1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity
3. catholicism

The Spirit
Our Lady of Ransom Catholic Church
February 15, 2015
SIXTH Sunday in Ordinary Time
Piero Di Cosimo, Vatican
Jesus Heals the Leper
Mass Intentions
Monday, February 16 (Presidents’ Day)
6:30 a.m. — Peg Edesy
8:15 a.m. — Sylwester Budkowski
Tuesday, February 17 (The Seven Holy Founders
of the Servite Order)
6:30 a.m. — Purgatorial Society
8:15 a.m. — Helen Lukas; Frank Laraia;
George Norek; Liborio Fruscione
Wednesday, February 18 (Ash Wednesday)
6:30 a.m. — Bill Haughton
8:15 a.m. — Walter Wozniak
12:15 p.m. --- Dee Dee MacNaughton
7:00 p.m. --- Deceased Members of Wojnicki Family
Thursday, February 19
6:30 a.m. — Helen Lukas
8:15 a.m. — Conrado V. Castroverde, Sr.
6:30 p.m. — Vincenzo Mauro
PARISH DIRECTORY
CHURCH: 8300 N. Greenwood, Niles, IL 60714
PARISH OFFICE - Ministry Center, 8624 W. Normal
Phone: 847-823-2550
Fax: 847-823-4291
www.olransom.org
Rev. Christopher M. Gustafson — Pastor
Rev. Mark Augustine — Associate Pastor
Rev. Paul Reczek, O.F.M. — Sunday Celebrant
Rev. Mr. Charlie O’Donnell — Deacon
Rev. Mr. James Frugé — Deacon
Mrs. Cathy Williams — Office Manager
Mr. Richard Gargul — Business Manager
Mr. John Bacchi — Music Director
Mr. Neal Ruperto—Choir Director
Mr. Bob DiSandro — Maintenance Engineer
Mrs. Kathleen Sass — Bulletin Typist
Mr. Laz Ramos—Youth Minister & Communications Tech
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM
Mrs. Maureen Valvassori — Director
847-696-2994
Email: o.ransom@att.net
BAPTISMS: Congratulations! Baptisms are ordinarily celebrated
on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at 1:30 p.m. in the Church. A
preparation meeting is required. Please call the Ministry Center to
arrange.
SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: God’s mercy is ever
near. Confessions are heard every Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to Noon
in the Church and by appointment.
MARRIAGES: Congratulations! Weddings are ordinarily
celebrated on Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Please be sure to
consult a priest before setting the date for your wedding.
Friday, February 20
6:30 a.m. — Deceased Members of Sass Family
8:15 a.m. — Silvio & Rita Giannelli
Saturday, February 21 (St. Peter Damian,
Bishop & Doctor)
8:15 a.m. — Virginia Robinett; Ingrid Badilla;
Intention of Earl Carda; Gary Romero
5:00 p.m. —
Vincent Consoli
Sunday, February 22 (First Sunday of Lent)
7:30 a.m. — For the People of OLR
9:00 a.m. — Al Bax
10:45 a.m. — Anthony Fioretto
12:15 p.m. — George & Dorothy Gagliano
MINISTRIES
CHAIRPERSONS
Mrs. Kathleen Deveau — Parish Pastoral Council
Mr. Steve Dolan — Parish Finance Committee
Mrs. Nancy Stranczek — Ministry of Care
Mrs. Gigi Bialko — Bereavement
Ms. Reneda Mittman — Lectors
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Eichstaedt — Communion Ministers
Mr. Andy Thelen - Ministry Scheduler
Mrs. Honey Mae Chapman & Mrs. Betty Hesse —
Wedding Coordinators
Mr. Vince Milito — Ushers
Mrs. Terry Uselmann — St. Matthew Circle
EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION
SUNDAY MASSES: 5:00 pm (Saturday)
7:30, 9:00, 10:45 am, 12:15 pm
Weekday:
6:30 & 8:15 am; Saturday 8:15 am
Holy Day:
6:30, 8:15 am, 7:00 pm
RECONCILIATION: Saturday, 11:00 am - 12 noon
and individually as requested.
HOPELINE: For Pregnant Women
847-823-HOPE
CARING FOR THE SICK: If you or a loved one are ill and would
like prayers or to receive the Sacrament of Anointing, Holy
Communion, or a visit, please do not hesitate to call the Ministry
Center. A communal celebration of the Sacrament of Anointing
follows the 8:15 a.m. Mass on the first Saturday of the month.
FIRST FRIDAYS: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament takes place
throughout the day, ending with Holy Hour and Benediction from
7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
NEW PARISHIONERS: Welcome to the Parish! We are glad you
are here. Please come to the Ministry Center to register or call:
847-823-2550.
February 15, 2015
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Page Three
From the desk of the Pastor ...
Get the Word Out! New Sunday 5pm Mass!
Beginning next Sunday, February 22nd, we will be offering an additional Sunday Mass at 5pm. It is part
of our effort to try to make the great gift of the Mass as accessible as possible to all. There’s no denying
that people’s schedules have changed in recent years and Sunday morning is no longer honored to the
degree it once was by secular schedules. It can be a real challenge for parents to juggle their children’s
participation in park district and travel team sports, for example, and coming to Mass Sunday morning.
A later Sunday Mass is also often a more preferred time for high school, college aged and young adults.
Whatever the age or schedule, we hope that the additional Mass will allow the Lord to gather to Himself
more of His children each week. We will offer this new Mass time on a trial basis throughout Lent with
the hopes that it might become a weekly fixture. So please get the word out and invite others,
particularly the younger generation, to take advantage of it.
Thursday Evening Mass at 6:30pm during Lent
In additional to our two regularly offered daily morning Masses and our other Lenten opportunities, we
will once again offer a weekday evening Mass at 6:30pm on Thursdays this Lent. Why not take 25 quiet
minutes out of your busy week to participate in an additional Mass, allowing the Lord to speak His word
to your heart and feed you with His sacred Body and Blood? We have situated this Mass especially to
allow participation by those who are coming to our Lenten Bible Study, A Biblical Walk Through the
Mass. All are welcome, however, and perhaps you would like to participate in both?
Relic of Pope Saint John Paul II at OLR
Mark your calendars for a very blessed and unique opportunity. A vial of blood drawn from Pope John
Paul II on the day he was shot and which was used for his postulation for canonization will be coming to
our parish for our veneration on Sunday, March 15th. We are continuing to finalize arrangements, but
the evening would include 5pm Mass; some brief catechesis by the custodians of the relic, the Servants of
the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary; and an opportunity to join in prayerful veneration of the relic. The
saints are our friends in Christ who have fully completed their journey to the Lord for eternity and offer
to us their love, encouragement and intercession while we are still on the journey. What a blessing that
we have been able to witness a saint who has lived in our midst and shepherded us as Pope. When we
honor him as a gift from God, we grow in holiness to become the saints we, too, are called to be.
See you Ash Wednesday!
February 15, 2015
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Page Four
Beginning this week...
OLR Lenten Bible Study:
A Biblical Walk Through the Mass
Thursdays, February 19– March 26
7:00-9:00pm
(6:45pm social & light refreshments)
Have you ever wished you knew more about the Mass?
We know all the responses. We know all the gestures. But do
we know what it all means?
Have you ever wanted to come to a deeper
understanding of what’s happening in the Mass? If so, then
this is for you!
Join us this Lenten season as we embark on an exciting
6-week journey through A Biblical Walk Through the Mass.
$20 Registration Fee
Contact the Ministry Center registration information
847-823-2550
Let us all remember this:
one cannot proclaim
the Gospel of Jesus
without the tangible
witness of one's life.
Pope Francis
SPIRIT OF UNENDING LOVE
(S.O.U.L.)
Join us every Wednesday
Room 12 at 7:30 p.m.
All are invited!
Join in prayer, praise, scripture sharing,
the Divine Mercy Chaplet
and Intercessory prayer.
February 15, 2015
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Page Five
Ash Wednesday, February 18
Mass with the Distribution of Ashes: 6:30am, 8:15am, 12:15pm, 7:00pm
There will be a prayer service for Religious Education families with the
distribution of ashes at 4:15pm
Lenten Regulations (from February 18, 2015, Ash Wednesday, to the Paschal
Triduum) -- Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years old and older on Ash
Wednesday and on all the Fridays of Lent. Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday by all Catholics
who are 18 years of age but not yet 59. Those who are bound by this may take only one full meal. Two
smaller meals are permitted if necessary to maintain strength according to one‘s needs, but eating solid
foods between meals is not permitted. The special Paschal fast, as well as abstinence, are prescribed for
Good Friday and encouraged for Holy Saturday.
Festival of Forgiveness ~ Friday February 27-28
God’s mercy is ever near. Come and experience God’s love, forgiveness
and His hope at our Festival of Forgiveness. This celebration is called for
by Pope Francis for the whole Church to let all know how much God loves
us in a special form of forgiveness.
Stations of the Cross
Schedule of Events
Friday:
3:00pm-9:00pm
3:00pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
Confessions in church– counseling available
Recitation of Divine Mercy Chaplet
Recitation of the Rosary– Sorrowful Mysteries
Preached Stations of the Cross
Saturday:
9:00am-3:00pm
8:15am
8:45am
12:00pm
3:00pm
Confessions
Mass
Rosary-Joyful Mysteries (following 8:15am Mass)
Recitation of the Angelus
Recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet
Join us every
Friday evening at
7:00pm
Prayer Breakfast
You are invited to our 50th annual Park Ridge Men’s Prayer Breakfast – “Sharing our stories, and building
our community.” One of the oldest running local prayer breakfasts in America, Our Prayer Breakfast is about
using the gifts that God gave you to build up community. We are trying to create space around a preciousness of
God at work in the lives of ordinary people like us.
Saturday, March 14, 2015, 7:30 am – $30 per ticket
Park Ridge Country Club 636 N Prospect Ave, Park Ridge, IL 60068
Presenter: James D. McLennan, President of McLennan Companies
Send an email to jeff@loquate.tv to pay on line, or mail your check payable to Park Ridge Men's Prayer
Breakfast, PO Box 249, Park Ridge, Il. 60068. Your tickets will be waiting at the door. Seating is limited.
February 15, 2015
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes
CONGRATULATIONS
O ever Immaculate Virgin,
Mother of mercy, health of the
sick, refuge of sinners,
comforter of the afflicted, you
know my wants, my troubles,
my sufferings; look with mercy
on me.
By appearing in the Grotto of
Lourdes, you were pleased to
make it a privileged sanctuary,
whence you dispense your
favors; and already many
sufferers have obtained the
cure of their infirmities, both
spiritual and corporal.
I come, therefore, with
complete confidence to implore
your maternal intercession.
Obtain, O loving Mother, the
grant of my requests. Through
gratitude for your favors, I will
endeavor to imitate your
virtues, that I may one day
share your glory.
Amen.
Notre Dame College Prep in
Niles is pleased to announce
that the following students
achieved Honor Roll status
for the first semester of the
2014-2015 academic year.
These students are proud
members of OLR Parish:
Colin Besetzny - Cum
Laude
Page Six
ST. MARY OF PROVIDENCE
Dear OLR Friends:
Thank you for all the beautiful Christmas
gifts you gave to our Day Students and
Residents. Your generous outpouring made
the holidays especially enjoyable, and we
are grateful to all of you at Our Lady of
Ransom. God bless you for your generous
spirit of giving. May this New Year bring
you an abundance of peace, joy and
prosperity.
Sincerely,
Sr. Janet Kosman
Director
Milton Mattison - Magna
Cum Laude
Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend
“Do everything for the glory of God.”
Does your marriage witness the glory of God? The next
Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends are April 1719, 2015 or June 12-14, 2015, at Elk Grove Village, IL.
Early registration is highly recommended. For
reservations/information, call Jim & Kris at 630-5770778 or through www.wwmejoliet.org.
Liturgical Ministers for Next Week’s Liturgies
Date/Time
Commentator
Communion Ministers
Cantors
Servers
Saturday Feb 21 Chris Seske
5:00 p.m.
Ben Oliva
Joe & Gigi Bialko, Jack & Maria Eichstaedt,
Lydia LaScola, Reneda Mittman, Carol
Mozgowiec, Mary Mundt, Andy Thelen
Jody Schuth Tony Davies
Alyssa Gayapa
Sunday Feb 22 Terry Uselmann
7:30 a.m.
Rosann True
George Colgan, Joan Karwoski, Patricia Lucas,
Eleanor Mueller, Dennis Ramirez, Phyllis Ranalli,
Rob Riddle
(sub needed)
9:00 a.m.
Marianne Hansel
Amber Granito
Joe & Terry Annunzio, Carol Bergeron,
Nancy Bobowski, Marilyn Cairo, Josephine
Fragale, Linda Garnett, Maria Gullo, Marianne
Rob Riddle
J.D. Santos
Emily Reczek
Matthew Cordero
10:45 a.m.
Rick Fox,
Wayne Sliwa
Josephine Bax, Maureen & Robert Bell, Toni Brana, Anna Di Benedetto, Rick Fox, Nancy Hedrick,
Jerry Merkel, Tom Reich
OLR Choir
Cecelia Hernandez
Emily Schroeder
12:15 p.m.
Lulu de los Reyes Angelita & Eduardo De Paz, Cathy & John
Judy Vee
Gierum, Chris Paolelli, Joe Paolelli, Matt Paolelli,
Gloria Scardino, (sub needed)
FCC Choir
Linda Sales
Ben Paolelli
Alyssa Tintori
Giancarlo Donahue
February 15, 2015
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Page Seven
WE WELCOME … recently baptized:
Adrian Jack, son of Bogdan & Dorothy (Zamora) Mathias
Alexander Michael, son of Michael & Ewelina (Dudek) Hamdan
Ella Cabreros, daughter of Pawel & Jennifer (Cabreros) Lewkowski
Olivia Amaris, daughter of Carlo & Peachy Rose (Jacinto) Reyes
Owen Duke, son of Krys & Jean (Walsh) Seibold
Angela Joy, daughter of Mamerto Reyno & Verna (Tolentino) Pascual
Alexander Noah, son of George & Margherita (Barone) Bialkowski
Ryan Matthew, son of Steven & Kim (Barone) Van Klompenburg
Lukas Adam, son of Adam & Marie (Czyz) Nowak
Anderson Zeke, son of Ronielle & Jenny (Rabino) Timosa
Aria Veloso Parungao, daughter of Daniel & Jamie (Parungao) Miller
Emma, daughter of Marek & Katerina (Strizikova) Vasat
Avery Rose Paje, daughter of Eddie Chairez & Lyane Paje
Luciano Joseph, son of Joseph & Mellissa (Cianfaglione) Porcaro
Taryn Sophia, daughter of Matthew & Elena Gonzalez) McGannon
CATHOLIC WOMEN’S CLUB
SAVE THESE DATES:
Tuesday, March 10 -- Father Mark Augustine will present
a Lenten talk for everyone in the Parish in Paluch Hall.
Invite your friends and families to join us for a special
spiritual night followed by refreshments.
Friday, April 10 -- Our annual fabulous Rummage Sale!
The “early bird” sale will take place the night before on
April 9th. Remember to bring your jewelry (new and old)
to the Ministry Center marked “Ruth”. Jewelry is one of
our biggest money makers, and all profits go to our church.
Saturday, April 18 -- a Spring Luncheon / Fashion Show
will be held at Manzos Restaurant! Large gift baskets and
new gifts are needed for our raffle. Bring them to the
Ministry Center labeled “CWC”. More information will
follow -- but do consider inviting your friends and
neighbors to a welcome Spring afternoon.
Remember to send us the name of a woman who
personifies the “Woman of the Year”. Just tell us in 100
words or less why she should be honored. Look around,
there are so many women who deserve this honor! Drop
off your nomination at the Ministry Center marked
“CWC”.
This is a lot to think about!! Please consider becoming
involved in some of our worthwhile activities.
February 15, 2015
REST
IN
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
SACRIFICIAL GIVING
PEACE
Our response to God’s command
to take care of the community
with the gifts, talents and
resources God entrusts to us.
STEWARDSHIP OF
RESOURCES
Please continue to pray for
the following people
who have recently died:
Adrienne Gleason
Santo Paffumi
Elaine Unger
Sylvia Gallo
Sunday Collections
February 8…...…..… $ 13,714.81
(Week 32)
“Lord, for your faithful
people, life is changed
not ended.”
Year-to-Date………$ 428,634.82
--Rite of Christian Burial
PRAY
We are grateful.
FOR
Francis Cardinal George
Joey Bax (3)
Baby Grace Garcia (1)
Mark Kadzielawski
THEM
Judith Balaskovits (4)
Carole Miller (3)
Baby Olivia Garcia (1)
Emelita De la Cruz
We pray for all the sick at every Mass and in our private prayers.
Persons who have a change in their health (traumatic event, surgery,
critical stage of disease, etc.) will be mentioned by name (if requested
by family member) at Sunday Masses. Thereafter, for one month the
name will be published in the bulletin and then placed on our website:
olransom.org.
Page Eight
OLR MILITARY
God keep you safe!
A.I.C. Michael Gonzales
Sgt. Vito Deiure
Staff Sgt. Paul J. Vee, USMC
Lt. 1st Class Jared Kandell
Staff Sgt. Michael Osterlund
PFC Darren Keifer
PO2 Patrick Wurster II
Sgt. Anthony LaScola USMC
Airman 1st Cl. Elizabeth Schmidt
Cpl. Alexander Bendyk
Cpl. Brian Michael Bell
BM3 Kristin Kaufmann
Specialist Conrad Sewinski
ENFR Joshua Torres
1st Lt. Joseph John Gullo, USAF
Cpl. Giselle Obcemea Gayapa, USMC
PFC Ezekiel M. Trimble
PFC Edrian Fernandez, USAFC
If you know of any Our Lady of
Ransom parishioners who are serving
in the military and would like to
include them in our prayer intentions,
please call the Ministry Center
(847-823-2550.)
Do You have a Loved One
in the Hospital?
Please notify us if you or your loved one is in the hospital and would like a pastoral visit from one
of our priests or Ministers of Care.
Hospitals no longer notify the parish when a person is in the hospital. Please call the Ministry
Center at 847-823-2550 with their information, as it is our only way of knowing if you or your
loved one is hospitalized.
Also, because of the Privacy Laws, only immediate family members or the patient themselves may
request names to be added to our Prayer for the Sick List.