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Father
Tom Rzepiela completes his 5 years as associate pastor of Holy Name this
week. The parish will honor
him at Coffee-in-the-Courtyard on Sunday.
Father Tom will be the celebrant of the 11:00 Mass.
Fr. Rzepiela came to the Cathedral in mid-2001 after serving 14
years as pastor of the northwest side’s St. Constance parish, a busy
Church with a strong Polish flavor. In
his years at Holy Name, Father Tom has baptized 34 souls, has presided at
over 32 funerals, and has sent 82 newly-married couples out into their
futures as husbands and wives. He
was staff liaison to both the Education Commission and the Evangelization
and Spiritual Life Commission, two active lay leadership groups.
He participated in several Gala Committees, helped edit the weekly
bulletin and penned a prayer column in the last year, was point-man for
HNC’s part in the First Friday Club, and emceed the new parishioner
parties. Father Tom enjoyed
the liturgies at XII Pillar Chapel where he made many friends.
Behind the scenes, his was the responsibility of scheduling priests
for Sunday Masses and on-call duties.
You could say his job was to tell the other Cathedral clergy where
to go. Sadly, the most
memorable events of his Cathedral years must have been the deaths of both
his mom and his dad, two loving people who were regulars at Mass until
very near the end of their lives. Many
Cathedral folks were a comfort to Tom in those tough days.
I knew Father Rzepiela in the 1990s when we both worked as pastors
on the northwest side. I was
not aware, until I arrived at Holy Name Cathedral, of what I think was his
most distinct contribution to our parish.
Father Tom Rzepiela is an excellent preacher.
The next negative comment I get on his homiletic style will be the
first. Many Cathedral
parishioners looked forward to his Masses because he was thoughtful,
relaxed, and welcoming. Thanks,
Father Tom, for the good work of five years.
God’s blessings in your new job as pastor of St. Thomas of
Villanova in northwest suburban Palatine, the same parish you served as a
rookie priest in 1972. We will
look forward to your return from time to time; there are a few more
weddings to finish up. Meanwhile,
good luck and God bless. The
Oblate Sisters of Jesus the Priest are the familiar community of Mexican
Sisters dressed in black veils and white habits who work at the Cathedral.
They tend to the kitchen and laundry at the rectory.
Their most important role is to pray for the Cathedral priests, for
the priests of Chicago, and for all priests.
We are fortunate to have them at Holy Name.
Sunday our five hermanas
– Sr.
Consuelo, Sr. Rufina, Sr. Guadalupe, Sr. Lorenza, and Sr. Amada (the
superior) – go to Mexico for a month of meetings, classes, retreat, and
vacation. They are an
invaluable asset to our parish. Pray
for them while they are away. And
pray for the Cathedral priests; we will miss our amigas,
the Sisters. Last
Sunday’s Corpus Christi procession and prayers were a great success
despite the threatening weather. Cardinal
George led 250 worshippers down the center of Superior before turning left
down the middle of Wabash to their first stop for adoration prayers at the
entrance to the Cathedral courtyard. Father
Stein led the procession to Connors Park.
Finally, there was a Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the
spectacular St. James Chapel of Quigley HS Seminary…Just as moving was
the Confirmation of 109 adults – most in their 20s and 30s – on Monday
in the Cathedral. Most had
been prepared at Holy Name by Pastoral Associate Ann Klocke, a host of
volunteers, and others on the pastoral staff.
Cardinal George, Bishop Kane, the visiting priests who helped with
the preparatory confessions, and I were impressed by the depth of those
approaching the Sacrament. These
were sincere people in search of the Holy Spirit.
I think the Spirit found them. We
have 8 weddings at Holy Name Cathedral this weekend – 3 on Friday and 5
on Saturday. That’s a full
card. Nevertheless, I hope
each of those 8 couples and every couple married at the Cathedral
understands that theirs is the most important wedding.
Every wedding is different. Every
marriage is different. Their
similarity lies in the understanding that each marriage is the vehicle to
heaven for the groom and bride who realize that their vocation is as
unique as their wedding day. Christ
calls many of us to marriage. What
will you do to be sure that your partner finds her or his place in heaven? Check
out the piece elsewhere in this bulletin about a beautiful book – 11”
X 11”, hard covered, full color, 330 pages - presented by the
Archdiocese recounting the history of the Chicago Catholic Church and
showcasing all the parishes. I
can’t believe the $35 cost. This
historic book will be worth twice that price.
However, to reserve a $35 copy, you must reserve your copy today in
the Holy Name Cathedral Books and Gifts Store.
The bookstore is located on the lower level of the Cathedral.
It costs nothing to reserve a $35 copy.
Your reservation simply means that we will contact you when the
books arrive (due in October). You
will have a limited time to claim your reserved book.
After that time, we may have a few left-over for sale by the
bookstore at a price more than $35.
I wouldn’t take that gamble if I were you.
I will reserve 10 copies now for myself.
They will be terrific Christmas gifts.
The historic value alone is worth the price.
Go to the bookstore now. Register
for your copy. Reservations
will be closed next Monday, July 3. Don’t
wait. Reserve this gem right now. A
parishioner recently talked to me about her dream of becoming a religious
sister. She told me that she
had been influenced and baptized as an adult by a priest she admired very
much. I knew the man who had
been a missionary in Korea as a recovering alcoholic.
She knew him as an instinctively kind man.
What a great way to be remembered – associated with a virtue!
Another priest, Fr. Larry Craig died last week.
He was a little older than I am; I knew of him, but I did not know
him. I don’t think he knew
me. Still, I and many others
knew that he was associated with his heroic ministry to the imprisoned.
Pastor of Assumption Church near the county jail, he founded the
Kolbe House ministry to prisoners. Larry
Craig was pastor to those in jail. He
sincerely told prisoners that they were children of God.
He did so effectively and with grace.
I pray for Father Larry Craig; and I pray that I, too, can be
associated with a virtue as he was. “When
I was imprisoned, you visited me.” (Matt.
25:36). Pray for Father Larry
Craig and for those who will miss him most – prisoners and children of
God. Fr. Dan Mayall |
