News from the Pews - March 2011

8/7/2019 News from the Pews - March 2011

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Quarterly News from SS. Cyril & Methodius Catholic Parish

News from the Pews608 Sobieski Street Lemont, IL 60439 (630) 257-2776

March 2011

By Fr. Larry Lisowski

By Fr. Larry Lisowski

It has been a

long and brutal

winter. If you

are not the type

of person who

embraces thecold and snow

with joy, then

you probably cant wait for things to

change and get better.

The hardest part of winter is that

things seem so dead. Darkness fills

most of the day. Shades of grey are

the predominant colors of the world

outside. The sound of roaring snow-

blowers has replaced the innocent,

chirping birds in the early morning.We eagerly await the first signs of

life to break through what has

become hard and frozen. Creation

has its own way of testing us to see

if we really believe that things will

come back to life. We have to be

patient and trust our God of Creation

to do His wonderful magic again.

Soon we will enter the season of

Lent which allows us to be renewed

spiritually. We begin Lent by being

blessed with a powerful sign of our

Catholic faith. We wear ashes on

our forehead that reminds us of ourmortality. But the dust traced on our

brow in the form of the cross reminds

us of the new life Christ offers to us.

The hopeful words of St. Paul say it

best, All things do not end in death,

because nothing can separate us from

the love of God.

For centuries, our Church has

provided us with the spiritual tools

that will lead us to new life. They are

the Lenten practices of prayer, fastingand almsgiving. Each opens us up to

the Holy Spirit that longs to enter into

our life.

Prayer allows us to be in a holy and

personal conversation with God.

Prayer is more than telling God

whats on our mind, or presenting a

list of things we need, or expressing

the concerns we wrestle with every

day; prayer more importantly invites

us to pause and listen attentively to

what God has to say to us. This Lent,

I hope you will be able to experience

the grace and new life that often

comes through prayer.

Fasting helps us to see what we can

do without. Our life can quickly

become cluttered and confusing with

all that gets jammed into it. Do we

have room for God? Fasting means

something more than just giving

up certain foods like chocolate

or alcohol. Fasting can also mean

giving up those things that keep us

from being holy like gossiping,

criticizing or jealousy. Fasting helpsus to imagine the type of person

we would become if these things

were removed from our life. This

Lent, may you experience new life

through fasting.

Whenever we give to charity, we

make a difference. Sharing our gifts

and blessings with those in need

helps bring about the Kingdom of

God. Our world becomes a better

place because of our generosity.New life is possible because of the

sacrifices we are willing to make

for one another out of love. The

offering of food, clothing or money

is certainly a gift to those in need,

but it also provides spiritual rewards

for the givers themselves.

St. Francis was right on target when

he said, It is in giving that we

receive, and in dying that we will

find new life.May our journey through Lent bring

us new life. May all that has become

spiritually dormant be resurrected

by the powerful love of God. The

good news is that great things will

happen, even if you thought all

was dead and gone. May the ashes

of Lent lead you to the life-giving

Alleluias of Easter!

Signs of New Life By Fr. Larry Lisowski


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News from the Pews - March 20112

Dont skip this

article because

you feel you dont

have a personal

connection to teenagers. Even if you are

like me and you dont have children of

your own, or your kids are grown, this

message is still relevant to you.

The fact of the matter is that youth

ministry is everyones responsibility.We are always seeing the negative side

of adolescence; the trashy teen movies,

reports of underage drinking, teen

pregnancy. The list goes on and on.

Here in Lemont, the parishioners of

all three Catholic parishes asked for a

ministry dedicated to teens. Since its

inception in September of 2009, the

program has seen a great response from

teens and their families. The meetings

have been well attended. Our pasta

dinner fundraiser was a great success,

generating over $1,500. And the mission

trip to Tennessee in June is full at 35teens, with 10 more on a waiting list.

But we can still do more. We need to

make Youth Ministry a priority so that

our kids dont become a statistic of teen

failures. All of us need to be aware and

supportive of teen activity in our parish,

and that we follow the progress of the

program and help it grow.

Trust me, it involves more than

being part of a club and eating pizza.Although that is part of it, our goal is to

make it both fun and interesting so

that our teens continue to participate.

We offer our teens great opportunities

for service, fellowship, learning andworship. In short, it is a supportive,

loving, grace-filled, welcoming program

to help foster confidence in faith and

equip our youth with the ability to

practice grace in their life.

To do this, the program has three goals:

1. Empower young people to live as

disciples of Jesus Christ in our

world today.

2. Draw young people to responsible

participation in the life, mission

and work of the Catholic faith

community.

3. Foster the total personal and spiritual

growth of each young person.

We are accomplishing these goals,

but we need your help. It is our

responsibility as Catholics to make sure

teens have somewhere to go to grow

their faith. Heres how you can help:

1. Pray. You should see what teens have

to face at school; all the temptationsdrugs, alcohol, and bad influences.

Pray for them. Pray they stay strong.

Pray for the success of our program.

2. Join in. On Good Friday at 7:00

p.m., the teens will present The

Living Stations of the Cross at St.

Alphonsus. Please join us. I promise

you will be moved by the teens'

portrayal of the passion of Christ.

3. Donate. In September we started

a new chair campaign so the kids

wouldnt have to sit on foldingchairs. While the announcement was

in three bulletins, weve only been

able to pay for 16 chairs. They are

$40 each. Thank you to everyone

who did contribute. If you would like

to contribute, send a check made out

to St. Cyrils with chairs for teens

in the memo line. If that is more than

you can afford, perhaps you can

consider purchasing pasta dinner or

car wash tickets. Even a few dollars

lets them know they have your

support and it is greatly appreciated.

We are all in this together and can

create a better future for our kids by

working at it today. My dream, when I

win the lotto, is to build a youth center

here in Lemont that our teens can

call their own. Im dreaming it now

because what is not started today is

never finished tomorrow.

Youth MinistryWere All in This Together

By

Mike

Lundberg


3/12

News from the Pews - March 2011 3

Its hard to believe

how quickly three

years have flown

by. This milestone

means that my

three year service

on the Parish

Council will end

in June, along with co-council members

Joan Johnson and Nina Styrczula. I

know that it will be hard to say goodbye

to this labor of love. Thats why we

thought this was the ideal time to share

some thoughts about what it is like to

serve on the Parish Council. We want

you to know how wonderful it is so that

you will consider serving as well.

When I first started on the parish

council, I thought that my three-year

stint would take forever. Sadly, that is

not the case, said Nina. Being on the

parish council is an amazing experience.It really opened my eyes to both how

wonderful our parish is and how

complicated it is.

To give you an idea of the numerous

parish activities, when you first start

serving on the Parish Council, you are

given a packet of information. Within

the packet is an organizational chart

showing all of the different committees

and groups that make up St. Cyrils.

I was blown away, continued Nina.

And I remember thinking that there

really is something here for everyone.

It is amazing how much this parish doesfor itself and the community. Plus, my

involvement has enhanced my Sunday

churchgoing experience and I love

every minute of it.

So if you have ever thought that you

might be interested in doing something

extra at St. Cyrils, but you are not sure

if there is something for you, clearly

there is. You will not only feel better

about yourself but you will bring joy

to the parish. There is a committee or

group thats sure to be a perfect fit. You

are never too young or too old or too

busy or too inexperienced. It only takes

a little bit of time and a little bit

of desire. And Fr. Larry is always

looking for volunteers.

Thats how I got involved. So thanks

to Fr. Larry for asking me to give up a

little bit of my time. I believe that I got

much more out of it than I put into it,

Nina concluded.

Joan concurs with Nina. Living a

meaningful life is so essential to me,

especially in fulfilling my identity as

a Catholic, said Joan. So when the

opportunity of membership on the

Parish Pastoral Council presented itself,

I approached service with enthusiasm.

Since becoming a Council member

in 2008, I have been blessed every day

to see the face of my faith in our priests,

council members and volunteers as

they devote timeless energy to living

out their call in humble service to

Gods people, continued Joan.

Joan also added that she believesChrist is truly alive and working

through these servant leaders who

support the needs of others in our

parish family and the larger community.

Observing the selfless contributions of

time and talent by so many, regularly

nourishes the spirit.

I have been privileged to work hand-

in-hand with the council members who

have willingly shared the responsibility

of planning for the future of our parish,Joan added.

So please think about serving on the

Parish Council. And in the meantime

include the Parish Council in your

daily prayer the hopes and dreams for

parish life and growth in petition for

what's yet dreamed and in gratitude

for the blessings already known.

By Liz Brohan, Parish Council President

Bountiful Benefits Comewith Serving on the Parish Council


4/12


The village of

Lemont wasofficially founded

just eleven short

years before

Father Leopold

Moczygemba

founded the parish of Sts. Cyril and

Methodius. The building of the I & M

Canal and the wealth of the limestone

quarries brought jobs to hardworking

men and their families in the area now

known as Lemont. Our parish was

founded to serve the needs of thesemen and their families. In our parish

history, it is mentioned that before the

first church was built, the families were

annually assessed $12, $11, or $10,

depending on their financial status,

to deflect the cost of the building.

(Bachelors making $1 a day in the

quarries were expected to make a more

generous donation.) These hardworking

men had a special devotion to the patron

of all workers, St. Joseph.

The gospels describe St. Joseph as a

carpenter, though some translations of

the Hebrew term evoke an artisan

in wood, a highly skilled craftsman.As Jesus earthly Father, St. Josephs

patience and hard work are qualities that

those early Lemont immigrants would

have admired and tried to emulate.

In our church, we have a beautiful

statue depicting St. Joseph. He is shown

as grey-haired, and balding with a

beard in keeping with Jewish custom.

Although the gospel does not mention

St. Josephs age, literature tends to

present him as an older man. His eyes

are downcast; he neither smiles nor

frowns giving a humble, solemn,

stoic appearance. His right hand holds

a carpenter's square used to test or

draw right angles. The same hand holds

up his clay-colored cloak as it softly

drapes across him. Although the statue

is plaster and paint, the drapery appears

wonderfully real. He stands with his

weight on his left leg; the outline of his

bent right knee is seen in his garment.

His right foot is angled out in a casual,

relaxed stance or perhaps caugh midway

through a step. A flowered staff is held

in the crook of St. Josephs left arm.

This refers to a non-canonical legend

that recalls an account of how

St. Joseph was chosen as Marys

spouse. The story says that walking

sticks of widowers in Israel were

collected, and Josephs alone burst

into flower, identifying him as chosen

by God to be His Sons earthly father.

March 19th is the feast day of

St. Joseph. Its an occasion to reflect

on the importance of work in the life

of an individual, society, and faith.

On Friday,

November 12th,

Mothers Club

hosted our Howl

at the Moonfall fundraiser

at SS. Cyril and

Methodius. We

had over 200

people in attendance. Everyone enjoyed

food and beverages from Sweet Baby

Rays with hospitality provided by St.

Cyrils teaching staff. It was a howling

good night featuring dueling pianos.

Participants were able to request their

favorite tunes to sing and dance to.

Attendees bid generously on items

donated for the silent and live auctions,

raising funds for the parish school. The

funds will be used to purchase Social

Studies and Language Arts textbooks,

interactive whiteboards and other

necessary items that the school needs

in order to provide a quality catholic

education to our students. Mothers

Club thanks all who donated items for

bidding as well as those who won them.

Mothers Club will be sponsoring the

Walk-a-Thon for the children in May.

Mothers' Club sincerely appreciates all

the support we receive from the parish,

school staff, teachers and the volunteers

who participate in special activities. With

everyones contributions, we are able to

provide the students of the school extras

that are not covered by tuition. Thank

you again. Come visit us at one of our

Mothers Club meetings, held on the

second Tuesday of every month in Fr.

Sivore Hall at 7:00 pm.

Working with St. JosephIn-Spired Art Corner By Judith Mokelke

By Laura Klimczak, Secretary of Mothers Club

Mothers Club Fundraiser A Howling Success


5/12


By

LottieKoziel

This season's

Lenten

recollections will

be led by Father

Boguslaw Jaworowski, Missionary

of the order of The Holy Family in

Poznan, Poland. This marks his third

visit to SS. Cyril and Methodius,

which is scheduled for March 27-30.

It's sure to be another heartfelt and

soul-touching experience.

In Father Jaworowskis previous

instructions, he focused on teaching,

renewing and healing family members

in an effort to restore unity in families

and bring them back to Gods intended

will and plan. In my past attendances

during our 125th Anniversary and the

Lenten recollections in 2010, I am

reminded of many stories, of Jacobs

family written in the book of Genesis.

When his brothers saw that their fatherloved him best of all his sons, they

hated him so much that they would not

even greet him. (Genesis 37:4) The

family of Israel (Jacob) was a mess.

Israel had two wives and two families.

Israel favored Joseph, his first son from

his favorite wife. Therefore, the brothers

in Israels other family resented Joseph.

Their hatred for him continued to grow

to the point of avoiding him and never

stopping to greet him. Josephs half

brothers intended to kill him with theirown hands (Genesis 37:18). Then they

decided to throw him into a cistern and

let him starve to death (Genesis 37:22).

The brothers went on to sell Joseph into

slavery and then lied to their father by

giving him the impression that Joseph

had been killed by a wild animal.

Josephs brothers lived with their lie

for many years. Ultimately, some of

the brothers guilty consciences did notallow them peace, and so they began

blaming each other for breaking their

fathers heart.

Today, many of us can identify and

relate to the chaos suffered in Israels

family. So many families have

experienced rejection, hatred, infidelity,

divorce, brokenness, abuse and incest.

As Israels family was eventually

reconciled, healed and restored through

forgiveness and repentance, this story

teaches us to have hope for our familiesin the same manner. The Lord promised

that He would provide sufficient graces

and blessings through our prayer and

fasting, and repair the ruins of our

homesteads (Is. 58:12). Through the

recollections that are prepared by

Fr. Jaworowski, he instructs us that

each Lent provides us the opportunity

to repair the damage, chaos and broken

hearts within ourselves and amongst

our families. In Jeremiah 29:11-14,

we are also reminded about the Lordspromises: For I know well the plans

I have in mind for you," says the Lord,

plans for your welfare, not for woe!

Plans to give you a future full of hope.

When you call Me, when you go to

pray to Me, I will listen to you. When

you look for Me, you will find Me.

Yes, when you seek Me with all your

heart, you will find Me with you,

says the Lord.

The invitation to seek and create a

closer relationship with the Lord is

offered to us daily. However, during

the special Lenten recollections, we

can partake in further strengthening

our daily rituals of prayer, meditation

and reflection with the instruction

specially prepared by Fr. Jaworowski.

Such recollections allow us to explore

more deeply the meaning of our lives,

existence and God's plan for us. So

often we ask ourselves what is ourpurpose, and so many times we cannot

grasp an answer. Fr. Jaworowskis

previous teachings touched upon how

society is only as strong as its families.

This may give us pause to wonder about

the society we find ourselves in today.

Further, Pope John Paul II, in his visit

to St. Louis, Missouri, noted in his

homily that when the family structure

dissolves, so will society dissolve as we

understand it.

Fr. Jaworowskis lectures are veryinspiring and thought-provoking. If

you are looking to strengthen your

relationship with God or find the

purpose of His will in your life, I urge

you to attend the Lenten recollection

this upcoming March. The recollections

are provided for our benefit and take

much time and preparation to arrange.

I guarantee that it will make a

difference in your life and prepare

you for the Holy Season of Easter.

A special thanks to Fr. Larry and

Fr. Marcin for allowing this parish to

continue our annual tradition of hosting

special guests such as Fr. Jaworowski.

The inception of our recollections was

initially established by Fr. Edward

Witusik, the Polish Club founder and

Associate Pastor (S.P. February 2, 1932-

November 26, 1984). I urge everyone

to take advantage of this exceptional

spiritual renewal.

In conclusion, I offer a prayer for all ofour parish families, that they continue

to imitate the lives of the Holy Family

of Nazareth. May all mothers come to

know the patience, love and humility

of Mary; all fathers the gentle concern

and fortitude of Joseph; and all children

the love, obedience and joy of Jesus!

Amen.

Join our Lenten Recollections andenjoy a Spiritual Renewal

In repentance, reconciliation and forgiveness, there is Hope for all families


6/12


The parishes in Lemont will work

together on a special Lenten Service

Project. We will be collecting

clean plastic bags during the months

of February and March to create

portable sleeping mats for homeless

individuals, said Susan Wallace.

Parishioners can bring bags to church

or school.

The idea was inspired by an article

The idea came from an article in the

Catholic World News newpaper that

featured a group from St. Marys

in Buffalo Grove. It takes 500-700

plastic bags to make one mat that is

approximately 3' by 6'. The bags are

made into "plastic yarn" and crocheted.

Help the environment and the

homelessat the same time. Completed

mats will be donated both locally and in

the City of Chicago.

Neighbors or parish groups can gettogether and make plastic yarn or

crochet a mat. Watch the bulletin for

upcoming sessions. If you have a group

that would like to participate, please

call Susan Wallace at (630) 243-9174

or send email to [email protected]

Mats for Homeless Weaves the Wayfor Lenten Service Project

By Debbie Keppler

Paula Karcavich

and Theresa

Keppler were the

founding Mothers

of the Ministry of

Care. They wanted

to form a ministry

that visited the sick

and homebound, so they talked this overwith the pastor at the time, Father Richard

Jozwiak. He set them up with a parish that

had a similar program already established.

They attended a six-week program,

which included taking communion to the

homebound. So, on Easter Sunday 1991,

the Ministry of Care was formed. Prior

to this, Father Richard and other priests

would visit, but not on a regular basis.

They began as a small group of six

ministers and visited three people to

start. The numbers grew slowly and

steadily as word got out. Everyone was

very welcoming and happy to see them.

In the early days, Paula and Thesesa

made the rounds accompanied by Paulas

granddaughter Sarah. She brought a

smile to everyone they saw! They used

to visit parishioners in the hospital, but

with privacy laws now in effect they are

prevented from obtaining this information.

Theresa passed away almost five years

ago, and Paula continued as the president.

Ninteen years later, Paula has passed

on the torch to Carol Mierendorf and

Lorraine Wood. There are seventeen

ministers today and they visit

approximately forty people each week.

There are five teams that alternate weeks

each month.

The Ministry of Care has three to four

meetings a year. They are also in charge

of the Anointing of the Sick Mass, which

is held in August every year. This includes

the Tri-Parish community and anyone

else in need of healing.

St. Cyrils is grateful for Paula's initiative

and all the current Ministers of Care for

the wonderful service they do and the

comfort they bring to everyone they visit.

They are truly a blessing to us all. If

someone is homebound and would like to

be visited, call the rectory.

Ministry of Care's New Caring Leadership


7/12


A Little Sunshine at Daybreak

Established

in 1987 and

assuming

responsibility

from Catholic

Charities in 1993,

the Daybreak

Center located in

Joliet serves approximately 22,000

individuals per year.

Representing our own parish is Jackie

Papiernik, who has managed the soup

kitchen for the three Lemont parishes

since October 2010, but has beenvolunteering at the soup kitchen for the

past six years.

When I asked Jackie about her role

at the soup kitchen, she said, My

role is to make sure there are enough

volunteers to serve the meal and that

there are enough food donations. The

food donations are dropped off at my

home, where they are picked up by one

of the food servers.

Jackie first became involved with the

Daybreak Center after reading about

it in the bulletin. I brought my three

oldest girls with me the first time, and

from that point on, they would ask if

we could volunteer to serve every time

we saw it listed in the bulletin. All five

of my children have helped out at the

soup kitchen. I have also brought some

of their friends along, and they too are

always eager to return and help out. It

is such an easy way to help others lessfortunate than we are, and it only takes

a few hours of your time.

When asked about what she is most

proud of, Jackie responded, The

enthusiasm my children show each

time, they volunteer. They are really

disappointed when we are unable to

help out. It teaches them compassion

and empathy for others. We get

back so much more than we give. It

really makes you appreciate all the

blessings in your life. If there are not

enough volunteers, or a last minute

cancellation, Jackie, along with some

of her children, are servers.

Parishioners can get involved by

donating food or their time as food

servers. Some months Jackie has to

pick up last-minute food items, so

any donation is very much appreciated.

Volunteering at Daybreak is arewarding experience. Entire families

can volunteer. She generally needs

at least 8-10 volunteers per meal to

serve 70-90 people per day. Teenagers

looking for service hours are welcome.

Rather than giving up something for

Lent, consider volunteering as part

of your Lenten promise, or making a

food donation.

The following are the programs offered

at the Daybreak Center:

Emergency Shelter and individual

case management

Shepherds Table

Permanent Supportive Housing

and case managementfor chronically

homeless males

Transitional Housingfor single-

parent families and chronically

homeless single females

Emergency Services:Assistance offered for food,

prescriptions, transportation, rent/

mortgage, identification/expenses,

furniture resources, etc.

Homeless Prevention/Rapid

Rehousing

The Daybreak Center is a safe

environment that offers meals seven

days a week. It is located at 611 E. Cass

Avenue in Joliet, Illinois. If you have

any questions or would like to donate

food items or volunteer your time,

contact Jackie at (630) 243-9358.

The Daybreak Centers Mission

Statement:

Catholic Charities, Diocese of Joliet,

translates Gods reconciling love

into professional human services,

advocates for a just and compassionate

society, and brings together members

of the community, church, business,health care and government to develop

effective responses to human needs.

We commit to define these needs,

seek solutions, and call forth other

resources so that those we serve are

empowered to achieve for themselves

satisfying and productive lives.

By Karen Dziekan


8/12


In June of 1979,Rev. Edward

Witusik, a

LaSalette priest,

was assigned

as an associate

pastor of

SS. Cyril and

Methodius to assist Fr. Jozwiak (then

pastor). Father Witusik was the editor

ofPolaniec, the LaSalette Fathers

Polish magazine. He also wrote a

weekly Polish column for the ChicagoCatholic. Father Jozwiak introduced a

Polish Mass because he was interested

in preserving the culture and heritage

of the Poles. Father Witusik organized

the Polish Club of Lemont for the same

reasons, and it flourishes to this day.

The Polish Club began for Polish-

speaking parishioners and others

wishing to keep in touch with their

Polish heritage and to offer assistance

to those immigrating to the UnitedStates. Their mission is to uphold the

traditions, customs and language of the

Polish people, continue to strengthenand unite the Polish community

and its Catholic roots, and help new

immigrants adapt to their new home

and country. They encourage and

support the John Paul II Polish School

of Lemont, which is celebrating its

30th Anniversary this year. A special

Mass was celebrated on January 23rd

with a banquet on January 29th.

The school provides encouragement

and support to our Polish-Americanstudents and their families. The

program encompasses speaking,

reading, writing and thinking in the

Polish language, as well as the study of

Polish history and geography. They

believe that experience through Polish

school provides students the potential

to become better people and citizens.

At its inception thirty years ago, there

were less than 100 students enrolled

in the Polish school. Today, thereare approximately 800 between two

locations the main school in Lemont

holds classes on Saturdays, and asecond school in Romeoville holds

classes on Fridays.

All children above the age of four

are admitted, regardless of their

nationality, race or religion. Children

should be able to slightly communicate

in the Polish language. Classes in

Lemont are held on Saturdays in the

parish school building. High school

classes are four hours long, from

9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Elementary School

classes are three hours long, from

1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The program runs

from September through the end

of May.

The John Paul II Polish Language

School also offers bilingual classes

for children ages 3 and up. The

classes are held each Saturday from

1 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

For further information or registration,

please call (630) 663-9058 or visit theschool website at www.polschool.com.

Polish School Celebrates30 Years

By Susan Dziekan

Polish School 30th Anniversary Mass, January 23, 2011


9/12


On the first

Sunday of Advent,November 27,

2011, English-

speaking

Roman Catholic

Communities

around the world will begin using the

new English translation of the Roman

Missal.

Take notice of the red book the priest

uses during Mass. This book, called the

Sacramentary (containing the prayers of

the Mass), together with the Lectionary

(containing the Scripture readings),

make up the Roman Missal.

This translation a culmination of

many years of prayer, consultation and

debate means that our words of prayer

will now conform more closely to Latin,

the universal language of the Church.

The new translation of the Roman

Missal uses language that is accurate,

reverent and poetic. The recovery of

sacredness in our language of prayer inworship presents us with an opportunity

to open our hearts to the mysteries

expressed in the text.

This is a new translation, not a new

ritual for celebrating the Eucharist. The

Mass will have the same parts, the same

patterns, and the same flow as it has

had for the past forty years. It is only

the translation of the Latin text that is

changing. But the changes will affect

some of the most recognizable partsof the liturgy. Some parts of the Mass

will sound just like they used to, but a

considerable amount will sound quite

different. The prayers of the people

will change in about a dozen sections

of the Mass. For example, we will soon

respond, and with your spirit to The

Lord be with you.

The new translation corresponds to the

words and sentence structure of the

Latin text. Generally this results in a

good rendering of the original meaning.

At times it produces a rather awkward

text in English that is difficult to deliver

orally, and a challenge to unravel

its meaning. Most of the complex

sentences and loftier style affect the

prayers of the priest rather than those

that belong to the people.

Some may find it hard to adjust to

unfamiliar texts after forty years of

continuous use

of the previous

translation.

Some may becomparing the

implementation of

the new translation

of the Roman

Missal with

Y2K. Be assured,

shortly after the

implementation

of the new translation of the Mass,

Catholics will be settled back intoa routine. Together with our priests,

we will have adjusted to the new

style of prayer that will sound more

humble than before. We will know

the responses by heart, we will have

learned the melodies composed for

the new texts, and we will even know

how to pronounce ineffable and

consubstantial and will understand

their meanings.

We will also realize how many things

did not change. Our prayer will still

be accompanied by familiar bodily

expressions such as kneeling, standing,

bowed heads and gestures of peace.

The repertoire of hymns will basically

be the same. The Scripture readings will

go untouched. The music, vestments

and decorations will all still observe

the cycle of seasons. Families will still

bring us the gifts and Father Larry will

still be recruiting liturgical ministers.

The United States Conference ofCatholic Bishops has created a website

www.usccb.org/romanmissal to help

Catholics familiarize themselves with

the new translation. In the weeks to

come we will have many opportunities

to learn more about, prepare for,

and welcome the new translation

of the Mass.

New Words Same MassBy Joan Johnson


10/12


The Franciscan

Fathers cameto the Lemont

area in 1924,

and have been

helping out the

Lemont Catholic

parishes in many

different ways, especially with religious

services, missions and retreats. Two of

the most frequent, friendly faces that SS.

Cyril & Methodius has been blessed to

have assisting us since the early 1950s

are Father Athanasius Lovrencic andFather Blas Chemazar. Members of

the Slovenian Franciscan Friars of the

Custody of the Holy Cross, they reside at

St. Marys Retreat House on Main Street

here in Lemont.

Rev. Athanasius Lovrencic, O.F.M., was

born in Slovenia on October 3, 1922.

After World War II, he studied theology

and was ordained a priest in Trent, Italy,

on December 5, 1948. He came to theUnited States shortly after, and has

been going wherever he is called ever

since. His many assignments include

St. Stephens (Chicago), St. Therese

(Johnstown, Pennsylvania), St. John

Vianney (Detroit), St. Josephs (Joliet) as

pastor, and St. Marys here in Lemont as

House Superior and also Guardian.

Father Athanasius is fondly remembered

by the parish school children overthe years as the celebrant of many

school masses. During Rev. Gilewskis

pastorate, he would prepare couples for

marriage and then either Fr. Athanasius

or Fr. Blas would perform the

wedding ceremony. They married many

parishioners over the years. Both priests

continue to be amazed to this day when

so many St. Cyril parishioners come up

and say, You married us.

Father Blas Chemazar, O.F.M., was

born in St. Anthony Hospital in Chicago

on June 23, 1928. He entered St. Marys

Seminary in Lemont in 1946 and was

ordained on June 13, 1953. Just prior

to ordination, Friars Blas Chemazar

O.F.M., and Mark Hochevar, O.F.M.,

served as deacon and sub-deacon at St.

Cyrils Easter Sunday Solemn High

Mass, assisting Father Nosal. Father

Blas chuckles as he recalls Father

Nosals sermon that day about peoplegetting new things for Easter. To

demonstrate, Father Nosal lifted up

his vestments and showed the

congregation his new shoes.

When Deacon Norb Lesnieski was

studying for the diaconate, Fr. Blas and

Fr. Gilewski were his co-sponsors and

attended his ordination in 1972. Deacon

Norb recalls their special trips to Holy

Name Cathedral on Holy Thursday toobtain the Holy Oils from Cardinal Cody.

He also remembers the Holy Name

Society attending retreats run by Fr. Blas

at St. Marys. Fr. Blas went on to be

the pastor at St. George parish in 1980,

and then at St. Stephen parish (both in

Chicago) until 1989.

Franciscan Fathers was the establishment

of the Slovenian Catholic Mission. After

lengthy discussions and preparations,

Joseph Cardinal Bernardin issued a

decree establishing the Mission. Fr.

Blas, at that time Superior of the

Franciscans, was responsible for setting

up the terms for the care of the mission,

which became effective Oct. 1, 1994.

He ultimately became Major Superior of

St. Marys. He also taught at Mt. Assisi

Academy and was their school chaplain.

When Fr. Athanasius and Fr. Blas began

assisting at St. Cyrils in 1951 and 1953

respectively, the parish was growing and

broke ground for a new school building

in 1959. Now at 88 and 82 years old

respectively, the Fathers have seen many

more changes over the years.

Father Larry recognizes their sizable

contributions. This will be a huge loss

for us, because they certainly made

Father Marcins and my life a lot easier.

The community of SS. Cyril &

Methodius is very grateful for their years

of dedicated service celebrating Masses,

hearing confessions, and conductingweddings and funerals. Living examples

of lives well lived, quietly and modestly,

they are too humble to realize the impact

of people they have touched over the

course of their lifelong ministry. If you

are one of them, please let them know

what a wonderful gift it has been.

Fond Memories of ourFavorite Friars of St. Marys

By Nancy Kosek


11/12


Jak co roku Cyryla i

Met

K i zabawy.

Kopyszne

niebieskim niko na

drzewo trzeszcza,

iskrami

o zm

na akordeonie Ryszarda Witkowskiego i Aleksa

Wontarczyka na gitarze, do

popularnych polskich piosenek,

przez wszystkie pokolenia na

wycieczkach szkolnych, obozach, jak za dawnych

dobrych czasw.

hamaku,

Dla wszystkich ognisko Klubu Pmileudniem.

egw Klubu Polskiego.

ka

-

klubowa zabawa to coroczna tradycja naszego

polskiego Klubu.

Anna Konarska -Ryttel

By Anna Konarska-Ryttel

Property owned by the Zelek family was the ideal backdrop for the annual Polish Club of Lemont BBQ


12/12

News from the PewsQuarterly publication for the

SS. Cyril & Methodius Parish community.

Send correspondence to:News from the Pews

c/o SS. Cyril & Methodius Rectory608 Sobieski StreetLemont, IL 60439(630) 257-2776

Publisher: Fr. Larry Lisowski

Editor: Debbie Keppler

Editing/Proofing: Kay Manning

Renata Teper

Layout/Design: Colman Brohan Davis Marketing

E-mail Address (Editor): [email protected]

Parish Website: www.stcyril.org

The next issue ofNews from the Pews comes outin Summer 2011.

All Parish Ministries are encouraged to submit articlesto share in the happenings of parish life.

Dnia 29 stycznia 2011 roku 480

rodzice, uczniowie, przyjaciele

szkoy celebrowali jubileusz

30-lecia Polskiej Szkoy im. Jana

Pawla II w eleganckich salach

honorowych: Konsul RP - pani

Aleksandra Krystek, Prezydent

PRCUA- Joseph Drobot i v-ce

Prezydent - Anna Sokolowski,

pierwsza dyrektorka szkoy- pani

Krystyna Pokorny i pierwsza

prezes - pani Viki Para, odczytano

list gratulacyjny MinistraEdukacji Nardowej - pani

Katarzyny Hall do pedagogw

naszej szkoy. Inwokacj

przedstawi ksidz proboszcz

Larry Lisowski. Fakt obchodw

30-lecia szkoy skania nas do

spojrzenia wstecz i oceny

dotychczasowych wydarze.

a szczeglnie o tych, ktrzy t

wszystkim zaangaowanym w

ycie szkoy osobom, naszaszkoa prnie si rozwija, majc

na wzgldzie utrzymanie i

pogbianie polskiej kultury.

A najwspanialszym dla nas,

pedagogw, podzikowaniem s

wychodzcych z polskiej szkoy i

chcce do niej powraca.

By Dr Jolanta Tatara

Celebrate the Eucharist

Daily Mass:Monday-Saturday, 7:00 am

Tuesdays: 8:00 pm, Polish

Weekend MassesSaturday evening: 5:30 pm

Sunday: 7:00, 8:30 (Polish),

10:30, 12:00, 1:30 pm (Polish),

5:00 pm (St. Patricks)

Polish Lenten MissionBegins Sunday, March 27th at

all Polish Masses

Monday, March 28th: 11:30 am

and 7:00 pm Mass

Tuesday, March 29th:

10:45 am Confession,

11:30 am Mass, 7:00 pm Novenaand Confessions, 8:00 pm Mass

Wednesday, March 30th: 10:45 am

Confessions, 11:30 am Mass, 6:00 pm

Confessions, 7:00 pm Mass

ReconciliationSaturdays: 4:30-5:00 pmSaturday, April 16th, 3:00-5:00 pmTri-Parish Reconciliation, individual

confessions in English and Polish,

Monday, April 18th, 4:00-5:30 pmand 6:30-8:00 pm

Stations of the CrossWednesdays in English at 7:30 pmFridays in Polish at 7:00 pm

Living Stations of the CrossSt. Cyril School 4th Graders,

April 11th, 6:30 pm

Tri-Parish Youth Ministry,

Good Friday, April 22nd, 7:00 pmat St. Alphonsus Church

Adult Soup & Scripture MondaysMondays March 14th, 21st, 28th,

April 4th, and 11th at 6:30 pm

at the Rectory. Enrich your

Lenten expierience each week

by discussing the readings of the

coming Sunday liturgy.

2011 Lenten Schedule

Documents

News from the Pews - March 2011