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Splashes of Spring colors now greet our catechism students at the Monsignor Klasen Building (Memorial Gym). Catechesis of the Good Shepherd showed off its beautiful new artwork following last month's parish social at St. Gregory the Great. Thank you to artists Eva Niewiandomski and Kayla Placencio, who painted the murals for the classrooms.
Interested in enrolling your child in our Montessori-style catechesis? Details: stgregoryhall.org/cgs.html 📸: Mark Franzen, Eva Niewiandomski, & Jonanna Stramel
Alerta: Estafa por correo electrónico dirigida a feligresesLos feligreses han recibido correos electrónicos fraudulentos de alguien que se hace pasar por el P. Alejandro López, solicitándoles que compren tarjetas de regalo. NO respondan a estos mensajes; en su lugar, repórtenlos de inmediato a la parroquia.
Nuestro clero y personal NUNCA solicitarán dinero, tarjetas de regalo ni información personal confidencial por correo electrónico o mensaje de texto. Si reciben un mensaje en el que se les pide hacer esto, llamen de inmediato a la oficina parroquial al 773-561-5343.   Volunteers restocking the Food Pantry on Wednesday afternoon (March 25, 2026). Last year, the Food Pantry at St. Thomas of Canterbury church served 15,119 individuals, the highest number since the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2023, the number of households coming to the pantry has nearly doubled. To keep up with demand, volunteers work diligently every week to pick up donations, stock shelves, and help patrons shop during open hours. “I truly look forward to working at the pantry each week and often plan my schedule around it,” parishioner Donna Donovan said. “The people I volunteer with have become like family. We all work hard toward a common goal, and everyone is so friendly and willing to help one another.”  Br. Donald Thielsen, OFM Conv.; Dennis’ sister Maureen; Aaron Donelson; and Dennis Donelson. Dennis Donelson has been a key member of the Soup Kitchen team for over seven years. For him, the mission is personal. “My late son Aaron was a member of the community that the Soup Kitchen served,” Dennis said. “I felt an obligation to support it with my time and abilities to help pay it forward.” The parish's Soup Kitchen, located at St. Thomas of Canterbury church (4827 N. Kenmore), is open for dinner service from 5:30-6:30 PM on Tuesdays and Fridays. Dennis has fond memories of Aaron helping out in the Soup Kitchen and finding unique ways to use his God-given talents. “He was great to have around to help me keep our guests in line; especially since he was a 6’4” tall mountain of a man,” Dennis said. “He would tell complete strangers that he was the ‘Director of Security’ with a big smile on his face.” Dennis said his favorite part about volunteering is knowing that his efforts are “helping people that are struggling with the challenges of low income, mental health, isolation, and drug or alcohol addictions to stay nourished and cared for.” Ways to Support the Soup Kitchen
You can also read past issues of our parish's outreach newsletter which focuses on Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen located at St. Thomas of Canterbury church.  If you’ve volunteered or eaten at the Soup Kitchen, over the last five years, you can thank Jennifer Franco for her leadership. Since 2020, she made sure the kitchen was stocked and staffed for service every week. “Being the volunteer coordinator was not something I had planned to do, but I felt God had asked me to give it a try,” Jennifer said. “It ended up being one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life.” We extend our heartfelt appreciation to Jennifer and wish her the best in her new endeavors. "The Soup Kitchen is important to our parish on so many levels. Most importantly, it’s a ministry to see Christ and to serve Christ in others — those in need who come for a meal and the volunteers. It also is important because we learn to be Christ to others. In this way, Christ remains the center of our work and mission — bringing us love, joy, and strength.” - Jennifer Franco |
