This high-energy, 2-hour event with internationally acclaimed speaker Chris Stefanick will awaken your faith, reignite your joy, and equip you with tools to live the life God created you for: A life of JOY!
It will help you rediscover the JOY you were created for, and is perfect for everyone… even friends, family, and children (12+) who may not be actively practicing their faith. Don’t miss out!
Join us in the gym on Sunday, October 25, for a delicious breakfast after the 7:30, 9:00 and 10:45 AM Masses, as we celebrate the many gifts that Father John, Father Ternan and Father Andrew bring to St. Mary’s. The menu features: fluffy pancakes, sausage links, and scrambled eggs. Coffee, milk, and juice are included.
The Knights are not charging for this breakfast; however, goodwill donations are encouraged and accepted. Cash and check only.
All proceeds will benefit our parish priests, in appreciation for all they do as our faith leaders.
If you would like to become a member of St. Mary Immaculate Parish, you are welcome to register as a new parishioner online anytime at smip.org/register.
If you have already registered online and would like a tour of the campus, or would like to register in person, please join us on Sunday, October 25, at 10:15 AM in the St. Anne Room for our Welcome Gathering. Long-standing parishioners are also welcome to attend!
Please contact Laura Van Ham at lvanham@smip.org or 815-436-2651, x887 with any questions.
St. Mary Immaculate Parish is seeking to hire a part-time, on-call, Custodian to assist during busy times at the parish. Hours are varied and may include weekend evenings, weekend days or weekday nights, based on the parish event schedule.
Duties include cleaning bathrooms, floors/carpets, disposing of garbage and recycling, setting up and taking down tables, chairs and other needed items for meetings/events, and cleaning up rooms following meetings/events. The pay is $17 to $18 per hour.
A High School diploma or equivalent is required. Previous Custodian experience is preferred. Candidate will need to be physically able to perform the duties as assigned, including the ability to lift up to 50 pounds. Must support the mission, philosophy, objectives and policies of St. Mary Immaculate Parish, the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Joliet.
Please submit cover letter and resume to Laura Van Ham at LVanHam@smip.org.
St Mary’s will have a sign language interpreter at the 9:00 AM Sunday Mass every 2nd and 3rd Sunday of the month beginning on November 8th.
Those interested should sit in the right front section of the church closest to the choir. Ushers will be marking these pews as reserved for this use. Keep in mind the lectors have a perpetually reserved pew in that section as well.
The Cathedral of St Raymond has interpreted Masses on the 1st and 4th Sunday of each month, and St Mary’s just wants to give our deaf and hard of hearing parishioners the opportunity to fully participate in Mass at their home parish. Spread the word.
From September 26 through October 25, crosses will be displayed in the parkway along Route 59 in front of St. Mary Immaculate Church. These crosses will remind people driving by that each abortion ends the life of a child. In this country, in the last 53 years, abortion has ended the lives of over 66,000,000 babies.
We, in the Reverence for life Ministry, hope that you will pray for our country, and for all government officials, that the hearts and minds of all would accept God in their lives and then be open to protecting ALL LIFE FROM CONCEPTION TO NATURAL DEATH.
Please join us to pray the “Rosary for Life” at the crosses on Sundays during October: 4, 11, 18 & 25, following the 12:15 Mass at 1:30 PM. We will also pray the Rosary for Life on October 17, during Make a Difference Day, at 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM. Please bring your own chair.
Our parish is excited to offer RaiseRight, an easy way to support our Catholic school through earning rebates on purchases you already make!
Parishioners can purchase digital or physical gift cards for everyday shopping and choose to have the rebates benefit a specific school family. Don’t have a family to sponsor? No problem! Your rebates will go directly toward our school fundraising to purchase supplies, help cover unexpected expenses, plan for upgrades, and more.
With hundreds of participating brands, stores, and restaurants, it’s an easy way to make a difference through purchases you’re already making.
Click below and check out the attached FAQ to learn more. Together, we can support Catholic education and our school community!
Make a Difference Day is on Saturday, October 17th this year!
You can sign up now for a service project at smip.org/MaDD
There are dozens of meaningful, family-oriented service projects are offered here at SMI and all around the community. It’s also a great opportunity for everyone to come together in loving service and fellowship!
Schedule of Events:
8:30 AM Daily Mass in the Church
9:00 AM Volunteer Blessing in the Church
9:00 AM – 3:45 PM Perform your service project some time during the day
We’re also working with the Plainfield Fire Department on sensory bags for Make a Difference Day!
In the lead-up to Make a Difference Day, we’re also looking for donations of rolls of fleece in solids or fun prints for Make a Difference Day.
Please note: we are in need of people that can sew who can bring their machine and sew the fleece the day of MaDD.
We are participating in making 14’ x 14” square blankets to help children at Linden Oaks relieve stress. All fleece can be dropped off in the commons now through October 11th. A donation of 1 yard will make 8 squares or donation of 2 yards will make 20 squares with less waste.
We are also looking for a volunteer painter or 2 to paint the Stations of the Cross and Benches in that area. Must be very meticulous when painting. Please consider helping “to shoulder a piece of the load” on our journey and support of our great parish. We have paint/stain already for this project. Interested? Have Questions?
For Make a Difference Day, we will be collecting food for 12 Micro Panties. Here are non-perishable food items that we need. Donations can be left in the blue wagons in the Narthex, near Commons Reception Desk or at the North entrance on the weekend of October 10/11. Only consider unexpired, unopened/sealed food. Of course, non-perishable. Canned Meats (Tuna, Chicken, Sausages) Canned soup and Chili Canned Spaghetti and Spaghetti O’S Canned Fruit Boxes of Breakfast Cereals Boxes of Rice-a-Roni and Pasta Roni Bars (Granola, Fruit, Breakfast) Applesauce Snack packs (Jell0O and Pudding Powdered Milk Bottles of Vegetable Oil, Salad Dressing, Condiments We have an ongoing ministry that brings food to 12 micro-pantries in the area. Any extra donations will be used to support all the micro pantries in the area.
Questions about the fleece donations or about MADD contact: Pam Angelus 815-436-2651 Ext. 849 or pangelus@smip.org
SMI is offering for sale bricks at the statue of Mary the north side of the main church doors. A great gift idea for First Communions and Graduations! What a beautiful way to remember a special occasion for someone! If you are interested, please download, print, and fill out the form below and return it to the Parish Office. Copies of the form can also be picked up in the Commons.
For any questions or to see a sample, please contact Pam Angelus at 815-436-2651 or pangelus@smip.org
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save, Lord; we are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Reflection
A few weeks ago as the Coronavirus swept through Italy, Pope Francis led a prayer service in the rain in the darkness of night in the middle of St. Peter’s Square. It was an eerie picture seeing a lone figure praying in this huge square that is typically filled with thousands of people. For me, in a way it was a modern re-telling of the story from Matthew’s Gospel quoted above.
It seems that in our world today, many become overwhelmed and begin to feel hopeless. It appears that things will never return to normal. All of the things that we cling to in order to receive hope we have found to be empty. Our lives have been turned upside down. Some have lost jobs, we worry about having enough money to pay the rent/mortgage, or to buy groceries to feed our families.
What is hope? Hope is placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit. (CCC 1817). This is key – hope comes from NOT relying on my own strength but one the strength of the Holy Spirit. Our hope is based in part on the assurance of all the times God had proved faithful to his promises throughout history. How can we find hope when we feel hopeless? Here are 3 suggestions I found that have helped me.
Know the reason for our Hope! God! God is both the reason for and the source of our hope. He provides the strength for us to be able to find hope in all circumstances through the many graces he has bestowed on us. On a mission trip to Jamaica where we built a little blue 14×16 house for a family when we went to hand over the keys to this family the husband/father told us that this house was a symbol of God’s Grace. He didn’t earn it, he could not have paid for it, but it was a gift. A gift freely given to his family.
Read the Bible, as well as the teachings of the Catholic Church and writings of the Saints. Reading and re-reading the stories of those who have gone before us will give us the inspiration to place our hope in God. A few weeks ago I was reading the book of Lamentations and was struck by how the Israelites saw in the dawning of a new day a renewal of the promises that the Log God had made to them. Knowing that the God of today is the same God of yesterday and of the future, we can be confident that He will provide for us in the same way that He has provided for all men and women who have gone before us and placed their trust in Him.
Prayer. Pray without ceasing! Prayer takes us out of ourselves and places us in the hands of the Lord. We learn from the Psalmist that we need to verbalize our feelings and emotions to God. Some prayer or maybe even just whisper the words, ‘Jesus, I trust in you!’ is all that is needed to remember “He is the source of our hope.” Prayer is a way to acknowledge that what is happening is bigger than me and I can’t but together with the Lord we can.
G. K. Chesterton’s great bit of wisdom: “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all.”
Song
Prayer
My Lord, I bring my burdens to You, knowing You will take care of me. You will not permit me to slip and fall. I trust You to save me out of this hopeless predicament.
O God, have mercy on me, for I feel like I’m being hounded all day long. But I will put my trust in You. I praise You for Your promises of deliverance. I trust in You, so why should I be afraid? Thank You for carrying my burdens.
