WB_071119

28 | July 11, 2019 | The wilmette beacon LIFE & ARTS
wilmettebeacon.com
Posted to WilmetteBeaconDaily.com 6 days ago
Outdoor ceremony celebrates unification of Wilmette churches
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Reporter
A June 30 celebratory
Mass at Vattmann Park
signified the official unification
of two historic
Catholic parishes in Wilmette,
now known as
Saints Joseph & Francis
Xavier Parish.
The outdoor ceremony
began with a Mass lead by
Rev. Wayne Watts, who
recognized his important
role in leading the new
parish.
“I promised to do my
best to listen to you and
walk with you at we move
forward as a new family,
starting today,” he said.
The unification has been
a long time coming. For
more than a year, Catholics
in the Archdiocese of Chicago
have been preparing
for Renew my Church —
an ongoing initiative to revitalize
Catholic churches
by combining resources
among parishes. Locally,
the Archdiocese examined
St. Phillips in Northfield,
Sacred Heart and Saints
Faith, Hope & Charity in
Winnetka and St. Joseph’s
Rev. Wayne Watts hands out communion during the
Mass.
and St. Francis in Wilmette.
Once it was decided
that St. Joseph’s and St.
Francis would join forces,
committees with members
from both parishes
were formed, hoping to
make the transition a positive
and seamless one.
Wilmette’s Macair Trapp
played an integral role in
the planning process. She
saw the silver lining within
a decision originally initiated
in response to a stark
decrease in the number of
priests nation-wide.
“This decision is the
best way for our two parishes
to share resources,
allowing parishioners to
get back to the business
of being missionaries,”
Trapp said, “This decision
is not about shutting down
churches, but making
them stronger. Yes, some
of the structures within the
church will change, but the
benefit is two communities,
coming together for a
shared purpose.”
Under the original Renew
My Church plan,
schools were not taken
into consideration, but the
course changed, revealing
that come the 2019-2020
school year, St Francis and
St. Joseph’s would unite
Church member celebrate both parishes during the Saints Joseph & Francis Xavier
Parish unification ceremony June 30 at Vattmann Park in Wilmette. Photos by Alexa
Burnell/22nd Century Media
educationally, too.
Principal Colleen Barrett
will oversee responsibilities
at both schools.
Students in grades 1-8,
will attend the St. Francis
Campus, but early childhood/preK
education will
remain at both campuses.
As for the parish, priests
from both campuses will
serve at various Masses at
both St. Joseph’s and St.
Francis. The new schedule
is as follows: 5 p.m. Saturday
Mass held at both
St. Francis and St. Joseph;
9:30 a.m, 10:15 a.m. and
11:30 a.m. Sunday at St.
Francis; 8 a.m., 10:30 a.m.
and 6 p.m. Sunday at St.
Joseph.
St. Joseph parishioner
Julie Lipford, of Wilmette,
sees the unification as a
positive, looking forward
to the collaboration between
both communities.
“I’m open to this idea
and am excited to see how
this process unfolds. Both
churches have wonderful
leadership and I’m glad that
we can combine resources
and unite our two communities,”
Lipford said.
Scene
From Page 27
(Downtown Northbrook
— Shermer and Meadow
Roads)
■6:30 ■ p.m. every Tuesday
night through July
23: Tuesdays in the
Park
GLENVIEW
Johnny’s Kitchen
(1740 Milwaukee Ave.
(847) 699-9999)
■7:30 ■ p.m. every Friday
and Saturday: Live
Music
The Rock House
(1742 Glenview Road
(224) 616-3062)
■5 ■ p.m. Friday, July
12: Family Night and
Karaoke
Ten Ninety Brewing Co.
(1025 N. Waukegan
Road, (224) 432-5472)
■7-9 ■ p.m. every Thursday:
Trivia Night
Potato Creek Johnny’s
(1850 Waukegan Road)
■9 ■ p.m. Saturday, July
13: Beggars Banquet
Jackman Park
(1930 Prairie Street)
■7 ■ p.m. Wednesday
nights: Bearfoot in the
Park Concerts
LAKE FOREST
Little Tails Bar and Grill
(840 S. Waukegan Road)
■Live ■ music every Friday
night
The Lantern of Lake Forest
(768 N Western Ave)
■Sundays ■ at 5:30 p.m.:
Holly “The Balloon Lady”
Downtown Lake Forest
(Western Avenue, MarketSquare)
■6:30 ■ p.m. running on
Thursdays until July
18: Concerts in the
Square
Gorton Community Center
(400 E. Illinois Road)
■3 ■ p.m. Saturday, July
13 and Sunday, July
14: PASTA presents Joseph
and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat
To place an event in The
Scene, email martin@northbrooktower.com
FAITH
From Page 26
North Shore 2nd Ward
Sacrament Meeting: 9 a.m.
Sunday School/Priesthood and Relief Society: 10:10
a.m.
Baha’i House of Worship (100 Linden Ave., Wilmette)
Friday Night Fireside Conversations
Join the House of Worship in the fireside room at the
Baha’i House of Worship Welcome Center (112 Linden
Ave.) for meaningful conversations about what Baha’i
Faith offers for people who want to contribute to the
betterment of the world. Light refreshments will be
served.
Submit information for The Beacon’s Faith page to Michael
Wojtychiw at m.wojtychiw@22ndcenturymedia.com