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...

On Sunday, April 12, the first Sunday after Easter has been designated as Divine Mercy Sunday. The celebration of Christ's resurrection continues with this feast, which recognizes that God's love and mercy endure forever and overcome any sin that separates us from Him... The Divine Mercy Chaplet is a Catholic prayer based on visions and messages received by Saint Faustina Kowalska... The chaplet is particularly encouraged on Good Friday and at 3:00 PM, the hour of God's mercy...

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...

Before the proclamation of the gospel at the Easter Vigil liturgy, there is a deeply powerful and moving moment. It is the joyous triple Alleluia... Yet, we may find that our Easter joy has been dampened this year in the face of the daunting challenges of war, the upheavals experienced by migrant families... Let’s not hold back our shouts of joy. Let us sing with gusto our Alleluia for it bears witness to our enduring hope in Christ’s Resurrection...

The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) is a process to guide you in your discernment as well as a pathway to become Catholic... The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is how people can question, search, and learn about the Catholic faith... The following are our OCIA Candidates and Catechumen receiving the Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil on April 4, 2026...