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Welcome to St. Katharine Drexel-Sugar Grove, Ill. We hope you find our website an informative and engaging tool to assist you in growing in your faith. Take some time and explore the different links and pages of this site for all the various ministries and areas of SKD. Websites and social media are ever-growing, ever-changing mediums so visit us often to see updates and exciting news!
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Saturday: 4:30pm
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Wed: 8:00am – 6:00 pm
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12 years, 6 months, 20 days
109,980 hours
6,598,800 minutes
Though not a religious quote, seeing the above numbers written out, I can’t help but think of one of my personal favorite musical numbers; “How do you measure a year in the life? How about LOVE?” Jonathan Larson really summed up what I’m sure we all can say about Fr. Bob Jones. LOVE. Love for his vocation, love for this Diocese, love for this parish, and a deep love for all the parishioners who have made St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church what it is today. From the first baby baptized (Leah Rose Neville) in February, 2009 to the last funeral Mass celebrated this coming Saturday, and all the baptisms, weddings, first communions, confirmations, funerals, anointings, and blessings, Fr. Bob has shown his love to us all by being a faithful servant. But, after all these years, months, days, minutes, and hours, how do we say good bye and thank you to such a wonderful pastor?
As you know, Fr. Bob never asks for things for himself, so we would like to honor his dedication to service. What better way to do that than to build a house in Haiti in honor of Fr. Bob and his family? Hope for Haitians is an organization that is near and dear to Fr. Bob’s heart and mind. He is on their board of directors and even made a trip to Haiti. Help us honor Fr. Bob’s dedication to service by building a house in Haiti. The total cost of the house is $9,800.00. For those who would like to make a donation, a special page has been set up by Hope for Haitians for direct donations: https://hopeforhaitians.org/campaigns/fr-bob/. Donations by check can be mailed to Hope for Haitians at PO Box 5647, Rockford, IL 61125. Thank you in advance for your generosity to one of Fr. Bob’s favorite charities.
Finally, the parish’s social committee is coordinating an afternoon picnic on June 13th from 12:00-2:30pm. We will be serving burgers and hot dogs with chips, cookies, and water from 12:00-1:00pm. Please join us in helping to celebrate all the wonderful years we’ve had with Fr. Bob!! Bring your lawn chairs, cards, messages and HUGS! We will also have some paper and pens for anyone who wants to write him a note there. If you didn’t respond via the email sent to all parishioners on 6/2/21, please email the parish office so we can appropriately plan for food. There is no charge for the event, we want everyone to be able to come and celebrate, but we will take a free will offering if anyone wants to donate toward the cost of food.
On behalf of the SKD staff, I truly thank you all for making our parish such a wonderful community. We look forward to celebrating Fr. Bob!
Stephanie Heusinger
SKD Business Manager
Most Catholics know that one of the realities of the Catholic Church in this day and age, is that pastors may get reassigned by their bishop. Well that day is now fast approaching. Bishop David J. Malloy has requested that I take on a new assignment starting June 16, 2021, which is just a few weeks away. My immediate reaction to this reality was great sadness, for I love this faith community. I have poured my heart and soul into this faith community since its inception, and you will always remain in my heart and soul. You can count on that.
In the midst of my sadness, there is also a sense of extreme gratitude that I have for so many people. Our parish was formed 12½ years ago. Personally, I am incredibly thankful that I was given the opportunity to be the founding pastor of this incredible parish. I am grateful to God and to so many people that have contributed to this reality.
For starters, I am grateful to the generosity of Jerry Rich and his late father, Anthony Rich, for their extremely generous donations of land, money and some temporary quarters to help allow this dream get some feet on the ground. Our parish has continued to receive generosity and hospitality from this family, and RHF, throughout the past 12 years. We clearly would never have been established without them, so we all owe them a big debt of our gratitude. Without their generosity and cooperation, this would still be a cornfield, and the wonderful reality of this parish would never have been realized. That is a fact we must all acknowledge and truly appreciate.
Then, I am grateful to the late Bishop Thomas G. Doran, for naming me the founding pastor. He could have named a number of other priests, but I will always be grateful that the Holy Spirit inspired him to make me his choice for St. Katharine Drexel Parish, in Sugar Grove. And, I am grateful that his successor, Bishop David J. Malloy, was willing to allow me to extend my tenure here to a full 12½ years, which may seem too short to some people, but it is the longest I have served anywhere in my now 29 years of priesthood.
Mostly, I am grateful to God for the people of this parish! What a blessing this community has been! You are St. Katharine Drexel Church! Even before we had this beautiful campus and beautiful buildings, your many personal sacrifices made our Church a reality, as we gathered in the multi-purpose room at John Shields and the Office Building over on Main Street. You are a blessing to me! You are a blessing to each other! And you are a blessing to the larger community! You have often displayed what it means to be a vibrant Church of faithful disciples. I am really proud of all of you, just like a proud parent!
On a personal level, I was especially touched by the love and support you showed my late mother and my entire family, at the time of her passing back in 2016. My family and I will never forget that, I can assure you. What a comfort you were to us.
Now we come to a time of transition. I have been asked to take on a new assignment, at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Crystal Lake, IL. I spent the first three years of my priesthood there, as their Parochial Vicar. Now I have been asked to return as their Pastor. Fr. Steven St. Jules will soon become the 2nd Pastor of St. Katharine Drexel, in Sugar Grove. He is one of our most respected priests and I am very confident that St. Katharine Drexel Parish will remain in good hands and continue to flourish under his wise and loving guidance. He is a very good priest and a very good man. It is my sincere prayer that you will welcome him and embrace him in the same generous manner that you have welcomed me.
Peace, love and joy,
Father Bob
A Prayer During Transition
Loving Creator of heaven and earth,
We give You praise and thanks
For the countless ways You have blessed our lives.
Jesus Christ, our Good and Loving Shepherd,
We the people of St. Katharine Drexel Parish,
Look to You in this time of transition.
Generous and Holy Spirit,
Please watch over our founding pastor,
And guide his path as he begins a new assignment.
We are grateful for the time we shared.
May the joyful spirit of St. Katharine Drexel
Continue to deepen our appreciation of Christ’s love for us,
As we now embrace a new pastor to lead and guide us
To a discipleship that fosters a
Welcoming, caring and faithful Catholic Community.
Amen.
Updated Guidelines from the Rockford Diocese — In a letter from Bishop Malloy on May 26, 2021 some of the most important mentioned issues quoted here;
Continue to Keep Safe with these helpful flyers:
CDC Poster – Stop the Spread of Germs
CDC – Choosing Safer Activities
CDC – Fully Vaccinated Guideline
Funds generously donated to this annual appeal provide Catholic education programs, form future priests and deacons, provide assistance to the poor and marginalized, form lay ministers and so much more! Visit rockforddiocese.org/donate/ to help us reach our goal.
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“As Iron sharpens Iron, so one man sharpens another.”
– Proverbs 27:17
