Bulletin Board with News and Events

 The old Parish Pastoral Council will hand on the baton of the Cathedral’s lay volunteer leadership this coming Tuesday to the new PPC at the monthly meeting of the group that advises me on various parish issues and sets the direction for our parish activity. I thank Jean Carroll, Eileen Massura, Mark Steffen, and Susanne Smith who rotate off the Council after serving for three years. In particular, I thank Susanne who was the Chair of the PPC for the past year. I hope she and the others will continue to serve Holy Name Cathedral as an important lay leader. Returning to the Parish Council are Monica Tynan, Milli Striegl, Michelle Peltier, Lawrence Palmer, John Wolf, and Chris Manns in addition to Mary Canavan who will be the Vice-Chair and Donna Cisczewski who capably steps into the Chairperson’s role. I am confident that this veteran crew will do great things during the coming year. Furthermore, I met with Donna and Mary last Saturday. I am excited to hear their vision of what the PPC can add to Holy Name Cathedral. New to the PPC will be some familiar faces and names I am thrilled to see getting more deeply involved in the parish leadership – Lou Casa, Dennis Johnson, Betsy Paulose, and Dorothy Sipiora. I know all the new members pretty well, and I am excited about having them in this key leadership role. I urge all registered Holy Name Cathedral parishioners to get involved in the various activities, ministries, and services organized and sponsored by the PPC and by the four Commissions – Parish Life, Education, Human Concerns, and Evangelization & Spiritual Life. The folks listed above are the leaders. We need to renew our big list of volunteers to accomplish what these generous folks plan over the next twelve months. I am thrilled about some of the familiar names that have been included on the rosters of commission leadership. There are some mighty fine people in those important positions. Things are looking good for Holy Name Cathedral parish!

The homily at all Masses next weekend at the Cathedral will be preached by Father Peter Fernandes, pastor of St. Timothy’s Church in the far north side Rogers Park area. Father Fernandes is a member of Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier, a religious community founded in 1887 by Father Bento Martins of the Goa (India) diocese. With 350 priests and 35 lay brothers, the Society does much work among non-Christians in India and Nepal providing schools, orphanages, hostels, medical clinics and other social services to some of the poorest of the poor. The Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier are a growing Society with more than 200 seminarians at different levels of preparation for priesthood. Father Fernandes writes, “Young men full of enthusiasm look forward to carrying the banner of the Risen Lord to bring joy and healing to the suffering humanity in the most remote areas of India and Nepal. Your assistance will go a long way in bringing the good news of Jesus to these simple villagers.” A post-Communion second collection basket will be passed next weekend for the support of The Missionaries of St. Francis Xavier. Each summer, one mission appeal is made in each Chicago parish. In addition, there is another collection in the fall through the Archdiocese for the support of all the missions around the world, our friends in Christ in places we never imagine. Father Fernandes will make the Cathedral’s summertime appeal August 11 & 12. Please be kind.

David Sokolowski has joined Holy Name Cathedral as our new Chief Engineer. He brings a lifetime of engineering experience, most recently at Maine South High school in Park Ridge. We found David after an extensive search of candidates from around Chicagoland. He is a devout northwest side Catholic. He will supervise our maintenance crew, will be our contact with many outside vendors, will work smoothly with the parish staff, will be our cooperative contact with tenants at Casa Jesus and the Frances Xavier Warde School, will be directly responsible to my Administrative Chief of Staff Deacon Stan Strom, and will make Holy Name Cathedral an even more beautiful and efficient parish plant. For years, Holy Name Cathedral operated without a qualified engineer. That was crazy. Robert Dominguez, David’s predecessor, brought us to a higher level. Robert recently moved on to another position. I thank him for lifting the Cathedral to a level of operation worthy of our fame. Now, I welcome David to the Cathedral. I look for David to maintain pride in our parish/Cathedral facilities.

 Kids were asked Bible questions. The following answers – without spelling corrections or editing - were written by the children. Enjoy! 

Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the apostles.

The 7^th Commandment is THOU SHALT NOT ADMIT.

Solomon, one of David’s sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

The Epistels were the wives of the Apostles.

The followers of the Lord were called “The 12 Decibels.”

One of the Oppossums was St. Matthew who also was a taximan.

Christians have just one spouse; that’s called monotony.

 I am going to be away from the Cathedral from this coming Wednesday, August 8, through Friday, August 24. I have to catch my breath! On vacation, I will be at my father’s home on the northwest side of Chicago. Most of the time, I will be asleep. I look forward to being away from the phone and the office. I also look forward to returning to the pastor’s saddle on the weekend of August 25-26. The Parish Council will host Coffee-in-the-Courtyard that last August Sunday and will welcome the new seminarians residing at Casa Jesus, the formation house for Latin American young men discerning a possible vocation to the diocesan priesthood in Chicago. Casa Jesus has produced many priests for Chicago. Holy Name is proud to be that formation program’s home. (Go to the Courtyard this Sunday to meet HNC’s new Associate Pastor and liturgy Director, Father Matt Compton.) 

While I’m away, please hang on to messages that need my attention until that late August weekend when I return; don’t leave phone messages! Call again, and you’ll get a quicker answer than if you try to leave a message. If you need things from Holy Name, the rest of the pastoral and administrative staff will be around. Pastor-like decisions will go to Father John Boivin and Father Mike Novick. I’ll look for you at Mass on August 25 & 26. Come by Coffee-in-the-Courtyard August 26 (and this Sunday) to say hello!  

Fr. Dan Mayall