The St. John Paul II Newman Center is hosting a fundraiser at the Panera Bread (1101 S Canal St) on Wednesday, December 5th from 4:00-8:00 PM. Please bring the flyer (click on the Panera logo to get the flyer) or show an electronic version of it to the cashier when you place the order, and Panera will donate a portion of the proceeds from your purchase to the Newman Center. You can also use the promo code "PRFUND" if you order using Rapid Pick-Up or Delivery! The Newman Center must fundraise 100% of their budget every year, so they appreciate our help. PLEASE click on the picture or title link to get a copy of the flyer.

The Christmas season in upon us, so does our Holy Family tradition of reaching out to those in need to help them have a happy and joyful Christmas. Each ornament holds the name of a teenager wishing mostly for a gift card to Target or Walmart. If you would like to participate in this, select an ornament, and return the card with the ornament or the name of the teenager so that we can make sure they receive it. Please return no later than Dec 9th .

Sr. Marion Murphy, BVM passed away on Thursday, Nov. 15, 2018, at Caritas Center in Dubuque, Iowa. Sr. Marion was beloved by Holy Family and will be greatly missed. Visitation will be from 9-10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018, in the Marian Hall Chapel. Sharing of Memories will be at 10:15 a.m., followed immediately by the Mass of Christian Burial. Burial is in the Mount Carmel Cemetery. Sister Marion acted as the Pastoral Coordinator at Holy Family and founded the food pantry. In addition, she was an elementary principal in Chicago and Mundelein and an elementary teacher in Portland, Berwyn, and Chicago. She also served as pastoral coordinator, administrative assistant, parish minister and volunteer in Chicago. Born in Chicago on March 14, 1936, to John Joseph and Edna Conway Murphy. She entered the BVM congregation Sept. 8, 1953, from Our Lady of Angels Parish. She professed first vows on March 19, 1956, and final vows on July 16, 1961. Memorials may be given to Sisters of Charity, BVM Support Fund, 1100 Carmel Drive, Dubuque, IA 52003 or online by clicking on Sr. Marion's picture.

Holy Family had a goal of raising $9,407.85 for the 2018 Annual Catholic Appeal. As of September 30, our parishioners and friends have paid a total of $11,310.65. Because of your generosity, the parish has received a rebate in the amount of $1,902.80 for our needs. Thank you for your support of the archdiocese.

Sometimes it’s is easier to focus on what we don’t have, rather than what we do have. It is important to take time out and remember all the things we should be grateful for, and maybe taking for granted. In the back of the church, are leaves in a basket. You are invited to please write the things you are grateful for on these leaves. We will then hang them up in church as part of our Thanksgiving liturgy.

A big thank you goes out to the Family, the Holy Family Parish family and friends for your help in collecting new crew socks for the homeless. Your efforts brought in approximately 1,500 pairs of socks. This is the greatest number that we have collected in several years. The Knights of St. Peter Claver sorted, packed and delivered the socks to The Night Ministry's headquarters on November 8, and they were very grateful to receive our donation. The Night Ministry serves the homeless youth of our city through vans and buses that cruise the streets at night to minister the their physical and emotional needs. Thanks to all who helped

Join us on Monday, January 21, 2019, for our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Faith in Action Assembly at Liberty Baptist Church in Chicago. At this year’s assembly, we will host a Chicago mayoral candidate forum and gubernatorial accountability session, both focusing on our Platform for Renewal. The assembly brings together more than 1,000 people of faith and community leaders from across the Chicago Metropolitan area to take action on the issues that are most important to our communities. Come hear the candidate's positions on crucial issues and hold our elected officials accountable. For more information and to register, please click on the picture or title link.

Fifty students from UIC are hoping to attend SEEK 2019. What is SEEK2019...it is about discovery. It’s about finding a new perspective, asking real questions, seeing the bigger picture–and becoming who you were always meant to be. ​ These students will join 15,000+ Catholic college students from all over the United States in Indianapolis on January 3-7. The cost to attend is $500, so UIC students are fundraising to help defray the cost. Students will be at all Masses on November 4 to talk about SEEK 2019 and to ask for our support. Please support the future. For more information, please click the title or picture link.

Christ the King Parish in Beverly has developed a letter to Cardinal Cupich asking for change in light of the sex abuse scandal. Please click on the link or picture to see a copy of the letter. At the bottom of the letter there is a link where you can add your name as a signatory. The last day to add your name is October 31. Thus far, there are over 800 signatures.

Approximately 30 parishioners met with the representatives from the archdiocese and the Feedback and Discernment Team to discuss several possible structural scenarios for the Little Italy Grouping (Holy Family, Notre Dame de Chicago, The Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii, and the St. John Paul II Newman Center at UIC). Parishioners asked questions and provided valuable input as to the strengths and challenges of various structural scenarios. These scenarios include a wide variety of options from merging to closing buildings. All parishioners and friends of Holy Family are asked to review the scenarios and tell us what you think by completing the online survey. The timetable for providing feedback to the archdiocese is fast approaching, and we would like to here from you. Please click on the title link or picture to review the scenarios and to complete the survey.

During the month of November, the Church especially prays for all deceased. We invite you to gather in community to celebrate the lives of our beloved who now live in the light of the Lord at the Mass of Remembrance to be held on November 3 at 9:30 AM. If anyone in your family has passed away during this past year, please let us know their names, so that they can be included in our community prayer. Please contact Marina at marina@holyfamilychicago.org.

The annual white sock drive to benefit homeless in Chicago through The Night Ministry is quickly coming to a close. Please bring in new white socks to help us reach our goal of 1,018 pairs. The Knights of Peter Claver will sort, count, and deliver the socks. Please leave your donation in the back of church on in the parish center.

The Feedback and Discernment Teams from the Little Italy Grouping met with representatives from the Archdiocese on October 8, 2018 to review and discuss initial scenarios regarding the future of the groupings parishes and structures. To initiate discussion, the Archdiocese has offered a set of initial scenarios that show potential models of how our parishes could be configured in the future. These initial scenarios have been developed accounting for data such as demographics, Mass attendance, financial and facility conditions. The scenarios reflect input from archdiocese staff, vicariate leaders, and local pastors. These initial scenarios, which will be shared in detail at our next parish meeting to be held on October 21 after the 9:45 Mass, are conversation starters only. No decisions have been made. Please click on the title link or picture to view the scenarios.

Bishop Rojas and Bishop Hicks presented the 2018 Parochial Christifideles Award to Jerrilyn Young during a special ceremony at Holy Name Cathedral on October 7, 2018. In receiving this award, Jerrilyn was recognized for her tremendous service to Holy Family. Congratulations, Jerrilyn on this well deserved award, and thank you for all that you do for the Holy Family community.

All parishioners and friends of Holy Family are highly encouraged to attend the second Renew My Church (RMC) parish conversation. This session will be held on October 21 after the 9:45 Mass. During this session, representatives from the archdiocese and the parish's Feedback and Discernment Team will: 1) introduce possible structural scenarios for our grouping’s parishes and schools; 2) ask for feedback on the scenarios presented; 3) receive an update from the parish's Grouping Feedback & Discernment Team; 4) answer questions from the parish on the RMC process and where we are to date. For more information on RMC, please click on the title link or picture.

On October 1 and 2, the Holy Family staff attended an archdiocesan wide Renew My Church Summit in Rosemont to listen, discern, and envision together our direction for renewal. The keynote speaker was Fr. James Mallon, author of Divine Renovation. This book is being used as a resource and guide for Renew My Church.

Jerrilyn Young has been recognized by the archdiocese for her tremendous service to Holy Family in receiving the 2018 Parochial Christifideles Award. When God created "worker bees," Jerrilyn must surely been among them. Jerrilyn's tireless and generous service...(click on title for full story)

The first parish conversation for Renew My Church took place last Sunday. Approximately 30 parishioners and friends of Holy Family participated. For more information on the conversation, please see the "Renew My Church Update" section to the far right of this page.

We wish to recognize those who not only support our parish, but also have made a gift or pledge to the 2018 Annual Catholic Appeal of the Archdiocese of Chicago. On behalf of those who will be served by your contributions, thank you to all who have already completed their pledge payments, as well as those who are still making payments. Because of your generosity...(click on title for full story)

Thank you for your prayers as our Renew My Church Grouping Feedback & Discernment Team attended a full-day retreat at the Cardinal Meyer Center last Saturday. The day was filled with prayer, reflection and opportunities to share with one another our hopes, concerns and ideas as we work together to help shape the future of our faith communities. Cardinal Cupich was able to join us for an hour and share his own thoughts about the renewal underway in our Archdiocese, as well as to answer candid questions about the sexual abuse crisis, women in leadership, and other issues facing the church. Spending time together in prayer and hearing from the Cardinal was so important because on the surface all of our Renew My Church efforts can seem solely focused on the structural changes of our parishes. The perception that what we’re doing is all about buildings and finances is a view point held by many, but it is not the reality – it is not the core of what Jesus Christ is calling us to do. Spiritual renewal of our parishes and our Archdiocese is at the heart of Renew My Church. When you consider the facts, it is easier to understand the sense of urgency and why the structural and spiritual renewal must go hand-in-hand. How, where and when we spend our energies, resources, dollars and time has a very real impact on our abilities to develop the creative evangelizing plans that will bring more people into an encounter with the Risen Lord, with His Word and Sacraments proclaimed in our parishes and through our ministries. To see some of the demographic challenges that we face, please click on the title link or picture.