Parish News & Events
We are grateful to all who warmly welcomed Cardinal Peter Ebere Okpaleke to our parish and responded so generously to his appeal, the total being $7,818. Your kindness is a beautiful expression of our faith and solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Ekwulobia, Nigeria.
Thank you for opening your hearts and sharing in this important mission of compassion and care.
Widows and Widowers are invited to gather for luncheon at Laguna Brava Mexican Restaurant, located at
2466 Wabash Avenue, Springfield, IL 62704.
Wednesday, November 18, at 11:30 a.m.
A sign-up sheet will be available at the back of the church. We hope you’ll join us for good food and fellowship.
Parish Book of the Dead
The Book of the Dead will be located in the Holy Family Chapel, starting November 2nd. You are invited to write the names of your deceased loved ones on its pages. The book will be displayed throughout the month of November which is dedicated to all of the deceased.
There will be no Sew' n Sews meetings until after Thanksgiving. Meetings resume Tuesday, December 1, at 12:30 p.m. Questions? Contact the parish office at 217-483-3772.
Angel Tree – Share the Joy of Christmas!
Our Angel Tree will be set up in the back of the church beginning November 21st.
We invite all parishioners to take a tag from the tree and help make Christmas special for a family in need. Your generosity can bring joy, hope, and a little extra Christmas magic to families in our community.
Let us come together to share God's love and be a blessing to those in need this Christmas!
Thank you for your kindness and generosity! ❤️
The next TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) meeting is Sunday, November 15th at 9:15am in the Resource Room. All St. Joseph parishioners are welcome and encouraged to attend!
Eucharistic Adoration will take place in the church on Friday, November 6th from 7:15am-8:15am am and from 9:15am-11:30am, ending with Benediction.
The next OWLS gathering will be on Friday, November 13 at 5:30pm in Kollross Hall.
Join us for dinner. Please bring a side dish or dessert and a $5 donation. The entree will be ham. The speaker will be Rollo Saucier, who among other duties, is the Chairman of “Light up the Park”.
Stewardship Fair coming November 14th and 15th after each Mass.
Representatives from different committees and liturgical ministries will be available to answer any questions you may have about volunteer opportunities. Where is God calling you to help with your time and talent?
Koinonia of Springfield to celebrate 50th Anniversary
This year, Koinonia of Springfield is observing its 50th anniversary. The event will be marked with an observance Sunday, Nov. 15.
Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph the Worker parish in Chatham (700 E. Spruce St) at 2 p.m., followed by refreshments, fellowship and historical exhibits in the parish hall. Priests who have made TECs and/or Koinonias are welcome to concelebrate the Mass. Please let Gail Eck know (217-971-3883).
There is abundant parking and no stairs to navigate. A free-will donation will be accepted to cover costs. Please join us. Invite a friend and offer him or her a ride!
Bulletin Submission Deadline Changes
Please note that the deadline for submissions for the bulletin will be changing in the coming weeks. View the information below about weekends in November, December, and January that have changed deadlines. Remember that all submissions are due by 12:00pm (noon) on their due date.
Weekend of November 14 - due November 9
Weekend of November 22 - due November 10
Weekend of November 29 - due November 17
Weekend of December 06 - due November 24
Weekend of December 13 - due December 2
Weekend of December 20 - due December 9
Weekend of December 27 - due December 15
Weekend of January 03 - due December 21
Send bulletin submissions to secretary@stjoschatham.org, stop by the parish office, or call the office at 217-483-3772.
2027 Lector Workbooks
The 2027 Lector Workbooks will be available for pickup starting Saturday, November 7th. Please stop by the table in the back of the church to pick up your copy. Thank you for being a part of this ministry.
Save the Date!
Day of WATCH!
March 6, 2027
YOUTH
There will be weekly Youth sessions beginning at 11:45am on Sundays after Mass for all youth ages 7th grade through 12th grade. Please mark your calendars! Light snacks and drinks will be provided.
SCRIP Fundraising Program
Why not purchase gifts cards through SCRIP! Our preschool purchases gift cards from Great Lakes Scrip (a clearing house offering hundreds of different gift cards) at a discount of 1.5%-20%, depending on the business. Gift cards are sold to you at face value. In fact, you can purchase Visa Gift Cards without an additional fee! Gift cards are ordered on the first of the month or more often depending on the number of orders. You can find the order form HERE
Ball-Chatham Food Pantry will be the recipient for November. They are especially in need of hot and cold cereal, canned peaches, fruit cocktail, pineapple, chilli, mixed veggies, mixed beans, soup, ramen noodles, rice, and peanut butter and jelly. Collection boxes are at the south entrance of the church outside the Fr. Franzen Day Chapel. Thank you for your support.
Support St. Joseph the Worker Parish with time, talent, treasure and a Google review!
Your good review might be the vehicle to entice others to come and experience our friendly and welcoming worship environment. Discipleship is in action when we share our thoughts about why we choose to worship at St. Joseph the Worker Church. If you write reviews for your favorite restaurant or other service provider, why not write a review for your church. Spread the good word!
To write a review:
- Sign in to your Google Account.
- Search for St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church.
- Find the Reviews Section.
- Click “Write a Review.”
- Rate and Write: Choose your star rating (1-5 stars) and write your review in the text box. Be honest and specific.
Submit. Once you’re satisfied, click “post” to publish your review.
Knights of Columbus 4179 News
If you are interested in joining the Knights of Columbus, please contact Sean Fink at 217-415-1147.
Rosary Group
St. Joe’s Rosary Group Prayer Session is available to all parishioners who want to praise and worship God, to pray for St. Joseph the Worker Church, family, friends and loved ones or to intercede for others. We start praying the Rosary on Zoom at 4:15pm and finish all prayers around 5:10pm. You can join through the Zoom Meeting ID: 509 233 2302 Passcode: Prayer, or you can call Pam Branham at 217-652-0246 for more details.
Important News for Parents!
The Cry Room, or Quiet Room, in church is there for a very worthwhile purpose. It is for a child who may be restless, crying, etc. This space enables the child and parent to still be able to hear the Mass yet not disturb the people around them in the main church proper. But this space is limited in size and in the number of people able to be accommodated. Therefore, please do not use this space for any other purpose than stated above. It is not a space for multi-members of a family to reside during Mass. This limits other people from using the room. Thanks for understanding.
Memorials
One of the beautiful ways we can keep a deceased loved one’s memory alive is through having a memorial set up at the time of their death. A very nice example of such a memorial would be to have one for St. Joseph the Worker Parish. People would then have the opportunity to designate SJW for a memorial gift. At the time of a loved one’s passing, please consider having our parish as one of the memorial options.
Please Note
If you are over the age of 21, are still living with your parents, and are gainfully employed, you should register as a member of the parish instead of continuing to be a part of your parent’s household. This will make our records more accurate.
Would you like to add something to this list or bulletin?
All bulletin info is due on Mondays by 12:00pm to secretary@stjoschatham.org.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE CHANGES TO BULLETIN SUBMISSION DATES - SEE THE INFORMATION PROVIDED WITHIN THE "PARISH NEWS & EVENTS" SECTION OF THE WEBSITE.