Fraternite Notre Dame has its Mother House in Chicago, Illinois, with a Novitiate/Seminary for religious Friars and future priests, and a Novitiate for religious Nuns.
Fraternite Notre Dame's church is located on:
502 North Central Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60644 - USA
The church of Our Lady of Frechou, Mother of Mercy and Mother of the Church offers those desirous to pray a Shrine consecrated to the Immaculate Mother of God by Bishop Jean Marie, and a Chapel in honor of the Merciful Christ and Saint Mary Faustina. On a daily basis, religious services are performed there: Holy Mass, the Divine Office, Eucharistic Adoration, the Holy Rosary.
Days of special prayers are also scheduled, to Divine Mercy and Saint Mary Faustina, Saint Rita, Blessed Padre Pio, Saint Joseph on the 19th of each month, etc...
As for great liturgical feasts and week days, please feel free to contact us at (773) 261.0101 or write to us to obtain a complete schedule of the ceremonies. A full schedule will be sent to you free of charge upon simple request.
A permanency is assured: the church is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday, and regarding the Sacraments, you can call 24 hours a day.
The Religious Priests and Nuns of Fraternite Notre Dame are available to all those who need prayers and desire to entrust their intentions, and also to those who, young or not so young, think about the religious or priestly vocation.
Along with this life of prayer, Fraternite Notre Dame performs charitable works, keeping in mind these words from Saint Paul: "Faith without works is dead".
Fraternite Notre Dame has been working in Chicago, in a very poor area, for several years, in Austin, in the North-Western part of the city. The religious do not perceive any salary, but dedicate themselves wholly to this Work. Moral, material and physical misery prevails in most homes, broken up usually: separated or divorced parents, abandoned children or children hanging out in the streets, drug addicted people in every age group, elderly persons without a family and left to themselves, single mothers surviving miserably in stern shelters, … sorrowful sick people in their poor hospital beds, unable to move, not even to feed themselves…
Such an afflicting spectacle, which has moved the Heart of God; that is why Bishop Jean Marie established a permanent Mission there, including a soup kitchen, where a hot, nutritious meal is served daily to all these poor adults and children.
A weekly food pantry program for families in difficulty, providing fresh produce and products, canned food, adapted to each person's needs (children, elderly people, the sick…)
An after school program, with various activities, for the kids who hang out in the streets. Fraternite Notre Dame's members, with much patience, teach them the basics of a good education, and have them get involved in educational works, such as arts and crafts, drawing, etc.
Each time, we take advantage of these programs to serve them a nutritious meal, for they often come from families where one is not fed properly at home.
This program is also meant for these kids to go out from the neighborhood where they actually live: local firms or plants, outings to zoos, parks, theaters, circuses, etc. Professionals from the medical field, or cooking specialists, etc. come in to make presentations and bring them new ideas, so different from what they can find in their area.
The results are amazing, especially when it comes to the children's behaviors. One of the Nuns also gives music and singing classes.
To this must be added visits to families living in the surroundings, or which we are acquainted with, in order to better assess their needs in food, but also furniture, clothing, etc. During such visits, our religious people take up the opportunity to bring some pantry bags to these persons, to vary their diet.
Pastoral Care in Chicago´s Hospitals: Every week, the religious from Fraternite Notre Dame bring a spiritual and moral support to the sick. Furthermore, Bishop Jean Marie has put one of his priests on call on a 24-hour basis, after the request of the sick; the former can reach out to them and help them, or give them the Sacraments if they so want it.
A Volunteer Program also exists to assist the religious of Fraternite Notre Dame: friends and people who are sympathetic with Fraternite Notre Dame, friends who are faithful in various churches and denominations, elderly persons and youth from several schools, clubs and groups, working to improve the neighborhood.
Many are those who give of their time, knowledge and skills in this way, to relieve such misery, help children. Thank you again to all those who are so faithful to us, and welcome to all those who want to put sense into their lives, and have a living faith, by helping us in one way or another to relieve misery. May God bless them.
At the present time, Fraternite Notre Dame's members renovate, little by little and according to the financial help they receive, the lower-level of the church, to set up their new soup kitchen there, a more spacious area than the rented one they used to have before: the kitchen and dining room for the poor people, along with a large space reserved for the children of the after school program.
There is still much to be done, for the building is in very bad shape. You may help us through various ways, either financially, in kind or as volunteers in the premises.
We need to renovate this space as soon as possible, to allow the poor persons to whom we distribute sandwiches every day at the door, to come in inside have a seat and enjoy a real, hot meal.
We had to terminate working off the rented store front on Chicago Avenue, for it was very expensive, and the place was too small, that was were we first started serving the poor in a soup kitchen for the Austin Community.
Most Reverend Bishop Jean Marie, outstanding figure, a humble prelate, a man of heart, a friend to the poor, is ready to sacrifice all things when the lot of his brethren is at stake, and especially when the question is: the salvation of their souls....
