Volume XXVIII –February 2017 Sue Bordenaro – 312-534-5304;
It’s been cold, it’s been warmer than usual, it’s been Chicago weather in an unusual bundle! No matter what the weather, there are activities to keep you and your family busy, interested, informed and entertained.The following places provide learning experiences for you and your children which you can access at reasonable cost or, in some cases, no cost.
Family Winter Activities in the Chicago Area
Museum of Science and Industry
5700 South Lake Shore Drive Chicago
773-684- 1414 –
9:30am – 4:00pm 7 days a week $18 Adults - $11 – children 3 – 11
No free days until June
Adler Planetarium
1300South Lake Shore Drive Chicago
312-922-7827 – for information about discounted and free days
9:30am- 4:00pm every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas
Field Museum of Natural History
1400 South Lake Shore Drive Chicago
312-922-9410 – for discount information
9:00am – 5:00pm every day except Christmas
Art Institute
111 South Michigan Chicago
312-443-3600 –
Mon., Tues., Wed.- 10:30am – 5pm; Thurs. -10:30 – 8pm; Fri., Sat., Sun.- 10:30-5:00pm. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Thursdays – 5:00pm – 8:00pm free to Illinois residents
Shedd Aquarium
1200 South Lake Shore Drive
312-939-2438 –
9:00am – 5:00, weekdays; 9:00am – 6:00pm weekends
No discounts until Jun 5th and 6th
Chicago Children’s Museum
700 East Grand Avenue at Navy Pier Chicago
312-527-1000 –
Free for all on Thursdays from 5:00pm – 8:00pm; free for kids under 15 on first Sunday of every month
Children under 1 always free
DuSable Museum of African American History
740 East 56th Place Chicago
773-947-0600 –
Free to everyone on Tuesdays; adults $10, seniors and students 13-17 $7, children 6-12 $3
Museum of Contemporary Art
220 East Chicago Ave. Chicago
312-280-2660 –
Free to everyone on Tuesdays; children 12 and under are always free
Closed on Mondays, Tues. 10am - 8:00pm, Wed. through Sun. 10:00am -5:00pm
National Museum of Mexican Art
1852 West 19th Street Chicago
312-738-1503 –
Free admission
Open Tuesdays- Sunday 10:00am – 5:00pm
Outside activities - St. Patrick’s Day Parades
South Side Irish Day Parade
Sunday, March 12th, noon at 103rd Street to 115th Street on Western Avenue – alcohol free
Northwest Side Irish Parade
Sunday, March 12th, noon at 6634 W. Raven (Onohan School)to Harlem Avenue
Naperville St. Patrick Day Parade
Saturday, March 11th, from 10:00am – 12pm in downtown Naperville at Jackson Avenue
Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Saturday, March 11th, noon between Balbo Drive and Monroe Street
Raising Moral, Caring Children of Faith The family is the first school for children in all areas, including faith formation and moral development. Nothing can replace the family in the education and growth of a child, no matter what the situation, as long as love and support exist.
- Family storytelling, which can take place anywhere and everywhere, helps a child to know who he/she is, what is important to the family and how the virtues of love, humor, forgiveness, joy and sadness encapsulated in love have always been part of the family. Faith is inherent in all the above and a child is given a sense of rootedness and belonging.
- When a family celebrates birthdays, weddings, births, and visits and recognizes the role of the Lord in the blessings those gatherings bring, a message of hope and joy is shared.
- Prayer around a table, at bedtime, when leaving the home or in the car give witness to caring and the importance of faith.
- Maintaining consistent rules of behavior for both adults and children in the family and modeling care for all, particularly the less fortunate, provide a model that will result in a strong, moral, caring, faith filled child.
With the constant explosion of technology and its relatively unfiltered influence, it is important for parents/guardians to make a strong effort to see that their influence is the major part of a child’s life. Some assistance in that effort can be found in the following book which gives ways to help children of all ages grow into the compassionate, caring people God created them to be.
Teaching Kids to Care, Reflections, Activities and Prayers on Practicing Virtues,Sr. Janet Schaeffler, OP. Organized by 25 virtues – compassion, empathy, justice and more – this resource provides hundreds of activities, conversation starters and relevant Scripture passages that encourage kindness and caring.
80 pages/$9.95/5.5x8.5/order 852524
Order online: or Call 1-800-321-0411
Lent 2017
Lent begins this year on Wednesday, March1st. It is always a great time to stop, take a breath and look at ourselves, both inside and out, and ask some soul searching questions:
- Am I pleased with most of my actions during the last year?
- Am I content with my language, both the words themselves and my attitude?
- Have I made goals I considered important and accomplished them?
- Am I satisfied with my prayer life and my spiritual self?
- Do I feel I’ve handled stressful situations as well as possible?
- Have I worked to make faith an important part of my family members’ lives?
There are many things that can be done with our families during Lent – receiving ashes on Ash Wednesday, going to Mass on Sundays, doing the Stations of the Cross, visiting churches on Holy Thursday, praying before meals and before bed –but checking into the state of our mind and our souls is where we all need to begin. Doing the best we can to improve those areas that are not up to our best selves is the real work of Lent.
A Very Blessed and Holy Lent