Queen of Apostles Catholic Parish

Building on 100 years of sharing and caring.

Patron Saints for Religious Education Families

by

On October 25, our K-7 Religious Education students and their parents gathered virtually on Zoom to share the patron saints they had selected for their families.  We had quite a variety!

  • Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God / Santísima Virgen María, Madre de Dios
  • Saint Alexius of Rome / San Alejo mendijo
  • Saint Anthony of Padua / San Antonio de Padua
  • Blessed Carlo Acutis / Bendecido Carlo Acutis
  • Our Lady of Mount Carmel / Nuestra Señora del Carmen
  • Saint Catherine of Alexandria / Santa Catalina de Alexandria
  • Saint Cecilia / Santa Cecilia
  • Saint Christopher / San Cristóbal de Licia
  • Saint Elmo of Formiae / San Erasmo de Formia
  • Our Lady of Fatima / Nuestra Señora de Fátima
  • Saint Francis of Assisi / San Francisco de Asis
  • Saint Gertrude of Nivelles / Santa Gertrudis de Nivelles
  • Our Lady of Guadalupe / Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
  • Pope Saint John Paul II / Papa San Juan Pablo II
  • Saint John Vianney / San Juan María Vianney
  • Saint Juan Diego / San Juan Diego
  • Saint Jude Thaddeus / San Judas Tadeo
  • Saint Maria Natividad Venegas de la Torre / Santa María de Jesús Sacramentado
  • Saint Mariana de Jesus de Paredes / Santa Mariana de Jesús
  • Saint Michael the Archangel / San Miguel Arcangel
  • Saint Nicholas of Myra / San Nicolás obispo
  • Saint Paul the Apostle / San Pablo apóstol
  • Saint Philip Neri / San Felipe Neri
  • Pope Saint Pius X / Papa San Pio X
  • Saint Roch (Rocco) / San Roque
  • Saint Rose of Lima / Santa Rosa de Lima
  • Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta / Santa (Madre) Teresa de Calcuta
  • Saint Therese of Lisieux / Santa Teresita la florecita
  • Saint Thomas More / San Tomás More
  • Saint Vitus / San Vito de Lucania

Confirmation Name Reflection

by

In the Rite of Confirmation, the Confirmation Candidate is “called by name.”

As a Confirmation Candidate, you are being asked to choose a name to be used during the Confirmation Liturgy.  This may either be the name of a saint who has special meaning to you, the name of another holy person who has inspired you, or your Baptismal name (some form of a saint’s name that is your first or middle name).

Whatever name you choose, you are asked to do some research and to write a reflection paper.  This reflection is due on Monday, November 30th and must be submitted online (details below).

  • If you have chosen to take the name of a saint, write your reflection as if that saint is the author.  In the reflection, your saint should tell us what he or she did that was worthy of sainthood — how his or her work, writings and accomplishments served the people of God and inspired others.  Be sure to include the date of your saint’s feast day, the dates when your saint was born and died (if those dates are known), and your reasons for choosing that saint. Put yourself in the shoes of this person and explain how he or she tried to live a holy life.
  • If you have chosen to use your Baptismal name as your Confirmation name, find out why your parents chose to give you your name and what your name means.  In your reflection, explain why you would like to re-use your Baptismal name as your choice for Confirmation.  If you were named after a saint or relative, you should write your reflection as if that saint or relative is the author.  Tell us about that saint or relative and why you think he or she is a good model for you to follow as you are Confirmed.

The paper is to be typed, 350-500 words in length. This is about 1-2 pages typed and double-spaced, but word count will be easier to deal with for digital work.  If the software you are using to write your paper does not count words, you can always check your word count using a site such as WordCounter.net.

Use your own words; do not plagiarize (copy text directly from a written source and pass it off as your own work).   Just copy-pasting or re-typing an article from the internet is not acceptable.

You may use human, printed and/or internet resources to help you with basic information about your saint or your name, and there are some ideas further down this page.  However, the most important thing is to include your own specific reasons for choosing this name as your Confirmation name, such as what you believe is the most important thing about the saint.  Pray and reflect as you write!

Ideas for Your Research 

HUMAN RESOURCES

  • Talk to your parents.  They know why you were given the name you received at Baptism.  Were you named after a relative? saint? family friend? soap opera/telenovela character?
  • Talk to your catechist(s).  They are getting to know you and may have some ideas about saints that would appeal to you.
  • Pray and reflect.  Ask God to help you. Write out your full name and consider what you like about it.  Around your name, write things that you like to do or like about yourself.  Check if there is a patron saint for something you have written, and if so, read their story.

INTERNET RESOURCES

  • Wikipedia might get you started, but it’s overly detailed & not written from a perspective of faith.  Do not make it your last or only source as you do your research! 
  • Young Saints: Top Saints 25 Under 25. Young people like you have been involved in our Church from the very beginning.  Read some basic stories about them here.
  • Reliable saint websites like the CatholicSaints.info, a wide-ranging index of saints and what is known about them.  
  • Less comprehensive but still good are the saints websites on  Catholic Online and Saints Resource (many articles available in Spanish!).
  • Behind the Name.  Learn the traditional meaning and story of your name or your saint’s name.  (If you can’t find your name there but know the meaning, submit it!) 

PRINTED RESOURCES

  • The Bible. If you know that your saint is in the Bible, find out where and read about them. (You can search the Bible online in English or Spanish at Bible Gateway). 
  • St. Joseph Edition of Picture Book of Saints (English) / Libro de los Santos (Spanish).  Who doesn’t love old-school picture books? This one’s about saints.   
  • Butler’s Lives of the Saints.  A comprehensive book of stories about saints’ lives. Available in many libraries. 
  • Books of baby names are also good resources for information on your name’s meaning.

***WARNINGS***

  • DON’T Google “Saint (your name)” and assume you’ll get something good.
  • DON’T submit a Wikipedia article or any other blocks of text copied directly from the source
  • DON’T copy off a saint card you were given as a gift
  • DON’T ignore or forget this assignment!  

How to Submit Your Reflection
(DUE NOVEMBER 30)

If you or your parents have a Google/GMail Account (school-issued or personal):

  • Write the reflection in Google Docs or upload to your Google Drive account.
  • Share the file with qa.svdp.youth@gmail.com.  Be sure to email a link to show you are ready to submit the reflection!  This is the official youth ministry account for the parish.  Ms. Hohner’s regular email account does not have access to Google Docs or Google Drive.  
  • Expect an acknowledgment back during daytime hours.  Depending on your account’s security settings (especially if it is a CPS school account), sharing a file with an unfamiliar Google account may not work.

If you have a Queen of Angels School Office 365 Account (school-issued):

  • Write the reflection in Word online or upload to your OneDrive.
  • Use your school account to share the file with Rachel Hohner (rhohner@queenofangelschicago.org).  Be sure to email a link to show you are ready to submit the reflection!   
  • Expect an acknowledgment back during daytime hours.  It is possible you will also get an automatic read-receipt when Ms. Hohner accesses the file.

If neither of those options will work for you:

  • Email what you have written, as an attachment or in the body of the email, to rhohner@queenofangelschicago.org.  You can send it from your personal account or a parent’s account.    
  • Expect an acknowledgment back during daytime hours. Depending on your account’s security settings (especially if it is a school email account), sending a message to an unfamiliar address may not work.

RMC Merger Update Letter from the Pastor

by

My dear parishioners of Queen of Angels and St. Matthias, 

First, I owe you an update on developments in our merging of the two former parishes that on paper took place on August 1 but has been happening more organically since then.  This letter will be a bit longer because it contains three months’ worth of news and three months’ worth of plans.

On September 15 our parish staff, Parish Council and Finance Council met with Renew My Church representatives to get a more detailed view of the process for Operations Transition, the stage of the RMC process we are now in.  This transition has included centralizing our bill-paying in August, our payroll processing in September, and realigning our bank accounts in October.  We are consolidating our resources so we can get on with the work of building our new reality, such as choosing a permanent name for the parish, and determining what our corner of the earthly kingdom will look like.

Also in September, the Congregation for the Clergy at the Vatican wrote back of the decision to uphold Cardinal Cupich’s decree joining the parishes and reject the arguments presented by the St. Matthias Church Preservation Team against the stated rationale for eventually closing St. Matthias Church.  While there is another opportunity for appeal in the coming weeks, I have discussed with the parishioners at St. Matthias that there is very slim hope of a different decision on a second appeal.

Where we come from is extremely important to who we are.  I appreciate deeply that what the St. Matthias Church Preservation team is trying to do is rooted in their love for the local community, the beautiful church building, and the sacrifices made by one to enrich the other.  As Christians who follow Jesus Christ, our identity leads us to our mission.  At each Baptism, each new Catholic is anointed with the Sacred Chrism and given a lit candle that together remind them they are ready to participate in the mission of Christ, to be guided by Christ and be light to others.

To point the way, let us listen for three clear invitations from our Lord that are spoken through the words of upcoming Readings we will hear in the next few months at Masses.  They coincide with turning points in our roadmap as a parish community for the next few months.

“Come, you who are blessed by my Father.  Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.”  – from the Gospel for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, November 22, 2020 

This Gospel from the final Sunday of the liturgical year gives us the Corporal Works of Mercy, one of the best illustrations in Scripture of what we are called to do as a church in imitation of Jesus.  A Christ-like Christian community reaches out to others and does not just look to preserve what once was.  We need to be able to recognize Christ in one another and in the people in our community whom we do not yet know – people seeking community, seeking truth, and seeking our help.  Over the years, so many people have found a spiritual home in the communities at St. Matthias and at Queen of Angels.  Who are the others, Jesus in disguise, who have yet to find (or return to) a spiritual home with our community?

A combined parish does not erase the ministries through which we reach out to others, but rather it frees up resources to support the work of those ministries.  Property insurance and deferred maintenance for aging buildings are huge expenses for a parish, and our combined parish now claims 7 buildings.  A combined parish can offer services that the former churches could not.  Queen of Angels will receive a stronger connection to outreach ministries like the Onam Center and Common Pantry, while St. Matthias will inherit a robust SPRED program and Domestic Violence Outreach ministry.

Some have described the shuttering of churches as just another sad sign of the changing times, like the closing of mom-and-pop stores and the omnipresence of big box stores and online retailers that take over their former role in the community.  But the difference is, whether the combined parish feels like a corporation or like the Body of Christ is largely up to us, in how we present and develop our outreach to the community around us.

“Come, you nations, and adore the Lord. For today a great light has come upon the earth.”
– from the Gospel Acclamation verse for Christmas Day, December 25, 2020 

Gone are the days when every family on your street was Catholic, when the Lincoln Square community was so richly Catholic that it could sustain multiple Catholic churches populated by German Catholics, Irish Catholics, Polish Catholics, Catholics living north of Lawrence, Catholics living south of Lawrence.  St. Matthias was the first Catholic community in the area, lighting the spark of faith that would grow and flourish among the German immigrants taming the marshland and planting their cucumber fields.   Queen of Angels was the first Catholic community in the area established as an English-speaking, multi-ethnic parish, welcoming a broader spectrum of the faithful as the neighborhood changed from suburban farmland to urban transportation hub and the newly arrived immigrant families grew into the following generations of native-born.

As time has passed and the neighborhood has changed, many children who grew up in our communities moved out of the immediate neighborhood to raise their own families, but kept coming back – maybe every Sunday; maybe to send their children to a Catholic school; maybe just at Christmas, Easter, or special celebrations each year; or maybe just for milestone sacraments. All are part of the Queen of Angels and St. Matthias Parish family.

I announced in mid-October at all our parish Masses that St. Matthias Church will remain open for Christmas 2020.   This delay from the original recommendation to close by the beginning of Advent (November 28) reflects the pandemic-driven delay of the official unification from July 1 to August 1.  It also gives us flexibility to offer additional Masses in two sites at Christmas, when our churches are normally more filled, so that those able to come to church under social distancing, can.  And after listening to my parishioners, as a Pastor I just really felt changing the Mass schedule in the holiday season would be insensitive.

This will be a Christmas season to celebrate the ways in which Jesus has been born among us in our separate church communities, before we turn our eyes to the future.  It will be a time for us to contemplate how we will continue to shine Christ’s light so that others may see.

“Come, and you will see.”
– John 1:39, from the Gospel for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 17, 2021 

These words of Jesus to the disciples of John the Baptist have been part of the invitation to our churches’ shared RCIA program for many years.  We repeat the words of Jesus as we ask our friends and neighbors who have curiosity about the Catholic faith to come and see all that our Catholic tradition has to offer.  I now repeat them to you, the parishioners of St. Matthias Parish and Queen of Angels Parish, to invite you to join us, in person or through Spiritual Communion in our streaming Masses, for united worship from Queen of Angels Church beginning on the weekend of January 23-24, 2021.

This means that St. Matthias Church will no longer have regular Masses after Sunday, January 17, with all regular parish Masses taking place at Queen of Angels Church.  This is both the recommendation of the Renew My Church Commission and what must happen for us to grow together as one parish community.  Although regular worship there will cease, the church will remain available for a time for the use of St. Matthias School and perhaps for funerals. This gives us a firmer timeline for making plans, and we will never build community in our parish if we do not learn how to worship together as one people.

As always, be assured of my prayers for our unification, and please pray for me.  If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at frjim@queenofangelschicago.org.

Monsignor Jim Kaczorowski
Pastor, Queen of Angels and St. Matthias Parish

 

Mis queridos feligreses de Reina de los Ángeles y San Matías, 

 Primero, les debo una actualización sobre el desarrollo de la unificación de las dos antiguas parroquias que en papel tomó lugar el 1º de agosto, pero que continúa desarrollándose de manera más orgánica desde entonces.  Esta carta será un poco más larga que de costumbre porque contiene tres meses de noticias y tres meses de planes. 

 El 15 de septiembre, nuestro personal parroquial, el Consejo Parroquial y el Consejo de Finanzas se reunieron con representantes de Renueva Mi Iglesia (RMC) para obtener más detalles sobre el proceso de Transición de Operaciones, cual es la etapa del proceso de Renueva Mi Iglesia (RMC) en la que estamos ahora. Esta transición ha incluido la centralización de nuestros pagos de facturas en agosto, nuestro procesamiento de nómina en septiembre y la realineación de nuestras cuentas bancarias en octubre. Estamos consolidando nuestros recursos para poder seguir con el trabajo de construir nuestra nueva realidad, como elegir un nombre permanente para la parroquia, y determinar cómo será nuestro rincón del reino terrenal. 

También en septiembre, la Congregación para el Clero en el Vaticano nos escribió sobre la decisión de llevar acabo el decreto del Cardenal Cupich de unir a las parroquias y rechazaron  los argumentos que el Equipo de Preservación de la Iglesia de San Matías expresó en contra de las razones que se les presentó anteriormente para finalmente cerrar la Iglesia de San Matías. Aunque hay la posibilidad de otra oportunidad de volver a apelar en las semanas que vienen, he hablado con los feligreses de la Iglesia de San Matías que hay muy pocas esperanzas de que una segunda apelación obtenga diferentes resultados. 

De dónde venimos es extremadamente importante a quienes somos. Aprecio profundamente  lo que el Equipo de Preservación de la Iglesia de San Matías intenta hacer y que nace del amor a su comunidad, al hermoso edificio que es su iglesia, y los sacrificios hechos por uno para enriquecer al otro. Como cristianos que siguen a Jesucristo, nuestra identidad nos conduce a nuestra misión. En cada Bautismo, cada católico nuevo es ungido con el Crisma Sagrado y recibe una vela encendida que juntos sirven para recordarle que está listo(a) para participar en la misión de Cristo, para ser guiados por Cristo y para ser la luz de Cristo para los demás. 

Para señalar el camino, escuchemos las tres invitaciones que nos hace nuestro Señor muy claramente por medio de las palabras que escucharemos en las lecturas de los próximos meses.  Estas invitaciones coinciden con momentos decisivos en nuestra ruta como una comunidad parroquial durante  los próximos meses.  

‘Vengan, benditos de mi Padre; tomen posesión del Reino preparado para ustedes desde la creación del mundo; porque estuve hambriento y me dieron de comer, sediento y me dieron de beber, era forastero y me hospedaron, estuve desnudo y me vistieron, enfermo y me visitaron, encarcelado y fueron a verme’. – del Evangelio de la solemnidad de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, Rey del Universo, 22 de noviembre del 2020 

Este Evangelio del último domingo del año litúrgico nos da las Obras Corporales de  Misericordia, una de las mejores ilustraciones en las Escrituras sobre lo que somos llamados a hacer como una iglesia que busca imitar a Jesús. Una comunidad semejante a Cristo extiende su mano a otros y no sólo busca preservar lo que una vez fue. Debemos poder reconocer a Cristo los unos con los otros y en las personas de nuestra comunidad a las que aún no hemos conocido: personas en busca de comunidad, en busca de la verdad y en busca de nuestra ayuda. A lo largo de los años, muchas personas han encontrado un hogar espiritual en las comunidades de San Matías y de Reina de los Ángeles. ¿Quiénes son los otros?, Jesús en disfraz, que aún no han encontrado (o regresado) a un hogar espiritual con nuestra comunidad. 

El combinar las parroquias no borrará los ministerios por los cuales podemos alcanzar a los demás, sino que libera recursos que pueden brindar más apoyo a la labor de esos ministerios. El seguro de una propiedad y el mantenimiento aplazado de edificios antiguos son gastos enormes para una parroquia, y nuestra parroquia combinada ahora reclama a siete edificios. Una parroquia combinada puede ofrecer servicios que las iglesias anteriores no pudieron ofrecer ellas solas. Reina de los Ángeles recibirá una conexión más fuerte a ministerios de alcance como el Centro Onam y la Despensa Común, mientras que San Matías heredará un sólido programa de SPRED y un Ministerio de Alcance que apoya a víctimas de Violencia Doméstica. 

Algunos han descrito la clausura de iglesias como cualquier otra triste señal de como han cambiado los tiempos, como el cierre de negocios pequeños que una vez formaron gran parte de la comunidad y la omnipresencia de las tiendas grandes y minoristas por línea que han reemplazado a esos negocios pequeños. Pero la diferencia es que, depende en gran medida de nosotros que la iglesia combinada se sienta como una corporación o como el cuerpo de Cristo, por la forma en la que presentamos y desarrollamos nuestros ministerios de alcance a la comunidad que nos rodea. 

 ‘Venid, naciones, y adorad al Señor. Porque hoy ha venido una gran luz sobre la tierra.’
– del verso de la aclamación evangélica del día de Navidad, 25 de diciembre del 2020 

 Atrás han quedado los tiempos cuando cada familia en nuestra cuadra era católica, cuando la comunidad de Lincoln Square era tan ricamente católica que podía sostener a varias iglesias católicas pobladas por católicos alemanes, católicos irlandeses, católicos polacos, católicos que vivían al norte de la Lawrence y católicos que vivían al sur de la Lawrence. La Iglesia de San Matías fue la primera comunidad católica en la zona, iluminando una chispa de fe que crecería y florecería entre los inmigrantes alemanes mientras domaban las marismas y plantaban sus campos de pepino. La Iglesia de Reina de los Ángeles, fue la primera comunidad católica que se estableció en el área como una parroquia multiétnica de habla inglesa, dando la bienvenida a un espectro más amplio de fieles mientras el vecindario cambiaba de ser tierras suburbanas de cultivo a un centro urbano de transporte y las familias inmigrantes recién llegadas crecieron hasta formar las siguientes generaciones de nativos. 

 A medida que el tiempo ha pasado y el vecindario ha cambiado, muchos de los niños que se criaron en nuestras comunidades se mudaron fuera del vecindario para criar a sus propias familias, pero continúan regresando – tal vez cada domingo; tal vez para traer a sus hijos a una escuela católica; tal vez sólo el día de Navidad, de Pascua, o celebraciones especiales cada año; o tal vez sólo para recibir el siguiente sacramento. Todos forman parte de la familia parroquial de Reina de los Ángeles y de San Matías. 

En el medio de octubre, anuncié en todas nuestras misas parroquiales que la Iglesia de San Matías permanecería abierta para la Navidad del 2020. A causa de la pandemia, hubo un retraso en la recomendación original de cerrar la iglesia de San Matías al inicio del Adviento (28 de noviembre) como la unificación oficial de las iglesias no se llevó acabo hasta el 1º  de julio al 1º  de agosto. También nos da la flexibilidad de ofrecer misas adicionales en dos sitios durante la Navidad, que es cuando nuestras iglesias suelen estar más llenas de lo normal, y permitirles escuchar misa, en persona, a quienes tengan la habilidad de asistir bajo distanciamiento social. Además, después de escuchar a mis feligreses, como su pastor, realmente sentí que cambiar el horario de las misas durante la época navideña sería insensible. 

Esta será una época navideña para celebrar las maneras en que Jesús ha nacido entre nosotros dentro de nuestras propias comunidades parroquiales, antes de volver nuestros ojos hacia el futuro. Será un tiempo para contemplar cómo seguiremos alumbrando la luz de Cristo para que otros la vean. 

“Ven, y verás.”
– Juan 1:39, del Evangelio para el segundo domingo en el tiempo ordinario, 17 de enero de 2021 

Estas palabras que Jesús pronunció a los discípulos de Juan el Bautista han formado parte de la invitación al programa de RICA compartido entre nuestras iglesias durante muchos años. Repetimos las  palabras de Jesús mientras les pedimos a nuestros amigos y vecinos que tienen curiosidad por la fe católica que vengan a ver todo lo que nuestra tradición católica tiene que ofrecer. Ahora se las repito a ustedes, los feligreses de la Parroquia de San Matías y Reina de los Ángeles, para invitarlos a que se unan a nosotros, en persona o a través de la Comunión Espiritual en nuestras Misas transmitidas por internet (en YouTube), para orar unidos desde la Iglesia de Reina de los Ángeles a partir del fin de semana del 23-24 de enero del 2021.  

Esto significa que la Iglesia de San Matías ya no tendrá misas regulares después del domingo 17 de enero del 2021, sino que todas las misas regulares se llevarán a cabo en la Iglesia de Reina de los Ángeles. Esta es tanto la recomendación de la Comisión de Renueva Mi Iglesia como lo que debe suceder para poder crecer juntos como una sola comunidad parroquial. Aunque ya no se celebrará misa regular, en San Matías, la iglesia permanecerá disponible a la Escuela de San Matías y posiblemente para funerales, por un tiempo. Esto nos provee una cronología más firme y clara para formar planes, y nunca construiremos una comunidad en nuestra parroquia si no aprendemos a orar juntos como un sólo pueblo. 

Como siempre, tengan la seguridad de mis oraciones por la unificación de nuestras parroquias, y por favor oren por mí. Si tienen alguna pregunta o inquietud, por favor envíenme un correo electrónico a frjim@queenofangelschicago.org.  

 Monseñor Jim Kaczorowski
Párroco de la Parroquia Reina de los Ángeles y San Matías

Confirmation Service Ideas

by

PRINTABLE FORM
for tracking your own hours

Candidates are expected to complete and document at least 5 hours of Christian service. (Due to changes charitable organizations made during the pandemic, this is reduced from previous requirements for 10 hours.)  Forms may be turned in earlier at any Confirmation Prep session, but they are due during the first week of February, 2025.

Christian service fits into two categories:

  • Direct service to persons in need, based on the Corporal Works of Mercy (feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, helping the homeless and the poor)
  • Indirect service to benefit the people of God or all of creation through the Church, schools and other community groups (setting up for parish events, tutoring, office work, cooking, cleaning, caring for the environment or animals)

Our Candidates for Confirmation are encouraged to do as much direct service as possible as part of those 5 hours. Direct service transforms us as we look upon the faces of our brothers and sisters in need.  Ask: Who am I serving today? “Each one of them is Jesus in disguise.” — Saint (Mother) Teresa of Calcutta

Group outings for performing service (such as to a Soup Kitchen, Food Pantry, Cradles2Crayons or Feed My Starving Children) can be organized by catechists and/or by groups of parents.  Parents/guardians can also sign off on service performed if a representative of the organization or person helped is not able to do so.  Blank forms will be given at the initial class in September for students and their parents, or can be downloaded above.

SUGGESTED EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN OUR PARISH

Commons (parent-school-parish organization of Queen of Angels School)

  • Children’s Resale Shop – green resale event, Saturday, October 19, 2024, with donation drop-off times and sorting in the week leading up to it (Wednesday & Thursday 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.).   Youth may sort items and assist customers, especially if youth helpers during the sale are bilingual in English and Spanish.  Please use the SignUpGenius link.
  • Community Family Masses – help host the reception after certain 9 a.m. Masses in English at Queen of Angels Church. Upcoming Community Family Masses on October 20, November 17, December 15, and January 12.   A SignUpGenius will be available soon for the October 20 Mass.
  • Breakfast with Santa – fun event for children, Saturday, December 7, 2024 .  Youth usually help supervise games and activities for younger children or replenish buffet items from the kitchen.  Please note that the event is the same day as the Catholic H.S. entrance exam, so this is mainly an opportunity for students already in high school or not applying to Catholic high schools.  

Respect Life Committee – Help host a reception after and/or lead Rosary Prayers in English or Spanish for the Friday Holy Hours for Respect Life Month, on each Friday, October 4, 11, 18 & 25, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  Contact Mrs. Stella Peters, petersstella392@gmail.com.

Marketing for Queen of Angels School – contact Director of Marketing Ms. Ayani Brown, abrown@queenofangelschicago.org.

  • AppleFest in Lincoln Square  – Saturday & Sunday, October 5 & 6.  Set up in the morning and/or take down in the evening the tent representing the parish and Queen of Angels School at a neighborhood.  Daytime shifts host children’s games and activities and help answer questions from prospective parents visiting the booth.  Please use the SignUpGenius link.

Domestic Violence Outreach – Take responsibility for handing out purple awareness ribbon pins and other materials to raise awareness of the issue of Domestic Violence during October, Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Respect Life Month.  Attend Mass as you normally would but then come back to the gathering space after Communion so you are in place when people begin to leave at the end of Mass.  Each shift assumes about 15 minutes of service at the end of a Mass; signing up to serve at the same Mass all month is an easy way to document an hour of service.  Please use the SignUpGenius link.

Scouts BSA Troop 894 – Our BSA Scouting Troop for boys and girls invites you to accompany them on some of their upcoming service activities, in partnership with different community organizations. You do not need to already be a Scout to attend, but each organization will be governed by their own rules for volunteers.

  • Ravenswood Community Services at 4550 N. Hermitage Ave. on Saturday, October 12, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Site of service possibly located at Ravenswood Elementary School instead? A similar event is being planned for December 14.  
    To sign up, contact Scout Leaders Lyzette Austen, vandergiggs@gmail.com, and/or Rachel Abajian, rabajian@gmail.com.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul – parish organization serving 70+ local clients in need and their families.  A limited number of youth may volunteer with advance sign-up, but we recommend to wear a mask while serving.  Youth will need the annual permission form for Society of St. Vincent de Paul events:

  • Thanksgiving Food Drive Sorting – 7 p.m. Friday, November 22, 2024, in Holy Family Hall (Queen of Angels Church basement), 2330 W. Sunnyside Ave.  Sort donated food and household items so that each client family can shop for them the next day.
  • Thanksgiving Food Drive Distribution – 8 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday, November 23, 2024, in Holy Family Hall (Queen of Angels Church basement), 2330 W. Sunnyside Ave.  It is most helpful to stay for the whole time to help client families choose their food at timed appointments, or to sign up for only half the time.

SPRED – host agape receptions after SPRED Masses, perhaps in partnership with members of BSA Troop 894.  Next SPRED Mass on Sunday, January 26.  Contact Mrs. Kerry Hurley, flykerry@aol.com.

Church Art & Environment Committee, serving at Queen of Angels Church, 2330 W. Sunnyside; contact Mrs. Kathleen Tamayo at kathleen_tucker@yahoo.com or Mrs. Dorothy Long at dorothy_r_long@yahoo.com

  • mid-Advent decorating (Trees & Nativity Scene set-up), likely Sunday, December 15, 2024
  • late Advent decorating for Christmas (poinsettia flowers & Christmas decor), around Monday, December 23, 2024
  • after Christmas undecorating (remove and store trees, Nativity scene & all decorations), likely Sunday, January 5, 2024 or during that week

SUGGESTED EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE PARISH

Midnight Circus event with Welles Park Advisory Council from Friday, September 27 through Sunday, September 29 – set up, sell food and beverages for the concessions tent, and clean up after circus performances in Welles Park, across the street from Queen of Angels Church.  Sign up for youth (High School students only) is separate from sign up for adults.  Also needed is a Park District Volunteer Waiver which can be signed by a parent and submitted online.

Soup Kitchen & Sack Meal Program at St. Mary of the Lake and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish (4220 N. Sheridan) – Contactless soup kitchen serving soup each Wednesday at 6 p.m.  Each week they need 5-7 volunteers to donate ingredients and make 5 sack lunches for clients to take with them.  Packed lunches should be dropped off at their parish office at Buena & Sheridan between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday. See details and contact Darlene Kelly at dkelly@saintmarys.org to sign up to make sack lunches.   (There is also a SignUpGenius for 4 hospitality volunteers each week 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to serve the hot soup, but this is normally for adult volunteers 18+ only. It looks like youth are able to sign up if chaperoned by a parent/guardian.)  This is now a ministry of St. Mary of the Lake and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish that serves 350+ individual meals per month.

Ravenswood Community Services – youth under 17 may serve accompanied by an adult at Weekend Pantry events, hosted nearby at All Saints Episcopal Church

Ronald McDonald House serving families with hospitalized children – snack bags for residents, made alone or in small groups

Common Pantry in their new home at 3908 N. Lincoln Ave. Many shifts on-site are during the school day, so this is a better opportunity when it’s Summer Break or you have a day off of school.  But you can also sign up to hold a Food Drive for them in your family, school, or neighborhood.

  • Common Kids opportunities for families with children ages 6-12, volunteering as a family unit
  • regular Volunteer Opportunities open to youth 13+ on their own and to adults – click on the big green “Volunteer” button and fill out a short survey to get started.  Spots fill up fast, but available shifts could include:
    • Mondays
      • Pantry Re-set: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
      • Produce Day Clean-up: 12 noon to 1 p.m.
    • Tuesdays
      • Bagging Groceries for Home Delivery: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
      • To-Go Prep: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
      • To-Go Distribution: 3:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
    • Wednesdays
      • Commons Kids Cookie Baking: 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
      • Hot Lunch Help: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
      • Food Pantry Restocking: 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (Morning) or 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. (Afternoon)
      • Food Pantry Distribution: 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. (Afternoon) or 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Evening)
      • Bagging Groceries for Home Delivery: 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
    •  Thursdays
      • Bagging Groceries for Home Delivery: 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.
      • Restock: 10 a.m. to 12 noon
      • Afternoon Distribution: 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
      • Pantry Re-set: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The Friendship Center at 2711 W. Lawrence Ave., a local food pantry. On-site volunteers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and be prepared to show proof of vaccination.  Many shifts on-site are during the school day, or limited to persons over 16 or 18 years old, so this is a better opportunity when it’s Summer Break or you have a day off of school, or with a parent.  But you can also sign up to hold a Food Drive for them in your family, school, or neighborhood. Extra help is often needed by youth during these times:

  • Wednesdays, 4:45 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. and Third Saturday of each month, 8:30am-11:30am:  Pet Food Pantry volunteers (12 years and up)
  • Thursdays, 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: Hot Meal Kitchen Volunteer (14 years and up)
  • Fridays, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.: After-School Sorters (12 years to 16 years)

Lakeview Pantry still accepts volunteers under 18!  Please read the youth guidelines, sign the youth waiver, register the family, and attend an online orientation session. (Orientation time can also be counted as part of youth service.)

Cradles to Crayons – they have a warehouse in our neighborhood where they process and pack donations of clothes, books, and art supplies

2024 Walk to End Lupus Now, Chicago at the Lincoln Park Lagoon on Saturday, September 28, 2024.  Register to walk and fundraise, or volunteer for, this walk for a good cause: raising money for lupus research, increasing awareness of lupus, and rallying public support for the estimated 1.5 million Americans who suffer from its brutal impact.

  • Registration/Money Collection opens at 9:00 a.m.
  • Opening Ceremony at 9:45 a.m.
  • 1 mile Walk steps off at 10:00 a.m.

Great Lakes Alliance – beach clean-ups

Greater Chicago Food Depository – limited # of students as volunteers, with adult chaperones

Great Schools Uganda – write letters of support and friendship to students in Uganda

Upparent – places to volunteer & at-home opportunities

The Honeycomb Project, “putting kids at the forefront of social change”
– gathered, socially-distant events to pack food boxes or make craft kits
– sign up to cook a dish at home (potluck-style) and drop off to programs serving the homeless
– Honeycomb at Home – virtual lessons and projects to do with your family at home

Resources for Military & Support Personnel – making cards & sending to the chosen charity
– greeting cards
– care packages

Cards for Hospitalized Kids
– FAQs
– how to make the cards (options for holiday or general cards)
HQ is at 7290 W. Devon Ave., 60631. You may be able to drop off cards there, but contact them directly

Project Linus – making blankets
– FAQs
– easy no-sew pattern for 2-layer fleece blankets
– drop-off in Western suburbs
– drop-off in Northern suburbs

In your neighborhood, you can also reach out to

  • families who can’t afford babysitting, and help watch younger children while parents run errands
  • your elderly neighbors, to perform outdoor tasks such as gardening, leaf-raking, snow-shoveling.  Or count time baking treats and making cards for them.

Already past events:

  • Chicago River Day with Friends of the River and BSA Troop 894, May 11, 2024
  • Parish Feast Day Potluck Meal Set-up/Clean-up, May 18, 2024
  • Host Agape Reception after SPRED Mass with BSA Troop 894, May 19, 2024
  • School Supplies Unpacking – 7 p.m. Friday, August 16, 2024, in Holy Family Hall (Queen of Angels Church basement), 2330 W. Sunnyside Ave.  Unpack boxes of purchased school supplies so that each client family can shop for them the next day.
  • School Supplies Distribution – 7:45 a.m. to 12 noon Saturday, August 17, 2024, in Holy Family Hall (Queen of Angels Church basement), 2330 W. Sunnyside Ave.  It is most helpful to stay for the whole time to help client families choose their food at timed appointments, or to sign up for only half the time.
  • Harvest Jam – fall family festival on Saturday, September 14, 2024 in our parish parking lot at Western & Sunnyside.  Youth usually help supervise games and activities for younger children, and/or help with event logistics like set-up and clean-up. (Time at the 8th Grade Class Booth doing fundraising for the Class Trip unfortunately does not count.)
  • SPRED Mass – Sunday, September 22.  Host agape receptions after SPRED Mass, perhaps in partnership with members of BSA Troop 894 or Commons.

With thanks to Lisa Michalak, Liz Wannemacher, Jane Bishop Lillegard, Lyzette Austen, Megan Fallen Duffy, Stella Peters, and the leaders of Troop 894 for their help in compiling these resources!

What DOESN’T count as service for Confirmation Preparation? 

  • 8th Grade Class Trip fundraising, labor in a family business, or other efforts directing money to a small group of which you are a member
  • Work for which you have been paid (babysitting or lawnmowing jobs, regular employment)
  • Chores around the house (babysitting own siblings, washing the dishes, shoveling your own walkways, making your own bed) which are your ordinary responsibility as a member of the household
  • Volunteering during Sunday Mass (altar server or choir member) or charity/buddy projects with your class during the school day since you would participate in the time allotted for that activity anyway.  (Altar serving at a second Mass the same weekend could count for service hours).

Retirement Wishes for Principal Julia Kelly

by

Principal Julia Byrns Kelly

In early April our School Principal Julia Bryns Kelly announced that she would retire at the end of the school year to spend more time with her family of children and grandchildren. She has welcomed and guided many students, parents, and staff members in her 22 years at Queen of Angels, and her final days on staff were last week at the end of June. A retirement car parade was held in her honor on June 1. Principal Kelly writes, “I want to thank our Queen of Angels community in helping to make my years a very special time in my life. I truly have loved my years at Queen of Angels with the students, staff and families who have helped over the years to form this special school community to what it is today. I will miss the students, staff and families very much. I wish you a safe, peaceful and happy summer.” Mrs. Kelly, we are grateful for your leadership, we will miss you greatly, and we wish you all the best in your retirement!

In the coming weeks our community will continue welcoming and getting to know Principal Rana Brizgys, who began as our new School Principal on July 1 and is settling in to her new role. .

Translate »