Parish Children Receive Sacrament of First Reconciliation 

Congratulations to the parish children who received the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time this winter season!

Leah Ruth Allegretti

Riley Jane Baden

Elena Grace Beenblossom

Avery Pierce Bennett

Elizabeth Ann  Benvenuto

Harrison James Berlin

Gianluca Berzeri

Clinton Daniel Birchard

Anna Bohlen

Nora Lane  Bratman

Aidan James Brandfonbrener

John LeComte Brookover

Caroline Bryan

Ella Victoria  Burrier

Kennedy Hunter Cannon

Matthew Christopher Cassell

Lily Taylor Castro

Luke Chasse

Christopher Marcin Chojnacki

Alanna Paige Ciesla

Madeline Rose Clohisy

Louis Alexander Collazo

Peter Comfort

Analise Juju Duarte

William Durkin

Ann Fenner

Lauren Quinn Gallagher

Sofia Elizabeth Gray

Brigid Mary Hattel

Edward Cox Hosty

Payton John Isom

Ivana Izokaitis

Olivia Jessen

Erica Anne Keller

Miranda Kelly

Catherine Eileen Killackey

Julia Elizabeth Kracik

Ethan Kucera

Isabelle La Voy

Madeline Anne Landry

Benjamin Lopez-Scala

Clarisse Lorin

Ava Paloma Lowe

Dagny McGinty

Olivia Lenore Mikucki

Kyle Miller

Evelyn Sage Orsic

Kerry Daniel O'Brien

Daniela Sofia  Pawlowicz

Natalie Renee Petersen

Jeffrey Hartmann Purvis

Carl Gerhard Rehbock

Alexander Rodgers

Olivia Felicia  Sopala

Payton Elisabeth Strong

Jay Daniel Sullivan

Layla Claire  Svendsen

Ethan Swinger

Bailey John Edward Taylor

Francesco Antonio Visconti

Grace Wallace

Tara Ann Wirtschoreck

Luke Christopher Yablonicky

Ava Margaret  Zautcke

"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."   -- Ephesians 4:32

New Parishioners Celebrate Chinese New Year at Annual Welcome Dinner

On Friday, January 31, the Welcome & Hospitality Committee hosted its annual "Let's Get Acquainted" evening for all new parishioners who had registered in the parish over the past year. Held on the evening of the Chinese New Year, guests were greeted with festive Chinese decorations, including a dragon and lanterns hung from the ceiling, bamboo centerpieces and other red and gold accents. One hundred new parishioners attended the dinner, along with 35 members of the parish staff and ministry leaders.

The evening kicked off with a cocktail hour where guests mingled and sipped on drinks, including Tsingtao beer. Parishioners later sat down at  tables labeled after the various Chinese Years, such as Dog, Rat, Ox, Pig, and Dragon. January 31 began the Year of the Horse. After being ledin grace by Fr. Ken, each table was called up by their respective animal to enjoy a buffet dinner of egg rolls, crab rangoon, spicy pork, Mongolian beef, and more, catered by Lan's and complete with fortune cookies.

The new parishioner dinner is designed to more formally welcome our newest members of the parish, and introduce them to one another, members of the staff, and those already engaged in the community. During dinner, Fr. Ken spoke to our parish stewardship of Belong, Pray, Serve, Give & Learn, a practical framework members can use to strengthen their faith and commitment to Saint Clement. In turn, the parish uses this as means of better serving and engaging parishioners. Many thanks to the Welcome & Hospitality Committee for hosting this fun event!

If you are a new parishioner and were unable to attend the dinner, the next New Parishioner Reception will be held on Wednesday, March 12 beginning at 7:00 p.m. Contact Maggie Hanley with questions.

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 Keller family: Chris, Julia, Sophie, Greta, and Erica:

"Chris started attending mass at Saint Clement Church nearly 25 years ago because he lived nearby. Since then, the number of Kellers at Mass on Sunday has grown from one to 12, including our family of five, Chris's sister and her family, and Chris's parents.  When we both officially joined the parish to complete marriage prep in 1997, we had no idea how lucky we were to become part of such a special community. We began volunteering in the Parish, and our involvement increased as our family grew and our three daughters started attending Saint Clement School.

Our involvement has rewarded us in countless ways, helping us forge lifelong friendships and deepen our faith. With so many ways to be engaged at Saint Clement, we have each been able to find volunteer opportunities that match our personal strengths and interests. 

Early on, Julia helped with baptism prep, bread baking, Clement Moms, babysitting co-op, and teaching pre-cana with Chris. Chris was an overnight volunteer at the Lincoln Park Community Shelter and served on finance council for six years. Currently, Julia is president of the Saint Clement Parents Association, an open house tour guide for Saint Clement School, and participates in community service projects such as Jesse Tree. Chris helps coordinate the Children's Liturgy of the Word program and is on the Parish Engagement committee. Now that our children are older, we seek ways to be involved as a family. Two of our daughters are altar servers, and we participate in the annual Parish Service Day together.

To us, stewardship means giving back, but also getting back. Saint Clement has nourished our spiritual growth in many ways: through thought-provoking Social Justice Committee events, Strengths for the Journey, the "When Business Meets Spirituality" development series, God Squad for our daughter, and more. We remain committed to the parish in time and talent, as well as in treasure, and we participate in the Sunday Giving Commitment. We know a planned offering program is important for the Parish's planning and budgeting purposes, and are also proud of how these contributions impact our local community through Clement Commits. We feel blessed to have found a spiritual home through our involvement in Saint Clement."