saint rene goupil parish

SAINT RENE GOUPIL PARISH
Faith, Family & Friendship
1959-2009
To the People of St. Rene Goupil Parish – past, present and future…
St. Rene had already existed as a parish for 4 years when the Vatican
Council produced the Dogmatic Constitution that defined who we
are. It stated that as Church, we are a people who God has gathered
together to be the visible sign of God’s love made real for the world the ever present Body of Jesus Christ. Over these past 50 years, as the
people of St. Rene expressed their faith and love for one another,
Jesus has been present for you and through you for our community.
As we prayer at Mass, by our marriages and the baptisms of our
children, by our charity to those in need, by our determination to
pass the faith on to our children by means of our school and religious
education programs and by our shared joys and sorrows, Jesus has
been present. As your current Pastor, and representing those priests,
deacons and religious who have served St. Rene over the past 50 years,
I want to express gratitude for the privilege of being able to witness
the goodness and faith expressed by the people who have made this
parish truly Church and God’s special gift to this community.
May God’s love remain a felt part of all of your lives in the years
to come.
Father Tom Kasputis
Pastor
All those, who in faith look towards Jesus, the author of salvation
and the source of unity and peace, God has gathered together
and established as the church, that it may be for each and
everyone the visible sacrament of this saving unity.
Lumen Gentium, 9
In the Beginning . . .
S
t. Rene Goupil - celebrating fifty years as a parish. In the lifetime
of a parish faith community fifty years is still the beginning. Our
celebration is of what was, is now and what will continue in the
lives of the parishioners and all who join us in worship.
In Canon Law, a parish is defined as: “a definite community of
the Christian faithful established on a stable basis within a particular
church whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor as its own
shepherd and the authority of the diocesan bishop.” When thinking
of Saint Rene Goupil Parish, a person can point to the church
building and school. Yet St. Rene Parish is much more then brick
and mortar, it is a community. Think of the difference between a
house and a home: a house is where you may currently reside;
a home is family, memories and traditions.
The area bound by Narragansett and Harlem Avenues, 59th and
65th Streets, was farmland in the early 1930's. After World War II,
small homes were built to accommodate the return of servicemen
and their families. Much of the farmland was sold off, but some still
remained. A trolley ran along 63rd Pl. from Narragansett Av. to the
town of Argo, and was the only means of public transportation.
During the latter 1950's, the area in Clearing began to grow. Homes
and businesses were being built. There was a need for another parish
so the people would have a local place to worship.
Fr. Edward Flannery found an old Indian burial ground on 63rd
Place and New England Avenue and brought this to the attention
of Albert Cardinal Meyer, then Archbishop of Chicago. He agreed
on the site and purchased the lots needed to build this new parish.
Permission to name our new parish St. Rene Goupil was approved
by Rome. At that time it was the only church in the world named
after this North American martyr. St. Rene gave his life as a martyr
in what is now New York State by being tomahawked by an Iroquois
Indian for making the sign of the cross on a child's forehead.
Before the building of a church was begun, a place to worship was
needed for the growing families in this area. A temporary site was
provided at the Hale School Auditorium on 62nd Street and Melvina
Avenue. In 1959 approximately 400 people attended Sunday Masses
at 9 am, 10 am, or 11 am. with Fr. Flannery, Fr. Philbin,
Fr. O'Brien or Fr. O'Connor presiding.
Funeral masses, baptisms and weddings were celebrated at
St. Symphorosa Parish.
The cornerstone fo
r
the present day St
.Rene School was
laid
on July 17,1960.
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um – site of first wo
Hale School Auditori
School and Church
The first parishione
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s George Allaire.Hele
was the sacristan, an
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d cared for the vestm
ents and altar.
Albert Cardinal Meyer blessed the completed parish
building on May 22,1962. The building, designed by
Joseph W. McCarthy and Associates, looked similar to
the contemporary new homes being built in the
neighborhood. The school was two housed on the upper
two floors and Mass was celebrated in the church on the
lower level.
In August 1961, the church doors were opened. The
dreams of a new parish were realized. The love, dreams
and sacrifices of many had come true.
Convent at 6912 W. 63rd Pl.
An additional lot was purchased at 6912 W. 63rd Place to
be used for a Convent. Members of the Sisters Servants of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary from Monroe, Michigan
would come and teach at the school. This building would
be sold in later years, when women religious would no
longer be in residence or teach in the school.
A rectory at 6229 S. Rutherford was purchased in
December of 1959. Weekday Mass, Confessions and
Baptisms were celebrated in a chapel located in the rectory.
A new rectory was built in March of 1963 at 6949
W. 63rd Place and the old rectory was sold.
Rectory at 6229 S. Rutherford
In the 1960's, in keeping with the guidelines set forth
by the Second Vatican Council, changes were made in
the Church sanctuary. The altar was brought forward
so the priest would face the congregation. Mass was
said in the vernacular, the language of the people.
Holy Scripture was read by lay ministers – but at that
time by men only.
The fifty years of our parish life have had four pastors:
Fr. Edward M. Flannery, Fr. Edward N. Surges,
Fr. Peter Paurazas and our current pastor, Fr. Thomas
R. Kasputis.
We have also been blessed to have as permanent
deacons, Rev. Mr. Owen Boehm and Rev.
Mr. Sal Lema.
Our former associates over these years were Fr. Joseph
McDonnell, Fr. William Martin, Fr. Edmund Szlanga,
Fr. Edward Surges, Fr. Louis Palazzola, and Fr. Marion
Soprych.
We also have been blessed with the priests from
St. Alphonsus and St. Rita who have served our parish
along with resident priests and neighboring parish
priests.
Many organizations, ministries, parish gatherings and
fund-raising functions have been enjoyed over these
years. These and many other fun-filled and religious
occasions helped form a parish community. Our
School and Religious Education programs helped
parents to pass on our Roman Catholic Faith to
hundreds of our children.
Our school’s Principals have been: Sr. Audrey
Bushnell (Mother Vinciana), Sr. Hilda Skelley
(Sr. James Ellen), Sr. Eugenia Fournier, Sr. Gerald
Marie Lyons, Sr. Dorothy McGlinn (Sr. Leonella),
Mr. Val Bellucci and Mrs. Marlene DeSantis
On September 16, 1984 our parish celebrated our
Silver Anniversary Jubilee with an anniversary mass.
Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, Archbishop of Chicago,
Principal celebrant and homilist.
Joseph Cardinal Bernardin
Saint Paul tells us “You are no longer strangers and
sojourners, but you are fellow members of the
household of God, built upon the foundation of the
Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the
capstone. Through him the whole structure is held
together and grows into a people sacred in the Lord; in
him you also are being built together into a dwelling
place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2: 19-22). We
are the parish of Saint Rene Goupil, our involvement in
worship, assisting others, educating our children makes
this church a parish.
In 1959 we began with a space of land on which we built
a church, school building, parking lot, ball fields and
rectory. As neighbors we gathered together to celebrate
Mass, share the sacraments and live the life of Catholic
Christians. We enrolled our children in our school,
participated in various fundraising efforts and enjoyed
occasions where we ate, drank and relaxed in each other’s
company. Our future hope was to one day build a
church adjacent to our school and in it realize the growth
of our community providing an expansion for education
and worship.
We planned, sought financial assistance, met with our
architect, Mr. Guy Gehlausen of Ware Associates, Ind.,
visited many parishes to experience the fruits of their
labor and prayed, prepared and worked together. A
place of land was carefully chosen so as not to loose the
ball fields and fit in with the existing school and rectory
buildings. The connection of the church and school was
not just that they were adjacent buildings but needed to
be connected. We needed an ample parking lot and were
able to use the existing lot.
Fr.Edward Flannery and Fr.Edward Surges
When the model of the church was shown, we were able
to begin. Groundbreaking is the first physical action
that solidifies our intentions and must involve the parish
community in this new beginning. On September 13,
1987, bags of flour were poured out to form the
cruciform shape of our new church. Our Bishop Alfred
Abramowicz, Pastor Fr. Edward Surges, associate Pastor
Fr. Marion Soprych and parishioners gathered around
this form where the new church building would be
created. As the grain of wheat falls to the ground to
Fr.Peter Paurazas
produce an abundance we gathered around the flour
poured form asking for God’s blessing and seeking the
enthusiasm and cooperation of our faith community as
we set out on our new Church building venture.
The ground was broken the building began. As in new
friendships and relationships we started small and through
time and effort grew in depth, space and size. Day by day,
week-by-week and month-by-month we changed, grew,
prospered and met many new neighbors.
The foundation was poured, a foundation that must be
strong and true. Jesus tells us that as our faith must be
built on rock and not on sand for the elements of time
and distress will not be sustained without a strong, firm
foundation. We as a faith community must be both
strong and adaptable to the changes and difficulties of life.
We must hold up in the situations of life and for those
who count on us to be there, supporting, sustaining and
willing to give of ourselves.
On January 15, 1989, the Church’s cornerstone is set, in
the very beginning, before the walls, windows, doors and
roof. This stone names us as a parish community. In
Baptism we receive our name, setting our place in the
family, adding to its heritage and expanding its reaches.
In Catholic tradition our
parish identifies us, such as
when we are meeting new
people on vacation or as
guests in a party. We join
with others in making our
parish thrive, we are happy to
be Saint Rene.
It takes many bricks to make
a church building; it takes
many people to make a faith
community. Those who were
here before the buildings
were constructed, those who
came when Saint Rene was
originally built, and the
many people, who came
throughout the years after,
joined, shared and helped to
bring us to where we are
today. Families were started,
children were educated and
friendships were made here. Experiences of a lifetime were
shared and remembered.
Windows and doors were added, allowing light,
admitting entrance. Windows also tell our story.
The renewal of God’s love for us is shown in creation,
forgiveness, sharing of ourselves, dedicating our lives,
receiving inspiration and hope of eternal happiness. As the
eyes are called the windows to the soul, our windows invite,
inspire and enable us to express who we are beyond words.
As our parish is attractive to our neighborhood, we also
must be open, understanding and inviting as individuals
and community. In the chapel, Meltem Aktas, a renowned
icon painter created an icon of Saint Rene. As it is said that
when you sing, you pray twice, at a time when many
Catholic churches were going electronic with their
instruments, we demonstrated our stewardship for future generations
by installing an instrument of real acoustical integrity. While the
budget was not very big, Deacon Owen Boehm who was
also an organist and pipe organ enthusiast went to great lengths to
insure that the Parish would have the best instrument possible.
Mr. Frank Glab, our Music Ministry Director, discovered a piano built
in 1921 in Leipzig, Germany. Our parish is very fortunate to have
acquired this instrument that is comparable to those in the concert halls
of Europe. “One of the finest pianos of any Catholic Church in the
Archdiocese,” Mr. Glab affirms.
The church roof shelters us and provides us with a space that is secure
and comforting. We as a faith community provide similarly to others
and ourselves. A friendly face, a smile and greeting identify us as
followers of Jesus. Come join us, worship with us, become a needed
and necessary part of our parish and of our lives.
Mr.Frank Glab - Music Director
Present
J
esus tells us of treasures new and old, “…who has
been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the
head of a household who brings from his store room
both the new and the old” (Matthew 13: 52). We
process from the former church to the new. We began
anew our lives blessed, our spirits strengthened. New
beginnings present challenges, offer new chances and
provide hope. As a faith community we begin each
Sunday, listening to the word of God, sharing his Body
and Blood joining the past and future in the present, in
God, with each other. Saint Paul tells us, “living the
truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who
is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined
and held together by every supporting ligament, with
the proper functioning of each part, brings about the
body’s growth and builds itself up in love”
(Ephesians 4:15-16).
Celebrating fifty years as a parish is a time to reflect and
remember, a time to be grateful and a reason to be
hopeful. It is our faith community; we are the keepers
of tradition, the initiators of good things and the
presence of God’s love, mercy and grace.
Saint Rene Goupil pray for us. Pray for our families,
friends, neighbors. Pray for all who have and will
experience this gift of God.
Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,
for our Parish of St. Rene Goupil.
We are an enduring symbol of faith, family,
and friendship because of all you have blessed
us with over the past 50 years.
Forgive us for sin and give us the grace to
come together to do Your will.
Enable us to reach out to all
by the life we Live in You.
We ask this through Jesus Christ
in the Holy Spirit. Amen.