Historic St. James at Sag Bridge Church 10600 S. Archer Avenue | Lemont, Illinois 60439-9344 | (Ph) 630.257.7000 | (Fx) 630.257.7912

Email: stjames1833@att.net | Website: www.historicstjames.org Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Saint James At Sag Bridge

Mass Schedule WEEKENDS: Saturdays: 5:00pm Sundays: 8:00, 9:30 & 11:30am

HOLY DAYS: 8:15am & 7:00pm

WEEKDAYS: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 8:15am & Fridays 6:00pm

WEDNESDAY: Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at 5:00-7:00pm, w/Confessions at 6:30pm & Mass at 7:00pm.

CONFESSION SCHEDULE: Wednesdays 6:00-7:00pm & Saturdays 9:30-10:15am Otherwise by appointment

BAPTISMS, WEDDINGS & FUNERALS: Contact the rectory office at (630.257.7000).

SICK & HOMEBOUND PASTORAL CARE: Please notify rectory.

RECTORY OFFICE HOURS:

Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Fri: 9:30am to 1:00pm.

CLERGY: Fr. Tom Koys, Pastor Fr. Edward Gleeson, Pastor Emeritus Fr. Robert Coleman, Resident Deacon John Wilkinson, C.K.M. Deacon Doug Szarzynski

The Dow Family

PanCake Breakfast Returns Sunday, Jan 14, 2018

After All the Sunday Masses In Sag Hall.

& Family Superbowl Party on Sunday, Feb 4, 2018.

**************************** NEW YEAR’S VIGIL MASS SUN, DEC 31st — 9:00 PM *************************** NEW YEAR’S DAY 2018 MON, JAN 1ST— 10:00AM & 12-NOON

December 31, 2017 The Holy Family

St. James

PLEASE JOIN US

Page Two December 31, 2017

FROM THE DESK OF THE PASTOR, FR. THOMAS KOYS, M.A.,S.T.L.

In an issue of La voce del popolo (diocese of Brescia) theologians of the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognized a mira-cle attributed to the intercession of Pope Montini, aka: Pope Paul VI. The miracle regards the birth of a girl from Verona called Amanda, who in 2014 had survived for months despite the fact the placenta was broken. “Rumors are so in-sistent and the next steps so fast to take, that everything indicates 2018 as Blessed Paul VI’s canonization year”. The miracle was the healing of a fetus in prenatal age in 2014. The expectant mother native from Verona, at risk of miscarriage, a few days after the beatification of Montini in Brescia, went to the Sanctuary “delle Grazie”, to pray to the newly beatified Pope. Subse-quently, a child in good health was born. Indeed, sooner or later, in 2018 Paul VI will be Saint! We praise the Lord to Whom we entrust the year that will come”.

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRIST-MAS,WHERE HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE FROM PLASTER AND STONE. I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, STRANGE SIGHTS I DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY THE MANTLE, BUT BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS, BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT CAME TO MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I SAW CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR OF HIS MODEST HOME.

HIS FACE WAS GENTLE, THE ROOM IN DISORDER, NOT QUITE THE PICTURE A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS A HERO OF WHOM I HAD READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR HIS BED?

ALL OF THE FAMILIES I VISIT THIS NIGHT, OWE THEIR LIVES TO THIS SOLDIER SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON, ROUND THE WORLD, CHILDREN WILL PLAY, WITH PARENTS TO CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

ALL ENJOY FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIER, LIKE THE ONE SLEEPING HERE.

I COULD ONLY WONDER HOW MANY MORE LAY ALONE, ON THIS COLD CHRISTMAS EVE SO FAR FROM THEIR HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE, DROPPING TO MY KNEES I BEGAN TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER, AROUSED, I HEARD HIS ROUGH VOICE, SANTA, DON'T CRY, THIS DAY IS MY CHOICE.

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL AS WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE NIGHT'S WINTER CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, "CARRY ON, SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.

This Poem Was Written By A U.S. Marine

I would like to take a moment to thank you and your parishioners for the munificent donations you have provided to the children and families of George T. Wilkins Elementary. During this joyful season of giving, please know our deep appreciation and gratitude will be felt all year long. As we teach our students many important lessons each day, it is the lesson of caring, compassion and generosity that you have shared, that I know they will cherish as they grow into fine young members of our community. Please accept this letter as both an ex-pression of our gratitude and an offering of warm wishes for this joyous season.

Robert A. Serdar, Principal

Our Weekly Offertory collection from the weekend of December 24th was $5,603.00. The

Christmas collection was $13,697.00.The number of envelopes collected was 102.

OUR MANY THANKS TO OUR REGISTERED FAMILIES USING ENVELOPES & THE CASH-AND-CARRY FOLKS.

Our CHURCH CLEANERS FOR FRIDAY –1/05/18 Are Diane, Sandy, Bronislawa & volunteer. If you are

interested in volunteering, please contact the rectory office at 630.257.7000.

The Epiphany of the Lord 1/06-1/07/18

Celebrant

Altar

Servers

Lectors

8:00 AM Fr. Tom Koys

J. Beecher J. Beecher S. & O. Carver

C. Slowik

9:30 AM Fr. Edward Gleeson

N. Akroush A. Bertucci B. Zabilka

P. Brunk

11:30 AM Fr. Tom Koys

G. & D. Estrada E. & L. Glenn J. Jacobek

G. Imbarrato

5:00 PM Fr. Tom Koys

Ramirez Ramirez Ramirez

B. Granat

VOTIVE OFFERINGS FORTHE WEEK OF 12/10/17 St. James Altar & Rosary Society Get Well Karyn Cimaroli Special int. for the Gurski Family In Memory of Lillian Simanavicius Return to Good Health ~ Jim & Rita Wall

Our beautiful bouquets of Christmas flowers surrounding our altar were made available

by the generosity of the PARISHIONERS OF ST. JAMES

The Holy Family Page Three

CELEBRATING THEIR FIRST WHITE HOUSE CHRISTMAS: OBAMA & TRUMP

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on White House celebrations: There could not be a greater difference between President Barack Obama’s first White House Christmas and President Donald Trump’s. Obama did not believe in exchanging Christmas gifts with his family; Trump does so lavishly. The cover story of the July 23, 2008 edition of People mag-azine set the tone for how presidential candidate Obama would celebrate Christmas, if elected. Here is what it said. “The kids receive no birthday or Christmas presents from Mom and Dad, who spend ‘hundreds’ on birthday slumber parties….” Trump’s first White House Christmas has the imprint of Melania Trump: she turned several rooms into a colorful display of epic proportions. The theme “Time-Honored Traditions” included more than 18,000 feet of lights, 3,100 yards of ribbon, 12,000 orna-ments and 53 Christmas trees. Most spectacular is the hall-way of the East Colonnade: it is decorated like a winter wonderland of twinkling wintery branches. There is also a grand nativity scene in the East Room, and a stunning trib-ute to the armed forces in the East Wing. Obama’s first White House Christmas was embroiled in controversy from the beginning. The following is from a news story in the New York Times published on December 7, 2009. “When former social secretaries gave a luncheon to wel-come Ms. [Desirée] Rogers earlier this year, one participant said, she surprised them by suggesting the Obamas were planning a ‘non-religious Christmas….’ “The lunch conversation inevitably turned to whether the White House would display its crèche, customarily placed in a prominent spot in the East Room. Ms. Rogers, this partici-pant said, replied that the Obamas did not intend to put the manger scene on display—a remark that drew an audible gasp from the tight-knit social secretary sisterhood.” When the reporter, Sheryl Gay Stolberg, asked the White House for clarification, she was told that “there had been internal discussions about making Christmas more inclusive and whether to display the crèche.” After creating this polarizing moment, a nativity scene was reluctantly displayed. But this didn’t end the controversy. Genocidal maniac Mao Zedong, who was responsible for the deaths of 77 million Chinese people, was celebrated by the Obama White House: his picture adorned a Christmas tree ornament. Various drag queens were also honored. There have been no reports of Trump honoring Stalin or sexual deviants.

Merry Christmas from the Catholic League.

SANCTUARY OF LIFE This weekend we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family. Though he was conceived of a virgin, Jesus nevertheless lived as a son in a human family -- a family which points the way for the rest of us. The family is the sanctuary of life. There can be no life without family, and there can be no family without life. The family, above all, is where life is to be welcomed, no matter how fragile or in-convenient it may be. One of the many reasons why the Pope and bishops identify abortion and euthanasia as pre-eminent issues is because these crimes are committed by one family member upon another. May the Holy Family lead us to a Culture of Life!

The beginning of a new calendar year brings us a special joy and hope. It is a reminder that time is a gift of God, given to us from His eternity, for us to use to prepare for eternity. The pass-ing of each year and each day is meant to be an exchange with God: He gives us time, and we give our days and years back to Him in service and love, bringing as much good as possible into the world and into the lives of others. The New Year is an oppor-tunity to resolve, above all, to serve God faithfully: to believe more firmly, to hope more ardently, to love more generously. That is what makes a new year “happy,” and that is what leads us to the happiness that never ends.

ST. CLEUS HONOR ROLL FOR THE FIRST TRIMESTER Congratulations to the following students who earned their place on the Honor Roll! HIGH HONORS: Grade 7: JENNA BATTISTA, ANGELINA BECHIR, ELISABETH BRAUN, MOLLY BURKE, AVA CALDERON, SAMANTHA CHOPP, RYAN CLIFFORD, PATRICK CRAMER, GABRIELLA ESTRADA, SERENA GARZA, GRAHAM GILSDORF, KEVIN JACOBS, GRACE KOZIOL, KATHRYN LAZICH, JACK MAGEE, MEGAN MYERS, ANNE PETRAK, LAUREN SCHINKER, MARC SKRIP, KAELYN SLOAN, MAUREEN STAELGRAEVE, DAMIAN SZAFLARSKI, MATTHEW UPHUES, & WILLIAM WANGARD

MONDAY JANUARY 1ST – NEW YEARS DAY 10:00 AM Dr. Francis & Mrs. Dolores Dwan 12-NOON Blessing & Thanksgiving for Corradi–Helm Families

TUESDAY JANUARY 2ND – SS. BASIL THE GREAT & GREGORY NAZIANZEN 8:15 AM For the Reparation & Consecration to Jesus through Mary & 8th Wedding Anniversary ~ JC & Brandie Hootsell

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 3RD – HOLY NAME OF JESUS 7:00 PM For the Reparation & Consecration to Jesus through Mary

THURSDAY JANUARY 4TH – ST. ELIZABETH SEATON 8:15 AM Patricia Carpino

FRIDAY JANUARY 5TH– ST. JOHN NEUMANN 6:00 PM Robert Smuksta

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD SATURDAY JANUARY 6TH– ST. ANDRÉ BESSETTE 5:00 PM For the Reparation & Consecration to Jesus through Mary & Caroline Sadlek SUNDAY JANUARY 7TH 8:00 AM Helen T. Wagner 9:30 AM Richard Meister 11:30 AM Stephen R. Bozec, Sr.

NEW YEARS EVE VIGIL 12/31/17

Celebrant

Altar Servers

Lectors

9:00 PM Fr. Tom Koys

Lawler Lawler Zabilka

R. Augustyn

10:00 AM Fr. Tom Koys

S. & O. Carver Dillenburg Dillenburg

C. Stach-Pearman

12-NOON Fr. Tom Koys

N. Akroush J.P. Colarelli M. Colarelli

J. DeRoche

NEW YEARS DAY 1/01/18

2018

Thank You Lord