About
History
Our Bible Study program began in the 1990s when two women with a deep love of Scripture felt called to form a truly Catholic Bible Study group in the Lake Forest area. There were few Catholic studies being published, so after exhausting the available options, the pair developed their own materials under the direction of a holy priest. From the start, the founders dedicated their endeavor to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and named the group The Mustard Seed Bible Study. The group met in one of their basements in the early years when they were small, but in time moved to the Church of St. Mary. This program became known for its depth and commitment to studying God’s Word within the framework of Catholic Tradition and the teaching of the Magisterium. As a result, the COSM Bible Study flourished and drew participants from many surrounding parishes. Eventually morning and evening programs were offered to accommodate different schedules.
Today
In 2020, when COVID restrictions threatened our ability to meet, the morning Bible Study leaders agreed to move the larger morning program to a neighboring facility with more space to allow the distancing that was required. At that time, we decided to change our name to the Immaculate Heart Bible Study, to honor Our Lady who has been our patron from the beginning. We have leaders from a few area parishes and our participants include women and men from a wide area of the Northern Chicago suburbs. We are not strictly a parish Bible Study group; we are Catholic and welcome anyone who wants to study the Bible from an orthodox Catholic perspective. While our name and location have changed, our commitment remains the same:
To grow in understanding and love of our Lord and our Catholic Faith through the study of God’s revelation in the Scriptures, and
To foster fellowship and friendship among participants
Like Our Blessed Mother, we want to treasure all these things and ponder them in our hearts.