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Church Clips by Dolores Madlener

Dolores Madlenera column of benevolent gossip

  • Spreading the word —

    The American Life League’s “ Rock for Life ” youth project is promoting it’s seventh- annual “ National Pro-Life TShirt Week ” April 28 to May 4. You can find the official T-shirt at www.npltw.com and there are also contests for young people who wear the message and live it at their schools. (Parents and kids can download a page at the site on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that allows certain message T-shirts to be worn as an expression of First Amendment rights.) . . . Heritage House at www.hh76.com also has suitable slogan T-shirts for adults and youth. These are the folks who, in 1979, came up with the logo of the tiny feet of a 10-week old unborn baby as an ideal pro-life symbol. They designed the “ Precious Feet ” lapel pins, now reaching the 12 million mark distribution in 30 countries. . . . Local young people have an opportunity now to network and get help forming pro-life groups and clubs with their school or parish buddies. “ Generations for Life ” is a new branch of the Pro- Life Action League here. It’s about being a witness to life, getting active and inviting others to a change of heart. Generations for Life director Annie Casselman and co-director John Jansen are both Loyola University grads. Contact them at their cool blog: generationsforlife.org or call (773) 304-5433.

  • We have answers —

    We have a response to a question in the April 12-25 Clips . “Are there any parishes that recycle gently worn First Communion dresses?” St. Hubert Parish (Hoffman Estates) accepts such dresses, as well as boys’ white shirts and dark pants. They offer them to their sister/sharing parish St. Aloysius (W. LeMoyne).

  • Parish potpourri —

    St. Mary of Celle Parish (Berwyn) distributed 3,000 handmade palm crosses on Palm Sunday thanks to the busy fingers of Mickey Manos , Sue Svec , Mary Wink , Sister Maria Martin Nguyen , Laverne Smith and Rev. Sherrie Albrecht . . . . St. Bartholomew’s (W. Patterson) and St. John Brebeuf’s (Niles) each reserved school buses so parishioners could take part in the timeless tradition on Holy Thursday of the “ Visitation of Seven Churches .” They departed after their evening Mass and returned at about midnight. Other parishes have begun the tradition as well. . . . Queen of Martyrs Church and school (Evergreen Park) had more than a thousand brave yellow daffodils in bloom for Easter Sunday, thanks to their garden club. . . . Summer must be coming. St. Joan of Arc (Skokie) women’s club will kick off their golf league on May 13. . . . Father Frank Cassidy at St. Daniel the Prophet Parish (S. Natoma) dodged snowflakes one day this “spring” to shoot his age (70-something) at Cog Hill Golf Course . . . . The Chicago Catholic Co-Ed Softball League (CCCSL) begins its 10th season soon. The “lightly competitive” 5+5 league plays Saturday mornings on Lakefront fields. Emphasis is on Catholic values of friendship and church. Fee is $85 to register, at www.chicagosoftball.com. . . . St. Margaret Mary’s (W. Chase) is asking parishioners to contribute favorite plants from their own gardens, like hostas, hybrids, roses, ferns or bushes, for a new garden area that will take form in front of the rectory. . . . Father Kenneth Fleck , pastor of St. George (Tinley Park) wants to build a greenhouse on the property to grow plants for a proposed food pantry and to serve as a learning center for students and parents who want to know more about gardening.

  • ‘Life is Worth Living’ —

    And it’s worth celebrating. If you needed a reason to have a party, go to Peoria, and celebrate what would be Servant of God Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s 114th birthday. It’s being called the “ Life is Worth Celebrating ” birthday party and begins at 7:15 p.m. May 8 with a Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral , followed by champagne and sweets at their new pastoral center. There will be a display of the archbishop’s vestments, sacred vessels and photographs, as well as a presentation of personal stories by people who knew him, and videos never presented before. Tickets are $50, from Jane at the Sheen Foundation , (309) 671- 1550.

  • Quest for ‘Guest’ —

    Mary Fuerst of Chicago Catholic University Club (April 12- 25, Clips) is elated to learn that Alicia Resnick of St. Francis Xavier Parish’s (Wilmette) Song Committee has all the words, and melody line for the First Communion hymn, “Little White Guest.” Carole Prendergast , music director at Queen of Martyrs (Evergreen Park) has a copy of the actual sheet music that we’ll send to Mary, who has searched for it for years.

  • People potpourri —

    John Jaworski , a parishioner of St. Hyacinth Basilica (W. Wolfram) was recently decorated with the Knight Commander Cross of the Papal Order of St. Sylvester . The award comes directly from the pope and dates back to 1841. An immigrant 30 years ago from Poland, Jaworski is active in Polish-American and church organizations in the arch.