On the hot, sunny morning of July 13, about a dozen people from St. Julie Billiart Parish in Tinley Park gathered on the driveway at a parishioner’s home for Mass. It is part of an effort, now in its third year, in which parishioners host Masses in their driveways each Saturday from June through August as a tool for evangelization.

A different parishioner hosts each week and attendees bring their own lawn chairs. All that host families have to provide is a table to serve as an altar.

Average attendance is between 20 and 30 people, said Father Tirso Villaverde, St. Julie Billiart’s pastor.

Masses are dedicated to Mary. A small statue of the Blessed Mother travels to each home, and the host families keep the statue for the week following their Mass and pray for their own and the parish’s intentions. Hosts then bring the statue to the next week’s Mass or drop it off at the parish.

The driveway Masses were inspired, in part, by Villaverde’s time in seminary serving at St. Agnes of Bohemia Parish in Little Village, which has a long tradition of summer street Masses hosted by parishioners. He was also inspired by parishioners’ participation during an outdoor Good Friday Stations of the Cross procession.

Villaverde started that devotion three years ago, and has had 100 people walking to homes of parishioners, with each home acting as a station.

Some people driving by stopped, others looked out their windows to see what was going on and still others made the sign of the cross, Villaverde said.

“Some actually joined during it,” he said. “So that’s why I got the idea, ‘Why don’t we do this during the summer and have Masses in people’s driveways? It is visible.”

Having services in the community is a way to for parishioners to evangelize, Villaverde said.

“While they may think they aren’t doing much, this is an effort because they are taking their faith outside and being visible,” he said.

Even on the hot July 13 morning, a landscaping truck driving down the suburban street slowed in front of the house clearly checking out what was going on, Villaverde noted.

“I don’t know what was going on in the driver’s mind,” he said. “I’m hoping it sparks things in people that might — whether they go to St. Julie’s or not, that’s not the point — make them think, ‘I haven’t been to my faith in a while so maybe I should revisit it.’ That’s the whole prayer.”

Mary Murphy hosted the July 13 Mass and has hosted a Mass each year.

“It’s a big honor,” Murphy said. “I had never done this before, and it’s really nice that he’s doing this. I’ve been at St. Julie from the beginning.”

Sherry Murillo is also a longtime parishioner and frequent driveway Mass attendee.

“It is enjoyable to get out early on a Saturday morning and be with Jesus,” she said. “There’s nothing like it.”

It is a good opportunity to meet other parishioners and form new friendship, she added.

Ron Daly has started to attend daily Mass and pray more as he has gotten older and includes the driveway Masses in his routine.

“I try to go to Mass every day, and this is the only place where we have Mass on Saturday,” Daly said. “Besides, I need all of the help I can to get closer to God.”

Paul Laspesa is involved in several parish ministries and will host a Mass in August.

“It’s great because some people might come and see this and say, ‘Hey, I haven’t gone to church in a long time,’ and it activates them,” he said. “It’s a real good thing to do.”