K-Mass

What: The Holy Mass will be celebrated with love and reverence, along with upbeat music,
inspiring preaching, and powerful fellowship.

Who: Everyone, including children, is welcome to share the experience that Koinonia
community members from the University of Illinois and many other colleges have known for over
three decades.

Why: Now that Koinonians have become multigenerational we need the charisms of the entire
community in order to rekindle the work of the Holy Spirit that we experienced in college. The
zeal of the college youth will inspire the children of the older members. The older members can
in turn provide a structure for the community, which will benefit those graduating and entering
the real world. Through mutually nourishing each other, the entire community can then truly
live the call to go forth and bring their gifts to their parishes.

When/Where: The first K-Mass will be held May 30, 2015 at Fr. Britto Berchmans parish,
St. Paul of the Cross. 320 S Washington St, Park Ridge, IL 60068 at 6:30 pm. We hope to have
them quarterly, with the next one in August. But for now, information on our first one is being
disseminated through our Facebook page, St. Johns Catholic Newman Center Alumni. Please
join this group if you would like to stay abreast of latest happenings.

Testimony/History:
Dear friends,
Twenty years ago, I was preparing to complete my undergraduate years at the University
of Illinois. Two years prior, in 1993, I joined the church at Easter Vigil; two years after
graduation, in 1997, I would finish my masters. Formed by several years of daily Mass, bible
study, service, and powerful fellowship, I thought I could take on the world and bring the Holy
Spirit to the waiting masses. Boy, was I wrong.
Leaving the safety and spirit of the St. Johns Catholic Newman Center at the University
was all it took for me to shrink into survival mode and become a Sunday Catholic. My wife and I
became absorbed in our teaching careers and coaching. Knowing we hadnt found a permanent
home, we didnt officially join a parish for several years, and as young adults, we didnt know
where we would fit into one anyway.

In a few years, we welcomed our two children into the world and regressed further into
what I call the Catholic Cocoon, a safe place where parents try to survive the trials and
tribulations of infants and toddlers. In the Cocoon, you go to Mass on Sundays, get to know the
other parents in the Cocoon, but excuse yourself from the call you feel to discipleship.
When my daughter was in second grade, I came out of the woodworks to volunteer to
teach her Religious Education class to prepare her for Reconciliation and First Communion. I
saw firsthand over the next few years that RE and Sunday Mass attendance was not going to
keep my kids Catholic, and I wondered what made me become Catholic?
I didnt fully come to an answer to that question until I attended the wake of a friend from
my days in college. I reunited with many Koinonians for the first time in over fifteen years. We
hugged, we talked, we shared our interim history, but when we sang the old songs, it was as if
we were all back at St. Johns Catholic Chapel in Champaign. The powerful Christian fellowship
I experienced that evening reignited a fire within me. I contemplated how I could continue to fuel
it. That's when the Holy Spirit took over.
A few months later, many of us felt a strong call to action during a private healing Mass
held at a Koinonian's house. A dozen Koinonia families crammed together in a living room, up
the stairs, and around a loft to share in the sacrifice of Holy Mass. Not only did we get together
to celebrate as we had many years ago, but we also witnessed to our children the same spirit
that gave us strength throughout our college years. Our time together that evening evangelized
my children more than a whole year of Religious Education ever could. The Lords call burned
even deeper.
These reunion experiences allowed us to warmly reminisce about our time together at
St. Johns in Champaign, but we understand that one of the key concepts of Koinonia - and the
Gospel - is Fo(u)rth Day. We are to go forth into the world and share the joy, truth, and love of
the Lord. Now that so many Koinonians spanning generations are in the Chicagoland area, we
want to share our life-changing retreat experience and our love for God and the Mass with our
families, friends and parishes. In the days and weeks after our last gathering, conversations
ensued, planning began, and a Spirit-driven enthusiasm has continued to guide our steps
toward our first K-Mass taking place on May 30th.
Do you have children and want to share this experience with your family? Are you
married without kids and want to connect to a community where you feel at home? Are you
single and want to share your faith freely and meet other like-minded Catholics? Are you still in
college and want a place to keep your faith alive in the summer or when you are home?
Come to K-Mass!
In Christ,
Amar Patel
NFK 34, 38, 40, 46, 52