We welcome Jose Edilberto Chavez Velandia as our director of religious education. Jose taught philosophy and social sciences in his native Colombia, studied theology at Mundelein Seminary, and completed an MDiv at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

Jose says he wants to find new ways to involve students and families in religious education. “I want to get to know people better, and become more involved with the spiritual and material needs of our families,” he said.

” A sense of vocation is important too,” he said. “In talks with parents, catechists, and children I plan to address the meaning of vocation, especially the vocation of service.”

In addition to Sunday classes for hundreds of students in Spanish and English, the program includes formation for approximately 100 volunteer catechists, sacramental preparation for adults, Special Religious Education for 60 children with disabilities and their families, and a new formation program for parents as catechists.

Lisseth Gonzalez, a former part-time employee, will now work full time, and exclusively as youth minister and coordinator of our Confirmation program. With a core group of 15 young people, 16-24 years of age, Jóvenes en Acción, Youth in Action, has made its mark on parish life. In August they organized an all-parish outing to the Indiana Dunes for Mass on the beach; they shared their youthful energy by staffing a food booth at the parish street fair in June, and they have shared their spiritual energy by assisting Fr. Brendan with a skit in a homily at a Sunday Mass. They are currently developing a drama reenacting the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe.