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Church Clips by Dolores Madlener

Dolores Madlenera column of benevolent gossip

  • Christmas spirit —

    St. Richard School’s (S. Kenneth) 75 carolers sang at the Harold Washington Library as well as Brookfield Zoo and Chicago’s City Hall Dec. 17.
    St. Richard School's carolers sang at the Harold Washington Library in December.
    . . . St. Joseph Parish (Summit) will present “Jesus Is The Reason For The Season” at 3:45 p.m. Christmas Eve. It was written and directed by Chicago based singer-songwriter Karen Lynne Piejko. The cast features reallife siblings Chase, Stefanie and Christian Coler as Joseph, Mary and the Angel Gabriel. A family Mass follows at 4:05 p.m.... St. Mary’s (Buffalo Grove) 17-member handbell choir, the “Bells of Saint Mary’s,” performed a holiday concert at Indian Trails Library in Wheeling. . . . Teens from St. George Parish (Tinley Park) caroled and “cookied” homebound parishioners. . . . Queen of Martyrs (Evergreen Park) children’s choir went caroling door-to-door with their parents on a cold winter’s night, Dec. 4 . . . Daughters of St. Paul Anne Flanagan and Helena Burns, from Chicago, were part of the Daughters’ big Christmas choral concert on Staten Island, N.Y., Dec. 3 during their seven-city tour. A venerable monsignor in the audience (a former drummer for Desi Arnaz) came on stage to play the conga drums. You can order a Daughters of St. Paul Christmas album at (312) 346- 4228. . . . Servite Father Joe Chamblain, at Assumption Parish (W. Illinois St.), sent nearly 500 Christmas cards to service men and women and military veterans who will spend the holidays in veterans’ hospitals. It was part of the American Red Cross/Pitney Bowes “Holiday Mail for Heroes” program.

  • Whose birthday is it? —

    An estimated 96 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas. The other 4 percent mark winter solstice, Kwanzaa, Eid or Buddha’s birthday (which actually was May 12 in 2009). According to a November Rasmussen poll, 72 percent of Americans favor the salutation “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Holiday,” when they’re shopping. A Rasmussen survey released Dec. 10, says 76 percent of adults think it’s OK to display religious symbols, like nativity scenes and menorahs, in public settings. In fact, 83 percent believe public schools should celebrate religious holidays.

  • Shared values —

    In honor of Bob Gallagher, the late CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., employees of the firm throughout the world have contributed nearly 300 recipes to a cookbook: “Family Style: Recipes from The Gallagher Family Kitchens.” (It even has John Wayne’s cheese casserole.) Each book is $15, and half the profits will be donated to the Big Shoulders Fund that helps inner-city Catholic schools. Gallagher died in 2006 at age 83, after more than 50 years with the company his dad founded. Order from Estela at (630) 285-4223 or at www.ajgrms.com/cookbook.

  • Ringing in the new year —

    Do it with an ACCW (Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women) 2010 calendar.
    Cardinal Francis ArinzeACCW's ($$$) raffle calendar for 2010
    Each month there are close-ups about the services, concerns and faces behind the engine of ACCW. Buy a calendar for $20 by calling (312) 534- 8325 and you’ll be eligible for a weekly raffle prize of $100 all during 2010.

  • People potpourri —

    Father Cliff Ermatinger, associate pastor at Our Lady of Charity and St. Francis of Rome parishes (Cicero), signed copies of his two books Dec. 19-20. “Common Nonsense,” a humorous push-back to fallacious arguments of non-believers, and “St. Augustine Answers 101 Questions on Prayer.” You can reach him at (708) 652-2140. . . . Sister Joseph Casey, LCM, was featured in the Southtown Star recently. Retired director of pediatrics at Little Company of Mary Hospital (Evergreen Park), she entered the community after graduation from Mercy High School in 1946. Sister spoke of her sense of fulfillment and the need for more sisters. The hospital is embarking on an extensive building and renovation program.