News - October 2021 RSS Feed

Members of a Community For The Kingdom group gathered to share a meal and information on their Patron Saint namesake ahead of All Saints Day

St. Joseph Catholic Church recognizes the value and dignity of each and every member of our parish family. Our 118 ministries provide everyone with an opportunity to share their unique gifts and talents with all members of our parish, as well as the broader community. The Parish Pastoral Council recognizes the following individuals and teams for the 2021 Thanksgiving Awards.

Dear Families, It’s hard to believe but we are quickly coming to Thanksgiving and the end of our Church year. Very soon, with the beginning of Advent, we will begin to celebrate a new liturgical year as we begin to prepare anew for Christmas and the coming of our Lord.

The Ten Commandments are perhaps the most widely recognized religious teachings in the modern world. Originally recorded by Moses and shared with the people of Israel, they served as the foundation for Jewish law for centuries. They still are among the earliest lessons taught throughout the Jewish and Christian faiths. Most of us could probably still recite them to this day.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, In his message for the Fifth World Day of the Poor, Pope Francis observes that the COVID-19 crisis, “continues to affect millions of people and, even when it does not bring suffering and death, it is nonetheless a portent of poverty.” Yet, he continues, “poverty is not the result of fate; it is the result of selfishness. It is critical, therefore, to generate development processes in which the abilities of all are valued, so that complementarity of skills and diversity of roles can lead to a common resource of mutual participation.”

Have you ever seen or participated in a relay race? Teams of runners work together and depend on each other in this competition. When one team member finishes her or his part of the race, the baton is passed on to the next person in the relay. Only then can that next runner begin, and the baton is passed again after that stretch to the next person.

This year's Annual Catholic Appeal theme renews and reinvigorates us. We hear Jesus say to us, "Come, Follow Me...and bring hope to the world."

Throughout the gospels, Jesus encourages us to place our faith in Him so that we might live in God’s Kingdom in this world and the next. He reminds us often that God’s way is not the world’s way and that we must see with the eyes of faith and trust like little children if we wish to live in true joy and peace.

St. Joseph Men's Ministry hosted a tailgate and viewing party on Sunday, October 17, to watch The Bears vs. The Packers. They enjoyed snacks, fellowship, and some even enjoyed a win. We are not saying it was a "great win" or "tough loss," but we will say one team won and the other didn't.

On Saturday, October 16, the local Rosary Rally took place in Sunrise Rotary Park, Libertyville, at noon as part of America Needs Fatima campaign.

In celebration of Father John Hennessey’s 80th birthday on October 17, 2021, St. Joseph Catholic Church has established the John E. Hennessey Scholarship Fund in consideration of Fr. Hennessey’s kindness and compassion for the children of St. Joseph Catholic School and the people of our parish. 

One can only imagine how exciting and rewarding it must have been for the Apostles to be part of Jesus’ ever-expanding ministry in the days leading up to His return to Jerusalem.  It had to be pretty heady stuff to regularly witness miracles and experience the adulation and admiration of the huge crowds. Jesus was a rock star! And the Apostles, in their humanity, had to feel proud and pretty good about their decision to follow Jesus.

On October 7, Bob Killackey and Bob Bachochin were recognized and honored as inductees to the Senior Center of Libertyville Hall of Fame.  

Please take a moment to read the mask mandate update. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to keep each other and the people we serve safe and well.  

On October 4th we celebrated the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis’ conversion involved a call from Jesus to repair His Church. At first, Francis took that literally, and sought to refurbish the old worn down chapel in which he had his vision. But time and discernment led him to realize that God had something bigger in mind

St. Joseph Catholic Church celebrated Red Mass last weekend. A Red Mass is a Mass celebrated annually in the Catholic Church for all members of the legal profession, regardless of religious affiliation: judges, lawyers, law school professors, law students, and government officials, marking the opening of the judicial year.

Volunteers are needed to help at the Lake County Diaper Depot and Monday and Wednesday Night dinners in Round Lake

St. Joseph Parishioners participated in a "Life Chain" event outside of St. Joseph on Respect Life Sunday, October 3. The reception from the Libertyville community was well received and an excellent public witness to the sanctity of human life. 

What must we do to inherit eternal life? Can there be a more profound question to contemplate? Unfortunately the easy answer, which for 2000 years has been available through the teachings of Jesus, seems to be eluding modern generations.