Please pray for Sr. Miriam of the Holy Spirit, O.C.D. (Catherine “Cat” Anne Elizabeth Lamlech) as she will be making her final profession of the religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, where upon the Catholic Church will solemnly receive and recognize her undivided, exclusive love for Jesus Christ.
Memorial of the Queenship and Veiling to be celebrated on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 10:30 a.m.
At the Carmelite Monastery of Saint Joseph
9150 Clayton Road
Saint Louis, Missouri 63124
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!
Ticket: buytickets.at/reallifecatholic/2049095
Wednesday, November 18, 2026
7:00 – 9:30 PM
St. Mary Immaculate Parish
15629 S. Route 59
Plainfield, IL 60544
The Parish Garden is ready to start sharing! Starting on Sunday 7/19 the parish garden will be starting to share the variety of vegetables and herbs that we are growing this year. Please stop by the garden table located in the commons following Mass and every Sunday till the Garden closes.
When the Garden was started by Fr. John Regan in 2023, his goal along with the Garden Ministry team was the idea of sharing the produce. So, if you have vegetables or herbs that you would like to share please consider sharing with other parishioners at St. Mary’s. We would love to help you share your vegetables! Please drop off on Sunday mornings for the Garden Table.
In addition, we are looking for Parishioners who love to bake and would be willing to help donate to our garden table with some baked goodies for parishioners to purchase. If you have questions, please contact Robin Contreras at 815-814-8457 or rawc530@yahoo.com or stop by the Garden Table to sign up for a date.
Meet Our New School Principal & Assistant Principal
Sunday, July 26, After 9:00, 10:45 & 12:15 Masses in the Gym
Meet our new School Principal, Joe Fekech, and our new Assistant Principal, Dan Roehrig, before the school year officially starts! Join us in the gym for Munchkins, coffee, juice, and the chance to get to know our new school administration team.
The young adults of St. Mary Immaculate are hosting a parish‑wide donation drive to support young adults who are rebuilding their lives. We’re collecting new household and hygiene essentials for survivors of human trafficking, exploitation, and homelessness as they begin a fresh chapter. Your contribution provides real help to those starting over. Your kindness today becomes someone’s stability tomorrow.
Donate at www.osvhub.com/smip/forms/hopeanddivinepurpose
All of our Formation offices will be closed from July 16th through July 26th as we complete the summer deep cleaning of the offices. The offices will reopen for business on July 27th.
Extra Halloween Costumes? Outgrown dance costumes? Costumes no longer fitting? Need to clean out your accessories or costumes?
The Friends of Good Shepard will be having a Free Costume Giveaway/Exchange on October 3rd, 2026, and will be accepting costume donations through the month of July.
We will accept any and all costumes and accessories in good shape. So, before you pack away or throw away those costumes you no longer need or want. Please consider sharing them with us so we can pass them on to other families.
For more information or where to drop off the costumes for the exchange, please contact Robin Contreras at rawc530@yahoo.com or 815-814-8457 or Margie Kosin at mmkosin08@yahoo.com 815-919-6557
The Knights of Columbus Good Shepherd Council #5573 are inviting you to a wonderful day at the ballpark to enjoy baseball, fellowship, and family togetherness with St Mary’s parishioners as the Joliet Slammers take on the Brockton Rox. July 23rd is a Thursday and it will be a fun event we’re sure children and grandchildren will truly enjoy.
Tickets are available now for only $12.00/Ea. Please get your tickets now. Call / text (708) 218-5733 or email tpkrepelka@amerline.com.
The Knights have been granted the special opportunity to conduct a 50/50 raffle at the game which will be a wonderful occasion to raise funds for our parish and send home a very happy winner. Checks may be made out to “K of C Good Shepherd Council #5573”
Please contact Thomas Krepelka (708) 218-5733 with any questions and to purchase tickets. Looking forward to seeing a great crowd of SMI parishioners at the game. PLAY BALL!
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
Scripture
Matthew 8:23-27
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.
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.
Amen.
