| The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen. Matthew 4:16 |
| "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12 Let's walk together as we grow to be a holy family watched over by Our Lady of the Angels. |
What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:3-5 We carry His light to the world.... or we fail to do so.... |
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. Matthew 5:14-16 |
Whoever says he is in the light, yet hates his brother, is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother remains in the light... 1 John 2:9-10 |
We give thanks to all & for all who brought light into this neighborhood, and who also enriched our lives with their love. |
| Call Fr. Bob to get involved at: 773-486-8431 See "Contact Us" page for a map and directions to the Mission. |
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The Miracle on Iowa Street Thanks to everyone who helped build our Lord's house! "What makes it most special is not the bonds that hold together the brick and mortar, but the bonds that we have forged here in Chicago." Fr. Bob |
| You have built more than a physical structure called a church. You have helped build "church," - a community of believers - which was the real message Jesus was conveying to St. Francis so long ago when St. Francis heard Jesus tell him from the cross to "build my church." So on April 14, 2012, hundreds gathered to share in His joy as His Eminence, Francis Cardinal George rededicated the Church of Our Lady of the Angels. We look forward to the hundreds (and thousands) who will come to pray here with us. (Double click on almost any picture below to enlarge. Then hit your "back" button to return to this page.) |
| Bishops, priests, deacons and many religious came from all over the Archdiocese to celebrate with Fr. Bob and our new community - the Franciscans of the Eucharist. |
| As those upstairs were being fed spiritually, downstairs in the church basement and at Kelly Hall, many were busy preparing to feed hundreds after the rededication mass. Just imagine how many people we will be able to help in the new basement facility! |
Let me take a moment to remind you what this basement looked like less than one year ago...
Wow! What more is there to say, except thanks to our volunteers, donors and those praying for the Mission, and thanks be to God. Many people worked very hard to make this a very special day. |
Keep in mind that in addition to the work inside, much work had to be done outside too - from roofing, tuck pointing, foundation work and landscaping. Even the front steps had to be repaired! And they were. |
Fr. Bob had NO budget to do any of this work. This only happened because of many generous people who made time to love their neighbors - and even more, to love strangers. |
| And as we prepared to celebrate, and as we celebrated together, the good work of the Mission continued that day. In the morning, volunteers came to feed families at the Mobile Food Pantry. |
In the afternoon, the friendly Kelly Hall staff prepared for the Daddy-Daughter Dance that was to
take place that night. It would be attended by 52 young girls. I kept popping in throughout the
afternoon to check on the progress and was fortunate to see the gorgeous young ladies with
their No. 1 men when they finally arrived! None of this would have been possible but for our
volunteers and donors. Fr. Bob thanks you once again.
Back to the rededication! I thought I would just post some pictures of folks who attended and other shots I took on 4/14/2012. Enjoy! And the Angels sang..... For those of you wondering where we got that great choir, that too appears to be a miracle. An e-mail went out to musicians and singers in the Archdiocese, and they responded to the call. They sing with various area choirs, professional and amateur, in the area. Thanks to Christopher Skyles of the Chicago Opera community for organizing and thanks to all the musicians and singers for making our ceremony even more special. |
| Thanks to those who supplied, prepared and served all of the food so lovingly. |
We plan to feed a lot more sheep and lambs in this basement in the future. (Probably an old goat or two also... Hey! God loves old goats and so do we!) |
| What do you see when you look through the doors of the church? Do you see hope - for this neighborhood, for the children who live nearby, and for everyone who comes and approaches Jesus with a humble heart? Do you see love? That should be obvious, because this church was truly a work of love. Do you see joy? Perhaps joy is something you need to feel. Why not come see what it feels like? Do you see light? Those who live in the neighborhood have seen it. Look at the faces of our volunteers on the pages of this web site, and you will see it too. Better yet, come visit us soon and see for yourself. More important, bring your light. The Bible says you have it, you know. If you would like to shine, the Mission is the place for you! |
Mission of Our Lady of the Angels
