Our Lady of Lourdes
CATHOLIC CHURCH
Ken Kukorowski has been a member of the parish at Our Lady of Lourdes since 1985.

MEET PARISHIONER Ken Kukorowski

Ken Kukorowski has been a member of the parish at Our Lady of Lourdes since 1985.
Serving both the young and old is a weekly occurrence for parishioner Ken Kukorowski. Each week, Ken spends his Sunday teaching Faith Formation classes for third-graders. He visits four nursing homes on Tuesdays, and on Fridays, he’s at the food bank. But this is only a small portion of the service Ken does for our parish community.
“I’ve been a member of the parish here at Our Lady of Lourdes since 1985 when we moved here,” he says.
Ken first got involved in the parish community when his son was a student at Our Lady of Lourdes School. Since then, he’s participated in the Legion of Mary and That Man Is You!, and has served as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.
“Activities at the parish came after being involved in school activities at Our Lady of Lourdes School,” Ken says. “After that, I got involved in helping raise money for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal.”
It was a significant moment for Ken when he realized the importance of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. Having benefited in his early years from campus ministries in other parishes, Ken hadn’t realized the amount of support needed from the parish in order to fund the ministry.
“Campus ministries are supported by the dioceses, not the campus parish,” Ken says. “The kids in the pew
There are Four Pillars of a Stewardship Parish — Prayer, Hospitality, Formation, and Service. The third pillar — Formation — teaches us to know and love our God and our faith.
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ National Directory for Catechesis (2005, #20), there are six tasks of faith formation that constitute a unified whole by which faith formation seeks to achieve its objective. This primary objective is the formation of disciples of Jesus Christ.
The six tasks of formation promote knowledge of the faith, promote knowledge of the meaning of the liturgy and the sacraments, promote moral formation in Jesus Christ, teach us how to pray, prepare one to live in community, and participate actively in the life of the Church, and promote a missionary spirit that prepares one to be present as Christians in society.
Take a moment to consider how fully you are currently formed. When is the last time you read a book about the Catholic faith? When is the last time you participated in a Bible study? When is the last time you read and reflected on the readings before Mass? Or looked up something in the Catechism?
Frequently, the last faith formation parishioners receive dates back to when they completed their Confirmation preparation or attended their last religious formation class as a middle or high school student.
This means decades may have gone by since parishioners and family members have experienced formation.
If that is the last time that you have formed yourself or that members of your families have formed themselves, don’t panic. You are not alone.
This realization is an opportunity for growth. A chance to dip your toe back in the water of faith formation and even to learn alongside the members of
your family, including the youngest members who are also learning. Don’t ever feel embarrassed that you don’t know an answer to the faith questions asked to you by your children or grandchildren. Instead, learn together!
Remember, the more fully you are formed, the better you will understand God’s calling for your family. Furthermore, the more you are formed in the faith the easier it will be to answer the call of discipleship.
Being properly formed in our faith and listening to God’s call allows us to understand if we are on the right path or if we need to redirect. Being prayerful and well-formed are key to our following His plan for our lives instead of our own wishes and desires. Remember, as stewards, we strive to listen to God and use the gifts He has given us to serve those he places in our paths. Thankfully, it is easier now more than ever to form ourselves and our families.
There is no need to search for faith-formation opportunities. These options can be sent directly to our smartphones and tablets. Bishop Barron’s Word on Fire ministry sends free daily readings along with a brief gospel reflection straight to our inboxes. Matthew Kelly’s Dynamic Catholic offers Lenten and Advent opportunities with free, reflective videos that also arrive via email. Blessed is She even provides an endearing female faith formation perspective — perfect for women young and old. Plus, if you want to form yourself specifically in Scripture, you can also opt for the free podcast, The Bible in a Year featuring the entertaining Fr. Mike Schmitz, from Ascension Presents. Honestly, the possibilities are endless.
Formation is the fuel that keeps your family moving forward as stewards and in becoming all that Christ is calling you to be. Have confidence as you incorporate this ongoing learning into your daily routines.
To find out more about the Stewardship Starts at Home book, visit www.stewardship-starts-at-home.company.site.
Another Christmas season has ended, and for most of us, it was another wonderful season filled with extraordinary gift-giving. Now, with a new year upon us, I would like to turn our focus to an extraordinary type of gift.
This gift is not the traditional “present” we give to loved ones. No, this gift is ongoing and never-ending, bearing a value far beyond our comprehension.
This is the gift of the Eucharist. “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Those are words we associate with the presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. They are words that carry a meaning beyond our abilities to appreciate. Christ’s eternal gift to us calls us to share it with others. We need to strive in this new year to receive the Lord with humility and love and then to pass that on to our families, friends, faith community, and all those with whom we may come in contact.
It is through the Eucharist that we become one with the Lord. It is through Him that we receive the strength to be good stewards. We need to receive this incredible gift and share the Good News with all around us. When we approach the Eucharist, we must always be mindful of the Real Presence of Jesus Christ. That, in and of itself, is a humbling experience.
In addition to the Eucharist, we continually receive the gifts of time and talents. A new year reminds us of these gifts. Although each of us is gifted with different talents, we all receive an equal gift of time. If you are making resolutions, a good one might be to find the time to pray and reflect and to share our gifts with others. Each of us needs to set aside time each day for God. Each of us should endeavor to set aside
multiple times a day to pray to and listen to God.
Are we prepared to take the risk of using our time, talents, and resources to build the Kingdom of God? That is the true determination of stewardship — whether we accept this risk with the kind of trust in God to which we are called. Our faith is measured by the risks we are willing to take to live it out. Christ Himself risked it all by going to the Cross and models true sacrifice for all of us. Through that sacrifice, He continues to give us the greatest gift of all — the Eucharist. We need to accept that gift and use it to fulfill our own lives and the lives of those around us.
The mission of Our Lady of Lourdes School (OLLS) is to provide “a Catholic Community providing a Christ-Centered, rigorous, academic foundation for all students to grow as life-long learners.”
This year’s Catholic Schools Week celebration at OLLS — from Jan. 29 to Feb. 4 — includes extra fun days. It all kicks off with Mass on the weekend of Jan. 28 and 29. Students are welcome to wear their school uniforms to Mass and participate in some Mass ministries.
Principal Chris Sutton looks forward to Catholic Schools Week every year. It’s an opportunity to show off the school and celebrate Catholic education.
“During Catholic Schools Week, we openly celebrate our faith,” Mr. Sutton says. “It’s exciting to have kids involved, bring them closer to the Lord, and make a positive impact on their lives through Catholic education.”
Students are welcome to break from the usual uniforms to enjoy spirit wear and other
themed days.
Thursday, Feb. 2, will include a special evening with a basketball game, art show, science fair, and a performance by the OLLS Singers. There will also be an open house. On Friday, Feb. 3, the students are invited to a fun event in the evening.
Mr. Sutton is in his first official year as principal — last year, he served as interim principal. He has spent most of his 26 years in education working at a Catholic school.
“One differentiator for Catholic schools is that it’s all a ministry,” Mr. Sutton says. “Whether it’s our learning center, after-school care, or playground, it’s all a ministry for us. We look at it that way.”
Mr. Sutton is proud of the traditions that the OLLS community holds dear.
“We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us,” he says.
The school started with sisters from the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and later the Sisters
of Notre Dame served at the school. Although there is no order currently, Mr. Sutton is proud of all the great things happening at the school.
“We are here to prepare these students for high school and heaven,” he says. “We want to prepare them, so the foundation is there.”
Mr. Sutton also wants to be sure students are moving from wonder to wisdom to worship — a concept staff learned this past fall from a visiting speaker. He is proud to join Catholic schools from around the nation in working to bring each other closer to God.
“It’s like the Magnificat,” he says. “We are here to magnify the Lord and bring each other closer to God.”
Mr. Sutton invites everyone to check out the school on the evening of Feb. 2.
“Join us to openly and boldly celebrate our Catholic faith,” he says.
As we begin the new year, we have a valuable opportunity to reevaluate our priorities. It’s a chance to let go of the things that aren’t helping us grow to make room for things that will bring us joy. It’s easy to make resolutions about health or finances, but as Catholics, we know that our greatest fulfillment comes from our faith. With this year’s resolutions, let’s make room to grow with our parish community.
Fr. Pat, as our pastor, has a unique view of what goes into creating a vibrant parish life. It’s commonly thought that 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work and parishes are no exception. Many of us simply don’t see the extent of what needs to be done. So, as 2023 begins, Fr. Pat calls each of us to take a closer look at the needs of the parish and see where we might be able to step in.
“The one missing piece of someone’s spirituality is often getting involved in a ministry,” Fr. Pat says. “They might be going to Mass and praying, but getting involved with something you are passionate about is crucial.”
Often the needs of the parish are things in which we are already taking part. We might be going to Mass every week and not realize that someone has been helping to prepare the altar for Mass. Sacristans serve a critical role in helping the priest celebrate Mass and it only requires staying a little bit after Mass to set up for the next Mass.
“Serving as a sacristan is a way for parishioners, out of gratitude, to serve at the Mass they attend,” Fr. Pat says. “The center of what we do is the Mass. These are things many of us take for granted, but Mass can’t happen without them.”
As a parish, Perpetual Adoration touches and blesses everything we do. It’s another place where everyone can work together to keep things going.
“It’s been proven that there are tremendous blessings on parishes and individuals who do a Holy Hour,” Fr. Pat says. “We are only one of two parishes in the diocese with Perpetual Adoration and we need parishioners to step up by signing up for an hour.”
While these opportunities are parish-wide, there are many ministries and prayer groups — such as men’s and women’s groups, ministries of service and outreach, and faith formation. For families who are involved at the school, there are boundless volunteer possibilities and ways to turn waiting time into prayer time, such as the Carpool Rosary. For parishioners who may not have children at the school but have experience teaching, the school is always looking for substitutes and is in need of your time and expertise.
In the last few years, many people took a step back for their health and safety — but the needs of the Church persist, namely, to serve one another and give praise to God. The new year is a chance to go one step further.
If you would like to learn more about upcoming Catholic Schools Week activities at Our Lady of Lourdes School, please visit the school website at www.olls.org .
It’s no coincidence that the central tenet of our Catholic faith is also the most difficult to accept. From the moment Christ taught in the Gospel of John that “unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you,” his followers began to walk away. Today is no different, as the Pew Research Center found that only thirty-one percent of Catholics believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
Christians of all denominations generally agree that a personal relationship with Christ is crucial. As Catholics, how can this relationship grow if we deny that Christ is physically present with us in the Eucharist? How can this relationship deepen if the Body and Blood of Christ is received without belief in His presence?
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has listened and looked at the hurt that exists in our world among Catholics and non-Catholics alike. If Christ is the balm for the wounds that have been created in individuals, families, and societies, then the Catholic Church has a gift that must be shared. With this mission in mind, they now offer us a plan for a National Eucharistic Revival that reaches parishes, dioceses, and the Church as a whole in the hope that by renewing our own faith, we will be ready to share it with others in desperate need of Christ’s healing.
What does it mean for us to experience this revival? It’s more than a renewal of faith, or simply accepting Church teaching – it is a real and
personal encounter with the love of Christ, waiting for us in the Eucharist. The Church gives us many ways to encounter and share this love. Eucharistic Adoration is an opportunity to cultivate one’s relationship with Christ in the Eucharist through quiet prayer and presence. Eucharistic Processions – which many churches held when the Eucharistic Revival began on the Feast of Corpus Christi this past June – are a public way to show reverence and belief in the healing power of the Eucharist.
The National Eucharistic Revival will span three years. The first year is focusing on how each diocese can promote love for our Eucharistic Lord. The second year will bring this closer to home as our parishes will evaluate how to deepen our relationship with Christ in the Eucharist. The third year will bring us to the tenth National Eucharistic Congress and the National Year of Mission, when we will be prepared after our own renewal to bring the love of Christ to our families, neighbors, and communities.
The vision for the National Eucharistic Revival is long-term. Beginning with our own hearts, Christ’s love has the power to bring deep and lasting healing to our world. The Catholic Church holds the unique gift of Christ’s Eucharistic Presence, but this gift is for everyone. Join us as we deepen our faith and relationship with Christ individually and as a parish.
For more information and resources to grow in your faith, visit www.eucharisticrevival.org .
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when they’re going to school, putting a dollar in the basket, it doesn’t add up enough to pay the bills. Then I realized through participating here at Lourdes, all the dioceses around the country have campus ministries they support through the Bishop’s Appeal.
“I realized that the lifeline I had as a late teen and early 20-year-old Catholic involved in Catholic ministries, it was there because other people in regular parishes were supporting campus ministry,” he adds. “It happens across the country. It was an eye-opening experience for me, that someone else was paying the bill for me.”
This key realization moved Ken to support the Bishop’s Annual Appeal through a leadership position that he kept for many years, up until passing along the torch this past year. Ken also recognizes that the appeal assists our seminarian students, as well as supports the food banks where he devotes his time.
“Those three reasons make it very easy for me to support the Bishop’s Annual Appeal,” he says. “It’s been very easy for me to say ‘yes’ because I believe in the importance of those charities.”
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Ken participates in many different ministries, giving of his time several days a week. But to him, it’s just a small percentage of the service that happens here at our parish. More than a decade ago, Ken had a conversation with a former parish staff member who told him that the parish relies on 200 people as volunteers to make things happen. This includes lectors, choir members, Extraordinary Ministers, altar servers, and everything else in between.
“There are a lot of very good people volunteering a lot of time in a lot of ways,” he says. “I don’t even understand or appreciate it, it happens and it makes everything at the parish level function very smoothly.”
While service is a top priority, Ken also makes time daily for prayer. As a Legion of Mary member, prayer is a key component to his ministry commitment.
“I think you can’t really talk about being a volunteer for seniors, or the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, or with children’s Faith Formation, or going to the food bank, without having a daily prayer life that gets me up on the bad days and keeps me going throughout the day,” he says.
SATURDAY VIGIL, 5:00 PM | SUNDAY, 9:00 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM (Spanish), 5:00 PM MON., TUES., THURS., FRI. (School Mass), 8:30 AM | WED. (School Mass), 9:00 AM | THURS. (Spanish), 6:30 PM Confession Times: WEDNESDAY, 12:00 PM | SATURDAY, 3:00 PM