A Message from Our Pastor

Dear Saint Catherine Labouré Community,

As the coronavirus crisis keeps evolving. Communities around the world are taking even more radical measures to control the spreading of the virus, so as to protect and minimize the harm to vulnerable people. As you all know Governor Pritzker has just announced a mandatory shelter-in-place order for the State of Illinois. Cardinal Cupich has also announced that further preventative measures have to be kept. Effective 3 p.m. Saturday, March 21 through Tuesday, April 7, Saint Catherine Laboure will adapt the mandate:

• The Church and adoration chapel must be locked until the order is lifted by Cardinal Cupich and the governor.
• All other parish activities, programs, and meetings are canceled, including Soup & Stations and the Lenten Reconciliation Service at St. Norbert’s
• There can be no live Stations of the Cross or any other gatherings anywhere on parish/school property, nor can any parish personnel be involved in organizing them on any other site.
• All weddings and baptisms must be postponed and can be re-scheduled only once the order is lifted. There are no exceptions to this, regardless of the size of the group.
• Funerals and wakes must be postponed until the order is lifted.
• We will keep streaming Masses, this will unify us spiritually until we can celebrate public Mass again.
• Parish offices must be closed until the order is lifted.

It is with a heavy heart that these measures need to be implemented. These circumstances are emotionally and spiritually excruciating. Now more than ever, we need to support one another. Our prayers will give us the strength we need during this challenging time. Thank you for your continued prayers for and support. The hope and the faith in the risen Christ will help us get through this.

The Parish office personnel will work remotely. Please contact them by email. Below are the contact email addresses:

• Pastor Fr. Lara: pastor@stcatherinelaboure.com
• Administrative Assistant: secretary@stcatherinelaboure.com
• Business Manager: businessmanager@stcatherinelaboure.com
• Religious Ed: srnadiya@stcatherinelaboure.com
• Liturgy Chair: liturgy@stcatherinelaboure.com
• Bulletin Editor: bulletin@stcatherinelaboure.com
• Music Ministry: music@stcatherinelaboure.com

We will continue to monitor the situation and update you if things change. We appreciate your understanding of this very fluid situation.

Click here to see Cardinal Cupich Message regarding the halting of all services and activities in the Archdiocese of Chicago

Update: Cardinal Cupich with a special message for our school children and their families.

To support the SCL parish offertory, the Coronavirus Emergency Fund or both as your means allow - click here.

To watch Catholic Mass at home, click on one of the following sources:

• Mercy Home
• EWTN Daily Mass and Readings
• Relevant Radio
• Broadcast Masses from The Archdioces of Chicaago

To join Fr. Lara on praying the Mass - click here

To Gain a Plenary Indulgence:

The Holy See, on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, under the Apostolic Penitentiary grants a special Plenary Indulgence during this time to all those suffering from the Coronavirus, including all health care workers, all family members and even all those praying for them through a spirit detached from any sin, offering this trial in a spirit of faith in God and charity toward their brothers and sisters, they can unite spiritually, through the media, to the celebration of Holy Mass, recitation of the Holy Rosary, the pious practice of the Way of the Cross, Eucharistic Adoration, the recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet or other forms of devotion imploring Almighty God to an end of this epidemic, provide relief to those afflicted and Eternal Salvation to those whom God has called home to Himself.
Click here to read the full Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary

To make a daily Holy Hour view EWTN's live Eucharistic Adoration from 8 AM TO 5 PM CT

The Archdiocese of Chicago is asking all Catholics to unite in prayer during the Coronavirus pandemic at five times per day. The prayers are listed below:

• 9 a.m. - Prayer for those infected with the virus and all who are ill Lord, place your healing hand on those who suffer illness. Bring them to full health and ease their anxious hearts. May our prayer and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary encourage them that they are not alone. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN
• 12 p.m. - Prayer for health care workers and those attending to the sick Lord, we are ennobled by those who put their lives at risk in caring for the sick. Keep them safe and embolden them when they are weary. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN
• 3 p.m. - Prayer for first responders and essential workers Lord, we pray for those who run to danger to keep us safe and those who serve the common good. Embrace them with your mantle of protection and comfort the fears of their families. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN
• 6 p.m. - Prayer for people of every nation and their leaders Lord, the pandemic opens our eyes to see each other as brothers and sisters in one human family. We pray for people of every nation and their leaders, asking that they be inspired to seek the good of all and quell the voices of division. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN
• 9 p.m. - Prayer for those who have died today Lord, we grieve the passing of our sisters and brothers who have died this day. We commend them to your tender mercy, confident that nothing, not even death, will separate us from your love. We ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN

The easiest way to be reminded at each of the 5 hours is to setup the alarm feature on your phone.

Here are two prayers to Our Blessed Mother in our time of need

What SCL will do when it's safe for Masses to resume:

• All priests, deacons, altar servers and ministers of Holy Communion will wash their hands before Mass begins and use hand sanitizer before and after distributing Holy Communion.
• All ciboria, once purified, will be washed with soap and hot water after each use.
• The sharing of Holy Communion via the cup will be temporarily discontinued.
• All holy water fonts will be empty for a while.

What you can do when Masses resume:

• Refrain from holding hands during the Lord’s Prayer
• Refrain from physical contact during the Sign of Peace; instead, wave or nod and smile
• Receive Holy Communion reverently in open hands (rather than on the tongue) for now
• If you are sick or are experiencing symptoms of sickness, you are not obliged to attend Mass, and out of consideration of others you ought not to attend. Check local television listings for Masses that are broadcast.

Other common sense hygiene practices that can help:

• Wipe off door knobs, light switches, cabinet knobs, refrigerator handles, microwave, stove and oven controls, cupboards and drawer handles and all other handles and common surfaces in your home as well as remote controls, your phone, computer keyboards, mice, peripherals and other frequently touched items with a disinfectant wipe or disinfectant sprays to keep your home as germ free as possible.
• Wear a home made mask (see Youtube.com) when out in the public to prevent spreading the virus
• Wash your hands and your face mask as the very first thing you do when entering your home after being out in the public before touching anything in your home. Then wipe off the faucet handles, door knobs and car keys/FOB that you used before washing.
• Do not touch your face in public or with unwashed hands
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow
• No hand shaking and keep a reasonably safe space when conversing
• Carry hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes in your car or purse
• Wipe down at least once your car steering wheel, door handles and lock buttons, shift knob, all control buttons and seat belt buckles with a disinfectant wipe
• If you can, use hand sanitizer each time you return to your car in public before touching any controls and seat belts
• Wipe down your groceries when you return from the store with a disinfectant wipe
• When using public restrooms and after washing your hands, use the paper towel to wipe off the faucet handles and the soap dispenser (if these aren't touch free devices) and then use another to open the door and wipe off the door knob as you leave. If there are only hand air dryers, use the hand sanitizer after using the exit door

Here's a very informative video why washing hands for 20 seconds is so important -> Proper hand washing
How long is 20 seconds? Say the Lord's prayer ("The Our Father") as you wash.

Holy Week at Home

Though we cannot pray in church, we can honor Holy Week in our homes. Here are some suggestions.
Each day: Read the daily reflection in “The Little Black Book.”

Monday-Wednesday, April 6-8
Pray the Mass with Fr. Lara on video. Choose another personal devotion such as praying the rosary, reading from the Bible, or simply sitting quietly and meditating on the events that took place near the end of Jesus’ life.

Holy Thursday, April 9
Pray the Mass of the Lord’s Supper with Fr. Lara on video.

Will you let me be your servant,
Let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I may have the grace to
Let you be my servant, too.

~ Lyrics from “The Servant Song”
by Richard Gillard & Betty C. Pulkingham

One theme in this Mass is our call to serve one another humbly as exemplified by Jesus when he washed his disciples’ feet. If you live with others, you might participate in this Mass more fully by washing each other’s feet.

Good Friday, April 10
A day of fasting and abstinence Pray the Stations of the Cross. One version for this is at http:// www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/stations-of-the-cross/scriptural-stations-of-the-cross.cfm stations-of-the-cross/
Note: The “minister” or leader does not have to be ordained.

Pray the Passion of the Lord with Fr. Lara on video.

Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble!
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
~ Lyrics from an African American Spiritual

One of the rituals in this service is the veneration of the cross. To participate more fully, place a cross and a candle near you and, at the appointed time, venerate your cross.

Holy Saturday, April 11
If it’s your tradition to have your Easter basket blessed at church, join with those at home in asking God to bless your basket. While there will be no Mass from SCL this day, you could watch the vigil service on the Vatican YouTube Channel at 9:00pm. One feature of the Vigil Mass is the seven readings from our Old Testament Scriptures that trace God’s promise of salvation from Genesis through the prophets. Consider reading and meditating on these (see Page 3 for books, chapters and verses). Read each Gospel’s account of the Resurrection and reflect on what’s the same and what’s different about them.

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord, April 12
Buy a bright spring plant or bouquet! Celebrate Easter Mass on video with Fr. Lara. Have a happy, healthy, hope-filled Easter!

Speaker Series 2020
Noon-1:30 PM
-Canceled until further notice

THE CHURCH: MYSTERY, MARKS and MISSION -Canceled

• April 5th, 2020: “What Is the Magisterium?” -Canceled
  Msgr. Robert Dempsey, Pastor, St. Patrick, Lake Forest

Liturgical Ministries

Our worship will be richer if you join us in one or more of these liturgical ministries:
Eucharistic Minister: Contact Amalou Lim at amalou8@yahoo.com.
Lector: Contact Bill or Carol Cook at carolcook05@comcast.net.
Usher: Contact Tommy Fitzgibbon at tfitzgib@aol.com.
Altar Server: For students ages 9-17, contact Jessie Kunnel at SCLservers@yahoo.com.

You can also reach any of the above people through Flocknote.

Mass for the Homebound

Mass for Those Who Are Homebound
Heart of the Nation Sunday TV Mass brings spiritual comfort and the blessings of joy-filled hope in our Risen Savior. Please let people know they can tune in to Catholic Mass on WJYS, Channel 62 at 10:00am, on WCUU, Channel 26.2 at 6:30am, or online at this link: Heart of the Nation