Latest Message from Fr. Paul Cao – September 21, 2025

WORDS OF THANKS – The Parish Taste on September 6 was a great success. What a great turn out with hundreds of people! It was good to see so many young people from our parish. We thank God for giving us the good weather and all the good food that we had. I have received many compliments about the Taste. I wish I could take all the credit but I cannot. I just helped sell raffle tickets and mostly stood around talking or helped setting up at the beginning and cleaning up at the end.

We are so grateful to all the people who worked so hard on the Taste. So many people donated so much: time, money, raffle items, food, and drinks! In a special way I am so grateful to the staff: Laurie DePillo, Lynn Schmidt, Kim Hagerty, Ruthanne Swiatkowski, Eric Mueller, Andrea Mayer, Bob Vessini, Karen Jackson, and their families for their hard work and dedication and thanks so much to the many volunteers from our parish!

The food booths all looked great and the food tasted delicious. I would like to thank the following families and organization for the food booths: the Lis, Szewczyk, and Mojek families for the Polish food, Irma and Angel Rivera’s family for the Mexican food, my family and friends for the Vietnamese food, Linda Santelli, Carm DePillo and Skip Marcucci for the Italian food, the Arenga family for the Filipino food, the Women’s Club for the deserts, Ruthanne Swiatkowski and youth volunteers for the root beer floats, the Parents’ Club for hot dogs and the School Board for the pizzas. Thanks to the Scouts and those who helped with set up and clean up afterward. Thanks to Aimee Park, Athletics, the Elmwood Park Fire Department, and all those who helped with crafts, face painting, and games for the kids. Many thanks to Oscar Tesoro for donating all the beer and the Men’s Club for serving the drinks. I also want to thank so many of our parishioners who helped by donating all the drinks, desserts, and raffles, and Lorie Marcucci for making the baskets look great. Thanks to Ellen & the Guys band for the great entertainment. I apologize if I missed anyone.

We are grateful for the Elms and Belmont Funeral Homes that helped fund the raffle prizes. Here are the Grand Raffle winners: the First Prize 75 inch Smart TV was won by Vikki Klemundt, Second Prize of $250 was won by Susan Zwiek, and the Third Prize of $100 went to Aneta Feliciano.

We would like to especially thank the sponsors of the Taste: The Elms Funeral Home, Belmont Funeral Home, Suzanne Chmura, Village Towing, the Maraviglia Family, ORT Consulting, the Rivera Family, the Arrenga Family, the Marcucci Family, the Lis Family, the Mojek Family, the Farkas Cercso Family, Kimberly Bertucci, the Santelli/Vena Family, Jamie Birmingham, Hagerty & Sons Construction, the St. Mother Theodore Guerin Women’s Club, and Viet Taste. We could not have a successful fundraiser without your help and the help of all our volunteers.

The Parish Taste was a terrific reflection of our parish spirit. It was a chance to see so many people get together to enjoy and have fun to end our summer. To one and to all – THANK YOU!!!

CATECHETICAL SUNDAY – This Sunday we honor and recognize those who serve us as catechists in our parish, those individuals who instruct others in our Catholic faith. Let us honor all who serve as:

  • Catholic School Teachers
  • Religious Education Teachers
  • Special Religious Education Teachers
  • OCIA Team Members
  • Adult Faith Formation Members

This is only the formal list, however. Are you a parent, a grandparent, a godparent? Do you have the responsibility of rearing a child – a teenager – a college-aged son or daughter? If you do, then you are a catechist too. In fact, your role as a catechist is more crucial than the list that appears above because you are the first teachers in the ways of faith.

I really encourage parents to be a good model of faith for their children. Ask yourself the question: “How am I doing as a teacher of the faith?” and we should all ask ourselves, “How are we doing as a parish? Where do we need some improvement?” Please make an effort to go to Mass every Sunday with your family and pray together. Let us commit ourselves to being more faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ.

May God bless you and reward you for all your good work!!!

MULTI-SITE REVIEW PROCESS BEGINS – All parishes who have gone through the Renew My Church process are required by the Archdiocese to have a review of the state of the parish every five years. As one of the first parishes to be combined over seven years ago, it is time for St. Mother Theodore Guerin Parish to go through the process.

The pastor asks a team of parish leaders to consider the feasibility of continued utilization of parish facilities and how to establish and implement the goals of the parish. They review the facility holding costs and critical capital project needs and costs, the utilization of parish spaces, and the financial condition of the parish and project the needs of the next five years. After the team has reviewed a variety of information about the parish there will be a Town Hall Meeting to present the findings to the parish as a whole for feedback.

After that there will be a recommendation to the pastor as to the future of the parish, and with the input and advice of the Parish Finance Council, a decision will be made and implemented.

This is being done under the direction of the Archdiocese, although they are adamant that they do not make the final decisions about the parishes. We will keep you updated as the process continues and let you know when the Town Hall Meeting will be.

May God bless you and your loves ones.

In prayer,
Fr. Paul Cao
Pastor of St. Mother Theodore Guerin Parish