Our Peace and Justice ministry gathers the third Monday of every other month. Please join us for our next gathering on Monday, May 14, from 7:00pm-9:00pm in our Narthex. All are welcome. It is a great opportunity to learn more about Catholic Social Teachings.
At. St. Rene Goupil parish in our narthex (64th Street and New England Avenue) the March Unemployed Network of Services will be held on Tuesday, May 22, 10:30am-11:30am. All those seeking work and those who may have work available, please join us. Nine people have found work. Networking is so important to keep everyone positive and always hopeful. Please keep this group in your prayers.
The Prophet Isaiah writes:
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish:
Releasing those bound unjustly...setting free the oppressed.
Sharing your bread with the hungry… sheltering the oppressed and homeless.
Clothing the naked when you see them... then your light shall break forth like the dawn.
Dead Man Walking, the play, was recently shown in our area as a collaborative effort of several churches including ours, St. Rene Goupil. Life is a seamless garment said Cardinal Bernardin from life to death. The death penalty has had a moratorium in our State under Governor Ryan for many years. This spring, Governor Quinn signed a bill to abolish the death penalty after passing the house and senate. The play gave us much to consider just by these statements:
"To not actively fight for injustice is to condone it."
"Death row inmates did not come from money."
"A death row inmate spends 23 hours alone in a cell guarded by 3 people."
"Electric chair banned in Louisana...now lethal injection."
"Legal system has issues."
"Hard to kill a human being...easy to kill a monster."
"Life in prision...why not?"
"Victims' families need counseling and aid."
"When you lose a child, memories get sealed up."
"Hatred for people is taught. You must know them."
We need to become more aware of what we believe and why.
The Catholic Church & the Illinois State Legislature
"Death Penalty"
Thank you all who called or wrote to Governor Quinn regarding your thoughts on the abolishment of the death penalty. As you know, he signed it into law recently. Keep your eyes and ears open since it does not go into effect immediately. So we are not out of the woods yet.
Thank you so much for another successful Fair Trade Experience! We are so grateful for your support of the small farmers/growers around the world who receive just compensation through these experiences. Organic means that there is no pesticides and so it is a healthy addition to the food and drink you serve your family. Our next Fair Trade Experience will be the weekend of June 9 and 10 at all the Masses. We remember what you requested.
FAIR TRADE EXPERIENCE COMING IN JUNE
The Maria Shelter has the arrival of a newborn girl and a 3 month old baby boy. The Shelter is in desperate need of baby items. Any dontations (i.e. diapers, clothing, baby powder, baby shampoo) would be much appreciated.
Betsy Johnson, Volunteer Associate, for the Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach program, informed us of a need besides volunteers. If anyone has a wheelchair, cane, walker, or other types of medical equipment that they no longer need, please drop them off at the warehouse at 5312 W. 65th Steet in Burbank near Central and 65th Street, Monday through Saturday. They will see that these items get shipped to clinics around the world where needed. Or call her at 708-496-3900. There is more material on the table in our narthex about their need for volunteers to sort and box and serve in other ways. Thank you to all who have already called to volunteer. She said that the response from St. Rene parish is growing and she was so delighted.
Are you aware of the opportunities to receive food from the various food pantries in our area? These are tough times & people unexpectedly find themselves without the funds to get to the grocery store to feed themselves or their families. You can receive food at a food pantry. So many come now because of our difficult economic times. St. Blasé Church is the closest one. It is located on the corner of 75th St. & 61st Pl. in Summit in the school hall. They are open Monday, Thursday, & Friday from 9am to noon & again from 1pm-4pm. Call 708-563-2407 to speak with Sr. Symphorosa. There is a registration but no cost to you. You can also walk in. You can call Nutritional Conference, 4501 S. Tripp Ave, Chicago at 773-247-3663. This center is an agency that makes appointments with individuals & guides them to food pantries & other systems within the neighborhood they reside.
The Catholic Charities St. Blase Food Pantry is always in need of food. The numbers of people who come three days a week to receive are growing. Sr. Symphorosa and her staff are very grateful to St. Rene Goupil parishioners for their generosity. Put the items in the ushers' room in our narthex and each Monday we take them to the pantry. Doing this year round does makes a difference in their stock. Thank you again for what you do to feed the poor and homeless.
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY:
On Wednesday's the Catholic Charities St. Blase Food Pantry serves a meal to the poor and homeless at St. Blase parish. They welcome volunteers, even if one or two people, a group, or a family, to help serve the meal and clean up. It would be a commitment from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. If you are interested, please call Jeff or Betty at 708-430-0428. Tell them you are from St. Rene Goupil parish and would like to volunteer. They have the master list and can tell you when you would be needed. This is year round so there is always a need. Thank you!
As you may have heard on the news or read, please consider calling or writing your Senator or Representative related to the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act. This act has been introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 1179) and U.S. Senate (S. 1467). You can also go to the website of the Catholic Conference of Illinois to learn more: www.catholicconferenceofillinois.org.
St. Rene's Eco-Hero Garden Project
It is worth noting that when possible, buy food produced locally. Pay a visit to your local farmer’s market. This significantly decreases the number of miles food travels & so cuts carbon dioxide emissions. For example, a California tomato sold in Washington, D.C. has traveled approximately 2,800 miles from farm to plate. Using the EPA calculator, the transportation alone adds 165,256 pounds of carbon dioxide emission. Today, food travels 25% farther than it traveled just two decades ago. If everybody in Canada & the U.S. ate just one meal of local & organic food per week, we would cut the nation’s oil consumption by 1.1 million barrels a week!
Buying locally produced goods, organic produce & fairly traded products are increasingly realistic options. We can challenge the hold of the marketplace over our lives by conscious efforts to avoid over-consumption & by using our purchasing power to promote earth-friendly enterprises like our parish’s new organic garden project that Gabrielle Ziemba is spearheading. Info is below.
St. Rene 2011 alumnus Gabrielle Ziemba is looking for garden volunteers. We are building gardens to plant vegetables that will be donated to St. Vincent de Paul. Basic weekly tasks would be watering and weeding. If you are interested, contact Gabrielle at ggaud2113@att.net or 773/620-7090.
The P&J ministry is so grateful for all who participated in our Lenten Operation Rice Bowl program. It is with sincere gratitude that we thank you for your generosity. Our efforts raised $1,365.78 for the programs of Catholic Relief Services. Your support of the people in Madagascar, Vietnam, El Salvador, Zambia, India and the Diocese of Arlington, VA give them hope & provide opportunities to see themselves as God's people. I am sure they are praying for us as we did for them.
This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: