Christmas 2025:
Celebrating God’s Peace, Hope, and Love at Saint Clement Parish in Chicago
Christmas Message from our Pastor, Fr. Peter Wojcik
Merry Christmas from Saint Clement Parish!
Letter from our Pastor
Dear Friends,
This Christmas season, as we look for moments of inspiration, I have a question for you: What has brought you joy and inspiration this year? It is all too easy to focus on what has been difficult, yet the faithful shepherds and the persecuted people of God did not let their struggles obscure the light of Jesus’ coming. They allowed that day to inform their lives, and we can do the same.
First, I want to say a deeply personal thank you. Thank you for your care for Saint Clement, our church and school staff and those we serve!
My greatest joy this year has been witnessing God at work through all of you. Our community continues to grow, and it is a powerful testament to God’s grace that we have welcomed nearly 100 new Catholics into our family this year. I want to extend a special thank you to our phenomenal OCIA and Alpha teams for their tireless efforts in bringing people to Christ.
Because of this wonderful growth, we are adding a third Mass this Christmas at 3 p.m. in the school to ensure everyone has a seat at the table.
As we continue to shine Christ's light, we look to our annual Christmas fund. Our goal is to raise $150,000 to sustain our incredible liturgy, music, and charitable outreach programs that serve those in need across the city and the world. This fund is a vital way we can extend our hands and hearts in love and continue our important work and welcome more people!
May the peace and joy of the Christ child fill your hearts and homes this Christmas.
In Christ,
Fr. Peter Wojcik, Pastor
Holiday Mass Schedule & Presiders
Christmas Eve
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24
3:00 p.m. - church - with children’s Christmas pageant. Livestreamed - Presider Fr. Peter Wojcik
3:00 p.m. - chapel - Presider Fr. Ken Simpson
3:00 p.m. - school - Presider Fr. Radley Alcantara
5:00 p.m. - church - Presider Fr. Tom Hickey
5:00 p.m. - chapel - Presider Fr. Radley Alcantara
9:30 p.m. - Carol Service
10:00 p.m. - Midnight Mass - church & Livestreamed - Presiders Fr. Peter Wojcik & Fr. Radley Alcantara
Christmas Day
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25
9:30 a.m. - Presider Fr. Radley Alcantara
11:15 a.m. - Presider Fr. Peter Wojcik
New Year’s Day
THURSDAY, JANUARY 1
10:00 a.m. - Mass for Mary, Mother of God - Presider Fr. Peter Wojcik
Give the Gift of Faith and Hope through our Christmas Appeal
Support our liturgy, music, and outreach programs
As we approach the Christmas season, we reflect on the incredible gift of God’s love through the Incarnation. This is a time for us to come together in worship, generosity, and service, honoring the true meaning of Christmas.
We invite you to support our Christmas Appeal, which helps fund our vibrant liturgies, beautiful music, and vital outreach programs. Our goal is to raise $150,000 to sustain these programs that touch lives across our community, city, and beyond. Because of this fund, we are able to welcome more people as we continue our important work. Thanks to your generosity, we reached nearly 15,200 people through social activities and community programs that foster belonging, welcomed over 111,000 in worship, and engaged approximately 4,800 participants in formational courses like Alpha, Beta, and more.
Your donation will make a meaningful difference in spreading Christ's love and hope to those in need and our entire faith community. We are deeply grateful for your continued support.
A Look Back at Advent 2025
This Advent, our parish entered once again into the beautiful promise of Emmanuel—God is with us—a reminder that in every season, and in every circumstance, we are never alone. From the First Sunday of Advent, we paused as a community to welcome Christ’s hope, peace, and light into our lives through prayer, reflection, and moments of joy that drew us closer to God and to one another.
We began by preparing our hearts in simple but meaningful ways: praying with The Little Blue Book, blessing our Advent wreaths, and gathering for our Healing & Reconciliation Service, where many experienced God’s mercy through anointing and the sacrament of reconciliation. Through the Jesse Tree Giving Trees, our parish extended Christ’s love to our neighbors, offering gifts, clothing, and support to individuals and families throughout the city. Women of the parish found a quiet oasis of peace at Advent by Candlelight, and in the final days before Christmas, many came to rest before the Lord during our new Advent Hours of Mercy, a grace-filled evening of Adoration and Confessions.
The season was also filled with moments of joy and connection. Families delighted in pancakes, photos, and Christmas cheer at Jingle & Mingle, while our Growing in Grace ministry gathered for Golden Gifts, reflecting on the blessings that have shaped their lives. On Gaudete Sunday, festivity filled the campus—from Christmas sweaters at Mass to hospitality, coffee, donuts, and a lively Sundays Uncorked celebration complete with snacks, games, and holiday fun.
Worship remained the heart of our Advent journey. We honored Mary on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, giving thanks for her courageous yes. The 50th anniversary of Handel’s Messiah filled our church with breathtaking music—first in a family-friendly morning concert, and again in an evening performance that lifted our hearts toward the hope of Christ’s coming. And finally, we gathered for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses, celebrating with awe and gratitude the birth of Jesus, the Light who breaks into our world with love that never fades.
In every prayer offered, every act of generosity, every shared moment of joy, we encountered again the God who is with us—now and always.
Looking back at a bit of mirth and Advent joy:
Not Quite Christmas
Now that Christmas has arrived, we invite you to look back with a smile at the joyful anticipation that led us there. Our song, Not Quite Christmas!, captured the hope and expectation of Advent and offered a lighthearted reminder from Saint Clement Parish that the waiting—full of joy and promise—is part of the gift.
