Rush is a teaching hospital with over 800 beds located in the Illinois Medical District (on Ashland Avenue just off of the Eisenhower Expressway).  With so many patients ill and in need of loving support, any time you give will be greatly appreciated.  Please note free parking is available.  If you would like to contribute to this vital ministry or need additional information, please telephone DEACON ROGER VANDERVEST at (312) 942-4379.

Literacy Chicago will provide training for any adult willing to spend a few hours each week assisting those who have not had the benefit of an education.  Volunteers will be required to attend a special training program over the course of two consecutive Saturdays. The training will be held at Literacy Chicago, 17 N. State Street.  If you are interested in sharing your time and helping others learn how to read, please telephone Cynthia Hirsch at (312) 235-5384 to register.  The ability to read and write is a skill that can transform every aspect of a person’s life.  Please consider helping with this program so others can have a better life.

Open 365 days a year, the shelter can accommodate up to 215 men and 35 women.  Every guest gets soup and a sandwich for dinner, and breakfast with coffee the next morning.  Hot showers are available along with a freshly made bed of clean sheets, a pillow, and a blanket.  Medical students from the Rush Medical School operate a free clinic for the guests, which also provides mental health outreach services.

Volunteers are needed to help with the opening of the shelter between 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.  Helpers will welcome guests, serve the soup and sandwiches, distribute towels and toiletries, and clean up the kitchen.  No experience is necessary, just a friendly smile and a desire to help.

The shelter is located at 2715 W. Harrison Street (just east of California).  If you would like to volunteer, please telephone the Franciscans at (773) 278-6724.  You can also check out their website at www.franoutreach.org for additional information.  Helping isn’t limited to volunteering at the shelter.  If you prefer, you may also donate money or provide some of the items included on their “wish list.”  No matter which way you choose to help, your efforts and generosity will be greatly appreciated.

Chicago Shares is a simple but effective voucher program designed to help the poor in a constructive way.  The program is an ecumenical effort run by local churches and social organizations.  All you have to do is purchase a “Chicago Shares” voucher book and then give it to the person in need.  The recipient can then use the voucher book to buy food, non-alcoholic beverages, and personal care necessities at several local merchants.  They use these vouchers in place of money.  Once a month, the merchants are reimbursed by the Chicago Shares Program.  Participating merchants include Subway Sandwiches, Dunkin’ Donuts, White Hen Pantry, Jewel (Clark and Division) and, most recently, Dominick’s (Grand Avenue).

The cost of the vouchers is $5 per book.  You can purchase the voucher books at www.chicagoshares.org by downloading the order form and sending it in with your check.  Chicago Shares will send you the voucher books in the mail.  You can then use these voucher books to help a needy person you encounter on the street.  Please consider these voucher books as a way for you to help others and fulfill Christ’s mandate for all of us to love our neighbors.

YouTube is a free website where users can upload, view, and share video clips.  All a viewer has to do is go to www.youtube.com and type “Fr. Barron” into the search engine.  Through the website, you can then access a variety of Fr. Barron’s videos on popular culture topics ranging from “The Jesus Tomb Controversy” to television, movies, and music.  He also has another series, “Faith Clips,” which explains the basics of the Catholic faith.  According to Fr. Barron, “From the time of St. Paul, Christian evangelists have gone into the most public and popular arenas in order to spread the Good News.  YouTube is a place where the whole culture – the good, bad, ugly, and the sublime – can be engaged.  That’s why I wanted to bring my preaching there.”

Fr. Barron’s “Word on Fire” sermons are broadcast every Thursday at 9:00 a.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on Relevant Radio 820-AM.  His “Word on Fire” videos, DVDs, and books are also available through the www.wordonfire.org website.  If you would like more information, please telephone NANCY ROSS at (847) 204-7754.

Are you seeking a new approach to make your marriage the best it can be for both you and your spouse? Would you like to strengthen the bonds of your commitment? Do you want to nourish the spiritual component of your marital relationship? A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend may be exactly what you need to help you implement those goals.

The Worldwide Marriage Encounter’s mission of renewal in the Church and change in the world is to assist couples by providing a Catholic “experience” and ongoing community support. Through the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend Program, you and your spouse can learn how to heighten the romance and deepen the intimacy of your relationship while expanding communication skills.

Two Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekends have been planned for the next few months. If you would like to make reservations or need more information, please call Jim and Kris at (800) 442-3554.

Walking-in-meditation following the pattern of a labyrinth is another ancient expression of prayer-in-movement dating back to the Middle Ages.  A labyrinth is an intricate arrangement of paths and turns leading to a common center point, usually with an equally complicated passage back out.  Many of our great cathedrals have a labyrinth embedded in their floors.  For example, the Cathedral at Chartres, France, has a labyrinth in the nave of Notre Dame that is hundreds of years old.  This famous religious landmark continues to attract visitors from around the world seeking to join in the ancient contemplative practice of meditation-in-movement.

In Chicago, a labyrinth has been acquired by St. Peter’s in the Loop Church at 110 W. Madison Street.  The labyrinth is available each Wednesday from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.  All are invited to walk the labyrinth and learn a new way to meditate, contemplate, and pray.  Why not try it for yourself?

Catholic Talk Radio shows include a variety of programs covering catechesis, family ministry, pro-life issues, matters of social justice, and other faith-related topics.  For example, the “Catholic Community of Faith” show airs from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. each day as part of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Radio and Television ministry.  Other programs on this station also provide valuable information as well as a forum for discussion regarding issues of importance to the Catholic community.  If you are looking for an interesting and thought-provoking alternative to the secular stations, why not try listening to Catholic Talk Radio instead?  You’ll be glad you did.

Deacons in the Catholic Church are men who have received a calling from God to a special ministry of service.  Like Bishops and priests, deacons receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders and are ordained ministers.  The main difference is deacons live among the laity.  Many of them are married and have children.

The course of studies leading to a deacon’s ordination takes at least four years of preparation in school along with practical experience in a service ministry.  You must be at least 31 years of age to be considered for the program.  If you would like more information, please contact Deacon Bob Puhala at (847) 837-4564 or write to him at bpuhala@usml.edu for additional details.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity to discern if God is calling you to serve in this vital ministry.

The study group will be facilitated by FR. THOMAS LOYA, S.T.B., M.A.  Fr. Loya serves as the pastor of Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church in Homer Glen, Illinois.  He personally witnessed Pope John Paul the Great’s “Theology of the Body” addresses LIVE in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, and has been helping others to discover and understand this important work ever since.  A dynamic and popular speaker, Fr. Loya can be heard on Relevant Radio and talking to groups across the country.  Fr. Loya is also the iconographer for his parish.

Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in the study of this fascinating book by one of the greatest minds in world history.  The group will meet from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month.  All meetings will be conducted at Pauline Books and Media, 172 N. Michigan Avenue in Chicago (between Lake Street and Randolph Drive).  Participants are asked to bring their own copy of the revised text, “Man and Woman He Created Them,” to the meetings.  Each session will cover approximately 15 pages of the text, exploring both the basic principles and overall concepts of this vital part of Catholic theology.  Copies of the book are available for purchase at Pauline Books.

The “Theology of the Body Study Group” program is sponsored by the DAUGHTERS OF ST. PAUL.  If you require additional information about the book or the study group, please telephone the Sisters at Pauline Books at (312) 346-4228.  Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn about one of the most important concepts of Catholicism and how it applies to your own body.  The insights you gain will change your life.