The award was gratefully accepted by Fr. Ken Simpson and several members of the Stewardship Council and the Engagement Committee, including Tom McCarthy, Judy LeDuc, Carol Fowler, and Marnie McHale. This recognition acknowledges the hard work and dedication of our parish staff, especially Mary Cele Doyle, and numerous parishioners who have made the commitment to give substance to our parish stewardship theme of Pray, Serve, Give. The application Saint Clement submitted to the ICSC in connection with this award highlighted the many different aspects of stewardship at the parish, including our Sunday Giving Commitment, Clement Commits, Prayer Day, and Service Day. The ICSC noted that "[t]he application . . . told a clear and compelling story about how your leadership has guided your parish toward growing Stewardship as a way of life."  Saint Clement's application can be found here.

Saint Clement Stewardship Video 2012

The ICSC annual conference is the occasion for more than 1,500 clergy and laity from around the world to meet and share ideas about how to grow Christian stewardship at the parish and diocesan level. Saint Clement was honored to sponsor a booth at this year's ICSC parish fair to display the many materials we have developed in recent years in video, graphic, and written format to spread the message of stewardship around the parish. In addition, parishioners and staff who hosted the booth spoke with leaders of many different parishes around the country and the world to exchange ideas and insights about stewardship. The Stewardship Council and the Engagement Committee look forward to bringing many of those ideas to life at Saint Clement in the months and years ahead.  

As Saint Clement School students start the year with new uniforms, so will those of our sister school in El Salvador, thanks to the efforts of the parents, teachers, and students here at 2524 North Orchard Street. Our sister school received Saint Clement's gently used uniforms just a couple weeks ago, a shipment that included enough to outfit the school's 150 children.

Saint Clement student Anthony Saliba and his mother Moira prepare the crates for shipping.

The effort started in May, with the entire school community donating their old uniforms. With the help of many 8^th graders, including Anthony Saliba, Brendan Flynn, Kate Perry, Ellie and Grace Cullen, and Brian Tait; and parents Heather Kracik, Lori Howard, and Lisa Friedlander, the uniforms were sorted. Then the group had to categorize, count, and weigh the clothing. More than 1,475 pieces of clothing were collected that, in total, weighed 660 pounds. The Rux family also collected another 91 pounds -- 132 items -- from Saint Scholastica School.

With 751 pounds of clothing to send, the task of getting it there was the biggest challenge. A summer lemonade stand helped to raise $351 and the rest of the shipping fees were donated by Saint Clement families.

School teachers Mrs. Eslinger, Ms. Pinz, and Mr. Roe all helped haul the 751 pounds of clothes from the cafeteria to the garage where the

clothes were packed in two large (16 square foot) shipping crates. In addition, School Principal Melissa Dan, Assistant Principal Fran Kucich, and school secretary Carol Bibat helped with the information that was needed to fill out forms for exportation. This paperwork not only needed to be in English, but also translated to Spanish. The El Salvador Consul General of Chicago, Patricia Mazza Pittsford, graciously had her daughter translate the forms on our behalf. She also provided a document that allowed taxes to be waived in El Salvador.

By the end of August, the crates were shipped and received. As you can see, this was an effort that could not have been done alone. Thanks to all of those who donated uniforms and helped with this momentous project. The children at our sister school now have uniforms to wear to school, creating an atmosphere conducive to learning and spreading the word of God. It is rewarding to know that there are fellow students, thousands of miles away, wearing Saint Clement uniforms with as much pride as our Saint Clement students do.

On September 23, the Saint Clement Young Adult Community (YAC) welcomed recent college graduates for dinner and conversation before the 7 p.m. Mass. Approximately 50 people from various universities joined us; many were not originally from Chicago and enjoyed the opportunity to meet other people their age who were also new to the

area.

Fr. Ken Simpson led a discussion about the transition from college to the "real world." The participants broke off into small groups to share their experiences since graduating, and what they have found helpful thus far in their time of transition.

 Pastoral Associate and Director of Evangelization Christina Bax shared information on ways to become involved in our parish. We look forward to seeing these new faces in our community. We also hope to make the "recent grad night" an annual event, so keep an eye out in the future!

If you're in your 20's or 30's, don't miss your next chance to meet new people and learn more about our vibrant Young Adult Community at Saint Clement Parish. Join us for our YAC Fall Kick-off on Friday, October 5 at 7 p.m.!

For more information on upcoming events, including our regular, weekly opportunities, please view the parish's master calendar.