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...

It seems like there are new roadblocks for our migrant families every few weeks. Especially difficult are the new fees that have been added to some applications that were once free... In most cases, the initial application that was once free now costs $560 and that fee can be much higher depending on certain statuses... Donations are accepted on Mondays from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former Saint Bernardine School, 815 Elgin in Forest Park...

These past two weekends, our parishes were blessed to celebrate a beautiful sacred milestone as children received their First Holy Communion. I want to offer heartfelt congratulations to each of these young members of our community... First Communion is not a one-time event - it is the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Christ in the Eucharist... We all need to remember the Eucharist is spiritual food for the journey.

An operation as large as the Migrant Ministry requires a lot of volunteers. We are blessed with over 250 active volunteers and others who help when they can... But our ministry would not be possible without OUR UNSUNG HEROES! The volunteers who do all the behind-the-scenes work, never actually interacting with migrants but showing up regularly, every week, to do the backend work that powers our ministry... Donations are accepted on Mondays from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former St. Bernardine School...

Transitions are a part of all our lives. Last week, Father Rex wrote about his moving to a new parish at the end of June... I am grateful for the time he has been part of the Sacramental and Pastoral Team... In recent days, many of us have felt the tension between global leaders. Pope Leo has been quite clear and consistent of late with a message that is not about personalities or politics. It is about the gospel... We must be people who promote peace, even when it is unpopular...

The St. Catherine - St. Lucy (SCSL) hiring committee is thrilled to announce a familiar face as our new leader: Ms. Kelly Archambault has officially been named Principal! Big Shoulders, the Office of Catholic Schools, and the SCSL hiring committee have confidence in Kelly and believe she is the best candidate for the role... Please join us in giving a warm "welcome back" to Mrs. Archambault in her new role...

As we continue to accompany families and individuals, the ways that we support the stranger in our midst continues to expand, evolve, pivot… There are many words for this work that your support allows us to do... What are the challenges we see today, this week, next month? Our community of volunteers continues to expand as the needs expand. All with a smile and a hug; such joy!... Donations are accepted on Mondays from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former St Bernardine School...

We all know life is busy with entrances and exits. People come, and people go. As many of you might remember, I moved to Oak Park in the summer of 2020 during the COVID pandemic to minister with Father Carl Morello. My time here has gone by fast, but it's time for me to leave Oak Park... During these past six years I have had the privilege of getting to know many of you personally... I thank God for having called me with Father Carl to minister to each and every one of you...

Could you recommend someone? - "Ascension and St. Edmund" and "St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles" Parishes are seeking recommendations for potential Parish Pastoral Council members... You can recommend someone you know or yourself. Those who are recommended will be contacted to answer any questions. An information session will be held in early May for those who have been recommended...

Thank you, Ascension 5th and 8th graders, for your generous donation of Easter baskets for the children served by the Migrant Ministry. Wow! So many beautiful baskets, each one filled with sweet treats and small toys - carefully curated by CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN!... Donations are accepted on Mondays from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former Saint Bernardine School... Easter baskets and bags were distributed to families accompanied by the Migrant Ministry and Easter baskets to children...

We are the Resurrection - Here and Now. This was the message I tried to convey at the Easter Vigil as well as on Easter Sunday... Here in our Catholic Communities of Oak Park and Neighbors, we find ourselves in a continued time of change... Last Saturday at our one shared Easter Vigil, we witnessed it... That moment was not just a ritual - it was a revelation... The Resurrection is not just something that happened long ago. It is happening here. It is happening now. And it is happening in us...

The Migrant Ministry continues its efforts to meet the short-and long-term needs of our migrant brothers and sisters, but is increasingly called to serve in new ways. A new ministry is developing to support migrants who have been detained, often for months, in deplorable conditions in detention centers... This is a concrete way of demonstrating compassionate support of New Neighbors... Donations are accepted on Mondays from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former Saint Bernardine School...

Welcome, and Happy Easter! Whether you are here every week, visiting from out of town, or returning after some time away, we are truly glad you are with us today. Your presence matters. There is a place for you here, and there is a reason you are here – even perhaps more than you realize... Easter is not simply a memory of something that happened long ago. It is a proclamation for today... Easter invites each of us to begin again. To believe again. To hope again. May this day bring you peace...

For almost three years now, migrants have traveled from across the city to our Ministry Mornings. We are now in our third location and have made adjustments to meet a changing reality, but the mission and vision of the Ministry remain the same... We are a welcoming space for our migrant brothers and sisters... But it has become evident that Centro San Bernardino is increasingly a place of deep encounter... An ENCOUNTER WITH CHRIST...

Here we are, Palm Sunday and then the Holiest Days of the year, the celebration of the Sacred Triduum - Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil... On Holy Thursday, we remember the gift of the Eucharist and Jesus’ commandment to love and serve one another... On Good Friday, we stand quietly at the foot of the cross, recognizing the depth of God’s love poured out for the world... Then in the darkness of the Easter Vigil, light breaks forth again as we proclaim the Resurrection...

Hanging atop a doorway at the end of the corridor, a genuine horseshoe from Churchill Downs in Kentucky now bestows good luck on the volunteers and migrants visiting Centro San Bernardino. It is a gift from SM in gratitude for the assistance he recently received from Migrant Ministry volunteers... Donations are accepted on Mondays at the former Saint Bernardine School... We are now accepting only spring and summer clothing, as well as bedding and shoes...

Attention!!! Lay leadership and co-responsibility are important aspects of vibrant parishes today and for the future. I ask all to please read the information included in this week’s corner. Both Parish Pastoral Councils are in a time of transition and seeking new membership... When recommending a potential Parish Pastoral Council member, please include: Name, Phone Number, Email Address, and a brief description of what gifts this person would bring to the council...