Parish News - Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish

July 27 - Weekly Newsletter

7/27/2022

Blessing of Cars, Is St. Christopher still a Saint? and more ...

I call you my friends, says the Lord,
for I have made known to you all that the Father has told me.

Dear Friends,

Happy Wednesday everyone, welcome back! Even the newsletter goes on vacation ;)

Blessing of Cars with Holy Water this weekend - In honor of St. Christopher, whose Feast Day was earlier this week, Fr. Tom and Fr. Marshall will be available to sprinkle your vehicle with holy water as you drive by the front of the church or in the parking after all Masses. St. Christopher is the patron saint of Travelers.

I know you're thinking to yourself ... "But WAIT!? Didn't I hear that St. Christopher is no longer a Saint?!" Read a quick Q & A answer about him below!

Parish Website - https://www.carloacutisparish.org - If you haven't already done so, be sure to check it out. While you're there, don't forget to follow us on the various social media platforms!!

Mission and VISION Integration - We have shared our new Parish Mission Statement, Vision Statement, our Core Values, and last week we shared our Goals. Have you read them? Do you agree with them? Anything we should add?

Remember, we are companions on this journey of faith as a "Unified Parish" together. While we have a new parish name, and we had the Unity Mass, these are just stepping stones. Please help us as we grow together!

Food Pantry - PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!! The Food Pantry at SJB is STOCKED and OVERFLOWING with Food! We are even having to throw away some food because it has expired! If you or someone you know is in need of food, please do not hesitate to call the SJB Office at 773-486-4300 (9-5, M-F) and we'll take care of you!! (Pass the word along, you do NOT have to be a parishioner or attend Mass at either SJB or SH to receive food!!!)

MASKS are OPTIONAL - Use your best judgement when it comes to your own safety and the safety of others, and do not come to church if you are feeling ill. As always, be kind and respectful to one another if the person choses or not to wear a mask. Remember, we're all in this together!

We hope to see you at one of the Masses this weekend, wear a mask or not, and don't forget to bring a friend or two!!

God Bless, see you in Church on Sunday!

Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish Mission Statement

We are a multicultural, intergenerational Catholic parish community of people on the journey to learning about, celebrating, serving and proclaiming our faith in the Risen Jesus.

A mission statement says who we are and what we do. Please take a few minutes and reflect and pray on this mission statement. Does this mission statement describe our parish? As we continue to grow together, we can add to this statement.

Vision Statement

Our vision is transforming spirits, hearts and minds.

A vision statement suggests how we need to grow. It is short, specific and memorable. Please take a few minutes and reflect and pray on this vision statement. Does this vision statement describe our parish? As we grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ through our participation in Blessed Carlo Acutis Parish, we want to nourish our spirits, hearts and minds.

Core Values

We are welcoming, learning, believing, serving, celebrating,
understanding, sharing, diverse, community and focused on quality.

Core values are what we see as most important in our community. Do these values describe our parish?

Goals

1). To have vibrant, welcoming liturgies.
2). To be an evangelizing community.
3). To reach out to youth.
4). To provide social justice education and outreach to the poor.

Goals help us to focus on what needs to be done in the year ahead. Do these goals describe our parish? Yoiur input is welcome.

Your input is welcome.
Please send suggestions to Father Paul Sims, C.R. at [email protected].

Q. I have believed in St. Christopher and carried a medal of him for over 40 years. Now I have heard that the Catholic Church no longer considers him a saint. Is that true? I would be grateful for any information you can provide on this matter.

A. You can relax: Christopher is still recognized as a saint and as the patron of travelers. The Catholic Church has a worldwide calendar of saints, that is, people who are celebrated everywhere (for example, St. Mary, St. Joseph and Sts. Peter and Paul). A little more than half the days of the year have such a saint designated. There are also national or diocesan calendars. St. Juan Diego, who received the visions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 1531, is on the calendar in Mexico and in the United States but is not on the worldwide calendar. The same is true of St. Theodora Guerin, who came to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, with five Sisters of Providence in 1840 and was canonized in 2006.

St. Christopher was removed from the worldwide calendar in 1970 but is on some local calendars. He lived in modern-day Turkey and was martyred around 251 A.D. His name means “Christ-bearer,” and so the story arose much later in the West that he made his living by carrying people across a river. One day he carried a child who was extremely heavy. The child revealed that he was Christ and thus the saint was carrying the whole world on his shoulders. One estimate is that the Church formally recognizes over 10,000 saints. Only a few of them are on the worldwide calendar.

There is no need to give up your St. Christopher medal or your devotion to him.

~ Franciscan Media

Pope Francis is cautioning people not to get accustomed to the war in Ukraine, and is calling for the faithful to keep those suffering "this tragic reality" in our hearts and prayers. "The thought of the people of Ukraine, afflicted by war, should remain vivid in our hearts." Please continue to pray for them.

The St. Michael the Archangel statue is located in the city center of Kyiv in Independence Square.
(photo: Blik Sergey / Shutterstock)

Prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
And do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander
through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Sayings of Blessed Carlo Acutis

"God has written for each one of us a unique and unrepeatable story,
but he has left us the freedom to write the ending"

Online Book of Intentions

Praying for each other's intentions is an important part of our parish life. If you would like the parish to pray for your intention, please write the intention in a sentence or two in this Online "Book of Intentions." These intentions will be remembered in our intercessions at our Sunday masses. Click HERE

Please pray for the Sick of our Parish

Soledad Ruiz, Secilia Green, Anna Mann, Nicole Vilches, Karel O’Brien,
Angela Rivera, Felipe Caraballo, Mary Anne Sedey, Verena Tonnesen,
Rob Turrell, Dennis Zolidis, Linda Klickmann,
Barbara Durbin, Danny Olivero, Junior Burgos, Dolores Kryszak,
Joseph Price, Teresa Ellison, Grace Gauss, Tallulah Andresen,
Robert Bauer, Antionette Krerowicz, Ana Flores, Apolonio Alarcon,
Antonio de Vera, Patricio A. Yanez Guerra, Manglio Bonilla Gail, Jason & Family, Basilisa M. De Guzman, Daniel Brady, Cyndi De Lira,
Carolyn S. Duckunue, Transito Alvarez, Frances Alequin, Alejandro Carmona,
Sophie Hernan, Eleanor Jura, Monika Kloniecka, Joseph Wyse,
Verena Tonnesen, Berenice Sosnowski, Nick Jurado, Jackie Schuman,
Terry Brady, Salomea Olszewska, Hertha Runowski, Angie Schuman, John Graff, Joseph Murphy, Linda Riske, Margaret Flisiak, Jazzmyne Aguilar, Hailey Marose, Sarah Ellison, Nancy Idaszak, Sally Cox, Daniel Salas, Eleanor Rylko, Nancy,
Brian, Jimmy Denges, & Crystal Mohetano.

Requiescat in pace ...

Manuel Mendoz,
Husband of Lety Mendoza

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
~Amen~

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July 27 - Weekly Newsletter