Emmanuel Franco

Emmanuel grew up in Bolingbrook, IL, about a 40-minute drive from downtown Chicago. His family currently resides in Romeoville, IL, where they moved after living in Bolingbrook for 18 years; they have been happily living there for about five to six years. 

Emmanuel graduated from Benedictine University with a B.A. in Theology and a minor in Business. He is now in the Echo Graduate Service program at the University of Notre Dame, where he is receiving a Master's in Theology while serving the Church. 

Before starting in ministry, Emmanuel was an Assistant General Manager at Panera Bread in his hometown for about two years. So, you could say that he was already ministering to the people of God (haha). He had already worked in the service and restaurant industry for about four years (all at Panera). He truly believes that God kept him there to be formed in particular and unique ways, for which he is very grateful to Panera and the people within the company. 

Emmanuel officially started ministry by becoming a lector at his home parish, St. Dominic in Bolingbrook, IL, and loved it. From there, in his senior year at Benedictine University, he involved myself more deeply in Campus Ministry with his girlfriend, Ariana. Both of them were Coordinators of the Spanish Mass, where they would market and invite students and staff to biweekly Mass in Spanish. After Mass, they held a social event where they brought Hispanic cuisine and sweets. It brought lots of people together (often non-Hispanics), and they were able to create many relationships and memories. Emmanuel was fortunate enough to also be a lector and Eucharistic minister in Campus Ministry, and soon after, a Eucharistic minister at my home parish. 

What he is most excited about in his role is getting to know Christ the Redeemer as a parish. It is easy to get stuck trying to learn your official role, but Emmanuel truly wants to know CTR for what it is: a parish for the community. He is looking forward to meeting the staff, hearing their unique stories, learning what they have to offer the community in their respective roles, and meeting all (if not most) of the parishioners. 

His favorite saint is Saint Augustine. One of his favorite quotes is related to why he admires Augustine as a teacher: he presents the faith in a simplified form without risking the rich depths that it has to offer. Augustine once said, “In the Father is unity, in the Son equality, in the Holy Spirit the harmony of unity and equality; and these three attributes are all one because of the Father, all equal because of the Son, and all harmonious because of the Holy Spirit.” Another favorite is, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe.”