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...

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.