September 17, 2026

Dear SJB Families,

It has been a great week at SJB. As you know, our school is always bustling with activity, and we are truly blessed by the support of our community. Thank you to everyone who participated in the Good Old Days Parade and shared joy, school pride, and plenty of candy with the Winfield community! 

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Mum Sale! We are so grateful to the many volunteers who helped make pick up a success. A special thank you goes to Coach B and our eighth grade class as well as to Kathy Barrett, Katie Bennett, Angela Katzenberger, and Shelley Zaremba for helping unload the truck, especially when Mother Nature decided to join them by providing a shower! We truly appreciate everyone who helped make this fundraiser possible.

On Tuesday, our Junior High students had the wonderful opportunity to hear Fr. Benzes share his vocation story during Religion class. His personal journey offered our students a meaningful glimpse into the call to the priesthood and the ways God invites each of us to listen for His call in our own lives. Fr. Benzes also spent time practicing the responses of the Mass with our students, reminding them that these responses should be said with conviction, reverence, and confidence. What a beautiful reminder as we pray and worship as a community of faith.

We are looking forward to celebrating Grandparents Day tomorrow! We are blessed to welcome our grandparents and honor the special role they play in the lives of our students. Grandparents are invited to join us for Mass at 8:45 AM. We ask that early arrivers go to Sebahar Hall as there is a Mass at 8:00 AM and we want to maintain reverence for Mass attendees. They will be seated in the pews immediately behind the reserved signs. We look forward to a beautiful morning of faith, family, and fellowship! As a reminder, we will be dismissing at 11:30 AM tomorrow. 

Additionally, we have a few events coming up in the next few days.

Wildcat Family Bike Ride
 Our Wildcat Family Bike Ride is this Sunday, September 20. As part of Let’s Ride, Illinois, we will gather for a family-friendly ride along the Prairie Path, followed by a stop for ice cream in downtown Wheaton. Let’s Ride, Illinois is a wonderful initiative that brings communities together to celebrate the joy of cycling and the simple pleasure of enjoying time together outdoors.

The round-trip ride is approximately 6.5 miles and will begin at 1:30 PM. Participants should meet at the southeast corner of County Farm and Geneva Roads. 

Cooks Night Out
 Don’t forget that our first Cooks Night Out Night is on Monday, September 21, at Chipotle on Roosevelt Road in Wheaton from 4:00 – 8:00 PM. It’s a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a meal with family and friends while supporting our school community. 

As we continue our school year, we look forward to several opportunities to pray, celebrate, and come together as a school family in October.

• Wednesday, October 7 – Family Rosary - 6:00 -6:30 PM
   Join us as we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. We invite our families to come together in prayer and entrust our students, families, and school community to Mary’s loving intercession. We are looking for three school families to lead a decade of the rosary. Two families in Religious Education will lead the other two decades. If your family is interested in leading a decade of the rosary, please email me or contact me at jpolicht@stjohnwinfield.org. 
• Sunday, October 11 – Tailgating for Education beginning at 1:00 PM.
  Come enjoy fellowship, school spirit, and time together as a community while supporting SJB! This is a family-friendly event and truly a treasured SJB tradition. We are looking for volunteers for the committee. It is an easy way to fulfill some of your required family volunteer hours. If interested in being on the committee, please email Jason Woodbury at JWoodbury@sjbwinfield.org 
• Friday, October 15 – School Picture Day
   Don’t forget to smile! School Picture Day will be held on Thursday, October 15. More information about ordering and picture packages will be shared with families.
• Thursday, October 22 – Preschool Open House for New Families – 6:00 – 7:30 PM
   We look forward to welcoming prospective families to our Preschool Open House! This is a wonderful opportunity for new families to learn more about our preschool program and  discover the joy of a Catholic education. Please help spread the word.
• 
  

Volleyball is in full swing. Home volleyball games will be taking place again this weekend. Come watch our teams! There has been some amazing play on all teams, and best of all, the improvement seen from the beginning of the season to this point has been great. I personally love to see the look of satisfaction when that perfect tip or spike is made; when blocks are executed, when someone who has been working so hard to get their serve over the net succeeds; when teammates work together to volley and how they encourage one another. The delight is clearly seen in faces on the court and in the stands… these are joys to behold. These moments and excitement will take place tonight and this weekend.

Away Volleyball Game – Friday, September 18, 2026

5^th grade boys @ St. James in Glen Ellen at 6:00 PM

6^th grade boys @All Saints in Naperville at 6:00 PM

7^th grade boys @ St. Raphael in Naperville at 6:00 PM

7^th grade girls @ St. Raphael in Naperville at 7:00 PM

Home Volleyball games – Saturday. September 19, 2026

1:00 PM – 6^th grade boys vs. St. Mary (Mokena)

2:00 PM – 6^th grade girls vs. St. Jude (New Lenox)

3:00 PM – 5^th grade boys vs. All Saints 

4:00 PM – 8^th grade boys vs. Holy Family

6:00 PM – 7^th grade boys vs. St. Joan of Arc

7:00 PM – 8^th grade girls vs. Sts. Alphonsus/St. Patrick

8:00 PM – 7th grade girls vs. St. Cletus

Away Volleyball game – Sunday, September 20, 2026 

5:00 PM – 8^th grade girls @ Sts. Dennis and Joseph(Lockport North Campus)

In closing, the Feast Day of Saint Padre Pio is on Wednesday. Many would seek Padre Pio and ask him to pray for them. He is quoted as reminding us that “One thing is only necessary; to lift up your spirit and love God.” He also said, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.”

Speaking of prayer, please pray for our graduates of 2026 as they make the Sacrament of Confirmation tonight in our church.

As we celebrate Catechetical Sunday this weekend, we give special thanks for our teachers, who serve as catechists and nurture our students’ faith each day through their teaching, example, and witness. Our Catechists will receive a special blessing at the 5:00 PM and 10:00 AM Masses this weekend. Please join us in praying for our teachers and all those who faithfully share the Good News with our children. May God bless them abundantly for their vocation and service.



May you have a wonderful weekend with your families. I hope to see you at Mass and/or the Wildcat Bike Ride on Sunday.

With joy,

Joanne Policht

0S259 Church Street
Winfield, IL 60190
P: 630.668.2625, ext. 617 F: 630.668.1074
Email: jpolicht@stjohnwinfield.org