FATHER JIM'S JOTS - St. Elizabeth Catholic Church - Feast of Christ the King - November 24, 2024

ST. ELIZABETH CATHOLIC CHURCH

FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING

November 24, 2024

FATHER JIM'S JOTS

Happy Holidays!  This Sunday we celebrate the Feast of Christ the King as it is the last Sunday of the Liturgical Year.  This is our last Sunday before the start of Advent!

I will leave after Sunday Mass this Sunday to visit my family in Michigan for Thanksgiving week.  In my absence Dcn. Chris will be holding a Communion Service on Wednesday, November 27th and Msgr. Walter Barrett will be celebrating Masses on Sunday, December 1st.  Wow, the time has gone by so fast; we are now reaching the end of November and the start of the new Liturgical Year.

This Sunday, please pick up your free little blue book for Advent and the 2025 Catholic Art Calendar.  They will be available after Mass in the back of Church, so please grab one of each on your way out.  They will also be available next Sunday.

I would like to say a special thank you to all who helped in making last week's Homecoming Celebration a success!  Thank you to our Swahili Choir and our Gospel Choir for the amazing music; we received many compliments from our visitors on how wonderful the liturgy was.  Thank you to all of those in ministry, our volunteers and the Parish staff who worked on the preparation of this event as well as during the services and reception!

Lastly, I would like to say Happy Thanksgiving!  As many of us travel or have family traveling this week, let us pray for their safety during their journeys.

"Heavenly Father, please watch over those who are traveling this Thanksgiving week.  May they reach their destinations and their loved ones safely under Your ever-loving care.  Help us to remember all of the things that we are thankful for.  Help us to appreciate all of the blessings that You have bestowed on us and to have gratitude for all of the people who surround us this Holiday and in our lives.  Amen."

As a reminder:

- Our Campaign for Tomorrow will be running until the start of Lent; all information regarding the campaign will be updated on our website here:  stelizcc.org/our-campaign-for-tomorrow/

- In the month of November, we have the Book of the Dead available during Mass.  During our meditation hymn or before or after Mass, I welcome and encourage anyone to come up and write the names of your loved one(s) who have passed before us in memory of them.  This will be available all month.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim, Pastor

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HOMECOMING AT ST ELIZABETH'S!! - 10 a.m. Mass - 101 Years Old!! ~ Photographs by Anne Gibbons

HOMECOMING 2024!!!

ST ELIZABETH CATHOLIC CHURCH

FEAST OF ST. ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY

NOVEMBER 17, 2024 

10:00 Mass begins!

First Reading by Michele Lelievre

Second Reading by Sister Anns

St. Elizabeth Gospel Choir

Deacon Chris proclaiming the Gospel

Bonnie Campbell shares memories of growing up in St. Elizabeth's

Deacon David Nemetz remembers his childhood at St. Elizabeth's

Frances Pope relating her experiences as one of the first Black Catholics to enroll at St. Elizabeth

Desire Nahimana Family telling their story

Umoja Choir 

Umoja Choir bringing up the gifts at the Offertory

Offering of the gifts

Reception after the 10 o'clock Mass

~ Photos by Anne Gibbons

FATHER JIM'S JOTS - HOMECOMING!! - St. Elizabeth Church - November 17, 2024

HOMECOMING! 

Saint Elizabeth Catholic Church

Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 17, 2024

FATHER JIM'S JOTS 

This Sunday is HOMECOMING!!  Today, November 17th, is also the feast of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.  Thank you to all who helped in preparing for this weekend as well as bringing a dish for the reception after Mass.  We celebrate Homecoming to acknowledge the history of our Parish.  We invited many individuals who used to be members of the Parish or students of the St. Elizabeth Catholic School.  The plot of land behind the church is the site of the former St. Elizabeth Catholic School.  The school closed in 1982 and since then the land has been unused and empty.  A few years ago, this land was purchased by Commonwealth Catholic Charities and will now be the site of affordable housing, a much-needed project for Highland Park.  If you would like to learn more about the history of this parish and our school, you can visit our website at stelizcc.org/parish-history/. 

Welcome to all who are visiting us today and thank you for the wonderful history, joy and faith your presence adds to our Parish.

I would like to say a special thanks to Eva Wiznerowicz, Mary Mukiibi, Helena Nelson, Anne Gibbons, Chris Barrett, Heather Soto, Kim Bragg, Mike Heinrich, Margaret Rittenhouse, Steven McDonald, Georgia Seely and Vivian Sullivan for coming to the Church Clean-up last week.  Your help in keeping our church beautiful and tidy as we approach the Advent and Christmas season is much appreciated. 

As a reminder:

- Advent begins in just a few weeks, please see the other page of this bulletin for information on available Advent and Christmas materials.

- Our Campaign for Tomorrow will be running until the start of Lent; all information regarding the campaign will be updated on our website here:  stelizcc.org/our-campaign-for-tomorrow/ 

- In the month of November, we have the Book of the Dead available during Mass.  During our meditation hymn or before or after Mass, I welcome and encourage anyone to come up and write the names of your loved one(s) who have passed before us in memory of them.  This will be available all month.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim, Pastor 

 

~ Image Source

FATHER JIM'S JOTS - St. Elizabeth Church - Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 10. 2024

St. Elizabeth Church

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 10. 2924

FATHER JIM'S JOTS 

Next week is our Homecoming Celebration!  Firstly, I would like to thank all who came to the church clean up event yesterday.  Thank you for all of your hard work to help prepare our church for Homecoming and the Advent and Christmas Season!  We need people to keep signing up to bring something for the reception after both Masses in the Parish Hall next week. What we need you to sign up for:  Ham Biscuits, fruit sweet breads, and set up and clean-up help.  Please visit this link to get to the online sign up:  bit.ly/stehomecoming. We are inviting former parishioners and students of the former St. Elizabeth Catholic School to celebrate with us.  We need everyone's help with this celebration of our Parish's rich and wonderful history.

As a reminder:

- Advent begins in just a few weeks, please see the other page of this bulletin for information on available Advent and Christmas materials.

- Our Campaign for Tomorrow will be running until the start of Lent, all information regarding the campaign will be updated on our website here:  stelizcc.org/our-campaign-for-tomorrow/ 

- In the month of November, we have the Book of the Dead available during Mass.  During our meditation hymn or before or after Mass, I welcome and encourage anyone to come up and write the names of your loved one(s) who have passed before us in memory of them.  This will be available all month.

Blessings,

Fr. Jim, Pastor

 

 ~ Image Source 

FATHER JIM'S JOTS - St. Elizabeth Church - Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time - November 3, 2024

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 3, 2024

FATHER JIM'S JOTS

November is designated as Black Catholic History Month.  Let us take time this month to reflect on the lives of Black Saints, the Saintly Six and of the contributions of Black Catholic to the Church and our communities.  This Sunday we are introducing the "Saintly Six" Banners.  The Saintly Six are Venerable Pierre Toussaint, Venerable Mother Mary Lange, Venerable Henriette Delille, Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton, Servant of God Julia Greely and Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman.  These six men and women are exemplars of our faith and holiness.  We will be learning about them and reflecting on their lives during the next few weeks.  Click here to view our website which has a page dedicated to collecting information about all six of them.

As of last week, we have started the quiet phase of our capital campaign - Our Campaign for Tomorrow.  Over the next few weeks, I will be making home visits.  If you are interested in meeting with me at the Parish Office or at your home regarding the capital campaign, please get in touch with me.  Our Campaign for Tomorrow will be running until the start of Lent; all information regarding the campaign will be updated on our website here:  stelizcc.org/our-campaign-for-tomorrow/

Lastly, in the month of November we have the Book of the Dead available during Mass.  During our meditation hymn or before or after Mass, I welcome and encourage anyone to come up and write the names of your loved one(s) who have passed before us in memory of them.  This will be available all month.

Blessings to you and yours,

Fr. Jim Arsenault 

  

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FATHER JIM'S JOTS - St. Elizabeth Church - Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time - October 27, 2024

St. Elizabeth Church

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

FR. JIM'S JOTS

As many of you know, we have been preparing to launch a parish-wide capital campaign to raise funds to build a new Parish Center.  Well, the time has come!  We received final approval from the diocese to move forward with the building project, so today I am announcing the start of our parish campaign called, "Our Campaign for Tomorrow."  Our goal is to raise a minimum of $500,000.

With the assistance of Greater Mission, a Catholic fund-raising firm, we are moving forward with the campaign.  It will move through several phases beginning with a Leadership phase, moving to Gathering and Participation phases.  Every household in our parish and some beyond will be asked for their support and to participate in a gathering.  The campaign will be based in prayer and asking for a best sacrifice.  Since we are asking for a best sacrifice, through the intercession of the Holy Spirit, all gifts will be confidential as the best sacrifice for every household is different.

We will keep everyone informed about the progress in each phase and when you are invited to participate in a gathering at someone's home or here at the parish, we hope you will make every effort to attend.  I cannot do this alone and have reached to a small group of parishioners to serve as a Campaign Cabinet, but even with their help, it is your help, participation and generosity that will help us reach our goal.

More information regarding the start of this phase of "Our Campaign for Tomorrow" can be found HERE.  All information regarding the Capital Campaign will be archived on our website.  To view any of this information and the prayer for the campaign, please visit:  stelizcc.org/our-campaign-for-tomorrow/

Blessings to you and yours,

Fr. Jim Arsenault

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