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

Whenever a new pastor is assigned to a parish, the Parish Council and various Diocesan Agencies have the responsibility of advising the incoming priest about issues that need to be addressed during the first years of ministry. As many of you know (and have experienced), we have already attended to some of those issues here at St. Patrick's - our Spanish Mass seems to have drawn already a sizable crowd and we have tackled most of the initial security and spiritual needs that presented themselves to the parish some six months ago.

One of the areas this year with which the diocese advised me to deal was the hiring of a business manager. In the Parish's 2005 Financial Audit, the Diocesan Business Office asked that we hire someone who could work 24 hours a week in order to maintain our parish financial situation. To just give one example of why this is so important: the revenues lost by some 86 School Families who did not offer their promised $11 weekly contribution to the Sunday collection in the first half of our fiscal year cost us almost $18,500 (two collections!). Multiply that number by two and you can see why it is important for our parish to hire someone to keep tabs on all the day-to-day operations at St. Patrick's.

With that in mind, I have asked Diane Egan to join our staff here at St. Patrick's. Diane is one of the leaders of the PTO at St. Paul's Church in Joliet and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). This year, Diane worked with Sr. Grace Henneberry in setting up the budgets for both the school and parish at St. Paul's. Diane comes to us with the highest recommendations and I hope you can welcome her to our parish community.

I also wish to speak a word about our outgoing financial guru, Cathy Thomas. When Cathy first began serving as part-time bookkeeper here at St. Patrick's some years ago, our financial situation was at a critical point. What Cathy and the fine folks at Wermer, Rogers, Doran & Ruzon did for us went well beyond the call of duty. However, because of Cathy's current workload and the expectations of what the diocese wishes us to do, she has been more than gracious in paving the way for Diane. For this alone, all of us should be truly thankful for Cathy's work at the parish.

God Bless, Cathy!
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.

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!

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 5:00am to 10:00pm to all. After hour adorers (10:00pm-5:00am) need to register. Please call 725-2209.

On Saturday, March 3rd our Eighth Grade Class received the Sacrament of Confirmation from Bishop Roger Kaffer. We would like to congratulate them and we ask God to bless them and keep them close as they continue their journey of faith.

As is customary at St. Patrick's Catholic Church, we have asked our community during the Season of Lent to pray even more for the men and women of our community who will receive the initiation sacraments at the Easter Vigil. As a sign of support from our community, we ask that you write a note of support for these elect and drop them off the in display located in the Narthex during the Third & Fourth Sundays of Lent. Thanks for helping us support those who wish to enter the faith life of the Church at Easter.

• Over the last few months, it has become evident that our Usher Corps (especially at the 4:30 Mass) has become somewhat depleted and in need of renourishment. If you are willing and able to help us with some of the basic usher's tasks at Mass (distributing bulletins, helping people find seats, hospitality, the collection) or if you wish to coordinate this ministry, please contact Fr. Pete at your earliest convenience.
• As part of an engaged couple's marriage formation, they are asked to complete a compatibility questionnaire and to discuss the results of this form with the Sr. priest. It is most helpful if married couples in the parish assist in this important process, to offer insight into the life of "two joined into one." If you are interested in participating in this ministry, please contact the Parish Office.

During the last few years there has been a pattern of decline in our Sunday collections during the months of February and March. We thank you in advance for your assistance in reaching our budgeted Sunday Goal of $9000 per week.

St. Pat's Council of Catholic Women will soon be honoring someone from our parish as 2007 Woman of the Year. If you have someone you would like to nominate for this honor, please submit the name to the rectory by March 18th.

Surrender to God is not something to undertake only at times of temptation. The entire goal of the Christian life is to surrender everything to God. In fact, faith itself is an act of surrender. In Mercy in Weakness, Cistercian Abbot Andr� Louf writes: "It is not the person who knows and is able to do things, who judges and condemns who practices faith. By believing, a human being yields and surrenders, lowers his arms and drops his weapons; with his whole body and all his possessions he delivers himself up to love." God's unsurpassed love teaches us that it is always too early to give up. It is never too late to start again. It is always time to surrender to God.

Join over 500 men and women for the 3rd National Catholic Singles Conference, April 27-29, 2007 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Schaumburg, IL. The weekend includes talks by dynamic national speakers (including Matthew Kelly, Fr. Thomas Loya and many others), social events with singles from all over the country, times of prayer and more. Early registration through March 15th. Space is limited - it sold out the last 2 years! For more information or to register visit www.NationalCatholicSingles.com or call 815-828-5094.

• March 10-11, 2007: Joyful Again! If you are widowed, the Office of Family Ministry of the Joliet Diocese invites you to join us for a 2-day, faith-based program designed especially for widowed men and women. Please call 708-354-7211 for information or to register.
  
  
• March 19th at 11am at Senior Housing Complex, 1090 South Cedar Road, New Lenox. Asthma and Allergies, an update: Do you suffer from headaches, stuffiness, sneezing, difficulty breathing? Need an update on asthma treatments? Bring your questions and a friend to meet Dr. Deidra Greathouse from Provena Medical Group of New Lenox. Register by calling 815-725-9435.
  
  
• March 21, 11am to 7pm Annual Fraternal Order of Police Spaghetti Dinner at Moose Lodge #300, 25 Springfield Avenue in Joliet. Dinner is all you can eat for $6/adults, $5/seniors, $3/children. Delivery available in Joliet for orders of 10 or more. Call 815-739- 2210.
  
  
• March 23-25, 2007. Rachael's Vineyard Retreat for post abortive men and women, sponsored by the Joliet Diocesan Life Office and will be held at St. Charles Borromeo Pastoral Center. Confidentiality and privacy will be strictly observed. To learn more about a Rachel's Vineyard Retreat or to register, contact Kay Corcoran at (815-838-7171). For more info see www.rachelsvineyard.org or call the toll free national hotline at (1-877-HOPE-4ME).
  
  
• April 10, 2007: St. Patrick's is hosting Life Line Screening. Stroke Screening/Carotid Artery, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screening, Peripheral Arterial Disease screening and Osteoporosis screening is being offered. Please contact 1-800-324-1851 for your appointment. Pre-registration is required. Some folks are not hard of hearing; they are hard of listening.-Anonymous

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.