Mon. April 11
8:00 Living & Deceased Members of the
Grimm & Tragnitz Families
by Lou & Shirley Grimm
Tues. April 12
8:00 Ann Gilbert
by Cleo Humssinger
Wed April 13
8:00 Jim Trask
by Linda Thusing
Thur. April 14
8:00 Communion Service
Fri. April 15
8:00 Pope John Paul II

Sat. April 16
8:00 Purgatorial Society
5:30 Pope John Paul II
by the Parish Family

Sun. April 17 Fourth Sunday of Easter
8:00 Ann Gilbert
by Lee Palys & Family
11:00 Charles Ballard
by Burt Curry

THANK YOU
Thank you to all whom contributed to the collection on the weekend of April 2nd and April 3rd. The amount collected was $1,879.50

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK
Linda Jones
Ann Knight
Rita Schreiber
Lou Grimm
Corine Murphy
Ann Dytrych
Julie Laur
Adeline Deneen
Betty Nemecek
Helen Blaha
Betty Paschal
Ann Mysliwiec
Julius LoCicero
Osie Dompier
Eileen Desidero
Bernadine Smith
Tess O'Hern
Clara Migas
Eugene Orris
Margaret Lee
Roselee Gacke
Brittany Dubs
Lillian Coughlin
Dorothy Loeffler
C. Campbell
Jorge Rodriguez
Shaun Deneen
E. Thielmann
Della Herrod
Marge Straub
Karen Beeson
Kayla Deneen

Anyone who is ill in our parish and would like to receive Holy Communion; call (708) 331-8400. If you can be removed from the sick list at this time, please call the parish office.

POPE JOHN PAUL II
My brothers and sisters in Christ, as we gather for this service in faith and hope, let us pray for our departed Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. In life, he was God's holy servant, and so in death, he is witness to our hope in the Resurrection. May we be comforted in our loss, and look to the faith, which he served during his lifetime.
May our prayers for Pope John Paul II our Pope, vicar of Peter, and shepherd of your church, hasten his entrance into the heavenly kingdom, where all the angels and saints sing forever around the banquet table of the Lamb.

DATES TO REMEMBER
April 11 Parish Council Meeting (7 PM)
April 18 Women's Guild (7 PM)
April 26 SGM Players Game Night (7 PM)

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. As a means of expressing the commitment we have made to protect children, the Archdiocese of Chicago is joining other church groups, child protection agencies, and civil agencies by engaging in activities that will keep the protection of children at the forefront in our parishes, schools, and agencies.
Let us ask God's blessing that we may keep joy and trust alive in the .children entrusted to our care. Thank you for all you do to protect children.
Promise to Protect, Pledge to Heal
Last year, over 100,000 children in Illinois were reported abused or neglected, but through public awareness and education programs, such as the one presented in the Archdiocese of Chicago, these devastating numbers can be reduced.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. You are invited to join in this effort to stem child abuse. The primary symbol of child abuse prevention is the blue ribbon worn by individuals. Trees, with blue ribbons tied to their branches, is another public witness to child abuse prevention.

KENYA WILDLIFE SAFARI
Fr. Max Ssekiwala of the Vicariate VI office of the Archdiocese is hosting a
Kenya Wildlife Safari October 10-21, 2005. Only a small group will be going and there are six slots still available.
If you are interested in joining Fr. Max for this trip of a lifetime, call (708) 339-2474 or (708) 339-2477 or email mssekiwala@archchicago.org.

RESURRECTION CHOIR
We are renewing our church's Resurrection Choir. We would hold a rehearsal for the "Resurrection Choir" on Tuesday, April 12th, at 1:00 PM. While we know it is difficult to add another commitment to your busy schedules, this is an important ministry to the parish family.

GAME NIGHT
The SGM Players are interested in hosting a "game night" at St. Gerard. It would be open to anyone. You bring the game you want to play and hopefully some friends to play it with you. It doesn't cost anything, but it would be nice if you brought a treat to share. We already have yahtzee, cards, dice, dominos, and scrabble.
If you are interested, let Linda or Eric know. That way there will be enough tables and chairs set up. We will hold our game night on April 26. If this date is not good for you, let us know.

ST. DOROTHY PARISH
The St. Dorothy's Ladies Guild Society is inviting our parishioners to join them for an exciting cruise on the Spirit of Chicago on Sunday, June 19, 2005. You will feast on a delicious meal; enjoy good music and other entertainment; and lots of fun! Ticket prices are $55.00 per person, and $35.00 per child, age 12 and under.
Leave your car. Buses will leave St. Dorothy Church at 10:00 AM and take you to Navy Pier for an 11:00 AM boarding. The ship sails promptly at noon. Roundtrip bus transportation is included in the ticket price.
For more information or tickets please contact Jean Welborn at (773) 846-6852 or Pamela Leonard at (773) 752-1152.

SISTER OF PROVIDENCE
The Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., are planning a benefit fund-raising excursion on Lake Michigan May 21, 2005.
The journey on the Odyssey begins at 11 AM at Chicago's Navy Pier. The event will include a delicious meal, music, silent auction and a raffle for an Abusson rug, which retails for $5,600. The Odyssey will return to the dock by 1:45 PM.
Cost of the cruise is $65 per person, $10 of which is deductible.
The Sisters of Providence are also offering a Chicago-area retreat. Providence at the Heart of Our Lives is the focus for a spring retreat April 15-17 at the Warrenville Retreat Center in Warrenville, IL.
Sisters of Providence Mary Alice Zander and Susan Paweski will lead the retreat. The retreat commences with a social gathering at 7 PM Friday and culminates with brunch at 1 PM Sunday. Eucharistic Liturgy will be offered Sunday before brunch.
For more information, contact Sr. Susan Paweski at (773) 463-2478 or at alumni@spmw.org.

SINGLE CATHOLICS
You are invited to spend time with other single Catholic men and women, ages 20-35, who are interested in focusing on a vision for life and living with purpose. Join us on April 24, 2005 (even if you did not attend the first part) from 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM, at St. Thomas the Apostle parish. The cost is $10 (includes lunch). Call (708) 749-1380, ext. 22 for more information.

WHAT'S YOUR CATHOLIC IQ?
The term "concelebration" refers to (a) brilliant thinking; (b) the party held after a priest's ordination; (c) a meeting of cardinals; (d) the celebration of one Mass by two or more priests praying the core prayers of the Mass together.
"Liturgy" comes from a Greek word that literally means (a) the work of the people; (b) thy kingdom come; (c) thanksgiving; (d) the prayer of the priest.
The word "Mass" comes from (a) the changing flow of people coming to church; (b) an abbreviation of "Master"; (c) the fact that congregations are large groups; (d) the ending words of the Latin Mass, "Ite, missa est."
The sacristy (a) the room where the priest vests; (b) a special sink which drains into the soil beneath a church; (c) the gathering space in front of a church; (d) a violation of anything sacred.
The phrase "Agnus Die" translates as (a) "lord, have mercy"; (b) "lamb of God"; (c) "our Father"; (d) "I believe in God".

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
Today's Gospel story is often a favorite among parishioners. It is often simply referred to as "the road to Emmaus". The Risen Jesus, thought to be a stranger, joins two people on the road to Emmaus. The stranger perplexes them because he seems to be unaware of what has happened. As they walk along, Jesus interprets scripture for them. The two finally recognize Jesus as they share a meal. Jesus is in their midst in the "breaking of the bread".
Most of us have had the experience of going to Mass in a church we have never been to before. Immediately we see some things that are different. The decorations are not the same, greetings are different, maybe going to Communion is the same. Yet, the Mass is exactly the same. We hear familiar prayers and Gospel readings; familiar gestures are used; we pray the Lord's Prayer; we extend our hands in the prayer of peace. We join with a community of believers and welcome the Real Presence of Jesus in our midst.
This is probably why this Gospel is a favorite one for many people. We, ourselves, have been on the road, among strangers, yet we've known the Real Presence of Jesus and we recognized our brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ in coming together for the breaking of the bread.

Dear God our Father,
Your Son gave us the Eucharist that we might know him in the breaking of the bread. Help our faith to grow stronger and for the joy we celebrate at Mass to increase throughout our lives.
Amen.