Parish mission at St. Thomas the Apostle to explore how God's love is revealed
Who doesn't love a good story? Especially a good love story. And one of the best love stories ever is about God's love for all humanity.
To learn more about God's all-encompassing love, plan to attend "Walking on Holy Ground," the parish mission that will be held at 7 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, March 20-22, at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, 1500 Brookdale Road in Naperville.
Led by lay married couple Graziano and Nancy Seitz Marcheschi, "Walking on Holy Ground" will look at God's presence in day-to-day living in three ways: "God Loves Us," "God Feeds Us" and "God Forgives Us."
Their approach of prayer, music and quiet meditation promises to engage hearts and imaginations with the stories of some of scripture's favorite characters, including Mary Magdalene, Zacchaeus, Jesus and Lazarus.
Nancy Marcheschi is liturgy director and performing arts teacher at Pope John XXIII School in Evanston and is nationally known in the area of Proclamation of the Word. The author of seven volumes of "Workbooks for Lectors and Gospel Readers," Nancy weaves drama, dance and storytelling into retreats, liturgies and parish missions.
Graziano Marcheschi is an author, educator, lecturer, storyteller and senior programming consultant for Shalom World Television. He is also a recognized national and international speaker on liturgy and the arts, scripture, spirituality, and lay ecclesial ministry. A past vice president for mission and ministry at St. Xavier University, Chicago, and director of lay ministry formation for the Chicago archdiocese, Graziano has authored and contributed to many publications, including nine volumes of "Workbook for Lectors and Gospel Readers."
Together the Marcheschi's founded and direct the Anawim Players of Chicago that presents scriptural drama and dance.
The Marcheschi's will introduce their mission topic during all weekend Masses at St. Thomas. The weekend Mass schedule is 4:30 p.m. Saturday, March 18; and 8, 9:30 and 11:15 a.m. Sunday, March 19.
The 7 p.m. weekday schedule for "Walking on Holy Ground" is:
• Monday, March 20: "God Loves Us" which will enable us to find Holy Ground in ourselves and our relationships, thus discovering that no one earns God's love.
• Tuesday, March 21: "God Feeds Us" which will explore whether our hunger for God and His peace is life-giving or destructive, revealing how everything comes together in the Eucharist.
• Wednesday March 22: "God Forgives Us," which will look honestly at sin and learn how to approach the Father without fear or hesitation as related in the story of the Prodigal Son.
Wednesday evening's program will be followed by optional attendance at a reconciliation service. Priests also will be available for confession on a one-on-one basis.
For more information about "Walking on Holy Ground," contact Chari Rosales, director of adult faith formation at St. Thomas, at crosales@stapostle.org or (630) 355-8980, ext. 138.
St. Thomas the Apostle, a parish of the Diocese of Joliet, strives to bear the Good News of God's unconditional love to all generations through worship, faith formation, witness and service. Organized in 1984, the St. Thomas faith community numbers more than 3,400 households of more than 10,750 people. Complete news and information on parish events, guest speakers and special programs is available at www.stapostle.org. For general parish information, call (630) 355-8980.