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Human Concerns
Meals & Services
We assist families by providing home-cooked meals, rides, and running general errands such as picking up prescriptions and groceries for families in need due to illness, death in the family, or other difficult times. We strive to make life easier during those trying times. Adults and teens are always needed and welcome. We call volunteers as needed.
Food Pantry
Through the generosity of our parishioners, we support Holy Family and St. Anastasia Food Pantries (located in Waukegan) through the collection of money/food, clothing/seasonal items, recruiting volunteers, and promoting awareness of hunger related issues. St. Anastasia has a soup kitchen on Mondays, Food pantry on Thursdays, and PADS on Fridays.
Funeral Hospitality
After funeral Masses, we offer a luncheon by request by the family to the family members and friends who have gathered at St. Paul to celebrate the life of their loved one. Meat & cheese trays are catered by the family, and ministry volunteers sign up to donate salads and/or desserts. Volunteers are needed to assist with set-up, serving, and clean-up after each luncheon.
Grief Journey Support
There is no way to prevent grief; there is no way to cure it; there is no way around it. The only way to a place of peace is to go through the pain of separation from a loved one in a healthy, constructive manner. The resolution of conflicts that most bereaved people experience can be addressed by the development of a personal plan of care that might benefit you on your journey toward healing. Individual sessions are available with a licensed counselor. If there are enough parishioners for a support group, this too can be accommodated.
Prayer Shawl Ministry
The mission of the St. Paul the Apostle Knit, Purl, Pray Ministry is to provide comfort, solace and support for the members of the church and residents of Gurnee and greater Lake County by providing handmade knit and crochet items. Members combine their talents for knitting and crocheting with their prayers and loving intentions to create prayer shawls, baby blankets, and other items of need by the community.
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Inspired by Gospel values, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a Catholic lay organization, leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to those who are needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, and patron, St. Vincent de Paul.
Respect for Life
As every human person is created in God's image and likeness, the Respect Life ministry carries out the Church's mission to support the most vulnerable members of the human family. Through prayer, fundraising and public witness, we share the Gospel of Life and stand against abortion and all other violations of the dignity of the human person.
Ministers of Care
We bring the Eucharist to those who can no longer attend Mass or are temporarily home bound. We visit area nursing homes weekly to offer Holy Communion to Catholic residents. Our ministers conduct a communion service as well as visit residents in their rooms who wish to receive communion. Any adult parishioners are welcome. Training sessions are provided throughout the year. Volunteers serve once or twice per month.
Catholic Charities Parish Outreach
Saint Paul supports two large programs: the Mother’s Day appeal and the Christmas Gift Campaign. The Mother’s Day collection supports the many programs provided by Catholic Charities in Lake County. The Gift Campaign provides gifts to families and individuals (in Lake County) referred to Catholic Charities. Volunteers are always needed to write tags, sort gifts, load/unload trucks and work at the distribution warehouse.
Natural Family Planning
Natural Family Planning classes provide fertility awareness to enable the married couple to achieve or prevent a pregnancy in a way that respects their individual dignity, is natural, and morally acceptable. Couples deepen their relationship in the process. Ed and Sharon provide regular classes on the sympto-thermal method as instructors with The Couple to Couple league (ccli.org)
Divorce Support
We provide a framework of physical and spiritual support for individuals who are contemplating divorce or have recently gone through a separation or divorce. When necessary, feelings of separation from the Church are also addressed.
Annulment
This ministry is offered to anyone who is divorced or divorced and remarried who would like to undertake the declaration of nullity process. Whether or not one plans to marry again, this process is available to provide some spiritual closure to an often difficult experience.
Simbang Gabi Charities
Simbang Gabi at St. Paul is more than just the celebration of a beloved Filipino tradition heralding the joy of the upcoming birth of Jesus. It is also meant to give hope to our brothers and sisters in need in the Philippines. Through the years Simbang Gabi Charities have supported religious organizations in their works to educate poor children/orphans, take care of the abandoned elderly, combat human trafficking, and rehabilitate children and teens in conflict with the law. 100% of the funds collected from our fundraising activities go toward these causes.