Dear parishioners and friends of St. Therese Chinese Parish,

Greetings of Christ’s Peace and Joy! Hope you all had a blessed week.

THANK YOU

Thank you to those who helped to put the dying flowers away and to clean the sanctuary last Sunday. Thank you Tony Lin and Eric Chan for fixing the door lock of our Community Room and for installing the mirror for the rectory. Thank you Sheila for ordering the blinds for the rectory, and Henry Chan and Edy Gunawan for installing them. Thank you to all who came to the meetings this past week—Finance Meeting on Monday, the Preservation Fund Ad Hoc meeting on Tuesday, and the PPC meeting on Wednesday. Special thanks to those who made it to all three productive meetings. I am amazed by your enthusiasm, creativity, dedication, and commitment. Your generosity with your time and talents, your active involvement and participation in our parish life encourage me to try my best to do my part.

HOSPITALITY

The virtue of hospitality is praised throughout the Bible. It is being practiced by people of all cultures. It is highly appreciated by businesses and faith-communities as well as individuals. Having someone meet us, smile at us, reach out a hand, and say a word of greeting makes us feel at ease and welcomed. So there are greeters at restaurants, theaters, airports, hotels… and churches.

Wouldn’t you like to see a smiling face at the entrance of the church when you come to worship on Sundays? Wouldn’t you like to have somebody at the door of the church to welcome you and to answer your questions? Wouldn’t you like to spend some time in our Community Room after Mass to mingle and socialize with your fellow parishioners while enjoying a meal or some snacks?

The parish Hospitality Committee will meet this Sunday Aug. 29th after the 9:30 A.M. Mass in our Santa Maria Room to discuss new ways of welcoming our regular parishioners, newly registered members, and visitors. This is not work. This is a MINISTRY. It is about serving and welcoming others. We, the people of faith, believe that the center of Christian hospitality is the service of one to another. In serving and being served, we make Christ visible and we experience Christ’s presence in our lives and in the lives of the people we encounter. I ask you to seriously consider this ministry, for it will make a difference in our Sunday gatherings. All individual adults and families who are cheerful, caring, loving, friendly, and outgoing are qualified. We need new members to join. If you are not sure about this ministry, please come to the meeting and find out more.

PARISH ASSEMBLY

Our Annual Parish Assembly is scheduled for September 18, 2010 from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the Carmelite Spiritual Center (Shrine of St. Therese) in Darien, IL. All parishioners are invited to attend. There is no cost on your part. Breakfast and lunch is provided complimentary by the parish. It is promised to be a day filled with “Playing, Praying, and Planning.” Wendy Sin (PPC Chairperson) will be our facilitator. The day will include breakfast, morning prayer, ice-breakers, presentations, Mass, lunch, discussions, and free time to walk around the place, enjoy the prayerful atmosphere, and shop at the gift shop. We will discuss on what matters most to us collectively as a community of faith—topics, such as Evangelization, Hospitality, Parish Mission Statement, and etc. I want to hear from you. Together, we can make some practical and achievable plans for the coming year. So reserve the date and plan to join us for our Parish Assembly. If you decide to attend, please sign up ASAP on the sign-up sheet at the main entrance of our church. If you need a ride, please also indicate this on the sign-up sheet. Let us pray for a spiritually and socially fruitful and uplifting parish gathering.

THE WORD

Last Sunday, we were invited to seek the narrow gate and to enter through it. The narrow door demands our responsibility, commitment, faithfulness, and discipline. Today’s readings remind us of the significance of the virtues of humility and generosity. They challenge us to be humble and to be compassionate. We practice humility because of the awesomeness and power of God. We show compassion to “the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind” because we too need love from others and God and because God loved us first through Jesus’ death and resurrection. So as we go through this week, let us ask ourselves: in what ways can we cultivate more the virtues of humility and generosity?

Have a peaceful and joyful Sunday and week.

Fr. Francis

+ St. Therese Church “Preservation Fund” and “Matching Contribution” $16,680 raised so far! (Target: $25,000 by 10/31/10)

As communicated previously, to preserve our beautiful church, we have established the St. Therese Church Preservation Fund with a funds target of $50,000. We have a generous donor who will match the funds that we raise between July 1, 2010 and October 31, 2010, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000.

As of August 3, 2010, we are at the $16,680 mark, versus the $25,000 target!

We need YOUR help to raise the remaining $8,320, so we can benefit fully the $25,000 matching contribution from the donor!

Let’s pull out all the stops to raise the funds! The fundraising committee will recruit helpers to organize various activities to reach out beyond this parish. Please be supportive when you are requested to assist this important initiative!

Thanks in advance!!

You can also make contribution online :

+ No Morning Mass on September 18, 2010

Due to the Parish Assembly, the 7:45 A.M. Morning Mass will be cancelled.

+ Cantonese Mass

This will be held on September 5, 2010 at 9:30 A.M. There will be a reception in the Community Room after Mass. All are welcome to attend!

+ Donations Now Accepted Online

Our parish is now able to accept donations online through PayPal. Please visit our church website at http://www.sttheresechinatown.org/church_home.html or in this page and you will see the yellow “DONATE” button at the bottom of the page.

+ Does your company match donations?

Remember to check if your company matches donations - your gift could be multiplied!

+ Mandarin Mass Reinstated

Our church will start to offer monthly Mandarin Masses again. The first Mass will be held at 11:00 A.M. on September 26th. During that Mass, we will also celebrate the Baptism of Yang Bo Bo. Mass will be followed by a reception in the Community Room. Please invite your Mandarin-speaking friends!

+ SMI Masses In Honor of Our Lady

To celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there will be Mass at 7:00 P.M. on September 8, 2010. The SMI Solemn Mass to celebrate the Feast Day of Mary will be held at 11:00 A.M. on September 12, 2010.

+ St Therese Candlelight Bowling Night!

Members of the St. Therese Parish Council are currently finalizing details for a candlelight bowling night on Saturday, October 23, 2010. The event will include 2 games of alternate bowling with a partner and 1 “CRAZY” game. Pizza and soda along with lots of laughs will also be included. Additional details will be provided when available.

+ Recent Updates About Chinatown

The building and location of a new Chinatown library and a park field house in our community is currently under great discussion. A Chinatown Legal Clinic located at the Chinese American Service League was recently founded to help serve our community. The Census provided a rough estimate that 25% of families living in Chinatown had a household income below the poverty line.

+ Young Adult Outreach Coordinator Position Opening

“After nearly seven years of volunteering and working for the Respect Life Office, it is with great joy that I share with you that I will be resigning, effective August 31st, to enter Religious Life! It has been a gift to work with and serve so many of you, your families, children, campuses, and communities. You can learn more about the community that I am joining and my ‘race’ toward religious life online at www.TheNunRun.com. If you are free on September 9th, join me for a special benefit concert to support the Franciscan Community at the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels, of which I am a part. Details at www.olabenefitconcert.eventbrite.org. If you or someone you know is passionate about working with college students and young adults to serve the Culture of Life, please encourage them to apply for this position. More information can be found online at http://www.archchicago.org/Employment/Details.aspx?JONumber=107. May God bless you and Our Lady intercede for you always!” ~ Alicia

+ Prayer Requests

Please pray for the safety of our community residents, wisdom and guidance for community leaders, the families in our community who are living in poverty, the domestic violence and taboo family problems within homes, and Sabrina and her youth volunteers.

+ Quote of the Day

“To welcome the stranger is to acknowledge him as a human being made in God’s image;
it is to treat her as one of equal worth with ourselves
- indeed, as one who may teach us something out of
the richness of experiences different from our own.”
— Ana Maria Pineda

+ Please remember in your prayers those who are ill, hospitalized, and homebound...

+ CCD Registration forms are located in the main entrance of the church or online

+ Auto Pay

+ A Message from The Parish Finance Council

+ The Banquet of the Lamb

+ What Is Scrupulosity?

+ RCIA- The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults

+ Monies: