This Lent, the parish staff has been striving to  

Pray.Serve.Give. to a greater extent, as called upon by our parish's stewardship mission. The staff has been joining together each Tuesday at noon to pray together, and contributing to the Saint Clement Romero Scholarship as a means to give.  

On Tuesday, March 27, the parish staff and two students from Saint Clement School rose early to serve our community by preparing breakfast at the Lincoln Park Community Shelter (LPCS). The staff scrambled eggs, baked muffins, sausage and bacon, and made a  

hearty fruit salad for approximately 30 guests at the shelter.   

After breakfast was served, the staff shared in the meal and conversation with the shelter guests. Some talked about weather, sports or politics, about their jobs or experience with Catholicism.  

One guest, Debbie, shared her favorite experiences of Paris, France, and the magnificent artwork she was able to view. She highly recommended getting a museum pass if we were ever fortunate enough to visit the beautiful city.

It was a great experience for the staff. Maggie Hanley, Director of Community Outreach at Saint Clement Parish, reflected that it is always an eye-opening experience to serve at the shelter and talk and relate with the guests. She finds it very humbling and rewarding.  

Saint Clement parishioners volunteer regularly at the LPCS through Saint Clement's Donate-a-Day ministry. If you are interested in preparing and serving dinner to the guests at the shelter with a team of Saint Clement parishioners, the next dates will be Fridays, April 20, May 18 & June 15 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. Volunteers split bringing the food and beverages. Opportunities also exist to serve breakfast, prepare sack lunches, serve as an overnight volunteer or contribute in other ways. Please contact Maggie Hanley for further information and to sign up.

As part of our ongoing engagement process, we have come to realize the importance of parishioners sharing their personal stories of how they have connected with Saint Clement as an important factor in their lives. As a feature twice a month, we will share the stories and reflections of our engaged parishioners who are living a stewardship life of prayer, service, and giving. This week we hear from Boris Hartl.

"When I'm asked how I chose Saint Clement Church two years ago, I joke that I sampled several local churches like food items on a religious buffet. I was just looking to feed my growing desire for more spirituality.

From the start, Saint Clement felt like a comfortable match. The church offered the right blend of spiritual guidance, community embrace and ultimately a chance to live a meaningful life of service in the Lincoln Park community.

It all began after I answered a call for volunteers to prepare and serve dinner to 30 guests at the Lincoln Park Community Shelter. After spreading garlic butter on bread and serving the guests for two hours, I slowly realized God had me planted at the shelter. A few weeks later, I started to teach classes in financial management, Microsoft PowerPoint and conflict resolution. During my nearly two years at the shelter, I've created and taught two new classes: online job searching and non-verbal communication.

I'm delighted to witness the guests achieve small victories. How to cut and paste in a Word document. How to use search terms to narrow listings on Monster.com. How to develop conflict management techniques.

I smile when I learn a guest has quietly moved out of the shelter with a new job and secured housing. And when a guest sent me an e-mail a year ago stating, 'You give me hope,' I fully understood my small role in helping the guests become the adults God had intended them to be.

Using the gift God has given me, I'll begin the transition from copywriter to educator as I return to school next year to pursue a teaching degree.

At Saint Clement, I've led a team during Service Day and served on the Young Adult Board. I continue to handle altar server duties during the Sunday night Mass. Through the relationships I have cultivated and projects I've worked on, I see how the church and the shelter is helping shape me into the adult God has intended me to be.

And by trying to improve my little corner of the world through service, I see myself fulfilling my spiritual hunger a little each day."

Wednesday, April 4 @ 7:30 p.m.: Tenebrae (Church) - A liturgy of readings and candlelight, pondering the symbols of light and darkness in relation to the mystery of Christ's life and passion   

Click here to see our full Triduum and Easter schedule     

Holy Thursday, April 5 @ 7:30 p.m.: Mass of the Lord's Supper (Church)   

Good Friday, April 6 @ 7:30 p.m.: Liturgy of the Passion (Church)

Holy Saturday, April 7 @ 8:00 p.m.: Easter Vigil (Church)

Easter Sunday, April 8: Masses at

8:00 a.m. (Church); 9:30 a.m. (Church, Chapel, School Gym);  

11:15 a.m. (Church, Chapel). No 7:00 p.m. Mass