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As part of the parish's celebration of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Pet Blessings were offered at all three churches on Saturday, October 7. Parishioners brought dogs, cats and even a rooster to be blessed in honor of St. Francis who is the Patron Saint of animals. St. Thomas of CanterburySt. Gregory the GreatSaint ItaPhotos courtesy: Kitty Welter, Mark Franzen, Carmela Dumas, & Br. Tarcisius
“To ritually revisit the story of Francis’ passing is vital; without it something significant is missing. It specifies the living memory of Francis; it intensifies our commitment to follow Christ in the way of the poor man of Assisi.”  On Tuesday, October 3, our parish celebrated the vigil of St. Francis of Assisi’s death which is called the Transitus. The word comes from Latin meaning passage or crossing. Remembering the passing of St. Francis from this life into God is an important part of Franciscan spirituality. The Conventual Franciscan Friars and Secular Franciscans from our parish along with the Franciscans of the Eucharist welcomed everyone to join them in celebrating this special evening at Saint Ita church! Honoring the death of their founding father with special readings and music is a tradition unique of the Franciscan order. Throughout the evening, the lights in the church dimmed until there was almost complete darkness. The final candle left represented the life of St. Francis. In closing, participants were invited to light a small votive candle from that candle and lay it next to the habit representing St. Francis. This symbolized the message of St. Francis living on in all of us. It was a beautiful and solemn ceremony. Click below to see images from the evening.  Each year, the Archdiocese of Chicago bestows the Christifideles Award upon an individual Catholic layperson who has demonstrated by dedication in parish life, the calling of the laity to full participation in the Church and her ministries. This year, our recipient is Yasha Hookens, a long-time parishioner of Mary, Mother of God Parish. She has been on our parish pastoral council since December 2021. Yasha volunteers her time around the parish by ushering, lectoring, leading Lenten Stations of the Cross and helping with Tastes of Summer, our Guardian Angels Religious Education program for those with disabilities, and so much more! The award ceremony took place on Sunday, October 1 at Holy Name Cathedral. Photographs courtesy: Fr. Alejandro Lopez, OFM Conv. & Servillano Layug
On Sunday, October 1, our parish hosted its annual Nigerian Independence Anniversary Mass. Honored guest Fr. Stan Chu Ilo celebrated the Mass which took place at 10:30 AM at Saint Ita church. Highlights of the service included echoing drums from the choir loft, a procession of bright colors and patterns as the entire Nigerian community brought up the bread and wine offering, and Fr. Stan’s homily which expressed the beauty and challenges of Nigeria. After Mass, there was a party downstairs in Jubilee Hall with tasty and fragrant Nigerian food. No one was left hungry! MassReceptionPhotos courtesy: Carmela Dumas & Stephanie Held
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