312-578-9501 | www.shannonlawgroup.com APRIL 2019
Without fanfare, Fr. Ken Zigmond said his last Mass at St. Joan of Arc Church in Lisle last month. It was a huge deal for our parish because Fr. Ken has been a priest at St. Joan for 38 years (and a Benedictine monk for over 60 years). During his illustrious career, he coached and taught Latin at Benet Academy and at St. Procopius. His students included Benet grad Bishop Robert Barron, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles! I will confess to you that my life is sometimes messy. I have constant concerns and worries about our family, relatives, friends, law firm, clients, and the folks in our community. I cope with the craziness in my life by leaning heavily on my faith. I want to thank Fr. Ken for all his years of service. He had a huge role in strengthening the faith of my family and our parish. St. Teresa of Calcutta said: “Prayer gives us a pure heart. And a pure heart can see God. If you have a pure heart, you can see God in every thing and in every person.” Fr. Ken has a pure heart. He sees God in every person. As such, he sees the good in every person. That’s why the people in our parish constantly leaned on Fr. Ken when they needed advice or reassurance in their lives. They also wanted to involve him in some of their most happy occasions. Michelle and I were thrilled to renew our 25th anniversary vows before Fr. Ken. I got to know Fr. Ken by attending 6:30 a.m. Masses. On occasion, I served Mass for Fr. Ken. I hadn’t served Mass since my St. Paul grade school days back in Yakima. The experience of serving Mass and getting to know a kind, scholarly priest like Fr. Ken strengthened my belief that there are truly good people in this world who can make a huge difference in the lives of others. His homilies are down to earth, and he always adds humor. He understands our humanity, but constantly challenges us to transcend to a greater, more holy way in our everyday lives. Whenever I saw Fr. Ken, he asked about my wife and kids. Despite SAYING GOODBYE TO FATHER KEN ZIGMOND
having to know 4,000 families, he knows my kids’ names and where they are going to school. When I asked for advice, it was always prayerfully given with sensitivity and compassion. I never heard Fr. Ken say a bad word about anyone … ever. How many people do you know whom you can say that about? Faithful, humble, grateful, forgiving, people before rules, serving always, funny, compassionate, brilliant … Christ-like. It is a sad time for us at our parish because we said goodbye to a great role model and living saint. Thank you Fr. Ken for bringing our family closer to God. Thank you for showing us the way to be Christ-like. You have always put God first, others second, and yourself last. Please know that you will always be in our prayers.
–Joe Shannon
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Baseball’s opening day has been an American holiday of sorts since the Cincinnati Red Stockings threw out the first major league pitch in 1869. To celebrate the start of the 150th season of professional baseball, here are three of the best opening days in baseball history. A NEW BEGINNING On April 15, 1947, an opening-day game changed the course of Major League Baseball. On this day, Jackie Robinson started for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African-American player to start for a major league baseball team. Robinson’s historic showing was lackluster, going 0-for-3 at the plate and making a solid showing on the infield at first base, but his mere presence in a Dodgers uniform had already broken history. Despite his nationally-recognized skills — Robinson was named MVP of the MLB farm team league in 1946 — the backlash that followed his rise to the pros, both from fans and teammates, was palpable. Still, as well-known sportscaster Howard Cosell said, “Suddenly, it was a new beginning.” LOU, COMBS, AND BABE — OH MY! Considered one of the best teams in baseball history, the 1927 New York Yankees started their historic run
and 25th season by dismantling the Philadelphia Athletics with a score of 8–3. The slugfest was true to form for the 1927 Yankees, whose players would go on to make up baseball’s famous “Murderers’ Row.” With sluggers like Lou Gehrig, Earle Combs, Babe Ruth, Mark Koenig, Bob Meusel, and Tony Lazzeri, it’s no wonder this team went on to win its fifth championship that year. THE HAMMER TIES BAMBINO For decades, no one could match George Herman Ruth. The Great Bambino’s all-time home run record seemed like an impossible feat of strength — that is, until Henry “Hammerin’ Hank” Aaron came along. On opening day, April 4, 1974, Aaron smashed his 714th homer, tying Babe Ruth for the most home runs ever hit and extending the Atlanta Braves’ shutout lead over the Cincinnati Reds. A few weeks later, Aaron surpassed Ruth’s record, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd.
REMEMBERING MY FAVORITE BASEBALL TEAM
With baseball season underway, I wanted to take a moment to revisit my favorite season as a Chicago White Sox fan. While the 2005 team understandably gets the lion’s share of Sox fan adulation, the 2008 team had the most exciting regular season in my career as a fan. The White Sox 2008 Season
At the end of the season, the Sox found themselves in a tough situation. In order to make the playoffs, they would have to win three straight games against three different teams. By winning the first two of those games, they forced the famed Game 163 tiebreaker against the Minnesota Twins. Game 163 has to be in the Top 10 moments for any diehard Sox fan. The game devolved into a pitcher’s duel between John Danks and Nick Blackburn that ultimately hinged on two unforgettable plays: Ken Griffey Jr. hosing down Michael Cuddyer at home plate, and Jim Thome launching a ball to deep centerfield that may still be in orbit. The celebrations after the game would have made you think they had just won the World Series again. The exciting finish to the 2008 season certainly helped make that my favorite White Sox team of all time, but there were a couple of other things at play. One, I was more attached to this team because I watched at least 80 percent of their games. Two, there were no expectations after finishing well under 0.500 the year before. Here’s to hoping that this year’s White Sox team can surprise everyone and be competitive in 2019. As Cubs fans know from their recent success, summer in Chicago is just better when you’ve got a good ball club.
Heading into the 2008 season, the White Sox were coming off a brutal 72-90 season in which they finished fourth in the American League Central. In the offseason, the Sox re-signed World Series hero Juan Uribe, brought in the middle infield duo of Alexei Ramirez and Orlando Cabrera, and acquired an oft-injured journeyman minor leaguer in Carlos Quentin. The new acquisitions, coupled with the Sox arsenal of good young arms, gave fans hope of a bounce-back season. It quickly became clear that Carlos Quentin was exactly the spur the White Sox needed. He hit the cover off the ball all season long, leading the American League in home runs. If he hadn’t injured his wrist that September, I have no doubt he would have won that season’s MVP award. C.Q. was the source of one of my favorite memories of that season. My family and I were in Denver on vacation, but we elected to stay one night in the hotel to watch the White Sox-Angels game on national TV. Quentin hit two homers that game, including a walk off winner. Our family made the right call staying in to watch that one.
–Pat Cummings
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FACING FEARS 3,000 FEET UP
I recently watched “Free Solo,” a
mapping out his routes and memorizing the placement for each hand and foot hold. The trust he has in himself and his preparation is incredible. Listening to Honnold talk about his remarkable feat reveals much about his motivations as a person. For him, it’s all about setting and accomplishing goals. Once a goal is set, he becomes obsessed with completing it, visualizing each step along the way. His preparation is second to none. Although the goal itself may seem crazy, the thought process behind it is painstakingly thorough. That’s why it’s not enough just to complete the climb; how he completes it is important as well. Before he starts, he believes he’s mapped out the perfect course. Any sense of uneasiness or anxiety he feels on the climb exposes a lack of preparation. There is nothing lucky about a successful climb. Watching “Free Solo” left me feeling invigorated and motivated but also with an appreciation of the preparation required to meet your goals. Honnold remarked after the climb that he felt “comfortable” as he made his way up. No amount of preparation would ever make me (or most people) feel comfortable on the side of a vertical cliff, but taking the time to fully prepare for life’s obstacles helps us feel comfortable when the time comes to start climbing.
documentary about Alex Honnold’s 3,000 foot climb up the face of El Capitan’s granite cliff in Yosemite National Park without ropes . The footage captured by National Geographic of Honnold’s death- defying climb is equal parts captivating and nerve-wracking. I felt my palms sweating as I
watched Honnold meticulously move his hands and feet from one tiny crack or ledge in the rock’s surface to another. At times, it appeared there was nothing supporting his weight as he hung hundreds of feet above the ground. Free soloing is a version of climbing where the athlete performs without the use of ropes, harnesses, or other equipment — just a pair of climbing shoes and a bag of chalk. It requires extreme physical endurance (of course), but also a level of concentration that’s nearly impossible to maintain. Honnold spent years preparing for his ascent,
–Jon Svitak
APRIL 2019 DATES OF CONSEQUENCE
Directions 1. Lightly grease a small nonstick skillet with oil. Heat over medium-high. 2. While heating, gently shape meat into four patties 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Be careful to handle the meat as little as possible to prevent tough burgers. Season liberally with salt and pepper. 3. Sear patties on each side, about 1 minute per side. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking until desired doneness, about 1 more minute per side for medium-rare, 2 more per side for medium-well. 4. Let meat rest for a minimum of 3 minutes. 5. To assemble, place patty on bottom bun and top with tomato, pickles, lettuce, and onion (in that order). Spread condiments on top half of bun and place on top of onion. Serve. OPENING DAY HAMBURGERS Ingredients • 1 pound ground chuck, 80 percent lean • 4 soft, white hamburger buns, split • 4 1/4-inch thick tomato slices • 12–16 pickle rounds • 4 small leaves iceberg lettuce • 4 1/4-inch thick yellow onion slices • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil • Salt and pepper, to taste • Condiments of your choice
April 4
White Sox Home Opener
April 8
Cubs Home Opener
April 15
Patriots’ Day
April 19
Good Friday
April 21
Easter Sunday
April 29
Feast of St. Catherine of Siena
Every Saturday morning throughout the year, St. Joan of Arc Men’s group meets from 7–8 a.m. in the St. Joan of Arc Parish Center. Please join us.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
page 1 page 2
A Farwell to Father Ken
3 Great Opening Days in Baseball Remembering My Favorite Baseball Team
page 2
page 3 page 3
Facing Fears 3,000 Feet Up
Opening Day Hamburgers
SUDOKU
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Our Secret Expert Witness
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