|
Check out the parish's digital photo album for Holy Week! (Click "Read More" to see all of the photographs.) You can add your own photos of the celebrations and devotions to the album by emailing them to the parish office.  May the glory and the promise of this joyous time of year bring peace and happiness to you and those you hold most dear. May Christ, Our Risen Savior, always be there by your side to bless you most abundantly and be your loving guide. Amen
In memory of Howard & Lorien Kimlin On Holy Thursday, we again began offering the Precious Blood of Christ (consecrated wine) as a fuller sign of Communion at Mass. Earlier this year, the Filipinos of Mary of God Parish donated the funds to purchase the chalices necessary for the distribution of Precious Blood. The chalices have been engraved in honor of this generous gift.
El sábado 7 de septiembre, la comunidad cubana de la Arquidiócesis de Chicago se reunió para una misa especial con nuestra parroquia en la Iglesia de Sta. Ita para honrar a la Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, la querida patrona de Cuba. Esta celebración en español destacó la influencia perdurable de la Virgen en la fe y el espíritu del pueblo cubano. Los periodistas del "Católico" tuvieron el privilegio de hablar con Delia González, organizadora desde hace mucho tiempo, quien compartió con nosotros el significado de "Cachita" y la fuerza unificadora que brinda a través de la oración. La Hora Católica: Misa y Más https://youtu.be/B2F1TTThyC0 Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre -"símbolo religioso más fuerte, más poderoso que los cubanos tienen." https://youtube.com/shorts/erI0Qo5XvXA Delia González - "está el sentimiento hacia Dios y es la Madre de Dios." https://youtube.com/shorts/l8oYsw5Exuw On Saturday, September 7, the Cuban community of the Archdiocese of Chicago gathered for a special Mass with our parish at St. Ita Church to honor Our Lady of Charity of Cobre, Cuba's beloved patron saint. This Spanish-language celebration highlighted Our Lady's enduring influence on the faith and spirit of the Cuban people. Reporters from the Chicago Catholic had the privilege of speaking with long-time organizer Delia Gonzalez, who shared with us the meaning of "Cachita" and the unifying force it provides through prayer.
Click the links above to watch the videos.
Read below to get to know Kaylee and see what kind of work she will be doing over the next couple of weeks! If you would like to learn more about the parish history project, contact our Communications Coordinator Stephanie Held. What will you be doing for the parish archive? My role is to combine and organize the historical papers and artifacts of St. Ita, St. Gregory the Great, and St. Thomas of Canterbury. I am creating a history room at the Parish Center (next to St. Gregory the Great) where parishioners and community members can access original materials. My job also includes writing a set of guidelines so that items can be used, preserved, and added to the collection in the future. Why should parishioners at Mary, Mother of God Parish be excited about this project? The parishioners are the most important part of this project! As I organize and inventory the collection, my goal is to make this history as accessible as possible. Once the guide to the collection is completed, I highly encourage parishioners to come to the history room and browse the archives. These records are meant to be explored for any reason, be that research or just for fun! What has been the best part of the project so far? Or what are you most looking forward to? The best part of the project so far has been reading about the construction of all three churches! The archives have extremely detailed records of the manufacturers and artisans involved in all parts of the building process, which is not always guaranteed for buildings over 100 years old. If you ever have a question about a stained-glass window, for example, the archives are the place to go. What do you like to do in your spare time? In my free time I like to do fiber arts like crochet and cross stitch, despite the best efforts of my yarn-obsessed cat. The Mary, Mother of God Parish Archive In-Progress
(El Archivo Parroquial de María, Madre de Dios, en marcha)
On April 30, students from Loyola University unveiled their digital history exhibit which explores the legacies of the three parishes – St. Thomas of Canterbury (1916), St. Gregory the Great (1904), and Saint Ita (1900) – which make up our new parish. The students and their professors joined parishioners in Jubilee Hall for the presentation. Students shared highlights from their research which included archival documents, interviews with long-time parishioners, and visits to each of our churches. Attendees also had an opportunity to ask questions and share their own stories. We are very grateful to the students for the time they spent documenting our community’s history and how thoughtfully they treated the project. Soon their final digital exhibit will be ready to share so you can see their work for yourselves! Event Photos*Photos courtesy of volunteer Dina Kwit
"The history of fifty years of Catholic Faith in a large city neighborhood — published by the grateful Parish of St. Gregory the Great, Chicago, Illinois, in joyful celebration of its Golden Jubilee ." In the late Medieval period, St. Thomas of Canterbury was the most famous martyr of the Church—murdered by King Henry III’s knights to “rid him of that meddlesome priest.” Because of this, St. Thomas of Canterbury church has several shrines to martyrs: The Martyrs of Vietnam, of Laos, of Korea, of Japan, San Lorenzo Ruiz of the Philippines, and Friar Casimir Cypher, the Conventual Franciscan priest from Wisconsin murdered in Honduras. To further honor the martyrs of the Church, a Shrine to the Martyrs of England and Wales has been created by Joe Malham of Trinity Icons. The center of the Shrine is a statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, who appeared in England to Lady Richeldis in 1061. A shrine was built on the spot and it became the center of Marian devotion in England—Thomas of Canterbury himself visited on many occasions. As part of the Reformation, Henry VIII destroyed the shrine and statue. In 1897, Pope Leo XIII restored the shrine and had a statue made by the artists of Oberammergau, Germany, based upon images of the original statue. Our statue of Our Lady of Walsingham, also from Oberammergau, is seated upon a shelf supported by two Augustinian friars—the religious Order that served the original Walsingham shrine. A tapestry of St. Margaret’s Brocade (a design of the Tudor period) hangs between the two friars. Beneath Our Lady of Walsingham hangs a print by Daphne Pollen titled “The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales," commissioned as part of the celebration of the martyrs' canonization in 1970. Featured prominently at the center is St. Margaret Clitherow, who was pressed to death for hiding Catholic priests during the persecutions in England, which roughly spanned from 1535-1679. On either side of “The Forty Martyrs of England and Wales” are original paintings by Joe Malham. To the right one finds a portrait of St. Thomas More and St. John Fisher, executed by Henry VIII. They have been described as the “Peter and Paul” of English Catholicism. To the left, one finds St. John Jones (+1598) and St. John Wall (+1678), the two Franciscan friars among the forty martyrs. They were hung, drawn and quartered. Beneath the print and paintings, there is an altar with the risen lamb, bearing the flag of St. George. The wall is painted red to represent the blood of the martyrs, and is adorned with gold Canterbury crosses. Above the shrine are the words “Martyres Anglia et Cambria”—Latin for the Martyrs of England and Wales. Holy Martyrs, pray for us!  |
