Archives
and Reference
Blessing
of Pets ,
Parish Picnic-2008 , Feast of
St. Germaine
,
Communion Rite , Postures , Ministry
of Care , Liturgical News , Estate Planning , Called and Gifted Ministry , Liturgy Committee , Dorothy
Binder Scholarship
BLESSING OF ANIMALS
On October 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, a special
ceremony was held to bless the "animal companions" of St. Germaine
parish. Pictures from the event are below. Click on each picture for a
larger view. BACK
TO TOP
ST. GERMAINE PARISH PICNIC
Our annual parish picnic will be held on
Sunday, August 17, 2008. raffle tickets are available at the Parish
Center (9711 S Kolin Ave) and the donation is $50.00. The
FIRST
PRIZE in the big St. Germaine Parish
Raffle is $15,000, Second Prize is $5,000 and Thirs Prize is $2,500.There
will be only 1,000 tickets sold. In the evenet that all tickets are not
sold, an equivalent proportion of all monies will be awarded.
Remember to get your tickets in by July 20th for a chance at the early bird prizes. All proceeds
from the raffle benefit our School and the Holy Name Society. Special
thanks to all the people behind the scenes who work so hard. These
anonymous heroes deserve much praise. Next year -- even
more fun! Pictures
from previous year's
picnic are now available. BACK
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MILLENIUM STATUE
“Our Lady of the New
Millennium,”
It is a
special gift of Fran 
Demma to our
parish in honor of her good friends
Alfio Bottari and Diana Canino, who were married at St. Germaine on
July 10. During her visit we
scheduled the opportunity for outdoor prayer,
devotions, and evening Mass. The gleaming 33 foot tall stainless steel
statue of
Mary was
commissioned by the late Carl Demma of St. Germaine Parish, and
completed in January, 1999. It was Carl’s life-long dream to
honor
Mary the mother of Jesus, and introduce her to a new generation of
young people. His statue has was blessed by Pople John Paul II during
his visit to
St. Louis, and has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people during
its extensive tour of parishes in Chicagoland and throughout the
Midwest. So many people have been touched by her beauty and prayed in
her shadow. Carl would most certainly be happy and proud of what his
statue of Mary
has accomplished. We are sincerely grateful to Fran, his widow, for
carrying forward his mission, and for her generosity in allowing “Our
Lady” to return to St. Germaine. Below are some pictures from the
visit. (Click on image for larger view)
FEAST OF ST.
GERMAINE
This
year, our patron's feast day took place on Sunday, June 15th. A
Commitee led by Marion Krucek wrote a liturgy to St. Germaine that was
celebrated twice daily for 9 consecutive days before the final
celebration at the 12:00pm Mass on unday, June 15th. A procession
blessing the Parish vuildings followed the Mass. Germaine’s life
is an inspiration for
anyone who seeks the Lord in difficult or painful circumstances. We are
blessed to have such an example of patience and forgiveness to guide
our parish in the way of Christ. 
When
Fr. Walter
Sheridan was looking for a patron saint in whom to entrust his newly
founded parish, he made a truly inspired choice: St. Germaine du
Pibrac.
Germaine never wrote a book, did not found a religious order, never led
an army, performed no public miracles, never went to school, and was
unknown outside her small town. Yet never did a more remarkable and
admirable saint grace the earth. Her humble obedience to God, her
willingness to suffer patiently, her ability to forgive, her devotion
to the Eucharist, her faithfulness and simplicity are an inspiration to
all who seek to use our simple gifts in the service of the Lord. For over forty years her gentle spirit has guided the life
of
this parish family. As humbly as
Germaine lived, she must have been pleased and honored by those who
celebrated her feast day. Read more about St.
Germaine
Cousin du Pibrac. BACK
TO TOP
COMMUNION RITE
We offer communion under the forms of both bread
and wine at every liturgy. Gathered as a community around the table of the Lord, it is
the
Body and Blood of Jesus that we receive. Each time we receive communion
it is a personal encounter with Christ. Our posture and manner of
receiving
the bread and wine need to reflect such an encounter.
The very act of “receiving” the Eucharist,
whether in
the hand or on the tongue, implies that the priest or minister gives it
to the communicant. The most appropriate posture for receiving “in the
hand” is to cup both hands together at chest height. It is not
appropriate
to take the host from the hand of the minister (unless, perhaps, you
are
holding a small child.)
When drinking from the cup, take it from the priest or
minister and hold it firmly in both hands. After drinking from it,
return
it to the priest or minister. The practice of “intinction,” where one
dips
the host into the cup, is not appropriate.
A strong “Amen” is the proper response to the communion
minister’s “Body of Christ” or “Blood of Christ.” We are people called
to be the presence of God to our families, our workplaces, our world.
May
our reception of this sacrament nourish us well and be an outward sign
of our faith. BACK
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OUR BODIES JOIN IN PRAISE:
Mass is more than words; our whole body is involved in our
greatest act
of praise and thanks to God. We stand, we sit, we bow, we kneel, we
raise our hands to heaven, we process, we cup one hand within the other
to receive the Eucharist, we take hold of a cup to drink. Why? Standing
is a sign of respect.
We stand when someone important enters the room, or when we meet a
person. So it's natural that we stand to show respect for the gathered
assembly or the gospel. We stand to show respect when we ask God for
the needs of the world and church in the prayers of the faithful, and
we stand ready to be part of God's answer to those prayers.
We stand to eat and drink the Eucharist because we are pilgrims on the
road to the promised land, taking nourishment on the way. Similarly we
sit in order to listen better. And we kneel because kneeling is what a
servant does, and we are God's servants.
Posture is an important part of our prayer as Catholics. Let us stand,
sit and kneel with care.
BACK
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FROM THE
MINISTRY OF CARE
A new federal law has gone into effect to protect the
privacy
of patients in hospitals and nursing homes. Although I understand and
respect
the need for privacy, this makes it difficult for us to minister to our
parishioners. If you or someone you know is admitted to Little Company
of Mary or Christ Hospital, the patient or a family member must tell
the
hospital if they want us to be notified. If you or someone you know is
admitted to any other hospital and you want us to be notified, the
patient
or a family member must notify us directly. If you or someone you know
enters a rehab facility after a hospital stay and you want us to be
notified,
the patient or a family member must notify us directly. If you
are
aware of any parishioners who have recently moved to a retirement or
nursing
home, please notify me. We would like to keep in touch with these
parishioners even if they relocate far from St. Germaine. Your help in
this matter is greatly appreciated!
Kath Rimac 636-6647 BACK TO TOP
LITURGICAL NEWS
The expectations for the worshipping assembly can be summarized
very simply: Singing, Silence, and Reverence.
Singing: The General Instruction places a great deal of
importance on music and singing in the celebration of Mass. It is the
primary way that a group of people rejoices and prays with one voice,
and singing must be a part of every Mass, especially Sundays and
Holy Days.
Silence: Enough quiet time must be allowed during the liturgy to
prepare our hearts for prayer and a deeper awareness of God’s presence.
We will spend a few moments before each Mass in silent prayer, between
the Scripture readings, and following Communion.
Reverence: As a sign of reverence before receiving the Body and
Blood of Christ, each communicant is to make a simple bow of the head
as he/she stands before the minister of Communion. This simple gesture
unifies us in our visible respect for the Bread of Life and the Cup of
Salvation.
The people of St. Germaine are encouraged to pray the Mass well -- to
sing from our hearts, to find peace deep within, and to stand together
in reverence and awe of the love of God poured out for us in Jesus
Christ. It is in our celebration of the Eucharist together that we
become the family of God’s people, the Body of Christ. BACK
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ESTATE PLANNING
Some time ago, Dan Farrell and Ed Pierucci made
an excellent presentation on the basics of estate planning here
at St. Germaine. Despite inclement weather, many people took the
opportunity to come, listen, and ask questions.
Part of the presentation involved charitable bequests. If you wish to
make such a bequest, below are some suggestions on the language you can
use in your will or living trust.
There are also suggestions on how you can arrange to leave proceeds of
a bank account, an IRA, or an annuity or insurance policy to St.
Germaine Church or School. What a great way to carry on the work of
this parish family, help future generations of Catholics, and thank
those who built our church and school.
CHARITABLE BEQUESTS
The following is suggested language to be used for a charitable gift to
a charitable organization:
I. Specific Bequests:
I give, devise and bequeath the sum of
$__________ to St Germaine Church, Oak Lawn, Illinois for its
general charitable purposes. or
I give, devise and bequeath the sum of
$__________ to St Germaine School, Oak Lawn, Illinois for its general
charitable purposes.
II. A percentage of estate:
I give the rest, residue and remainder of my estate as follows:
Ten per cent (10%) to St. Germaine Church,
Oak Lawn, Illinois for its general charitable purposes.
III An IRA, bank account, annuity or brokerage firm account:
If you wish to give a specific IRA or annuity to the Church or the
School, you should make St. Germaine Church or School the designated
beneficiary. If you wish to give a bank account or brokerage account to
the Church or the School, make the account "payable on death to St.
Germaine Church, Oak Lawn, IL or hold it in your name “as trustee for
St. Germaine Church" or make it a joint tenancy account: "Jane Doe and
St. Germaine Church (School) as joint tenants with right of
survivorship". BACK
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CALLED AND GIFTED LAY MINISTRY
Are
you interested in following in the footsteps of the 14 parishioners*
who are graduates of the Called and Gifted Lay Ministry Program?
Information is available online at the Lay Ministry website or at 847-837-4554. You can also call Carol Conway at 708-636-5060.
The two-year Lay Ministry Program has been a great blessing for the
Church of Chicago and for our parish. It has helped participants to
deepen their spirituality and develop leadership potential through a
program of Scripture study, Church history and doctrine, sacraments,
communication, and formation in faith.
Graduates of the program make a two-year commitment of service to their
parish in a wide area of ministries, including RCIA, adult enrichment,
evangelization, liturgy, and youth service.
The grads are: Marci Batsakis, Cindy Brejcha, Lorraine Bujan, Mary Anne
Cannon, Carol Conway, and Rob
Kaczmark.
They follow in the footsteps of seven parishioners who are recent
graduates of the Lay Ministry Program: Cyndi Brejcha, Joe Gonzalez,
Tom Hamilton, Rob Kaczmark, Louise Murray, Carol Ruzich, Kathy Rolenc, Ed Shilney, Don Stanner, and Rosemary
Semrau. BACK
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LITURGY COMMITTEE
The liturgy committee meets quarterly to facilitate ongoing
communication
between the various ministries that participate in the celebration of
parish
liturgies; to provide education and information about liturgy and
worship
for committee members and for the members of St. Germaine; and to
provide
planning for the major feasts and seasons of the Litugical Year.
Those interested in becoming members should contact Carol Conway at the
Parish
Center. BACK TO TOP
DOROTHY BINDER MEMORIAL
SCHOLARSHIP
Friends of Dr. Dorothy Binder, who died in July 2003,
will be happy to learn that Saint Xavier University is creating a
memorial to honor her as an outstanding teacher and counselor. Members
of St. Germaine Parish remember her, as well, as a devoted
counselor and minister to the ill and homebound. On Thursday, June 17,
2004, a Memorial Service was held with a late
afternoon
Eucharist in McDonough Chapel at Saint Xavier University. At the
Reception that followed, there were tributes to
Dr. Binder and the announcement of a scholarship fund as an ongoing
celebration of her legacy. Please pray for blessing on this important
work in God's honor. BACK
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