Sat. Mar. 11
8:00 Purgatorial Society
5:30 Lou Grimm
by Mel & Karma Strutriem
Sun. Mar. 12
8:00 Joan Roskos
by Shirley Grimm
11:00 Sam Insalaco
by Insalaco Family

THANK YOU
Thank you to all whom contributed to the collection on the weekend of Feb 25th and Feb. 26th. The amount collected was $1,090.91.

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
Mr. Graves
Dorothy Loeffler
C. Campbell
Marge Straub
Shaun Deneen
E. Thielmann
Della Herrod
Mr. Bob Gilbert
Virgil Barron
Dorothy Barron
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
Mar. 6 Parish Council Meeting (7 PM)
Mar. 7 Easter Choir Rehearsal (7 PM)
Mar. 10 Stations of the Cross (7 PM)
Mar. 19 St. Joseph Table (Noon)
Mar. 20 Women's Guild Meeting (7 PM)

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.

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.

WOMEN'S GUILD NEWS
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.

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.

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Friday, October 6th through Sunday, October 8th in Chicago at the only international conference of famous converts to the Catholic Church, "Path to Rome" come and hear the stories. Also featured are John Gummer, Anglican convert, member of British Parliament; Bro. Anthony Aarons, former Anglican priest from Jamaica; Alex Jones, ex-Pentecostal pastor, Detroit; and many other great converts. Cardinal Francis George, OMI. Archbishop of Chicago will give the opening prayer and greeting. Join us after the conference for a tour of inspiring Catholic and cultural sites of Chicago and other parts of Illinois. Weekend prices as low as $79 before Sept. 24. to register go to www.pathorome.com or call toll-free (800) 654-7945.

MARRIAGE ENCOUNTER WEEKEND
As today's Psalm pleads, come and get away to hear the voice of God for your marriage. Worldwide Marriage Encounter's mission is to strengthen the Church by strengthening the Marriage Sacrament. The next Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends are April 28-30, June 2-4, or Agust 4-6. Consult our website at www.wwmechicago-graay.org or call Kris and Jim at (800) 442-3554.

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.

WATERFORD ESTATES
Waterford Estates cordially invites you to attend any of our outstanding entertainment, educational and health programs. These programs are free of charge and all take place at our facility, conveniently located at 17400 S. Kedzie Ave. in Hazel Crest.
Speaker Wendy LPN, Ingalls Hospice Admissions Liaison will discuss understanding your health care decision making options. This includes Living Wills, Health Care Durable Power of Attorney and DNR topics. This will be presented on March 6th at 10:30 AM in the Media Room.
Come and in the lounge area on Tuesday, March 7th at 3:30 PM, and see Frank Pellico who will entertain on the piano with various renditions of songs and memories of the past. Frank is currently the organist for our very own Chicago Blackhawk Hockey team.
Enjoy Regis as he entertains with his guitar in the lounge. His style is vibrant and entertaining with a variety of music. He will be performing on March 14th at 3 PM.

ITALY TRIP
Travel to Italy with adults in the Marian Catholic High School community on the journey of a lifetime, May 25-June 8. See the beauty of Italy's major cities from the Lake country to Positano in an educational but relaxed context. All meals, tours, 14 nights superior hotels, airfare from Chicago: $4095.00. See www.maianchs.com or call Kim at All About Travel (708) 755-1562 for details.

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

This week's questions are:
1. To betray Jesus, the chief priests paid Judas (a) 10 pieces of silver; (b) 30 pieces of silver; (c) 100 gold coins; (d) nothing.
2. Biblically speaking, the word "evangelist" refers to (a) one who gave his or her life for the faith; (b) anyone who was baptized; (c) a Gospel writer; (d) an early pope.
3. The difference between a cross and a crucifix is (a) a cross is always shaped like a capital T; (b) a crucifix always has Jesus' body on it; (c) a crucifix is always made of wood; (d) a crucifix is always made of precious metal.
4. The religious ceremony Jesus and his Apostles were celebrating at the Last Supper was (a) Hanukkah; (b) Yom Kippur; (c) Passover; (d) Pentecost.
5. The initials INRI above Jesus' head on a crucifix (a) stand for "In the Name of Rome I Salute You"; (b) stand for "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews"; (c) is the usual sign over any crucified criminal; (d) stands for "I never really Ignored You.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK
The Church teaches us that two spiritual strands weave together to form the fabric of the season of Lent. The first, and familiar, is the repentant character of Lent. Through the penitential practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving we spend these forty days in the desert of repentance, preparing for the celebration of Easter. The second strand is the baptismal character of the holy season. The baptized spend this time preparing to renew the promises established at our baptism.
As this holy season begins, we recall the covenant God established with Noah and his family. That covenant, made new in Jesus Christ, forges a bond between God and God's holy people, made new through the sacrament of baptism. As we enter the Lenten desert of repentance, let us embrace this holy season as a time of fulfillment, when God's everlasting covenant is renewed in our hearts.
O God of kindness and goodness, turn your ear to the prayer of your people. Come to the aid of all who are in need. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.