Welcome to St. Edmund Parish, Oak Park, IL

The St. Edmund Parish Website presents information and news about St. Edmund Parish, the first Roman Catholic Parish in Oak Park.

(Photo Courtesy of Chicago Architecture Info.)

St. Edmund Mission Statement

The people of St. Edmund Parish are a diverse community of Christians whose beliefs are rooted in sacred scripture and the traditions of the Catholic faith. We strive to fulfill the commandments of Jesus to love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength (Mk 12:30), and to love one another as He has loved us (Jn 13:34). We gather as community to be nourished in Word and Sacrament, and are sent forth to be, to see and to experience Christ in the world with friend and stranger alike.

In gratitude for all our blessings, we commit ourselves to love, forgive and support each other joyfully. We seek to serve others and to be active participants in living our Catholic faith. 

** News and Events for the week of May 29, 2022 **

 

Please click on Renew My Church for the latest information on the unification of Ascension and St Edmund parishes.

Upcoming Events

 

• Monday, May 30^th, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday, the parish office will be closed. Please note that the only mass on Memorial Day will begin at 9am and not the usual 8:30am. God Bless Our Troops!

• Saturday-Sunday, June 4 – 5 is our Spring Bundle Weekend Housewares & Clothing Drive.  Support the St. Vincent de Paul Society by donating clean, gently-used items, such as:

  • Small Appliances - Coffee makers, toasters and blenders;

  • Clothing - Skirts, shirts, shorts, shoes, sandals, purses;

  • Housewares -  Dishes, glasses, utensils, pots and pans;

  • Books and Decorations - Vases and picture frames.

  Please pack delicate items safely and mark, FRAGILE. Drop off items at the St. Vincent de Paul Society trailer in the parking lot before/after weekend masses. Thank you for your generous support!

• Saturday-Sunday, June 4-5: Save the Date for St. Edmund Bundle Weekend.

• Sunday, June 12, work on the St. Edmund Third Day Garden continues with placing ladybugs and worms into the garden after the 11am mass. The garden is located in back of the Murphy Hall entrance from the parking lot. All children, parents  and everyone else are welcome to come to the garden to join the fun!

• Tuesday, June 21, the St. Edmund Book Club will meet at Belmont Village from 1pm—3pm. All participants must be fully vaccinated and must show proof of vaccination. We will be discussing the book The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. Somewhere… there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life.”Read the book and join us! Contact parishioner Mari Hans at: marithans@comcast.net  for more information.

• Sunday, June 26, join us for a special Appreciation Liturgy to honor our beloved pastor Fr. John McGivern as we celebrate his 18 years of faithfulness, service and unwavering commitment to St. Edmund Parish. The event will begin at 11:00 am, with a Mass Reception on the parish lawn to follow. Please R.S.V.P. by June 19 for the reception only. Sign up by clicking this Signup Genius link, https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904044BA8AC22A2F85-frjohn , or call the Parish Office at 708-848-4417, Extension 2011. See also the Special Events page for more details. We are also  looking for volunteers to prepare for Fr. John’s Celebration. Volunteers are needed to help transport tables and chairs from St. Catherine-St. Lucy to St. Edmund on set-up on the parish lawn, return tables and chairs back to St. Catherine-St. Lucy and clean up. A van will be rented for transport. Please call the Parish office at 708-848-4417, and let us know if you are able to assist. Thank you!

Church News

The regular schedule for liturgies is 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 11:00 a.m. on Sundays. Daily Mass is held on Mondays and Fridays at 8:30 am. We are asking that you enter through the Murphy Hall corridor. A box of masks will be placed on an entry table and people are welcome/encouraged  to take one. Masks are not optional and  in the interest of prudent caution they must be worn.  At Communion time, we will  have 2 lines coming forward.  We will continue to keep socially distanced seating to every other pew.  There may  be other changes coming and, if so, we will let you know. Finally, please know that all who gather for our weekend liturgies are now allowed to sing. Your parish musicians very much look forward to your voices joining theirs in joyful praise of God!

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Please click on the ECHOES link above for Fr. McGivern's frequent letter to parishioners and other parish information.

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Announcements

• Our parish is conducting our campaign for the 2022 Annual Catholic Appeal. Please remember that the Annual Catholic Appeal is much different than a one-time special collection. It is a pledge campaign where you can make a gift payable in installments. To make your gift, you can complete the mail-in giving envelope available at church or make a gift on-line at: https://give.archchicago.org/site/SPageNavigator/aca_donation_form_2022.html.

In addition to providing for ministries and services throughout the Archdiocese, the Appeal also funds services that are of great help to ministries here in our parish. As we contemplate God’s many gifts to us, we should also reflect on our gratitude for these gifts. Your financial support for the work of our parish, our Archdiocese, and the Church throughout the world is, in fact, one way to express this gratitude. Please give generously to the 2022 Annual Catholic Appeal.

•  HELP WANTED: St. Edmund Parish has an opening for a Part-Time Facilities Manager. Click on the Contact Information page and go to the bottom of the page for full details.

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Please Remember Your Parish

We realize there are many demands on your time and your income during this time of year, but we ask that you give consideration to the gift you are able to offer your parish of St. Edmund’s this year.

As you know, we are struggling to meet our weekly expenses, our twice-monthly payroll and our monthly school and parish Archdiocesan assessments, and we count on the generosity of our parishioners—throughout the year, but in a special way at Easter, to help us stay on top of our financial demands. There are a variety of ways to help.  

The easiest and quickest way to help is to remember to turn in your Easter envelope. We are also willing to help you to set up a one-time (or more regular) automatic bank withdrawal, or a credit card withdrawal.

 At year-end, some people like to donate some stock to the parish. This is a way for people not to accrue capital gains tax. If you itemize your tax return and are interested in making a charitable donation to St. Edmund Parish, the best way to do this is to donate your shares directly to the church. The parish will receive the full charitable gift income tax deduction and no capital gains tax needs to be paid. We are happy to expedite this process for you.

 Perhaps there are other ways that you would like to make a donation to the parish. However you wish to do so, we would be most grateful. You may call the parish office at 708-848-4417 during office hours and we will be most happy to help.

Let us Pray

• St. Edmund Parish is in need of a few good people to serve as Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist and Lectors for the weekend masses. The Ministers of the Eucharist assist in the distribution of Holy Communion at mass.  Lectors proclaim the First and Second readings at mass, lead the people in the Prayer of the Faithful, and read the weekly announcements. For questions, contact  the parish office.

• Minister of Care Home Visit Arrangements. St. Edmund Parish has trained Ministers of Care, who bring Communion to homebound parishioners. Arrangements can be scheduled on either a short-term or long-term basis. To schedule visitation, contact Peggy Leddy, Pastoral Associate, at 708-848-4417, x2021, or pleddy@stedmund.org .

• Donate your discarded cell phones and help abused women. The Domestic Violence Outreach Ministry collects phones and chargers in collaboration with Verizon Network. The phones are programmed with emergency numbers, loaded with 3000 minutes, and  distributed to abused women through various shelters. Drop off phones and accessories in the basket on the table in the Murphy Hall Corridor. We are grateful for your support!

• The last Saturday of each month, please join us on the rectory lawn from 6:30 to 7pm for our monthly Prayer Vigil to End Gun Violence. It is our way of standing against the culture of violence in our country. We also urge legislators to understand the urgency of this issue.

..... and, F Y I

• Religious Study

  •  Afternoon Faith Sharing is held once a month from 1:30pm-3:00pm and is open to all parishioners. Please contact Kathy Halfpenny at: tktuppence@comcast.net or call her at 708-386-1832 for upcoming dates and locations.

    • Religious Instruction (Contact Peggy Leddy, Pastoral Associate, at 708-848-4417, extension 2021 or email pleddy@stedmund.org.

      • The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) registration is open and sessions begin soon.  (RCIA) is a spiritual and educational formation process designed for those considering becoming Catholic and those baptized Catholic, who have not received First Holy Communion and Confirmation. To register or for more information, please email Peggy Leddy, Pastoral Associate, at pleddy@stedmund.org.

      • Adult Confirmation ZOOM Sessions. The Chicago Archdiocese’s Adult Confirmation Program is for those who are: 19-years-old or older, and are baptized Catholic and received First Communion. Prep sessions, offered via Zoom, begin soon. The fee is $60. Advance registration is required. Contact: familyministries@archchicago.org.

      • New or expectant parents are invited to register for Baptismal Preparation Class. For more information or to register, please contact Peggy Leddy.

Archived Echoes

Miscellany.....

• We Need the Generosity of Every Parishioner! The easiest and most convenient way to remember your weekly collection is to sign up for automatic electronic withdrawal. It is a very safe method of support and helps the parish know exactly what it can count on from week to week. Additionally, there are many people who do not financially support their parish at all, and we need the help of everyone! Please consider what you are able to give and sign up for automatic electronic withdrawal today! Click here to sign up through the Give Central website.

• MANNA Gift Cards Available for Purchase. A wide-variety of vendor cards, such as Jewel, Best Buy, CVS, Pete's Market, gas, restaurant offerings, and many more are available. You will receive the full value (100 percent) of your purchase card. St. Edmund will receive a rebate back from your purchase. MANNA ordering forms are available on the tables in the Murphy Hall corridor. Feel free to take one home with you to browse through for your shopping needs. Contact Deacon Tom at tdwyer@stedmund.org  for ordering and more information about the bank account option.

• Saint Edmund parishioners are strongly urged to subscribe to the Parish Listserv. Send an email using the address you wish to use to receive posts addressed to the following address: imailsrv@stedmund.org. Leave the subject line empty and write the following in the body of the e-mail: Subscribe stedmund <your name as you wish to see it displayed>. Except for your name, the command is case sensitive. 

• Monthly Wedding Anniversary Sunday is held at all masses on the first Sunday of the month. A special blessing is bestowed on all couples who will celebrate their anniversary in that month.

During this continuing Coronavirus pandemic, many are tempted to fear, anxiety and perhaps even despair. Every crisis in life is also an opportunity to turn to our beloved Savior in trust and complete abandonment so as to rest in His merciful hands. To rest in the hands of God means we are secure, despite the uncertainty of life. Prayers and resources for healing and hope may be found at: www.mycatholic.life

...we’re on Twitter! Follow us: St. Edmunds-Oak Park or click on @edmunds_oakpark .

 

Celebrating the 20th Year of stedmund.org.