Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time  

Dear Friends and Parishioners of Saint Jerome,

Pax Christi semper vobiscum!

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who worked so hard and participated in our Kermes 2022. Seeing the collaboration of many made me feel so proud of being the pastor of Saint Jerome. It was a tremendous success! Not only because we were able to raise funds for the upcoming projects, but also because we have achieved the ultimate goal of Kermes. We were able to bring together the people of the Rogers Park neighborhood as a community. Kudos to the Chairperson Walter Batres and the team who assisted him to realize the goals of Kermes 2022.

We want to also acknowledge the support of the Police District 24th and the office of  Alderwoman Hadden during the process of applying for the festival permits in the City of Chicago. Cardinal Cupich also expressed his acknowledgment of the many gifts and talents that our parishioners have. We would like to thank him also for taking out time to visit our kitchen crew, our ethnic food stands and for meeting some of our parishioners who asked for his blessing. Thank you to all again for sharing your time, your talent and your resources for the success of our Kermes event.

I am certain that many of you also noticed the new patio area by the small parking lot. Herman Henriquez and Roberto Paredes joined their efforts, together with their entire crew, to pave the space in time for the Kermes. They provided for us a safe place that can accommodate our parishioners, especially our children. I would like to thank their hardworking crew for making sure that the area would be safe for the Kermes and future events. May God continue to bless them and those who work with them with good health as they accomplish more projects for their company.

Please don’t forget that Monday of next week will be our second Mass of Evangelization for this year. The details are on the front page of the bulletin. Know that our goal in celebrating outdoor Masses such as this is a way to publicly profess our faith in the Eucharist. The Corpus Christi procession that we normally do in the month of June is another public expression of our faith affirmation in the streets of our neighborhood. So please consider coming to these extra devotional and liturgical events. There is always power in numbers. Our communal presence can and does make an impact on the neighborhood.

Our Kermes provided us with an opportunity to meet other people, to work with other people and to bond with other people. We have encountered Christ in our midst, hidden on the faces of individuals that we met during our interactions. We ate with strangers, we talked with strangers, and we made friends with strangers. The Gospel this weekend reiterates the same encounters. However, the challenge remains. How can we use those encounters as opportunities to conscientiously build up the Kingdom of God?

Sincerely in Christ and Mary,