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Church (1994)
Church (1994) |
The
Pastorate of Msgr. John T. Egan
Fr. Curran's successor as pastor was the Rev.
John T. Egan, who had been the rector at Cathedral
Preparatory Seminary in Elmhurst. He brought not only im-
peccable academic and administrative credentials, but
also a priestly pastoral sense, very much in tune with the
reforms of the Second Vatican Council. In addition to
the various physical changes such as the renovation of
the daily Mass chapel in 1974 and the modernization of
rectory offices in 1975, he began to broaden the pastoral
staff to meet specific needs in the parish. In 1973, he
hired a Religious Education coordinator and First Sacra-
ments programs directors, Sisters Kathleen Finan and
Mary Parry, O.P., and Patricia Dixon, R.S.M. Miss
Maureen Friss became principal of the Junior and Senior
High School Religious Education Program. In 1974, Sis-
ter Jeanne Elaine, O.P., was brought on staff to coordi-
nate elderly homecare, a position held in subsequent
years by Brother Joseph Moore, C.F.X., and since 1989
by Mrs. Eileen Quinn. Sister Bernadette Fortier, O.P.,
worked with the charismatic prayer and liturgical groups
and the St. Vncent de Paul Society.
Senior citizens' needs were met with the
founding of two social groups during this time. The St.
Sebastian Senior Group (1969), which meets on Wednes-
day, and the Leisure Club of Wbodside (1979), which
meets on Friday, assemble in the Parish Center and
serve over 400 members. The two groups arrange nume-
rous trips, parties and social events under their current
moderator, the Rev. Sabino Estrada.
In accord with the teachings of Vatican II, lay-
people and religious began to exercise the liturgical
ministries appropriate to them. The year 1977 saw the
installation of the first extraordinary ministers of the
Eucharist to bring Holy Communion to the homebound
and assist at the Sunday Masses. Those pioneers were:
Mary Bishop, Jeanette Me Shane, Mary Trainor, Mary
Moore, Robert Puppa, Joseph Ferguson, Eleanor Gund-
lach, Owen Mahon, and Dominican Sisters Mary Parry,
Kathleen Finan, Kathleen Thomas, Jeanne Elaine, Mau-
reen Burke, and Eve Gilchrist. Today our parish has
more than 70 "EM'"s assisting at weekend Masses and
many daily Masses as well. In addition, they visit nearly
100 homebound parishioners regularly. Parish lectors al-
so made their appearance in the 1970's and now number
almost 40.
Ethnic ministries began to emerge in a full-
fledged way during Fr. Egan's pastorate. Spanish sur-
names begin to show up in the baptismal records of the
parish in increasing numbers in the early 1960's. As the
sacraments were offered only in Latin until 1967, little
need was felt for a Spanish-speaking apostolate at that
time. Fr. Egan saw to it that Mass in Spanish was
initiated in 1973, offered by the Rev. Thomas J. Ryan
and the Rev. Said Sanchez. A census taken at the
Spanish Mass in March 1973 showed the following
points of origin: Colombia (141), Dominican Republic
(28), Ecuador (26), Cuba (25), Puerto Rico (13), Peru
(9), Bolivia (5), Panama (4), Spain (4), Paraguay (3),
and Honduras and Mexico (1). In the ensuing years, the
Spanish Mass outgrew the chapel and was moved first
into the school auditorium and then into the main
church. In addition, a committee known as the Apos-
tolado Hispano was organized to coordinate the various
events in the Latino community. In 1983, the annual
Mass in honor of Our Lady of Chiquinquira was cele-
brated in honor of the patroness of Colombia. In 1984,
a charismatic prayer group was formed. Later, under Fr.
Paul Sanchez, the Cursillo de Cristianidad was orga-
nized. Bible classes in Spanish have frequently been
offered over the years. |
