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20 | May 18, 2017 | The Homer Horizon faith
homerhorizon.com
Pastor Column
Recognizing womanhood in the month of May
THE REV. THOMAS LOYA
Annunciation Byzantine
Catholic Church
In both the civil sphere
and in some areas of
the church during this
month of May, there is a
certain homage given to
womanhood. Mother’s
Day occurs in May. Some
churches speak of the month
of May as the “month of
Mary,” referring to the
mother of Jesus Christ.
Many women receive marriage
proposals during May,
and many marriages occur
in May.
The greatest homage that
can be given to womanhood
— whether it is to mothers
or single women — is to
see and respond to womanhood
in the way that is
revealed in the Bible and in
the tradition of the church.
These two sources give us
the “mystical” meaning
of womanhood. Mystical
means the ultimate “why”
behind something. The
mystical refers to what is
most real, how the very
nature of something reveals
and participates in God.
Regrettably, modern Western
culture has lost much of
the mystical “why” behind
womanhood.
Fortunately, from time to
time the secular world realizes
it is missing something
or that it has bought into
a lie about something. In
this case, the modern world
has bought into a lie about
womanhood. Books like
“The Alpha Female’s Guide
to Men and Marriage: How
Love Works” by Suzanne
Venker or “Save the Males:
Why Men Matter, Why
Women Should Care” by
Kathleen Parker are signs
that the secular world can
sometimes gets its fingers
back onto what the Bible
and the church has known
since time immemorial.
As revealed in the
Bible, church tradition and
stamped in the very language
and theology of the
female body-person, womanhood
first and foremost
images the aspects of God’s
immanence, His closeness,
intimacy, relationality
and tenderness. Men
make civilization, but men
and women make culture.
Men make structures, and
womanhood gives those
structures a heart.
St. John Paul II spoke
about the particular “genius”
of womanhood. It was
her gift of receptivity. But
he warned against buying
into the modern-day lie that
defines womanhood’s significance
only to the degree
that women act like men,
compete with men and best
men. Absent the mystical
vision, the world sees no
intrinsic value in femininity
itself.
St. John Paul II said that
— of course — women can
make their contribution
to society, but not at the
expense of their feminine
riches, which he said are
“enormous.” The gifts of
motherhood and femininity
are unique to womanhood
alone. They are vital
contributions to civilization
that only womanhood itself
can make. When women
give themselves permission
to reject the lie and
rediscover and live in a
way that is honest to their
authentic femininity, men
will eagerly live and die for
them.
The opinions of this column are
that of the writer. They do not
necessarily reflect those of The
Homer Horizon.
In Memoriam
William H. Karn
William “Bill” H.
Karn, 92, of Homer
Glen, died May 10 at the Joliet
Area Community Hospice Home.
He was born in Milford and lived
in Homer Glen for the past 65
years. He retired in 1990 from
Verson Allsteel Press Company
after 44 years of service. Karn was
a World War II Navy veteran and
a member of St. Joseph’s Church,
St. Joseph Church Holy Name Society
and Boy Scouts of America
for 25 years. He is survived by his
wife, Mary (nee Paulsen) Karn;
his four sons, William, Jr. (Claudia)
of Braidwood, Gary (Ardith)
of Homer Glen, John (Tammy) of
Lockport and Jeffery (Alice) of
Michigan; his grandchild; as well
as several nephews, nieces and
friends. In lieu of flowers, donations
to B.T. Boats, Inc., PO Box
38070 Germantown, Tennessee
38183 appreciated. Services were
held May 12.
Rebekah Rimkus
Rebekah Rimkus, of Homer
Glen, died April 21 after a nearly
13-year battle with cancer. Diagnosed
in September 2004 with
glioblastoma multiforme, Rimkus
went through the
standard protocol for
dealing with this “always
fatal” disease.
Through the Loyola
Hospital system, she
underwent surgery
to remove as much Rimkus
of the tumor as possible,
followed by weeks of radiation
treatment and chemotherapy.
The chemotherapy, Temodar, was a
relatively new drug at the time and
had astonishing results in spite of
the side effects during that period.
Even with this treatment, however,
her prognosis was bleak, according
to the oncologists: one year, perhaps
18 months. Yet MRI after MRI
results showed no recurrence. In
May 2016, the previous symptoms
returned, and scans indicated that
it was back with a vengeance. Her
body weakened; she could not sustain
the results of a second surgery
and further radiation/chemotherapy
and opted to accept the inevitable
and entered hospice. She was given
“weeks...maybe two months” but
lasted into April 2017 — almost
another year. She was a member of
the Episcopal Church in Westchester
and served her church in several
capacities over a 20-year period.
After her three daughters were
older, she went back to school and
became a well-known nail technician/esthetician
in the southwest
suburbs with a loyal following,
including some local celebrities,
such as news anchor Cheryl Burton.
Born and raised in Kenosha,
Wisconsin, Rebekah met her future
husband, Bill, in a chance meeting.
He just happened to be working in
Kenosha one weekend in September
1974, and it was “love at first
sight.” They were together for almost
43 years. She is survived by
her daughters, Rachel Disco (John)
and Anne Rimkus-Gantwerker
(Jeffrey); her stepson, William
Rimkus (Lynn) of Ojai, California;
her grandchildren, Luke Alexander
Rimkus, Emily Rose Rimkus
and Eleanor Elizabeth Anne “Ella”
Disco; her siblings, Michael Totts,
Karen Kostuch (George), Daniel
Totts and Lori Totts; and her many,
many nieces and nephews. A memorial
service was held April 29.
Have someone’s life you’d
like to honor? Email
e.redmond@22ndcenturymedia.com
with information about a loved one
who was a part of the Homer Glen
community.
faith briefs
St. Bernard Parish
(13030 W. 143rd St., Homer Glen)
Bishop Robert Barron’s Pivotal
Players Series
7 p.m. Monday, May 22, Session
4: Blessed John Newman “THE
CONVERT”
Christian Life Church
(15609 W. 159th St., Homer Glen)
Sunday Service
10 a.m.
Cross of Glory Lutheran Church
(14719 W. 163rd St., Homer Glen)
Community Blood Drive
2-6 p.m. Thursday, May 18. Call
to set up an appointment, but walkins
are welcome. Call (708) 301-
6998 for details.
Vacation Bible School - Dr. Seuss
Registration is now open for
this summer’s VBS. The theme
will be Dr. Seuss, featuring activities
which will focus on a different
Dr. Seuss book/movie each
day. Kids will participate in fun
and memorable Bible-learning activities
each day. This is for children
ages 4 and up through fifth
grade. The cost is $10 per child.
Dates are July 10-13 9 a.m.-noon,
including Family Night on the
Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Forms are
available at the church and our
website www.CrossofGlory.com.
Volunteers are needed. Call (708)
301-6998 for details.
Our Mother of Good Counsel Parish
(16043 S. Bell Road, Homer Glen)
Fourth Annual 5K Fun Run
9 a.m. Saturday, June 10, Messenger
Marsh Forest Preserve,
S. Bell Road, Homer Glen. Join
Knights of Columbus Council
15022 for their fourth annual 5K
Fun Run. Registration is $25.00
and all proceeds help support
Shady Oaks Camp in Homer Glen.
Register in person at Our Mother
of Good Counsel Church after
mass or online at www.omgck
nights.com. Register before May
21 to be guaranteed a T-shirt and
a chance to win additional prizes.
For information about Shady
Oaks, visit www.shadyoakscamp.
org.
Have something for Faith Briefs? Contact
Assistant Editor Erin Redmond at
e.redmond@22ndcenturymedia.com or
call (708) 326-9170 ext. 15. Information
is due by noon Thursday one week
prior to publication.