Sat. Mar. 4
8:00 Purgatorial Society
5:30 Marjorie Parker
by Fred & Lorraine Kula
Sun. Mar. 5
8:00 Joan Roskos
by Fred & Jean Willey
11:00 Thomas Gibbons
by Linda Thusing

THANK YOU
Thank you to all whom contributed to the collection on the weekend of Feb 18th and Feb. 19th. The amount collected was $1,164.76

PLEASE PRAY FOR THE SICK
Jack Seniw
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
Chloe Ochoa
Terry El
Eugene Orris
Margaret Lee
Marie Craig
Brittany Dubs
Lillian Coughlin
Dorothy Loeffler
C. Campbell
Marge Straub
Shaun Deneen
E. Thielmann
Della Herrod
Mr. Bob Gilbert
Virgil Barron
Dorothy Barron
Mr. Graves
Loretta & John Szewczyowski

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
Feb. 20 Guild Meeting (7 PM)
Mar. 1 Ash Wed. Masses at (8 AM & 7 PM)
Mar. 3 Stations of the Cross (7 PM)
Mar. 6 Parish Council Meeting (7 PM)

ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL 2006
As you know this is the time of year we are asked to offer our financial support to the Archdiocese of Chicago to help the Archdiocese provide ministry, education, training and services to all our parishes and tens of thousands of people throughout the Archdiocese.
Last week, we had an in the pew pledge drive. For those who were unable to attend Mass last week or for whose who are still deciding, we will again pass out pledge drive envelopes during Masses this weekend.
On behave of Cardinal George; we thank you for your generosity.

EASTER CHOIR
We would like to invite everyone to become a member of our church's Easter Choir. The choir will sing on Holy Thursday and Holy Saturday. Rehearsals will be held on each Tuesday night in the church at 7:00 PM. The rehearsals will begin on March 7, 2006. Being a member of the choir only requires a small amount of time and commitment, yet the rewards are great. We are looking for all kind of voices (big, small, good, so-so, male, female, young and older). Come and join us! You just might find some cookies and hot chocolate in your future.

RESURRECTION CHOIR
The Resurrection choir will rehearse on Tues., Feb. 28th in the church at 1:00 PM. Please join us as we lend our support to those who have lost a loved one.

CALLING TREE
Anyone wishing to add his or her name to the parish calling tree list should contact the parish office any weekday afternoon. We will be glad to notify you of any deaths or important events in the parish. Any person currently on the list is asked to pass along the information they receive to others who may not have been notified.

FREE TAX PREPARATION
Free tax preparation assistance from professionally trained volunteers is available. The Tax Counseling Project (TCP) and the Tax Assistance program (TAP) are Chicago-area non-profit programs offering free tax preparation assistance to families earning less than $38,000. TCP and TAP provide trained volunteers at 30 sites in Chicago and 23 sites outside Chicago. To find a free tax preparation location in Chicago, call 311, the City's non-emergency information line. Outside Chicago, call (312) 409-1555 or (312) 409-6511.

WOMEN'S GUILD NEWS
The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women invite you to attend their regular board meeting, and the St. Joseph Table on March 7th, at 10:00 AM at Catholic Charities (721 La Salle Street, first floor meeting room).
St. Gerard Majella Women's Guild and The Blue Army will co-host a St. Joseph Table here on March 19th, after the 11:00 Mass. The 11:00 Mass will also celebrate St. Joseph. Everyone is invited to attend and bring a friend or two with them. There will be no charge, but a free will offering will be accepted.
The Guild would like to thank everyone for donating to the USO. They collected $160.00.
The Valentine Luncheon was a huge success and we would like to thank everyone for the donations of their delicious food and their time. We appreciate the work your loving hands have provided. Many thanks to Sue Klaus for chairing this event, as always she and her crew did a great job.

ASH WEDNESDAY
There will be Ash Wednesday services at St. Gerard Majella at 8:00 AM and 7:00PM on Wednesday, March 1, 2006. This is a day of fasting for all Catholics 18 years of age but not yet 59. Those bound by this may take only one full meal. Two smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to one's needs, but eating solid food between meals is not permitted. Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years of age and older on Ash Wednesday and all Fridays of Lent.
The special Paschal fast and abstinence are prescribed for Good Friday and encouraged for Holy Saturday.

CARMELITE RETREATS
Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm.
7:00- 9:30 PM
Arm-Wrestling with God - Thursday, March 2006
Answering God - Finally! - Wednesday, April 5, 2006
Join Fr. Bob Colaresi, O. Carm. At the Carmelite Spiritual Center in Darien, IL for this series of programs as he illumines the tories of these "soul brothers" of the Bible and reveals how they provide a guide to being genuinely human and faith-filled. Cost: $15/person per session. Please call the Spiritual Center at (630) 969-4141 to register.

PALMS
If you wish to bring in last year's palms, you will find a collection box in the back of the church. The palms will be burned to provide ashes to be used on Ash Wednesday.

SENIOR HOUSING
Are you a senior citizen or friend of a senior citizen looking for affordable housing in a community setting?
Look no further. The Bishop Goedert Residence, opening April 1, offers supportive, subsidized housing for seniors on the Hines VA Campus. The residence consists of 70 one-bedroom apartments, common areas featuring a laundry room and game room, and a front desk monitored 24 hours a day. Residents must meet certain income requirements.
For more information or to apply, please call the Housing Development Corporation at (312) 655-7440 or TTY at (312) 948-6992.

WHAT'S YOUR CATHOLIC IQ?
The answers to last weeks questions are: none

This week's questions are: no questions this week.
1. A miter is (a) a tall spire on a steeple; (b) a tall hat worn by a bishop; (c) the amount of money the poor widow put in the Temple treasury; (d) a very small sin.
2. The artist who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is (a) Michelangelo Buonarroti; (b) Peter Paul Rubens; (c) Gus Sistine; (d) Pope John Paul II.
3. The recently canonized Italian saint who died rather than abort her baby was (a) Elizabeth of Hungary; (b) Catherine of Siena; (c) Germanine; (d) Gianna Molla.
4. Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of me" (a) at the Last Supper; (when he was on the cross; (c) when he healed the lepers; (d) just before he ascended into heaven.
5. The lawyer-saint who was beheaded because he would not agree to King Henry VIII naming himself head of the church was (a) Joseph of Cupertino; (b) Benedict Joseph Labre; (c) Thomas Becket; (d) Maximilism Kobe.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
We are standing at the threshold of Lent. For many weeks we have listened to accounts from the Gospels of Mark, stories that have focused on the healing miracles of Jesus. These stories have cultivated within us a desire to seek the Lord, even when we are steeped in sin. This weekend we praise God for the immeasurable gifts showered on us through word and sacrament.
As we prepare for Lent a season of repentance and reconciliation, let us be like a new wineskin that when filled will stretch. When wine is poured into an old skin it will crack and burst. Let us receive the word of God and be filled and nourished by that word.

Hear the prayer of your faithful people,
O God of mercy.
May those who seek your love
come to know the presence of Christ,
who is Lord forever and ever.
Amen.