YAC Carolers Keeping Spirits Bright  

On Wednesday, December 18, Saint Clement young adults arrived at the Lincoln Park Community Shelter full of Christmas spirit and ready to carol! During the hour performance carolers covered holiday classics such as "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful." By the end of the event guests of the shelter shared their enthusiasm and excitement for Christmas by joining the carolers in singing and dancing too. The requested "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" was the high point for those attending the event! Other highlights included a request to hear "The Little Drummer Boy," which led to a caroler's solo, and on the fly perfect two-part harmony to other Christmas classics. After caroling, the singers gathered at Galway Arms for additional reflection and holiday merriment! If you could not attend this year, please consider joining us for this annual event next year! 

Upcoming Young Adult Community (YAC) Opportunities
The Saint Clement Parish YAC offers a range of spiritual, recreational, social, service, and educational activities to single and married indidviduals in their 20's and 30's. To learn more about this parish group, please contact Liz Kovalak or Tom Keefe.

Young adults are invited to participate in a Bible Study engaging the Gospel of Matthew. We'll meet weekly starting Monday, January 13, 7-9pm, Chapel. Contact Tim Weiske.

YAC Book Club 

This faith-based book discussion meets monthly on the third Wednesday of the month. Young adults are invited to our next meeting -- held on Wednesday, January 15, 7pm, in the Fahey Center -- to discuss The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by James Martin, SJ. Contact Kimm Mering for more information.

YAC Winter Retreat 

Take the time out to refresh yourself and your relationship with God with other young adults. Retreat will be held February 21-23 at Saint Benedict's Retreat Center in Benet Lake, WI. Details and registration will be available mid-January.  

   

Stay Connected

1. Via Email: Have the information on YAC events sent directly to your inbox! Subscribe to the YAC email list. To subscribe, send an email to requests@clement.org with "subscribe yac" in the subject line. You will receive a confirmation email from the list administrator within 3 business days
2. Via Facebook: Search for "St. Clement YAC" or click here.
3. Via Clement Companions: New to Saint Clement or the YAC group? Clement Companions holds a regularly scheduled meet-up before the 7pm Sunday Mass, hosted by a member of the YAC board or an established YAC member, to talk about opportunities at the parish, how to get involved, or just shoot the breeze about life and faith. Contact Nicole and Liz at clementcompanion@gmail.com for the next scheduled Clement Companions meet-up.
4. Via monthly Wine & Cheese Social: Follows the 7pm Mass. The next social will be on Sunday, January 12 in the Chapel.  

When Business Meets Spirituality

This past fall, we offered a professional development speaker series focusing on business and spirituality. As much of our adult lives are spent at work and in building our careers, most of us have wondered, "Is all the time and effort I spend at work worthwhile? Am I truly proud of the work I do? Am I making any real difference in the world?"

We took up these questions and looked at the roots of what makes people truly fulfilled in their work in a four lecture discussion series entitled, "Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace." As we begin the new year and a new hope of being truly fulfilled in our work, we offer an opportunity to watch this series online. Details on our speakers can be found here. 

Professor Lisa Fortini-Campbell; October 23, 2013
"Guess Who is Coming to Dinner?: How to be a Christian in the World"

 

William Santulli; November 6, 2013
"Why 'Leader' Isn't a Job Title: Leading with Vision"

Betsy Bohlen; November 13, 2013
"To Bless the World With Your Work: Hard Career Choices"

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. As a feature twice a month, we share the stories and reflections of our engaged parishioners who are living a stewardship life of prayer, service, and giving. This week we hear from the Dina Wolf.

"My family and I joined Saint Clement five years ago. We were seeking a Religious Education program that engaged our twin kindergarteners and an active spiritual community. Instantly Saint Clement met our needs. I was inspired by the homilies and found them especially relevant both for sharing with my family and, as co-founder of Prayer Yoga, for guiding the themes of my classes. My faith has deepened since joining Saint Clement with a desire to learn more.

Being part of Saint Clement fills our family with gratitude for God's blessing. I am involved with the Steering Committee for Faith in the Next Generation, Clement Couples, Service Day, Prayer Yoga, Fall Fest, Anchor Ball, and Religious Education events.

Sharing our family's gifts has taken on more meaning than I imagined. Our first Service Day we painted at Little Sisters of the Poor and were touched by how much the residents appreciated this act of service. The camaraderie was energizing and friendships established. This project propelled me to introduce service projects to my twins' school. Additionally, I was brought to tears witnessing the power of the Holy Spirit at my children's First Communion and Reconciliation, and the past two years' Nativity. These transformative experiences continue to guide our family on a daily basis.

Being called as a good steward is an intentional lifestyle choice, an attitude of the heart, where I am accountable in my faith to God. It aligns perfectly with my family's values and Saint Clement's mission of Pray, Serve, Give. Saint Clement has shown me what it means to give unconditionally and be part of a greater calling. By nurturing God's gifts, I am able to love and know Him better. By using our gifts of time, talent and treasure, God provides the grace we need to be disciples in our faith life.

My husband and I passionately feel that our commitment to Saint Clement can be expressed by giving back through the Sunday Giving Commitment. Contributing to Saint Clement aligns with our family values by giving back financially and with our time and talent. These contributions are small compared to what we receive from this vibrant community."