Welcome to our newly unified parish!

The date of July 1, 2021 will certainly go down in the parish chronicles as the day the united Parish of St. Luke and St. Bernardine was established. I realize that this may cause some mixed feelings. However, as the first pastor of this parish, I am excited to begin this new journey with you! A journey created by uniting these two parishes. We are challenged now to discover who we are and how we can enrich each other with our gifts, and to create a community where our parish can grow. I see this as a great opportunity for both St. Luke and St. Bernardine.  

All will undertake this journey: parishioners, priests serving this community, parish staff, and St. Luke School. The purpose is not just to unify two parishes, but to strengthen each other. I invite you to join me on this journey, and I believe that together we can create a community where we can share our faith with others who are seeking a spiritual home.  

I believe that God entrusted the future of this new parish to us because we are the people of faith and we have the gifts needed to keep going toward a better future and to be successful. The gospel also reminds us that, in every circumstance, we can call to Jesus and he can help us in our needs, sometimes in miraculous ways. 

Now as we move forward together, I ask you to consider three things: First, please pray to the Lord. Our boat is not sinking, but we need wisdom and blessings to discern the best ways to move forward. I also ask you to reactivate your dedication to the ministries you cherished before COVID. In the coming months, please consider becoming involved in one new ministry or project in our parish. Finally, I ask that all of us be understanding of one another and know that we may make some mistakes along the way. I truly believe that if we stand together as disciples of Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us, our future will be bright and fruitful. 
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​                                                                                                           -Fr. Stan Kuca, pastor

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For a thoughtful reflection on the continuing spree of shootings and violence in our Chicagoland area,
​please click here to read Cardinal Cupich's pastoral letter to our greater Chicago community.

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Quick Info

Mass Times

​ST. LUKE CHURCH
Weekdays: Mon-Fri, 6:30 am
                   Monday - Saturday 8:30 am
Sunday Mass Times
Saturday: 5:00 pm
Sunday: 9:00 (live-streamed on Facebook) and 11:00 am

​ST. BERNARDINE CHURCH
Weekdays: Mon-Thur 6:30 am
Sunday Mass Times
Saturday: 5:00 pm 
Sunday: 8:00 and 10:30 am

Church Locations

St. Luke Church
7600 W. Lake Street
(Lake St. & Lathrop Ave.)
River Forest, IIlinois​

St. Bernardine Church
7246 W. Harrison Street
​Forest Park, Illinois

Parish Office /
​Mailing Address

St. Luke Office
528 Lathrop Avenue
River Forest IL  60305
Email: stlukeparish@stlukeparish.org
Phone: 708-435-8912

St. Bernardine Office
7246 W. Harrison Street
Forest Park IL  60130
Email: st.bernardinechurch@gmail.com
Phone: 708-366-0839

What's happening this week?

Archdiocese of Chicago
urges everyone to get
​COVID vaccination

Our churches are open to full capacity for all Masses again, but masks and social distancing are still recommended by public health authorities for unvaccinated persons, especially children ages 2-12, for whom there is no vaccine yet. We invite everyone to please come back to church, but to do so safely.

Please view the video above if you have any questions about the COVID vaccine. Pope Francis and Cardinal Cupich have received the vaccine and both urge all others to do so, too, to stop the scourge of the COVID virus from hurting more people in our country and world.

School enrollment
open for 2021-22

St. Luke School, which taught in-person classes all last year with stringent COVID safety guidelines, is ready to start the new 2021-2022 school year on August 18. 

The school is still accepting registrations for spots in grades K-7. You can click on the video above for a virtual tour or schedule an in-person visit and read about the background of all our teachers on the ​school website. To set up a tour and have all of your questions answered, contact Jessie Wiktor here.​

Religious Ed opens
​fall registration

 Our Faith Formation Program is now accepting registration for students in grades 1-8. Both in-person and home catechesis options are available. The first session begins September 15, so parents are encouraged to sign up now. Click the button below to download the registration form with a full calendar and details about the program, which includes activities through April.

RE REGISTRATION FORM

We also are looking for individuals who are willing to share their faith as catechists with our children on Wednesdays. There are opportunities to lead a class yourself or as a co-catechist with a friend. We also need assistants and substitutes. If you want to know more, contact Michelle Dal Pino at 708-435-8960.

Connect with us

New to our community?
Looking for a spiritual home?

Click here to receive
our Weekly Newsletter
& Email Updates 
to keep up with all
that's happening at
St. Luke and St. Bernardine

Click here to register as
​a member of St. Luke and St. Bernardine Parish and start today as a full member
​of our community of faith!

This is a great time to sign up!
Things will start anew this fall
and now is ​the time to see
​what our parish is all about.

​Prayers are needed more than ever as St. Luke and St. Bernardine parishes have unified into one new parish, effective July 1, as part of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Renew My Church Initiative. To read more about this archdiocesan-wide program, goals, and objectives, visit the Archdiocese's RMC website at renewmychurch.org, and click above to join our parishioners in offering the prayer for these times of growth in our local Church.

 In addition to Masses in church, we live-stream Sunday Mass at St. Luke Church each weekend. The next live-stream will be the 9:00 am Mass this Sunday, August 1. ​Click here to watch it on Facebook.
​
There also is a 24-hour live video feed from St. Bernardine Church, including Masses at 5:00 pm on Saturday and 8:00 and 10:30 am on Sunday. Click here to watch on YouTube.

Daily Rosary

​Join our Rosary Group in St. Luke Church after the 8:30 Mass Monday through Friday. Come and pray on any of these days for the needs of our Church and nation as well as personal intentions. Every prayer counts!

Easy, safe way to show your support
   for St. Luke and St. Bernardine Parish

Use Text-to-Give
on your smart phone

We recommend online giving as a safe, convenient, and easy way to support our parish ministries all year round. Whether it's for your Sunday offering or a one-time gift for special collections, you can sign up and manage all your giving preferences at any time, and you won't need to think about writing a check or carrying cash to church each week. You can manage it on your smartphone, tablet, or any computer anywhere you have an internet connection 24/7.
 
Online giving helps St. Luke, too, by giving us a predictable cash flow that we can plan on and by ensuring that a gift is received when bad weather, illness, or travel prevent Mass attendance. If you haven't already, please sign up today by visiting our secure GiveCentral page here.
 
On behalf of the entire staff, we thank you for all the prayers and financial contributions you provide so that our parish can be present and serving you.

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 Follow these directions to make a quick contribution to St. Luke and St. Bernardine Parish on your phone:

1. Open the text messaging
​on your phone 
2. Send the word "Donation" to 708-616-0633 
3. Click on the link you receive in response 
4. Fill in your information and press "Submit" to complete your contribution.

Come visit us!

​Directions:  The main entrance of St. Luke Church is located at 7600 W. Lake Street in River Forest, Illinois (two lights west of Harlem Avenue at the northwest corner of Lake Street and Lathrop Avenue).  For directions from Mapquest.com click here.

Access/Parking: There are handicapped parking spots in the drive on the west side of the church, and there is an accessible entrance (via a ramp) on the west side of the church. There also is an accessible bathroom in the front foyer. Convenient parking is available on Lake Street, Lathrop Avenue, Ashland Avenue, and in the school parking lot, which is located on the north side of the school (just west of the church, turn north at the corner of Lake Street and Ashland Avenue.)

We are also easily accessible by public transportation via the CTA Green Line (Harlem/Lake stop) or the Union Pacific West Metra Line (River Forest stop).

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