Christ the King Parish

CHRIST THE KING MISSION STATEMENT "Working together as a parish community, we further the Kingdom of Christ on earth. Through Worship, Education and Service
we enrich the lives we touch."

- COMMISSIONS - PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL
The purpose of this Council shall be to foster pastoral activity in Christ the King Parish according to the norms of Church law, the directives of the Bishop of Joliet, and the needs of the parishioners of Christ the King Church. The Council advises and makes recommendations to the Pastor. In this regard, the Pastoral Council provides a forum for addressing three aspects of parish life:

(1) Communication and coordination among the various parish groups and activities;
(2) Consultation between the pastoral staff and the various parish organizations; and
(3) Long-term strategic planning and policy direction for the parish as a whole.

In order to fulfill this threefold mission, the Parish functions in three overlapping and synchronized areas:

(1) Ministry: Individual parish groups and other related organizations engage in pastoral activity for their members and the whole parish, in accord with the nature of their ministry or service;
(2) Commissions: The commissions coordinate pastoral activity in their areas of ministry. A special at-large commission or core teams may be developed that will service multifaceted tasks as the needs are defined by the Council on an annual basis;
(3) Council: The Pastoral Council fosters pastoral activity in the parish as a whole, with an emphasis on long-term goals and strategic planning, rather than the day-to-day operation of the parish and its ministries.

E.A.S.T. Core Team: A Core Team, derived from the Latin word Cor for heart, is an extension of the Pastoral Council. It gathers parishioners to work across the Parish. As the heart of the Parish, the Core Team collaborates with all the Commissions in an area needing concentrated focus.

Evangelization And Stewardship Today (E.A.S.T.) is a Core Team that strives to inspire parishioners to: share the Good News of God’s love in Jesus, and generously give their time and talent in service to others. In other words, the purpose of E.A.S.T. is to help parishioners of Christ the King be more conscious evangelizers and more generous stewards.

Strategic Pastoral Planning: This group works on future planning for the Parish, conducts surveys to investigate future needs and helps sets long-term Parish goals.

Ministers of Care: Ministers of Care are trained to: bring Communion and a greeting from the Parish to the homebound, generally on a weekly basis; to conduct Communion services weekly at the Beacon Hill and Lexington Health Care Centers; to bring Communion to residents at Lexington in their units on Sundays when they are unable to get to Church; to visit parishioners in local hospitals; and to be present to families at the time of death of a loved one.

Ministers of Consolation: Parishioners are trained to make visits to wakes, assist in planning and funeral liturgy, be present on the day of burial, and to keep in touch with and support the bereaved families.

Ministers of Praise: A spiritual ministry that connects the homebound, sick and disabled with the Parish, giving them a role to pray in Parish life via a monthly newsletter.

Newcomers: Our goals are to: see that each new Parish family meets with a staff member or other parishioner one-on-one; be sure that each is individually welcomed; point out many of the areas of potential involvement and invite the newcomer to take an active role in the Parish. To assist the new families to feel at home in liturgies and community events.

Public Action to Deliver Shelter (P.A.D.S.): Our commitment to provide food, clothing, and shelter for the homeless of Du Page County is a paradigm of the independent sector’s providing some semblance of human dignity to these the least of Christ’s brethren. The parishioners of Christ the King can provide needed support as well as individual involvement with these dedicated volunteers at the PADS site.

Reverence for Life: This group’s stewardship is based on our Catholic roots in Scripture and Catholic Social Teaching. This ministry works with the Diocesan Life Office especially during the months of October and January on topics related to the respect for all life from conception to natural death.

Scouting: Christ the King offers Parish-based Brownie and Girl Scout troops and assist our young parishioners.

Share Christmas: Share Christmas provides parishioners an opportunity to provide a gift for individuals or families who might otherwise receive nothing at Christmas. It is an opportunity for us to educate our children, as well as ourselves, about the Gospel mandate to be concerned about our sisters and brothers.

St. Vincent DePaul: St. Vincent DePaul Society helps the needy in a variety of ways: A food pantry as needed; assist, especially to parishioners, in temporary financial need; financial assistance to our Parish PADS; and coordination with other parishes and agencies for referral and assistance.

Vocations: The purpose of this ministry is to focus on vocations of our children and young adults to Priesthood, Diaconate and religious life. We strive to keep connected with the Diocese and the Vocation Director of the Diocese of Joliet.
Baptismal Preparation: Parishioners involved in this ministry will help to: educate, inform and support parents or guardians seeking Baptism for their child(ren); to prepare and welcome the child to the Parish family; and to welcome parents to their new role.

Bible Study: Bible study assists adults to further their knowledge and understanding of God’s word. In addition the purpose is to share with others where we see God’s presence at work in the world today.

Generations of Faith: This ministry outreaches to families of all ages to provide formation on a variety of topics. Families come together for a meal, faith sharing and enrichment activities several times per year. Materials are given to families at the end of the session to continue their discussions at home.
Marriage Preparation: The mission of this outreach is to prepare engaged couples for a life together in love. The focus is on communication skills, expectations, dealing with differences, family and friends, sexuality, and faith. In addition the goals are to: encourage couples to cope with everyday situations and remain strong and loving in their commitment to each other; raise awareness of the triune partnership of husband, wife and God; and to provide experiences where couples can share their journey with others in our Parish.

Parish School Board: While the School Board is an autonomous body, the purpose of it having a representative on the Faith Formation Commission is to better facilitate the coordination of faith instruction to the youth of the Parish— whether through the every day class setting of our Parish school, or the once a week setting of Religious Education. The permanent committees of the School Board include: Development, Marketing and recruiting, Political advocacy, School facilities and operations, School finance, Spiritual formation.

Religious Education for Children: The mission of our religious education program is to provide settings in which the youth of the Parish are instructed in faith and doctrine through the witness and teaching of competent catechists, using an integrated scope and sequence of materials and activities appropriate for each age and level of development. In addition, the mission of this ministry is to: assist parents in their role as the child’s primary educator and prepare children for the reception of the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (R.C.I.A.): The purpose is to provide an introduction to the Catholic Church and preparation for reception into the Church for those coming from other or no faith experiences. Also, to prepare Catholic adults for full membership by preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation and to provide an updating for Catholics wishing to know more about their faith.

Young Family Life: This ministry is involved with junior high and high school parishioners and their families. Also, families that have newly baptized children and continued formation for young married couples are part of this outreach.

Youth Outreach: The purpose is to provide opportunities for young parishioners to learn and share what it means to be a Catholic in their environment. To enable the Junior High and High School students to make informed moral decisions.


Music Ministry: The purpose of the members of the Music Ministry of Christ the King is to encourage the assembly in song and enhance the prayer life of the community through the beauty and joy of music. The Music Ministry supports our Parish’s sung prayer by encouraging full and active participation among the parishioners.


Parishioners are invited to participate in the: Adult Choir, 9:00 Ensemble, Teen Ensemble, Children’s Choir and Cantor Program.

Sacristan: One or ore parishioners help set up the vessels and other needs in preparation for weekday or weekend liturgies.

Sunday Scripture Sharing: Parishioners gather as a small faith community to “break open the Word” following Sunday’s scripture readings and apply them to their daily lives. This group typically meets once per week.

Wedding Coordinator: The purpose of this service is to assist the Priest, bride and groom, and their families in the final stage of preparing for the Sacrament of Marriage. The ministry begins one to two weeks before the wedding and continues on the day of the wedding to ensure a smooth ceremony or Mass.

**If you are interested in learning more about any ministry, please contact the Pastoral Council chair or Commission chairs. The Lord is never outdone in His generosity. May He continue to richly bless you for all the valuable time you give to the life of our Parish.