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Summer Series Continues to Draw Great Speakers and Record Crowds
 Saint Clement's Theology on Tap (TOT) speaker series finished up its most successful and longest summer season two weeks ago. Six distinguished speakers from Chicago and beyond spoke to an average of 200 young adults on Tuesday nights during July and August.
The creativity in the presentation and execution has made Saint Clement the largest TOT host site in the archdiocese. One of its unique aspects is the recruitment of 40+ volunteers to serve as "hospitality ministers" to make every TOT attendee feel welcome. One attendee wrote in their evaluation, "Everyone was wonderful in their welcome to first-timers. I left, ticked at myself, for not having gone to one much sooner. But yet, so happy to have gone, and will certainly be back."
 Week One kicked off with Dr. Carolyn Woo, former dean of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business, and now CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the country's largest international aid agency. She provided insights in how a uniquely Catholic perspective influences how CRS develops sustainable aid projects to help people in the world's poorest regions, and that will continue to pay dividends even after CRS has moved on to new areas. One participant wrote, "Dr. Woo did not shy away from questions and was very humble at the same time. I thought she was a remarkable speaker and I'm grateful to have heard her."
 Week two showcased our very own Father Peter Wojcik with his talk about Pope Francis and his special call to young adult Catholics to shake up the Church. Father Peter's talk was the most interactive of any in recent memory, as he encouraged audience members to act upon Pope Francis' call before they even left Saint Clement that evening. Father Peter also highlighted and emailed registered audience members during the talk with links and information about the many faith, service, and prayer opportunities here at Saint Clement.
 And the summer session finished off with a celebrity guest, Father James Martin, SJ - bestselling author and frequent commentator in the national and international media (including The Colbert Report) - skyped into Fireside Hall to speak about "Jesus: Our Friend and Savior." Father Martin spoke about the duality of Jesus, as both man and God, and how these identities were always co-present in everything Jesus did and experienced. He challenged the audience to understand how Jesus as Lord was present in the tiredness after a long day of preaching and how Jesus the Man was present in every miracle and healing.
Full video of each session is available for anyone who in interested in watching.
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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 Rich Pasquesi:
 "I returned from the Peace Corps in Benin, West Africa in September 2011. In the Peace Corps, they would often warn us of "reverse culture shock," yet being back to my bug-free, air-conditioned USA didn't seem too bad. However, as time went on, I began to realize that the community I had in Benin was nearly non-existent where I was living in the suburbs. Finally, after speaking to a friend and parishioner at Saint Clement, I attended a young adult community winter retreat and immediately felt "at home." I literally only knew one person at the retreat upon arrival, yet had already met 10 people within the first 30 minutes of the retreat. Upon arriving back to the city, I became a regular at Saint Clement; making the 1.5-hour commute from Forest Park to Chicago just to be part of this community. My faith life was revitalized, and by experiencing God's love through Saint Clement parishioners, I felt a purpose in my life that I hadn't felt since I left Benin.
When I finally moved to the city, I became a parishioner and was attending Saint Clement events at least three times a week and soon I joined the YAC board. Through a fellow board member, I was introduced to the Catholic Charities Refugee Resettlement Program. This program attempts to help newly arrived refugees from war-torn countries obtain self-sufficiency in Chicago. It resonated with me given my experience in the Peace Corps, and I began regularly volunteering with a family from the Congo. With Catholic Charities needing to resettle hundreds of families a year, I realized that there were ways that Saint Clement might be able to help. After months of preparation, the Saint Clement Refugee Welcoming Committee has been assigned a family whose housing, educational, and employment needs are being addressed by nearly 30 parishioners. We hope to help even more families as we gain experience, and are excited to see the ways God's love will continue to transform lives.
Saint Clement has changed my life in immeasurable ways, and I look forward to showing God's love to others the same way it was shown to me."
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Opportunities to
Pray Serve Give Learn Belong
For more information on upcoming events, including our regular weekly opportunities, please view the parish's master calendar.
Sunday, August 24 @ 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.: Blood Drive and Marrow Donor Registry Drive (Centennial Hall)
Sunday, August 24 @ 8:00 p.m.: YAC Happy Hour (Burwood Tap)
Monday, August 25: First Day of School for Saint Clement School Students! Please pray for our students, faculty and staff for a successful 2014-15 school year.
Monday, August 25 @ 7:00 p.m.: RCIA Informational Session for adults interested in becoming Catholic (Chapel); contact Christina Bax
Saturday-Sunday, August 30-31: Monthly Food Collection (bins available in the church vestibule)
Monday, September 1 @ 9:00 a.m.: Labor Day Mass (Church); please note, the parish campus will be closed
Sunday, September 7 @ 9:30 a.m.: Sunday childcare resumes (School Gym)
Monday, September 8 @ 1:15 p.m.: Afternoon Book Club discusses
Runaway by Alice Monro (Fahey Center I); contact Rick Jones
Sunday, September 14 @ 6:00 p.m.: Clement Couples Potluck Dinner (Centennial Hall)
Sunday, September 14 @ 8:00 p.m.: YAC Wine & Cheese (Chapel)
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| Did You Know?
Become a Sunday Catechist
 Do you have a love for pancake breakfasts? Are you interested in seeing the story of the Prodigal Son reenacted as a skit by third graders? Would you like to work with an amazing group of volunteers passing on faith to a new generation?
There is no prior experience necessary to become an excellent team-teacher with the religious education program from grades kindergarten to fourth grade, and support will be provided. The religious education program meets on Sunday mornings after the 9:30 a.m. Mass until 11:45 a.m. Classes begin in mid-September. This is a great way to make new friends with the other catechists who share faith with children.
If interested, please contact Director of Catechesis Mary DuQuaine. All volunteers will need to complete the Protecting God's Children requirements.
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