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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.

Holy Family/Notre Dame parish welcomes Fr. Tho Vu, S.J. who will be helping Fr. Peter with the Sunday Mass schedule. Fr. Tho was ordained in 2018, and is pursuing a medical degree in the Chicagoland area. Fr. Tho was born in Bien Hoa, Vietnam. At the age of 6 he and his family immigrated to Omaha, Nebraska, where they were members of Holy Name Parish, and Tho later enrolled at Creighton University. While earning a bachelor’s degree in emergency medicine as a paramedic, he worked in the medical school library and was a lab technician at Creighton University Medical Center. A special thank you to Fr. Brian Paulsen, S.J., Provincial of the Midwest Province, for assigning Fr. Tho to the parish. Please extend Fr. Tho a warm Holy Family/Notre Dame welcome! For Fr. Tho's complete bio, please click on the YouTube video at the top of the page, or on the title link or picture of this article.

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.

In his Sunday homily at Holy Family, Fr. Peter reiterated his comments from the Transition Team meeting that Masses will continue at Holy Family for the foreseeable future. This news was welcomed by Holy Family parishioners with applause and relief, as parishioners have worked hard to maintain a Sunday presence at Holy Family. In addition, Fr. Peter stated that an archdiocesan priest will be helping with duties till August, at which time a newly ordained Jesuit priest will take over an assist with the Mass schedule.

On July 1, the parishes of Holy Family and Notre Dame de Chicago merged to become one parish. Holy Family welcomes the opportunity to work with our brothers and sisters at Notre Dame de Chicago to continue to build on the legacy of these two historic and important churches in Chicago. For now, Masses will be held at both churches. "Sunday Mass will continue at Holy Family Church at 9:45 a.m. and 5 p.m. Our doors will continue to be open wide for all,” Odell Gordon, who has served as President of Holy Family’s Parish Council for the past many years, said in his concluding announcements at the Sunday, June 30 Mass.

Members of the Comiskey family were thrilled to be welcomed as visitors at Holy Family’s June 30 Mass. “ Visitors” may be somewhat of a misnomer, for the Comiskey family members, former Illinois State Representative Patti Bellock , her daughter, Dorothy, and sister, Mary Sharon Rigney Kellens, are direct descendents of Alderman “Honest John” Comiskey, President of the Chicago City Council, who was a close collaborator of Fr. Arnold Damen, S.J. According to the 1923 parish history, “ Holy Family—Priests and People,” by Br. Thomas Mulkerins, S.J., in 1857, John Comiskey walked the streets of the teeming Irish neighborhood where Fr. Damen planned to build his church and asked for contributions. He is memorialized in one of the large 12-foot round clerestory windows high atop Holy Family church that are the oldest stained glass in the city of Chicago, dating to 1860. John’s son, Charles Comiskey, a former St. Louis Browns first baseman and founder of the Chicago Whlte Sox, was baptized in Holy Family on August 19, 1859, the year before the church was dedicated. He was one of the 37-students to enroll in Fr. Damen’s new St. Ignatius College (now St. Ignatius College Prep) when the Jesuit-sponsored school, the forerunner of Loyola University Chicago, opened September 5, 1870.

The Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Cupich on Sunday, September 8, 2019 at 2:45 p.m. The Mass will be held at St. John Brebeuf in Niles. For more information and to register for the event, please click on the picture or title link.

Services will be on Monday, July 8, 2019, at St. Eulalia Catholic Church in Maywood. Sharing of Memories will begen at 10:00 AM followed immediately by the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. The Rite of Committal and Burial will be at Mount Carmel, Dubuque, Iowa, at a later date. Memorials may be given to Sisters of Charity, BVM Support Fund, 1100 Carmel Drive, Dubuque, IA 52003. Please click on Sister's picture to make an online donation.

The 2019 Greater Chicago Food Depository Hunger Walk returns to Jackson Park on Saturday, September 7, 2019. More information and online registration will be available beginning in June. The event is a great fundraiser for the Food Pantry, so please support us in whatever way you can.

God and Father of all creation, we come before you today with humble hearts. You are our model of a loving father. When we fail and fall short of your expectations, you are always there at the end of the day with open arms, ready to heal the cuts and scrapes of the day and to encourage us to try again and not to give up. We hold up these men in our midst who act in the world as fathers to the children or models of fathers for others. Bless them in their moments of doubt and frustration with their children. Give them warm and open hearts to forgive failures. Provide them with the words needed for encouragement and perseverance. We ask all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

My deepest thanks to you and your parishioners for contributing to the special collection for Catholic Charities on Mother's Day. Thanks to you and your parishioners, vulnerable people who come to Catholic Charities will receive the guidance they need to work towards a more promising and stable future. The compassion generated by your parish community will enable us to surround them with our strong network of supportive services. May God Bless you and your parishioners abundantly for reaching out and giving hope. Sincerely, Monsignor Michael Boland

From the Chicago Catholic - Pope Francis advanced the sainthood cause of Father Augustus Tolton, who was the first African American diocesan priest in the United States and founder of the first black Catholic parish in Chicago. Signing decrees issued by the Congregation for Saints' Causes June 11, Pope Francis also formally recognized the martyrdom of three Catholic laywomen who were nurses for the Red Cross and were killed during the 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War. The decree for Father Tolton's cause makes him "venerable" and recognizes that he lived a life of heroic virtue

On June 4, members of the transition team and liturgical representatives from both Holy Family and Notre Dame met with Fr. Peter McQuinn, new pastor of Holy Family/Notre Dame parish, and representatives from the archdiocese to discuss planning for weekend liturgies. At that meeting, Fr. Peter shared that he is going to continue to offer a Sunday morning Mass at Holy Family after the merger begins on July 1. He further stated that he saw no reason to "discontinue" the Mass based his experience several weeks ago at the vibrant 9:45 Mass. This news was received with great excitement by those in attendance, as the fight to keep a Sunday Mass at Holy Family has been at the forefront of parish life and conversation for past six months. Fr. Peter stated that he believes the Cardinal's decree places this decision in his hands. He further stated that his vision for a weekend Mass schedule is as follows: Saturday - Vigil Mass at ND; Sunday - AM Mass at ND (English), AM Mass at HF (English), Noon Mass at ND (Spanish). Times for all Masses to be determined. Unfortunately, the 5:00 PM Mass at Holy Family and the 8:30 AM Mass at Notre Dame will likely be cancelled shortly after the merger is complete.

The Women of the Spirit would like to thank all who donated to the "Care Packages." We collected an abundance of very needed items. Our original plan was to make 200 packages to be delivered in an Outreach manner. Items are still being accepted. Again, a BIG "thank you" to the Holy Family community.

It is with sadness that we inform you that Eleanore Kotleba, longtime Parishioner of Holy Family and wife of Deacon Rudolf Kotleba, passed away on Monday, June 3rd. May we pray for peace and comfort for Deacon Rudy and their daughter Felicia, son-in-law Leonard and grandchildren Michael, Jessica and Kayla, and may we pray in gratitude for Eleanore’s lifelong devotion to the Church and many years of faithful service to the Holy Family community. Please click on the title link or picture to see the obituary.

Gerry Dignan, the celebrated musician and performer, played his final Mass at Holy Family on Sunday during the 5:00 Mass. For many years, Gerry's beautiful voice and musical ability has added great beauty to every Mass and special occasion. Holy Family parishioners and friends at his final Mass were deeply moved and saddened that Gerry will no longer be playing at Holy Family because the new parish still has not firmed up Mass schedules and transition plans. Thank you, Gerry! To hear part of Gerry's final Mass, click on the title link or picture.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Chicago's 2nd Annual Charity Golf Classic is set for Monday, July 22, 2019 at Seven Bridges Golf Course in Woodridge, IL. Proceeds from this event help nonprofit PCFC promote prostate cancer awareness through monthly informational support group meetings, free prostate cancer screenings, community and professional education, and publication of clinical research findings. Early bird pricing is available until June 14. For more information and to register, please click on the title link or picture.

Holy Family parishioners and friends where excited to welcome back Deacon Dave Keene. In his remarks at the 9:45 Mass, Deacon Dave shared how he suffered a heart attack while presiding over a wedding several weeks ago. Fr. Mike asked the congregation to pray for Deacon Dave as he received the sacrament of the anointing of the sick to comfort him as he prepares for bypass surgery this week. Please keep Deacon Dave in your thoughts and prayers, and we wish him a speedy recovery.