Youth, grades 5 and up who minister at the 5:00pm, 8:00am, 10:00am and 12:00pm Masses, Holy Days and liturgies with the Bishop.
Initial Training: 1 session with priest or deacon
Ongoing Formation: Annual meeting
Time Commitment: 1 – 2 masses per month
Contact: Lynn Wilson at (630) 615-7616 or lwilson@st-raphael.com
What is Cursillo? Cursillo is an opportunity to form and live in community with other Catholics and clergy members. It is immersed in Catholic Doctrine and the Sacraments. Cursillo is patterned on Jesus’ own example. He searched out and welcomed a small group of disciples, trained them by word and example and inspired them with a vision. He linked them together and sent them out into the world to bring the world to Him
The goal of Cursillo is the goal of the Church: to welcome and bring all to the Christ. Cursillo helps to renew and deepen Christian commitment. Many people have said Cursillo provides an important learning experience which causes them to feel like newly made Christians with a purpose and with support.
Pre-Cursillo: During this period, sponsors (i.e. those individuals that have been to the three-day Cursillo weekend and are living the Fourth Day) identify those Catholics who are leading an active Christian life and are a living witness to their love for Christ, recommending their candidacy. Potential candidates are welcomed to learn more about Cursillo and even invited to join a small group before actually attending a weekend. It is also the period that selected candidates are informed of what to expect at the three-day weekend and assist in appropriate preparations.
Are there Cursillo Secrets? You may have been told by some who have attended the weekend that they cannot tell you what Cursillo is all about or what goes on during a Cursillo weekend. This is not correct. Everything that goes on during the weekend may be told to anyone. Cursillo literature is available to anyone who wishes to read or purchase the materials.
Dates: Vary based on Diocesan schedule
Time Commitment: An overnight weekend retreat beginning on a Thursday evening and ending on Sunday evening. You stay at the retreat center for the entire weekend. Meals and snacks are provided.
More Information about Cursillo and to see upcoming retreat dates visit www.jolietcursillo.org
Contact: Denzil Rogers drogers@jobcost.com
Come foster social connections, spiritual growth, and camaraderie in motherhood!
All moms within our parish and/or school are welcome to participate as much or as little as your schedule allows!
Regular meetings once monthly, in the evenings at the parish
Off-site social gatherings sprinkled in throughout the year.
Upcoming Meetings: Held from 7:30pm-9pm on the second Tuesday of the month. (Late arrivals/early departures are absolutely ok!)
Follow this link to sign up for our mailing list, including event invitations and meeting reminders: CCM sign-up form
Elizabeth Jarr, Current CCM Leadership, StRaphaelCCM@gmail.com
David Trondsen at (630) 615-7617 or dtrondsen@st-raphael.com
The Faith Breakfast Talk Series is designed to feed us spiritually, mentally and physically. Faith Breakfasts are offered periodically throughout the year and feature diverse yet crucial topics to today’s modern Catholic. Recent Faith Breakfasts have focused on such issues as marriage, spirituality, leadership, and scripture.
Come join us for hearty nourishment for your body, mind and soul, as we continue to explore our faith. The Faith Breakfasts are held on pre-announced Saturday mornings throughout the calendar year. Please watch the bulletin for specific information.
The theme of our breakfasts this year is spirituality; specifically, the spirituality of Catholic religious orders that serve our area. Come and hear how Benediction monks or Franciscan priests and brothers model the life of St Francis of Assisi. Talks this season will be held in October, January, February and March.
Dates: Faith Breakfasts are held on Saturdays quarterly during the year. The morning begins after the Morning Mass in Sts. Anne and Joachim Room, usually around 9:15 with a hard stop at 10:30.
Time Commitment: 2 – 3 hours, 4 times yearly. Volunteers can spend from 1-3 hours helping with portions of the morning.
Contact: David Trondsen at (630) 615-7617 or dtrondsen@st-raphael.com
Empower yourself with knowledge of your faith! Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation(VLCFF) is a growing initiative to offer adult religious education and faith formation anytime and anywhere via the internet. It is an internet based distance learning initiative which supports adult faith, lay ecclesial ministry and catechetical formation of the Church. The VLCFF is coordinated and sponsored by the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives at the University of Dayton. Its goal is to support the church’s professional ministry of religious education and faith formation in cyberspace.
Have you ever wanted to take courses to learn more about your Catholic Faith but did not have the time or know where to go? Have you ever thought about taking an internet class? As members of the Joliet Diocese, there is a wonderful opportunity for learning open to us.
Topics Include: Catechesis — Catholic Doctrine — Church History — Liturgy — Sacraments — Prayer — Scripture
5 Week Courses $40
3 Week Seminars $30
To explore the course offerings and registration dates, please go directly to the VLCFF website: http://vlc.udayton.edu/
Contact: Kurt Lange at (630) 615-7607 or klange@st-raphael.com
Are you interested in becoming Catholic? The process to explore the Catholic faith is called the RCIA (The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults). This journey of study and prayer generally takes a year. Gatherings occur on Sunday mornings, molded around the 9:00 Mass. The process is twofold. The first being an opportunity to uncover God’s loving presence in your personal life and the second, a means to help a person embrace the rich treasury of the Catholic faith.
Dates: Sessions begin in September and run weekly through Easter Vigil
Time Commitment (for catechists and sponsors): 2 hours weekly during the class session year.
Contact: Kurt Lange at (630) 615-7607 or klange@st-raphael.com
The Young Adult ministry, “Circles,” welcomes young adults age 21-40. This ministry connects married and single adults in a spirit of acceptance to share their journey of faith. As the future of the Church, St. Raphael looks to engage and empower young adults with the faith, resources and enthusiasm to bring the spirit of God alive in their world.
Dates: Thursdays at 7:00pm
Time commitment: varies, but never more than a few hours a month
Contact: Kurt Lange at (630) 615-7607 or klange@st-raphael.com
Responsible for the appropriate decoration of the liturgical space. Committee members are expected to have or to develop an understanding of art in general, liturgical art, the liturgical seasons and the principles of liturgical decoration.
Time Commitment: Called as needed.
Contact: Deacon Len Penkala at (630) 615-7616 or lpenkala@st-raphael.com
Meet with the families of children being baptized in the coordinator’s home to plan the baptism details and involvement of people. Welcome all on the day of the baptism and assist the deacon / priest with the set up and the details.
Initial Training: Training session then mentoring by an experienced baptismal liturgy planner.
Ongoing Formation: as needed
Time Commitment: Several times a year
Contact: Deacon Len Penkala (630) 615-7616 or lpenkala@st-raphael.com
“The tabernacle was first intended for the reservation of the Eucharist in a worthy place so that it could be brought to the sick and those absent outside of Mass. As faith in the real presence of Christ in his Eucharist deepened, the Church became conscious of the meaning of silent adoration of the Lord present under the Eucharistic species.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1379)
“The Eucharistic sacrifice is the source and culmination of the whole Christian life. Both private and public devotion toward the Eucharist, therefore, including devotion outside Mass, are strongly encouraged…” (Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass, 79).
Public Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the monsrance is observed everything Thursday beginning immediately following the 8:30am Mass until 7:00pm when prayer and Benediction are celebrated.
Spending quiet time in the presence of our Lord, reading, praying, or meditating, is a special gift. We Catholics believe inthe Real Presence of our Lord in the Eucharist, and so to be able to pray with
Jesus so intimately is a special source of grace. At St. Raphael’s, many opportunities for this are available:
If you are unable to come to Church, you can privately adore the Blessed Sacrament online (http://www.savior.org/ )
Time Commitment: 1 hour per month for scheduled adorers. Anytime for general parishioners.
Contact: Lynn Wilson at (630) 615-7616 or lwilson@st-raphael.com