A Home on Oak Street
Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church stands on Oak Street in North Aurora, Illinois, in the heart of the Fox Valley. The parish traces its beginnings to 1970, when a small group of Catholics first gathered for Sunday liturgies and religious education classes in Mercy Hall at Mercyville, the site that would later become Provena Mercy Hospital. Daily liturgies and meetings were held at a nearby rectory on Chantilly Lane. By 1972 the community had saved enough to purchase eight acres of land, and in 1975 a multi-purpose building was completed to serve the parish's liturgical, educational, and social needs. A new rectory and parish center followed in 1981, the same year a creative parish-wide "House Give-Away" program concluded and left the young community with no debt.
On September 16, 1984, the founding Bishop of the Diocese of Rockford, the Most Reverend Arthur J. O'Neill, together with founding pastor the Reverend Edward S. Wright and his brother priests, dedicated the present church to the Blessed Sacrament. The parish burned its mortgage papers in 1992 and was debt-free for the second time in its history. A capital campaign called "Children Today, Leaders Tomorrow" followed in 1998 and led to the groundbreaking of a new Religious Education building on July 4, 1999; the building was dedicated in September 2000. In 1996 Father Wright was honored with the title of Monsignor in recognition of his years of service. After Msgr. Wright's retirement, Father John Slampak became pastor on July 1, 2004, and Father Max Lasrado was appointed on July 1, 2014. The parish is currently served by Fr. Downing as Parochial Administrator, with Deacon Ken McLaughlin assisting.
Mass and the Sacraments
The parish's weekly rhythm centers on the celebration of the Eucharist. Saturday Vigil Mass is offered at 4:30 p.m., and two Sunday Masses are celebrated at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Weekday Mass is offered Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday at 8:30 a.m., while Thursdays feature a Communion Service at the same hour. Holy Day schedules are announced in the bulletin.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is heard each Saturday from 3:45 to 4:15 p.m. or by appointment, with additional communal Reconciliation Services announced in the bulletin. Parents preparing for the baptism of a child, adults or families moving toward full initiation through the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and couples preparing for marriage are all invited to contact the parish office to begin arrangements.
Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
True to its name, the parish holds weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. until Noon in the chapel. Visitors enter through the West Canopy. A small bookshelf near the chapel offers resources to help those who come to pray and meditate. The parish quotes St. John Paul II's observation that the worship of the Eucharist outside of Mass is of inestimable value for the life of the Church.
Religious Education and Faith Formation
Blessed Sacrament runs a Religious Education program for children from kindergarten through Confirmation (eighth grade). Classes meet on Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:15 a.m. Registration, schedules, and information are coordinated by Melissa Heinen, Religious Education Coordinator, who also oversees Confirmation preparation.
Children's Liturgy of the Word is offered during the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. Children age three and older are invited to step out of the assembly after the opening prayer and gather in the hall, where they listen to one reading and the Gospel for the week and hear a homily geared to their understanding. Parents are welcome to accompany younger children.
Adult Faith Formation, guided by Deacon Ken McLaughlin, is rooted in the Eucharist and seeks to bring adults into deeper communion with Christ through study, prayer, and active participation in the life of the Church.
Music at the Heart of Worship
The Music Ministry, led by Music Director Patrick O'Shea and Music Coordinator Linda Fandrich, sees music as a way of connecting liturgy with daily life and supporting the assembly in times of personal crisis as well as in celebration. The parish offers several ensembles:
- Traditional Choir: leads music for Holy Day Masses, Confirmation, First Holy Communion, and other special occasions, with adult singers of all levels welcome.
- Youth Choir: made up of students in grades four through eight, singing at the 10:30 a.m. Children's Mass on the first Sunday of each month and rehearsing that morning from 9:30 to 10:30.
- Funeral Choir: a group of men and women who offer their voices at funeral Masses as a gift of prayer to grieving families.
- Cantors and Instrumentalists: including organists, keyboardists, and guitarists, who lead the assembly's song and support liturgies throughout the year.
Liturgical Ministries
A wide range of liturgical roles is filled by lay parishioners who are commissioned according to the policies of the parish and the Diocese of Rockford. Ushers welcome worshippers at the door, help people find seats, and organize the collection. Lectors proclaim the readings and lead the Prayers of the Faithful, meditating on Sacred Scripture so that their proclamation inspires the assembly. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist the priest in distributing Communion. Altar Servers, who must be in fourth grade or older with parental consent, carry the processional cross and candles, hold the Roman Missal, and assist with incense. Rosary Leaders pray the Rosary together thirty minutes before every Mass. Volunteers coordinate Adoration and care for the worship space through the Indoor Environment committee.
Ministries of Service and Outreach
Blessed Sacrament's parish life extends well beyond the sanctuary. The Coffee and Donuts ministry gathers parishioners in Holy Family Hall after the 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Sunday Masses every week as a way to meet new faces and build fellowship. The Prayer Shawl Ministry, begun in May 2012, knits and crochets shawls that are blessed and given to those in need of comfort, to those celebrating births, marriages, or ordinations, and to every newly baptized child of the parish.
The Meal Ministry, part of the Women's Group, prepares home-cooked meals by request for those who have lost a loved one or are dealing with illness. The Respect Life ministry promotes awareness of pro-life issues through an annual Baby Bottle drive supporting local agencies that assist mothers and babies, and gathers for prayer with a Holy Hour for Life each January. The Giving Tree partners with the North Aurora Mother's Club and Catholic Charities each Christmas to provide gifts for referred local families.
Outreach to Hesed House in Aurora raises awareness and funds to support programs at that shelter, and parish volunteers help prepare meals for the families in its Family Shelter twice a year. The Building Committee meets as needed with the pastor to plan projects around the church and offices, while the Outdoor Environment committee, led by the Kish Family, cares for the grounds through weeding, spring and fall cleanups, and seasonal planting. The Christmas Pageant and Party brings children together for a nativity play followed by food, games, and a visit from Santa in Holy Family Hall.
Parish Organizations
Three councils and several organizations help guide the life of the parish. The Pastoral Council, chaired by Cass Middleton, brings together representatives from the parish's ministries along with members at large. The Finance Council, chaired by Tony Tinerella, oversees the temporal affairs of the parish. The Knights of Columbus Monsignor Edward S. Wright Council #15119 was founded on July 31, 2010, through the efforts of Garry Daly, then District Deputy Bill Laudando, and thirty-one charter members, and is named for the parish's founding pastor. Members, who must be practicing Catholic men eighteen and older in union with the Holy See, support the parish through the annual Pancake Breakfast and Tootsie Roll drives and live out the Order's four principles of Charity, Unity, Fraternity, and Patriotism. The Council meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in Holy Family Hall, beginning with a light dinner and a decade of the Rosary.
The Women's Group, formerly the Altar and Rosary Society, hosts Lights of Love, Bingo, Cookie Jar Sales, and other events throughout the year and oversees the Prayer Shawl Ministry. Young at Hearts is a fellowship group for parishioners ages fifty-five and older that meets monthly for lunch at restaurants throughout the Fox Valley, with carpooling available and details posted in the bulletin.
Parish Life and Practicalities
The parish office, located at 801 Oak Street, is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., and on Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Parishioners can reach the office by phone at 630-897-1029 or by email, and bulletins, past bulletins, ministry schedules, and the parish calendar are kept current online. Online giving is available through Give Central, and the parish maintains an active FlockNote channel for news and updates. Volunteers working with children are required to complete the Diocese of Rockford's Virtus Online Protecting God's Children training, a background check, and the required documentation before serving.
The parish's stated mission - "We, the People of Blessed Sacrament, see ourselves as a community of faith, united by Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Through our celebration of the Sacraments, we proclaim His Presence and offer our service to all" - continues to shape every aspect of life at Blessed Sacrament, from the weekday Mass and the Wednesday hour of adoration to the parish picnic, the dinner dance, and the prayer shawls that go out into the wider community from Oak Street.