Declaración de la misión de Santos Ángeles Custodios

Declaración de la misión de Santos Ángeles Custodios:

 

La parroquia de Los Santos Ángeles Custodios se esfuerza por facilitar un viaje de renovación espiritual al trabajar con el Espíritu Santo en formas nuevas y creativas para hacer discípulos, construir comunidad e inspirar testigos del Evangelio.

 

             Una nueva declaración de misión para nuestra nueva parroquia amplifica la señal para cada uno de nosotros, los feligreses de la parroquia Los Santos Ángeles Custodios: estamos llamados. Estamos llamados a responder a la voz de Dios todos los días. No todos estamos llamados de la misma manera, pero todos escuchamos con claridad la voz que nos pide renovarnos y hacer así nuestra nueva parroquia. Haciendo esto en comunión con Cristo y entre nosotros, tenemos la confianza de que cumplimos la voluntad de Dios y así cumplimos nuestra misión.

            Juntos, podemos esperar que nuestro trabajo, nuestra misión, adopta tres formas distintas. Estas identidades constituirán la forma en que se renueva nuestra comunidad parroquial.

            La primera forma de renovación espiritual será hacer discípulos. El objetivo de nuestra parroquia, y de toda la iglesia, es hacer que la mayor cantidad de personas posible experimente el poder salvador del amor de Dios. Como comunidad parroquial, debemos esforzarnos constantemente por invitar a aquellos que aún no han conocido a Jesucristo a experimentar el gozo del Evangelio. 

            ¿Cómo hacemos esto? ¿Cómo hacemos discípulos? 

            Primero, necesitamos renovar nuestra propia relación con Dios. Volver a comprometernos con Dios es una necesidad si queremos vivir el mandato de Cristo de difundir el Evangelio a otros. Una vez que hemos abierto nuestros propios corazones, podemos confiar en que el Espíritu Santo será nuestra guía. Cuando nosotros mismos nos dejamos llevar por el amor y la alegría, tendremos el valor de invitar a otros a responder a sus propias llamadas. A través de nuestro testimonio, permitimos que nuestros amigos escuchen claramente la voz de Dios hablándoles.

            Hacer discípulos comienza con cada uno de nosotros respondiendo al llamado de Dios. A partir de ahí, el Espíritu Santo guiará a cada individuo.

            La segunda forma de renovación espiritual que podemos esperar experimentar en nuestra parroquia es la construcción de comunidad. Esto no solo significa que los cimientos de nuestras iglesias son fuertes, sino que la parroquia puede sostenerse a sí misma como una comunidad amorosa inspirada en la predicación de Cristo. Cristo enseña que debemos amar a nuestro prójimo como a nosotros mismos. En una comunidad parroquial, amar a nuestro prójimo es ser generoso con nuestro tiempo, talento y tesoro para asegurar que se satisfagan todas las necesidades de la parroquia. 

Cristo nos está hablando de nuevo, esta vez no solo para que volvamos a comprometernos en la fe con Él, sino para reconocer el espíritu divino que vive en cada uno de nuestros miembros parroquiales. La palabra que mejor resume tal idea es vitalidad. Nuestro compromiso en acción con nuestra parroquia es vital no solo en un sentido de necesidad, sino también en un sentido de vivacidad. Mediante nuestra acción colectiva, nos aseguramos de que nuestra parroquia tenga los recursos adecuados de tiempo, talento y tesoro. Planeamos cuidadosamente la visión de nuestra parroquia. Nuestras necesidades están satisfechas. Nuestras iniciativas son recibidas con entusiasmo. Nuestros esfuerzos son sostenibles. Nuestra parroquia se siente viva, alimentada por la alegría y la esperanza del Evangelio y la promesa de salvación de Cristo. 

Cuando hayamos renovado nuestro compromiso con Cristo y solidificamos nuestras acciones en la fe, haremos discípulos y construiremos una comunidad parroquial fuerte. En ese momento, comenzaremos a inspirar a testigos en la comunidad más allá de nuestra propia parroquia. Esta es la tercera forma que asumirá nuestra misión. El ciclo comenzará de nuevo en algún lugar nuevo y habremos cumplido nuestra misión. 

El llamado, que ahora podemos escuchar con tanta urgencia, habrá sido respondido con nuestro propio "Aquí estoy, Señor". Estamos llamados a actuar con justicia, amar con ternura y servirnos unos a otros para caminar humildemente con Dios. Ahora, con confianza en Cristo, podemos comenzar.     

 

Parish Mission Statement

Holy Guardian Angels Mission Statement: 

Holy Guardian Angels Parish strives to facilitate a journey of spiritual renewal by working with the Holy Spirit in new and creative ways to make disciples, build community, and inspire witnesses to the Gospel.

 

            A new mission statement for our new parish amplifies the signal to each of us, the parishioners of Holy Guardian Angels Parish: we are called. We are called upon to answer the voice of God each and every day. We are not all called in the same way, but we all hear clearly the voice that asks us to renew ourselves and so make our new parish. Doing this in communion with Christ and with one another, we have confidence that we perform the will of God and so fulfill our mission.

            Together, we can expect our work, our mission, to take on three separate forms. These identities will constitute the way in which our parish community is renewed.

            The first form of spiritual renewal will be making disciples. The goal of our parish, and of the whole church, is to have as many people as possible experience the saving power of God’s love. As a parish community, we should constantly be striving to invite those who have not yet known Jesus Christ to experience the joy of the Gospel. 

            How do we do this? How do we make disciples? 

            First, we need to renew our own relationship with God. Recommitting ourselves to God is a necessity if we are to live out Christ’s mandate to spread the Gospel to others. Once we have opened our own hearts, we can trust that the Holy Spirit will be our guide. When we ourselves are driven by love and joy, we will have the courage to invite others to respond to their own calls. Through our witness, we allow our friends to hear clearly the voice of God speaking to them.

            Making disciples begins with each of us answering God’s call. From there, the Holy Spirit will guide each individual.

            The second form of spiritual renewal we can expect to experience in our parish is the building of community. Not only does this mean that the foundations of our churches are strong, but that the parish is able to support itself as a loving community modeled after Christ’s preaching. Christ teaches that we must love our neighbor as we love ourselves. In a parish community, to love our neighbor is to be generous with our time, talent, and treasure to ensure that all parish needs are met. 

Christ is again speaking to us, this time not only for us to recommit ourselves in faith to Him, but to recognize the divine spirit that lives in each of our parish members. The word that best encapsulates such an idea is vitality. Our commitment in action to our parish is vital not only in a sense of necessity, but also in a sense of liveliness. By our collective action, we make sure our parish has adequate resources of time, talent, and treasure. We carefully plan the vision for our parish. Our needs are met. Our initiatives are met with enthusiasm. Our efforts are sustainable. Our parish feels alive, fueled by the joy and hope of the Gospel and Christ’s promise of salvation. 

When we have renewed our commitment to Christ and solidified our actions in faith, we will make disciples and build a strong parish community. At that point, we will begin to inspire witnesses in the community beyond our own parish. This is the third form our mission will take on. The cycle will begin again somewhere new, and we will have fulfilled our mission. 

The call, which we may hear so urgently now, will have been answered with our own “Here I am, Lord.” We are called to act with justice, love tenderly, and serve one another to walk humbly with God. Now, with confidence in Christ, we can begin. 

           

           

 

Parish Council

Introducing the New HGA Parish Council

The past year has been defined in many ways by the pandemic, but it has also been an example of perseverance and adapting as a community. Through the rebirth and growth of our parish, we have been coming together in new ways to face this once in a lifetime experience. A new parish council was formed with representation from all ages and both worship sites, and we began meeting virtually in October, 2020.

 

We wanted to introduce ourselves, but a large, in-person meeting is unfortunately not possible at this time. It can be difficult to get to know each other when we are not able to gather, but we are working on more ways to reach members of the parish, including more ways for us to be accessible for questions or comments. However, for the time being, the photos and bios below can be used to get to know us a little bit. If you do see us in church or in the community, please feel free to say hello! All of us are excited to serve the parish community!

                 

 

 

 

       
 

 

 

Hello, my name is Carol Benda, and I am very pleased to be a member of the HGA.  I am a retired educator - in the classroom as well as an administrator.  I have been a member of the community for 30 years and look forward to working with you to make our Parish strong.

 

 

 

Hello, my name is Kevin Copp. I am a graduate of St. Louise School. I am a Catholic school teacher and I look forward to serving Holy Guardian Angels Parish and being a part of a wonderful community.

 

 

 

Hello, my name is Maria Espinosa. After a couple of years away, I am glad to be back and looking forward to serving the HGA parish. With your help let’s make HGA a united, welcoming beacon in our community.

 

 

 

Hello, my name is Margaret (Meg) Miller. I have been a part of this parish since I was a toddler, and I graduated from St. Louise School. At HGA, I have been active in music ministry, youth ministry, and theatre. I look forward to aiding the parish community in any way I can.

 

 

 

Hello, my name is Leanne Pavel. I am happy to serve on the HGA Parish Council.  I have worked in offices, libraries, and other settings.  In my spare time, I like to sing, cook, craft, speak, and spend time with family and friends.

 

 

 

Hello, my name is Jose Solis, and it is a pleasure to be a part of the Holy Guardian Angels Parish Council! I have been a parishioner at St. Barbara since 2001. Since then, I’ve served as a greeter/usher at the Spanish-speaking Mass and was a volunteer crossing guard for Religious Education there. Most recently, due to the pandemic, I’ve been a Set-Up Captain for the Spanish Mass, in which I greet and ensure that everyone follows the guidelines. I also do this at the Rosary in Spanish at St. Barbara on Fridays. In my spare time, I enjoy reading the Bible. Also, I love apologetics.

 

 

 

Hello! My name is Emily Szymczak. I am a 6th grade teacher in Berwyn, working with Emerging Bilingual students. I live in La Grange Park with my husband and have been a part of the St. Louise community for 25 years. I am excited to watch Holy Guardian Angels Parish grow!

     

Hello, my name is James Wilder, and I am excited to be on the HGA Parish Council! I have been a music teacher for two years, and I have been a part of the HGA community for all of my life. I look forward to working with you to build a welcoming community and anticipate serving Holy Guardian Angels Parish.