Ministries

Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW)

Contact:  Deacon Gerrie Mempin

Phone:  630-759-7588, ext. 107

Email:  gmempin@stfrancisbb.org

CLOW is a wonderful way to assist our young children in focusing on the Sunday Liturgy.  Different volunteers present the Reflection on the readings, so the children carry home a closer relationship with Jesus and His Word. CLOW is offered at the 10:00 am and 11:45 am Sunday Masses, with the exception of the fifth Sunday. Volunteers must be Confirmed adults.

Vacation Bible School (VBS)

Contact:  Liz Jesse Wagner, DRE

Phone:  630-759-7588, ext. 109

Email:  lwagner@stfrancisbb.org

Vacation Bible School is a one-week program for children ages 4 through 10.  Volunteers at least 13 years or older are needed to assist children with activities. Vacation Bible School takes place typically during the month of July.

 “Totus Tuus”

“Totus Tuus” is a week-long “parish mission” for Catholic youth where seminarians and college students proclaim the Gospel and promote the Catholic faith through evangelization, catechesis, apologetics, Christian witness, the Sacraments, Marian Devotion, Eucharistic Worship, and FUN! 

“Totus Tuus” seeks to inspire in young people a true longing for holiness, a deep desire for daily conversion, and openness to their vocation by constantly challenging them to give themselves entirely to Jesus through Mary and by continually strengthening their prayer lives in imitation of her.

Times vary for age groups.

Religious Education

Contact:  Liz Jesse Wagner, DRE

Phone:  630-759-7588, ext. 109

Email:  lwagner@stfrancisbb.org

The Religious Education Program is for students in Grades 1 through 8.  We instruct the children in the Catholic faith and being disciples of Jesus.  We prepare students to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation.  Students who are 7 years or older who have not been baptized can also receive instruction and preparation for the Sacraments of Initiation. 

Students are required to have two consecutive years of religious education before receiving a sacrament.  There are parent meetings for those students receiving the sacraments with a home component to be worked on by parents and students.

Classes are held on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays.  St. Francis of Assisi has almost 700 students in the program, with 60-70 volunteers.  The programs used are: the We Believe series from Sadlier for Grades 1 through 6 and Be My Disciples from RCL Benziger for Grades 7 and 8.

Volunteers are needed as Catechists and Aides.  They must be Baptized and Confirmed Roman Catholic.

 Children’s Christian Initiation (CCI)

Contact:  Liz Jesse Wagner, DRE

CCI provides instruction for children who are 7 years of age or older and have not been Baptized. This instruction is in addition to the regular Religious Education class the child will attend to be able to receive all the Sacraments of Initiation.

Curious Catholics

Contact:  Parish Office

There are very few, if any, Catholics who have not experienced questions or doubts about their faith.  

If you are feeling a call to find out more about your faith, you have come to the right place. You may be a non-Catholic who has been joining us at Mass and would like to know more about what Catholics believe.  Have you experienced an opportunity to explore your faith from an adult perspective?  You may be returning to the Church after a long absence or just want to learn more about your faith.  This ministry will allow you the opportunity to work through all of the doubt/questions and deepen your commitment to the faith.

If you have questions, we have the answers, or we will find the answers.  Who are we?  Our ministry is composed of lay and ordained Catholics who donate their time to help others address their faith questions, learn from each other as we all take our faith journeys through life especially here at St. Francis of Assisi Parish.

Adult Bible Study

Contact:  Renetta Land

Email:  rahlink@comcast.net

This is a weekly bible study with activities that include: reading, video lecture, group discussion and prayer.  Meetings are usually held every Thursday at 7:00 pm from September through May.

Sunday Scripture Discussion

Contact:  Ken Dabisch

Email:  dabisch@att.net

We meet on Friday mornings 8:15 am to 9:00 am (following the morning Mass) to study and reflect on the upcoming Sunday readings.  

Small Christian Communities

A small Christian community is a group of 8 to 12 adults who come together, usually in each other’s homes weekly or bi-weekly, to share their stories, God’s story and how He acts in their lives.  SCC involves prayer, sharing, support, being “church” to each other, learning and mission.

Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) 

CRHP is a spiritual renewal process which calls together the members of our parish, priests and laity, to experience personal conversion and Christian community in the environment of our own parish. It enhances a deeper relationship with Christ, so we can live with Him and in Him more fully on a daily basis. It is composed of registered adult men and women of St. Francis of Assisi. CRHP offers annual weekend retreats for men and women separately.  Contact the Parish Office for more information.

Council of Catholic Women (CCW)

Contact:  Jan Wallace

Email:  mamajanw@comact.net

The St. Dominic/St. Francis Council of Catholic Women has been active in our Bolingbrook community for over 45 years and is affiliated with the National Council of Catholic Women.  We are an organization for Catholic women over the age of 18 which acts in the areas of spirituality, leadership and service.  Meetings are held on the third Thursday of the month from September through May at St. Francis of Assisi.  Our major events have included children’s clothing and toy resale held twice a year, sponsorship of religious speakers and participation in the Dress a Girl project.  We are always open for new members.  Join us for a meeting and see if CCW is for you. 

Filipino American Ministry Council (FAMC)

Contact:  Dot Mempin

Email:  dmempin@comcast.net

The Filipino American Ministry Council of St. Francis of Assisi is committed to preserve, cherish and foster the time-honored values of the Filipino Culture and traditions. Our goal is to rekindle the Filipino American religious values to the community of St. Francis and pass them on to present and future generations.

Guadalupano Group

Contact:  Angelo Pastrana

Email:  papo1971@comcast.net

The Guadalupano Ministry promotes Marian devotion through love for Our Lady of Guadalupe by way of living and sharing the Gospel of her son, Jesus Christ through prayer, service to community and celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12th.  We gather on the second Friday of the month at 7:00 pm, starting with prayer of the Rosary.  The meeting agenda follows as we plan the year’s activities as we grow together in faith and love of Jesus Christ.  We are reminded to be comforted by the words Our Lady of Guadalupe, spoken to St. Juan Diego, “Do not be frightened or disturbed for you are under my protection.  Am I not here who is your Mother?”

Knights of Columbus

Contact:  Jim McCarthy

Email: stfranciskc@stfrancisbb.org

The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is the largest Catholic Men’s Fraternal Organization in the world.  The Knights devote themselves to works of charity and service within both the faith community and the community at large.  Membership in the Knights is open to all practicing Catholic men who are 18 years or older.  Activities include meetings, blood drives, fun activities and community service.  Meetings are held the first Wednesday of the month.

Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary (Lady Knights)

Contact:  Rita Armstrong

Email:  ritalarm@comcast.net

The Lady Knights support the Knights in their various activities within the local Council of Knights of Columbus.  The Lady Knights will assist St. Francis of Assisi with projects when needed.  Membership is open to any Christian/Catholic female 18 years of age or older.

Missionary Families of Christ

Contact: Ronnie Amiscaray

Email: ronbucks@yahoo.com

An association of Catholic men and women who have committed themselves to the Lord and to one another.  this ministry is intended for the renewal and strengthening of family life.  Also, serves as an umbrella group for associated children, youth, singles, and single part groups.  Couples for Christ meets on Sundays at 2:00pm. You can learn more about this community by visiting our web site at www.cfcffl.org.  To learn more about this community

Senior Group

Contact:  Rita Armstrong

Email:  ritalarm@comcast.net

We, the Seniors of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, have chosen to join together in prayer, service and joy to offer our talents, time and service to the various members of our faith community.  As a group we welcome all seniors, and we recognize the diversity of our members, and the need for developing community among ourselves and our faith community.  We accept the challenge of creating a balance between the spiritual, service and social needs of our membership.  The Seniors meet the 3rd Friday of each month from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm.  All seniors 50 years young and over are welcome.

Young Adult Ministry

Contact: Stephanie Contreras or 

                   Michelle Smith

Email: FrancisYoungAdult@gmail.com

In recognition with our parish mission and patron saint, St Francis of Assisi, Young Adult Ministry (YAM) invites all 21-40 year olds to grow in faith, fellowship, and leadership. YAM puts together several social events throughout the year to encourage religious formation, vocation discernment, and community service. YAM is an inclusive ministry and places a special emphasis on celebrating our parish’s cultural diversity. As a ministry we seek to emulate our patron saint St. francis of Assisi throughout our lives.  For more information call (630) 446-2357.  Follow us on instagram @St_Francis_Bolingbrook and Facebook St. Francis Bolingbrook Young Adult Ministry.

Pray and Play” Children’s Nursery 

Contact:  Melissa Paz

Email:  nursery@stfrancisbb.org

The Nursery program is available for children ages 18 to 36 months only during the 10:00 am and 11:45 am Masses on Sundays.  Adult and teen volunteers are needed to care for children during nursery time, to set up the nursery on Saturdays, and to put away the nursery on Sundays.

Daybreak Ministry

Two Separate Ministries serving meals at the Daybreak Center, located at 611 E. Cass St., Joliet

Dinner Serving: 

Contact: Kathy Cannon

Email: katherinecannon@comcast.net

Serves dinner on the third Wednesday of the month in March, June and September from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Volunteers (full Parish effort) are needed to prepare the food and to help serve at Daybreak

Lunch: Shepherd's Table

Contact: Jeannine Boylan

Email: bnjboy4044@comcast.net

Serves lunch at Daybreak on the first Thursday and the fourth Tuesday of the month from 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to serve. You must be over the age of 18. If younger you must be accompanied by an adult.

 Elizabeth Ministry

Contact:  Nicole Wlodarski

Email:  wlodarski67@gmail.com

Elizabeth Ministry provides spiritual and physical support to women and families during childbearing years and beyond.  We offer visitations of ministers who share similar experiences during the joys and sorrows of motherhood; including pregnancy, crisis pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant/child death, and regretted abortion as well as grandparent support.  Ministers have an ongoing prayer group.  We also offer meal trains upon request.

Laudato Si' (God's Green Earth)

Contact:  Julian Brown

Email:  julianebrown@gmail.com

God's Green Earth is an environmental ministry to care for our common home.  Our past activities have included Bike or Walk to Mass Day with a blessing of bicycles, recycling projects, and observations of Earth Day and the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi.  Meetings are held monthly.  Volunteer opportunities weekly.

 Lay Ministry of Care

Contact:  Russ Soucek

Email:  pastoralcare@stfrancisbb.org

If you or someone in your household is unable to join the parish family for the celebration of the Eucharist, we invite you to call the parish office and schedule a visit from a lay minister of pastoral care, who will be happy to come and conduct a short Communion service in your home.  This service is for all incapacitated individuals, including children, who are unable to attend Mass.  The weekly visits can be for a short period of time (i.e., post-operative, new mothers, unexpected illness) or for an extended time period.  Do not be concerned if your home is not neat and tidy, as the pastoral care ministers are focused solely on sharing the Good News and bringing the Holy Eucharist to our infirm members of the parish family.    Lay ministers are available every Sunday after the 8:00 am and 10:00 am Masses.  We welcome the opportunity to bring greetings from the parish, share the Word of God, and provide Holy Communion.  Contact the parish office to schedule a visit. 

Legion of Mary

Contact:  Gayle Moracevek

Email:  gayescats@comcast.net

The Legion of Mary makes its members better Catholics, first of all, through a balanced program of prayer and service in union with the Holy Spirit as He operates through Mary, Mother of the Church.  Works include door-to-door evangelization, parish visitation program projects, youth work and other spiritual needs of the parish and community.  It gives Catholics from 8 years of age and up an opportunity to do something positive for the Church while at the same time deepening their spiritual life and strengthening their Catholic Faith.

Members meet together once a week on Wednesday evenings for prayer, planning and discussion in a family setting under the guidance of a Spiritual Director. Our St. Francis Legion of Mary meets every Wednesday at 7:15 pm in Room 5.

Liturgal  Linen Service

Contact: Fr. Pat

Responsible for the preparation and care of the altar linens.  This includes the washing and ironing of purificaors and altar linens.

Project Gabriel

Contact:  Connie Rielley

Email:  crielley@aol.com

Project Gabriel is a ministry supported by the parish and carried out by volunteers who are committed to making a positive difference in the lives of women who are pregnant and their families who need help.  This is a great opportunity to support life and family in a concrete way!  Adult volunteers, especially those with bi-lingual skills, are needed.

Pro-Life

Contact:  Michael Dolan

Email:  mmrcdoln@comcast.net

Pray the Rosary for Life at Planned Parenthood every Tuesday at 2:00 pm and the third Saturday of every month at 9:00 am.  Planned Parenthood is located at 3051 E. North Aurora.  All are welcome!  Also the Knights of Columbus Pro-Life Rosary is recited after the 8:15 Mass every Sunday, here at St. Francis.  For more opportunities to join others in prayer and for excellent Pro-Life resources, go to dioceseofjoliet.org/life.

Call on Congress to prevent federal funding and promotion of abortion and to protect rights of conscience in health care.

The Diocese of Joliet welcomes and invites you to return to wholeness following an abortion.  It is not the unforgivable sin.  If you know of someone who is suffering from an abortion in the past, help a phone call away.  Urge them to make that call today.  Strict confidentiality is always observed.  For more information and a list of retreats in other locations, visit Rachel's Vineyard or call the toll-free national hotline at 877-HOPE-4ME.  Project Rachel is a ministry of post-abortive healing and reconciliation of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops. Please visit hopeafterabortion.com for more information.

St. Vincent de Paul Society

Email: vincehjr@aol.com

The Bolingbrook Conference of St. Vincent de Paul includes about 35 members from both St. Francis of Assisi and St. Dominic Churches.  Membership is open to all who wish to live their faith by loving and serving their neighbor.  St. Vincent de Paul is different from most other aid organizations in that we only offer assistance after two members of the society meet with the needy family in their home.

The Bolingbrook Conference of St. Vincent de Paul helps roughly 300 local families each year.  The number varies with the economy.  The types of assistance we offer include: 

• Food

• Clothing and household items (from our St. Vincent de Paul stores in Joliet and West Chicago)

• Financial assistance with utility bills and/or rent/mortgage

• Some basic budgeting advice

Volunteers meet monthly, either the first or second Thursday of the month, plus time as available to volunteer.

Altar Servers

Contact:  April Johnson

Email:  ajohnson@stfrancisbb.org

Parishioners, male and female, age 10 and above can serve the Church and assist the Priest and Deacon during the celebration of the Mass on Sundays, holy days and weddings.  Servers should be baptized Roman Catholic and have received First Communion.  Training is provided.

Adult Altar Servers

Contact:  Steve Nickel

Email:  sjnick@yahoo.com

St. Francis Adult Altar Servers are a group of men and women who volunteer to assist our Priests at funerals, memorials or other special Masses that are held Mondays through Saturdays.  They are usually held mid-morning.  We welcome all newcomers.  Prior altar serving experience is not required.  We will train you.  If you are interested in learning more or possibly joining our group, please contact the parish office at 630-759-7588 or the group coordinator.

Art & Environment

Contact:  Karen Koven

Email:  karensflor@aol.com

Work with the Seasons of the Church and create the appropriate worship environment for each season.  Individuals use their creative, planning, organizing and decorating skills to create the worship environment using the liturgy, color and symbols of the Church.  Meetings are held seasonally based on the liturgical year.  Willing hands are needed to help decorate the church for Christmas and Easter, too!  

Prayer Connection

Contact:  Lourdes Singson

Phone: 630-853-5894

St. Francis of Assisi Prayer Connection will assist by praying if you have a serious prayer request or if you need some extra prayers said for your special intention.  

Greeters

Contact:  April Johnson

Email:  ajohnson@stfrancisbb.org

Greeters are Ministers of Welcome and Wellbeing.  They welcome all who come to the weekend and holy day liturgies.  Specific duties include: greeting and help with seating, taking up the offertory collections, ensuring that Holy Communion is brought to those unable to walk up to receive the Eucharist, directing lines, distribution of bulletins, attentiveness to who is in the congregation and help with other necessities or emergencies.

World Apostolate of Fatima

Contact:  Marcelina Paet

Contact:  Estella Trevino

The mission is to Live, Learn and Spread the message of our Lady of Fatima.  Our Lady appeared in Fatima, Portugal in May 1917.  She called for being in communion with the Church and in concert with Evangelization through praying the Holy Rosary daily for consecration, penance, reparations, world peace, conversion of sinners, to save souls and to wear the Brown Scapular.  

The prayer group formerly called the Blue Army was founded by Fr. Harold Colgan in 1946 and is now called the World Apostolate of Fatima (WAF) through the Pontifical Council Laity of Rome and approved by the Holy See, as a public association of the faithful in 2010.

Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist

Contact:  April Johnson

Phone.:  630-759-7588, ext. 121

Email:  ajohnson@stfrancisbb.org

These Ministers assist the Priest and Deacon at Mass by the distribution of the Precious Body and Blood of our Lord.  These parishioners must be baptized, confirmed, and 18 years old.  Participants must attend a retraining meeting once a year.  

Lectors

Contact:  April Johnson

Phone: 630-759-7588, ext. 121

Email:  ajohnson@stfrancisbb.org

Lectors serve the parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi Parish by proclaiming the Word of God at Masses and all special feasts of the Church.  To serve as a minister of God’s Word you must be a practicing Catholic, be able to read, have public speaking skills to proclaim the Word of God before the congregation, have received the Sacraments of Baptism and Eucharist, and demonstrate a deep reverence for and devotion to the Word of God.  Ministers of the Word attend a training meeting to familiarize them with the procedures at our parish.

Music Ministry

Contact:  April Johnson, Director of Liturgical Music

Phone:  630-759-7588, ext. 121

Emai:  ajohnson@stfrancisbb.org

This ministry is for prayerful, musical individuals who demonstrate proficiency in playing a musical instrument or singing in a choral setting.  The primary mission is to engage the assembly to sing with wholehearted participation.

Cantor

Leads the congregation in songs and Mass parts on weekend and holy day Masses. Cantors rehearse as a group once a month and are scheduled to sing 1 - 3 Masses each month.

Canticle Choir

Made up of adults and high school students, this choir sings from September through May at the

10 am Mass approximately two times a month as well as Christmas, Easter and other select

Masses and events.  Rehearsals are twice a month on Thursdays from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm.

Cry: Gospel Children's Choir

Consists of children in Grades 3 - 8. This choir sings once a month from September through May, rotating among the 5:00 pm, 10:00 am and 11:45 am Masses as well as for Christmas and Easter.  Rehearsals are every Thursday from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

“Joyful Noise” Children's Choir

This choir has children from Kindergarten to 2nd Grade. They sing once a month from

September through May, rotating among the 5:00 pm, 10:00 am and 11:45 am Masses as well as for Christmas and Easter.  Rehearsals are every Thursday from 5:00 pm to 5:45 pm.

“Bridges to Heaven” Choir

A mixed choir providing an uplifting selection of sacred music, backed by contemporary instruments.  This choir generally sings on the 3rd Sunday of the month at 11:45 am Mass.  Rehearsals are on the 3rd Friday.