a column of benevolent gossip

• Those Little Sisters —

  The student council of St. Albert the Great School (Burbank) recently collected bags and boxes of items like soap, lotion and talc for the Little Sisters of the Poor’s elderly residents at St. Mary’s Home (N. Lakewood). The students might be interested in a children’s book recently published about the founder of the Little Sisters. It’s called “We’ll Ring in God’s Name.”
  Book about St. Jeanne Jugan by Joan Thiry, illustrated throughout by Stephen Titra.
  It tells the story of this newly canonized saint, Jeanne Jugan, from a poor family herself, and how she became a nurse and pharmacist caring for the poor in France. She knew God had a plan for her. It bloomed when she was 45, when she opened her first home for the elderly poor. Along with other women companions they supported their work by begging door to door — Jeanne called them “beggar maids for God.” And that is still how the 3,000 Little Sisters around the world flourish. The book is written by Joan Thiry, a life-long educator, who also gives talks on Jeanne, and lives in a Little Sisters independent living complex. The book is available by writing: Joan Thiry, 2300 N. Racine Ave., Apt. 409, Chicago, IL 60614, and including $10 in a check or m.o.

• Jelly Belly season —

  Friends of Misericordia will hand out over 1.5 million sample bags of Jelly Belly candy on street corners April 23-24. Have a pair of comfy shoes and a smile? Call Tessa at (773) 273-2768 to volunteer. You can also go to www.misericordia.org to sign up. Pick your hour, date and corner!

• Milestones —

  Father Dan Coughlin was honored recently on his 10th anniversary as chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is also the first Catholic ever to serve in that position. . . . Sister of St. Joseph, Third Order of St. Francis Lambert Suski, turned 100 March 26. Sister taught all over the arch, and was principal at St. Barbara (S. Throop) and Transfiguration (W. Carmen). She also served as secretary at Lourdes High School. Sister is a resident at Clare Oaks in Bartlett. . . . Centenarian Hattie Walker, also born in 1910, celebrated on March 25. Hattie has been an active member of Holy Angels Parish (E. Oakwood) since 1943!

• Fair weather ahead —

  Ginger Zee
  Channel 5’s Ginger Zee
  , meteorologist for NBC-5 News will emcee De La Salle Institute’s April 16 gala at the University Club. Honored guest will be De La Salle’s famous alum from the class of 1960, Mayor Richard M. Daley. . . . St. Thomas of Villanova Parish (Palatine) devoted a page in its March 21 bulletin to a parishioner’s 17- month saga to find employment. Through the spiritual and communal encouragement of daily Mass, diligent searching and networking, the story has had a happy and grateful conclusion.

• Parish potpourri —

  “Curing of the sick,” a fourth grader’s “stainedglass window.”
  Creative fourthgraders at Ss. Faith, Hope & Charity (Winnetka) drew “stained-glass windows” during Lent, showing their favorite Bible stories. . . . St. Norbert’s (Northbrook) is having a Women’s Day of Reflection 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. April 10 at Divine Word Center (Techny). Speaker is Mercy Sister Ruth Broz, author of “Midwives of an Unnamed Future.”

• Vroom-vroom for charity —

  Ferrari, the world’s leading luxury car manufacturer, just raised $601,000 for the Catholic Medical Mission Board’s relief efforts in Haiti. The company auctioned the first Ferrari 458 Italia “Supercar” to hit the U.S. shores for $530,000. CMMB has been serving in Haiti since 1912.

• From “Minute Meditations for Lent” —

  “Speak to God about everything that happens or that doesn’t happen, about how you feel and how you wish you were feeling, about things that go right and things that go absolutely wrong. ...”

Send your benevolent gossip to Church Clips, Catholic New World, P.O. Box 1979, Chicago, IL 60690-1979; or e-mail to dmadlener@catholicnewworld.com.