Ministries
Stewardship of Ministry focuses on service and the responsibility each one of us has to use our time and talents to build the Body of Christ. Stewardship of Ministry sign up offers parishioners the opportunity to make a very special commitment to the Lord and our fellow parishioners. During this year’s Stewardship of Ministry sign up, it is important that we ask ourselves not “Should I serve?” but rather, “Where does the Lord want me to serve?”
The sharing of our time and talents for the good of our parish family is a great gift of stewardship. This sharing is also an opportunity to learn new skills, make friendships, and lay groundwork for the future of the parish.
Worship
The Eucharist is the center of our spiritual and community life
Adult Choir – Parishioners who harmoniously praise the Lord through song at liturgies and special times throughout the year
Adult Servers – Parishioners who volunteer to serve at funerals and at selected Masses as needed
Altar Servers – Assist the priests at Mass, at weddings, and at special liturgies during the year. Boys and girls in fifth grade and above are welcome to participate
Cantors – Parishioners with musical talents who joyfully lead the congregation in prayer-filled song
Eucharistic Ministers – Assist in the distribution of the Body and Blood of Christ. They are trained in the theology of the Eucharist and receive official mandates for the Chicago Archdiocese
Guitar Group – Parishioners with vocal and instrumental talents who joyfully lead the congregation in prayer-filled song
Lectors – Enhance the Liturgy of the Word by reverently proclaiming the Scriptures to the assembly. A training program assists the lector to reveal faith through a simple, natural delivery of the Word
Queen of Peace Prayer Group – Joins in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament each Tuesday evening. The participants offer prayers of adoration, thanksgiving and petition to the Lord. They incorporate various Marian and other devotional prayers and songs into their hour of prayer.
RCIA – The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process developed by the Catholic Church for prospective converts to Catholicism who are above the age of infant baptism.
Ushers – Parishioners who provide an atmosphere of welcoming and whose ministry facilitates the smooth movement of the liturgy
Community Life
Coordinates organizations that foster spiritual, educational and social development of its members
SH CCW – The Sacred Heart Council of Catholic Women promotes spiritual growth and provides opportunities for many corporal and charitable works. Membership is open to all women of the parish. Volunteers from CCW also serve as Handmaids of the Altar, caring for the vessels, linens and other items used in daily worship.
Meetings are held monthly, currently on the third Tuesday evening.
Holy Name – The Holy Name Society is a religious and social organization whose roots date back to 1274 A.D. The purpose of this organization is to love and respect the Holy Name of God and of Jesus in prayer, words and deeds, both in private and in public. Membership is open to all men of the parish.
The Holy Name Society, in conjunction with the CCW, co-sponsor various events throughout the year.
Meetings of the Holy Name are held monthly, currently on the third Monday evening.
Fun Club – The purpose of the Fun Club is to provide opportunities for senior citizens of our parish to socialize and become better acquainted through activities of mutual interest. Individual members are to be 62 years of age, or couples must have at least one spouse who is 62 or older.
Meetings of the Fun Club are ordinarily held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month, starting at noon. Field trips are offered frequently in addition to the meetings.
Knights of Columbus (Council 17253) – We are Catholic men who lead, serve, protect and defend. We share a desire to be better husbands, fathers, sons, neighbors and role models and to put charity and community first.
Polish Club
Welcome Committee – The spirit of Sacred Heart Parish is the one that emanates from every person who enters here — long-standing members, new families and visitors. Our Welcome Committee consists of a group of individuals who gather regularly to help animate and support this spirit.
Bingo – The Holy Name Society sponsors Bingo each Thursday evening. This activity provides not only a means of entertainment and socialization for parishioners and neighbors, but also contributes greatly to the parish operating revenue. It takes many hands to prepare and conduct an evening of Bingo. New volunteers are encouraged to speak with a Bingo worker for details.
Education
Oversees all parish educational activities to facilitate growth in our Catholic faith
Baptismal Preparation – All parents who are preparing to welcome a child into the church through Baptism are required to participate in a Baptismal Preparation class. (Godparents are also welcome to participate.) The class provides information emphasizing the importance of the first sacrament and outlining the process for the baptismal ceremony.
Baptismal Preparation classes currently are held monthly on the last Tuesday evening.
Elementary Religious Education – The Religious Education program is for children in 1st through 8th grades who attend public school. Classes are held weekly on Mondays or Wednesdays. Students are prepared for the sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. They are also instructed in the many aspects of the Catholic faith — Scripture, church teachings, prayer, spirituality and personal and social responsibility. (Class Schedule 2013-2014)
Youth Ministry – Students in junior high and high school are provided opportunities to grow spiritually, personally and socially. Leadership skills are promoted; social service is encouraged. Young people of Sacred Heart gather frequently to participate in many activities for fun and personal development.
Adult Education – Adult religious education programs are offered to fill the ongoing faith development and Christian living needs of Sacred Heart adult parishioners. Various topics are introduced regularly through the sponsorship of our own religious education office, as well as from the Vicariate V Ministry Commission, other parishes and nearby Moraine Valley Community College and Saint Xavier University.
Human Concerns
Coordinates parish outreach and assistance programs
Domestic Violence Outreach – The mission of the Sacred Heart Domestic Violence Outreach Ministry is to promote awareness, provide support, guidance, counseling and education for the prevention of domestic violence through community resources, advocacy and outreach programs that will empower survivors to have the confidence to regain control of their lives. Directory of Resources
Fair Trade Ministry –
Ministry of Care – Trained and mandated parishioners bring Holy Communion and the prayers of the parish community to the home bound and to parishioners in nursing homes. Ministers of Care also make pastoral visits to parishioners in the local area hospitals.
Ministry of Consolation/Bereavement Ministry – It is our mission to provide assistance in establishing and maintaining
support to the bereaved, the caregiver, and the professional.
Ministry of Praise – Parishioners, many of whom are home bound, commit themselves to offer their prayers, works, and sufferings to God for the well being of others and for the needs of the parish and the universal Church.
Nursing Home Visitors – Make pastoral visits to the local nursing homes, bring the prayers and best wishes of the parish to the residents. At some homes they conduct Communion and prayer services.
Prayer Shawl Ministry – The Sacred Heart Prayer Shawl Ministry is dearly blessed with many hands doing God’s Work.
For centuries shawls have been symbols of embracing one another to show love, give comfort, shelter and solace. Do you know someone who is ill, undergoing tests, receiving chemotherapy, radiation, dialysis, suffering from depression, chronically ill, terminally ill or suffering the loss of a loved one? These are exactly the individuals who can benefit from receiving a shawl made by women of the parish. Whoever receives a shawl will know that the individual who made it is praying for them.
Please call the parish office for more information on how to obtain a shawl at 708-974-3336 X 6 and leave your name and phone number. There is no cost for the shawls.
We meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month, at 9:30 a.m., in the Ministry Center.
Psalm 139: 13-14 You created every part of me knitting me in my mother’s womb. For such handiwork I praise you. Awesome is this great wonder.
The Sacred Heart Prayer Shawl Ministry is part of the National Prayer Shawl Ministry.
Respect Life – The mission of Sacred Heart Church’s Respect Life Ministry is to promote awareness in our parish and community that human life is a gift from God and is worthy of respect and protection at all stages from conception to natural death. With the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pastoral Plan for Pro-life activities as our guide, we promote advocacy and outreach through Prayer, Education, Public Policy and Pastoral Care, and provide support, guidance and counseling through community resources. Respect Life Directory
Sharing Parish – We provide nutrition to society’s most vulnerable by conducting monthly food drives to support the food pantry in our area.
St. Vincent de Paul Society – An international voluntary organization in the Catholic Church, founded in 1833 for the sanctification of its members by personal service of the poor.
