Christian Service Commission

The mission of the Christian Service Commission is to enable the parish community to put into practice the social teaching of the Church. The Commission creates, promotes, facilitates and serves the ministries that respond to human needs and work for social justice. It is in loving our neighbor that we show our love for the Lord.

Social Services

Harvest Sunday: This is the largest Christian Service event at St. Elizabeth Seton. The entire parish comes together on the last weekend of October and the first weekend in November to collect food donated from more than 10,000 homes in the local neighborhoods, and unload, sort, pack and load boxes containing more than 30,000 food items to be donated to food banks in Aurora, Naperville and Chicago. Everyone is welcome and needed. More than 500 parish volunteers come together to serve Our Lord by serving those in need.For more information, contact Dn. John Ripoll at 630-416-1992 or email sesjripoll@gmail.com

Hesed House: On the first Wednesday of every month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., our parishioners volunteer at the Aurora Hesed House Adult Shelter to serve lunch and assist with various tasks. For more information, contact Heidi Moss at seshesedhouse@gmail.com.

Loaves & Fishes (Food Pantry): St. Elizabeth Seton provides an opportunity for you to participate in helping those in need of basic necessities. We as a church community do this by providing a cart in the Lower Level of the church building for those who want to donate non-perishable food items, cleaning products, and toiletries. If you wish to donate such items, bring them to the lower level and place them on the cart. Each week a volunteer driver from the parish will bring the donated items from the cart to the Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry. We are sometimes called upon to provide volunteer support to help out at the Community Pantry. If you wish to help at the Pantry, call the local pantry and make the arrangements directly. For more information, contact Richard Vogler at 630-386-0419 or rgvogler@gmail.com.

Need You Right Now (NYRN): Our mission is to build strength and show God’s love to those who struggle with mental health challenges using a Catholic Christian response that is fortified with Christian community support and tolerance. We provide awareness, education, resources, and directed prayer toward those who suffer from this illness, their caregivers and family. We will help a child of God to move out of the dark and into the dawn. Volunteers are always needed to be a friend to those experiencing it and to support their caregivers. Information is found at www.NeedYouRightNow.com. For more information, contact Gerard Erickson at 630-669-5653 or gmmgerickson@aol.com.

Nourish for Caregivers - Nourish is for anyone juggling the challenges of life, health, career, and caring for an aging parent, grandparent, or spouse, in town or at a distance. Nourish provides family caregivers practical and emotional support, shared experience, and useful tools, all with a Christ-centered view. Join us in the lower level of the church on the second Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m.  For more information, contact Frank Blood at sesnourish@gmail.com

Public Action to Deliver Shelter (P.A.D.S.):  The mission of DuPagePads is to end homelessness in DuPage County, Illinois. Our signature year-round programs feed and shelter individuals and families who are homeless, connect them to case management and other services that can address the underlying cause of their homelessness. St. Elizabeth Seton supports DuPagePads. Due to COVID-19, the model for DuPagePads changed in how they assisted the homeless in the county. In 2021, SES supported DuPagePads with volunteers delivering meals for guests of DuPagePads residing at the Red Roof Inn in Naperville. As DuPagePads services continue to evolve throughout the Pandemic, SES support will also evolve with our ministry.  For more information, contact StElizPADS@gmail.com.

Quinn Community Center: Once a month, SES parishioners prepare and serve a hot dinner to about 50-100 members in the St. Eulalia/Maywood, IL community. Volunteers are welcome to either prepare a food dish or help serve at the center.

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. Volunteers are required to staff a table, to distribute gift tags, and to receive the gifts (November and December). For more information, email SESShareChristmas@gmail.com.

St. Vincent de Paul: The SES conference of the St. Vincent de Paul Society is an autonomous group of parish volunteers who provide emergency financial assistance and guidance for those within our parish boundaries who are in need. Our trained volunteers do face to face interviews and provide compassionate support during difficult times. Call confidentially at 630-416-3325 x6409.

Transitional Housing (Bridge Communities): St. Elizabeth Seton Parish’s Bridge Communities is an outreach program designed to assist homeless families to reach a state of independence and self-subsistence. While in the program, families receive financial support through free housing and other subsidies. This financial support is donated by the Parish during this transitional period. To remain in the program, family members (especially the parents) must set and attain goals designed to prepare them for independent living. This transitional housing period is designed to last between 18 and 30 months for a homeless family. While in the care of the parish, the family is under the close care and supervision of two to four trained mentors who act as the parish’s support and training arm, preparing the parent(s) to get the job training skills or education necessary to find a level of employment which will allow the family to become self-sufficient. For more information, contact Marilyn Kurowski at 630-927-1378 marilyn.kurowski@yahoo.com.

Social Justice

Earth Care Ministry: We are proactive in caring for and protecting God’s creation – Earth, Our Common Home. We are aware of the effect of our actions and inactions that lead to pollution and climate change. We are advocates of living a more eco-conscious spirituality and sustainable lifestyle – to live simply so others can simply live.  For more information, contact Art and Jeanne Sheridan at artandjeanne14@comcast.net.

Garden Club Ministry: The mission of the Garden Club is to assist in maintaining a friendly landscape for the inspiration and enjoyment of St. Elizabeth Seton’s parishioners. This ministry provides volunteer maintenance of the grounds, including some planting, weeding, watering, and trimming of plants.

Respect Life: Respect Life, at St. Elizabeth Seton, aims to keep present the truth of the sacredness of all human life. Through education, prayer, policy, and advocacy, we proclaim to mobilize our faith community on issues of life, justice, and peace. In the bible on Day 1 of Creation - God said everything is good! To that end we proclaim that all human life is not to be devalued or violated. We proclaim that the unborn, aged, and dying deserve loving care and concern, as well as our stand against bullying and capital punishment. We also welcome the stranger among us, whether visiting our church or immigrating to safety. In this way, our Catholic community celebrates the gift of human life and witnesses to the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Pastoral Care

Caring Cards Ministry: This ministry serves those in need of regular prayer and encouragement by sending home-made cards each month to parishioners and/or their loved ones. Card recipients may include: the chronically ill, elderly, lonely, widowed, as well as others. To add someone to our mailing list or to volunteer to make cards, contact Celine Swieboda: ceswieboda@gmail.com or leave a message at 630-272-4906. 

Funeral Luncheon Committee: Luncheons are often provided to family and friends after a Funeral Mass. The committee provides food and acts as hostesses. We are always in need of additional people to prepare a side dish or dessert, or help as a hostess.

Helping Hands: We are parishioners who are willing to respond to requests for interim assistance with services that for one reason or another parishioners are unable to perform themselves. Helping Hands provides temporary services, which typically take 1 to 2 hours and might include: 

• Meals – preparation and delivery
• Light housework – vacuuming, washing dishes, dusting, laundry
• Local errands – medical appointments, Mass transportation, light grocery shopping
• Visiting homebound person while caregiver runs errands
• Light maintenance – changing light bulbs, furnace filters
• Walking or feeding pets

Helping Hands ministry does not provide financial or medical assistance, if those resources are needed, please call the SES Parish Office. For more information, contact Setonhelpinghands@gmail.com. 

Pastoral Care Ministers - Edward Hospital: “For I was… ill and you cared for me.” The Pastoral Care Ministry is intended to spiritually support those in special times of need. Pastoral Care Ministers offer compassion, a listening presence, prayer and the Eucharist. Each Wednesday, Pastoral Care Ministers from St. Elizabeth Seton bring Holy Communion to eleven different areas of Edward Hospital. The ministers are placed on a rotating schedule so that they visit the hospital once every five to six weeks. This ministry is perfect for those who enjoy interacting with people and would like to bring the sacrament of Communion to those who are in the hospital. Those interested in participating in this ministry need to be Confirmed Catholics who are 18 or older. For more information about Pastoral Care Ministers at Edward Hospital, contact the Parish Office. 

Pastoral Care Ministers - Homebound:  This ministry is intended to spiritually support those in special time of need. Ministers take Holy Communion to the sick and homebound of our parish. This is for short term as well as long term illnesses. Days and times are based upon need. For more information about Pastoral Care Ministers to the Sick and Homebound, contact Barb Brock at 630-335-7704 or bjbrock1123@gmail.com.

Prayer Quilt Ministry: An interfaith outreach ministry that combines the gift of a hand-tied quilt with the gift of prayer for someone in need. The essence of this ministry is in the prayers offered for the recipient. Click here to fill out a request form for a Prayer Quilt (complete the form and save to your computer - then email the saved file to sesprayerquilt@gmail.com). For more information, contact sesprayerquilt@gmail.com.