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!

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...

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...

Spirit and Light is in need of a person to fill the combined position of Coordinator of Family Religious Education, working with 1st-8th grade children and their parents, and Coordinator for First Communion and First Reconciliation for 2nd-3rd grade students, primarily for Ascension and St. Edmund Parish... Send your resume to Marci Madary by June 20...

To keep up with the demand, we need the support of the community more than ever. That’s why we are extending our Spring Appeal to June 23. All donations to The Neighborhood Bridge received by that date will be matched by a generous donor up to $50,000. The combined $100,000 will go a long way to funding our Essentials Pantry for the entire year...

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.

It is with many mixed emotions that I am writing to let you know that after more than thirty years of ministry at Saint Catherine of Siena-Saint Lucy and Saint Giles Parish, I will be retiring from my position as Music and Liturgy Director in July... Thank you for being so supportive of me and for letting me accompany you on your faith journeys - both in joyful and in sad times...

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.