MARY, MOTHER OF GOD PARISH
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Feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz

9/28/2022

 
The annual parish feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz, this year at  St Gregory the Great.  We thank Father Noel Reyes for being our presider and preacher this year!

September 24: Welcome Back Dinner Dance with the Filipinos of St. Gregory

9/24/2022

 
The Filipinos of St. Gregory held their Welcome Back Dinner Dance on September 24, to benefit church projects at Mary, Mother of God Parish. It was a wonderful evening. Thank you so much to the Filipinos of St. Gregory for all you do!
Picture
Group photo with Franciscans and postulants
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Dinner Dance Organizers - thank you!

Canticle of the Sun Mural Goes Up at Saint Ita

9/23/2022

 
A new art project is going up in the Saint Ita parking lot: a mural inspired by St. Francis of Assisi's Canticle of the Sun.

Designed by Michelle Lytle of The Lytle House and installed by renowned muralist Ryan Tova Katz, the mural draws on imagery from the hymn composed by St. Francis:


All praise be yours, my Lord, through all that you have made,
And first my lord Brother Sun,
Who brings the day; and light you give to us through him.


How beautiful is he, how radiant in all his splendour!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.


All praise be yours my Lord, through Brothers Wind and Air,
And fair and stormy, all the weather's moods...


All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Water,
So useful, lowly, precious and pure.


All praise be yours, my Lord, through Brother Fire,
Through whom you brighten up the night...


All praise be yours my Lord, through Sister Earth, our mother
Who feeds us in her sovereignty...
Lytle approached Fr. Bob Cook, OFM Conv., in 2019 about using the school walls for a mural as a part of the Lytle House Art Initiative, which promotes public art in Edgewater.

Fr. Bob proposed using St. Francis' Canticle of the Sun as the inspiration.  St. Francis, the patron saint of the environment, composed the hymn as a song of praise about the connection of all creation, through God as the creator.

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Rendering by Michelle Lytle
Then the pandemic arrived, and the project stalled.  Earlier this year, the parish procured the bulk of the funding for both tuck pointing the school walls and the cost of the mural.

Lytle then reached out to Katz to see if she had the time. And as it happened, space had just opened up in the artist's schedule, so she started on the mural.


The design itself is simple, but installing it turned out to be anything but easy.

"Everything has been fighting against us on this one," Katz said in an interview on September 21. "Just access [to the wall] because the church is busy, school letting out. I use a projector to project details on surfaces, and I've been trying for the last three nights to do that. Last night we finally had the night, my assistant came, we were going to do it and at 6 PM, it just downpoured. I was just standing out here in the rain ... Yesterday, it was 90 degrees and it was high winds, so it's like all the elements are fighting you."

That is on top of the fact that in terms of square feet, the mural is one of the largest projects Katz has done.

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Thursday, September 15
Picture
Monday, September 19
Part of the logistics of the mural include navigating electric wires, maneuvering the industrial lift, and intense physical labor. Katz ended up purchasing an industrial paint sprayer after spending six hours doing two walls in the darker shade of blue that forms the backdrop for the fire, stars, and moon.

And there's a certain irony that the weather was so inclement when the mural itself is celebrating and appreciating the elements.

"So many things have gone wrong that literally me and Michelle [Lytle] - I don't think either of us are very religious, but we were like: We're going to pray. Because we're working for a church, and if God is around, he must be close by to hear, and maybe he'll make the rain stop!" Katz said.

The mural is nearing completion now. Katz says on her website that: "I want my art to make people look deep into a space, to notice something different every time they see it. I like to take a bold color and place it where it doesn't seem to fit, to give the painting movement."

For her, the Sun on the Saint Ita mural highlights this aspect of her work.

Picture
Tuesday, September 20
Picture
Thursday, September 22 (morning)

"I'm so excited to finish the sun," Katz said. "I was up there for so many hours, and I came down and I was limping. And I turned and I was like 'Oh. That's nice!' The sun is stunning, and I feel like when this green mountain goes in, it's just going to pop. All the colors are making sense, and Michelle's design is just really nice."

Even with the piece in progress, people are taking notice. People just walking by the church have stopped to take in the artwork, and to let Katz know that they are struck by it.

"Whenever you put a huge piece in a neighborhood, everybody just says: Thank you!" Katz said. "The kids [at St. Thomas of Canterbury School] have come out, and their parents, and they keep saying: 'Thank you! It's beautiful!' And I remember why even though I'm tired, I accept it and keep going."

Fr. Robert's 25th Anniversary

9/19/2022

 
On Sunday, September 18, Fr. Robert Melnick, OFM Conv., celebrated his 25th anniversary of ordination with Mass and a reception. Congratulations, Fr. Robert!

Nuestra Señora de la Caridad

9/12/2022

 
El jueves, celebramos a Nuestra Señora de la Caridad, patrona de Cuba. Gracias al P. Julio Lam por presidirla y a la Asociación Cubana por organizarla. 

¡Viva la Virgen! ¡Viva Cuba Libre!
 
On Thursday, September 8, we celebrated Our Lady of Charity, patroness of Cuba. Thank you to Fr. Julio Lam for presiding and the Asociación Cubana for organizing! 
¡Viva la Virgen! ¡Viva Cuba Libre! 

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MARY, MOTHER OF GOD MASS SCHEDULE

ST. ITA CHURCH
​
5500 North Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
773.561.5343

Saturday Vigil: 5:30 PM
Sunday: 8:30 AM, 10:30 AM (live cast and in church), 12:30 PM (Spanish live cast and in church), 5:30 PM
Weekdays and Saturdays: 8:00 AM (live cast and in church)
Mondays through Thursdays: 4:45 PM (Adoration), 5:15 PM (Vespers) and 5:30 PM Mass

Confessions: After daily 8 AM Mass and every Saturday from 3PM - 5PM 
ST. GREGORY THE GREAT CHURCH
5545 North Paulina Street
Chicago, IL 60640
773.561.3546

Saturday Vigil: 4:30 PM
Sunday: 9:30 AM (live cast and in church)
Every second Wednesday: 7 PM (Our Lady of Perpetual Help)


ST. THOMAS OF CANTERBURY CHURCH
​
4827 North Kenmore Avenue
Chicago, IL 60640
773.878.5508
​
Sunday: 8:00 AM (Vietnamese/Lao), 11:30 AM (English)
Weekdays and Saturdays: 8:30 AM
Eucharistic Adoration: All day every Tuesday (9 AM- 7 PM)

Confessions: After daily 8:30 AM Mass 

  • About
    • About the Parish
    • St. Ita Church
    • St. Thomas of Canterbury Church
    • St. Gregory the Great Church
    • Child & Youth Protection
  • Mass & Confessions
  • Sacraments
    • SACRAMENTS
    • FUNERALS
    • WEDDINGS
  • Ministries
  • Education
    • RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
    • CATECHESIS OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD
    • GUARDIAN ANGELS PROGRAM
    • ADULT FAITH FORMATION
    • PARISH SCHOOL
  • Events
    • EVENTS
    • PARISH NEWS
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
  • Soup Kitchen & Food Pantry