Holy Family/Notre Dame de Chicago parish is happy to welcome Sarah Pelrine as the newly appointed Operations Director for the parish. Before coming to HF/ND, Sarah worked in the same position at Mary, Mother of Mercy in West Lawn. She sees the Operations Director as the person who works to ensure that the resources of the parish are used wisely. Sarah is recently married and lives in Chicago. Both her undergraduate and graduate studies were done at the University of Notre Dame. Welcome Sarah and good luck in your new position.

Cardinal Cupich has approved new guidelines designed to assist parishioners and parish staff in the preparation of Masses of Christian Burial. In his Chicago Catholic column, the Cardinal stated, "I am intentionally issuing these guidelines on All Souls' Day, Nov. 2, the day we set aside exclusively to pray for the dead. As such, it serves as a point of reference for all of our rites of Christian burial." Please click on the title link or picture to see the new guidelines.

Remember to set your clocks back one hour as we switch back to Central standard time at 2:00 AM on November 3 or you will be very early for Mass.

Fr. Peter has shared that the parish office will be moving all parish staff and functions out of Holy Family and to Notre Dame de Chicago sometime in November.

Unfortunately, plans to reopen our parish Food Pantry have been delayed. Now that the parish offices will be based at the Notre Dame de Chicago site our ministerial space in Burke Hall opened up. Working with our Food Pantry Ministry we discussed and planned to move our ministry up from Damen Hall into some of the spaces in Burke Hall. However, there are some issues with both the lease and the intentions of the donors on how the space can be used. Fr. Peter will soon meet with representatives of all parties involved to come to understanding and decision.

After not being seen for almost 50 years, the renovation of the beautiful stained glass window of St. John Nepomucene on the east side of the church has been completed. The restoration was done by Daprato Rigali Studios of Chicago. The window, which symbolizes the seal of the confessional, depicts St. John Nepomucene before King Wenceslaus IV, with sword in hand, commanding St. John to tell him what the Queen has confessed. St. John refused to reveal the secret of the confessional and, as a result, was tortured and thrown into the river where he drowned. He is considered a patron saint of the Czech Republic. Additional plaster work and painting will be completed in the near future.

In keeping with its mission, the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women annually provides one four-year renewable scholarship. The recipient should be a young woman graduating from high school and continuing her education in a college or university. The student must belong to a parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Please click on the title link or picture for general rules and links to printable letters, including last year’s scholarship essay.

The Annual Mass for Hope and Healing is a safe haven for victim-survivors of clergy sexual abuse, victim-survivors of sexual abuse by adults, family members of victim-survivors, and those who feel betrayed by the inaction and silence of some Church leaders. Join us to show support and pray for all who have suffered and continue to suffer from child and youth sexual abuse on Saturday, October 19 at 11:00. For full story, please click on the title link or picture.

On Sunday, October 13, Chicago will host the 2019 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The start and finish line areas are both located in Grant Park on Columbus Drive. The 26.2 mile course runs through 29 neighborhoods and will run through the parish, likely impacting your travel route to church. Please plan accordingly and note that the following streets will be closed in sections: Jackson Blvd, Halsted, Taylor, Ashland and Roosevelt. Street closures could begin as early as 6:00 am and the anticipated re-opening time at 4:30 pm. Please click on the title link of picture for more detailed information.