Spirit and Light Collaborative -
Catholic Communities of Oak Park and Neighbors
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Coming to Life since July 2023– With gratitude for all who have participated in the process to create the new Oak Park Catholic ministry collaborative. This ministerial effort of both unified Oak Park Catholic Parishes includes joining the religious education programs as well as offering adult faith formation opportunities.
Spirit and Light: A Catholic Collaborative for Living Faith is the Catechetical Center for Lifelong Learning and Faith Formation for Oak Park’s two parishes: Ascension and St. Edmund, and St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles.
Mission Statement – To kindle the fire of faith in each person, to bring the joy of the Holy Spirit and Christ’s presence to the world.
Vision Statement – An inspiring, prayerful, inclusive Catholic initiative for learning, reflection, discernment and encouragement that- reaches out to people wherever they are;
- nurtures the journey of seekers and empowers those sojourners to walk with each other;
- enriches connections with God;
- inspires people to live the Gospel;
- stirs the soul-hunger for meaning;
- and fosters a vibrant community living in joy and deepens relationships among people of faith.
To get involved or ask questions, contact Marci Madary, Director of Spirit and Light, at (708) 383-3430 or [email protected].
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Spirit and Light Reflections - July 12, 2026God’s creation is so amazing – and that includes us! My daughter and her husband just had identical twin boys. While small, they are completely perfect in every way. Their personalities are already starting to show up, not even a week after their birth. God’s work of art! I could stare at them all day, marveling at the goodness of God.
How do you contemplate God’s goodness? How do you reflect on the many ways God is made manifest in our world?
One idea is to check out the Theology on the Green talks. This year we are discussing three key documents that originated in the Second Vatican Council. What is their message and what do they say to us today?
Theology on the Green is held at the Saint Giles courtyard on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM (McDonough Hall if raining or excessively hot) - Light refreshments will be offered.- On Tuesday, July 14, Katie Davis-Crowder will speak on Gaudium et Spes (Joys and Hopes).
- On Tuesday, July 21, Mark Laboe will unpack Nostra Aetate (In Our Time).
- On Tuesday, July 28, Ashley Lenz will talk about Lumen Gentium (Light of the Nations).
Theology on the Green is sponsored by the Spirit and Light Lifelong Learning Committee. Hope to see you there!
Peace and all Good,
Marci Madary
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Upcoming Events - Spirit and Light and Community Shared
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July 15 - July 31Archdiocesan Shared Event - 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. PLEASE SUPPORT - DONATE! - CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!Read More
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July 16 - October 3
Community Shared Event - The Village of Oak Park is excited to bring back the Oak Park Neighborhood Clean-Up for 2026. Building on the success of previous years, this community-driven initiative invites residents, families, and local groups to come together to help keep Oak Park clean, vibrant, and welcoming. We will be cleaning up on the first Saturday of the month until October 3, 2026. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!Read More -
July 16 - July 23
Spirit and Light Shared Event - Are you an adult seeking a starting point to deepen your relationship with Christ through the practices of the Catholic faith? If yes, then please come to one or all of the OCIA Team’s Summer Nights of Discovery - July 23, and August 27 at 7:00 PM at St. Edmund's McGivern Parish Center. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!Read More -
July 16 - September 30
Spirit and Light Shared Event - Registration for Teens in High School to prepare for Confirmation through the communities of Family, Parish, and Youth Ministry. We accompany young people and engage them in encounters. We witness a living faith, and we provide space for prayer, faith growth, service, and reflection. CLICK ON EVENT TITLE FOR MORE INFORMATION!Read More
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Spirit and Light Team, Advisory Board, and Understanding Spirit and Light
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Please meet the Spirit and Light Team! - We coordinate various programs for the parishes in Oak Park. We are here for the children, families, and all parishioners. Please feel free to reach out to any of us with questions.
- Dr. Marci Madary – Director of Spirit and Light – [email protected]
- Cathy Chojnacki – Operations Associate – [email protected]
- Cooky Perez-Eraci – Director of Youth Ministry and High School Confirmation Coordinator – [email protected]
- Kelly McCreary – Administrative Assistant and SPRED and PREP Coordinator – [email protected]
- Rachel Faulman – Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Coordinator – [email protected]
- Laura Kelley – Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and Little Lambs Coordinator – [email protected]
- Alex Ryan – Evangelization Lead and Sacrament Preparation Coordinator – [email protected]
- Terri Monaco – Traditional RE and Sacrament Preparation Coordinator – [email protected]
- Tim Smyth – Family Religious Education Coordinator and Faith & Fellowship Program Director – [email protected]
- Mary Ellen Lesniak – CGS and Sacrament Liaison for the St. Giles Family Mass Community and Little Lambs Coordinator – [email protected]
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Our Spirit and Light Advisory Board was formed in October 2023 - An Advisory Board was created for the following purposes:
- Advise and consult with the Spirit and Light Director.
- Plan, organize and execute activities to raise funds for Spirit and Light.
- Plan, organize and execute activities to build community among the families that participate in the programs of the Spirit and Light.
- In conjunction with the Ascension and St. Edmund Parish and St. Catherine of Siena-St. Lucy and St. Giles Parish Pastor, Directors of Operation, Finance Committees, Spirit and Light Director and Director of Administration, to create the budget for Spirit and Light.
- Participate in the hiring process of those employed by Spirit and Light.
- Offer feedback to the Pastor regarding the job performance review of the Spirit and Light Director.
The Members of the Advisory Board represent all worshipping communities in our Oak Park Catholic Parishes: Jim Schwarber (Chair), Melanie Pivarski (Secretary), Luis Beteta, Tim Blatner, Paul Kraft, Katie Kudlacz, LaTrice Porter-Thomas, Kathleen Sproat, Jimmy Walsh, and Martha Hebert.
The Advisory Board will meet once a month with some work between meetings.
If you have questions, concerns, or ideas regarding Spirit and Light, please feel free to reach out to an Advisory Board member. You can also contact Marci Madary at (708) 383-3430 or [email protected].
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Some people have wondered exactly what Spirit and Light is. It is a Catholic collaborative for living faith. But sometimes a simple phrase isn’t completely clear. Therefore, various people have written down their understanding and experience of Spirit and Light.
Written by Rich Kordesh, Member of the Lifelong Learning Committee – “Devoted to the renewal of Oak Park’s Catholic parishes, Spirit and Light seeks to enrich the personal, spiritual journeys of all members. It also offers support and formation activities for unchurched sojourners who are looking for renewal in their spiritual journeys. It offers new forums for community building among those within and those on the margins of the Church.”
Written by Alex Ryan, Spirit and Light Evangelization Lead – “More than simply a unified religious education program, the Spirit and Light collaborative is a new way to think about formation, evangelization, and inspiration for a life of faith. As those working in evangelization, life long learning, religious education, faith and fellowship and more come together to share their inspiration, their work and their faith, an environment emerges where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Each area of focus is inspired by the initiatives and philosophies of the other, resulting in a continuum of connection points and resources for a seeker to grow throughout their entire life as a disciple of Jesus.”
Written by Jim Schwarber, Chair of the Spirit and Light Advisory Board – “Spirit and Light is the future of the church. It is a lay-led interparish furtherance of our mission to bring Jesus’s love and teaching to the world. It seeks to weave different ministries together into a garment that wraps us all in the love of Christ. It expands as necessary to accomplish the mission.”
Written by Laura Kelley, Co-Coordinator for Catechesis of the Good Shepherd – “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News!” – “Spirit” animates – “Light” illuminates – Both radiate, cannot be easily contained, want to spread and be shared – These ideas define the mission of Spirit and Light to me because it seeks to connect and fill the places/spaces that exist between the church and the home, so that one unified thread of living our faith exists. It offers opportunities to live life to the full (a life that animates and illuminates Christ’s love to the world).
Written by Cooky Perez-Eraci, Director of Youth Ministry – “Spirit and Light is a collaborative systematic approach to Catholic faith formation that focuses on education and nurturing the Catholic spiritual growth. This approach encourages shared responsibility and community involvement and involves various members, such as parents, volunteers, and parishioners, to teach and learn about their faith. Faith formation is a continuous journey beyond formal classes or programs and involves the entire faith community to evangelization and forming missionary disciples, from womb to tomb.”
Written by Connie Rakitan, Former Director of Faith & Fellowship – “The benefit of “Spirit and Light” is to be an organized, harmonized “clearing house” for the many programs of faith formation (religious education – cradle to grave) offered by our two Catholic parishes / five worshipping communities here in Oak Park and beyond. It connects these programs with each other and with other parish activities so that there will be coordination and collaboration among us all. These programs are the many gifts – Spirit and Light brings us into one body.”
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“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
- 2 Timothy 3:16-17
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