A cherry red convertible is the centerpiece of this year’s Grand Kermes at St. Pius V. The 2013 Mustang will be raffled off at the conclusion of the Kermes, 9 p.m. Sunday, June 9. But before that, there is much fun to be had.

     St. Pius V Parish extends a warm welcome to all for this two-day street festival that will delight everyone in the family. “Of course, we’ll have lots of authentic Mexican food, music, and dancing,” said St. Pius V Pastor Father Brendan Curran, OP. “There are also games for the kids and wonderful opportunities for sharing in the community spirit of our parish.”

     Entrance to the Kermes is free. Food, carnival games, and dancing are offered at family-friendly prices.

Father Brendan and parishioners at the rally

St. Pius V Parish was well represented at the May Day march and rally yesterday. The traditional May Day event focuses on labor issues, and that was the case this year as well, with a focus on immigrant laborers. About 50 parishioners and staff walked from the church at 19th and S. Ashland to Union Park, where they swelled a gathering of hundreds who marched into the Loop, chanting “Up up, education, down, down deportation” and dancing in the streets.

      Trolley wheels drum across Pilsen’s crumbled pavement, a pale pink casket riding on top, with six silent Latino youths attending as pallbearers. It’s snowing lightly and the wind is bitter. None of us is dressed properly. The boys’ hoodies are stretched over their heads, obscuring their faces, while their gloveless hands are chapped by the wind. They are respectful of their role. One of them wears a small knapsack over his bulky frame. It’s a freebie from the park district, blue, with happy white lettering that chirps incongruously, “Come Out and Play.” Later, I realize what’s in the backpack, and why. At this moment, however, it simply stands in contrast to the somber mission of the volunteer pallbearers and the 100 of us who follow them.

Students from our school's upper grades enjoyed a presentation last week from a Nobel laureate! Jody Williams of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines was visiting Chicago and came to our church to share her story with our children. She talked about witnessing injustices as a child and how that motivated her for a life of activism. Her work earned her and the ICBL the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997.

St. Pius V Parish domestic violence program is again in the national spotlight for its innovative approach to addressing this prevalent issue. This week's edition of Religion & Ethics News Weekly, produced by WNET in New York and broadcast nationwide, includes a 12-minute segment about the church's pastoral response to victims and perpetrators of domestic violence. It features Father Chuck Dahm's recent outreach to the community at St. John Berchmans parish in Logan Square and an interview with a couple from St. Pius V who've thrived after participation in the St. Pius V domestic violence program, Hope at St. Pius V.

Watch Churches and Domestic Violence on PBS. See more from Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly.