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Hundreds Turn Out for OLM Health Fair
 Our Lady of Mercy, Saint Clement's sharing parish, is a community including a large population of young immigrant families that seldom seek preventive health care services. The reasons are varied, including cultural and financial factors. To overcome these obstacles, many caring parishioners of Saint Clement gathered together and organized a Health Fair at Our Lady of Mercy on September 16.
More than a dozen organizations, including Walgreens, the American Red Cross, Resurrection Health Care, Aid for Women, Mujeres Latinas en Accion, the March of Dimes and the Chicago Park District, were recruited for the event. Provided were  screenings for diabetes and high blood pressure, BMIs, flu and pneumonia vaccinations, back-to-school physicals, "hands-only" CPR, and a demonstration of "Zumba" dancercise. The tooth fairy from First Dental gave out advice and balloons. Also distributed were authoritative information about healthcare for the uninsured, help for pregnant women in difficult circumstances, good parenting, proper use of car seats, and dozens of other health-related topics. Even one of our own parishioners, Dr. Puthumana, was on hand to provide personalized advice regarding cardiologic complaints. A large crew of Saint Clement volunteers helped out behind the scenes.
Nicole Suarez, a graduate of Saint Clement and now working with Univision, spoke on the importance of healthy living and good self-esteem. Occasional Univision producer, Fr. Manny Dorantes, brought his inspirational message for the crowd, too.
Hundreds of Our Lady of Mercy parishioners turned out, an attendance much higher than a typical church's health fair, according to a Walgreens representative.
The health fair was organized by the Respect Life Committee of Saint Clement's Human Concerns Commission. They're planning a sequel for next year, and it's not too early to volunteer to help.
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Stories of Stewards
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 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 J.P. Gallagher.
 "My relationship with Saint Clement is one that has grown over time since moving to Chicago in 1999. Like many transplants to the area, I 'shopped' around various parishes before quickly feeling at home at Saint Clement. While the setting of the church is striking, I was most impressed by the quality of the homilies and their ability to help me reflect on broader issues in my life. A subsequent invitation by a fellow parishioner to help lead a faith group helped me understand the breadth and depth of Saint Clement as a community of talented, committed, and grounded individuals.
Over time, my individual experience evolved into one built around my family. Marriage, children, and the milestones they bring were all marked by Saint Clement. Krista and I have had all of our children (Lauren, 7; Morgan & Liam, 4) baptized here. All three kids are attending Saint Clement School and we're grateful for the opportunity for them to learn and grow in an environment anchored in faith and strong values.
I've also enjoyed serving on Parish Council for six years and working with Fr. Simpson, Fr. Manny, and fellow council members on a variety of issues. This experience opened my eyes to all the work that goes into making Saint Clement come to life. The contributions of the staff, the quality of our music and worship spaces, the breadth of ministries we offer, and our consistent track record with Clement Commits don't happen by coincidence. It's for all of these reasons that we continue to participate in the Sunday Giving Commitment program.
While I never would have predicted what a magnet the intersection of Deming & Orchard would be in our lives, we're grateful for the friendships and faith that Saint Clement has helped us to develop. It's a community unlike any other and we're proud to be a part of it."
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Opportunities to Pray.Serve.Give.
For more information on upcoming events, including our regular, weekly opportunities, please view the parish's master calendar.
Saturday, September 22 @ 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.: Day of Reflection for Children's Liturgy Volunteers (Fahey I); contact Mary DuQuaine.
Sunday, September 23 @ 5:00 p.m.: Young Adult Community hosts graduates from the 2010, 2011, and 2012 classes from any college/university; social at 5:00 p.m. (Chapel), Mass at 7:00 p.m. (Church); contact Kyle Welch.
Sunday, September 23 @ 6:00 p.m.: Clement Couples Annual Kick-Off Potluck Dinner (Centennial Hall). Please bring a salad or dessert. RSVP to Griffin & Amanda Lothrop by September 19.
Thursday, September 27 @ Noon-1:30 p.m.: Bible Study for Adults: The Gospel of Luke (Fahey II); meets on six Thursdays throughout the fall; contact Mary DuQuaine
Saturday-Sunday, September 29-30 @ all Masses: Monthly Food Drive
Sunday, September 30 @ 12:15 p.m.: Church Art & Architecture Tour (Church)
Sunday, September 30 following 9:30 and 11:15 Masses: Sixth annual Fall Fest; learn about parish ministries and organizations, enjoy a backyard barbecue, and enjoy the entertainment for children (Saint Clement Church yard and courtyard); contact Maggie Hanley with questions.
Friday, October 5 @ 7:00-10:00 p.m.: Young Adult Community Kick-Off (Courtyard); contact Dennis O'Toole
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Did You Know?
Anchor Ball 2013: Changing Tides
The 2013 Anchor Ball Leadership Committee is working to provide you, the members of our Parish family, with a unique Anchor Ball experience on Saturday, March 16, 2013 at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel.
 With a blend of new faces and past volunteers, fresh ideas and proven experience, we have reevaluated many of the pieces that make up our parish community's sole fundraising event, and discovered opportunities to grow and change this event into something that can be enjoyed by all of our parishioners! We plan on implementing some exciting new games, such as The Price is Right Plinko boards in place of our silent auction, while still keeping many of everyone's favorite aspects intact.
The great philosopher Aristotle once said, "Change in all things is sweet." If you'd like to find out what other "sweet" things we have planned for this year's Anchor Ball, please stop by our
 Fall Fest display on Sunday, September 30 after the 9:30 a.m., 11:15 a.m., and 7 p.m. Masses to get more information and purchase specially discounted "early bird" tickets!
Please note, we are still looking to add volunteers to our Leadership Committee in the areas of: Advertising, Ticket Sales, Entertainment, School Participation, and Communications. In addition to those leadership roles, we are always looking for helping hands to assist in a number of other ways, including fundraising, publicity and production the night of the event. If you (or any of your friends) would like to volunteer, please contact Tim Will or Kim Carter for more details.
Second image courtesy of amyboylephotography.com.
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Submit Your Ideas
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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And finally...
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| Photo credits: Top bar (left), John Zich, www.zrweddings.com. |
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