​Happy Father’s Day, Dads!
 
I am the luckiest man in the world. I have a great wife, companion, and friend, and together we have three wonderful children who are now adults and married to great spouses. They have made their own families and given us eight incredibly special grandchildren.
 
I have found that being a father is many things: listener, helper, companion, talker, fixer, advisor, provider, supporter, and many other roles. Loving my children and them loving me is the best role of all. No matter what differences we might have from time to time, love always keeps us together. My wife and I and our children have built communities of families, neighbors, and church. I believe love extends to all peoples of the world and that includes understanding and respect.
 
I hold so many special memories, like seeing and holding my children as newborn babies and then watching them grow to adulthood. This is amazing, and the desire is always there to protect them and help them no matter what. Then comes the hardest part, however, which is letting go so they can live their own lives.
 
I have always said our grandchildren are very much alike, but each one is so different. It is 
always wonderful to see them when all of us are together for a family event. Being together with family gives me an immensely proud moment of being the father and grandfather. I am thankful to be part of our grandchildren’s lives and to have seen six of them so far grow into adulthood.
 
All this has given me a wonderful life. I am blessed and thankful.
 
Leon Blum

​In infant school, I remember drawing “The Ascension of Jesus”. 

I had him standing on a cloud and the cloud had wings. And Jesus was smiling. I suppose I could’ve put a sad face but I wasnt much of an artist then. And I am still not now.

It has always been a question for theologians and Christians in general as to how Jesus actually ascended to heaven. Did he go up  fast like a rocket? Or did he just drift away into the heavens? 

In the Orthodox Church one icon has Jesus sat on a cloud with his feet dangling over the edge like he was on a parade float.  The truth is, we dont know how. It is intentionally a mystery for all of us to ponder and to wonder and most importantly, to believe!  And what we believe is that He ascended to his Father because His job was complete and he chose to share his Ascension with us in order to once again, show us, the way! 

Where He ascends, we will too. He goes to the Father and so we will we. This is His promise. As the prayer puts it today, that we might be confident of following Him heavenward.

So remember, today, for us who believe in Jesus and who know Him and Love Him, the only way is UP!!!
Not DOWN!!

And it is a great grace for us have a God who cares so much for us that he wants to be sure we are going in the right direction.

So easily we get lost. We get lost in all the wrong things, we get lost in ourselves, we get lost in sin, we get lost in the world. 

This past year, there are many times when ive wondered if Im really going UP!  Coronavirus has been a real downer!  The pandemic has taken its toll on us all.  But through it all Jesus has been pointing us heavenwards and that is what we celebrate today.

So do not be discouraged, do not feel as though no one is looking out for you.  We are being sent into the world to bring Jesus to the world . 

Our reassurance that we are on the right path, are the signs Jesus mentions today:
We will drive out demons, speak new languages, pick up serpents with our hands, drink deadly things and lay hands on the sick and they will be cured if we are on the right path and going in the right direction, we can expect some, if not, all of that.

Do we not drive out demons when we repay a persons rudeness with a word of kindness?

Are we not learning to speak new languages as we grapple to make good use of social media? 

It’s a whole new way to communicate. For example, Facebook is useful but does it constitute communication?

Do we not pick up serpents with our hands as we learn to deal with each other? We are not always cuddly, are we?

And as for the deathly drink.... i don’t think it refers to the extra glass of wine we had last night.

We imbibe regularly, lots of harmful, negative vibes, opinions and much of it is lies. Stuff which is harmful.

But we are still here, and we are still standing and able to sing God’s praises today as we cast our sights heavenward. 

These signs tells us we are going in the right direction.

Just remember this: the only way is UP!  And we will be okay.

​Father Jeremy Thomas, Pastor

​Please keep all the food pantry volunteers and their families in your prayers.
 
Happy New Year 🎉📣.  I say this every year, but I cannot believe how fast 2020 has gone.  I've heard many people say that it went slow for them because of Covid, but not for me.  However, it has been quite a year.  Everyone is agreeing on that.
 
In December the food pantry was used 395 times assisting 1,517 individuals.  Yesterday we had only 15 families which is the lowest one day total.  Throughout the day about 32 volunteers were there at various times which means we outnumbered them by about 2 to 1.  The most frequent comment I heard was "there were 15 families that needed food, so we had to be there."
 
We distributed Christmas dinners to 97 families.
 
2020 Recap
Even with many food pantries having to close due to the many problems brought about by the pandemic, we didn't miss a beat.  We never had a lack of volunteers.  You made it possible with your dedication and concern for others.  We never had a lack of food or supplies.  The community stepped up with food and monetary donations. 
 
I cannot say enough good things about the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  They made sure that all the food pantries and soup kitchens had enough food to distribute by giving us everything at no cost since March plus giving us more food with our orders.  This will continue through June 30, 2021.  They also opened up popup food pantries in areas where there were not enough distribution sites due to the economic needs of low income areas.
 
Our food distribution system changed.  Instead of having people come into the food pantry, register, and take their cart to their car, we adopted a drive through system.  All the families had to do was pull up their cars, answer a few questions, get their car loaded by us and drive away.  We did that from March through September.  We were there in the cold and heat, rain or shine.   In October we again started the computer registrations in the church hospitality area, giving the family a ticket, and having them continue with the drive through method.  
 
The food pantry was used about 6,848 times in 2020 for an average of 571 times a month.  Things have settled down the past few months, so we have averaged about 392 times a month since October.  Our highest day was 254 families and our lowest was 15 (yesterday).
 
I try to keep track of the weight of our deliveries which includes food rescue, orders, USDA, etc. and what we get from our own pickups from Target and Aldi's.  I estimate we received about 596,000 pounds of food through our partnership with the Food Depository during 2020 for a cost of $353.00.
 
We are grateful to the Church of the Holy Spirit and the staff for their generosity to the food pantry.  They have allowed us to do whatever was needed to be done in the facility in order to assist our families.  Fr Jeremy even gives up his garage space on Thursdays, so we can use it during the deliveries and food pantry hours.

Thank you for all that you do 👼👼

LaVerne Horgan
Food Pantry Director

​Please keep all the food pantry volunteers in your thoughts and prayers.
 
The food pantry was used 146 times on December 3 and 113 times on December 10 for a total so far this month of 259.
 
December schedule
 
December 17     Food Rescue, delivery, CEDA
December 22     Distribute Christmas dinners
December 23     No prepacks
December 24     Closed
December 31     No deliveries, Food Depository closed, open at noon.
 
I went to Jewel on Monday to see if they had any idea of how many dinners we would be getting for Christmas distribution.  Unfortunately our contact, Jackie, is on vacation, so I'll try again this coming Monday.
 
We have been distributing vouchers for the Christmas dinners the past few weeks.  As we have done in the past, if the family received a Thanksgiving dinner, then we are not offering them a Christmas dinner.  This way we can help as many families as possible.  The total number of vouchers we distribute will depend on how many dinners we are scheduled to receive from Jewel.
 
We have been truly blessed with donations the past few weeks.  St. Hubert's had a Thanksgiving collection for their Sharing Parish.  Unfortunately they couldn't take most of it, so it was offered to us.  We picked up 5 vans of food from them.  Churchill Chiropractic's annual collection for us consisted of 3 vans of food.  We received a call from Schaumburg Township.  Roto Rooter had a collection which they couldn't take because they are renovating their food pantry area.  We picked up 4 vans of food from them.
 
All of this really helped with our staple items and allows us to keep giving the families a sufficient amount.
 
I didn't send out an update last week as there was not that much to report.  Unless there is a lot of new information, I probably won't send one out next week.  I'm telling you this because a few people commented on it.  I guess it's nice to be missed. 
 
Weather - we have also been blessed with good weather the past few Thursdays.  I'm sure that won't last.  We've talked a little about how we would handle the food distribution as the weather gets colder.  I know better than to tell the "guys" what to do.  We'll have to make that decision each week.  If it is too cold to continue with the outside distribution, we can have the carts ready by the food pantry door.  The family can bring their ticket there and we can bring the cart to the car for them or they can bring it themselves.  We can work it out when the time comes.
 
If I don't see you before then, I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas 🎅 and a blessed, happy New Year 🎉.  I really miss seeing those of you who have been unable to come to the food pantry at this time.   There is always next year.
 
With the COVID vaccine availability coming soon, there is more hope for the future.  I anticipate wearing a face mask for several more months and following safety guidelines during this time, but at least there is a potential end in sight.  
 
Thank you for all that you do 👼
 
LaVerne

What is it that you like best about Advent? It is not an easy question to answer because most of Advent these days becomes obscured by the early celebration of Christmas.

For example, when I was a child, we used to decorate for Christmas on December 24th. Nowadays we start decorating for Christmas in November and if we did as the stores want us to do, we would decorate for Christmas in September! So you see, Advent, that precious time when we look at our hearts and look for the coming Jesus, it gets lost in Early Christmas!

As a child, I loved Advent Calendars. We got to open a special little door each day that hid a picture of Jesus or the saints. My brothers and I would take it in turns.

This week, we light candle number two on our Advent Wreath, which is another way celebrate Advent but apart from those things, how do we celebrate Advent and what is it that we most like about it?
 
For me, it is the color green: evergreen. The fresh green of a wreath, evergreen plants, spruces and fir trees, all these colors point me to Jesus, who is ever-present, ever-true, and ever-loving. He is the permanent fixture in our world that is always changing.

These Advent colors point me to Him.
 
As you ponder Advent in the days to come, think about how any of what you are experiencing, points you to Jesus. A suggestion is to maybe look at the readings we use for Mass during this time. They are very rich and often poetic.

Another suggestion is to ask yourself about Hope: what do I hope for during these days? What do I yearn for? And what does Jesus say to me about all those things.

Remember, Advent lasts only four weeks, so you had better be quick to answer the question: what do I like best about Advent?

Advent is a time to examine your heart. Make sure you are ready for when Jesus comes!

​Father Jeremy Thomas, Pastor

​Please keep all the food pantry volunteers and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
 
On Thursday the food pantry was used by 83 families with 296 individuals.  That's a total of 278 families with 998 individuals so far in October.  This is the lowest weekly number since February - pre-pandemic.  However October does have 5 Thursdays, so we'll see what happens.  
 
We are continuing to get all the new families registered into the Link2Feed  (L2F) database plus all the families that were in L2F previously.  November and future months will be easier since many of the families will already have all their information entered.  I also think it doesn't seem as hectic doing the registrations because we are continuing to start at 1:00 pm.  We don't seem to have the big backup as we did when we started at 2:00 pm
 
CFAP - As far as I know, this is the last week we will receive the meat boxes.  We are scheduled to get 72 of them.
 
Starting this Thursday, October 22, we will pass out Thanksgiving vouchers to the families.  We plan to give out 120 based on the fact that Jewel gave us 100 dinners last year.  The vouchers will be given to families who have been using the food pantry - not first time users.
 
The food collection went very well yesterday.  We received about the same amount of donations as we did in September.  Thank you parishioners.  There were people outside taking the donations and some inside getting everything sorted.  A lot of the stuff will be put in the prepacks this week. Our next collection won't be until January because during November and December the parish gives to our sharing parish in the city, St. Francis of Assisi.
 
Inside/outside - When we first started talking about doing the registrations in the church, the people who have been loading the cars made the decision to continue doing this outside.  As the weather gets colder and more inclement, we can very easily change that procedure and also make the changes each week.  Now that we will no longer be getting the CFAP boxes the carts can be loaded inside the food pantry.  Then after the families register, we can tell them to go to the food pantry door to get their cart.  All they will have to do is just step inside.  The filled carts will be there.  We can still help them to their cars, but we will not have to stay out in the cold inbetween.  
 
Think about this.
 
Wednesday, October 21, will be the 16th anniversary of the food pantry.  Those of us who have been around from the early days never anticipated what we would become.  It has been a challenge but very satisfying and heartwarming to be able to assist so many people.  We are a unique group and I mean that in the nicest way.
 
Thank you for all that you do.  👼  Take care and be safe.
 
LaVerne
😘😷

As the election looms and people start to campaign among us in various ways for one candidate or another, it is wise for us Catholics to take a moment and to reflect and to pray. The Bishops of the United States have provided us with ample resources to guide us in our decision and it is all rooted in Catholic Tradition and clear doctrine. You may access these via the following address.

https://www.usccb.org/offices/justice-peace-human-development/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship

​Here at Church of the Holy Spirit, our friend and former Administrator, Fr John Hoffman has prepared a very thoughtful reflection for us. Please take time to read it.

I am grateful to Fr John who calls himself “retired” but I get the impression that he is busier than ever!
​
Please pray for our country and for a peaceful outcome to the elections this November.
 
Fr Jeremy

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In a month we will have the opportunity, no, the responsibility to vote in our national elections for our next president and members of Congress as well as several other offices “down ballot.”  Deciding how to vote or who to vote for is always a challenge for ourselves as Catholics citizens of a democracy. 

Some promoting one candidate or one party over others would press hard, sometimes even threaten others to vote for one particular issue above all others. As Catholics with social justice as an essential, constitutive element of our faith, we are challenged to closely look at all the main, fundamental issues at stake in an election.  We need to consider a candidate’s position on all of these issues of life and make the difficult choice of which candidate will best uphold them in their role of leadership in our name. 

Below are some statements from Pope Francis and others on voting, particularly, single-issue voting.

Reporting on the National Conference of United States Catholic Bishops last November Heidi Schlumpf wrote , Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich had requested that in their Letter, Faithful Citizenship, the bishops quote more extensively from the papal encyclical, Gaudete et Exsultate.   In the paragraph Cupich spoke of, the pope criticized the "ideological error" of believing that "the only thing that counts is one particular ethical issue or cause that they themselves defend."

"Our defense of innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate," continued the pope. "Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged, the vulnerable infirm and elderly exposed to covert euthanasia, the victims of human trafficking, new forms of slavery, and every form of rejection."

In his written request for the longer quotation, Cupich cautioned about those who bring an "ideological mindset" to issues by either "dismissing some issues by labeling them as part of an objectionable political camp or by taking a reductionist approach in defending only one issue."

"From the beginning of his pontificate, Francis has made it clear that the unborn must be defended, but not to the exclusion of other issues of human dignity," Cupich said.

Cupich also had called for changes to a section of the document that he believed gave "singular attention to abortion and does so in language that is tendentious and remarkably different from the treatment of other issues in the lines that follow, as other issues are raised," he wrote. He noted that while the letter mentioned the environment, it did not contain even a full sentence on the climate crisis.

On the matter of immigration, he urged "more candor" on the subject.  "We are not dealing simply with an 'absence of comprehensive immigration reform,' but rather a presence of demonizing rhetoric and abusive, violent policy directed at a group of human beings who are denounced as dangerous or worse by top elected officials," Cupich said.

Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego:  "Conscience, Candidates and Discipleship in Voting."
On virtually every question of human life and dignity the growing culture of exclusion in our nation reinforces and propels cleavages that are highly destructive to all the goals that lie in the center of Catholic social teaching. For this reason, many faith filled Catholics believe that in this election cycle the most compelling issue that arises from Catholic social teaching for American voters is the need to repudiate radically this culture of exclusion before it spreads further and leads to new levels of moral paralysis and division… the drive to label a single issue preeminent distorts the call to authentic discipleship in voting… today a faith-filled voter is called to approach voting from a stance of bridge building and healing for our nation.”
 
Franciscan Father Daniel Horan wrote,  
“As another presidential election cycle kicks into higher gear, Catholics and others will begin to select lenses through which to evaluate political candidates — both presidential and down-ballot. Some people will inevitably claim and preach and advertise that a singular anthropocentric life issue, like abortion, is the only political litmus test for judging a candidate. The United States bishops have repeatedly responded to this sort of illogical absolutism, stating directly in their guide to voting: "As Catholics, we are not single-issue voters. A candidate's position on a single issue is not sufficient to guarantee a voter's support." 
 
As Bishop McElroy writes:… “the drive to label a single issue preeminent distorts the call to authentic discipleship in voting… today a faith-filled voter is called to approach voting from a stance of bridge building and healing for our nation.”  May all of us vote, press others to vote and may we be diligent in our soul-searching, voting for the person we believe will be the most able to bring us together and lead our nation, for our world and for our future.

Rev. John Hoffman, Retired 

As the saying goes: Better late than never! Some of us felt like that when we got our hotdogs at the “Food and Live Music Fest” last Saturday. There were some glitches in the ordering system and we all had to wait. 

What sweetened the delay, was the ability for our parishioners to interact, to enjoy the music and to see people they had not seen for quite some time. In these, the “Covid Days”, social opportunities are scarce, so we must take what we can, when we can! 

There is a blessing in everything. In Jesus, nothing is ever completely lost. Jesus has a way to find the good and to retrieve a blessing, even from the most inconvenient of circumstances. The Holy Spirit is at work without us even knowing it and from the old, Jesus brings the new.

It is important for us to remember these things especially at this time. Our world is in disarray and a lot of the freedoms we take for granted, have been taken from us due to the fear of transmission of the virus.

This past Saturday night, I met at least 5 parishioners I’d not met before. For most of them, it was their first time back at the parish since the pandemic struck.  Do I remember their names? No, not yet, but I will! Jonah also made a friend, a fellow Shih Tzu of the same age. I don’t remember his name, but I’m sure Jonah does! It was an evening of great blessing for us.

So, whether your preferred phrase is “Better late than never”, “Every cloud has a silver lining” or “All’s well that ends well” be sure that Jesus always has something to do it. He is, after all, Our Redeemer!

Father Jeremy Thomas, Pastor

​Please keep everybody and their families in your thoughts and prayers.  So far we are doing very well because we are all cautious and try to stay safe.  Let us hope this continues
 
The food pantry was used by 136 families with 580 individuals which included 261 children yesterday.  Our numbers have continued to stay in this range for the past few weeks.  I never have an answer or explanation as to why our numbers change the way they do.
 
We are continuing to pass out information on changing our procedures and doing the registrations in the church hospitality room starting in October.  Once registered the families will receive a ticket and told to pick up their food in the drive through method that we have been using for months.
 
I've heard a few concerns regarding having people in the church or possibly in the food pantry.  There will only be a small number of people in the church at any time.  We haven't put the safe distance tape down yet, but I am estimating about 12.  The only time that may be a little different is if there is one parent with young children.  Then we will make sure the children are kept with the parent at all times.  No one is allowed into the food pantry except for volunteers.  We do not have others inside touching our food or tables, etc.  Since we will continue with the same drive through method, that will stay the same.
 
I am sorry to say that we will not be having our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner this year due to the number of people allowed in a facility and safe distancing.  I think we will all miss it, but there is 2021.
 
After discussions with several food pantry volunteers who have always been very involved in the Christmas gift distribution, it has been decided that we will not do it this year.  Another victim of COVID-19.  When we distribute the gifts, there are a lot of people in the hospitality room at all times and they are touching many toys, the tables, etc.  For the safety of you and the families, it would not be possible to do this in a good way.  Again there is always 2021.
 
A food collection is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, from 9:00 am - noon  by the garages.  The information is being advertised in the church bulletin and other places.  If you have some time to help either unload the cars or sort the donations, please feel free to come.  I don't know how many volunteers will be needed because that always depends on the donations received.
 
Thank you to the volunteers who were loading the cars in the rain yesterday.  Unfortunately with fall and winter coming, this will be happening more frequently.  We can't figure out what was worse - the rain or the 95 degree days.
 
CEDA vs CFAP - next week we would usually get our CEDA produce delivered.  Since we are now getting 189 boxes of prepacked produce (which looked great), I cancelled next week's delivery.  I need to find out if this will  also continue in October.  If so, I will cancel the CEDA deliveries for then too.  It is felt that by cancelling our deliveries, more produce can be sent to other food pantries that are not receiving the CFAP boxes.
 
Please contact me if you have any questions regarding the food pantry or any information that is included in the newsletters.  I will be happy to share anything I know including my age but not my weight.  Also if you are getting these emails and wish to be removed, please let me know.  I know that some of you have been away from the food pantry for quite a while but like to keep up on what is happening.
 
Thank you for all that you do. 👼

LaVerne Horgan