Fr. Vu and Fr. Jado made history of sorts this morning here at Holy Family, for it’s almost 159 years ago to the day when another immigrant Jesuit priest, Dutch-born Father Arnold Damen, the founding pastor of Holy Family and first president of St. Ignatius College, celebrated Mass at the dedication of this historic church on August 26, 1860! And, coming full circle, Fr. Vu today becomes the first Jesuit priest in nearly 25 years to preside going forward at our regularly scheduled 9:45 a.m. Sunday Mass here at Holy Family! Parishioners will also see Fr. Jado celebrate Mass as he, too, is working on his degree in business (Human Resources) at Loyola University of Chicago. Both priests will be helping Fr. Peter celebrate Mass on the weekend in the parish.

The new school year is fast approaching, so it is time to enroll student's in Holy Family/Notre Dame de Chicago's Religious Education program. Through the cooperative efforts of parents/guardians and volunteer catechists, the young people in our program grow in their knowledge and understanding of their Catholic faith and in their awareness of being loved by God and called to serve others in Christ’s name. Through their participation in Religious Education, they will be introduced and included into the liturgical life of the parish community. A parent/guardian orientation program will be held on September 15 with classes beginning on September 22. The cost is $100, and all classes will be held at Notre Dame de Chicago. Please click on the picture or title link to register.

Chicago Catholic writer, Michelle Martin, offers a thoughtful piece on the mass shootings in El Paso & Dayton. The article echos the frustration that as the list of cities and towns experiencing mass shootings across America grows, little action is taken to stem the violence. To read the entire article, please click on the title link or picture.

A big thank you to Fr. Kurt Boras for stepping in to help with the Sunday Mass schedule. Fr. Kurt, who was on sabbatical from his assignment in Lemont at St. Patrick's, is a friend of Fr. Peter's and was a tremendous help as the transition to the new parish began. We wish him well as he returns to St. Pat's as the parish begins the Renew My Church process.