saintthecla.org. Note - articles subject to editing. For more information call Anna at (773) 792-3077. website: www.saintthecla.org How to Become a Catholic: Adults or teenagers interested in receiving the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, or Eucharist) or those who are interested in the Catholic Faith should call the Parish Office for more information about the R.C.I.A. (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). Homebound/Communion Visitations: St. Thecla Church has several ministers of care who can regularly take communion to those in need. Please call the Parish Office to arrange for communion for yourself or a homebound loved one. THANK YOU, BULLETIN ADVERTISERS This bulletin is subsidized completely by those companies whose advertisements appear on the last two pages. If you have the opportunity, you may thank them in the name of our parish by using their products or services. Should you desire to participate as a sponsor of our bulletin, you may contact J.S. Paluch Company at 1-800-566-6170. Want to Register as a Parishioner? Call the Parish Office for more information at 773-792-3077.
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