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Saint Clement Hosts Hearts on Fire Retreat
Seventy young adults in their 20s and 30s from across the Archdiocese of Chicago gathered over the Fourth of July holiday weekend to attend the Hearts on Fire retreat hosted at Saint Clement School. This day and a half retreat was facilitated by a Jesuit priest and a group of Jesuit scholastics (seminarians) from the Apostleship of Prayer, who are "on tour" for the fourth consecutive summer, offering the Hearts on Fire retreat to young adults throughout the Midwest.
 The retreat introduced attendees to the spirituality, prayer, and practices of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order. Through a series of engaging talks, small group conversations, and periods of prayer, participants were brought to understand how the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius can help lead our hearts more closely to the Heart of Jesus.
Participant Brian Slosson reflects, "I left the retreat with a greater sense of how much God desires for us to know Him and be in a relationship with Him. I was inspired by the love that these talented Jesuits had for Jesus Christ and for preaching His message. Each of the "mission band" members' talks reflected their deep love of God and their desire to share that love relationship with others."
Participant Natalie Widlak also found inspiration in the talks given by the Jesuit presenters. She writes, "The Jesuit scholastics were easy to relate to and down to earth. I appreciated the way they drew on familiar experiences such as family and college. Knowing we were on the same page and that they knew what I was going through helped me to apply the principles they talked about to my own life."
When asked what he will take from this retreat experience, Slosson named the importance of daily prayer. "The Jesuits demonstrated how daily prayer helps keep oneself oriented toward God. It is with simple, yet recurring prayer habits that can improve one's faith life."
For more information on the Hearts on Fire retreats, watch the promotional trailer -- filmed at Saint Clement in 2010:
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Hearts on Fire Young Adult Events
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Congratulations Meg Rux!
 Meg Rux, a Saint Clement School alum and founding member of God Squad, has been appointed Chair of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Youth Council. She served as a delegate to this council last year. In her new role she will represent the youth of our Archdiocese and present their views to the larger Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, including Cardinal George. A well deserved honor for an exceptional teen! |
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. We share the stories and reflections of our engaged parishioners who are living a stewardship life of prayer, service, and giving. First, we hear from the Dahlborn family (Kim, Bill, Liam and Lily).  "Bill and I started our married life together at Saint Clement Parish 21 years ago on a hot, July morning. It was fabulous--filled with family, friends, flowers and no air conditioning! In our eyes, it was a perfect day in a perfect place. At that time, it would have been hard to imagine just how important Saint Clement would be to our family.From the beginning, it has been our tradition to attend 8 a.m. Mass--even before I became Catholic about 10 years ago. It was with great joy that we introduced our children, Liam and Lily, to Saint Clement when they were babies. As a family, we now serve as Hospitality Ministers. In addition, Bill is a Eucharistic Minister and Liam is an Altar Server. Liam and Lily attend Saint Clement School. We feel so blessed that they have a place to learn and grow--but also to explore their faith. They have been able to see at an early age how important it is to pray, serve, give, learn and belong. We have grown in many ways thanks to our involvement. For many years, I have been a member of the Pastoral Council and have served as liaison to the School Board and Finance Council. Bill has been a member of the Stewardship Council. We have been co-hosts in the Pre-Cana ministry. Our family has been involved in the Jesse Tree, homeless lunch and Service Day programs. We support the Sunday Giving Commitment, Community of Shepherds, and Anchor Ball. Saint Clement is the place where we have shared in life's big moments, such as the baptisms of our children and their First Communion celebrations. We cherish those memories--but we also depend on the Saint Clement community in times of need. It is the support of our priests and teachers, as well as our fellow parishioners and students that bring us comfort.We are so proud to be a part of this community. It is the spiritual connections and friendships that have meant the most to us. Saint Clement truly is the foundation of our family."Next, we hear from Jennifer Kendall.  "Artist Evelyn Dunbar tells us: 'We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light.' I've been at Saint Clement for more than six years. I came because I was looking for an active young adult community where folks wanted to grow in their faith and serve others. I was enthralled by the beautiful music the first time I came, and I knew I had found my home. I rarely miss a 7 p.m. Mass. It's such an important part of my spiritual life. It always gives me a take-away that I make a part of my week. I have made my best friends through young adult retreats and small groups at Saint Clement. The parish has inspired me to be involved in many ministries and activities: Service Day children's activities co-coordinator and supervisor (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013), Service Day participant, Young Adult Retreat team leader and speaker, faith sharing group leader, faith sharing core committee member and speaker, Anchor Ball volunteer, Strengths for the Journey participant and speaker, Eucharistic Minister, Religious Education teacher. The amount of service opportunities at Saint Clement is so amazing. I feel encouraged to always be on the lookout for the next opportunity for me to join in and serve. I give monthly through ParishPay. It is important to share our financial gifts, along with our time and talent. To me, being a good steward means to find a need and happily meet that need or help that person. To serve with joy is to really share what God has intended, to share your own special light. To serve someone or someplace personally, intentionally, and with joy is really what being a good steward means to me. We cannot all do everything, though. It is important to be aware of God's plan for your talents and time and use those to their fullest potential."
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The Plaza Switches to Summer Schedule
The Plaza has switched to its summer schedule and will be published on a bi-weekly basis. There are many great stories of the wonderful people of Saint Clement. If you have a story idea you'd like to share, please send an email to theplaza@clement.org.
Have a safe and wonderful summer!
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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.
Sunday, July 21 @ 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.: Blood Drive (Gym); walk-ins welcome.
Tuesdays, July 23 - Aug. 6 @ 7:00 p.m.: Theology on Tap summer speaker series for young adults (Plaza).
Wednesdays, July 24 & 31 @ 6:30 p.m.: Theology on the Rocks summer speaker series for adults ages 35+ (Courtyard). Weekend of July 27/28 @ all Masses: Monthly Food Drive; collection of non-perishable foods and hygiene products to support local parish-operated food pantries. Please place such donations in the boxes in the vestibule. Sunday, August 11 @ 8:00 p.m.: YAC Wine & Cheese Social (Chapel) Sunday, August 18 @ 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.: God Squad (Youth Group for 8th-graders and high school students) Dinner and Mass (FC I)
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Did You Know?
One Unit of Blood Can Help Save the Lives of Three People: Blood Drive on Sunday
Saint Clement Parish will host a Blood Drive on Sunday, July 21 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the school gym, sponsored by Heartland Blood Centers. Walk-ins are welcome. A photo ID will be required to donate blood.
 Heartland Blood Centers is an independent not-for-profit blood center serving 47 hospitals in a 12 county area in Illinois, and Lake county in Indiana. They operate under a volunteer donor system. Heartland works toward collecting more than 200,000 units of blood annually. Heartland Blood Centers' first commitment is always to meet local blood needs. Hosting a drive with Heartland means that 100% of blood donated is returned to the communities served by Heartland. As part of our participation in a nationwide resource sharing program, Heartland Blood Centers stands ready to assist other parts of the country during severe blood shortages, national emergencies and increased demands by the armed services. For more information, please visit www.heartlandbc.org. |
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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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