As the Year of Mercy continues, I hope that our regular Mercy Minutes of quiet reflection at the end of weekend Masses have helped you to make Mercy a priority in your own faith journey. As you may also know, there are seven Spiritual Works of Mercy that provide direct spiritual care and assistance to our fellow world citizens, neighbors, friends, loved ones and even those whom we find hard to love or even serve. Many of our reflections thus far have been rooted in the Corporal Works of Mercy. Corporal means body and the seven works that extend mercy to those in need physically also have tremendous spiritual implications.
We have a new Refugee Resettlement Ministry here at Holy Family, recently approved by the Parish Pastoral Council, which addresses two of the Corporal Works of Mercy, namely Harbor the Harborless (also known as Shelter the Homeless) and Ransom the Captive (also known as Visit the Imprisoned). Sue Geegan, our Director of Human Concerns, has been working very closely with Chicago Catholic Charities, who in turn have been collaborating with the United States Council of Catholic Bishops and the United States government, specifically the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
Every year the United States government admits approximately 80,000 refugees into our country. The Refugee Resettlement Program of Catholic Charities serves approximately 200 of these refugees annually and has been helping them resettle in the Chicagoland area for 35 years. These individuals may seek protection as a result of being translators or contractors with the U.S. military, ethnic minorities, religious minorities and the victims of war.
Refugees in this program go through a very rigorous 12-step process that culminates in being admitted to the United States. Candidates are carefully and fully screened and thoroughly vetted before coming to our country. Our new Holy Family Refugee Resettlement Ministry is working closely with Catholic Charities in sponsoring a young couple from Syria, the Alkrad family who have two boys, ages 3 and 6. Most recently they have lived in a refugee camp in Jordan. Catholic Charities has provided them with an apartment in Rogers Park and we are helping them with $7,500 that assists with rent, food, transportation and other transitional fees. The hope is that they can soon secure employment and become self sufficient. We have also donated furniture from our recent rummage sale for their apartment and will continue to assist in other ways as needed. We are extending a warm Holy Family welcome to the United States for this family as they begin the very basic steps of enculturation to our country and community. We will share more details of their transition as it unfolds. Pope Francis has urged each parish to sponsor one refugee as a way of carrying out the action part of the Year of Mercy. We should all be proud that Holy Family is one of the first parish communities to put his call into action.
Last weekend’s Ministry Fair was the most successful effort of its kind that I have ever participated in. Thank you to all who signed up for ministry and volunteer opportunities that will advance our very ambitious mission here at Holy Family. If you were not here last weekend, or if you want a little refresher, you can access both the video that Gene Garcia and Lorainne Soderlund creatively put together, and my homily that gives more detail about what we believe God is calling each of you to do in response to the talents, gifts, skills, passion, time and energy that God has given to you. View these on our website (holyfamilyparish.org).
We now have a Volunteer Committee that came out of our Parish Pastoral Council’s discussions regarding how we can strengthen our parish mission. I want to thank Gene Flynn and Al Clementi for their efforts in putting this Ministry Fair and the follow-up in place. Again, if you were not present at Mass this past weekend and didn’t hear the presentation, please pick up a card in either the Parish or Academy offices that gives you some details about opportunities to serve. What can you give? How can you serve? What do you have to offer? Jesus Christ is calling us to make more of what God has given us. Share the gifts God has given you to strengthen our Mission. They will become more. You will become more. WE will become more.
Please remember that we are offering a quiet reflective opportunity for prayer in the midst of a lot of world chaos, violence and discord. Please join us for an Evening of Prayer for Unity, Peace and Healing this Wednesday, September 7 at 7:00pm in church. Evening Mass will be canceled that night and we are opening up the church until 8:30pm not only for some silent prayer but for an opportunity to write down your feelings and concerns, to join in Taize chants, and to share a simple ritual. Come any time during the hour and a half. My hope is that Holy Family is a reverent refuge from chaos in Chicago and beyond on a regular basis, but Wednesday evening is a dedicated time for special prayer in light of many tensions. Please join us and invite your loved ones as well.
Remember there will not be a Sunday evening Mass this weekend (September 4) because of Labor Day. Beginning next Sunday, September 11, evening Mass will be at 4:00pm with three out of four weeks of the month being hosted by our teens.
We had a particularly moving Baptism two weeks ago during the 11:00am Mass. Little Alexander Price, son of Josephine and Kevin Price was not only received into the Church, but anointed as well because he was having open heart surgery last week. Mom reports that surgery went well and he is doing fine. Thanks for your prayers!!!