Our new pastor, Fr. Peter McQuinn concelebrated Mass with Fr. Mike and was witness to some good old Holy Family hospitality and vitality. Fr. Peter received a warm welcome from all in attendance, while seeing first hand why parishioners are passionate about maintaining a Sunday Mass at Holy Family.

Attending Mass at Holy Family to greet the newly appointed pastor of Holy Family Notre Dame de Chicago, were: ( l. to r.) Patti Bellock, Robert Emmett Nolan, Barbara Nolan and Michael Nolan. Holy Family was honored to welcome these members of our founding families. FOR FULL STORY please click on the title link or picture

St. Ignatius College Prep makes frequent use of Holy Family Church for special events, devotions and liturgies. One of the regularly scheduled events is a well- attended optional Mass every First Friday morning at 7:15 a.m. during the academic year. Most of the school’s 1,400 students, many faculty and often alumni, parents and former parents of St. Ignatius students participate in this Mass. For FULL STORY, please click on title link or picture.

Congratulations to all our young people from Holy Family and Notre Dame de Chicago who were confirmed on April 3 by Bishop Rojas. May the Holy Spirit continue to bless them with strength, courage and love. The confirmandi are: Owen Aguilar, Ruby Aguilar, Richard Caccavale, Joshua Cardenas, Daniel Casarez, Col Chin, Jackson Chin, Olivia Dietrich, Emily Dominguez-Soliz, Jesus Federico, Esteban Garcia, Maritza Gutierrez, Matthew Guzman, Saul Guzman, Angel Rosales, Fidel Rosales, Alaric Rylon, Javadia Rylon, and Ariana Salgado

Fr. Peter McQuinn, newly appointed pastor of the combined Holy Family/Notre Dame parish, has shared with Fr. Mike that he will be visiting Holy Family this Sunday, April 7 at the 9:45 Mass. This will be a good opportunity for all parishioners to meet our new pastor, and for him to get to see the renowned welcoming environment at the Sunday morning Mass, and why it is so important that it be maintained.

On March 29, family and friends remembered the amazing life of John King. Born in Chicago in 1936, John was a life long member of Holy Family. During the beautiful funeral service presided over by Fr. Mike, many wonderful memories and stories were shared. John was a person who gave of himself as a volunteer in the food pantry, at the VA, and as a sponsor for AA. We will miss his engaging stories and warm smile. May he rest in peace.

Holy Family has received the final installment of the Catholic Appeal rebate of $2,579.80 from all funds collected in excess of our parish goal. If you are interested in making a pledge to the 2019 Catholic Appeal, please click on the title link or picture. Thank you for your generosity.

Members from Holy Family and Notre Dame met on March 25 to get acquainted and to begin the conversation on the upcoming transition to merge the parishes. The team discussed the initial steps that are needed to develop a positive dialogue between the parish representatives, as well as strategies that encourage current parishioners to give the merger a chance to succeed. The transition team has asked to have a meeting with Fr. McQuinn and to begin the process of developing a shared vision for the newly merged parish. The possibility of maintaining a Sunday Mass at Holy Family continues to be part of the conversation, and that is a question the team hopes to discuss with Fr. McQuinn.

As Illinois faces so many pressing issues involving human life and dignity, it is incomprehensible that our elected officials have decided the pressing issue of the day is to enhance the chances that the lives of the most vulnerable and voiceless will be taken. Their efforts, similar to recent actions in New York and Virginia, focus on corrupting our God-given right to life and sowing unnecessary division. House Bill 2495 and Senate Bill 1942, misnamed the Reproductive Health Act, include so many harmful provisions the full effect of these bills can hardly be imagined. To read the bills and to contact your legislator, please click on the title link or picture.

On March 11, Cardinal Cupich informed the parish through the letter posted above that he has reaffirmed his earlier decision that all regular Sunday morning Masses of the merged parishes will be celebrated at Notre Dame de Chicago. Sunday morning Mass will continue at Holy Family during the transition, but will likely end on or before June 30, 2019. Weddings and baptisms that have been scheduled at Holy Family will still take place at Holy Family. Additionally, during the transition, requests for weddings and baptisms at Holy Family will still be accepted. Please click on the "Weddings" or "Baptism" buttons above for information.

Cardinal Cupich has appointed Fr. Peter McQuinn as the new pastor of the combined Holy Family/Notre Dame parish. Fr. McQuinn is currently the pastor of All Saints-St. Anthony parish in Bridgeport. He has also served as pastor at Epiphany Parish in Chicago, administrator at St. Mark's in Chicago, and as an associate pastor at Our Lady of the Wayside parish in Arlington Heights. He was ordained in 1991. Welcome, Fr. McQuinn!

Special thanks to Kathy Walton and Elizabeth Rylon for hosting our March hospitality gathering. Kathy and Liz helped us celebrate St. Patrick's Day with delicious treats and festive decorations to celebrate the day. Thank you, Kathy and Liz!

The Women Of The Spirit are collecting travel size toiletries and hotel samples for both men and women. There will be boxes in the back of the church to receive these offerings. Once collected, the items will be packaged and distributed to those in need. Our goal is to make 200 care packages.

Click on the tile link or picture to see Maureen Callahan's article in the Irish American News. The article can be found on p.76.

Holy Family's own Sr. Pat Cummings, SSND has been appointed by Cardinal Cupich to a three year term on the Board of Advisors of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Holy Family is blessed to have Sister Pat as one of our parishioners. Please keep her in your prayers as she takes on this new role. Also, keep Catholic Charities and the individuals and families they serve in prayer as well.

Holy Family celebrated what may be its last Black History Month Mass–a tribute to African-Americans who worshiped and studied at the parish’s St. Joseph’s Mission and its founder, Fr. Arnold J. Garvy, S.J. (1868-1950). A relic from St. Peter Claver S.J. (patron saint of West African slaves), a statue of St. Martin de Porres (patron saint of mixed-race people and all who seek racial harmony) which occupied a place of honor in St. Joseph’s Mission from 1933 until its closing in the early 1960s, and several photos from St. Joseph Mission were on display. Late last month, Cardinal Blase Cupich announced that Holy Family’s well attended and spirited Sunday morning 9:45 a.m. Mass, where Gospel music and rousing spirituals are sung by an integrated choir whose voices often perform sacred hymns and Celtic tunes, is to be terminated and hundreds of parishioners are told to merge with nearby Notre Dame de Chicago effective July 1, 2019. Hundreds of parishioners signed a 60-foot petition and an online version and presented it to Cardinal Cupich pleading to reverse his decision. CLICK ON THE TITLE LINK OR PICTURE FOR THE FULL STORY

Special congratulations go out to Sr. Pat Cummings SSND, who will received the Fr. Augustus Tolton Award on February 23. This award honors priests, sisters and religious organizations that help support Catholic Charities mission in the south suburbs. Holy Family is proud of Sr. Pat and thankful for all that she does for the parish.

Members of the Priests' Placement Board met with the staff, parish leadership, RMC team, and parishioners of Holy Family and Notre Dame de Chicago to hear what qualities the new pastor of the combined parish should possess, as well as what current ministries and programs contribute to parish vitality and should continue. The Board, represented by his Excellency, Bishop Robert Casey, Mgsr. Wayne Prist, Fr. Larry Dowling, and Fr. Mike McGovern, heard from a spirited church filled with Holy Family parishioners that, just like that old commercial, they would like to see the new pastor to "be like Fr. Mike." The Board heard speaker after speaker state how much Fr. Mike is loved and respected, and all that he means to the people of Holy Family. Many expressed their opinion and hope that Fr. Mike should continue in the role of pastor of the combined parish. In addition to discussing the new pastor, those in attendance continued to voice their concern that there will be no Sunday morning Mass at Holy Family. Many in attendance left confused as to what will happen after July 1, 2019 in terms of the Masses that will be offered and where they will be held.

Congratulations to Jerrilynn Young on receiving the Sister Thea Bowman Humanitarian Award. This award recognizes Jerri for the many sacrifices she has made over the year for the good of her family, friends, and the church.