Fr. Simon's Letter - October 29, 2023

November is a special month for remembering who we are as a people and who we are as a Church. On November 1st,  we gather to celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints – a day which honors the more obscure saints as well as the saints each of us have known. On November 2nd, we observe All Souls’ Day. On this day, we will have a special liturgy for families who have had loved ones buried from our parish, and for those families who have lost loved ones this past year. We hope that a remembrance of their loved ones at this special Mass will help comfort them in their grief. The Church has always encouraged prayer for the dead. We believe that it is an act of Christian charity to pray for a loved one as a way of erasing any distance between us, even the chasm which death imposes. For when we pray, we place ourselves in God’s presence in the company of those we love, even if those persons have gone before us in death. 

On the second Monday in November, we celebrate Veterans’ Day. We remember and give thanks to and for those who defend our freedom; pray for the veterans whose lives are scarred by the wounds of battle; support those who are haunted by the experiences of combat; and reach out to those who need our help more than our praise and thanks.

We bring the month of November to a close with our celebration of Thanksgiving Day. We gather as a family, as a Church and as a nation. On that day our Masses will be at 8 and 10 am. I invite you to join your fellow parishioners and friends as we remember and give thanks to our good and gracious God for all of the blessings that are ours. The liturgy of Thanksgiving Day gives voice to the spirit of this time, a spirit we are called to make our own. “God our Father, from your hand we have received generous gifts so that we might learn to share your blessings in gratitude. Accept the gifts we bring and let the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ draw us closer to all our brothers and sisters in the human family so that we may share with them all the gifts of time and eternity.”

As we enter into this special month of November, these special liturgies will help us celebrate and remember that each of us is a unique person fashioned by a loving Creator, who are but part of a larger communion of persons stretching back (and forth) in time. Please plan to be part of the special celebrations here at Queen of All Saints during the month of November.

Secondly, earlier this year in March, having never taken a sabbatical since my ordination to the priesthood in 1992, I requested Cardinal Cupich to grant me one. A sabbatical is a period of time away from a priest’s regular assignment for the purpose of enriching his life and ministry. Biblically, the Sabbath rest is a time of renewal focused on deepening one’s relationship with God. Sabbaticals may be used for spiritual, pastoral, educational, theological and ministerial enrichment, as well as a chance to be renewed through rest and a change of pace. It is not meant to be an extended vacation, sick leave, assigned academic studies or a leave of absence. A priest of the Archdiocese is eligible to apply for a sabbatical upon  completion of a total of 7 years of ministerial service, and every 7 years after a sabbatical is completed. 

I am pleased to inform you that my request has been granted for a sabbatical from July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024. During this time, the plan is to begin a 30-day Ignatian retreat; complete a six-week program at the Notre Dame Ecumenical Center in Jerusalem (hoping things will quiet down by then); travel to some places in the world I haven’t been to; and finally spend Christmas with my family for the first time in 25 years. I have been fortunate enough to receive a grant from the Lilly Foundation, through their Clergy Renewal Program, that will cover most of the cost of the sabbatical. In addition to this, the parish receives a grant to offset the costs of extra priests needed during my sabbatical. I have requested that Fr. Nate Payne, our associate pastor, be appointed administrator of the parish during this time. Please pray for me that this time may be a blessed time of reflection, renewal and rest, and for our parish, as we continue to grow in discipleship.

Blessings!!