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A YEA IN EVIEW2018 2019

A LETTER FROM THE PASTOROver Stewardship Weekend on November 9-10, the bulletin included an annual report that showed the financial health of our parish with accuracy and transparency. It showed that your weekly, monthly and annual contributions enable St. James to live its purpose. It showed our operating expenses and provided a campaign update. If you did not get a bulletin that weekend, please make an effort to read it at the parish website. This report serves a much broader purpose. We wanted to illustrate a more detailed account of our parish from the perspective of ministry, hospitality, education, and ser-vice. There is a much larger context to our mission that tells the story of the exceptional parish to which we belong. Through prayer, action, and passion for our Catholic Christian faith we tell the good news of how truly and uniquely blessed we are. Our weekly mass attendance is on the rise thanks to our mission to “be disciples and make disciples” that YOU carry out through invitation and beautiful examples YOU set forth by living out your faith. Every one of you is making an impact on your fellow parishioners, on your community, and on your world. I cannot express deeply enough my gratitude to the 1300+ of you who have contributed to the capital campaign. I am aware of your sacrifices and realize how much you love St. James. Thank you to the hundreds of parishioners who make weekly, monthly, or annual gifts to St. James. Your support of our operating budget empowers us to do more and provide more services and support. But many more of you can give, and some of you may be able to give more. Prayerfully reflect upon this opportunity while you flip through these pages. Financial support of St. James on a regular basis supports our ever-growing costs, ministries, and services. Please consider the benefits of electronic giving using Faith Direct, or increasing your gift via Faith Direct. E-giving really does help us in our efficiency efforts. Thank you for the sacrifices you make to create a parish that is beloved and vibrant. I continually thank the Lord that He has blessed me with leading St. James. With prayer and great excitement, I look to the future for more wonderful news to share. Your Servant in Christ, Fr. Matt Foley, PastorDear Parishioners,

BAPTISMS IN 2018/2019JOURNEY IN FAITH...The NumbersAt St. James, prayer and the sacraments dispose people to receive the abundant grace of God that is necessary to grow in holiness. Through prayer, we nurture our personal relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Prayer increases our yearning to receive the Eucharist, the source and summit of our Catholic faith. We gather as a parish family to worship and praise God during Mass. Nourished by the Word and the Eucharist, we are strengthened to be good stewards who strive to serve others as Christ’s disciples.1431561ST RECONCILIATIONS/COMMUNIONS IN 2018/2019138CONFRIMATIONSIN 2018/201911RITE OF CHRISTIANINITIATION FOR ADULTS(RCIA in April 2019)53CURRENT CATECHISTS 411CURRENT RELIGIOUS EDUCATION STUDENTS (1ST - 5TH)145CURRENTEDGE YOUTH MINISTRY STUDENTS (6TH - 8TH)187CURRENT CONFIRMATION STUDENTS33LIFE TEEN MEMBERS (HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS)TOTAL NUMBER OF CURRENT PARISHIONERFAMILIES2679

OUR NEW CHURCH OPENS ITS HEARTin welcome...

IMPROVEMENT HIGHLIGHTS....• Two stained glass windows• Marble altar and ambo• Adoration Chapel and furnishings • Sound improvements• Sound board and standing microphones• Lavalier microphones for Presiders/ Deacons• Elevator• Double-hung lower-level windows• Handicap-accessible entryways & bathrooms• Video & technology enhancements• Laramie Room furnishings• Senior/Teen Room & Choir room furnishings Taking center stage during 2018 - 2019 was the building of our new worship space. Eighteen months of construction and project management paved the way for what now stands as our new church that invites all. We have a space not only for enhanced worship, but one that also allows us to carry out our ministry. The Open Our Hearts in Welcome campaign was the means by which the church was built, and we are blessed to have had impressive financial support from our parish community. Many prayers, dedicated engineering and construction professionals, and hundreds of volunteers made this dream a reality. Here are our improvement highlights: • Kitchen upgrades: new refrigerator, food warmer, commercial dishwasher• Remodled bathrooms and new showers for PADS ministry• Wheelchair-accessible pews• New baptismal font • Chair kneelers• New railing installed in church entryway staircase• Water bottle filling stations throughout building• Outdoor landscaping & beautification • Choir loft inspiration glass windows (Anticipated Fall 2019) • Adoration Chapel stained glass windows (Anticipated Fall 2020)

Fiscal Year 2019 saw the bulk of the construction of our new church. We added a gathering space, installed an elevator, built an Adoration Chapel, created additional meeting space for parishioners, added bathrooms to the main floor, and increased seating capacity. We enhanced and updated the worship space while being mindful of maintaining the integrity and beauty of our old church. In our crowning moment, we opened our doors to all on April 13th and 14th for Palm Sunday celebrations, followed by the first Easter celebration where all parishioners and guests had full access to all of the amenities the church had to offer.The project was not without its challenges. The final cost of the construction was $11.7M, $1.2M over the original estimate. The increases were due to items such as: an underground storm sewer and utility complications, last year’s extreme weather conditions (Polar Vortex), the discovery of unsuitable soils in the parking lot that required enforcing prior to completion, the removal and remediation of unknown underground oil tanks, the abatement of unusually high levels of asbestos discovered, re-leveling the floor in the church basement, and the decision to repair and repave the church front steps and concrete slab, that left unchecked, posed a safety hazard for foot traffic.The financial generosity and commitment of the St. James community has been and continues to be extraordinary. 1200 families originally pledged $9.25M to the campaign, with the parish contributing the additional $1.25M. As of September 30, 2019, we have had 1364 parishioner gifts to this building project totaling $9.356M. This is a true testament to the generous spirit and dedication that our parish family feels towards one another and to the mission of St. James.At the same time, there have been some instances of pledges being cancelled due to hardship and financial difficulty. The unforeseen building expenses added to the cancelled pledges point us in the direction of respectfully requesting additional funding. Notwithstanding our parish’s overall strong financial condition, if you have not supported the Open Our Hearts in Welcome campaign, or if you feel called to increase your support, we invite you to please contact the finance or development departments at the parish office. There are still ways to support short or long-term, and any support is greatly appreciated.CAMPAIGN UPDATE

FINANCIAL REPORT

MAKING JESUS CHRIST KNOWN AND LOVEDthrough...Fulfilling the mission ofMore than 490 families are using Faith Direct, our online giving program. With Faith Direct you can make your parish contributions automatically from your credit/debit card or bank account. This same process is used widely today with utility bills or regularly scheduled payments. Contributing automatically relieves you from the hassle of finding envelopes and writing checks. It also ensures your consistent support, even when you must miss mass at St. James because of illness or travel. Automatic contributions benefit St. James by providing efficiency and a predictable cash flow. Faith Direct allows for changes depending on your financial health at any given time. Scan the QR code to the right and enroll now!The Parish Code is: IL859FAITH DIRECT

NEW EVANGELIZATION TEAM opens its heart in welcome...The Evangelization and Formation Team is excited to be serving the faith community of St. James. The team is available after Sunday masses during hospitality weekends to engage with parishioners and encourage participation in youth groups and in our numerous ministries. The team wants to ensure that all generations have the opportunity to participate in faith formation and special events, such as the new quarterly senior luncheons. This team leads our parish youth programs with the hope and prayer that our future young adults will grow their relationship with God and return to St. James during college and beyond.MINISTRY VOLUNTEERISM& Liturgy Support...60 70 23 218 10 10 37Ushers Lectors Mass CoordinatorsEucharsiticMinistersWeddingCoordinatorsBereavementMinistersMinistersof Care84Altar ServersSt. James is blessed with hundreds of wonderful stewards who volunteer their time and talent in over 65 ministries. Upwards of 12,500 volunteer hours are spent doing great work inside and outside of our parish walls. Our ministries truly reach out far and wide, as can be seen by the charitable donations that are provided by our annual Jubilation at St. James fundraiser. In addition, dozens of volunteers serve on leadership committees such as Parish Council, Finance Council and School Council. We are proud to have many dedicated ministers who serve at various liturgical celebrations throughout the year:4 4PermanentDeaconsSeminarians

RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONopens its heart in welcome...We are blessed to live in a community where our religious education program hasgrown every year for the past 5 years. In 2018/2019 we offered two religiouseducation sessions on Tuesday evening, and a home school program to 462 firstthrough sixth graders from September through April. We had over 50 dedicatedclassroom catechists who were “planting seeds of faith rooted in love,” our missionin religious education. We used the Finding God Loyola Press curriculum which hasadaptive support materials for students with special needs. Our Open Doors Ministry(ODM) used these materials to provide an inclusive classroom environment withaccommodations and one-on-one mentors for 15 students with special needs.Sacrament preparation takes place in religious education and in St. James School,and we celebrate the sacraments together as a parish. We had 156 students receivetheir sacraments of First Reconciliation in January and First Holy Communion in May.There were 203 students enrolled in our two-year Confirmation preparation onSundays for 7th and 8th graders. First year students had to write saint reports andcomplete 10 service hours. Second year students submitted letters to the bishop,attended a retreat and completed 10 service hours. Over 50 of our 8th gradersattended a Catholic Church tour of three churches in Chicago. It was a beautiful andfaith-filled day. We had 138 students confirmed last April by Bishop Rassas andBishop CaseyWe continued to have fun and formative Family Faith Nights where the entire familyattended Religious Education together. One of these nights was our annual serviceproject for Project Linus, where 222 fleece blankets were made and given to areahospitals for distribution to sick children. We kicked off Advent with a “Night inBethlehem” where our Confirmation students volunteered to create a fun, hands-onexperience in “Bethlehem.” Our families signed in for the “Census,” went fishing inthe “Sea of Galilee,” witnessed Mary and Joseph in the “stable” speaking about thebirth of Jesus, and saw what may have been sold in the Bethlehem “marketplace.”We have a very service-oriented philosophy to model for the children in religiouseducation. In addition to Project Linus, we had over 300 volunteers attend “ServiceSaturday” at Feed My Starving Children. We hosted a food drive for St. VincentDePaul, collected donations for Catholic Relief Services for Lent and received dentaldonations for El Nino Rey.

Alpha is an opportunity for adults to explore the Chris-tian faith in a friendly, open, and informational environment. Alpha at St. James is not so much a course but an experience. Gathering once a week over a ten-week period, each Alpha experience brings together people from various walks of life, and welcomes them no matter where they may be on their faith journey. Over 29 million people across the globe have participated in Alpha. St. James re-launched Alpha this Fall and currently there are 175 guests attending weekly Alpha sessions! Additionally, this summer saw Theology on Tap make its return-debut and in the fall Fr. Ryan McMillin began his BYOB (Bring Your Own Bible/Beverage) Bible study/faith deepening series where attendees are breaking open the Gospel of Mark. FOCUS Parish Outreach continues to serve as a major evangelization support for St. James. FOCUS provides formation and discipleship opportunities such as small groups, service opportunities, retreats, and national conference participation. They support primarily Alpha, Men and Women of St. James, and Baptism Preparation, focusing on prayer opportunities, hospitality and engagement, community-building and fellowship. St. James and FOCUS are partners in evangelization and are working to foster a parish-wide culture of being disciples who make disciples.DEEPENING YOUR FAITH...

HEARTS OPEN “UNDER THE BIG TOP” Jubilation - November 2018Thank you to all our 2018 Jubilation sponsors, donors and guests. Together we raised a total of $197,900. Proceeds from the event are directed where funds are needed most; humanitarian services, child-support services, pastoral and elderly care, financial support to St. James School/Religious Education programs, and to PADS/St. Vincent DePaul Society. The night of Jubilation is always a highlight of the year bringing the parish together for an evening of sharing our blessings with each other and with our world! Stay tuned for more details and photos of Jubilation - OLD HOLLYWOOD held November 2, 2019.

WHY WE OPEN OUR HEARTS in welcome...MEET THE MULLIGANS...My husband Mike and I have been parish members of St. James for almost 22 years. Neither of us grew up in the area, but after college we both had jobs in the suburbs and were looking for a place to live. A close friend who knew us well said, “Move to Arlington Heights and go to St. James. You will love it there!” And that’s exactly what we did. We have three children who attended St. James School (one still there) and we have moved three times in Arlington Heights, getting closer to St. James with each move.St. James is our home. It’s a huge part of our lives and we are grateful for what St. James has given to us. It’s only right that we give back what we can to St. James. This community is so blessed with many people who offer their time, knowledge, wealth, passion, and love to make it remarkably special. It truly amazes me with every parish committee on which we serve, SJS sports team we coach, mission trip we take, or projects we volunteer for, the people who give so graciously of their gifts. Not many parishes function the way St. James does, and I am simply grateful every time I walk into the new church or drop my daughter off at school. Mike and both of our parents are people I like to call “workers”. They are lecturers, Eucharistic ministers, church cleaners, St. Vincent DePaul meal cooks, finance volunteers; you name it, they do it. My dad changed church ceiling lights, patched the church roof in the middle of the night, fixed drainage problems, and repaved the church parking lot with his construction crew. As kids we watched and learned. I hope and pray that our children watch all of the small things St. James does for our community today and into the future. The way we live, those we help along the way, and what we give our time to help determine our legacy and what goodness we leave behind. To me, this really is the most important aspect of our lives. Mike and I are so thankful that this parish is here to anchor our family, and we plan to continue giving to St. James for many years to come!

Since my arrival to St. James Parish I have been amazed by the strength of this Catholic community and the wonderful things being accomplished daily. As the new principal, I promise to continue the long tradition of excellence already established, and to FIND A WAY to continue pushing St. James to the forefront of Catholic School education.I believe that our focus is to form students in academic excellence and moral character, which is paired with the importance of developing an understanding of Jesus Christ. As our students become young men and women, they will be faced with academic, social, and moral challenges. I believe a solid Catholic education allows students to use their intellect, integrity, and strong faith-based foundation to face those challenges head on with confidence. A Christ-centered classroom begins with our 57 dedicated teachers who, through rigorous academic and faith-based curriculum, provide our 486 students with appropriate age-level learning that weaves in Christ-encountering experiences. Soon we will implement a school-wide Catholic restorative discipline system finding teachable moments that allow students to make amends from their mistakes. We have advanced our classroom technology with a new take-home iPad program, have installed 11 new smartboards this year, and are upgrading our grade-level software to support our ever-growing technological needs. We have a new playground where our children can build gross motor skills and learn through imagination and play. Our middle school students are eagerly preparing for our next winter musical, Disney’s Little Mermaid, Jr. Great things are happening at St. James School. I feel blessed to be part of this supportive and faith-based team. Every day is a great day to be a Bulldog! ---Mike Kendrick, Principal, St. James SchoolAt St. James we believe that anybody who wishes to receive a Catholic Education should. This school year St. James welcomed two 6th grade students who have cerebral palsy. This inclusion is possible due to the recently modified areas of the west side building which now includes a handicapped-equipped bathroom, and an accessible entrance from the school to the parish office. Both parents have expressed the positive impact their daughters have experienced toward their personal, academic and spiritual growth, a true testament of how St. James has opened its heart in welcome.

DID YOU KNOW?Men of St. James and Women of St. James comprises over 400 parishioners and are growing!Hospitality and Fellowship includes coffee and donuts after all masses every 2nd weekend of the month. PADS is powered by 250 volunteers who serve 40 guests in the church basement every Wednesday night. St. James has over 140 adults and children who participate in a parish choir.Monument signs of St. James School salvaged from the old school demolition in 2017 were recently reinstalled on the east side campus. Saint James is in it’s 4th year of a 5-year campaign.Fr. Matt has made 9 college visits to parish college students.Judy Pappas retired after 14 years as principal of SJS, and had served over 43 years in Catholic education.The theater ministry celebrated its 50th anniversary this summer and Fr. Bill celebrated his 50th anniversary to the priesthood in May 2019. (Not a coincidence!)St. James Adoration Chapel is one of only three 24-hour chapels in the entire NW suburbs.

St. James Parish Development Ofce 820 N. Arlington Heights Rd.Arlington Heights, IL 60004Address Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAIDPERMIT 38WHEELING, ILWe invite you, your families, and your friends to our upcoming celebrations:November 28 - Thanksgiving Day January 1 - New Year’s Day December 24 - Christmas Eve December 25 - Christmas Day December 31 - New Year’s Eve 9:00am - Church2:00pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm, 12:00am (Midnight) - Church2:00pm, 4:00pm -Parish CenterChildren’s Masses8:00am, 10:00am, 12:00pm - Church 10:00am - Parish Center5:00pm - Church8:00am, 10:00am - Churchwww.stjamesah.org @stjamesah@StJamesParishAH