Dear Parishioners,

On this Labor Day Weekend, when our minds and hearts naturally direct our attention to the gift of work, I am pleased to introduce two recent additions to our work force here at St. Joan of Arc parish. The first of these is Rubi Garfias, hired as our new parish secretary replacing Karen Eldrenkamp. Karen held this position for three years, and although she was hired as a part time employee, she served our parish and its staff in a full time capacity. She has decided to explore and enjoy new possibilities that retirement will offer her and her family. We are all grateful for the selfless devotion and professionalism that were hallmarks of her service to us.

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend, it is an honor and a joy to welcome Deacon Rob Visher into diaconal ministry here at St. Joan of Arc Parish. Deacon Rob was ordained as a permanent deacon by Bishop Hicks on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet. Deacon Rob was raised in Downers Grove and married his wife, Julie, in 2009. In 2014 they were blessed with their daughter Ellie who is currently enrolled in our parish school. In 2022 the Visher family, (Rob, Julie and Ellie) became members of our parish community where they have been active ever since in a wide variety of ways.

“We are going to sell out all the tickets instantly!” That was my spontaneous reaction when I first heard the news: Father Mike Schmitz had agreed to be our keynote speaker for our 2025 Youth Conference in the Diocese of Joliet.

If you do not know who Father Mike Schmitz is, it likely means you do not spend much time online or listening to Catholic pod casts. A priest of the Diocese of Duluth, Minnesota, Father Schmitz has become one of the most recognizable Catholic voices in the digital world. His Bible in a Year and Catechism in a Year podcasts have touched millions of lives. With a rare mix of clarity, humor, and conviction, he brings the Faith alive to all generations.

Dear Parishioners,

August the 15th is the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is one of the three major festivals in honor of Mary, all of which are holydays of obligation. The belief that underlies this liturgical celebration is that at the end of her earthly life, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was assumed body and soul into the glory of heaven.

Dear Parishioners,

Every year on August 6, the church celebrates the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. The event of the Lord’s transfiguration is recorded in all four gospels, and one of these accounts is always proclaimed on the Second Sunday of Lent. August 6th however, is the liturgical commemoration of this highly significant moment in the life of Jesus and the select apostles Peter, James and John who are led, by Jesus, to Mount Tabor. This mountain is about five miles southeast of Nazareth and rises to the peak of 1,650 feet. Tabor was consistently regarded as a holy mountain by a number of religious traditions including that of Israel.