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It is with a heavy heart that I share this letter. In reviewing the responses to the Synod question “What about the Church breaks your heart?”, I learned that the sexual abuse crisis has both directly and indirectly affected some parishioners. It breaks my heart to hear of this. I am grateful to those who shared their experience and pain. In response, the Synod team and I contacted the Archdiocese and have been in communication with them.

Dear Parishioners, Establishing Small Christian Communities has been my passion as a priest. It is what I did in Nigeria, South Africa, and at the various parishes I worked at in the Archdiocese of Chicago. It is also what I did my research on with the assistance of Community Psychologists at Vanderbilt University.

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, One of the most important aspects of our ministry as priests is to be available to people, especially in times of sickness and death. Our presence with and anointing of the sick or the dying is deeply appreciated by families.

March 28 begins a new era for St. Joseph’s Parish as The Carpenter moves from a weekly to a monthly publication and is reformatted into a new design.

Fr. Trout offers his reflection on the Year of St. Joseph

On May 13, 2020 I received a letter from Cardinal Cupich regarding a Multi-Phased Plan for Reopening Churches. I have forwarded this to the task force we established to assist in preparing for the reopening of our church.

"Easter dawns accompanied by signs of spring – blooming tulips, crocuses and daffodils, budding trees and more daylight with each passing day – yet saying Happy Easter is a challenge this year..." -Father John Trout

Throughout these last few months, I have heard about your child’s progress with their formation and preparation for their First Eucharist.

In the gospel,John 9:1-41, Jesus seeks out a blind man to heal him and restore his sight. The blind man symbolizes the community of disciples who were blinded by the darkness of fear and becoming increasingly isolated from each other.

Cardinal Cupich has mandated the suspension of all liturgies and public gatherings beginning this evening, Friday, March 13 until further notice.

..."One of the strengths of the Catholic Church is its diversity of peoples, perspectives and practices; as James Joyce aptly put it, Catholic means “Here comes everybody.” It is, indeed, an authentic presence that impacts, in and through its people, ministries and outreach, sharing Christ’s love, healing and peace." -Father John Trout

"God is present in all creation, especially in the hearts of his disciples regardless of how conscious we are of this sacred presence at any given moment." - Father John Trout

"Yet, there are hopeful developments and I firmly believe now is an opportune time for healing, refining and re-imagining. Before we can move forward to achieve this however, it is necessary to look backwards. This was the call of Vatican II, inviting us to return to the sources of our faith, to the practice of the Apostles .." Father John Trout