Dear St. Raphael Parishioners,

Last weekend I aended the 40th Anniversary of Ordination for Fr. Britto Berchmans. Fr. Britto was pastor of my last parish, St. Paul of the Cross in Park Ridge. It was wonderful to see old friends for the first time in two years. In his homily, Fr. Britto reflected on his years as a priest, and gave thanks for the many Catholics who supported him.

I could easily relate to Fr. Britto’s words, as I too have felt great support from my parishioners over the years. The honor that Catholics show their priests is not just for the personal talents or skills the priest might have. Priests serve as a visual symbol of the Church for many people. As a result, priests are graced with the appreciation of the Catholics we serve. Even some non -Catholics show respect for clergy in public. When I am in our neighbor town Zion, I know most residents are not Catholic. Yet I am often greeted by “hello Reverend” from people I meet there. Like Fr. Britto, I am thankful that God has given me a vocation to serve the Church in the priesthood. The priests I know feel the same way.

We Reached our Goal!: See the letter from Cardinal Cupich in this week’s bullen regarding the Annual Catholic Appeal. St. Raphael the Archangel Church has reached our assessed goal for the 2022 year! It may be the first time we accomplished this in our brief parish history. Thank you to our generous donors who made this possible. Any donations over and above the assessed amount are returned to us as income for the parish.

Altar and Rosary Sodality: The Masses this weekend will have a speaker inviting women of the parish to take part in the activities of our ARS. You may be surprised that there is no membership form to fill out: all the women of our parish are already considered members of the Sodality. To get started, all you need to do is attend a meeting and choose from their different activities. This is a great way to get involved at St. Raphael, and make new friends.

Bible Study Registration: Several parishioners have contacted the office about the upcoming class. Once I have a good idea of the total number, we will order the study guides online. The class should be starting soon after that. Each session will meet Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning to accommodate different schedules. It will be the same material in both the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions.

May God Bless you, 

Fr. Matthew Kowalski