a column of benevolent gossip

• Daughters of Divine Love —

  The Daughters of Divine Love arrived in Chicago from Africa 20 years ago. They celebrated that anniversary and the 40th anniversary of their founding in Nigeria at the Oak Lawn Hilton with friends and benefactors on May 14.
  Some of the Daughters of Divine Love serving in the arch. The sisters take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and wear a bright blue and white habit.
  
  Describing their charism, guest of honor Cardinal George told the sisters, “Love is at the heart of your every human activity. It’s not just what you do, but who you are. You come with a freshness which is from Africa itself.” In her remarks, Sister Miriam Therese, director of development, gave the cardinal his biggest chuckle of the evening when she said joyfully in her lilting accent: “And Car-din-al George, when they called me one night and told me you would be with us this evening — I could not eat my dinner!” The sisters serve in four parishes in the arch. Sister Mary Thecla Akubue is regional superior.

• Pocket full o’ miracles —

  A 10-yearold British boy with a genetic defect has become the first child to be given a new windpipe that will grow inside his body, created from his own stem cells. Previously, organs created from adult stem cells had all been grown for months outside the body in a lab. The new trachea, from the boy’s own cells, avoids the possibility of a transplanted organ rejection, physicians said. The breakthrough surgery was conducted at a children’s hospital in London recently, according to LifeSite- News.com.

• Rewarded, not retired —

  Springfield Dominican Sister Mary Ventura has received many prestigious awards during her 60 years of teaching, including Heart of the School from St. Bernadette’s (Evergreen Park). The accolades don’t stop coming. Sister currently directs and teaches a computer program at St. Bernadette’s to help students with English as a second language. On May 1, the Order Sons of Italy, Grand Lodge of Illinois and Wisconsin, presented her with their Leonardo da Vinci Award of Excellence. Sister says this tribute has a special place in her heart because of the pride she has in her Italian heritage.

• Mary Month of May —

  Doesn’t it seem fitting to call her Chicagoland’s own Our Lady of the New Millennium?
  Carl Demma’s story, as told to Gail Jardine.
  A visitor from South Dakota came out to see her last week at Sacred Heart Parish (Palos Hills). If you want to read the story of how the statue came to be and the man responsible “who weathered all kinds of storms and still had hope and faith,” be sure to read “Our Lady of the New Millennium: One Man’s Dream.” Carl Demma had no fear. He even occasionally “stopped by the archdiocese unannounced to bend the cardinal’s ear about his project.” We can thank Carl’s wife, Francine Demma, for letting his dream live on. Try your local Catholic bookstore or St. Peter’s at (312) 853-2383.

• All ears! —

  Welcome a new website: GreatCatholicHomilies.com. If you enjoy the golden oldies like “heaven, hell, death and judgment,” grab your mouse.
  Fr. Juan Carlos Gavancho performing at Padres on Parade.
  These are excellent talks in both MP3 and video format. Who can beat St. Odilo’s (Berwyn) pastor Father Tony Brankin? The free talks average 12 minutes each, and include Father Juan Carlos Gavancho, who sings opera in his spare time, and some speakers from the recent Illinois Catholic Prayer Breakfast like Bishop Thomas Paprocki and others.
  The homilies ideally will have a pre-roll commercial at the beginning, to help fund the project. Parishes, religious groups, communities or apostolates are invited to take a look at the possibilities. Call Kevin Banet at (708) 383-4098 or go to the site itself to listen and learn more.

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.