A word from Pope Francis ~ “The question of truth is really a question of memory, deep memory, for it deals with something prior to ourselves and can succeed in uniting us in a way that transcends our petty and limited individual consciousness. It is a question about the origin of all that is, in whose light we can glimpse the goal and thus the meaning of our common path.”
Now that our observance of Lent and celebrations of the Easter season are concluded, and we have celebrated the major Solemnities of Trinity Sunday and the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, we now return to the cycle of Sundays in Ordinary Time – “the green Sundays.” We re-enter this season at the 10th week where we left the season at the beginning of Lent. We will continue reading from Mark’s Gospel, section by section, until we begin the season of Advent on December 3rd. Ordinary Time reminds us that we are called to steady and regular growth as we celebrate the ordinary events of Jesus’ life. It is good to be back in this regular cycle of our Church Year.
Thank you to Father Clive and all who worked with him in coordinating last Sunday’s outdoor Corpus Christi Eucharistic procession from the church to the chapel. We were able to stop at a few key stations along the route – cemetery, Ministry Center, school and parish office, and pray for the various needs of our parish before concluding with Benediction in the Chapel. It was a great way to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. As this was the fourth year we have held this procession, it has now become a regular practice for this Feast at our parish. Thank you again to all who made this possible and to all who participated.
This Friday, June 15th, we observe the anniversary of the death of our second pastor, Father John Ott. He was appointed pastor when our first pastor, Father John Wester, retired in 1925. During his first year as pastor, he lived in the room above the Church sacristy at the northeast corner of the building. A Rectory was built next to the Church in 1926, and currently serves as our Parish Office. He also acquired a convent for the School Sisters of St. Francis who taught the students in St. Isidore School. He was instrumental in founding the parishes of St. Walter in Roselle and St. Peter Damien in Bartlett. Father Ott was pastor of St. Isidore’s when the Diocese of Joliet was formed in 1949. After 30 years as pastor, he retired in 1955 and Father John Klaes was appointed the third pastor. He retired to Backus, Minnesota and lived another seven years until his death on June 15, 1962. His funeral was celebrated in our original church (now chapel) and he was buried in our parish cemetery. We stand on the shoulders of this faithful pastor and prayerfully remember him on Friday — the anniversary of his death and entrance into eternal life.
As the official transfer date for priests serving in the Diocese of Joliet is the third Wednesday of June – this year June 20th – next weekend will be Father Clive’s final weekend in our parish before he moves to his new assignment at St. Walter’s in Roselle. Father Clive came to us three years ago as a newly-ordained priest. In our Diocese, the normal term for a priest in his first assignment is three years. It is hard to imagine that those three years are now up. We were blessed to have Father Clive with us as a Parochial Vicar for the first three years of his priestly ministry. I have asked Father Clive to speak at each Mass next weekend. We will also have an opportunity to say thank you and good-bye to him that weekend. While any new experience can be a cause for anxiety, I am very confident that Father Clive will serve well at St. Walter’s. Please join me in wishing him the very best in this new chapter in his life.
Shortly after Easter we held our In-Pew Follow-Up weekend for the 2018 Joliet Diocesan Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal. The responses for that weekend were sent to the accounting house in Minnesota and most responses have now been tabulated. Over the past week or so, the Diocesan Development Office mailed a follow-up letter to those who have contributed in previous years, but have still to contribute to this year’s appeal. Thank you to the 869 households who have now responded to Bishop Conlon’s request to support the 2018 Joliet Diocesan Appeal. We are inching our way to our 2018 goal with $166,484 pledged towards our parish goal $179,200. Thank you for your generous response. I want to encourage everyone who has not had a chance to respond to the 2018 Appeal to do so as soon as possible. We have additional commitment envelopes at both the Parish Office and the Hospitality Desk in the Church. On-line pledges can be made at www.jolietdioceseappeal.org. Again, thank you to all those who have already responded and are helping us reach our 2018 goal in pledges. Your generosity is deeply appreciated.
It feels like summer has finally arrived! May God continue to bless us with all that we need, and more.
Father Jim Murphy