 The Knights of Columbus council at Mary Mother of God Parish (16733 - Saint Frances Cabrini Council) have two items to share with us all:
We thank the Knights of Columbus for their service and dedication to our faith community. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Knights of Columbus, you can learn more here. We will receive five new auxiliary bishops this month. Pope Francis named Bishops-elect Timothy J. O’Malley, Lawrence J. Sullivan, José María Garcia-Maldonado, Robert M. Fedek and John S. Siemianowski, all archdiocesan priests, to assist Cardinal Cupich in the administration and pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The episcopal ordination of our new bishops-elect will take place on Wednesday, February 26, at 2 PM at Holy Name Cathedral. Due to space limitations, this will be an invitation-only event at the Cathedral. However, the ordination will be livestreamed on the Archdiocesan YouTube channel. Please continue to pray for our bishops-elect and the parishes and ministries in which they will soon be serving.   Hello from Vietnam! I am doing well, thanks be to God. Everything is different: the language, the culture, the heat (it's currently 90° F)! The people here are teaching me so much about language, hospitality, prayer, and trusting God's love. I miss you all and am praying for you and the parish daily. Please keep me in your prayers and know that I'll be back before you know it! Yours in Christ, -Fr. Thomas Gửi lời chào từ Việt Nam đến anh chị em! Cha rất khỏe, tạ ơn Chúa. Mọi thứ ở đây đều khác biệt: ngôn ngữ, văn hóa, và cả thời tiết – bây giờ đang 33°C, rất nóng! Người Việt Nam dạy cha rất nhiều: về tiếng Việt, lòng hiếu khách, đời sống cầu nguyện, và lòng tin vào tình yêu của Chúa. Cha luôn nhớ anh chị em và hàng ngày vẫn cầu nguyện cho anh chị em cũng như toàn thể giáo xứ. Xin anh chị em cũng cầu nguyện cho cha, và hãy nhớ rằng cha sẽ sớm trở về nhà! Trong Chúa Kitô, -Cha Tôma ¡Hola desde Vietnam! Estoy bien, gracias a Dios. Todo es diferente: el idioma, la cultura, el calor (¡hace 90° F en este momento!). La gente de aquí me está enseñando mucho sobre el idioma, la hospitalidad, la oración y la confianza en el amor de Dios. Los echo de menos y rezo a diario por ustedes y por la parroquia. Por favor, manténgame presente en sus oraciones y sepan que estaré de vuelta antes de que se den cuenta. Suyo en Cristo, -P. Thomas  On Sunday, Franciscan Conventual Friar Fr. Peter Otieno Onyango gave a presentation about Catholic life in Kenya for Black History Month. In Jubilee Hall, Fr. Peter shared with us stories from his home country and explained some of the different ways Kenyan's worship and celebrate the liturgy of Sunday Mass. He also answered questions from attendees at the end of the presentation. We would like to thank Fr. Peter for helping us learn more about our sisters and brothers in Christ over in Kenya.  Meet the newest face around our parish and member of the local Conventual Franciscan community, Fr. Peter Otieno Onyango, OFM Conv. Fr. Peter comes to us from Kenya by way of Detroit. Get to know him a little bit better and see what work he’ll be doing around the parish during his short time with us!
What drew you to the Franciscans? The poverty and simplicity expressed in the life of St. Francis plus the friars who had begun serving at my home parish. Where were you before coming to Mary, Mother of God Parish? I served in Kenya as an assistant to a parish priest (in Meru Diocese), and in the United States I have been providing assistance at St. Linus and St. Anselm parishes in Michigan. What will you be doing here at the parish? I will be assisting the pastor while Fr. Thomas is away by saying Masses until next month (March 19th). What are some of the things you enjoy in your spare time? Reading and learning how to play the guitar.  The 2025 Annual Catholic Appeal offers us the opportunity to support parish spiritual renewal efforts, scholarships for Catholic schools, and our catechetical leaders and faith formation programs. Your gift brings hope to so many throughout our city and right here at Mary, Mother of God Parish – we received financial support from Catholic Relief Services for our Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen. The parish counts on your generosity to meet our goal of $55,126. When the contributions exceed the goal, the parish receives a rebate. This means any money raised over our goal, will come directly back to the parish for our use. Whether you have responded to the Annual Catholic Appeal mailing from Cardinal Cupich, returned an envelope from the back of church, or made a gift online at annualcatholicappeal.com, thank you for your contribution. Together we bring hope!  La Campaña Católica Anual 2025 nos ofrece la oportunidad de apoyar los esfuerzos de renovación espiritual de la parroquia, las becas para las escuelas católicas y nuestros líderes catequéticos y programas de formación en la fe.
Su donación brinda esperanza a muchas personas en nuestra ciudad y aquí mismo en la parroquia María, Madre de Dios: recibimos apoyo financiero de Catholic Relief Services para nuestra despensa de alimentos y comedor de beneficencia. La parroquia cuenta con su generosidad para alcanzar nuestra meta de $55,126. Cuando las contribuciones exceden la meta, la parroquia recibe un reembolso. Esto significa que cualquier dinero recaudado por encima de nuestra meta regresará directamente a la parroquia para nuestro uso. Ya sea que haya respondido al correo de la Campaña Católica Anual del Cardenal Cupich, haya devuelto un sobre desde la parte posterior de la iglesia o haya hecho una donación en línea en annualcatholicappeal.com, gracias por su contribución. ¡Juntos brindamos esperanza! On Saturday, February 22, seven of our children’s choir members participated in the Pueri Cantores Choir Festival at Holy Name Cathedral. Pueri Cantores in an International nonprofit and is the official student choral organization of the Catholic Church. Over 200 children from Illinois and nearby states came to rehearse and sing for the evening Mass at the Cathedral. They were joined by celebrant Fr. Dan Korenchan and guest conductor, Anna Doering, an active vocal educator, performer, and conductor in the Great Lakes Bay region, cantor and sacristan at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Midland, MI. It was truly an uplifting and inspiring experience of Holy Mass and we are so proud of those who participated. Congratulations! El sábado 22 de febrero, siete de los miembros de nuestro coro infantil participaron en el Festival de Coros Pueri Cantores en la Catedral del Santo Nombre.
Pueri Cantores es una organización internacional sin fines de lucro y es la organización coral estudiantil oficial de la Iglesia Católica. Más de 200 niños de Illinois y estados cercanos acudieron a ensayar y cantar en la Misa vespertina en la Catedral. A ellos se unieron el celebrante, el Padre Dan Korenchan, y la directora invitada, Anna Doering, activa educadora vocal, intérprete y directora en la región de la Bahía de los Grandes Lagos, cantora y sacristana de la Parroquia del Santísimo Sacramento en Midland, Michigan. Fue una experiencia verdaderamente inspiradora y edificante la Santa Misa, y estamos muy orgullosos de quienes participaron. ¡Felicitaciones!  All parish offices will be closed on Monday, February 17 in honor of the Presidents' Day holiday.
Todas las oficinas parroquiales estarán cerradas el lunes 17 de febrero en honor al feriado del Día de los Presidentes.  Every hoodie is more than clothing - it is a symbol of hope, community, and care. Proceeds support our Soup Kitchen and Outreach Programs, helping us:
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