The National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, located at 2520 North Lakeview, (Lakeview and St. James) has reopened to the public. The Shrine was overflowing for the inaugural Mass, celebrated by Frances Cardinal George, and attended by a large contingent of Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from around the world, as well as many of the staff of Columbus, Cuneo and Cabrini Hospitals. Fr. Ken, Fr. Manny, and Fr. Peter were among the concelebrants.

The reopening of the Shrine has been a decade-long undertaking. The Sisters and their collaborators worked to save and preserve this Shrine, so future generations could learn about the life and mission of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, the Universal Patron Saint of Immigrants, and the first American citizen to be canonized. Mother Cabrini tirelessly looked after the spiritual, educational, and healthcare needs of immigrants and other vulnerable populations everywhere she served. She founded a total of 67 institutions: schools, orphanages, hospitals, and parish ministries on three continents. Mother Cabrini lived in our neighborhood, prayed in our parish,

 and died at the former Columbus Hospital, the site of the Shrine. Please visit the Shrine's website for further information. 

The Shrine offers persons of faith an opportunity to experience God's love and serves as a vital new center for prayer, worship, Eucharistic adoration, education, and devotion. The Shrine is located in our parish. We are developing a strong relationship with the Shrine by sharing prayer, programs, and information.

All are invited to share in the joy of the Shrine's inaugural concert, tomorrow, October 13, at 7:30 p.m., headlined by the William Ferris Chorale. Tickets are free, but seats are limited, so please click here to make your reservations. 

Images courtesy www.cabrinishrinechicago.com 

As a parish community at Saint Clement, we have embraced the stewardship message of Pray, Serve, and Give. Part of what it means to give is to contribute to the financial lifeblood of Saint Clement: the Sunday Giving Commitment. It is the principal source of funds to pay the salaries of our dedicated parish staff, support the needs of our many ministries and parish organizations, maintain our buildings and facilities, and keep the lights on.

As chair of the Saint Clement Parish Stewardship Council, I can tell you that we are truly thankful for the generosity and sacrifice of the many parishioners who continue to make a financial commitment to the parish. Surprisingly, however, a majority of parishioners do not make a financial pledge, a fact which makes planning and budgeting for the future operational needs of the parish very difficult. Last year we fell slightly below budget in regular giving and the parish has needed to make cutbacks in operations.

It is important that as many of us as possible give back to Saint Clement by making a financial commitment to the parish for 2013. The easiest way to do so is to fill out and send in the Sunday Giving Commitment pledge form and enroll in our ParishPay program to make automatic contributions on a schedule and in an amount that works for you. If your financial circumstances are uncertain, even a small pledge can be a meaningful way to give in the spirit of a true Christian steward. And if you simply cannot make a financial commitment this year, we urge you to incorporate into your daily life the stewardship message of pray, serve,and give in any way that you can.