Parish News & Events
Blood Pressure Checks
Blood pressure checks have been CANCELLED for the month of May. They will start back up in the month of June. Be on the lookout in future bulletins for blood pressure dates.
Thank you!
Preschool News
The next Preschool Board Meeting will be on Monday, May 4 at 5:30pm in the Resource Room.
Special Thank You
We would like to extend a very special and heart-felt thank you to the ladies that help with the “Holy Wash” each week. The work you do is appreciated more than you could ever know! You make a difference.
Thank you to all who participated in any way to our first PBJ Ministry last Sunday. Through your generosity, we made 100 sandwiches and delivered them to Helping Hands Shelter. We will continue this project on the 4th Sunday of each month. We had a great response in both workers and supplies; it truly was like your donations were multiplied---and we already have enough supplies for the next month---THANK YOU!
Another request for future get togethers though is for bottles of water and bananas, just something to keep in mind. More details to follow.
Thank you again, Sue Gillen and Faye Mini-Reyman
Our next Afternoon of Games will be held on Wednesday, May 6, starting at 11:30am in Kollross Hall. We will offer cards, dice, and board games. You can bring a friend, learn a game, teach a game, or just sit, watch, and visit.
Save the Date!
The next OWLS gathering will be on Friday, May 15th at 5:30pm in Kollross Hall. Join us for a catered meal and a speaker from the Chatham Police Department. $5 donation requested, no need to bring a dish or dessert. Remember: all parishioners 55+ are automatically OWLS members!
Knights of Columbus News
The Knights of Columbus are going to be having cookies and coffee after the 4:30pm Mass on Saturday, May 9, and donuts and coffee after the Masses on Sunday, May 10. Please stop by O’Hara Hall, socialize, and learn more about joining the Knights of Columbus! All are welcome.
If you are interested in joining the Knights of Columbus, please contact Sean Fink at
217-415-1147.
Father Franzen Golf Outing
The 18th Annual Fr. Franzen Memorial Golf Outing - Four Person Scramble will be held on Sunday, June 14.
The Outing will be at Edgewood Golf Course in Auburn.
Cost is $90/golfer, $360/foursome, and $20 for dinner only.
Agenda:
11:30am - Registration & Lunch
1:00pm - Shotgun Start
5:45pm - Dinner followed by Awards
Register NOW to play or sponsor! Register in the Gathering Space at the sign-up table, at www.charitygolftoday.com/franzen
or contact Dave Kennedy at 217-494-2609 or pdken57@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Liturgical Arts Festival of Springfield
An Interfaith Celebration of the Arts
May 2nd - May 9th, 2026
2026 Theme: "Sacred Rhythms, Sacred Patterns" - something permeating all sacred arts of all traditions, and indeed all of creation. Through music, dance, art, and lectures - through their rhythms and their patterns - we use the arts to hold fast to the sacred in our lives.
LAFS programs are accessible to those of any faith or none. Admission is free.
Join us:
Friday, May 8th 7:00 pm
Blest Be The Lord: A Celebration of
Contemporary Catholic Music
Steve Rotello
St Joseph the Worker Catholic Church
700 E Spruce Street, Chatham
2026-2027 K-8 Faith Formation Registration Now Open
Registration for the 2026-2027 Faith Formation year is underway. Forms were emailed this past week to current Faith Formation families whose children have been participating in the program over this past year. However, we ask all families with children kindergarten through grade level 8 to register for Faith Formation. We look forward to working alongside your families in helping them grow strong in their faith. If you have a child ready to enter kindergarten or are new to the parish, please let us know so that we can be sure to get you on our registration list.
All children, grades K-8, may attend Faith Formation on Sunday mornings from 9:15-10:15am.
Tuition for Grades K-8 is $60 for one child and $100 for two or more. Fees are due by August 1st, 2026. Please note: no child will be denied participation in Faith Formation due to an inability to pay. We have multiple options to assist you if needed. Please contact the Parish Office with questions.
Pandamania Vacation Bible School
Registration for Vacation Bible School, which will be held the week of June 22nd-26th; 9:00-11:30am each day, is now underway. This year’s theme is “Pandamania: Where God is Wild about You!” VBS is open to all children age 4 (by 9/1/26) to present grade level 4 (entering grade 5). Registration closes Friday, May 29th, 2026.
Registrations after May 29th, 2026 will be accepted as space allows.
VBS is $10.00 per family.
Forms can be found on our website: www.stjoschatham.org or in the Parish Office; Monday-Friday / 8:30-4pm.
Pandamania VBS Station Leaders Needed
Our Vacation Bible School program runs June 22-26th 9-11:30am each day. We are still in need of some adult leaders to head the following areas. Please prayerfully consider being apart of this extraordinary ministry and if called to participate, please contact Janice Anderson in the parish office with questions or more info. We’d love to have you join our amazing VBS team!
Wild Bible Adventures (1 Needed): Station leaders guide small-group discussions where the children connect their unforgettable experiences from Sacred Scripture to real life.
*Please note: all groups are fully supported, assisted, and guided. No experience necessary, just a desire to share your faith with the youth of our parish!
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
Holy Family Food Pantry will be the recipient for April. They are especially in need of jellies, canned food of any kind, soups of any kind, hot/cold cereals, dry pasta, and rice. 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.
Please check-in at the office before entering the building during work hours. We need to know who is in the building in case of an emergency.
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.