The Ascension and Saint Edmund Community will welcome Father Michael (Mike) Novick this weekend (July 4-5, 2026) as Moderator of Pastoral Care for the community. He will assist our Pastor, Father Carl Morello, as needed, and celebrate Mass on Sunday evenings for the Catholic Communities of Oak Park... On behalf of all of us, WELCOME Father Mike!... Father Mike's Message...

What better way to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday than marching in our local July 4th parade to honor our nation’s history as a welcoming place for immigrants from all over the world!... After much thought, we found the perfect wording to follow the name of our organization: E PLURIBUS UNUM. “Out of many, one.”... Interested in marching with us for the July 4th parade?... Donations are accepted on Monday mornings from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former Saint Bernardine School...

Last week three hundred and ten of our Archdiocesan Priests and I spent three and a half days together for our convocation at the Grand Geneva in Wisconsin. One of the conversations that captured our attention was when Cardinal Cupich spoke about the future of our Church in Chicago... The question before us was not “what should we do?” but rather “Where is the Holy Spirit leading us?”... Where is the Holy Spirit Leading us, and how can we walk faithfully into that future?​...

Father’s Day is also celebrated on the third Sunday in June in many of the countries of origin of the migrants we serve, including Venezuela, Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico... Fathers carried their children through the treacherous Darien Gap and protected them from the human traffickers, drug cartels, and other risks experienced on their way to the United States... Donations are accepted on Monday mornings from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former Saint Bernardine School...

This weekend we celebrate both Juneteenth and Father’s Day while hearing Jesus’ powerful words in the gospel: “Do not be afraid.”... In the Gospel, Jesus encourages his disciples not to be afraid of the difficulties they will encounter. Instead, He reminds them that they are precious in God’s sight: “Even all the hairs on your head are counted.” God’s love gives us the courage to stand for what is right, to speak the truth, and to live as faithful disciples...

We warmly welcome Dr. Thomas Wade Jefferson as the Director of Music and Liturgy at St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish. He will build upon the ministry and liturgy that Sue Kaszynski put in place. Thomas Jefferson was our guest music director at the annual African American Heritage Celebration as well as at the Vigil of Pentecost... Thomas will begin his ministry at the weekend Masses on July 18-19...

On a lovely summer evening a group of amazing volunteers held a fundraising event to benefit Migrant Ministry at a local venue... By the end of the evening almost 250 people had paid to enter - people of all ages including a few infants and a few pastors... Two local bands provided music, energy and a sense of celebration. A huge variety of auction and raffle items were available... Donations are accepted on Monday at the former Saint Bernardine School...

June is the time of transitions for priests moving to new assignments... After six years of dedicated service to the Ascension and Saint Edmund community, Father Rex will be leaving us... At the same time, we welcome Father Michael Novick, who will serve as Pastoral Moderator at Ascension and Saint Edmund Parish beginning July 1... All are invited to the beginning summer concert in the courtyard at Saint Giles campus next Friday June 19, at 7:30 PM...

On this feast day of Corpus Christi, we recall a very profound event that took place last October. Following Mass at Saint Eulalia Church in Broadview, over 1,000 people of faith participated in a Eucharistic Procession from the church to the Broadview Detention Center... It was an experience of Corpus Christi - the Body of Christ being brought to the broken Body of Christ, the migrant men, women, and children crammed in unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the Broadview Detention Center...

Today’s Feast of Corpus Christ and our last two major liturgical celebrations, The Holy Trinity and Pentecost, have been celebrated at a providential time as our parishes continue the journey of unification and renewal... At Pentecost, the disciples gathered together facing an uncertain future... The Feast of the Holy Trinity, celebrated just last week, reminds us that God’s very nature is communion... That brings us to today’s Feast of Corpus Christi celebrating Christ’s enduring presence among us in the Eucharist...

Do you enjoy being outdoors, getting your hands in the soil, and helping our parish look its best? We’re looking for volunteers to join our Parish Gardening Committee! - Plant and care for flowers, shrubs, and seasonal beds - Help maintain the beauty of our campus grounds - Build friendships while working together with a shared purpose.

Parish leadership regularly receives questions about parish operations, our unification journey, pastoral support, ministries, and our future. We are committed to responding with honesty and transparency, and we remain deeply grateful for the faithfulness of this community. PLEASE CLICK ON THIS HIGHLIGHT AND OPEN THE PDF FILE TO READ!

On Friday, May 15, 2026, Broadview Detention Center was again open for daily pastoral visits... Both men and women are at the detention center, and the countries represented include Palestine, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, China, India, and El Salvador... One morning, it took the pastors two hours to calm the detainees. Not a single criminal among them. How can we be so cruel?... PLEASE COME TO OUR FUNDRAISER ON JUNE 4 AT ROBERT’S WESTSIDE...

It is that time of year, GRADUATION! Graduation is more than the completion of a school year or the receiving of a diploma... I especially want to commend the 8th graders of Saint Catherine-Saint Lucy School and Saint Giles School, and Ascension School... While graduation celebrates achievements, it also reminds us that none of us walk alone... There will be moments of excitement and moments of uncertainty ahead. In both, may they trust God walks with them...

Born in Haiti near the border with the Dominican Republic, the two Haitian refugees grew up speaking Creole, French, and Spanish... The migrants’ persistence in seeking a better life and learning English as a key tool is inspiring for the volunteer tutors... ESL is currently offered on Tuesday mornings at Saint Bernardine’s during Ministry hours... PLEASE COME TO OUR FUNDRAISER ON JUNE 4 AT ROBERT’S WESTSIDE... WE WILL BE CLOSED FOR DONATIONS ON MEMORIAL DAY...

Happy Feast of Pentecost... The Ascension was not about Jesus leaving; it is about Christ gathering people into something greater. (This is also what happens at Pentecost.) We must remember the Church was never meant to be built around one building or one way of doing things. The Church, and we are the Church, is built around the Risen Jesus Christ. And when we keep Christ at the center, then we are never truly divided.... We are the Body of Christ... ONE BREAD, ONE CUP, ONE LORD...

As the weather improves, we are starting to get requests for help from the migrants with a variety of cleanup activities, from yard work, gardening, basement cleanup, house cleaning, or packing to move to a new location... Migrant Ministry volunteers are amazed at the willingness of our migrant families to take the most menial jobs to earn money to feed their families... If you need help with gardening, cleaning out your basement or attic, or any of those things listed, please send us a note...

Today, the Church celebrates the Ascension of Jesus, reminding us that while Jesus returned to the Father, He did not abandon His disciples. Before ascending, He gave them a mission, a promise, and a hope: “I am with you always.” I want us all to remember those words still guide us as Church today... Today, I encourage us all, in the reality of our new parish unifications, to accept and support how Christ entrusts his mission to us...

Migrant Ministry volunteers have long admired the migrant mothers we serve. They made the very, very difficult trip north through seven countries and the treacherous Darien Gap seeking safety and a better life for their children. Once here, they advocate tirelessly for their children... We honor and celebrate all the migrant mothers, but especially the single mothers – the strongest women we have ever met!... Light-weight clothing, shoes, jackets, and bedding donations are accepted on Monday mornings...

Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” These are words that are both simple and yet deeply challenging. Love in this sense is not just a feeling or a private devotion; it is something lived, something visible... What does this mean for us today? It means hope is not something we wait for but something we carry... Today we celebrate Mother’s Day and are reminded of one of the clearest reflections of this kind of love...