Things were poppin’ at Valentine’s event

By Kathy Headley

Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor

6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778

Last Saturday I stopped in at the Valentine Small Business Pop-Up at Monarca, on the northwest corner of 63^rd and Spaulding.

I really enjoy these events. I always walk out spending more than I planned, this time on Girl Scout cookies, bakery cakes, chocolate covered grapes decorated to look like footballs, cute bath bombs, coquito and dinner, to boot!

I ran out of money by the time I arrived at the second row of vendors. (I had to save a couple dollars for a cucumber and a package of raspberries at Rio Valley after.)

Here’s the thing: I never know what I will find. Just to give you an idea of how these events have caught on, the Girl Scouts from St. Nick’s Troop 20713 sold a total of 114 boxes Saturday. Hope to see you at the next one!

As some of you may have heard, the Rev. Thomas Mescall, former pastor at St. Adrian Church, passed away earlier this month in New Mexico.

A really nice man and a local boy, he attended St. Leo Grammar School and Leo High School, then going on to earn his law degree at John Marshall Law School, recently renamed the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.

He married, raised two children and practiced law in Albuquerque New Mexico, serving as a judge there for 17 years. However, he said he had always felt a pull toward the priesthood and in 2000 he acted on that calling and entered the seminary.

He was ordained in 2004 by Cardinal Francis George and I really got a kick out of his quote that appeared in the Catholic New World newspaper back then. The newly ordained Father Tom was commenting on the fact that he was the oldest in his class: “Some laborers arrive early and others come late,” he said. “But Jesus tells us that the wages are the same.

Father Tom arrived at St. Adrian in 2008 after serving as an associate pastor at St. Denis. I spoke with him quite often, interviewed him several times for stories. He was always kind and passionate about everything he hoped to accomplish at St. Adrian.

His last project, the completion of the statues in the garden on the north side of the church, came to fruition with the addition of the prominent St. Bakhita statue. The blessing of the statue took place three years ago yesterday, Feb. 17. St. Josephine Margaret Bakhita is considered a modern-day saint, having been canonized in 2000. For the dedication of the statue, Father Tom invited the St. Leo Academy Boys Choir, from his alma mater to sing.

Bakhita’s story takes her from a life of enslavement to freedom to sainthood. The message Father Tom hoped the statue would send can be found in the chains left open around Bakhita’s ankles. Giving examples of the opioid epidemic and bad tempers, I remember him saying “With faith we can control the things that enslave us.”

Father Tom was born the same year Josephine Bakhita died. He was buried on the anniversary of her death, Feb. 8, which is also the day the Catholic Church celebrates her feast.

As of this writing, his funeral service is available on YouTube by typing in Funeral Mass for Father Mescall.

The Greater Southwest Development Corporation has put together a 2022 Community Love Guide, which features specials local businesses are offering, most during the month of February.

Here are a couple featured in the guide, which might be of interest to you. Little Denni’s, which we just featured in our history segment a few weeks back, at 3007 W. 63^rd St. is giving a $5 off coupon with a $25 purchase, El Tata Restaurant, 2942 W. 63^rd St., is giving a free soda when purchasing two tacos and Pepe’s Mexican Restaurant, 3231 W. 63^rd. is featuring a carne asada dinner for $18.95.

The Sports and Recreational Leadership Program will be held at Marquette Park again this year. The leadership development program for teens ages 16 and over will take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from March 8 to May 18. And it prepares participants for possible summer employment with the Chicago Park District. For more information contact Paul Pope at [email protected].

The deadline to submit applications for the 2022-23 school year lottery at Catalyst Maria, our K-12 charter school, 6727 S. Cal1ifornia, is fast approaching. Applications are due by midnight, Sunday, March 13. Apply at catalyst.schoolmint.net. For additional information, call Naurice at (773) 993-1774.

When we left 1992 last week, we had just looked at some furniture at Bill Grice’s store and were stopping for lunch at a restaurant down the street at 2518 W. 63^rd St. Genevieve S. was the first to come up with the name, China Express. She said the special I mentioned with egg foo young was what really jogged her memory.

I know we just had lunch, but why not pick up dinner while we are out? Let’s swing over to 71^st Street for that, 2711 to be exact. So, can you remember where we were picking up dinner 30 years ago?