Mayslake Ministries 718 Ogden Ave. Ste. 200 Downers Grove, IL 60515 630-852-9000

Annual Report 2018

www.mayslakeministries.org

April 2019 Dear Friends, On February 12th of this year, we re-ceived the sad news that our founder, friend, and esteemed spiritual director, Fr. Jonathan Foster, OFM, had passed away after a long illness. While we grieve his passing with heavy hearts and we pray for the eternal rest of his soul; as people of faith we also believe the Franciscan spirit of Fr. Jonathan remains with us through the programs and services of Mayslake Ministries. In 1991, Fr. Jonathan founded Mayslake Ministries as a “retreat house without walls.” His vision was to create an independent not for profit ministry led by the laity that would provide a sacred space for adult men and women seeking to encounter the presence of God in their life. Since that time, Mayslake Ministries has helped thousands of men and women on their walk with Christ. Today, Mayslake Ministries continues to build upon Fr. Jonathan’s vision as we seek to engage the spiritual life of Catholic/Christians in a mod-ern and ever changing world. With over 35 spiritual directors, Mayslake Ministries is now the largest resource for individual spir-itual direction in the Chicago area. Most recently, we launched a new ten month intensive spiritual formation program entitled, Sa-cred Presence, which equips adult men and women for the ministry of Spiritual Direction. Fr. Jonathan’s vision of creating a “retreat house without walls,” also ministers to those in greatest need. Our Veteran’s Ministry, which serves our brave military men and women suffering from the spiritual trauma of war, offers free specialized weekend retreats to military members and their significant other. Through our retreat ministry we have helped many military families discover the path-way to spiritual healing and wholeness. Mayslake Ministries also ministers to the homebound and to those who live beyond our “Chicago borders” through our spiritual books, DVD’s and videos. As we look to the future, we believe it the Spirit of our living God that leads Mayslake Ministries; and now that Fr. Jonathan has gone home to heaven, we believe that he, too, will lead and guide us in the coming years. His legacy will continue through the work of our hands. And to that end we say with great fondness, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have fought the good fight; you have fin-ished the race; you have kept the faith. Receive the crown of right-eousness. May the angels welcome you into paradise, Fr. Jonathan.

Dr. Mary Amore Executive Director

Leadership Dr. Mary Amore Executive Director Office Staff Bob Frazee Director of Sacred Presence Toni Higgenbotham Accountant April Marron Office Manager Natalie Ryan Director of Communications Board of Directors Joann Hillebrand President Al McGovern Secretary Mary Kostic Chuck Stich Alice Smith Mayslake Ministries 718 Ogden Ave. Ste 200 Downers Grove, IL 60515 Ph. 630-852-9000 Website: mayslakeminis-tries.org

Fall Conference with Fr. Ronald Rolheiser

In October, our annual Fall Conference featured

Fr. Ronald Rolheiser as our speaker. This Fall

Conference sold out, with attendees coming from

Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa.

Highlights of 2018

Every Day with Mary, Lent and

Advent Booklets:

Published by Our Sunday Visitor

and co-authored by our gifted

affiliates, our daily reflection books

on our Blessed Mother continue

to spiritually enrich the lives of

people on their daily walk with

Christ.

Graced Moments:

Women’s Afternoon Tea

Offering a wide variety of speakers and

topics, women have an opportunity for

spiritual nourishment and to cultivate new

friendships as they enjoy Saturday afternoon

tea at the Marriott Naperville.

Recipient of St. John Neumann Parish Grant. Awarded to

organizations that carry on the mission and discipleship of Jesus Christ, Mayslake

Ministries was honored to receive this grant from the faith community of

St. John Neumann.

Men’s Retreat Programs:

Mayslake Ministries

partnered with Bellarmine

Retreat House this year to

offer weekend retreats.

Highlights of 2018 cont’d

Sacred Presence Program Certification: In

July, we celebrated the completion of our first

class of Sacred Presence Candidates who are

now certified as Spiritual Directors. Many of

these gifted men and women currently serve as

spiritual directors at Mayslake Ministries.

Sacred Presence Program: A new class of candidates began their studies in Sep-

tember in our Sacred Presence program. Sixteen men

and women meet weekly at the Carmelite Center

from September through June. Under the leadership

of Bob Frazee, Sacred Presence Program Director,

and our gifted facilitators, candidates are provided

with the necessary spiritual formation and skills

needed to answer God’s call to the ministry of

Spiritual Direction.

Veteran’s Ministry: Our Veteran’s Minis-

try continue to grow and flourish. The need is

great and Mayslake Ministries is committed to

helping our military begin the road to spiritual

healing and wholeness.

Social Media

Presence:

Our online Facebook

ministry has expand-

ed to over 6,200 fol-

lowers and reaches

over 250,000 people

on a weekly basis.

Our daily reflections

and prayers help peo-

ple stay focused on

God throughout their

busy day.

All of this is possible because of you and your generosity!

Thank you and God Bless you!

In Tribute to Fr. Johnathan I am standing upon the seashore.

A ship at my side spreads his white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the blue ocean.

He is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch until at last he hangs like a speck of white cloud

where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other. Then someone at my side says, ‘He’s gone.’

Gone where?

Gone from my sight…that is all. He is just as large in mast and hull and spar as he was

when he left my side, And just as able to bear his load of living freight to the

place of destination. His diminished size is in me, not in him.

And just at the moment when someone at my side says, “There he goes!’…

There are other eyes watching him coming and their voices ready to take up the glad shouts, ‘Here he comes.’

By Henry Van Dyke

Founders Circle $1000 and over

2018 Benefactors

Benefactors Circle $500-$999

Friends $100-$249

Dennis and Connie Colleran

Judy and Joe Cosenza

Mike Eisele and Karen Janousek

Joann Hillebrand

Hinsdale Travel Service, Laurette Karuhn

Dominic and Allene Mangone

Maple Corners Fund at the Chicago Community Trust

Al and Mary Jo McGovern

Suzette and Edward Rickert

Don and Wanda Sanders

St. John Neumann Parish

Peggy and Mark J. Smego

Nancy and Bob Wojcinski

Susan Kamin

Francine Morse

Terry and Maureen Taylor

Bob and Karen Westrick

Bob and Patricia S. Wheeler

Bishop James E. Fitzgerald Coucil

Blessed Sacrament Church of North Aurora

Michael Busse

Sheila Cusack

Julie Dwyer

Susan Gowgiel

Julio and Elaine Jimenez

Mark Johnson

Leon Richardt Auxiliary to Post No. 6791

Joe A. Longo

Diane Massura

Colleen and Ed Mayes

Gabriel and Catherine H. Mooney

Barbara Palmer

Vivian and Roger Pscherer

Dolores Ronaldson

Ralph and Cathy Sorice

St. Mary of Gostyn Parish - Fr. James Schwab

Marie Szymanek

Joseph and Mary Truesdale

Ron and Pam Amato

Carl R. Brauneis

Mary E. Brownie

Mary Carroll

Donald and Susan Helgeson

Debbie and Raymond Johnson

Peggy Madden

Irene Mersch

Mark and Mary Oliphant

Georgiana Pasulka

Helen Russell

Mary Frances Schramm

Kenneth and Catherine Schreiner

John H. and Marylyn Stery

Associates $25-$99

Bishop James E. Fitzgerald Council

Blessed Sacrament Church of North Aurora

Dennis and Connie Colleran

Susan Kamin

Leon Richardt Auxiliary to Post No. 6971

Diane Massura

Barbara Palmer

St. Mary of Gostyn Parish—Fr. James Schwab

Nancy and Bob Wojcinski

Veterans’ Ministry

Cheryl and Jerry Antos

Ray and Lois Mosco-Behrendt

Deacon Alan Christy

Tom and Carmella R. Comforte

Richard Grodek and Dorothy Renner

Bob and Carol Hansen

Judy Ronaldson

Janet and Charles K. Sherburne

St. Margaret Mary Men's Club

Holly (Mary) Toohey

Terrence E. Walden

Partners $250-$99

Joe and Sharon Abel

Mary and Joe Amore

Avec Panache

Capri Of Downers Grove

Carlucci Restaurant

The Cheesecake Factory

CorpTrav Management Group

Country House Restaurant

Cucinova Restaurant

Curves

Fire It Up Taco Fusion Grill

Gatto's Restaurant and Bar

Gibsons Steakhouse

Gino's East Comedy Bar

Greek Islands Restaurant

JoAnn Hillebrand

Michael and Katie Hobbs

Impact Networking - Anthony Deszcz

Jo Jackson

Kona Grill

Rosemary Fanti

Dennis and Mary Kostic

LaBarra Ristorante

La Buona Vita Scratch Kitchen

Las Palmas

Law Offices Of B. J. Farrell

LeChocolat

Jim and Laurie Loresch

Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

Lynfred Winery

Al and Mary Jo McGovern

The Morton Arboretum

My Chef Catering

Lauren and Steve Nelson

Parkers' Restaurant and Bar

Fr. Thomas Paul

Pinstripes

Robert and Nancy Parenti

Catherine Riddle

Joe and Deb Rossi

Seasons 52

Alice Smith

Vivian and Roger Pscherer

Jennifer Storey

Walt Disney World Resort

Weir International, Inc.

Patti Willis

Za Za's Trattoria

In-Kind Donations

Every effort was made to report donors and supporters accurately. We apologize if we inadvertently omitted anyone. Thank you for your

generous support of our mission.

Would you consider joining the “Legacy Circle” by adding Mayslake Ministries to your will?

Your legacy will forever touch the hearts of all affiliat-ed with Mayslake Ministries. Your gift will ensure that your children and your grandchildren will be able to benefit from our wonderful spiritual enrichment and formation programs for years to come. If you would

like to discuss the ways in which you can leave a lega-cy gift to Mayslake Ministries, please contact

Dr. Mary Amore , Executive Director at 630-852-9000

A Special word of thanks to the leadership team at:

Sacred Presence

Program for the

Formation of

Spiritual Directors.

Applications now open

for Fall 2019.

YOUR DONATIONS ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

Please help us continue the legacy

of Fr. Johnathan Foster.

Donate online at www.mayslakeministries.org or

by phone at 630-852-9000.

All donations are tax deductible.