August 7, 2025
A Vatican Appeal was filed in November 2024 on behalf of Sacred Heart of Mary parishioners. Four months later, due to a technicality, the Vatican Appeal was resubmitted in April 2025. We are expecting a response in August 2025 (based on a 4 month response from the initial filing) to either suspend the Archbishop Lori decree or reinstate Sacred Heart of Mary Church immediately.
It’s crucial, at this point in time, that we come together in prayer! That being said, Sacred Heart of Mary will be open for private prayer on August 13th, from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM. This is our opportunity, through prayer, to keep the church bells of Sacred Heart of Mary ringing and prevent the devastating "Sound of Silence." If you can not be present during this time, please take a moment of silence to pause and pray during this time.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE AND BE PRESENT.
As we await the decision, the power of prayer is our only hope! Please consider stopping by and praying with friends and family.
On Wednesday, August 13, 2025, there will be private prayer time in Sacred Heart of Mary Church. It will be from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. The Blessed Sacrament will be placed in the tabernacle during that time.
It's a sorrowful day when the familiar chime of church bells falls silent. The closing of a neighborhood Catholic Church is a wound felt deep within the heart of the community. These bells, the very heartbeat of our faith, remind us of Jesus's constant presence within the tabernacle, a beacon calling us to center our lives on Him.
We are blessed to have the opportunity to give thanks for the blessings in our lives and to reflect on the challenges we face, knowing that Jesus walks beside us. Like St. John Paul II, we see the Sacred Heart of Mary as showing the way to God, heaven, and life.
Sacred Heart of Mary parishioners, both the seasoned and the newly welcomed, hold a deep reverence for the celebration of the Holy Sacraments. This shared faith has always been the foundation for joyful community events and vibrant ministries.
The dedicated pastoral care at SHM has consistently served the Graceland Park community with compassion and timely outreach. We stand united in our belief: SACRED HEART OF MARY MUST REMAIN A NEIGHBORHOOD PARISH to continue serving the spiritual needs of Graceland Park.
And now we wait for the response for the Vatican Appeal sent to Rome on behalf of Sacred Heart of Mary Congregation Community. Let us work and PRAY together, as we await a Vatican Appeal response, with renewed passion and unwavering faith, to restore this sacred space and ensure its continued presence for generations to come.
Through Sacred Heart of Mary the people of Graceland Park have discovered God. What greater honor can be paid a parish than to know it has given its people the greatest gift - the Spirit of God. Sacred Heart of Mary, if reinstated, can continue its mission for future generations of people living in the Graceland Park area.