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Church Clips by Dolores Madlener

Dolores Madlenera column of benevolent gossip

  • Laurel wreaths

    — Fr. Jim Keating of St. Michael’s Church (South Shore), received an Honorary Alumnus Award from Annunciata Parish (E. 111th St.) “for dedicated service to the East Side Community.” . . . Father Tom Dore of St. Giles Parish (Oak Park) completed his 24th annual “Chicago on Foot Tour.” Sounds easy, but he does it the hard way: with the whole 8th grade class (60 kids) from St. Giles School. First, they ride the CTA Blue Line downtown. This year they marched from the cathedral to Quigley’s chapel, the Hancock observatory, and then to Navy Pier for food, fun and a ride on the Sea Dog. They ended with a stroll to Millennium Park, all on a beautiful day in May. . . . Dan Fumagalli received the prestigious Pro Bono Service Award from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois recently. Dan’s clients include the Archdiocese of Chicago.

  • The Irish are coming

    — Get the green marker, and circle July 13-15 on your calendars. The Irish American Heritage Center’s (N. Knox) Irish Fest is at hand. Music and dancing, of course, a folk tent, author Malachy McCourt, an Irish Idol Competition and more. Call (773) 282-7035, Ext. 10 for tickets.

  • Looks good on a resume!

    — If you’re a pro-life college student looking for an internship this summer, here’s a deal! Life News.com is looking for interns to help write news articles, do research, promotion, Web site development or advertising. And you don’t have to move to Cheyenne, Wyo., where Life News is located—you can do it online. Just email [email protected] and ask about their unpaid summer internships. (Hey, money isn’t everything!) Let them know your area of interest. It’s a way to be a part of an exciting pro-life news service and enhance your blank resume. They’ll help you obtain course credit as well.

  • Parish potpourri

    — Our Lady of the Brook (Northbrook) parishioners helped Father Robert Herne, pastor emeritus, celebrate his 60th anniversary of ordination on May 6. Family and friends came from as far as California and South Carolina. . . . St. Martha’s (Morton Grove) has devised a 3-minute parish sign-up system. Registration sheets are handy in the foyer and they can be filled in and given to an usher, staffer or dropped in the rectory mailbox. . . . St. Bruno Parish (S. Harding) used Memorial Day weekend to collect (once again) handy-dandy items for military service men and women overseas. It helps when your pastor is a returned military chaplain, like Father Kilian. . . . It must still feel unusual in June for Joan and Victor Szatkowski of St. Priscilla Parish (W. Addison). All nine of their children have now graduated from college, with alma maters like West Point, De Paul, Lake Forest, Loyola, Dominican and Illinois Benedictine. The last one graduated in 2004 from Lewis University. They’ll start counting grandchildren graduations pretty soon. . . . St. Ann’s (Lansing) is taking a parish survey by mail, asking for “concerns” and “how we can improve.” That can be as daring an idea as walking bravely into a Roman amphitheater. (Kudos just the same) . . . Holy Family Parish (Inverness) breaks ground for its new Families, Children and Youth Center June 10. Mayor Jack Tatooles of Inverness and Mayor William McLeod of Hoffman Estates will be there when pastor Father Pat Brennan does the honors. . . . St. Mary Parish (Buffalo Grove) honored teachers Frank Schmit for 40 years of service and Bonnie Rusin for 25 years of service to the parish school, with a Mass, reception and limo ride to and from the party. . . . Deacon Bruce Bradford and wife Terry are retiring from St. Catherine-St. Lucy (Oak Park) after 22 years of service, and moving to Pekin, Ill. . . . June’s “Chicago” magazine features the growth of the South Loop. Old St. Mary (S. Michigan) parishioners Erin and Patrick Fravel are mentioned in the article as well as the parish’s burgeoning school and its principal Barbara Smith.

  • Sentimental journey

    — Parishioners from St. Elizabeth Parish (E. 41st St.) are on their “Living the Eucharist with Courage and Joy” pilgrimage right about now. They are traveling by motorcoach to the mission center and shrine of St. Katharine Drexel, in Bensalem, Penn. The shrine holds the entombed remains of the saint who sent some of her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in 1917 to teach the black students of St. Elizabeth’s. To take a “virtual” pilgrimage, go to: www.katharinedrexel.org/ pilgrimage.html. . . . The welcome mat is also out at the Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Clyde, Mo. Their annual Summer Monastic Experience July 21-27, is for single women, ages 18-38, without children. You can check out monastic life, no strings attached. The sisters were featured a month ago on a PBS TV show. (They are the only source in the USA for low-gluten altar wafers.) The monastery has a cool Web site at: www.benedictinesisters.org and an on-line gift shop for handmade soaps and stuff. Call (877) 632-6665 if you’re interested in a monastic adventure.

  • Ad multos annos:

    Father Al Spilly, a Missionary of the Precious Blood, marks his 40th anniversary of priestly ordination this month. Affable Father Al served as special assistant for 15 years under both Cardinal Bernardin and Cardinal George in the arch. He oversaw publication of some of Cardinal Bernardin’s works, and directed the Bernardin Center for Theology and Ministry at CTU here. A college teacher “in a former life,” he is teaching today at Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, Ind. . . . Father Donald Dietz, OMI, celebrated his 50th anniversary of priesthood May 20 at St. Peter Church (Volo). A native of Rock Island, Ill., and ordained in Rome, besides ministering around the world, Dietz was also a peritus at Vatican II at the invitation of Pope Paul VI.