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, August 25, at 10:15 a.m. in the school library for our
Welcome Gathering.
Please contact Laura Van Ham at lvanham@smip.org or 815-436-2651, x887 with any questions
For many years, our parking lot has been an ideal location to host the Mobile Food Pantry. During the time of greatest urgency, weserved up to 500 families. More recently, we’ve seen the demand for food decrease. This is due in part to the multipleorganizations that we have in our village dedicated to feeding families in need.
Northern Illinois Food Bank, which provides the food that we distribute, has reworked their program with the goal of reaching thecommunities where food insecurity is greatest. As a result, it has been determined that our parish will no longer be a Mobile Food Pantry location.
So many of you have been serving in this ministry for years, and we are so grateful for your assistance, sometimes in the rain,extreme heat, cold or snow. Thank you for being a blessing to all of those who found themselves needing some help withproviding nourishment to their families. Special thanks to Beth Cockrell for being the St. Mary’s liaison with PEMA, CatholicCharities and Northern Food Bank, and helping the process run so smoothly.
For those of you who still would like to help with the Mobile Food Pantry, here are the upcoming locations and dates:
Contact Derek Schultz, Agency Event Coordinator, at dschultz@cc-doj.org or 815-724-1160, to sign up to help.
Check the Catholic Charities website for up-to-date information regarding future opportunities to serve: https://catholiccharitiesjoliet.org/mobile-food-pantry-dates/.
Class Postings for Religious Education will be sent via email on August 15th.
Classes begin Tuesday Sep 3rd.
If you are new to our programs or would just like to come and have a look around our learning environment we are having an open house on Monday August 26th from 5 to 6pm. You MUST call and register to attend the open house. 815-436-4501
If you have ever thought about being part of St. Mary Immaculate’s Music Ministry…. now is the time!
We have a beautifully renovated Church, Choir season is about to start, and the SMI Music Ministry is always welcoming new members for the Adult Choir, the Youth Choir, Cantors, Instrumentalists, and Sound Technicians.
These are all volunteer opportunities to give back the gifts and talents that the Lord has given you, through service to the Church and our Lord.
Adult Choir – open to everyone ages 18+, rehearses on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Rehearsals begin in September.
Youth Choir – open to all children 3rd grade through 12th grade, rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 6:45 – 8:00p.m. Our youth choir is very much in need of more members. Rehearsals begin in September.
Cantors – an audition is required.
Instrumentalists – help to enhance our liturgies. Interested Instrumentalists please contact Monica Slayman at mslayman@smip.orgor 815-436-2651 ext. 819.
Sound Technicians – help to manage the sound during our liturgies and special events.
All those interested in joining our ministry please contact our Music Director, Heather Roerig at hroerig@smip.org or 815-436-2651 ext. 805.
“Serve the Lord with gladness: come before His presence with singing.” —Psalm 100:2
Food Donations Needed BY SEPTEMBER 3
Our next Daybreak Meal donation date is September 3. We would greatly appreciate your help with donating various items for meal preparation.
If you would like to help, please sign up to donate an item at smip.org/daybreak by September 2. We ask that donated items please be brought to the Commons by September 3 at 10:00 a.m. for pick up that day. Perishable items should be marked and placed in the refrigerator in the parish kitchen.
Our meals are successful as a result of your generosity. Your participation is truly a way to make a positive difference in someone’s life.
Questions? Contact Chris McLawhorn at 815-436-8374 or Kathy Hall at 815-436-2729.
The St. Mary Immaculate Allies for Peace and Social Justice for LGBTQ invite all to a prayerful experience utilizing St. Mary Immaculate’s outdoor prayer labyrinth.
Date: Friday, August 23, 2024
Time: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Location: The outdoor prayer labyrinth in the grass on the north end of campus.
Why: Because God is love, because we love and want others to know they are loved and prayed for, not forgotten.
For more information contact Maria Prekop at bestillandknow2425@gmail.com
Did you know nearly 68% of Americans do not have a will/estate plan? Having a will/estate plan is essential for everyone, regardless of age or wealth. A will/estate plan provides peace of mind and ensures your loved ones and cherished causes are cared for in the future.
August is National Make-A-Will Month. A special month dedicated to stewarding God’s blessings while leaving a legacy that will benefit your family, parish, and causes you care about for years to come.
We at St. Mary Immaculate know that creating a will can seem daunting. The Diocese of Joliet has partnered with FreeWill, an online estate planning tool, where you can put all your intentions into action for FREE by creating, planning, or updating your will in just 20 minutes. FreeWill also gives you lifetime access to update and change your will at no cost.
Your legacy can influence not just this generation but the next. By including an optional legacy gift in your will to St. Mary Immaculate, you can ensure the treasury of Faith is passed down to future generations.
We hope you take advantage of this great opportunity that will bless those now and for years to come.
Join the 600+ parishioners in the Diocese of Joliet who have created wills through FreeWill by creating, planning, or updating your will today!
Help enhance our church by giving online at this link HERE
THE GOAL OF THE ARCHETECTURE AND INTERIOR DESIGN OF A CATHOLIC CHURCH IS TO TRANSMIT A VISION OF HEAVEN ON EARTH. Central to this goal is the transmission of the theological truths taking place during the Liturgy: the divine presence of God in the Word and Eucharist, the movement of the Holy Spirit, the presence of the Communion of Saints, the opening of heaven to meet earth in the transubstantiation of the bread and wine, and a foreshadowing of paradise. Interior church design aims to transport the minds and hearts of parishioners out of the natural world of our day to day life to contemplate eternity in paradise, praising and worshipping God. With this in mind, the goal of the St. Mary Immaculate Parish church interior renewal is the highest level of artistic expression of the good, the true, and the beautiful for the glorification of God while respecting the modern aesthetic of the dramatic architecture of the church.
The proposed design amplifies the significance of the architectural elements present by infusing these elements with deeper theological and catechetical meaning through the thoughtful use of color, ornamentation, and text. The plan for the dome, reredos, and text designs for the sanctuary walls are intended to be interdependent scheme that joyfully communicates three objective truths: the perpetual presence of Jesus Christ reposed in the tabernacle, the centrality of the altar of sacrifice in the liturgy, and the mission of baptized Catholics to live in imitation of the saints, sent forth from the Mass to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord.
Give online HERE
