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When Business Meets Spirituality: "The Secret to Being Happy in Your Work"
 "Work is a four letter word," said Lisa Fortini-Campbell at the beginning of last week's talk called The Secret to Being Happy in Your Work, "and that four letter word is Love." More than 100 parishioners from Saint Clement and nearby parishes joined Fortini-Campbell for the first of four lectures in our new professional development series, When Business Meets Spirituality. Using the tree-of-life mosaic in Saint Clement Church to illustrate her point, she described how God's love embraces all of creation, including people at work.
Christ teaches us in the Gospel of John that we will be filled with joy if we remain in his love. To remain in his love, we know we must love our neighbors as ourselves. But who are our neighbors at work? "Our neighbors," she said, "are our customers, our coworkers, and even our competitors. How we treat the people we work for, and with, and among, has more to do with being happy in our work than the specific job we do, with our titles or our pay."
Sadly, our culture often feeds deeply negative attitudes about these people, and as we absorb those attitudes into our own view of work, we cut ourselves off from the loving connection with others that is the true source of our happiness.
She encouraged everyone to begin to reconnect with the joy that these people can bring. Customers inspire us to do our best work and to invent new products to please them. Colleagues make it possible to do things we could never do alone. And competitors, like athletes in the Olympics, push us to ever higher levels of achievement.
Fortini-Campbell concluded the evening with the suggestion that we reconnect ourselves to our neighbors at work by remembering to express gratitude for the opportunities, the cooperation, and the inspiration they offer us each and every day. The more we come to love our fellow men and women, the more we participate in the love Christ has for all of us. Suddenly, we've discovered the secret to being happy in our work!
 We hope you join us for the final two sessions of our professional development series, held on Thursdays, January 31 & February 7. For further details on this series and our speaker, Lisa Fortini-Campell, please click here.
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Clement Parishioners Connect through Art and Aphasia
Three Saint Clement parishioners find themselves connected by happenstance outside the parish.
Ruben Cantu, a graduate of Saint Clement School, is a professional photographer and does outreach for the Chicago Photography Center. Ruben's outreach is to groups who "need a voice," like women who are living at Deborah's Place and homeless individuals at the Lincoln Park Shelter. Recently Ruben generously donated his time and assisted in an 8-week class to help individuals with aphasia find a different way of expressing themselves -- through photography.
Aphasia is an impairment of communication skills (talking, understanding, reading, or writing) due to stroke or brain injury. Ruben helped facilitate this special photography class at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago's Center for Aphasia Research and Treatment, together with parishioner Rachel Lynch, a long-time speech and language pathologist who works with RIC's community groups for people with aphasia.
From the work produced in this class, the Chicago Photography Center presents Outreach at the CPC, an exhibit open to the public. Featured in this exhibit will be the photography of six members from the RIC Aphasia Groups, including parishioner Chuck Amato. Chuck was a participant in Ruben's class (the two images to the right are examples of his work). 
He has been involved in many of the classes for people with aphasia at RIC since their inception seven years ago. Chuck copes well with his aphasia and continues to communicate effectively, being active and loving life! He is an inspiration for those around him.
 It is wonderful that three people from Saint Clement came together through this special class and will be a part of this exhibit that opens on Friday, February 1, celebrating people with aphasia and the arts (click here for event details).
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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.
Weekend Masses in 2013: New Mass Journal initiative, to support our participation and reflection at Mass. Extra journals available in the church vestibule.
Saturday-Sunday, January 26-27 @ All Masses: Monthly Food Collection of non-perishable foods. Please place donated items in the boxes located in the church vestibule.
Thursday, January 31 @ 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.: Prayer Yoga (Chapel)
Thursday, January 31 @ 7:00 p.m.: When Business Meets Spirituality (Centennial Hall); professional development series. To register, click here
Thursday, January 31: Deadline for 2012 charitable IRA distributions. Click here for details or contact Rich Goode, the Archdiocese's Director of Planned Giving.
Thursday, February 7 @ 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.: Prayer Yoga (Chapel)
Sunday, February 10: Annual Prayer Day "The Way We Pray: Our Call to Full Conscious and Active Participation at Mass" (Church, School)
Sunday, February 10 @ 8:00 p.m.: YAC Wine & Cheese (Chapel)
Save the Date:
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Clement Couples, Young Adults Plan February Retreats
Retreat for Couples: Taking Time For Your Marriage
 Saturday, February 9, 1:00-5:00 p.m.
Saint Clement School -- Fireside Hall
Facilitated by Fr. Manny Dorantes
Whether you are planning your wedding or celebrating your 50th anniversary this year, whether you are flourishing or struggling, this day can be the next step for YOUR marriage. The retreat will end in time for the 5:00 p.m. Mass at Saint Clement Church where there will be a special marriage blessing. Sponsored by Clement Couples.
Register by February 6 by emailing Amanda & Griffin Lothrop the following information: name(s), phone number and email address, wedding date and wedding location.
Young Adult Community (YAC) Retreat: Encountering Christ: Seek and Find the Living God
 Friday, February 22 (depart at 6:00 p.m.) - Sunday, February 24 (return at 3:00 p.m.)
St. Benedict's Abbey Retreat Center in Benet Lake, WI (carpooling will be available)
Facilitated by Fr. Ken Simpson
Do you hear Jesus' call to "come and follow" Him in your daily life? Do you trust in His reassuring words "seek and you shall find?" Or do you struggle connecting to God and the Church?
Rest, reflect and pray with other Saint Clement young adults and our pastor, Fr. Ken Simpson, in a relaxing and supportive environment at the Saint Clement YAC Retreat. Share with others, make new friends, and deepen your relationship with God. Hear as your peers share their journeys seeking God: both the struggles and the unmistakable moments of God's loving grace. Discover in community how Christ is alive in our lives, through the sacraments, the Church, prayer, people, relationships and even everyday occurrences. You'll see He is all around us.
Cost: $180* (includes lodging, meals, and retreat materials)
Register by February 11 by clicking here
Questions: Email Joanne Turner
*Financial assistance is available. Please email Christina Bax for more information. Financial aid requests must be made by February 4.
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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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