Faith and Fellowship

Faith and Community: Our Lady of the Heights Social Club

When three parishes—St. Agnes, St. Kieran, and St. Paul—Chicago Heights—unified to become Our Lady of the Heights Parish, the task of uniting diverse cultures, languages, and traditions was a daunting challenge. The Our Lady of the Heights (OLH) Social Club, an initiative conceived by the pastor Fr. Gary Graf and led by Donna Haas, is dedicated to fostering connection and belonging among the parish's multifaceted community.

A Mission to Unite 

“After our unification, we realized the importance of social events to bring everyone together,” says Donna Haas, president of the OLH Social Club. “Merging two cultures and overcoming language barriers can be challenging, but those differences become less noticeable when we connect socially. Everyone prays together, and we’re here for the same reason.”

The OLH Social Club is a committee of 12-14 dedicated individuals, including retirees, moms, and parishioners from English—speaking and Spanish backgrounds. Their mission is clear: to create opportunities for all parishioners to engage, regardless of language or cultural differences.

Events That Build Bridges 

One of the club’s most popular initiatives is “Trunk or Treat,” a bilingual event where children, and by extension their parents, come together for festive fun. Trunk or Treat is a celebration of Halloween that takes place in a community parking lot. Instead of children going door-to-door to collect candy, adults decorate the trunks of their cars in festive or spooky themes, and kids visit each trunk to collect candy and other treats.  Haas notes, “Kids are natural bridges—they bring people together.” The event embodies the parish's dual-language spirit with offerings like piñatas, Mexican hot chocolate, apple cider, and s’mores. It has grown since its inception and is becoming a wonderful annual tradition.

Hospitality Sundays, every six weeks, help highlight the ministry’s work. The OLH Social Club offers cookies and bakery goods after every Mass on Hospitality Sundays and shares its mission with other parishioners. Other activities, such as movie nights, provide casual settings for parishioners to mingle. The club also organizes events like the Christmas wreath sale, “Paint and Sip” nights, and an annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Christ’s Passion, catering to diverse interests and age groups.

Faith and Friendship 

Beyond event planning, the OLH Social Club encourages parish community building. “I think a social club at a parish is significant,” Haas shares. “It brings people together, helps them connect and network, and builds a sense of community.”

Haas, who also serves as a eucharistic minister, treasurer of the social club, and lead planner of the parish gala, emphasizes the club’s role in unifying English and Spanish-speaking parishioners. By attending bilingual Masses and building friendships across cultural lines, she exemplifies the inclusivity the club aspires to foster.

Looking Ahead

As the club continues to grow, Haas is hopeful about its future. “We're taking baby steps, but each event builds momentum,” she says. The club is eager to expand its committee, recruit younger members, and ensure its initiatives reflect the vibrancy and diversity of the parish.

“Our Lady of the Heights Parish is a wonderful and inclusive parish,” Haas reflects. “The devotion, the music, the faith—it’s all so beautiful. We find common ground and build something extraordinary when we come together.”