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Saint Clement Young Adults Retreat to Wisconsin
Clement Commits
Opportunities to Pray.Serve.Give.
Did You Know?
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Saint Clement Young Adults Retreat to Wisconsin

  

YACRetreatLast weekend's Young Adult Retreat took a record number of participants to Benet Lake, WI, for reflection, prayer and lots of fun. Led by 11 young adults in the Saint Clement community, a total of 64 committed to spending two and a half days together, leading to new friendships, a renewed sense of faith, and an opportunity to engage in rich conversation with one another.

 

This year's retreat, titled "Guided by the Trinity: The Power to Live a Meaningful and Fulfilling Life," included witness talks from five different YACRetreatretreat leaders, small group discussion, opportunities for spiritual direction and reconciliation, Mass with Fr. Ken on Saturday night, and exposure to a "buffet" of prayer options throughout the weekend.

 

Focusing on our parish's call to Pray.Serve.Give., one of the goals of the retreat was to introduce multiple ways to pray, both individually and together as a community. A few of the prayer options explored were Eucharistic Adoration, the Ignatian Examen, the Rosary, Novenas, Centering Prayer (with Yoga!), and Mandalas.

 

Special thanks to the entire retreat team for all of the planning and preparation, Christina Bax for her encouragement and incredible leadership, and to Fr. Ken for his unwavering commitment to the young adult retreat each year. Your presence and support make a huge difference in the experience for all of us -- thank you!

Clement Commits  

 

Throughout the Archdiocese this weekend, a special collection is held to benefit the Church in Eastern and Central Europe. To learn more about this collection, please read this letter from the Cardinal.

 

Saint Clement Parish contributes to this collection through our Clement Commits program, which eliminates most second collections at Mass.

 

Clement Commits is a "first fruits" program designed to share a percentage of the funds we collect in our weekly collections to help the poor and others in need outside of the parish, eliminating most second collections at Mass. The scope of the Clement Commits program was and is unprecedented in the Chicago Archdiocese. Through Clement Commits, the parish will distribute 9.5 percent of our 2012 collections to various programs, such as the Church in Eastern and Central Europe, serving the diverse needs outside of our parish. 

 

Thank you for your continued generosity to Saint Clement Parish and Clement Commits, helping us to help others.

 

Opportunities to Pray.Serve.Give.

  

For more information on upcoming events, please view the latest bulletin.

    

Saturday, March 10 @ 9:30 a.m.: Centering Prayer (Chapel) 

   

Saturday, March 10 @ 6:00 p.m.: Anchor Ball, our annual gala fundraiser benefiting both the church and school (Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel)    

 

Sunday, March 11 @ 2:00 a.m.: Daylight Savings Time: Spring forward one hour! Also, a reminder to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. 

 

Sunday, March 11 after 11:15 a.m. Mass: Director of Music Paul Nicholson offers organ reflections, beginning about five minutes after Mass and lasting 10-15 minutes. This is an opportunity for prayer and further reflection on the readings for the day.

 

Sunday, March 11 @ 5:00 p.m.: God Squad (Youth Group) Meeting (Fahey Center II)    

 

Sunday, March 11 @ 8:00 p.m.: YAC Wine & Cheese Social (Chapel)

 

Monday, March 12 @ 1:15 p.m.: Afternoon Book Club discusses The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery (Fahey Center I)  

 

Tuesday, March 13 @ 6:30 a.m.: Saint Clement Men's Communio (Chapel)

  

Tuesday, March 13 @ 9:30 a.m.: Focus on Sunday Scripture (Fahey Center I)

 

Tuesday, March 13 @ 7:00 p.m.: 7th Grade Confirmation Parent Mtg (Centennial Hall) 

 

Tuesday, March 13 @ 7:15 p.m.: Young Adult Volleyball (School Gym); contact Brian Slosson

 

Wednesday, March 14 @ 6:15 p.m.: Stations of the Cross (Church)

 

Wednesday, March 14 @ 7:00 p.m.: Lenten Communal Reconciliation (Church); see below for more information

 

Thursday, March 15 @ 8:15 a.m.: A Mother's Rosary (Chapel)

 

Thursday, March 15 @ 2:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Eucharistic Adoration; Rosary at 6:00 p.m.; Benediction at 7:30 p.m. (Church)

 

Thursday, March 15 @ 7:00 p.m.: Speaker Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson speaks on the topic: "Courtship: The Treacherous Adventure." Event geared toward young adults in their 20s and 30s. (Fireside Hall)  

 

Saturday, March 17 @ 9:15 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Centering Prayer: Contemplative Outreach United Day of Prayer (Fahey Center I).  

 

Monday, March 19 @ 7:00 p.m.: Human Concerns Committee Mtg (Chapel)

 

Tuesday, March 20 @ 6:30 a.m.: Saint Clement Men's Communio (Chapel)

 

Tuesday, March 20 @ 9:30 a.m.: Focus on Sunday Scripture (Fahey Center I)

 

Tuesday, March 20 @ 7:15 p.m.: Young Adult Volleyball (School Gym); contact Brian Slosson

 

Wednesday, March 21 @ 6:15 p.m.: Stations of the Cross (Church)

 

Wednesday, March 21 @ 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.: New Parishioner Reception (Fahey I); contact Maggie Hanley 

 

Thursday, March 22 @ 8:15 a.m.: A Mother's Rosary (Chapel)

 

Thursday, March 22 @ 10:00 a.m.: Clement Moms Playgroup (Chapel)   

 

Thursday, March 22 @ 2:00 - 8:00 p.m.: Eucharistic Adoration; Rosary at 6:00 p.m.; Benediction at 7:30 p.m. (Church)

 

Saturday, March 24 @ 9:30 a.m.: Centering Prayer (Chapel)

 

Saturday, March 24 @ 10:00 a.m.: 8th Grade Confirmation (Church)

 

Saturday March 24 - Sunday, March 25 after all Masses: Registration begins for Saint Clement's 7th Annual Service Day: April 28 (Plaza); contact Maggie Hanley for more information.  

    

Sunday, March 25: Monthly Food Collection; you are invited to bring non-perishable donations to Mass

  

Sunday, March 25 @ 12:30 p.m.: Art & Architecture Tour (Church)

    

Sunday, March 25 @ 5:00 p.m.: God Squad (Youth Group) Meeting (Fahey I)

  

Did You Know?
 
reconciliationReconciliation
Please join us for our Lenten Communal Reconciliation Service this Wednesday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m. 

 

How do you define reconciliation? For many Catholics, the sacrament conjures up childhood images of reciting a laundry list of wrong doings. But true reconciliation digs deeper into our spirits and into the complexities of our interaction with others and God.    

 

Our Catholic church treasures the sacrament of reconciliation. Saint Clement offers a Lenten communal reconciliation service on Wednesday, March 14 at 7:00 p.m. Here we stand in solidarity with our neighbors to face our failures and re-commit ourselves to living a Christian life. Please join us! After communal prayer, individual absolution will be available. You will be strengthened for the journey.     

   

Private reconciliation is also offered at Saint Clement on Saturdays from 4:00 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. in the Chapel and by appointment.   

 

If you'd like to celebrate the sacrament of reconciliation, here's what to do:

  • Prepare. Prayerfully recall your sins. Some will be specific actions. Some represent a more general pattern of behavior.
  • Go to the priest. Visit when he's in the reconciliation room at your parish or ask for an appointment. You may either kneel anonymously behind a screen or sit in a chair where you may speak face to face.
  • Be welcome. You and the priest may greet each other. Make the Sign of the Cross. He may urge you to have confidence in God. You may indicate the interval since your last confession or anything else that will help. Just use com­mon sense. 
  • Confess your sins. Some penitents begin with a formula like, "Bless me, Father, for I have sinned." But you don't have to. Let the priest know your sins. You may discuss the sins you confess so the priest can give you the best counsel.
  • Receive a penance. The priest will recommend some action after you leave to indicate to God the sincerity in your heart. Usually he suggests prayer or self-denial. If it sounds difficult, let him know.
  • Pray for forgiveness. The priest may invite you to say a prayer of sorrow aloud. If you remember the Act of Contrition, you may use it. But you may also speak simply from your heart.
  • Receive absolution. This is the best part. The priest proclaims absolution, and God forgives your sins.
  • Conclude. The priest may say, "Give thanks to the Lord for he is good." If so, answer, "His mercy endures forever." Or he may conclude informally.  
  • Change! Go forth, and with God's help, begin to live a new life of freedom from the slavery of sin!

 

Adapted from Paul Turner © 1997 Resource Publications, Inc.

 

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We hope you have enjoyed this week's issue of The Plaza. If you know of a parishioner living their life as a steward or a topic that would interest other parishioners, please submit your idea here.
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