Mon. April 18
8:00 All the Sick & their Caretakers
Tues. April 19
8:00 All the Elderly
Wed April 20
8:00 Pope John Paul II
Thur. April 21
8:00 Communion Service
Fri. April 22
8:00 All the Men & Women in the
Service of their Country

Sat. April 23
8:00 Purgatorial Society
5:30 Jim Trask
by Bill & Kathy O'Connor

Sun. April 24 Fifth Sunday of Easter
8:00 Evelyn & Vicki Jackson
by Marie Craig
11:00 Anna Kerris
by Mary Lednicky

THANK YOU
Thank you to all whom contributed to the collection on the weekend of April 9th and April 10th. The amount collected was $1,222.00

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.

DATES TO REMEMBER
April 18 Women's Guild (7 PM)
April 26 SGM Players Game Night (7 PM)
April 24 First Communion (11 AM Mass)
May 2 Parish Council Meeting (7PM)
May 8 Mother's Day Flower Sale
May 15 Women's Guild Luncheon
May 16 Women's Guild Meeting (7 PM)

AID FOR CHURCH IN CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
In a recently published book, Vaclav Havel, the former president of the Czech Republic provided a profound insight into the shattered society left by the atheist rule of Communism. He wrote, "We learned not to believe in anything, to ignore each other, to care only for ourselves. Concepts of love, friendship, compassion, humility and forgiveness did not exist."
Catholics today in Central and Eastern Europe are, however, replanting the roots of their faith after generations of religious persecution. The 2005 Collection to Aid the Church in Central and Eastern Europe - Roots of faith, Both Fragile and Strong - testifies to the tradition and hope of solidarity within the Catholic family of Central and Eastern Europe.
You are asked to be generous in support of this collection. With prayer and a financial sacrifice we are provided an opportunity to demonstrate in a concrete way, our compassionate concern for millions of Catholics in that part of the world.
May Our Lord continue to bless you and your loved ones as we live with a committed sense of interdependence with one another as parish, Archdiocese, and universal church.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Reverend George Rassas
Vicar General

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.

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. 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.

THE ROSARY
The Rosary is prayed each Wednesday after the 8:00 Mass in the Chapel. Everyone is invited to join the group whenever you can. The Rosary is prayed for all the intentions of the parish as well as individual intentions. If you wish your intentions included in the weekly Rosary; please put your request in the gold-covered box in the vestibule of the church. Thank you.

GAME NIGHT
The SGM Players are hosting a "game night" at St. Gerard. 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 will hold our game night on April 26 starting at 7 PM in Shevlin Hall.

ADULT CONFIRMATION
The Office for Catechesis has scheduled instruction sessions and adult confirmation liturgies to help people who have been unable to complete their initiation into the Church.
In our area you can sign up for these classes at St. Emeric Parish (4300 W. 180th Street, Country Club Hills, (7 PM - 9:15 PM) on the following Tuesdays: May 3, 10, 17, 31; June 7 and 14. Tuesday, June 21 there will be an evening of reflection at St. Emeric Parish. Adult Confirmation Liturgy will be held Sunday, June 26, 3 PM at St. Emeric Parish. There will be a wrap-up evaluation session and social at St. Emeric on Tuesday, June 28, 7 ZPM - 9:15 PM.
Any further information can be obtained from Mary Catherine Meek at the Office for Catechesis (312) 243-3700.

PRAY FOR VOCATIONS
Today, Good Shepherd Sunday, is a special celebration of our Christian vocation. The world-wide Church unites in prayer on this World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The Good Shepherd calls us and guides us on our Christian journey. By our baptism we are called, chosen, and sent to carry on the mission of Jesus. You are invited to participate in this annual celebration by praying for vocations.
Gentle God, You call us by name and lead us to life.
Through baptism you commission us to proclaim the Good News.
Bless and strengthen all men and women, lay and ordained,
Who serve in the Church.
Guide and give wisdom to those discerning their vocation.
Enrich our Church with dedicated married and single people,
With deacons, priests and religious.
Filled with joy and your Holy Spirit may we follow Jesus,
Our Good Shepherd, now and always. Amen.

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 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 info.

REBUILDERS
The Rebuilders group invites all separated, divorced, and widowed persons to celebrate the Liturgy with Bishop Joseph N. Perry at Infant Jesus of Prague church. The church is located on Flossmoor Road between Western Avenue and Governors Highway in Flossmoor. The Liturgy will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 19th at 7:30 PM. A reception will immediately follow the Liturgy. Inquires can be made by calling (708) 283-8700.

WHAT'S YOUR CATHOLIC IQ?
The answers to last week's quiz are: 1. (d); 2 (a); 3 (d); 4 (a); 5. (b)
1. The pope who was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom was (a)
Gregory the Great; (b) John XXIII; (c) Leo the Great; (d) Peter II.
2. The words Cuerpo de Cristo mean (a) Body of Christ; (b) Blood of Christ; (c)
Church of Christ; (d) Faith of Christ.
3. A permanent split within the Church is known as (a) a schism; (b) an
inconolasm; (c) an exorcism; (d) a tiff.
4. God promised "Your descendants shall be as many as the stars in heaven" to
(a) Cain; (b) Jacob; (c) Isaac; (d) Abraham (Abram).
5. The "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit" is a type of
prayer called (a) a Confiteor; (b) an absolution; (c) a doxology; (d) a penitential
rite.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
This week's Gospel talks about the good shepherd who "lays down his life for the sheep. When hearing the term "lays down one's life" most people assume that the speaker is referring to dying for another person. There are times when one person does give his life for another such as a soldier, a fireman, or a policeman. However, most people will not have to choose between their life and another's life. For Christians the phrase means we are "laying down our lives" by living a life of service to others. We need only to be aware that what we do shows the goodness of Jesus to others, all the time, and that some small act of ours today can let another person see Jesus, the Good Shepherd.
Dear God and Father,
Your Son was the Good Shepherd. He gave his life that we might have eternal life with you in heaven. Make our hearts willing to give our lives form others and to follow your Son, Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Amen.