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By Mary Stanek
Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon
3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 517-7796
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Just a little over one more week to get that Christmas shopping done!
Several of our local Catholic churches celebrated Our Lady of Guadalupe’s feast day on Tuesday, Dec. 12. The Blessed Virgin appeared four times to Mexican peasant Juan Diego and once to his Uncle Juan Bernardino.
Sts. Bruno and Richard, St. Turibius and St. Faustina, to name a few, all held services in her honor. The services start with Mañanitas, which I believe is song sometimes early in the morning, followed by a Mass.
Fourth and fifth graders at Sts. Bruno and Richard School are taking a stand against bullying. They have created a campaign against this terrible phenomenon. The campaign fosters a culture of kindness, respect and inclusion through education and empathy, where every student feels valued and safe. Here is a shout out to them!
In my short-term teaching catechism at St. Turibius, one of the best days to remember was the Christmas celebration. This Tuesday, Dec. 19, the religious education students will be having a Christmas prayer service in the church starting at 6 p.m. Afterwards, a small reception will be held with hot chocolate and baked goods.
If you missed Santa on the CTA trains or buses, he will be riding the train on the Belt Railway, about a mile west of us. This Saturday, Dec. 16 the train will be between 59th and 60th Street, stopping at Austin Avenue at 5:15 p.m. and then at Narragansett by 5:30.
There have been some instances on the Southwest Side of armed robberies. The offenders displayed handguns, took the victim’s property and fled the scene. A community alert was issued. As reminders always note, be aware of your surroundings, report suspicious activity, try to remain calm and never pursue the criminal.
After our incident in July, I can understand that trying to remain calm is the hardest part (I was a raving lunatic, which got me nowhere).
The next CAPS meeting for Beat 822 will be on Feb. 6 at Peck Elementary School. I will post a reminder when the date is closer.
Happy Birthday wishes go out to my dog Oliver’s school teacher, Kristen Phillips, as well as Marquette Park’s Kenny Ivancicts, and my St. Turibius classmates Paula Svatos Prium and Diane Marszalik Domalewski.