The Vicar's Corner

"Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home."  I live in a far, northwest suburb of Chicago.  I hail from the Motor City, Motown, Detroit, Michigan and for me, this is also and always will be my home...home town that is.  When it comes to a house of worship, I proudly and gratefully claim St. Nicholas Episcopal Church as my home parish and the parishioners as my parish family.  My parents were born and raised on the Mediterranean island of Malta; a beautiful place steeped in history, art and culture.  Malta is my ancestral home.

Home is that place we call our own; that place we can be ourselves, eat ice cream out of the container as we stand in front of the fridge late at night.  Home is where we can watch reality television, scream at the contestants and not worry what anyone may say or think.  Home is where we plant wave petunias each spring and enjoy their simple and eloquent beauty throughout the summer.  Home is where we fix and paint that which needs fixing and painting; where we replace outdated storm windows for modern double-paned and insulated windows.  Home is where we put down wooden floors here and fresh, new carpeting there.  Home is sweet, it is warm, it is filled with sounds and its walls hold the stories of our lives. 

At St. Nicholas, we have a home that is much loved and cherished.  It is where we can and should feel comfortable enough to be "ourselves" without fear or reservations of being exactly who we are, just as we are and just as God created us.  That's why it is so important we welcome all to our 'house of worship' and we live up to that welcome. 

It is my hope that we can all claim to be "at home" here at St. Nicholas; that this place is where we can be ourselves as we worship and commune with our sisters and brothers, with our friends and neighbors.  I pray that we are always welcomed, encouraged and free to worship Jesus with full voice and full heart.  It is my heart's desire that the Holy Spirit is engaging us, prompting us and moving us always and in all ways to do what the Lord asks of us and for no other reason than God's greater glory.  And what a home we have when all this and more is fully and consistently embraced. 

We wish a Happy Father's Day to all fathers: biological, adoptive, mentors, and all who serve the role of father figure in some capacity. We are grateful for you all!

The annual Elk Grove Village Parade is this Saturday! 

The parade begins at 2pm this Saturday, June 14th.  All interested participants should meet at St. Nicholas at 12 Noon, when we'll gather and get ready for the lineup at 1PM.  The parade route (0.9 mile) starts at Touhy and Lively.  St. Nicholas is #43 in the lineup.
 
All are welcome to get their best face on...clown face that is (not essential but fun nonetheless), and wear their blue "Follow Me to St. Nicholas" t-shirts.

Questions?  Please click here to contact Penny, or call her at 630-688-9567.

When it comes to worship, we all are familiar with how we do things.  Fortunately, we are blessed with many who share their time and talents with us making sure our liturgies are prayerfully prepared and carried out.

However, there are other events that need our attention and the help of our parish family and friends.

Coming up in two weeks is the annual Little Boots Rodeo.  St. Nicholas will once again staff the "Pennies in the Corn" game both days of the fair. Saturday, June 21st from 10am to 6pm and again on Sunday, June 22nd from 12 noon to 6pm.  We need at least one or two people in the game tent at all times to staff and monitor.

Also, Saturday, July 19th is our annual St. Nicholas Parish Picnic.  From roughly 12 noon to 4pm, we'll have food, games and fun on the front lawn, culminating with our 4:30 liturgy. Weather permitting, we'll worship outdoors.  St. Nicholas will supply the hot dogs and hamburgers.  We ask volunteers and donors to bring side dishes, buns, snacks and some sweet treats, too. 

Sign-up sheets will be posted this week.  We ask each and all to see how we can participate and share our gifts and talents with one another. 

In advance, thank you one and all. 
God bless us.

We all know and agree that "church" is more than just a place visited on weekends.  There is so much going on at St. Nicholas Monday through Friday, in the morning, afternoon and in the evenings...we are a rather lively and engaging place to say the least.

Consequently, we rely upon the pledges and donations made by our parish family and friends to carry and sustain us throughout the entire year.  And while Bible Study and Children's Formation take 'a break' and many of us are away for extended periods of time during the summer, we still have bills that need our attention. 

So I ask each and all to be mindful of this special commitment to our
St. Nicholas and remember to acknowledge and respond to our pledge to our church.  Continued support allows our doors to stay open, our lights remain on, music and worship programs copied without trouble and our worship space be provided what it needs so we may celebrate our faith freely and without reservations. 

In advance, thank you to all.  Your generosity is so graciously appreciated. 

With my sincerest gratitude to all,

Fr. Manny

The Elk Grove Farmer's Market is held on Saturdays in the prime location of the Municipal Parking Lot by the Clock Tower at 901 Wellington Avenue.  The market is conveniently located near Alexian Brothers Medical Center, the Pavilion Fitness and Recreation Center, the local Splash Park and the public library.  The Market runs until October 18th, each Saturday morning, from 7:30am until 1pm.

The organizers are dedicated to bringing you the best farmer's market in the suburbs and have planned weekly special activities and awareness days.  A full activity list will be posted on the Market's website and Facebook page.  There is also a weekly email blast you may sign up for so that you never miss an activity.

For additional information, please contact Jack Groat at 630-978-7627. 
Find the Market on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/elkgrovefarmersmarket

Prayer Requests

The Community of St. Nicholas is praying

 

For our military personnel who are overseas and engaged in battle:  that they soon return home safe and secure.  

 

 

Shout-Outs

Readings for This Weekend

This Week at St. Nicholas

As a reminder, the full master calendar is always available online at this link.  Here is the schedule for the next week:

St. Nicholas Episcopal Church
1072 Ridge Avenue
Elk Grove Village, IL  60007
847-439-2067
www.StNicholasEpiscopal.org