Your parish needs you!
Please register at Sacred Heart if you have recently moved, or even if you have been attending here for years. You can pick up a form in the narthex after Church, stop by the parish office or download a form here. You may email the completed form to [email protected], fax it to 815.625.1138, mail it or drop off to the parish office.
By registering at Sacred Heart, you are declaring your desire to be part of a Catholic faith community. Your registration affects a parish in many ways. Census numbers may determine how many priests are assigned to a parish, what benefits and obligations the community has to the diocese, and how many Masses and programs are planned and scheduled.
Reasons to Register:
- Registration enables Father Doyle and the staff to get to know you better, and helps them be able to communicate with you by sending you mailings. Once you are registered, please notify the parish office of any changes in address or phone number.
- You will also receive a packet of envelopes to place your regular contributions. This is important if you want to receive a year-end statement from the parish for income tax purposes. If you do not wish to receive weekly contribution envelopes, this should not be a reason not to register. Just let the secretary know, and envelopes will not be ordered.
- Members can expect pastoral care from their parish, including baptisms, anointing of the sick, and funerals.
- You must be registered in a parish to receive a Catholic wedding.
What is expected of parish members:
Here are the minimums that are expected of parish members (Catholics):
- Participate at Mass on Sundays, and also on the Holy Days of Obligation.
- Go to Confession at least once a year.
- Receive Communion at least once a year during the Easter season.
- Join in fast and abstinence during Lent.
- Provide for the support of the Church through monetary gifts and/or active service.
Cf. “Precepts of the Church,” Catechism of the Catholic Church # 2242-43
What About Children who are 18 Years of Age or Older?
Children are considered members with their parents until they turn 18 years old. Once they are 18, it is their own responsibility to attend church and to register as a member independent of their parents. At least one person in the family has to be Catholic (generally one of the parents) for a family to be parish members.
