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The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven is the bodily taking up of the Virgin Mary into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. This belief is held by the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, and parts of Anglicanism. The Catholic Church teaches as dogma that the Virgin Mary “having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” This doctrine was dogmatically defined by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950. But Pope Pius was not declaring the belief in the Assumption as something new or novel. There is written evidence of the belief as early as the 4th century in text that covers several different languages and a wide geographical dispersion. Teaching of the Assumption of Mary became widespread across the Christian world, having been celebrated liturgically as early as the 5th century in the East. It was celebrated in the West under Pope Sergius I in the 8th century and Pope Leo IV then confirmed the feast as official. Theological debate about the Assumption continued, following the Reformation, climaxing in 1950 when Pope Pius XII defined it as dogma for the Catholic Church. Pope Pius took advantage of modern communications available in his time. He asked bishops worldwide to tell him what the people believed and practiced – the sensus fideum – the sense of the faithful. The dogmatic declaration that the Assumption was part of the “deposit of faith” for all Catholics was just the formal declaration of what the faithful already believed and practiced. *Photos of the 8 AM Mass for the Solemnity on Thursday, August 15 at Saint Ita church courtesy of parish volunteer Dina Kwit.
Bible Study combines reading, DVD presentations and small-group discussions with fellow parishioners. In 2024, we will be studying the Psalms. Please contact Religious Education Coordinator Candido Reyna for more information. Registration is either $38 fee for workbook and online access (includes access to video portion plus digital workbook) or $32 fee for workbook only. To sign up, please download the registration form below, fill it out, and return it to the parish office (1220 W. Catalpa) along with your materials fee. Registration Deadline: August 11, 2024  On Sunday, August 4 we celebrated Fr. Alejandro's 25th anniversary of Religious Life as a Conventual Franciscan. (Fr. Alejandro made his vows on August 11, 1999, at Marytown, the National Shrine of St. Maximilian Kolbe, in Libertyville, IL.) There were receptions after the 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM Mass at Saint Ita church in Jubilee Hall. We hope you all tried some of the cake! We congratulate Fr. Alejandro on this milestone and pray he enjoys another 25 years of health and happiness as a friar. El domingo, 4 de agosto celebramos el 25 aniversario de vida religiosa del P. Alejandro como un franciscano conventual. (P. Alejandro hizo sus votos el 11 de agosto 1999, en Marytown, el Santuario Nacional de San Maximiliano Kolbe, en Libertyville, IL). Hubo recepciones después de las Misas de 10:30 AM y 12:30 PM en la iglesia de Santa Ita en el Salón Jubileo. ¡Esperamos que todos hayan probado el pastel! Felicitamos al P. Alejandro por este memorable acontecimiento y oramos para que disfrute de otros 25 años de salud y felicidad como fraile. Thank you to the parishioners who shared photos of the celebration!
¡Gracias a los feligreses que compartieron fotos de la celebración! |