Inverness parish to name building after pastor
Holy Family Parish in Inverness is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Rev. Pat Brennan's ordination this weekend and will also be naming a new building in honor of the popular pastor.
The Holy Family community will recognize Brennan's years of service in the priesthood during the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday. A reception in his honor will immediately follow the Mass.
Besides Holy Family, Brennan has served as associate pastor of St. Hubert, Hoffman Estates; St. Albert, Burbank; St. John, Streamwood; and president of the National Center for Evangelization and Parish Renewal. He was voted the most outstanding homilist in the Archdiocese of Chicago. He is the author of 13 books on spirituality, psychology and church renewal, and he hosts a weekly radio show, Horizons.
At Holy Family, Brennan initiated small Christian communities resulting in more than 1,000 people meeting in faith-sharing groups year-round; completed the installation of the Cross of New Life, a religious piece of art that has attracted national attention; and fostered the development of Neighborhood Ministry which divides the parish into 20 mini-parishes.
Brennan also was instrumental in opening Holy Family Academy in the fall of 2002, the first parochial school to open in the Northwest suburbs in the last 38 years.
The parish is constructing a 38,000-square-foot building addition to better serve the 1,500 children and teens in its programs and academy. To recognize and honor Brennan, the parish is planning to name the new building in his honor. The first floor of the Brennan Center for Children, Youth, and Families is scheduled to open this fall.
One Book, One District: The Palatine library is sponsoring its fifth annual One Book, One District Program, encouraging all residents to read the same book and participate in a number of events. This year's selection is "Death of a Thousand Cuts," a mystery by Barbara D'Amato, a Chicago-area resident.
From 2 to 4 p.m. this Saturday will be a book discussion with the author. On Sunday, from 2 to 4 p.m. will be a "Police/Author" discussion panel of local authors who are all current or former police officers or detectives.
An adult book discussion will be held at 7 p.m. April 24. At 2 p.m. April 26 will be a program about autism, which is discussed in the book. Linda Hoeck, the autism coordinator of the Northwest Suburban Special Education Association, will discuss various aspects of the disorder and address audience questions. Finally, from 2-4 p.m. May 3 is the program "Crime Scene at the Library" in which a panel compares real life homicide investigation processes to those portrayed in the media.
Drug Awareness: Palatine Elementary District 15 is hosting a Parent-Student Interactive Education Night on Drug Awareness Education and Prevention from 7-8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Winston Campus at 900 E. Palatine Road. This is a night for parents and students in sixth to eighth grades to learn about the risks of drug use and the steps for prevention. The presenter is Barbara Howard from The Bridge Youth and Family Services.