Worship and Prayer
Mass Intentions
A person or family—living or deceased—can be remembered in a special way during a specified mass at Notre Dame. Selections of beautiful mass intention cards are available. Please contact the parish secretary, 630-654-3365 x221, during business hours. An offering of $10 is suggested.
Communion for Sick or Homebound
Representing Christ and the whole community of Notre Dame, our Ministers of Care lovingly and prayerfully bring the Blessed Sacrament to the sick and homebound. Each Sunday a Communion Service is provided for the residents of Manor Care Rehab Center on Ogden Avenue. Every second Tuesday of each month a priest visits the sick, administers sacraments and celebrates the liturgy.
Childcare during Mass
We invite parents to fully participate in our liturgical celebrations! Bring your preschool children to experience the love and care of our Childcare Ministers during the 9:30 am mass each Sunday, September through May. The ministry, staffed by adult and tenn volunteers, is located in O'Keefe Gathering C and is available on a drop-in basis. A registration form must be completed prior to drop-off.
Children's Liturgy of the Word
Saturday 5:00 pm and Sunday 9:30 am masses
We welcome children kindergarten through third grade children to celebrate their special relationship with God through song, drama and faith-sharing in our exciting Children’s Liturgy of the Word program.
During the Sunday liturgy, children are invited by the celebrant to join passionate and creative volunteer catechists in O'Keefe Gathering to hear two of the Sunday readings on their own level. The catechists help the children apply the readings to their own experiences. The children quickly and quietly rejoin the main celebration during the collection.
Hospitality Sunday
All parishioners, guests and visitors are invited for coffee, juice and fellowship in O’Keefe Gathering the first Sunday of each month after the 9:30 am mass. You are most welcome to bring a favorite home-baked or purchased treat to share.
Simbang Gabi
One step in the process of interfaith dialogue… is learning how to appreciate cultural and religious differences. Through true ecumenical (jubilee) celebrations, we can be transformed and can re-proclaim the full glory of God in Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.
-Renew 2000, Season IV Book A
Simbang Gabi (pronounced seem-bang gab-bee) is a Filipino advent novena of nine masses culminating with a midnight mass on Christmas Eve. A tradition started in the 16th century, this early morning mass was called misa de gallo, meaning “mass of the rooster.” The Filipinos were mostly farmers who began and fishermen who ended their work at the break of dawn. After mass in the churchyard decorated with paper lanterns, everyone would enjoy freshly made puto bungbong and bibingka (Filipino pastries).
In the 1700’s, the Vatican gave recognition of this practice which became known as Simbang Gabi. Today, Filipinos away from their mother country are able, with slight modification, to keep this tradition alive with the support of parish pastors and the guidance of the Archdiocese/Diocese Ethnic Ministries.
Notre Dame is proud to be one of the host churches in this nine-mass novena held at different churches within our Joliet Diocese. We encourage everyone to attend this festive and joyous celebration with our Filipino community to prepare for the coming of Christ.
Prayer Groups
Eucharistic Adoration
One Lord, One Body, One People
Please consider spending one hour a week with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
9:00 am to 10:00 pm
Exposition in Chapel
Thursday
9:15 am to midnight
Exposition in church
Friday
Midnight to 7:00 am
Exposition in church
First Saturday Fatima Devotion
On December 10, 1925, the most holy Virgin appeared to her, and by her side, elevated on a luminous cloud, was a child. The most holy Virgin rested her hand on her shoulder, and as she did so, she showed her a heart encircled with thorns, which she was holding in her other hand. At the same time, the Child said, "Have compassion on the Heart of your most holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them."
Then the most holy Virgin said, "Look, my daughter, at my Heart, surrounded with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce me at every moment by their blasphemies and ingratitude. You, at least, try to console me and say that I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the Rosary, and keep me company for fifteen minutes, while meditating on the fifteen mysteries of the Rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me."
-Fatima in Lucia's Own Words
Please join us on the first Saturday of every month to fulfill our Lady's requests. The recitation of the Holy Rosary and prayers to our Lady of Fatima immediately follow the 8:00 am mass.
Legion of Mary
The Legion of Mary is an Association of Catholics, who, with the sanction of the Church and under the powerful leadership of Mary Immaculate, Mediatrix of All Graces (who is fair as the moon, bright as the sun and—to Satan and his legionaries—terrible as an army set in battle array), have formed themselves into a Legion for service in the warfare which is perpetually waged by the Church against the world and its evil powers...
...The object of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the sanctification of its members by prayer and active cooperation, under ecclesiastical guidance, in Mary’s and the Church’s work of crushing the head of the serpent and advancing the reign of Christ.
-The Official Handbook of the Legion of Mary
In an atmosphere made supernatural by its wealth of prayer, by its devotional usages, and by its sweet spirit of fraternity, the Notre Dame Praesidium of the Legion of Mary, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, holds weekly meetings each Wednesday at 9:30 am At the meeting, work is assigned to each legionary, and a report received from each Legionary of work completed.
The Legion of Mary meets each Wednesday, 9:30 am. Contact the coordinator for meeting location.
New Life Prayer Group
The New Life Prayer Group praise and thank God in song, prayer and Scripture reading (bring your Bible). There is often time for silence and for sharing how God is acting in our lives. Meetings end with prayers of petition and the Our Father. The Holy Spirit has guided many who attend to discern their gifts and to serve others in ministry. Share our joy in praising God every Tuesday evening at 8:00 pm in the St. Elizabeth room.