Come, and You Will See

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25th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Come, and You Will See

In John’s account of the calling of the first disciples, we find a truly transformative invitation. It is an invitation from the Lord. With the accompaniment of John the Baptist, Andrew (Simon Peter’s brother) and another unnamed disciple run up to see this “Lamb of God.” Upon meeting Jesus, the Lord poses a question to them: what are you looking for? They say in reply: where are you staying? Not a bad question at all! To that, Jesus responds, “Come, and you will see” (John 1:39). The disciples stayed with him that day. They had made their first assent of faith by responding yes to Jesus’s invitation.

Recently, I received an invitation to come and see the Barrington Biz Builders guest day meeting. The Biz Builders is “a local chapter of AmSpirit Business Connections that brings together business owners, community leaders, and professionals who are interested in building meaningful relationships, sharing referrals, and supporting one another’s businesses and organizations.” Within this forum, I was able to share with local businesses and community leaders a bit about who we are as St. Francis de Sales and what we do: our mission is Christ, and we are called to build disciples to make disciples while living a life of service modeled after Jesus. After the meeting, I got to speak with several stakeholders who expressed their support of St. Francis de Sales, especially as we work together to promote the dignity of the person and common good. I received another invitation for this past Wednesday, in which I attended the “Taxing Bodies Town Hall Forum” hosted at the Ela Area Public Library. At this event, I was able to meet local county and village officials, including the Superintendent of Lake Zurich School District 95, Dr. Kelley Gallt. Invitations are transformative; they present new opportunities; they allow for an encounter! I am so grateful to have been invited to attend these local events.

In reflecting on the gift of invitations, the opportunity to come and see, I would like to personally invite you to attend the Fall Scripture Study: Biblical Call Stories at the St. Francis de Sales Ministry Center! Having started on Wednesday, 16 September at 7pm, and meeting each week, I will lead us in an exploration of some of the timeless call stories from the Old and New Testament. Our essential question is this: How does the study of Scriptural call stories impact or shape how I understand God’s call in my life? Come and see, and know that God is absolutely involved and active in your life, still calling you to go out into the deep (c.f. Luke 5:4). In addition, please save the date as I would like to extend an invitation to our future Advent Night of Renewal! Entitled “Be Not Afraid: You are God’s Favored One”, this inspiring presentation will take place at St. Francis de Sales on 15 December from 7pm - 9pm. Led by Becca Siar (Director of Retreat Ministry and Liaison for Young Adult Ministry, Archdiocese of Chicago) and Fr. Bradley Zamora (Chaplain and Director, Northwestern University, Evanston), all are welcome to come and see what will be an evening of grace. Please know you are blessed and chosen by God, for we are the Lord’s!

Wishing you God’s peace and everything good, I remain – Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Christian Shiu
Administrator

We are the Lord’s

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24th Sunday of Ordinary Time

We are the Lord’s

“For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8). These words of St. Paul are poignant and powerful.

The motto for Carmel Catholic High School is Belong, Believe, Become. I’m very fond of that slogan. There’s great spiritual breadth and depth to such a maxim. In the life of missionary discipleship, the journey starts with belonging. Before the catechesis and training, before identifying goals and benchmarks, before trying to reach the next level, the Christian first starts with a sense of belonging. It is in knowing that I have friendship with Christ, I am in relationship with the Lord, I belong to Him that makes all the difference and changes everything. If I know that my identity stems from Christ, if I know who I am and whose I am, then I will be able to believe: to grow in faith, knowledge and wisdom, and therefore become all that God calls me to be as I put my faith into action.

St. Paul teaches that, simply put, we belong to God! Our living and our dying, our entire existence and every aspect of it therein, everything belongs to Christ our Lord, and it is God who we ultimately answer to – since we belong to him. That’s the Good News! At St. Francis de Sales, my motto can very well be: “We are the Lord’s.” Here, as members of the Church, the Body of Christ, we are proud to profess the lordship of Jesus Christ over every aspect and dimension of our lives, our being, our parish. To God be the glory.

“We are the Lord’s.” As one family in Christ, belonging to the one Lord, indeed we, too, celebrate its members. In the words of St. Paul: “if one part [of the body] is honored, all the parts share its joy” (1 Corinthians 12:26b).

Just over a week ago, on September 1st, Fr. Gerald Walsh joined our parish community as the Associate Pastor.

I am delighted to have Fr. Gerald here. I have known him for over 10 years and he is an exceptional priest who indeed witnesses to the truth that we belong to God, and God loves us. Since arriving, he has spent time meeting parishioners and families, parish staff and school faculty, and visiting the sick to celebrate the Sacraments. In addition, Fr. Gerald has been engaged with our school community, greeting students and encouraging them on their journey of faith. Please join me in welcoming Fr. Gerald and keeping him in our prayers. I know he looks forward to serving at St. Francis de Sales, helping us to grow in our relationship with God.

Another cause for joy is that a member of our very own parish community has entered the seminary system for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Andrew Kowalski is from St. Francis de Sales parish, receiving his Sacraments here. Currently, he is in the Propaedeutic or Spirituality Year, the year of discernment made prior to entering into philosophical and theological studies at Mundelein Seminary. As a part of this formation stage, Andrew resides at the Bishop Quarter House located right next to Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago. There, Andrew is able to focus on the human and spiritual foundations of his vocation, within the framework of having intentional community and a consistent rhythm of prayer. When Andrew has a free weekend or is back in town during a semester break, he looks forward to worshiping with us at his home parish. Please keep Andrew as well as our Teaching Parish assigned seminarians (Alex, Ben and Will) in your prayers.

Wishing you God’s peace and everything good; we are the Lord’s –

Fr. Christian Shiu
Administrator

Where Two or Three are Gathered

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23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Condition of Discipleship

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). These words of Jesus within the context of dealing with one who sins communicates the Lord’s presence and nearness to the established structure of the Church. When the Church administrates collectively in the name and authority of Christ, He is there in the midst of them. This concept of “collectively” or in other words, togetherness is crucial to our understanding of ecclesiology. The Church is “One”, founded on Christ. In the words of St. Paul: “[strive] to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace, one body and one Spirit … one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4:3-6). Therefore, in many ways, and as church father St. Cyprian of Carthage once suggested, the actual presence of Christ is contingent upon authentic unity among the members of the one body of Christ.

The Eucharist that we celebrate here at St. Francis de Sales indeed is the sacrament of unity and bond of charity. Where two or three gather in Jesus’s name, he is Really Present in the midst of them. In fact, we become what we receive: the Lord Jesus is truly in us, and the power of the Holy Spirit – a protagonist in how this miracle occurs on the altar – binds and connects all of us together in the one Christ. We have deep spiritual union with Jesus and communion with every other member of the Body of Christ who has also received the Risen Lord in the Eucharist.

A parish is defined as a stable community of Christian faithful who gather regularly to celebrate the Sacraments, finding the source and summit of worship in the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. This makes us one: for what we have in common, most importantly, is the living communal witness of our faith in Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life.

We are blessed to welcome three seminarians into our shared experience of faith at St. Francis de Sales. Alex Klein (Diocese of Wichita), Benjamin Wemhoff (Diocese of Wichita), and William Jordan (Archdiocese of Chicago) began their assignment with us this past weekend, attending and acolyting the 9am Mass. They will continue to celebrate Sunday Mass with us, rotating Mass times and being present to meet and greet parishioners before and after Mass. In addition, for their Fall semester, Alex and Will will take on Youth Ministry, working under the direction of Diana Arizmendi. Ben will serve in the Religious Education Program under the direction of Mimi McGlauchlin. All three of them will occasionally visit our parish school and do ministry there, such as teaching a Religion class or giving a presentation to students. Additionally, Alex, Ben and Will will undertake some minister of care opportunities as well as preside at a Communion Service at our neighboring assisted living facilities. They will also attend a finance council and evangelization team meeting, and engage in other ministerial opportunities as well as special parish and school events. In terms of the length of their assignment, the vision of the Tolton Teaching Parish Program is that the seminarian remains at the same parish over the course of their formation, until they are ordained. This is a unique feature of the program, allowing the seminarian to develop continuity of relationships over the course of multiple years. I know we will be blessed by their witness of faith and ministry and for what they will also teach us. I am grateful to parish staff (and parishioners who will be asked in the future) for serving as mentors to our seminarians. Please continue to pray for Alex, Ben and Will, and count on their prayers for us!

Wishing you God’s peace and everything good, I remain –
Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Christian Shiu
Administrator

The Condition of Discipleship | The Coffee Challenge! ☕️

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22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

The Condition of Discipleship

“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Jesus explains that the primary condition of discipleship entails giving up control, letting go, and surrendering to the Lord in a way that allows God’s will to be done in us. Mary is the perfect example and therefore first true disciple of this paradigm. Think back to the scene of the Annunciation. Mary proclaims: “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). In letting go of worldly goods and living life as a “holy sacrifice” unto God, we are then able to follow – to find deep union with Christ. I’d like to focus on the understanding of taking up one’s cross. While the obvious implication is having to navigate the trials or hardships of life with faith and trust in God, another more subtle connotation is the concept of duty and sacrifice. Stewardship comes to mind. As we have concluded the 2025-2026 fiscal year on 30 June, just prior to my arrival, I have been reviewing our parish’s financial health with the Finance Council. At this time, I would like to offer a preview of our findings. A more detailed report will be forthcoming. The Net Operating Loss accelerated this past year and will no longer be sustainable for the parish. Unfortunately, the income decline since the time of Covid and the multiple instances we suffered without a Pastor, has not allowed our Parish to resume normal operations. As you may recognize, inflation also continues to be a considerable factor in rising expenses and remains a significant contributor to our annual Net Operating Loss of approximately $700K this past fiscal year. We are grateful to have been awarded two, one-time financial infusions in a PPP (Payroll Protection Program) grant and more recently an ERC (Employee Retention Credit) refund that has helped to absorb the impact of our Net Operating Losses. However, these additional funds are being depleted, and our forecast indicates that they will only get us through FY2027, at best. The Finance Council and I will undergo an analysis of parish operations to work towards a viable and sustainable future. We remain committed to being good stewards of the gifts God has given us as we, together, participate in shaping the future of our parish.

Currently, how might you help to shape the future of our parish so that we can meet future needs: so that we can be the best missionary disciples possible, so that we can boldly witness to Mission and evangelization, so that we can “Go and Make Disciples”? I’d like to suggest, for your consideration, the Coffee Challenge!

Perhaps during the week, you spend about $10 buying coffee. I’d like to invite you to make a small sacrifice along the broader theological concept of taking up one’s cross. Would you be willing to sacrifice that expense of buying coffee and instead, increase your Sunday weekly giving by $10.00? If everyone increased Sunday giving by $10.00, the impact would be considerable. If you have not given in a while, perhaps bring to prayer this opportunity to start giving again – a gentle invitation to “take up one’s cross” in that sense of the condition of discipleship, because of love and care for our parish family and the mission it serves: being a “universal sacrament of salvation” (Ad Gentes 1).

I hope you will give some thought to joining this Coffee Challenge. It is a way to respond to the blessings we have received from Almighty God. Stewardship is a spiritual discipline that lends us to living out the condition of discipleship. “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”

Grateful and inspired, I remain –

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Fr. Christian Shiu
Administrator

UPDATE OR START GIVING TODAY!