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].
> Spirit and Light Calendar
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Upcoming Events - Spirit and Light and Shared
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October 30 - December 13
Order your Luminaria Kit for “Light Up the Night” or Christmas Eve - $10.00 Kit includes 6 candles, 6 bags, and sand - Pick up your kit from the St. Edmund Garage. Sale benefits the Infant Welfare Society of Clarendon Hills and Spirit and Light Religious Education.Read More -
Saturday, December 6, 8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Community Shared Event - We practice the Christian meditation prayer on Saturdays at 8:30 AM at Ascension Church or via Zoom. Various tools include centering prayer, the Jesus prayer, the breath prayer, lectio divina, and labyrinth walking.Read More -
Monday, December 8, 7:15 PM - 8:15 PMSpirit and Light Shared Event - NEXT is a program for newer Catholics to explore the richness of the Catholic faith. Each session, we explore a fresh topic in faith and spiritual life through the Bible and faith-sharing - We meet on the second Monday of the month from 7:15 PM to 8:15 PM, ordinarily at the McGivern Center on the Saint Edmund Campus.Read More
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Monday, December 8, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PMCommunity Shared Event - The Young Adult Women’s Bible Study meets each Monday at 8:00 PM to reflect on the scriptures of the week and supports each other in their walk of faith - Text for location!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 Tim Smyth has agreed to step into this role. Tim has worked with a variety of people, including those with physical disabilities and mental health issues. Tim’s calm presence, thoughtful organization, and deep faith is a good match for this ministry. Tim will be working with longtime volunteer, Don Gimbel, to orient himself to the people, curriculum and mission of Faith and Fellowship. If you have questions or concerns about Faith and Fellowship, you can reach Tim at [email protected]. – [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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