News - June 2022

Are you comfortable at Mass? With July temperatures normally ranging from merely warm to outright nasty, you might hesitate before going out your door, but you know that our basilica will be a place where we can all worship together as one family in grateful celebration of all that God has given us.

Is there such a thing as a stewardship of recreation? Some people might dismiss the thought. But they’d be wrong. Author Thomas Cahill observes that, in receiving the Ten Commandments, the ancient Hebrews did something no other ancient society had ever done: they established a day of rest.

If you are still completing your pledge, we want to remind you that the "From Generation to Generation" pledge “bills” will have the "To Teach Who Christ Is" logo and NOT the FGTG logo. Please keep this in mind and be sure to open any mail with either of these logos.

Last Tuesday, Bishop Bartosic celebrated Mass in the basilica with the pastors and the parish leadership teams of Queen of All Saints and St. Mary of the Woods as we concluded the initial phase of the Renew My Church process. After Mass, he formally announced the Cardinal’s decision that our two faith communities will continue to operate as separate parishes...

Earlier this year Queen of All Saints and St. Mary of the Woods took part in “Renew My Church,” a process directed toward the Archdiocese of Chicago’s vision for the future of the Church in Chicago.

The beginning of June means summer is right around the corner after plenty of chilly spring weather and rain. Flowers are blooming and trees are in full leaf. Christian stewards are reminding themselves that stewardship continues as we head into the days of vacation, barbecues, summer reading lists, family reunions and trips to the beach.

It’s the beginning of June and soon summer will be upon us. Maybe we’re already feeling rested in the middle of a cautious reopening of our lives after a too long COVID restriction. Maybe we’re already planning long dreamed-of vacations or staycations.

Starting soon and through summer we will be mailing out letters to anyone who has donated or pledged to our “From Generation to Generation” campaign. The letter will confirm your donation amount, donor level and name listing for the plaque. This is to ensure the accurate listing of donors on the campaign plaque that will be added to the hallway by the NW door of the basilica opposite our Millennium Campaign wall.

Harvest time is a joyful time for farmers. They work hard to prepare the soil, to plant the seed, to water and to clear weeds. In ancient Israel, harvest time traditionally was a joyous time for giving thanks and presenting offerings of the new grain to God. It was called Pentecost, a festive time for expressing thanks to the Lord.