Welcome to St. Edmund Church, Oak Park, IL

St. Edmund Church is united with Ascension Church to form Ascension and St. Edmund Parish

The St. Edmund Church Website presents information and news about Ascension-St. Edmund Parish.

(Photo Courtesy of Chicago Architecture Info.)

St. Edmund Mission Statement

The people of St. Edmund Church 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 September25, 2022 **

Please click on Renew My Church for information on The Parish Naming Process for the unification of Ascension and St. Edmund churches, which began last weekend and continues through September 25.  

Upcoming Events

 

•  Sunday, September 25, is the Parish Naming Process Deadline for suggestions . Forms are available in the Parish Offices, and at the entrances to both churches. Do we remain Ascension-St. Edmund Parish? Do you have another suggestion? Unification Team members will be available after all masses this weekend to answer questions and assist in filling out the forms for those with special needs.

• Sunday, September 25, please consider joining in the Ascension Blood Drive from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. at the Ascension Campus gymnasium, 842 Clarence, Oak Park. Make sure to eat a healthy meal and drink plenty of water before donating. Appointments are preferred, but walk-ins are welcome! Medical questions: call 800-7TOGIVE. To schedule an appointment use link: https://tinyurl.com/AscensionBloodDrive . Rush in to donate and be entered for a chance to win two tickets and a VIP experience to your favorite hometown football team. Official Sweepstakes terms and conditions may be found at: https://www.versiti.org/rush-in-to-donate-sweepstakes . 

• Tuesday, October 11, join us at St. Edmund for a Eucharistic Holy Hour from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. The holy hour will include exposition and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and includes readings from scripture and other sources as well as song, litanies, with an extended time for silent prayer. For October, we will offer special prayers for the respect of all human life, including prayers for all impacted by domestic violence. We hope to begin offering a monthly Eucharistic holy hour focusing on various themes of peace and justice as we strive to pray for those most in need and become more and more Christ’s living body in the world. We are also looking for people to assist with this new monthly prayer initiative. Contact David Anderson at d.anderson@ascensionoakpark.com if you want to assist with this monthly prayer. As a church in the United States, we are in our first year of a three-year Eucharistic Revival call all Catholic Christians to foster a deeper awareness, understanding and renewal of our understanding and celebration of the Eucharist.

• Saturday-Sunday, October 15-16, is Bundle Weekend at St. Edmund. Donations of small appliances, clothing/apparel and household items which are clean, gently used and in good condition are needed. As always his event is sponsored and supported by the St. Vincent de Paul Society. We thank you for your generosity.

• Tuesday, October 18, the Ascension and St. Edmund Book Club will meet in Murphy Hall from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. All participants must be fully vaccinated and boosted. We will be discussing the book Envy by Sandra Brown..." An explosive tale of a long-ago crime and the victim's plan for revenge. Read the book and join us! Contact parishioner Mari Hans at: marithans@comcasr.net  for more information."

Church News

The regular schedule for liturgies at St. Edmund Church 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. 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. 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 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 this year.

As you know, we are struggling to meet our weekly expenses, our twice-monthly payroll and our monthly parish Archdiocesan assessments, and we count on the generosity of our parishioners—throughout the year, 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 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 Church 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 church office.

• Minister of Care Home Visit Arrangements. St. Edmund Church 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.

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• 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 Bulletins

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.

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

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