Ecumenism 60 Years after Vatican II - This writer grew up in a parish where the pastor considered a “mixed marriage” to be when a parishioner married someone from another parish... Oh, religiously we were so siloed then! Catholics could not enter into the worship space of another faith tradition, not even for weddings or funerals... Ecumenism promotes cooperation and visible unity among different Christian denominations...

This time of year, usually around this time, I ask myself, where is the summer going? I just heard my first commercial about going back to school, and it’s mid-July!... Summer invites us to enjoy God’s creation, spend time with family and friends, travel, rest, and make memories. Those moments are important. They renew us... With vacations, weekend trips, sporting events, and family gatherings, it is easy for Sunday Mass to be considered optional. Yet the Eucharist is not another item on our schedule...

Our country’s motto as it appears on the great seal of the United States: E Pluribus Unum, translated to “out of many, one” has great significance for our migrant families... But for the 40 or so volunteers marching in the Oak Park 4th of July parade, it was clear that they all wanted to return to an even better, more welcoming immigration system... WE ARE IN GREAT NEED OF WINDOW AIR CONDITIONERS. Donations of items are accepted on Monday mornings at the former Saint Bernardine School...

Today the Catholic Church is facing a significant challenge; the shortage of men entering the seminary and women answering the call to religious life... But there is another question worth asking ourselves. HAVE WE EVER ASKED ANYONE?... For many priests and religious, the first spark of their vocation came because someone asked them... Perhaps the Holy Spirit is calling someone you know, and your invitation might just be the gentle nudge they need to begin asking, “Lord, what do you want me to do with my life?”...

The Migrant Ministry mourns with our beloved migrant brothers and sisters the unfathomable death and destruction caused by the terrible twin earthquakes that shook Venezuela on June 24, registering 7.2 and 7.5 respectively... We received notice about the earthquakes within the first hour of their occurrence... Our prayers for the people of Venezuela continue... At 10:00 AM on Tuesday morning, we paused our ministry and invited everyone, migrants and volunteers alike, to gather in the hallway...

The effort for you to attend Saturday or Sunday weekend Mass matters... Saturday evening or Sunday worship is much more than fulfilling an obligation... The choices we make during the week are shaped by what shapes our hearts... We may not be able to change the entire world, but we can change the atmosphere in our own homes... Children learn what matters by what their parents make a priority... As each weekend approaches, keep making worship your priority...

CRS and Caritas Venezuela are working to provide earthquake-affected families with critical aid... Together, CRS and Caritas Venezuela are working to quickly identify urgent needs, coordinate with humanitarian partners and deliver lifesaving assistance to the communities hardest hit by the earthquakes. We are already working to improve food security, nutrition, livelihoods and water systems in vulnerable communities across the country. PLEASE SUPPORT - DONATE!

In early 2022, a group from Ascension, Saint Giles and Saint Luke’s in Berwyn met and began to talk about ways to welcome our migrant neighbors. By mid-summer Ascension- Saint Giles felt ready to welcome a family but where to find one... Many of our favorite stories are filled with the Holy Spirit... Finally, there was the day we were desperately seeking an apartment for a new family in a tragic situation... Donations are accepted on Monday mornings from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM at the former Saint Bernardine School...

Happy 4th of July to all! As our nation marks 250 years of independence, we pause to give thanks for the many blessings we enjoy as Americans... As we look across our country today, we see both great promise and significant challenges... At the same time there are signs of hope... Let us try to implement these simple but challenging suggestions for our community’s sake and that of the country as well... Be sure to include our nation in your daily prayers and be an instrument of peace...

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...