Idea to raise church funds is sweet one
By Beth Kramer ekramer@stmedianetwork.com December 11, 2011 6:12PM
Antioch-12/11/11, Sun./St. Raphael the Archangel Church Billy Pumala, 2, of Winthrop Harbor, tries out a cookie Sunday during festivities. | Joe Shuman~Sun-Times Media
Catholic Daughters of the Americas
An organization of Catholic women who donate to charities and support their parishes under the motto “Unity and Charity.” The CDA was founded in 1903 and has more than 95,000 members in 1,250 chapters in 45 states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Guam and the Virgin Islands.
Source/More Info: www.catholicdaughters.org
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Updated: February 10, 2012 1:31AM
St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in Antioch has worked hard since it was founded four years ago to convert its temporary space into a traditional chapel for the 550 families it serves, according to Father John Jamnicky.
On Sunday, another step was taken to make that dream come true.
About 65 parishioners each baked dozens of Christmas cookies for the church’s annual Cookie Walk, with some of the proceeds going to a fund for the church’s $13 million construction project for a new church.
“This is our women’s group ... they initiated all of this. They decided to sponsor our annual cookie walk. It’s been a great success,” Jamnicky said.
Currently, mass is being held in an old building.
Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court of the Archangels No. 2600 has about 50 members, according to Cookie Walk event coordinator Holly Gardner. Proceeds from the weekend’s fund-raiser will support charities and the new church building fund, she said.
“I would say ... It (Cookie Walk) goes over very well. It just seems to grow more and more every year. We’re doing better than last year,” Gardner said.
Sugar cookies tend to be the most popular cookie, she added.
“There was a huge variety. We had a lot of traditional Christmas cookies,” Gardner said.
Parishioner Paul Czerniewski of unincorporated Lake County said his favorite cookie was chocolate chip.
“My wife did buy us some cookies. Most are homemade, so they’re very good,” Czerniewski said.
He has been a church member since the church started four years ago. He described it as a “great start-up” church and said he is excited about the new church.
St. Raphael the Archangel broke ground on the new location in Old Mill Creek in the fall of 2010. Construction started during the summer and will continue through next year, Jamnicky said.
If construction continues as scheduled, Phase 1 will be complete by fall of next year. That would mean the annual Cookie Walk should be held at the new location, 40000 N. U.S. Hwy. 45, Old Mill Creek.
“We’re building our permanent church,” Jamnicky said. “It’s still a monstrous project.”
So far, St. Raphael has raised more than $3 million, he said. They have a loan to pay for the new building as well.
The new church unites components from three churches to form one new church.
The exterior of St. John of God church in Chicago is being dismantled piece by piece and reassembled as the façade. Six bronze bells weighing 24,000 pounds were salvaged from the original towers, which were built in 1919.
The grand interior of another shuttered church in Chicago, St. Peter Canisius, is being transported to the new St. Raphael the Archangel Church. Stained glass and a marble alter from St. Peter’s interior will be placed inside the new St. Raphael.
An orchestral organ built in 1915 was reclaimed from the former Medinah Temple. The organ will be restored and installed for future use in liturgical services and concerts.
The weekend’s Cookie Walk brought St. Raphael’s closer to completing the new church.
“We want it to be finished,” Jamnicky said.
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