On That Day!
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28th Sunday of Ordinary Time
On That Day!
“On that day”, the prophet Isaiah proclaims, “it will be said: this is our God, we looked to him, and he saved us” (Isaiah 25:9a). This is an oracle of hope, a message to bring encouragement in a dark and desolate time of displacement and exile. On that day! That day is coming, the prophet reminds the people of God. Take courage; have hope that things will get better. The Lord is still moving; the Lord is still working; the Lord isn’t finished yet. His mighty right hand will rest upon you. In other words, “Do not fear; I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand (Isaiah 41:10).
As the baptized People of God, St. Francis de Sales parish continues to be bold and inspired in proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. Through our baptismal call and common priesthood, we are co-workers with Christ in being prophets of the 21st century – heralds of the Gospel and spokespersons for God. On this day – that is, in our current time – the mode and media used for evangelization has evolved and developed. Now, we are capable of sharing the Word of God and promote Mission effectiveness through the world wide web. Speaking of the internet as a tool for evangelization, I am pleased to announce that our newly designed parish website, with optimized features and advanced capabilities to tell our story and communicate important information, is on schedule to be launched this Advent! Under the direction of Katie McGlauchlin, our new parish website will remain at the forefront of social media engagement, extending and expanding the scope of how we can invite people to “come and see”. I am incredibly grateful to Katie for the exceptional work she has been doing on this project; her leadership, vision and expertise is remarkable. In addition, this Sunday our videographer will be filming for the new website on-campus. He will also be recording and taking photos at the 9am Mass. I look forward to sharing more information about our website in the near future.
With regard to announcements, I am happy to share a message from Charlie Grund, a St. Francis School alum and current Lake Zurich High School senior! Almost two weeks ago, Charlie reached out with an idea to help young people in need, motivated by the call to give back and witness to faith in action. This was the genesis of his Halloween drive initiative. In what follows, please find Charlie’s note to parishioners of St. Francis de Sales:
My name is Charlie Grund, and I am a senior at Lake Zurich High School. This Halloween, I am organizing a Halloween Costume Drive through our church and school community from October 4-16 to help provide costumes for children and families in need.
I was inspired to start this drive because I believe that small acts of generosity within our community can make a meaningful difference. A costume that may no longer be needed by one family could bring an entire Halloween experience to another child.
I am asking parishioners to donate new or gently used Halloween costumes and costume accessories suitable for children. All donations will be collected and distributed to children and families in need. There is a blue Halloween costume collection bin located in the church Gathering Space.
If you have a costume that your child has outgrown or that is no longer being used, please consider donating it rather than letting it sit unused. Every donation, big or small, can help put a smile on a child's face this Halloween. Thank you for helping make our community a place where everyone can experience the joy of the season. I am grateful for your generosity and support of this effort.
Thank you,
Charlie Grund
YAM Announcement!
I am also delighted to announce the launching of a new Young Adult Ministry (YAM) that will fall under the department of Evangelization and Lifelong Faith Formation, directed by Pam Lynch. This parish-sponsored outreach ministry will engage young adults from ages 19 to 39, fostering community, discipleship, and witness. Hearing the needs of our young adults and responding to them through parish support will further support Mission effectiveness. More information will be forthcoming, including key ministry contacts.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. Christian Shiu
Administrator
2026 Season Jubilee Garden Team