News and Views from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
By Your Pastor, Fr. Pete Jankowski

A few months ago, three women from the parish approached me with a novel idea - to resurrect the Corned Beef and Cabbage Dinner here at St. Patrick's. The idea had come and gone in years past - at first, the faithful became very excited to start this annual tradition and, like many traditions in life, the interest in this Irish feast began to wane and was replaced by a spaghetti dinner and then nothing at all.

Kelly Creed, Kathy Johnson and Sue Kambic resurrected this particular dream to bring our community together at a meal so that we could build community, so that we could unite a new generation of St. Patrick's faithful to the traditions gone by. Even they were skeptical at times of the end result of this endeavor, only to find out that some 250 individuals came to celebrate an Irish-flavored Palm Sunday liturgy with this Gaelic Dinner and Festive Dancing to follow. Little did they know that the second seating of this Irish Dinner, a formal showing of Late Nite Catechism, would also fill the gymnasium and bring a wonderful sense of unity to a community of believers.

Like many times in our faith lives, we often have doubts about the God who cares for us and for the people whom God has commissioned to serve us. Sometimes people become frustrated with the direction in which me move; sometimes people struggle with their faith in times of change. All this said, what has happened over the last few months here at the parish has reinforced the notion that the people of this parish are good and the faith of the believers is very much alive.

Over the last two years, because of your dedication, Mass attendance on Sundays has increased by a factor of over a hundred believers a week. In addition, a Spanish Mass which began with 60 individuals in January of 2007 has grown to a weekly stream of over 150 strong some fifteen months later. The weekly collection has increased by a factor of $500 a week; the attendance at our Pancake Breakfasts, our anniversary celebrations and our special activities is a testimony to your faith. For this we give thanks. For this we are grateful to God and his children for supporting our little slice of heaven on Willow and Marion Streets.

All of this is due to you perseverance… and the faith of the parish continues to grow in the process.

God Bless.

Fr. Pete

Gloria Dei Vivens Homo (The Glory of God is Living in Man)
- St. Irenaeus of Lyons

Everyone needs to be fed by spiritual experiences. Every Monday at 7pm until 8pm we experience the presence of Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration and the Rosary. Come join us in church for one hour. All are welcome - Come and be fed!

Come and experience the Eucharist every First Friday beginning after morning Mass and ending with Benediction for the Repose of the Blessed Sacrament at 5pm. It would be very fitting to have at least three persons committed to Eucharistic Adoration for each hour from 9am to 5pm on each First Friday. There will be a sheet in the vestibule of the Church for you to sign your name and the time you prefer. Please consider this hour with our Lord a privilege!

Each week, St. Patrick's Vocation Cross travels from home to home throughout the parish as we pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. This week,

will care for the cross. If you would like to participate, please contact the office (815) 727-4746.

Over the 2007-2008 year, parishioners from St. Patrick's Catholic Church are invited to audit our RCIA Sessions in learning the basics of the Catholic Faith. Sessions generally run on Wednesdays from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. in the Faculty Lounge of the School. As an effort to promote Adult Education in the parish, all members of our community over the age of 14 are welcome to join us for any or all of the sessions listed each week. For more information, please contact the parish office at (815) 7274746.

Fr. Pete Jankowski will cover the basic tenets of the Christian moral life and apply them to practical situations in today's society.

2008 Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal

Diocese of Joliet Sign-Up Weekend, April 12/13, 2008 Each year we ask you to support the Catholic Ministries Annual Appeal of the Diocese of Joliet. As a part of our diocesan family, your generous offering expresses your desire to help and serve our neighbors, especially those in need. Please be generous when you are asked to pledge in this important effort.

Natural Family Planning Classes are available throughout the year at St. Patrick's. Please contact John and Barbara at 815-727-3018.

Juan Manuel is 18 years old. He is extremely excited to travel to the USA. The foods he is most anxious to try are hamburgers and chocolate ice cream. In his childhood, Juan's house caught fire. The roof collapsed on him and severed both of his legs. Juan Manuel arrived to Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos "walking" on his hands. His new life at NPH has given him prosthetics which allows him to actually walk using only a cane for balance. Not only has NPH made it possible for Juan Manuel to walk again, but he also has the opportunity to study. He would like to be a doctor in the future. He is a very talented musician and has been blessed with a beautiful singing voice. Juan has visited Shriner's Hospital and has been accepted to receive cleft palate surgery. His surgery began in November 2007 and will continue through 2008.

For over 20 years, St. Pat's volunteers have been providing dinner once a month at Daybreak Center. This easy but rewarding community service is much needed in today's economy. Can you add your name to the list of volunteers that occasionally help by grocery shopping or cooking food at home or serving dinner? Call Mary Mattson at (815) 726-2150 to get more details. Daybreak Center is sponsored by Catholic Charities, but recently experienced budget cuts, so they really appreciate St. Pat's help!

Feast of Divine Mercy

Please join us for a celebration of the Feast of Divine Mercy on Sunday, March 30th at St. Paul the Apostle Church at 18N. Woodlawn in Joliet. Fr. Mike Lane will celebrate the Mass at 3:45pm preceded by 2:00pm Confessions and 3:00pm Chaplet Prayers. To prepare for this Feast, pray the novena of Divine Mercy beginning on Good Friday and ending on Saturday, March 29th. Contact Karen for more in formation at 815-744-6339.

• Thursday, April 10th: The Catholic Woman's League will meet at Al's Steak House for its Philanthropy Luncheon and Card Party. (11:30am Gathering, 12:00pm Luncheon, 12:30pm Business Meeting and cards at 1:00pm.) Your check for $12 (made out to the Catholic Woman's League) is your reservation. Please mail it before April 1st (along with your card party returns) to Nancy Louck, 2229 Daffodil Drive, Crest Hill, 60403.
  
  
• Friday, April 11th 6:00pm to 9:00pm and Saturday, April 12th 8:00 am until 10:30am. St. Raymond's in Joliet will host their Annual Children's Spring/Summer Resale. 125 Sellers under one roof. Admission Fee is $1; no children allowed unless closely supervised; no strollers please.
  
  
• Tuesday, April 15th at 7:30pm: The Lewis University Choir presents the music of Stephen Platko and Russian Orthodox Hymns by Kedrov, Archangelsky, Tchaikovsky, sung in Old Church Slavonic. This event is hosted by St. Nicholas Orthodox , 1000 Barber Lane, Joliet. Free Admission. For more information, contact 815-836-5405. This event will be repeated on April 29th at Lewis University in the Sancta Alberta Chapel at 7:30pm with an expanded repertoire.
  
  
• Sunday, April 27th, 2:00-6:00pm at St. Joseph Park at Raynor & Theodore Streets in Joliet - join us for a chop dinner to support the Joliet Catholic Academy Alumni Association and the JCA Band Parents to raise funds for Band uniforms. Tickets are available in advance from the JCA band members or at JCA at 815-741-0500.
  
  
• Help Wanted: The Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart, 9201 W. Saint Francis Road in Frankfort have a housekeeping/dietary position available for a working a possible split shift. Contact Tony at 815-464-3841.
  
  
• April 23rd at 1:00pm: Provena St. Joseph Medical Center Auxiliary invites all to a card/bunco party at Knights of Columbus at 100 S. 129th Infantry Drive in Joliet. Call 815-725-4418 for information/reservations.
  
  
• April 19-20: St. Paul's Youth Ministry invites All High School Students to Follow IV Retreat. The retreat begins 9:00am on Saturday, April 19th, and continues until 6:00pm Sunday, April 20th. The cost is $40 with permission form. You don't want to miss this awesome weekend of prayer, talks, games, food, fun and fellowship!! St. Paul's welcomes all High School Students for an exciting, spiritual and powerful weekend that you won't soon forget! Sign up with forms/money to St. Paul's Youth Ministry Office no later than April 4th.
  Contact 815-730-8599 or stpaulsyouth@sbcglobal.net for more info.
  
  
• Youth Outing with St. Ray's The Youth Group at St. Ray's has invited us over for some Chicago Cubs Games on April 19th (Leave at 9:30am - $25/ticket), June 12th (Leave at 11am - $30/ticket) and August 6th (Leave at 11am - $30/ticket). Make it a family event! Contact Denis & Michelle Brunner for details at 815-577-6185 or 630-768-1697.
  
  
• Save your Ultra Foods and Strack and Van Til receipts! Receipts from March 3rd through June 1st will earn 5% for the parish! When the School collected these last fall, they raised $400! Contact the Rectory for details.

St. Patrick School Mission Statement

St. Patrick School embraces a mission to provide the finest academic environment for all of our children. We emphasize achievable goals and high moral ethical standards. We instill in our students a lifelong commitment to excellence and dedication to their Catholic Christian faith. Saint Patrick School is marked by a spirit of hospitality, a parent-school and parish partnership with a nurturing atmosphere in which our children develop in mind, body and spirit.