Dear Friends and Parishioners of Saint Jerome,
Pax Christi!
Summer looks promising, as it offers us various possibilities to return to our “normal” parish life. To hear from the Archdiocese of Chicago and the city Mayor that Covid19 restrictions have been lifted is good news indeed. I announced a few weekends ago that we will have our annual Kermes Festival. Yes! We will see each other again in August for this big social event. We know that the success of the Kermes Festival always depends on our communal collaboration. All that you contribute in terms of time, talent and material resources shall benefit the parish. Our goal is to gather our people in fellowship. The wisdom of being connected with each other was the clearest lesson we learned from the pandemic. We need each other to survive and to thrive. I hope that you choose to participate in Kermes 2021.
While we continue to return to our “normal” routine, being vigilant and prudent whenever we gather socially should remain a priority. As mentioned in the past, it is advisable to hold parties and social events outdoors where possible. During the celebration of our 125th parish anniversary, one of the project proposals was to create an outdoor patio for meetings and social gatherings by the small parking lot. I guess that this initiative is being more emphasized as we transition from the recent pandemic. I will share with you the architectural plan as soon as it is ready.
Two weeks ago, we began selling Raffle tickets to raise the initial funding for the parish patio project. This initiative aims at promoting our sense of participation and parish ownership. The generation before us built our worship space and the rest of our parish buildings for ministries. We have the responsibility to maintain these buildings, and we are slowly doing it. However, I also believe that our generation ought to leave something special behind for the future parishioners of Saint Jerome. Let this be our contribution to the mission. I thought that a patio of commemoration would be a good investment in our property. Again, I will talk more about this when the architectural plan is released.
In the meantime, I would encourage all to help sell the Raffle tickets or buy a packet for your household. I believe that together we can accomplish something beneficial for all. Stay connected with our Facebook and bulletin announcements for details.
In addition, there will be some changes in protocols during our liturgical events and other post-pandemic social gatherings. I continue to encourage those who have not received yet the full doses of vaccine to consider getting it to protect yourself and other people from Covid19.
Finally, the sisters left last Tuesday. They shall return in December to begin with the program of parish evangelization. We look forward very much to their return.
Until next weekend.
Sincerely in Christ and Mary,
