Mon. Nov. 21
8:00 Julius Lo Cicero
by Marie Craig
Tues. Nov. 22
8:00 Lou Grimm
by Marilyn Manion
Wed Nov. 23
8:00 Geno & Ida Loser's 60th Anniversary
by Marilyn Manion
Thur. Nov. 24 Thanksgiving
9:00 People of St. Gerard Majella
Fri Nov. 25
8:00 Julius Lo Cicero
by Bob & Jackie Wierbicki
Sat. Nov. 26
8:00 Purgatorial Society
5:30 Dominic & Marion Tomazatis
by Dinga Family
Geno & Ida Loser's 60th Anniversary
by their Parish Family
Sun. Nov. 27 the First Sunday of Advent
8:00 Brady, Griffin & Hopkins Families
by Maureen & Erin Brady
11:00 Lou Grimm
by Bill & Mercedes Mayoros

THANK YOU
Thank you to all whom contributed to the collection on the weekend of Nov. 12th and Nov. 13th. The amount collected was $1,240.75.

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK
Lauralee Dove
Ann Knight
Rita Schreiber
Len Murphy
Corine Murphy
Ann Dytrych
Bill O'Connor
Adeline Deneen
Betty Nemecek
Helen Blaha
Betty Paschal
Ann Mysliwiec
Linda Jones
Osie Dompier
Eileen Desidero
Bernadine Smith
DoDo Dove
Terry El
Eugene Orris
Margaret Lee
Bunny DuBois
Brittany Dubs
Lillian Coughlin
Dorothy Loeffler
C. Campbell
Marge Straub
Shaun Deneen
E. Thielmann
Della Herrod
Bob Sitniewski
Eddie Bauer
Diane Koscis

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

DATES TO REMEMBER
Nov 21 Women's Guild Meeting (7 PM)
Dec. 5 Parish Council (6:30 PM)
Dec. 8 Immaculate Conception (Holy Day of Obligation)
Dec. 11 Pancake Breakfast
Dec. 12 Parish Reconciliation Service (7 PM)
Dec. 13 Women's Guild Party (6:30 PM)
Dec. 14 SGM Players Christmas Sing-a-long (7 PM)

THANKSGIVING MASS
There will be a 9:00 AM Mass celebrated on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th. All are invited to attend and take a few minutes out of the day to thank God for all we have.

CHRISTMAS CHOIR
In preparation for our Christmas celebration, we would like to invite everyone to join the Christmas choir. Rehearsals will be 7:00 PM Tuesday evenings in the church. Rehearsals will start on November 29th. We will carol before Mass and then provide the music for the Christmas Eve Mass.
The Christmas season is always special. The songs light up everyone's lives. Why not be part of the celebration for our Lord's birth?

GIVING TREE
We are going to try something a little different this year with our Giving Tree. The tree will go up on November 26th. It will be taken down on December 11th. We can not guarantee the deliver of gifts received after that date. We would also like to give you a different option this year. If you wish to take a gift tag for child, God bless you. However, if your shopping time is at a premium, you can choose to make a monetary donation to one of several charities. Envelopes for these donations will also be placed on the tree. We will see to it that the charities receive these gifts.
We will also provide a box for a food drive. Canned goods and non-perishable foods would be greatly appreciated. Toiletry items and cleaning supplies are also much needed items.
We are always overwhelmed by the generosity of our parish. Your thoughtful gifts are a blessing to many families.

SGM PLAYERS
The SGM Players are hosting a Christmas Sing-a-long on Dec. 14th in the church. Please join us for an evening of Christmas carols, hot chocolate, and doughnuts. If we can find the music, we will be glad to sing your favorite carol. We are even willing to try "Grandma Got Run Over By the Reindeer".
Come out and have some fun. Every one knows how to sing Christmas songs. We will even pick you up and take you home if you call ahead of time.
Take a few minutes from the busy holiday season and just have some old fashioned fun. This is an event the entire family can enjoy.

PARISH RECONCILIATION SERVICE
Our parish will celebrate a Reconciliation service on Monday, December 12th at 7:00 PM. We encourage all to attend. This is a wonderful way to prepare ourselves for Advent and the coming of Our Savoir. As Catholics we are obligated to observe the sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year. This is truly a special moment between you and God.

WOMEN'S GUILD NEWS
The Women's Guild will be hosting their Annual Christmas Party at Carlo's Restaurant on Tuesday, Dec, 13th. Please call, Rita Cole at (708) 333-5188 to confirm your reservation.

THANK YOU
Sister Catherine received a lovely "thank you" letter from Sr. Barbara and the Outreach Mission at St. James. She is very grateful for all the toiletry ideas from our parish. The Mission not only supplies these items to the clients at their pantry, but also to folks who reside in nursing homes. Many of these residents have no families to supply them with these necessary items. The Mission is trying to fill in as their "substitute family".
The needs never end, and the generosity of people never ends! May God bless you always for your constant willingness to reach out to those in need.

RESURRECTION CHOIR
The Resurrection Choir will be rehearsing on Tuesday, November 27th at church. If you wish to join this very worthwhile group, please come to the rehearsal. All are welcomed.

WATERFORD ESTATES
Waterford Estates cordially invites you to attend our entertainment, educational and health programs. These programs are free of charge.
There will be a cholesterol screening on Monday, November 28th from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM. A representative from Advocate South Suburban Hospital will conduct the free cholesterol screenings.

A FAMILY IN NEED
Do you know of a family that is in need? We like to pick five families each year that we can offer a helping hand to during this busy time of year. If you know of a deserving family that could use a helping hand, please let the parish office know. All names are kept in the strictest of confidence.

WINTER COAT DRIVE
Winter is fast approaching. Our church would like to help others by providing useable winter clothing for those less fortunate than ourselves. There will be a collection box provided at the back of church on December 3rd.

PANCAKE BREAKFAST
The Holy Name Society will once again be flipping pancakes for our enjoyment. The men will be cooking and serving their delicious all you can eat pancakes and sausage on December 11th from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
To volunteer to help or for more information call Norm Cole at (708) 333-5188.

CONGRATULATIONS CONFIRMANDI
Congratulations to this year's Confirmandi from Ascension/St, Susanna and St. Gerard Majella. We have nineteen children celebrating this blest sacrament this year. It is always exciting to see young people making a commitment to God, the Church and their parishes. We have become accustom to only hearing about the mistakes young people make. Please take a moment and little our young people know how proud we are of them and that we will be there to support them. Keep them and Sr. Catherine in your prayers.

WHAT'S YOUR CATHOLIC IQ?
The answers to last weeks questions are: 1. (d); 2. (c); 3. (d); 4. (c); 5 (d).

In honor of the Confirmandi, the questions this week are all taken from the test they had to take before being Confirmed:

1. Give three fruits of the Holy Spirit?
2. Give three gifts of the Holy Spirit?
3. What prayer expresses all we believe?
4. Who confirms you?
5. What prayer did Jesus teach us?

These are just a few of the questions our young people had to answer.

If you would like some help answering these questions, why not ask Sr. Catherine or one of our Confirmandi?

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
This is the final Sunday in Ordinary Time, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King. We stand on the threshold of another Advent Season. This is a day of reckoning.
In today's Gospel, Jesus talks about the time when He will come in glory; when all nations will gather before Him; when the righteous and the unrighteous will be judged. It is clear that our judgment will be based on the kindness and mercy we have offered or failed offer to others. It is clear that Jesus is always that "other". Two groups gathered in front of Jesus and asked the very same question: "When did we see you .....?" Jesus says we look on His face in everyone we meet. Knowing that, an we fail to offer kindness and mercy to others?

Gracious God,
Humble our thoughts so that we will not judge others as worthy or unworthy of kindness. Let us always see in others your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen.