A Note From Father Eickhoff

September 1, 2024

Once summer comes to an end (and yes, I know how hot it has been this past week so that it certainly feels like summer is going strong) and the school year begins everyone seems to settle down into a pattern for the next nine months. It is always a good idea at such moments to examine how you are living your life and to see if there are changes you would like to make. Changes made now can become part of the settled pattern of your life. To this end I suggest to you that involving yourself in a ministry in the parish or some spiritual activity in the parish can be a way to create a new and better pattern in your life. There are several such opportunities that are just getting started here in the parish.

The Religious Education program is in need of volunteers to help support the youth of the parish in this year’s RE program. We are in need of classroom aides and safety monitors. If you are thinking of helping or would like more information about what exact needs there are please contact the RE office at 630-554-1425 or email reo@stanneparish.org.

The music ministry will start their fall programs during the month of September and October. There are three separate choirs that assist at Mass on the weekends. All of these choirs are welcoming new members. The choirs don’t necessarily need professional trained voices (the bell choir doesn’t need a singing voice at all), but instead a willingness to learn and participate. These three choirs are the Bell Choir, the Chancel Choir for adults, and the Youth Choir for children in grades 2-6. Please check the bulletin for more details and if you have any questions please contact the parish music director at 630-383-2317 or music@stanneparish.org.

If you have thought of incorporating scripture study or prayer into your spiritual life, but do not know where to begin there are several scripture study groups here in the parish. Beginning in September there will be two sessions (one on Wednesday mornings and the other on Thursday evenings) that will focus on “The Holy Spirit in the Bible” meeting here in the parish on a weekly basis. Please check the bulletin for more details. There is also a men’s scripture study group that meets on Wednesday evenings at 7.30pm to study, pray over, and discuss the upcoming Sunday scripture readings. In addition, there is a weekly rosary prayed in the parish chapel every Thursday evening at 6.30pm as well as the rosary being prayed after the Monday and Wednesday morning Masses every week.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Stephen Eickhoff
Pastor