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Scenes from the Christmas Party at St. Thomas of Canterbury Soup Kitchen. We hope all of our guests enjoyed this festive dinner. 🎄 Thank you to the volunteers who helped organize, prepare, decorate, and clean up the meal. We are very proud of our parishioners and the parish's St. Vincent de Paul Society for organizing this event.💓 Dear Parishioners, As we come to the close of another year, we thank you for your steadfast partnership during these challenging times. Your generosity has had a profound impact, especially as we addressed urgent needs stemming from the migrant crisis. Your donations of underwear, winter boots, and contributions to our Giving Tree at Christmas last year supported children in shelters and allowed us to extend our outreach to other community programs. In response to growing needs, we also launched the Vincentian Open Arms program, offering free Sewing, ESL, and Home Health Aid classes to help our neighbors build valuable skills. We invite you to join —whether its learning or teaching — to grow together as a community. It is through accompaniment that we can “Be the Face of Christ & See the Face of Christ” in others. This year, we continued our core services, providing rental assistance, medical support, and aid to our unhoused brothers and sisters. Your kindness reflects Christ’s love, and we are blessed by your support. Thank you for journeying with us in this mission of mercy. With deep gratitude, Pam Matambanadzo President, Society of St. Vincent de Paul Mary, Mother of God Parish Click the button below to learn more about the St. Vincent
de Paul Society at Mary, Mother of God Parish. Thank you to Fr. Minh Dinh, SVD for celebrating our parish's Vietnamese Mass on Christmas Day at St. Thomas of Canterbury church. Fr. Thomas, OFM Conv. and Br. Ayub, OFM Conv. were also present. We are also grateful to the Vietnamese choir for setting up the beautiful Christmas creche. It was blessed by Fr. Thomas before the Mass. MARK YOUR CALENDAR!The Vietnamese community of Mary, Mother of God Parish invites everyone to join them for Vietnamese Lunar New Year which will be celebrated on Sunday, February 2 at St. Thomas of Canterbury. Mass is at 8 AM with a reception to follow in the basement social hall of the church.
The presider will be Fr. Bang Cong Tran, SVD and Fr. Alejandro and Fr. Thomas along with some other Vietnamese priests and deacon Jo. Thuan Than will be in attendance. Please join us for this wonderful celebration! Get excited for Jubilee Year 2025, a time of grace, renewal, and celebration for Catholics around the world! This special Jubilee, declared by Pope Francis, calls us to reflect on God’s boundless mercy and embrace our mission to live out the Gospel in everyday life. The theme for this year is Pilgrims of Hope. The Jubilee Year began December 24, 2024 with the Opening of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica. Here in the Archdiocese of Chicago, we will join with the Universal Church in prayer and pilgrimage throughout the year. Cardinal Cupich opened the Jubilee Year locally by celebrating a special Mass at Holy Name Cathedral on December 29, 2024. The Vatican has also launched a cartoon mascot named Luce — which means “light” in Italian — to help get younger Catholics ready for the holy year. Clad in a yellow raincoat and a pilgrim’s cross, Luce’s mission is to guide young pilgrims toward hope and faith with her trusty dog Santino at her side. Shells glimmer in her eyes, recalling the scallop shell of the Camino de Santiago, an emblem of the pilgrimage journey. Read more about Luce and her pilgrim friends here! PRAYER FOR THE JUBILEE YEAR ¡Entusiasmense por el Año Jubilar 2025, un tiempo de gracia, renovación y celebración para los católicos de todo el mundo! Este Jubileo especial, declarado por el Papa Francisco, nos llama a reflexionar sobre la misericordia ilimitada de Dios y abrazar nuestra misión de vivir el Evangelio en la vida cotidiana. El tema de este año es Peregrinos de la Esperanza. El Año Jubilar comenzó el 24 de diciembre de 2024 con la Apertura de la Puerta Santa de la Basílica de San Pedro. Aquí, en la Arquidiócesis de Chicago, nos uniremos a la Iglesia Universal en oración y peregrinación durante todo el año. El Cardenal Cupich inauguró el Año Jubilar a nivel local celebrando una Misa especial en la Catedral del Santo Nombre el 29 de diciembre de 2024. El Vaticano también ha lanzado una mascota de dibujos animados llamada Luce, que significa "luz" en italiano, para ayudar a preparar a los católicos más jóvenes para el año santo. Luce, vestida con un impermeable amarillo y una cruz de peregrino, tiene la misión de guiar a los jóvenes peregrinos hacia la esperanza y la fe, acompañada por su fiel perro Santino. En sus ojos brillan conchas que recuerdan a la concha del Camino de Santiago, un emblema de la peregrinación. Lea más sobre Luce y sus amigos peregrinos aquí. ORACIÓN DEL JUBILEO Las Posadas es una tradición navideña que se celebra en México y otros países de América Latina. Implica cantar canciones tradicionales, recitar oraciones y romper piñatas.🪅 La tradición conmemora el difícil viaje de María y José desde Nazaret hasta Belén en busca de un lugar cálido donde pasar la noche. Celebramos Las Posadas en nuestra parroquia el lunes 23 de diciembre. Los feligreses se reunieron en el Salón del Jubileo de la iglesia de Santa Ita para rezar, cantar y romper la piñata para los niños. ¡Gracias a los voluntarios que organizaron el evento! Las Posadas is a Christmas tradition celebrated in Mexico and other Latin American countries. It involves singing traditional songs, saying prayers, and breaking piñatas. 🍬 The word posadas translates to "lodgings/accommodations" in Spanish and the tradition commemorates Mary and Joseph’s difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of a warm place to stay the night. We celebrated Las Posadas at our parish on Monday, December 23. Parishioners gathered in Jubilee Hall at St. Ita church for prayers, songs, and the piñata for the children. Thank you to the volunteers who organized the event! We continued our preparations for Christmas with the Filipino Advent tradition of Simbang Gabi! Filipino immigrants have proudly introduced this beautiful tradition to the Church in the United States and our parish hosted two nights of Simbang Gabi Masses followed by joyful receptions. December 20: St. Ita churchDecember 21: St. Gregory the Great church |
