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Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is dedicated to helping needy families of St. Mary Immaculate parish and Plainfield School District 202. Families in need of assistance with their utility bills, medical bills, clothing and other needs should call the SVdP hotline at 815-577-6677 Ext. 414. We meet with needy families, pray with them, provide additional resources and make every effort to address their financial obligations. In order to do that, we rely solely on donations from SMI parishioners like you. We are consistently in need of additional funding and we pray that you will find it in your heart and budget to help our struggling neighbors. Please prayerfully consider a weekly or monthly contribution to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul online at smip.org/svdp. You can also contribute by utilizing your quarterly SVdP envelopes. For those of you that currently support SVdP, we are so very grateful. Thank you in advance to any new contributors to SVdP. Please be assured we will be good stewards of your generosity.

For more information about St. Vincent de Paul, please contact Robert Hoerdeman at hoerdjr@gmail.com

Inquiry Night

Come to an inquiry meeting and tell us your story.

On Thursday, February 6th, from 7 PM to 8 PM, we have an inquiry meeting for folks interested in joining the Catholic Church or completing their Sacraments (Confirmation and Eucharist). These informal meetings are with a team of parishioners trained to listen to your story, field your questions, and orient you to the process of becoming Catholic or completing your sacraments.

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Contribution Statements Coming

Please check your email and/or mailbox for the 2024 Parish Contribution totals for income tax reporting.  Parishioners contributing over $200 were sent an email if we have one on our records, or a physical letter.  If  you have not yet received this information, please check your spam folder or contact the parish office with a current email address and we can resend.  Thank you for your generous support of our parish.

CCW Happenings

Our CCW ladies enjoyed a wonderful Christmas luncheon at Al’s Steak House on December 6th before taking our January break. The luncheon was a joyous celebration with plenty of time to socialize and a terrific way to kick off the Christmas Season.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, February 6th at 12:30 p.m. in the Faith Sharing/Harvester Rooms. After taking care of the business portion of the meeting, discussing the Prison Ministry Book Drive and a short refreshment break, Ryan Angelus, from the Plainfield Fire Department will be sharing Five Fire Safety Tips.

So ladies, if you are looking for something to do that builds spirituality, fellowship, includes prayer, fun and some dessert and a wonderful group of women – come join us!

For more information, please contact our Council of Catholic Women President, Grace Blaszek at 773.727.0237 or gblaszek@sbcglobal.net

Reflections from Our Parishioners

When we were first married, money was very tight. We realized early on we had to budget our weekly offertory donation as we budgeted any other household expenses. We could not just put in the collection basket what we had in our pockets or wallets. We needed to use the envelopes our Church provided and plan ahead of time to have them ready to go with us to Mass. As we received increases through merit raises, promotions, or job changes, we increased our offering to our Church. When we are away from our Church for whatever reason on a weekend, we make sure to make that up the following week. Whether or not we are in our Church that week, our parish has expenses, just like we do, although on a larger scale. We don’t get billed for our weekly donation, but the Church counts on everyone to support their parish on a regular basis. God has blessed us time and time again, and we give Him thanks by giving back with our time, talents, and our donations.

– Marie Zielinski

Knights of Columbus Blood Drive

Community Blood Drive Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus 5573

Monday, February 10, 3:00 PM-7:30 PM
Location: Cana Hall

APPOINTMENTS PREFERRED/WALK INS WELCOME

To schedule, go to https://donateblood.versiti.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/11598073

Every donor helps save 3 lives in the Community. Sign up today and make that difference.

Helpful tip:
Make sure to eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before donating.

PHOTO ID REQUIRED

SMI Lenten Project – California Wildfire Assistance

Advance Notice: St Mary’s Lenten Project – California Wildfire Assistance

We are certain you are all aware of the devastation in California. You may have even seen pictures of what is left of Corpus Christi Church with severe damage to their school. The miracle here is that the tabernacle was the only thing unharmed. Our thought is that this tragedy is something that we as St Mary’s can relate to since we suffered a similar destruction 30+ years ago here with the Plainfield Tornado of 1991. With that weighing heavy on our hearts, we reached out to the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to find the best possible way we can help. After a tearful conversation with Sister M. Anncarla Costello we have committed to provide financial assistance to the Wildfire Victims Emergency Relief Fund through our Lenten project. This will replace our CRS Rice Bowl efforts of the past few years

Sister said they have been approached by several organizations wishing to send blankets and clothing to aid victims, however at this time, those effected have nowhere to sleep let alone a closet to store clothes. It is important to give them right now what they need most, financial assistance to find a place to sleep. She said people have not only lost their homes, cars, belongings and church; many have also lost their places of employment. Especially hard hit are the victims of the Eaton fire which is a lower middle-class area of Los Angeles. While their church, St. Elizabeth, was spared from the flames, the smoke damage is so severe that they will have to repair 70-80% of the property. One worker at the Archdiocese had her home spared while the rest of the neighborhood was destroyed, but they cannot return to the home because the smoke and heat have forced their older home to be declared uninhabitable.

The Archdiocese itself is asking all of its parishes to contribute to this cause and have established the Wildfire Victims Emergency Relief Fund, whereby both Catholic and non-Catholic, will be able to receive a one-time grant for $1000. Anyone in need of financial assistance due to the fires are eligible: parishioners, neighbors, or anyone can apply at one of the area churches. Funds are being held at the Archdiocese level and they do have protocols and procedures in place to make certain no person/family is able to fraud the system. The Archdiocese is offering this grant to all persons, in their words; “All are our sisters and brothers in Christ.”

So, plan ahead as Ash Wednesday is March 5th and Easter Sunday April 20th. If you were planning on sending monies to The American Red Cross, various Go Fund Me pages or other organizations aiding the wildfire victims, consider putting that donation into our pool of funds going to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Sister has assured us that 100% of the money donated will go directly to persons in need. The Archdiocese is not holding back any administration fees to process these grants.

The April Envelope packet will have a special envelope for this effort. We will also have envelopes available in the narthex and reception desk for you to use and a new fund is established for OSV online giving for this effort. Please make use of these methods to support those in need in the Los Angeles area.

Knights of Columbus Super Bowl Sunday Tamales

Super Bowl Sunday Tamales—Sunday, February 9th

Come Join Us for Our 18th Annual Super Tamale Fest! We will be taking orders for our authentic Mexican Tamales through February 7 for pick up on Sunday February 9th, from 8:00 a.m. to noon in the Commons.

You choose pork tamales with red (mild) or green sauce or chicken tamales with red (mild) or green sauce. The cost is $30 for one dozen or $15 for half a dozen. Credit Card, Cash or Check payable to “Knights of Columbus 5573” will be accepted at pick up on February 9th.

Place your order any time by calling Jerry Burns at 815-545-2860 or Tom Krepelka at 708-218-5733. Your order will be ready and waiting for you!

Advanced orders are recommended. There will be a limited number of tamales available
for purchase on the pick-up date.

Marriage Convalidation

Are you married by the civil court but not in the Catholic Church?

Is it time to bring your marriage into the Church? For Catholics, matrimony is a sacrament, and all married couples are called to receive the Sacrament of Matrimony in the Catholic Church.

Sometimes the thought of planning a wedding may seem overwhelming or cost-prohibitive. Some couples have been married for 10, 15, 30 or more years and feel it’s too late for them to have their marriage brought into the Church.

Whether it’s been 3 or 30 or more years of civil marriage, St. Mary Immaculate Parish is looking to help civilly married couples receive the grace of the sacraments. The process will involve a series of six gatherings led by Father John and others on Sunday mornings, from 10:15—11:45 AM, from February 16 to March 23, 2025, at St. Mary Immaculate. The gatherings will focus on marriage enrichment and reflection on the sacraments.

We will offer a group Marriage Validation Mass in June 2025 where all couples will individually receive the Sacrament within a communal celebration. Other options for the celebration are possible as well.

Please complete the online form at bit.ly/41jU2QN to register for this process. If you have prior marriages that need annulments or other canonical remedies, we will help you through those. God has designed your marriage to make you holy more than to make you happy. If you have any questions, please contact Father John Regan at jregan@smip.org.