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

There is a tradition in the Catholic Church that takes place on Epiphany Sunday, the day that the astrologers from the East, come to visit the baby Jesus in Bethlehem. As the tradition goes, every Epiphany, especially in European countries like Germany, the family gathers in their own house to bless their house and recognize the royalty that live inside of it. The family may ask a minister to come and bless the house for them. The minister will bring water and incense, sprinkling the house with holy water and allowing the incense to carry the prayers of the family up to heaven. The family would then read from scripture, most likely the reading from today's gospel of Luke and then the priest will then take a piece of chalk, which reminds the family that each of us is dust and are dependent on the Lord to raise us to heaven.

With this chalk, the head of the family writes above the lintel of the front door the year of the Lord which we commemorate - 2007 in this case - separated by the names we traditionally give to the three kings - Caspar, Melchior, & Balthasar - with crosses separating these symbols to remind us of the Lord's presence. Some Protestant communities have changed the significance of the three letters, focusing on the presence of Christ in the house over the three kings. In this tradition, the letters stand for Christus Mansionem Benidicat (May Christ Bless this Home).

And every year at Epiphany, this twelfth day of Christmas, the family gathers together once again to celebrate the tradition of the Epiphany House Blessing, erasing the blessing of the old year to write upon the lintel the symbol of God's presence in the New Year. As they do so, the family once again offers the prayer that accompanies this yearly house blessing: "Caspar, Melchior & Balthasar, protect us again this year from the dangers of fire and water." This year, you might wish to utilize this Epiphany Blessing in your own home, keeping in the centuries-old European tradition of our ancestors.

May God Bless All of You.
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 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. we experience the presence of Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration and the Rosary. Come and 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.

St. Jude Parish in Joliet has Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Chapel of the Little Flower. The Chapel is located directly west of the school and is open from 5am to 10pm to all. After hour adorers (10pm-5am) need to register. Please call 725-2209.

Do you want to beat the "Wintertime Blues"? Then sign up for our trip to Drury Lane Theatre on Thursday, January 25th, 2007. Our group will travel to Oakbrook to have dinner and see the musical favorite THE KING AND I. The cost for the trip, bus, dinner and play, is $55.00. Dinner selections are Baked Lemon Sole or Chicken Breast Marsala. Reservations may be made with Joyce Hutten at 744-1188. Dinner selections must be made with your reservation, and full payment is due by December 30th, 2006. Please join us!

Choices for Life Benefit Banquet featuring a keynote address by Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain, Bishop of Joliet will be held on Friday, January 26, at the Abbington Banquet Hall in Glen Ellyn, IL.

The proceeds of this event will enable Woman's Choice Services to provide hope for those at risk for abortion, help for those who are pregnant and healing for those who are suffering from an abortion. The banquet will begin with a cocktail hour and hors d'oeuvres at 6:30pm followed by dinner at 7:30pm. Tickets are $75 per person with a discounted rate of $650 for a table of ten. For more information, please call 630-261-9564.

Natural Family Planning Courses The Couple to Couple League teaches the symptothermal method of Natural Family Planning in a series of four once-a-month classes. This method is safe and 99% effective, and can be used to help achieve or postpone pregnancy. All married and engaged couples are invited to attend the new series beginning Sunday, January 28, 2007 at St. Patrick's "Bishop Vonesh Hall", 710 W. Marion St., Joliet, IL from 1:00 to 3:00pm. For more information or to register call John and Barbara Halbur at (815) 727-3018 or Tim and Laura Dominick at (815) 736-6092. For more information on the Couple to Couple League, visit www.ccli.org.

Thank you to the parishioners and staff that have worked so hard to make the Advent and Christmas seasons so memorable. From hanging wreaths in below zero wind-chill to the trees and poinsettias in Holcomb the Church. The children's cards to the homebound and the gifts and poinsettias given as well. For the hard work on the Christmas program and the breakfast with Santa; the kindergartners that decorated the Rectory and the student projects that Borio decorated the halls and windows of the school. Thank you all! Have a very Blessed New Year!!!

Over the last few weeks, some of the parishioners here in Joliet have inquired about taking yearly or biyearly pilgrimages. I promised them that I would inquire into this idea and came across an organization called "The Catholic Pilgrimage Center," which offered me a series of vacation ideas. After looking at what they offered this year, I came up with the following pilgrimage that I thought was simple enough to try for a first time around. The trip runs from November 5-15, 2007 and will cost around $2500 a person (double occupancy). The cost of the trip is mostly all-inclusive and departs/arrives Chicago. The trip itinerary is as follows:

Day One - Chicago to Rome, Italy
Day Two - Rome
Day Three - Rome & the Vatican
Day Four - Rome/Papal Audience/Catacombs
Day Five - Montecassine - Padre Pio
Day Six - San Giovanni/Monte San Angelo
Day Seven - Lanciano - Loreto
Day Eight - St. Rita - Assisi
Day Nine - Assisi
Day Ten - Assisi / Florence / Siena
Day Eleven - Return Flight Home

We will need about 15 people in order to make this trip work. Please contact me if you are interested.

God Bless,
Rev. Peter G. Jankowski

"Gloria Dei Vivens Homo" - St. Irenaeus of Lyons

Our Lord does not care so much for the importance of our works as for the love with which they are done. -Teresa of Avila

Do you want to beat the "Wintertime Blues"?

Then sign up for our trip to Drury Lane Theatre on Thursday, January 25th, 2007. Our group will travel to Oakbrook to have dinner and see the musical favorite THE KING AND I. The cost for the trip, bus, dinner and play, is $55.00. Dinner selections are Baked Lemon Sole or Chicken Breast Marsala. Reservations may be made with Joyce Hutten at 744-1188.

Dinner selections must be made with your reservation, and full payment is due by December 30th, 2006. Please join us for a fun-filled day.

• The Women's Center at 5116 North Cicero Avenue in Chicago is in desperate need of gently used boys' and girls' winter clothing size 5 and larger and small and extra large maternity clothes.
• The 34th Commemorative Prayer Service for the Unborn will be held at the Cathedral of St. Raymond on Sunday, January 14th at 2pm. A special blessing will be given for those traveling to the March for Life in Washington DC. Please invite everyone who is going, from your town or parish to attend this lovely afternoon service, so we may protect them in prayer and go with them in spirit. Contact info: Fran Fortier, Joliet Diocesan Life Office: 815-838-1002 or John F. Egizio, Knights of Columbus: 815-722-1660.
  
• The Catholic Woman's League of Joliet will host a Philanthropy Luncheon and card party at Al's Steak House on Jefferson Street in Joliet on Thursday, February 1, 2007. The business meeting will begin at 11:30am followed by the luncheon at 12 noon and games at 1pm. Your check for $12 made out to the Catholic Woman's League is your reservation. Please send it before January 28th to: Mrs. Nancy Jamnik, 1500 Woodbridge Road #3A in Joliet, IL 60436.

Viatorian Mission Appeal on the weekend of January 13 & 14, 2007.

Next weekend, Father William L. Carpenter, CSV, a member of the Clerics of Saint Viator (more informally known as the Viatorians) will be speaking at all the Masses inviting our prayers and financial support for the Viatorian's missionary work in Belize, Central America and Colombia, South America. Let us warmly welcome Father Carpenter and generously respond to this important appeal.

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.

WHAT is MANNA? Those same gift certificates you can purchase at most of your favorite stores are available to order or are in stock and ready to purchase.

Buy your gas with a Marathon, BP, Speedway or Shell gift card.

Or your groceries with a Jewel gift card.

Get a birthday gift with a Bed, Bath & Beyond gift card.

Keep Wendy's on hand for a quick lunch, dinner or snack.

Go out to dinner at Cracker Barrel, Old Country Buffet, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, etc.

WHY buy MANNA? St. Patrick's purchases these cards at less than cost so when they are sold at cost, St. Pat's makes the difference.

HOW does this help me? Did you know that if every parish family (approx 900) purchased just $100 in Jewel gift cards it would mean $3,600 per month in raised funds half of which goes to St. Pat's and the other half goes to a chosen school family to decrease tuition?

WOW! WHERE do I sign up? During the school year, MANNA is available in the Rectory until 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, at the school 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and between the 10am & 11:30am weekend Masses.

For additional information about our parish school, please visit web site: