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

Every so often, a life-affirming note such as the one below passes through my office. I thought I would share this particular one with all of you, since all of you are really the ones who made this experience possible:

Good Morning Father Pete!

I was thinking this morning just how much your parish has brought into my family's life this holiday season! Darrell, Kathy and Mary are treasures in today's society, and I can't help but to wonder if God's plan is being brought to my family through them. Thank you for being that catalyst to bring such beautiful people into our lives!

Thank you so much for the Thanksgiving dinner. We enjoyed ourselves so much that I'm still having dreams of turkeys running around my bedroom. Hmm� wonder if that means something?

These memories that you, Darrell, Kathy and Mary (and the parish of St. Pat's) are providing our family with are helping so tremendously in our total healing process. The girls are amazed (which in a way is sad) that so many people care about them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Our family will be attending services at St. Pat's real soon, and I would love to have the opportunity to meet with you, and for you to meet my family. Unfortunately, we must wait until we can get the van fixed to get to you. No worries though, with so many positive vibes, voices, and people in our lives right now - only good can be the result!

(From a Resident seeking assistance from the St. Vincent de Paul Society)

May God Bless All of You.

Fr. Pete

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

Eucharistic Adoration is a time of silent prayer and the offering of your daily trials and physical pains for the good of those most in need of God's love; a time of re-creation and a newness of life.

Come join us on Monday evenings in Church for this intimate encounter with Jesus Christ, present in the Eucharist and a communal praying of the Rosary.

Here at St. Patrick Parish, we have reached 66% of our goal, with $23,842 pledged as of November 27th. 216 of the 736 families at St. Patrick's have pledged. Let's make sure that we reach 100%. The ministries of the Diocese touch so many of our families and our neighbors that it is our responsibility to help our neighbors and friends. If you have not given even a one time gift, we urge you to prayerfully consider offering some of the monetary blessings you have through Christ. Please be generous. Thank You!

Over the last few weeks since I have spoken about our parish debt, a few of our parishioners have inquired as to our debt's status. I have been very uplifted by the generosity of many individuals in the parish who have assisted us with donations up to $1000. I am greatly humbled by one donation to the parish for $50,000 on behalf of our Adoration Chapel. Bishop Sartain mentioned in a recent Priest Council meeting that he is thinking about incorporating some items from Ss. Cyril & Methodius Parish (which just closed) into this new Adoration Chapel as a means of allowing the faithful from that Church to come and pray with us, if they wish. All we ask is your continued support to relieve this almost $150,000 debt. However you can help us would be appreciated. For the sake of our school and for the sake of our financial stability, we thank you in advance. for your help.

To date, we have collected over $14,300 for our 2nd To date, we have collected over $14,300 for our 2nd Annual Alumni Appeal. Last year, we collected over $25,000 for this event. Please be as generous as you can in helping us meet our goal this year of $25,000.

Concerning the ADDRESSES of those from St. Patrick's School� During the last two years, you may have noticed that our Alumni Newsletters may have been addressed to incorrect locations or to addresses of those who may have died. You also may have noticed a list in our last two Fall Newsletters concerning those within our Alumni Community whose addresses we do not currently have.

In order to update our records, we ask that you contact our parish office ASAP to inform us of the correct locations and/or current situation of those who may apply in the categories above. This would apply for parents who are receiving numerous newsletters in a home from which their children have moved or those who live in the Joliet area whose addresses we do not have. Please help us update our database so that we may serve all the alumni of St. Patrick's School.

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 provide a general overview of the seven sacraments, their biblical roots and the special grace offered through each of them.

Beginning on Thursday, January 10 & continuing for six (6) consecutive Thursdays, St. Patrick and St. Paul the Apostle will be offering the series "Catholics Returning Home." The first three sessions will be held at St. Paul's with the last three sessions to be held at St. Patrick's. The time of the sessions: 7:30 pm until 9:00 pm.

These informal evenings are to help infrequent and non-practicing Catholics to again feel welcome and at home in the church. Problems and issues that cause a feeling of separateness will be discussed and addressed.

This program has been found to be quite successful in helping many people find a renewal of their relationship with the Catholic Church. Please pass this information on to anyone who might be willing to take another look at the Church today. For further information contact Julie Dillenburg at 815-726-2924.

**Look for our brochure that can be placed in Greeting cards - a wonderful way to invite someone you know back to the faith!!!! The brochures are on the tables in Church.

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

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 in their home. If you would like to participate, please contact the office (815) 727-4746.

• Saturday, January 12th: Mount Assisi Academy, Lemont will hold its Entrance Exam for incoming freshmen students at 8am. Pre registration is not required. There is a $25 testing fee. Students should report to the Main Entrance between 7:30 and 7:45 am. Please bring three sharpened no. 2 pencils and a calculator. Please call 630-257-7844 for more information.
  
  
• Saturday, January 12th: Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox will host its annual Incoming Freshman Placement exam at 8am. The top fifteen scorers on the exam will receive a $1000 scholarship toward his/her freshman year tuition. Pre-registration is not necessary. There is a $25 testing fee due the day of the exam. All testers are asked to bring two #2 pencils. Calculators are not allowed for the exam. Please call 815-7173160 for more information.
  
  
• Help wanted: Weekend kitchen aide/dishwasher position available. Flex job. Interested candidates can fill out an application at St. Francis Woods, Franciscan Sisters of the Sacred Heart at 9201 W. Saint Francis Road in Frankfort, Il. For more information, call Sister Elaine at 815-469-4851.
  
  
• Thursday, January 10th: The Catholic Woman's League of Joliet will hold a Community Service Auction at Al's Steak House, 1990 W. Jefferson Street in Joliet. The social gathering will begin at 11:30am and the luncheon will be at noon, with the business meeting and auction following at 1pm. Your check for $12 , made payagble to the Catholic Woman's League is your reservation. **Because of the bulletin deadlines over the holidays, this article was published late. Please contact Shirley Fisher at 815741-4995 if you plan to attend.

The committee is busy working to prepare for Shamrock Gala 2008 at the Patrick Haley Mansion on the corner of Center and Marion Streets on February 2nd.

This formal evening is for adults, with a great sit down dinner, dancing, and the presentation of the Dominican Award. This year, the award will be presented to former pastor, Rev. Vytas Memenas for his 50 years of service to the Diocese of Joliet as a Priest.

There will be both silent and live auctions as well as unique and special events for the evening. There is also a raffle with cash and prizes. Make reservations to spend this evening with friends and family. Tickets for the Gala are $75 per guest. Raffle tickets are $10 per chance with a first prize of a one week vacation for 2 to Cancun, Mexico; a second prize of two round trip tickets to anywhere Southwest Airlines Flights and a third prize of $600 cash. Both the Gala and Raffle tickets are available at the Rec- tory or at the School Office during regular business hours.

A Dinner & Discussion Night for Adults in their 20s & 30s

• Date: Thursday, January 10, 2008
• Time: 6:30 p.m. Dinner, 7:30 p.m. Discussion
• Topic: Spiritual Popcorn: Finding God in Your Favorite Movies
• Place: The Charley Horse Restaurant, 901 E. Lincoln Hwy. (Rt. 30), New Lenox
• Cost: $5.00 at the door, plus the cost of whatever you order off the menu.
• Reservations are highly recommended. RSVP with Sarah at (708) 326-9302 or [email protected].

Theology-on-Tap is a chance for young professionals to unwind over dinner and drinks, connect with other young adults their age, and discuss questions about faith and life in a fun, relaxing, and comfortable setting. This evening is sponsored by the new Will County Young Adult Ministry, a network of young adult Catholics in the south suburbs of the Diocese of Joliet. The program is open to any and all college students and adults age 18 to 39, married and single, Catholic or otherwise. Bring a friend.

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.