 Image: Diane Trinh The Blessed Virgin Mary holds special significance at Mary, Mother of God Parish. Not only is she our namesake, but also by saying "yes" and becoming the mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mary provides the perfect example for Christians in following God's will. Every May, we honor Our Blessed Mother through a variety of devotions. Mariam Dearit Our Eritrean community's annual Mariam Dearit celebration was featured in the Chicago Catholic newspaper. Read the article here. May Crownings Every Sunday during the month of May, parishioners host a procession with flowers at the 8 AM Mass at St. Thomas of Canterbury. All three of our churches hosted May Crowning ceremonies on Mother's Day, providing mothers with flowers and a special blessing. Contributing photos: Diane Trinh, Francis Khuc Show Thyself A Mother: A Chicago Catholic Choir Concert Hosted by St. Gregory's Hall Parish cultural center St. Gregory's Hall hosted the Chicago Catholic Choir for a concert in honor of Our Lady. Entitled "Show Thyself a Mother," music featured works by St. Hildegard, Monteverdi, Fux, Dufay, Victoria, Lassus, and our very own composer-in-residence, Kevin Allen. Legion of Mary May Crowning & Picnic The Legion of Mary hosted its annual May Crowning & Picnic at St. Thomas of Canterbury. The morning rain cleared out by 11:30 AM Mass and made for a beautiful afternoon! Contributing photos: Luana Lienhart, OFS Santacruzan St. Gregory the Great celebrated its 39th Santacruzan with Mass, followed by a neighborhood procession and party. The devotion honors the Blessed Virgin Mary, along with St. Helena and her quest to find the True Cross in Jerusalem. Mother's Day Novena
Every May, our Friars offer the opportunity to keep your mother figures in their Mass intentions and personal prayers throughout the nine days leading up to Mother's Day. Click here for information on our upcoming Father's Day novena.  Our Guardian Angels program recently wrapped up its year with a full day retreat to the National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe at Marytown, run by our Conventual Franciscan Friars. Fr. Robert Melnick, OFM Conv. graciously led the retreat. If you're interested in learning about our catechesis community serving people with disabilities, contact the Saint Ita Rectory at 773-561-5343.  Image courtesy Fr. Thomas Fetz, OFM Conv. Friar James Carlo Muzzey, OFM Conv. joined us at the end of May to learn more about parish life as he continues his studies with the Conventuals. Friar James Carlo was born in Germany with U.S. citizenship, thanks to his father. He has lived in the United States since 2006 and previously served in the National Guard, as a firefighter, and in healthcare. He also has been known to post beer reviews on YouTube! Friar James Carlo will be with us through August. Be sure to introduce yourself if you see him around. Q: You’re originally from Germany. How did you end up coming to the U.S.? A: I was actually a firefighter in Germany on a volunteer basis and I couldn't find a big future for myself. One day, I checked plane tickets and found one for $100 to Florida. I was like, “I'm out.” And then just left. I came to try [it out]. If I didn't like it, I'd move back. Q: How do you go from firefighter to Conventual Franciscan friar? A: I was working in a hospital in Michigan when one of my patients passed away. Something inside told me, I need to pray the Hail Mary. I went to Mass the following weekend and asked [God], “Hey, give me a sign. Are you trying to tell me something?” And then for some weird reason, I had this urge to watch Mass on EWTN on TV. The priest was talking about how to listen to “the call” – how do you listen to your vocation? Then I admitted, it’s not a coincidence. Q: Why did you choose the Conventual Franciscans? A: I was a fireman for 20-plus years. I love helping people. And if I can bring faith to it, I would love to. What I've experienced before I came to the Franciscans, I realized being a Franciscan is exactly what I want. I looked at other religious orders, too, but sometimes you have this feeling like that is where you belong. When I reached out to the Franciscans for the first time, I had never understood the difference between the Capuchins, the OFMs, and us. One thing that stuck to me first and foremost was how welcoming the Conventuals are. It was like, "Hey, no harm, no fault is given. Let's talk, have a conversation and see where it goes." Then from our conversations, going and visiting Marytown, I just fell in love there. Q: You’re here through August. What do you hope to accomplish in that time? A: Right now I’m between semesters, studying down in San Antonio, Texas. My summer assignment was coming here and it's my first experience being part of a parish. [I'm] getting to know the ins and outs of daily life in the parish and what it is to be a friar in a parish. Day to day, I will be helping out in all the ministries, like the Soup Kitchen and Food Pantry and hospitality group – being active with them, getting to know the people, especially the people we serve. Q: You post beer reviews on YouTube? A: Well, I haven't worked on one since I came to the friars! It was actually during COVID time, you know, being German. It seemed like a good way starting to learn how to do video editing. My channel is not big. I've learned so much over the time on how to make videos. I would like to make it a hobby or something; maybe, God willing, do something faith-based. -------------------------- Presentamos al Fraile James Carlo Muzzey, OFM Conv., que nos visitaEl Fraile James Carlo Muzzey, OFM Conv., se unió a nosotros a finales de mayo para conocer mejor la vida parroquial mientras continúa sus estudios con los conventuales. El Fraile James Carlo nació en Alemania y tiene la ciudadanía estadounidense gracias a su padre. Vive en Estados Unidos desde 2006 y anteriormente prestó servicio en la Guardia Nacional, como bombero y en la atención médica. ¡También es conocido por publicar opiniones de cervezas en YouTube! El Fraile James Carlo estará con nosotros hasta agosto. No duden en presentarse si lo ven por aquí.
P: Eres originario de Alemania. ¿Cómo acabaste viniendo a Estados Unidos? R: En realidad era bombero voluntario en Alemania y no veía un gran futuro para mí allí. Un día, busqué boletos de avión y encontré uno por $100 a Florida. Pensé: «Me largo». Y me fui sin más. Vine a probar suerte. Si no me gustaba, volvería. P: ¿Cómo pasaste de ser bombero a Fraile Franciscano Conventual? R: Estaba trabajando en un hospital de Míchigan cuando falleció uno de mis pacientes. Algo dentro de mí me dijo que tenía que rezar el Ave María. Fui a Misa el fin de semana siguiente y le pregunté [a Dios]: «Oye, dame una señal. ¿Estás intentando decirme algo?». Y entonces, por alguna extraña razón, sentí la necesidad de ver la Misa en EWTN por la tele. El sacerdote hablaba de cómo escuchar «la llamada»: ¿cómo se escucha la vocación? Entonces admití que no era una coincidencia. P: ¿Por qué elegiste a los Franciscanos Conventuales? R: Fui bombero durante más de veinte años. Me encanta ayudar a la gente. Y si puedo aportar la fe a ello, me encantaría hacerlo. Por lo que había vivido antes de llegar a los Franciscanos, me di cuenta de que ser Franciscano es exactamente lo que quiero. También miré otras órdenes religiosas, pero a veces tienes esa sensación de que ese es el lugar al que perteneces. Cuando me puse en contacto con los Franciscanos por primera vez, nunca había entendido la diferencia entre los Capuchinos, los OFM y nosotros. Lo que más me llamó la atención desde el principio fue lo acogedores que son los Conventuales. Era como: «Oye, no pasa nada, no se te culpa de nada. Hablemos, tengamos una conversación y veamos a dónde nos lleva». Luego, a partir de nuestras conversaciones y de la visita a Marytown, simplemente me enamoré de ese lugar. P: Estarás aquí hasta agosto. ¿Qué esperas lograr en ese tiempo? R: Ahora mismo estoy entre semestres, estudiando en San Antonio, Texas. Mi tarea de verano era venir aquí y es mi primera experiencia formando parte de una parroquia. Estoy conociendo los entresijos de la vida cotidiana en la parroquia y lo que significa ser un Fraile en una parroquia. Día a día, ayudaré en todos los ministerios, como la Cocina de Sopa, la Despensa de Alimentos y el grupo de hospitalidad, participando activamente con ellos y conociendo a la gente, especialmente a las personas a las que servimos. P: ¿Subes revisiones de cervezas a YouTube? R: Bueno, ¡no he hecho ninguna desde que llegué a la comunidad de Frailes! En realidad, fue durante la pandemia, ya sabes, como soy alemán. Me pareció una buena forma de empezar a aprender a editar vídeos. Mi canal no es muy grande. He aprendido mucho con el tiempo sobre cómo hacer vídeos. Me gustaría convertirlo en un hobby o algo así; quizá, si Dios quiere, hacer algo relacionado con la fe. There will be no Held in God's Care session this Thursday, May 28. The program is ending as organizers have determined it has met its objectives. Thank you to the St. Vincent de Paul Society and Deacon Paul Spalla for leading the monthly sessions, connecting parishioners with financial and health resources in our geographic area. Deacon Paul also led discussions on important but often overlooked topics, including choosing a health care agent, or someone who can speak on your behalf if you are ever unable to do so. Anyone seeking assistance can download & print the PDF below. Booklets are also available in the back of church. Contact the St. Vincent de Paul Society: [email protected] On May 17, parish cultural center St. Gregory's Hall hosted our friends from the Chicago Catholic Choir for a concert at St. Gregory the Great. The group was led by composer-in-residence Kevin Allen and performed works by St. Hildegard, Monteverdi, Fux, Dufay, Victoria, Lassus, and Allen himself. Entitled “Show Thyself a Mother,” the beautiful music explored on God’s decision to take flesh through the Virgin Mary. Thank you to everyone who donated blood at Sunday’s Red Cross blood drive, coordinated by our Knights of Columbus chapter. Organizers had set a goal of 40 units, and we collected 46 – plus 8 Power Red units! A big thanks to our Knights for coordinating.
Our annual food reclamation partnership with Loyola University is officially underway! Every year from Spring through the Fall, volunteers from Loyola help recover extra food from local farmers markets. These photos are from a recent trip to the Uptown Farmers Market. All of the recovered food is donated to the Food Pantry. We've already received multiple hauls this month - thank you to all who have assisted! We need your help at the Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen - get involved! READ MORE: Food Pantry Sees Record Use in 2025 📸: Br. Ayub Mwenda, OFM Conv.
After that I graduated from the Missouri School of Journalism and worked as a reporter in Bloomington, IN. At the urging of my now-wife, I moved back home and was hired at WGN. Why did you pursue a position with the Church? The short answer: praying the Rosary will change your life! My Catholic faith has always been important, but it wasn’t until Lent last year that I really put it front and center. Instead of giving something up, I figured, “Why not give my time to God?” Meditations on the Rosary eventually led me to volunteer as a lector and extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. After a few months, I began to wonder…why just Sundays? What excites you about the opportunity? What are you most looking forward to? I believe Mary, Mother of God Parish can be a model for the rest of the Archdiocese. Not many parishes offer Masses in multiple rites and languages. The Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen are filling real needs as they experience record use. St. Gregory’s Hall provides Catholic cultural programming you can't find anywhere else. And no other parish can boast a tabernacle donated by the owners of the Chicago Bears! Recent reports have shown significant surge in people looking to join the Catholic Church. I want to keep that momentum going here on the Far North Side by highlighting the unique ministries, churches and congregations that call Mary, Mother of God home. So..if you have an idea for a video, blog or bulletin article, don’t hesitate to reach out. I am excited to get to work! Email Mitch Quizás hayan notado una cara nueva en nuestras iglesias estas últimas semanas. Mitch Legan ha sido contratado como el nuevo coordinador de comunicaciones de la Parroquia María, Madre de Dios. Su experiencia laboral previa incluye el trabajo como reportero para emisoras afiliadas a NPR/PBS en Indiana, así como la redacción y producción de noticiarios para WGN-TV. Mitch se incorporó al equipo a finales de marzo con el objetivo de seguir desarrollando las comunicaciones de la parroquia, especialmente el contenido audiovisual y digital.
¿Eres feligrés de María, Madre de Dios? ¿De dónde eres? Actualmente soy feligrés de San Miguel en Old Town. Soy originario de Riverside, Illinois. Crecí yendo a la iglesia y a la escuela primaria de Santa María y tuve la suerte de continuar mi educación en el instituto Fenwick de Oak Park. Después de eso, me gradué en la Escuela de Periodismo de Missouri y trabajé como reportero en Bloomington, Indiana. A instancias de mi ahora esposa, volví a casa y me contrataron en WGN. ¿Por qué buscaste un puesto en la Iglesia? La respuesta corta: ¡rezar el rosario te cambiará la vida! Mi fe católica siempre ha sido importante, pero no fue hasta la Cuaresma del año pasado cuando realmente la puse en primer plano. En lugar de renunciar a algo, pensé: «¿Por qué no dedicar mi tiempo a Dios?». Las meditaciones del rosario me llevaron finalmente a ofrecerme como voluntario como lector y ministro extraordinario de la Sagrada Comunión. Al cabo de unos meses, empecé a preguntarme… ¿por qué solo los domingos? ¿Qué es lo que más te ilusiona de esta oportunidad? ¿Qué es lo que más esperas? Creo que la parroquia de María, Madre de Dios, puede ser un modelo para el resto de la archidiócesis. No hay muchas parroquias que ofrezcan Misas en distintos ritos e idiomas. La Dispensa de Alimentos y la Cocina de Sopa están cubriendo necesidades reales, ya que registran una afluencia sin precedentes. El salón San Gregorio ofrece una programación cultural católica que no se encuentra en ningún otro sitio. ¡Y ninguna otra parroquia puede presumir de tener un sagrario donado por los propietarios de los Chicago Bears! Informes recientes han mostrado un aumento significativo de personas que desean unirse a la Iglesia católica. Quiero mantener ese impulso aquí, en el extremo norte de la ciudad, destacando los ministerios, iglesias y congregaciones únicos que tienen su hogar en María, Madre de Dios. Así que... si tienes alguna idea para un vídeo, un blog o un artículo para el boletín, no dudes en ponerte en contacto conmigo. ¡Estoy deseando ponerme manos a la obra! Enviar email a Mitch  On May 2, the Chicago Catholic newspaper visited St. Thomas of Canterbury church for our annual Mariam Dearit celebration. Catholics in Eritrea have a special connection to the Blessed Mother through the Mariam Dearit Shrine, which houses a bronze statue of the Virgin Mary inside the trunk of an ancient baobab tree. Every year, our Eritrean community hosts its own festival, starting with Mass in the ancient Ge'ez Rite.
Read the Chicago Catholic article here - learn more about the holiday & the unique history of our Eritrean community! Click here for highlights of previous celebrations.  Our Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen are busier than ever. Thank you to Loyola University student volunteer leader Emma Marfia, who is key in helping us meet this demand. Emma brings groups of students to assist at the Soup Kitchen each Tuesday. We asked Emma what inspires her to help with our Outreach Ministries:
How did you become a volunteer? I started coming to the Soup Kitchen during my freshman year of college through Loyola's Community Service and Action program (CSA). I continued to show up and volunteer for the people especially. Both my fellow volunteers and the wonderful guests of the Soup Kitchen, getting to talk to them each week was one of my favorite parts of the week. I came to the Soup Kitchen looking for a few friends and have found a whole community. I've been volunteering at the Soup Kitchen for about a year and a half now and it is still one of my favorite parts of the week! Why is volunteering important to you? When I first started volunteering it was because I wanted to make a difference in the Chicago community and hopefully make a few friends with my fellow Loyola volunteers. Over time my reason for volunteering changed, it became less about feeling good about myself and more about the people I was actually serving. As I got the chance to know so many of the wonderful and kind guests, volunteering became important to me because of all the good it was doing for them. Every week all I do is show up and so often the guests will thank me for being there. What seems like such a simple part of my weekly routine means the world to them and that makes volunteering at the kitchen so meaningful to me. What is your favorite part of volunteering? My favorite part of volunteering is for sure the community found at the Soup Kitchen. If it wasn't evident by now I believe the people truly are what make the place. Throughout my volunteer time I've met so many other wonderful volunteers, some that have stayed and many that have come and gone yet it is evident the passion for service that everyone has. So many of the regular Church Parishioner Volunteers have been some of the best mentors I've had and are just so kind, welcoming, and fun to talk to. The guests have also been a highlight of my volunteer experience as I've been able to get to know them and they've gotten to know me. It is such a special feeling to know even when someone who only sees you an hour a week still cares about you and your life so much. Every week I look forward to catching up with everyone at the Soup KItchen and hearing about their lives. Is there anything about Soup Kitchen that others should know? I think it is just important to know that you do not need a reason to be at the Soup Kitchen! Whether you are a volunteer or a guest everyone has their own reasons for showing up. Yet everyone is always so welcomed at the Soup Kitchen whether you're a new visitor or a veteran of the Soup Kitchen, the atmosphere is just so welcoming and warm. Whether you're looking for a hot and hearty meal, a community, or just a place to relax, the soup kitchen has something to offer for everyone! Visit our Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen page to get involved. |
