A word from Pope Francis ~ “To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone.”
This is a full weekend. Besides our celebration of the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, we have Sunday evening’s Super Bowl LVI game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Even though our hometown Bears ended their season with their final regular season game, many of us will find ourselves gathering with family and friends for the traditional Super Bowl parties. COVID-19 may reduce the size of the parties, but not dampen the spirit of our middle-of-winter gatherings.
With our celebration of Easter coming later this year on April 17, Ash Wednesday is not observed until March 2. This gives us a longer period of Ordinary Time during the January/February months of this year. We have a chance to hear some of the key introductory sessions of Luke’s Gospel – our primary Gospel for this year.
We are now less than two weeks away from our St. Isidore Dinner Dance and Silent Auction, the “Legendary Gala – A Tribute to Our 100th Anniversary.” This is a wonderful opportunity for coming together during the cold winter months to celebrate the first 100 years of our Catholic Grade School and to welcome the next 100 years. The Gala will be held on Saturday, February 26 beginning at 5pm with cocktails and then dinner and auction at 7pm at Belvedere Banquets, 1170 W Devon Avenue in Elk Grove Village. It promises to be a wonderful mid-winter evening spent with fellow parishioners. And this 100th Anniversary celebration is also a great opportunity for alumni to return and alumni parents to reconnect with each other. Call your classmates! Call your friends! Plan on getting a table. This event benefits our school. Grand Raffle tickets for the $10,000 grand prize are now available after mass, at the parish and school offices, and on our website. The RSVP deadline is coming up on Monday, February 14.
We have received dates for our spring celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation for our parish. The Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated at St. Isidore on Saturday, June 18 at 10:00am and 1:00pm. Thank you to our Connect Youth Ministry staff and Adult Faith Formation staff for overseeing our Confirmation program. Classes for Adult Confirmation will meet on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm beginning on March 10. Please contact Leonor at the parish office for additional information and to register.
A lot is happening and will be happening all around us. Even in the midst of winter, there are signs of hope and of life. May God continue to bless us with all that we need, and more.
Father Jim Murphy