a column of benevolent gossip

Who ya gonna call? — Olympia Fields Country Club, links for the recent U.S. Open Golf Tournament, one of the South Suburbs’ biggest sports events in years, sought help from some neighbors. Marian Catholic High School (Chicago Heights) supplied more than 1,200 student/staff volunteers and provided corporate and worker parking on its campus. Coordinating much of the volunteer activity, Marian President Sr. M. Paul McCaughey, OP, worked all hours at the school and golf course and never landed in a sandtrap. . . . And parishioners at Infant Jesus of Prague (Flossmoor) filled 350 clean-up crew slots at the Open, without once getting teed off.

 

Grottoes are forever? — You never know what’s going to catch someone’s interest. Take grottoes. D’y’have one? Is it at least 50 years old? Historians with the preservation firm, HCC, are searching for well-kept examples to photograph and study for a research project. Grottoes built anytime before the 1950s and made of tufa rock, a volcanic-looking type of limestone, like the large Lourdes grotto at St. Isidore the Farmer Parish (Blue Island). It was built in the 1940s for the safe return of their GIs in WWII. Sometimes Stations of the Cross were part of a outdoor grotto. They’ve found some excellent examples at the Felician Sisters Provincialate (W. Peterson) and St. Mary’s Seminary (Lemont). If there are any natural rock grottoes in your area, please contact the company at (312) 421-1131 or historiccert@ mindspring. com.

 

Yo, former NCIBT hoopsters: A graduate student wants to record some oral histories about the National Catholic Interscholastic Basketball Tournament begun in 1924. Jesuit Father Joseph Thorning, founder, held playoffs each year in the old Loyola University Gym. It was a reaction to the decision by Amos Alonzo Stagg of the U of C to exclude Catholic high schools from his annual national basketball tournament. Back in the 1920s anti-Catholicism was trendy. Later, after the Depression and WWII, the tournament was disbanded. If you have reminiscences of the old NCIPT days, contact The Catholic New World at (312) 655-7479 with your name and phone number or write us at 721 N. LaSalle, Chicago, IL 60610.

 

Needles/haystacks — A reader writes, she saw artwork in a Catholic magazine “several years ago” depicting Catholic life done by a Chicago artist. One in particular was an old- fashioned May procession. She wants to locate the unknown artist to buy some of his/her work. “I’m hoping someone can direct me,” she says. If anyone has any ideas, contact Clips at [email protected]

Readin’, ’ritin,’ religion — Nicholas Ruedig, 17, a home-schooled student and parishioner of Immaculate Conception (Highland Park), has earned a rare perfect score of 1600 on the SAT college-admissions test the first time around. Less than 0.05 percent achieve it and he may be the first Catholic home-schooler to hit that mark. Home-schooled by his mom for most of his life, he serves Mass and volunteers at Marytown (Libertyville) and has plenty of hobbies. For fun he plays football and chess with other home-schoolers. This year he made a pilgrimage to Spain with his siblings and family friends for a retreat at a 17th century monastery. Then they worked on an old stable being converted into a chapel with members of a young religious order. Nicholas wants to go into engineering or political science.

 

‘People’ potpourri — Congratulations to Gwendolyn E. Long-Wimes of (the new) Old St. Mary’s (S. Michigan) who’s celebrating retirement from the Chicago Public Schools after 35 years of service to the children of Chicago. . . . IHM Sister Josephine Sferrella, turned 75 May 30 and retired after years of service in education and in the Office of Catholic Schools. Her wish was to meet broadcast journalist Carol Marin—who surprised Sister with a bouquet of flowers and was taken on a tour of the arch’s Pastoral Center. . . . Father Bill Kenneally’s security service/best friend, Buddy, will turn 10 on July 2 at St. Gertrude Rectory (W. Granville). Happy Kibbles ‘n’ Bits.

 

Twain meeting — Muslims and Catholics from the Middle East, Europe and the United States met in Rome last month for interreligious dialogue, with the focus on Islam. The 5-day conference of people in all walks of life, was hosted by SEDOS a union of 90 Catholic global missionary congregations. Later in a Vatican audience, the Holy Father wished the participants “every success.” Jo-Ellen Karstens from our Focolare Center in Hyde Park was there. She shared the Focolare Movement’s encounters “living what we have in common on a daily basis” with the American Society of Muslims in several American cities.

 

Not by bread alone — When Port Ministries holds its fundraiser on June 29 at the Oak Lawn Hilton, it won’t rest on laurels like a food pantry, transitional shelter, free clinic, gym and education center for the needy. Not content with its “Soup Kitchen On Wheels” six days a week, it will unveil plans for a full service restaurant for the poor and homeless. Call (773) 778-5955 for tickets.

 

Need a nudge? — Women wanting to learn about religious life can spend a week in a Benedictine monastery this summer. The Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Ind., invite single Catholic women, 19 to 40, to attend “Benedictine Life,” June 30-July 6. No charge for the week. For more info, call Sister Anita Louise at (800) 738-9999, or go to www.thedome.org