August 23,  2026

Coming together, hanging out, having a good time with good people, that’s what today’s Block Party is all about! For over a year and a half, we all had to deal with the reconstruction on 175th Street. It was dirty, loud and long. To celebrate its reopening, we decided it would be a bad idea to close it again, so the Block Party will be on 176th Street. Hopefully it won’t make traffic too difficult — and it will only last one day. We are inviting our neighbors along 175th Street to come, too. We are all in this together. We can be grateful for this important improvement to our community. So come on out today from noon to six PM, and have some fun!

Inviting people into a relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church is Job #1 for every baptized Catholic. Though the term “evangelization” may seem like a “protestant” concept, it isn’t that at all. It is part and parcel of life for ALL Christians. As disciples of Jesus, we who seek to love Jesus and emulate His life, we are called to be missionaries, too. We go out and share this beautiful gift of faith in Jesus. This week, you may have received a Valu-Pak in the mail. Among all the coupons and ads, you will find a Golden Ticket. It is an invitation to share with anyone you know who might be interested in pursuing their Christian life within the Catholic Church. We do that through a journey called the Order of Chistian Initiation of Adults (OCIA). The OCIA is for those who wish to be baptized or who have been baptized in another Christian denomination but want to discern their call to the Catholic Church. It is also an opportunity for baptized Catholics to “catch up” on their sacraments if they didn’t receive their First Holy Communion or Confirmation.  The Golden Ticket is your opportunity to personally invite someone. In that way, you will be fulfilling your baptismal mandate! You’ll also notice it is sponsored by four local parishes, working together to share the Good News. Let’s get the Good Word out!

“Love your neighbor” is a basic tenet of our Catholic Faith. One way to do that is by helping those who have been affected by harsh weather. “Hope is on the Way” is a project sponsored by the deacons of the Archdiocese of Chicago. You are invited to buy cleaning supplies (See the list in today’s bulletin.) which will cost no more than $40. Bring them to the parking lot garage next weekend. Buckets will be provided. We will need volunteers to collect the supplies. Later, we will work with the deacon-organizers and more volunteers to sort and pack the buckets. My hope is that we can fill 200 buckets. A big challenge but a worthwhile one. Making a concrete difference in the lives of those in need is how we can best love our neighbor. Get to a dollar store or just make a monetary donation in the buckets in the main entrance of the church. And God bless you!