Dear Friends and Parishioners of Saint Jerome,
Pax Christi semper vobiscum!
We are coming closer to the final decision of the Renew My Church discernment leadership team. There will be two more meetings before the possible scenarios are presented to the Cardinal and the Presbyteral Council. I will inform you as soon as the scenarios are laid out, for your reference and anticipation of what could possibly happen to our grouping of St. Jerome, St. Gertrude and St. Ignatius parishes. I am certain that the Holy Spirit continues to guide us during this tedious time of deliberation of ideas, factual data and differing opinions coming from the discernment team. I ask you to continue praying also for a decision on the most viable scenario that will serve our people in the Rogers Park and Edgewater neighborhoods.
We are coming closer to the celebration of the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. Many of you who were in church last weekend saw the altar dedicated for them. As I mentioned during the announcements, you may bring the photos of your faithful departed to the Parish Office if you would like them to appear on the projector screen during the Evening of Prayer and Commemoration. Please make sure to indicate the name of your deceased loved one on the back of the picture frame. The Evening of Prayer and Commemoration will be on Saturday, Hallows Eve, October 31st, at 8:00pm. Remember that November 1st will be the beginning of the Daylight-Savings Time. That means that our timing for the special Evening of Prayer at 8:00pm will be advantageous, since we are gaining an extra hour. Please make sure to adjust your clocks; otherwise some might come too early for Mass on Sunday!
This year, All Saints’ Day falls on a Sunday. The Solemnity of All Saints is not moved to the following day. Normally, the liturgical celebration of Feasts and Solemnities is moved to the following day whenever they fall on a Sunday to give emphasis to the importance of the Day of the Lord. But since the Saints were those who lived heroically the Gospel values, their lives are testimonies and an emphasis to the importance of the One Whom they have followed. This means, then, that the celebration of All Souls’ Day will be on Monday. Please refer to the bulletin for all liturgical event schedules.
The Evening of Prayer and Commemoration that we will have on Hallows Eve is in anticipation of All Soul’s day, so that we will have more time and opportunity to remember and pray for our departed loved ones without rushing. You are aware that we are always facing time constraints for our liturgical events due to the Covid19 mandates. Church cleaning and sanitation takes a lot of time and often pushes us to rush while there is another event in the sequence. I hope you understand the practicality of the matter.
Always refer to our parish website and Facebook page for any updates that we have regarding parish events and other activities. I am confident that our office staff who is in-charge of our parish media will always keep us posted about our parish life. Realize also that there are some changes among our staff. This is to make sure that our team may efficiently respond to the needs of our people and assist everyone who comes with inquiries.
I remain grateful to many of you who are so generous with your time, talent, and treasure. Let it be a concrete manifestation of your love of God and neighbor. We are all aware that love is not simply a matter of feeling and emotion, although they are a part of it. Rather, love is an act of the will that is being expressed and lived by those who choose to make it alive and visible.
I will see you next weekend. God bless.
Sincerely in Christ and Mary,
