Patriarchy and Clericalism
A "Come to the Table" Conversation Sunday, January 28, 2024, after the 10:30 a.m. Mass Oldershaw Hall, St. Nicholas Campus What exactly do we mean when we talk about patriarchy and clericalism? What is the impact of this system on the Catholic church and society at large? Join Equality for Women in the Catholic Church (EWC) for a stimulating "Come to the Table" conversation that seeks to promote awareness, dialogue, and reflection on the role of patriarchy in shaping the church structure and overall Catholic experience. This thought-provoking discussion will unravel the definition and impact of patriarchy within the context of the Catholic Church, shedding light on the dynamics that have shaped power structures and gender roles and contributed to the perpetuation of gender inequalities. Participants will gain insights into the ways in which patriarchal norms influence various aspects of religious or spiritual life, from leadership roles to theological perspectives. The event begins at 11:30 a.m. on January 28 in Oldershaw Hall on the St. Nicholas Campus of St. John XXIII Parish. All are welcome to attend this celebration; invite your friends from other communities and help us spread the word! Contributions to our refreshment table are appreciated. For more information, please email catholicwomensequality@gmail.com. Here are some helpful articles you may (optionally) wish to read prior to our discussion: The Creation of Patriarchy by Beverly M. Burke: https://a.co/0zMFhK5 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327630852_The_Development_of_Clericalism_and_the_Need_for_a_Theology_of_Secularity http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0259-9422201900040009 http://womensordinationcampaign.org/ottawa-2005/2014/2/2/rosemary-radford-ruether https://www.patheos.com/blogs/suspendedinherjar/2020/02/do-catholic-feminists-wish-to-smash-the-churchs-patriarchy/ We are celebrating the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
Presiders: St. Nicholas Saturday, January 13, 2024 NO SATURDAY VIGIL AT ST. NICHOLAS All-Parish Mass in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. at St. Mary (Potluck to follow!) Sunday, January 14, 2024 8:30 a.m. – Bishop Mark Bartosic 10:30 a.m. – Fr. Mark Scalese 12:30 p.m. – Fr. Jose Manuel / *Jaime Rojas St. Mary Saturday, January 13, 2024 4:00 p.m. (Confession) – Fr. Jose Manuel 5:00 p.m. – Fr. Jose Manuel (Mass in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.) Sunday, January 14, 2024 8:00 a.m. – Fr. Godwin Kornu 10:00 a.m. – Fr. Godwin Kornu *Deacon Preaching For a few months now, some of our parishioners have been receiving fraudulent emails or even texts from someone claiming to be Fr. Jean-Philippe. The sender's name appears in recipients' inboxes as things like "Rev. Jean-Philippe Lokpo," "Rev. Koudjo K. Lokpo," or "Koudjo K. Jean-Philippe Lokpo," among other variations. The sender's email address is most often an "@gmail.com" address that includes some variation of "reverend" or "church" and a string of numbers. The latest one came from "Rev. Koudjo K. Lokpo" at "revfr.2563@gmail.com." Please note that Fr. Jean-Philippe will ONLY ever email you from his official Archdiocese of Chicago account, kklokpo@archchicago.org. His name will appear in your inbox as "Koudjo K. Lokpo" -- no "Rev.," "Father," or "Jean-Philippe" unless you personally saved his email to your contacts using a name that includes those words. We have not heard of the scammers using Fr. Jose's name yet, but you should treat any email that claims to be from him but does not use his joortiz@archchicago.org email address as fraudulent, too.
If you receive a scam message, take a picture of it and delete it either by clicking "Report" and reporting it as a phishing scam (after which the message will automatically be deleted) or by simply deleting the message. You can report the fraudulent message to the Federal Trade Commission in English at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or in Spanish at https://reportefraude.ftc.gov. Additionally, you can email the parish at stj23office@archchicago.org and the Archdiocese of Chicago at itservicecenter@archchicago.org to help keep us aware of the situation. More information about this scam at our parish and similar ones across the country can be found after the tips. Tips to Spot This Scam:
Generally, experts warn people to be wary of unsolicited email appeals for financial donations, to treat email attachments with caution, and to be careful about clicking on links in email messages. They say that if you click on a wrong link or realize that you have provided a password, username, or other personal information in response to a scam, you need to change your password immediately and alert the business's, bank's, or organization's IT department of the breach. For more general (but still very helpful!) information on how to spot and avoid scam emails, texts, and phone calls, check out the FTC's How to Avoid a Scam. About This Scam The messages usually begin with a simple greeting like, "Hi" or "Good morning," but often without the recipient's name. They typically ask for a quick response, often give some reason that the "priest" can't answer phone calls right now, and may include requests for to "do me a favor" or to provide help of some kind for a worthy cause, be that purchasing gift cards or wiring money to help the priest himself, a needy parishioner or family, or for gifts for the parish staff. Many times, the specific request to send money or buy gift cards won't come until after the recipient replies to the first email or even the first few emails. The sender may even promise that he (the "priest") or the parish will pay the recipient back for the cost of any gift cards. We are not alone in this -- parishes around the country have been targeted with similar scams since at least 2018. In some dioceses, scammers have even impersonated bishops! In a 2020 interview with the Catholic Standard, Fr. Daniel Carson, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Washington, described the scheme: "Father Carson said these kinds of email scams, where people impersonate the pastor or a Church leader occur periodically, and typically involve the scammer sending an email posing as the priest and saying they need help and asking that person to respond back. If the person responds to the bogus email, that sender might ask them to do something like purchase gift cards and send them the number [on the back of the card]. [The appeals are sometimes also for cash donations or money transfers.] The language in such bogus email appeals constantly changes, but the sender often uses a phony Gmail or Yahoo account with the priest’s name incorporated in it." If you want to see what the full scam can look like in action, read this report based on messages received by an employee of the Archdiocese of Lincoln, Nebraska. Unfortunately, neither we here at St. John XXIII nor the folks at the Archdiocese can do anything to stop fraudulent text messages or emails that come from outside of the "@archchicago.org" domain, like these scam emails sent from "@gmail.com" or "@yahoo.com" addresses. Once again, if you receive a scam message, take a picture of it and delete it either by clicking "Report" and reporting it as a phishing scam (after which the message will automatically be deleted) or by simply deleting the message. You can report the fraudulent message to the Federal Trade Commission in English at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or in Spanish at https://reportefraude.ftc.gov. Additionally, you can email the parish at stj23office@archchicago.org and the Archdiocese of Chicago at itservicecenter@archchicago.org to help keep us aware of the situation. One Way to Honor MLKIn the long aftermath of slavery, reconstruction, the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights movement, America continues to wrestle mightily with its understanding of human dignity and inclusion. For some, issues of race and racism remain a particular and everyday focus. For others, not so much.
The annual observance of our national holiday and day of service in Dr. King's honor provides an opportune moment for a broadly shared reflection on his mission, works and words. St. Mary Church has a long-held tradition of remembering Dr. King with Mass followed by a potluck featuring a plethora of culturally diverse foods. However brief, these moments of “socializing in community” serve to renew Martin’s and our Christian call to love one another as we love ourselves. This year, St. John XXIII Parish will celebrate a Mass in honor of Dr. King at an all-parish Saturday Vigil Mass on January 13 at St. Mary Church. After Mass, we will have a potluck dinner in the Gathering Space at the rear of the church; please bring one of your favorite dishes to share! All are welcome. Email Jane or Don Colleton (jccolleton@gmail.com, dpcolleton@gmail.com) for more information about this celebration. There will be NO 5 p.m. Saturday Vigil Mass at St. Nicholas on January 13. We are celebrating the Epiphany of the Lord.
Presiders: St. Nicholas Saturday, January 6, 2024 4:00 p.m. (Confession) – Bishop Mark Bartosic 5:00 p.m. – Bishop Mark Bartosic Sunday, January 7, 2024 8:30 a.m. – Fr. Jose Manuel 10:30 a.m. – Fr. Jim Halstead 12:30 p.m. – Fr. Paul Schneider St. Mary Saturday, January 6, 2024 4:00 p.m. (Confession) – Fr. Jose Manuel 5:00 p.m. – Fr. Jose Manuel Sunday, January 7, 2024 8:00 a.m. – Fr. Jim Halstead 10:00 a.m. – Fr. Godwin Kornu 12:00 p.m. (French) – Fr. Godwin Kornu Are you a leader of a St. John XXIII Parish group or ministry? We need your help!
We are sprucing up our ministry listings as we prepare to publish the first St. John XXIII Parish Directory. Please click on this link to access the ministry listing spreadsheet. Find your ministry or group on the spreadsheet (or add it to the bottom if it is missing) and update the information for your ministry's primary contact(s). We have extended the deadline to Tuesday, January 2, 2024; by that date, all group and ministry information must be present and correct if it is to be included in this year's parish directory. Don't feel comfortable with spreadsheets? That's okay! You can also call the parish office at 847.864.1185 and leave a message for Giselle or Yolanda. The parish office is closed for New Year's through January 2, but they will receive your message when it reopens on January 3. Once again, please make sure that you have checked and updated your ministry's listing on the spreadsheet by Tuesday, January 2, 2024, or that you have left a message indicating the changes that need to be made. Thank you so much for all you do for the St. John XXIII community and for our community at large. May God continue to bless your work! Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and JosephWe are celebrating the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Presiders: St. Nicholas Saturday, December 30, 2023 4:00 p.m. (Confession) – Fr. Jean-Philippe 5:00 p.m. – Fr. Jean-Philippe (All-Parish Kwanzaa Mass) Sunday, December 31, 2023 8:30 a.m. – Fr. Jose Manuel 10:30 a.m. – Fr. Jim Halstead 12:30 p.m. – Fr. Dan Hartnett St. Mary Saturday, December 30, 2023 NO SATURDAY VIGIL MASS AT ST. MARY All-parish Kwanzaa Mass at St. Nicholas Sunday, December 31, 2023 8:00 a.m. – Fr. Jean-Philippe 10:00 a.m. – Fr. José Manuel Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of GodWe are celebrating the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God.
Presiders: St. Nicholas Monday, January 1, 2024 10:30 a.m. – Fr. José Manuel (Bilingual) St. Mary Monday, January 1, 2024 10:00 a.m. – Fr. Jean-Philippe Watch the Saturday Vigil Mass for the Feast of the Holy Family and Kwanzaa:What is Kwanzaa?Kwanzaa is a celebration of family and community values that takes place yearly from December 26 to January 1. Each of its seven days is dedicated to a principle, traditionally expressed in Swahili: umoja (unity), kujichagulia (self-determination), ujima (collective work and responsibility), ujamaa (cooperative economics), nia (purpose), kuumba (creativity), and imani (faith). First celebrated in 1966, Kwanzaa was created by American activist and author Maulana Karenga as a way of uniting and empowering the African American community. Karenga drew on the rich cultural and linguistic traditions of Africa, modeling the holiday after traditional African harvest festivals and naming it after the Swahili phrase for “first fruits,” “matunda ya kwanza.”
While Kwanzaa is often thought of as an alternative to Christmas, many people celebrate both. In fact, Kwanzaa has been observed at St. Nicholas Church since 1999 as an acknowledgement of the rich contributions of African Americans to our Catholic faith. This year, St. John XXIII Parish will celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family and Kwanzaa at an all-parish Saturday Vigil Mass on December 30 at St. Nicholas Church. Along with our own choirs from St. Mary and St. Nicholas, we will raise our voices in praise alongside the choir from the southside parish of Our Lady of Africa. After Mass, we will have a potluck Karamu feast in Oldershaw Hall; please bring one of your favorite dishes to share! All are welcome. Email Yvonne Smith or Jane Colleton (yvonsmith@gmail.com, jccolleton@gmail.com) for more information about this celebration or about the Evanston-Area Black Catholics. And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth. A Reflection
By Faith LaVoie, Communications Manager and Co-Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry This Advent, a scene from the very end of one of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia books, one I have not read in years, has been stuck in my head. In the series, a group of children are transported to the magical land of Narnia where they encounter the Christ-like Aslan, a great Lion who was there when Narnia was born and who died and rose again to save it. In the scene I’ve been remembering, Aslan tells two of the children that their time in Narnia has come to an end. They are heartbroken thinking they will never see the Lion again. Aslan says to them, “[In your world] I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were bought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there.” I’ve always read that line as Lewis speaking directly to his readers: Lewis introduced us to Aslan (Jesus), that by getting to know him in this tangible yet fantastical way, we might learn to know Christ better in our world. Seems kind of obvious, right? I couldn’t understand why I kept thinking about it. Then I read the poem from John 1, the Christmas Day Gospel. I know that Jesus came to earth to show us God’s love and claim victory over sin and death. But now I wonder if there was another reason, too. We as humans struggle to understand inexplicable things like the Divine. God is bigger than our imaginations. The Holy Spirit is everywhere at once. Jesus is… human. Fully God, yes, but also fully man. He ate food. He could be hugged and touched. He had friends. He took naps. He wept. He mourned. At the same time as he was completely God, he was completely one of us. He lived among us, loved us, and showed us his glory in a way our minds could process. We must learn to know God by all three of his names. Perhaps this was one of the reasons that the Son brought himself to us, that by knowing him here for a little, we may know him better in his forms beyond this world’s understanding. Previous: Week 3 Faith has loved getting to know this beautiful parish over the past few months. When not at work (or helping with a parish fundraiser), she enjoys painting and watching old mysteries. 4th Sunday of AdventWe are celebrating the 4th Sunday of Advent. Presiders: St. Nicholas Saturday, December 23, 2023 4:00 p.m. (Confession) – Fr. Mark Scalese 5:00 p.m. – Fr. Mark Scalese Sunday, December 24, 2023 8:30 a.m. – Fr. José Manuel / *Jaime Rojas (Misa en español) St. Mary Saturday, December 23, 2023 4:00 p.m. (Confession) – Fr. Dan Hartnett 5:00 p.m. – Fr. Dan Hartnett Sunday, December 24, 2023 9:00 a.m. – Fr. Bob Oldershaw (English Mass) *Deacon Preaching Christmas Eve and Christmas DayWe are celebrating the Nativity of the Lord.
Presiders: St. Nicholas Sunday, December 24, 2023 3:00 p.m. – Fr. Jim Halstead / *Chris Murphy (Family Mass) 5:00 p.m. – Fr. José Manuel (Misa en español) 10:00 p.m. – Fr. Jean-Philippe Monday, December 25, 2023 10:30 a.m. – Fr. José Manuel St. Mary Sunday, December 24, 2023 4:30 p.m. – Fr. Jean-Philippe (Family Mass) 9:00 p.m. – Fr. José Manuel Monday, December 25, 2023 10:00 a.m. – Fr. Jean-Philippe 12:00 p.m. (French) – Fr. Jean-Philippe *Deacon Preaching |
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