Monthly Archives: August 2013

Summer Vacation: Time to Refresh “El Sótano”

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Painting has begun in the St. Pius V Church Hall. It’s the first phase in a plan that includes refurbishing the bathrooms and the windows as well.

“After the church itself, this place is at the center of our life as a community,” said Father Brendan Curran, OP, the pastor of St. Pius V. “It’s wonderful to see parishioners working together to renew the space in which we spend so much time as a celebrating, learning, and serving community.”

It is truly a multi-purpose room. The school children refer to it as the “gym-ateria” where they play and eat. It’s used as well for religious education, parenting and couples programming, dances and dinners. And it becomes a soup kitchen and food pantry on alternating days of the week

The renovation is a communal project, with various parish organizations taking turns preparing and serving food in the hall on Sundays after Mass in order to cover expenses. Donations from local vendors are keeping the costs down. The paint has been generously provided by the Juan Carlos Montes Corporation.

Want to be part of the action? Join us for a meal after Mass on any Sunday, July 28-August 25, or make a donation to the project. Contact Father Brendan or Father Chuck for more details.

¿Listo para el Gran Kermes?

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Todo el mundo está invitado a la parroquia de San Pío V para el Gran Kermés, nuestro festival de la calle, el sábado y el domingo, el 31 de agosto y el primero de septiembre.  El festival se celebrará desde las 10:00 am a las 11:00 pm.

Un sorteo del premio de TV de pantalla grande y plana, Samsung Galaxy Tablet y otros premios está programado para las 9:00 pm el domingo. La ofrenda por los boletos es $2.00, y están disponibles en la entrada del templo los domingos.

La parroquia  de San Pío V está situada en 1919 S. Ashland Ave.  El festival se tiene lugar en la calle Cullerton, en la esquina de la avenida Ashland.

Habrá comida tradicional, música y eventos culturales mejicanos y de otros países latinoamericanos.  Habrá muchas actividades para entretener a toda la familia. Para más información llame a la parroquia al 312.226.6161.

Leadership Greater Chicago

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DSCF3387Father Brendan Curran’s 2012 class of Leadership Greater Chicago shared a March Saturday morning with the people of St. Pius V. They spent the morning learning about food insecurity, then serving the guests who came to St. Pius V soup kitchen for a hot meal.
Our guests got a well-rounded picture of the nutrition needs in Chicago from:
  • Socorro Flores, Director of St. Pius V Parish’s soup kitchen and food pantry;
  • Angel La Luz, Vice President of Volunteer Engagement for the Greater Chicago Food Depository;
  • Umberto, a young adult who explained that the food, family counseling, and spiritual support from St. Pius V kept his family together during their darkest days;
  • Alma, a special education teacher who attributes her success to the commitment of her mother, who needed food from St. Pius V to feed Alma and her siblings when they were young;
  • Miguel Alba, Community Relations and Government Affairs director for SuperValu;
  • Israel Vargas, executive director of the San Jose Obrero Mission
After hearing about the needs of hungry Chicagoans, the LGC participants got to meet them. They served 60 women and men who came into the hall for a warm meal. “I’m holding back the tears,” one participant said. “It’s one thing to see this on television and
another to witness it firsthand.”
One in five Chicagoans are considered “food insecure.” That doesn’t mean they are homeless or without work, necessarily. It may mean that their check doesn’t stretch far enough to allow them to eat three nourishing meals every day each month. Socorro says she sees a steady increase in the number of people, particularly families, who need our services.
“When I told the group that it costs us $1,250 to keep the food pantry open each month, one of the LGC participants handed me a check for that amount,” Father Brendan said gratefully. Can you do the same? The folks we are feeding here will be grateful to you, too. You can make a secure donation on line by clicking here. If $1,250 is too much right now, consider a gift of $54.00. That will keep hunger at bay for the next 50 men, women, and children who come to our door for help.