I hope you had a great week!

 

Summertime - vacations, swimming, camping, family time, lazy days, going to the park, lake, river, mountains and more. As you make this your family's best summer ever, here at St. Clare, we are operating in a lower gear but that doesn't mean we are taking time off. We are laying the groundwork for a successful new parish and school year. Preparations have started for the Mass Mob we are hosting on September 17 th , our Oktoberfest weekend October 13-15, and the end of our 90 th  Anniversary celebrations. Below you will find other things we are working on. Mark your calendar and make plans to join us.  Be Bold. Be Holy. Be Catholic.

Missionary Appeal

At the invitation of the Diocesan Director for the Propagation of the Faith and within the framework of the Mission Cooperative Plan, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Fr. Ray Diesbourg, MSC will be here to talk to us at all of the Masses on the weekend of July 29-30, 2017.  Mission appeals directly remind us that the Church is universal and missionary by nature and presents us with an opportunity to share in missionary work.

 

Cemetery Sunday

Many of us go to the cemetery in the springtime to clean the graves of our loved ones and to say a prayer. Some parishes participate in a custom known as Cemetery Sunday.  It provides us an opportunity to come together on a designated date at the cemetery and pray collectively for those who have gone before us. This year St. Clare will celebrate our second annual St. Clare Cemetery Sunday. Mark your calendar and join us on August 13 th   at 3 p.m., the hour of Divine Mercy at Resurrection Cemetery.  More information in the upcoming weeks.

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Sam and Marie Ciaramitaro were married at St. Clare of Montefalco on July 16, 1949. Thus began the story of a family nurtured in love and faith, strongly connected to one another.  As the number of children grew from one to eight, so did the traditions and celebrations that fostered lasting memories.

 

The five girls and three boys, born and raised by Sam and Marie, were each celebrated for their talents and special interests. No two children were alike, but they all shared a common bond from loving role models. Magical moments could be created by transforming ordinary days into special events.  Storytelling was a favorite pastime. Family vacations always included unexpected adventures that lead to more storytelling. Holidays were filled with a warm feeling of excitement and joyful anticipation.

 

Growing up in a Catholic home instilled strong values at an early age, manifested in each child in their own way and time as they carved out their path in life. It gave meaning and purpose to their world and their relationships with one another. It also helped to sustain them through life's challenges.

 

Sam and Marie guided their children with a gentle loving hand. They inspired by example and made it appear effortless.  Yet the strength and patience necessary to maintain those values in an ever-changing world was a well-kept secret.  And they never wavered.

 

Over the years, while raising their eight children, Sam and Marie have been active members of their parish and community for 68 years. Sam was a leading member of the senior Men's Club at the War Memorial, Knights of Columbus, and the  St. Clare Usher's  Club.

 

Marie was a certified Catholic chaplain and member of the Ethics committee at the Nursing Care Center for more than ten years. Until recently, she was also a lead Eucharistic Minister during both weekday and Sunday Masses. She also took time to bring communion to the homes of parishioners who were unable to attend Mass due to sickness. Although they have recently retired from these roles, they continue to attend 11 o'clock Mass on Sunday.

 

So today, we honor the legacy of Sam and Marie Ciaramitaro through a family of four generations, bonded by love and infused with a strong spirit of togetherness, with 8 children, 16 grandchildren and three great grandchildren. As we share in the celebration of this special day, we wish them a wonderful  68 th Wedding Anniversary!  With love and gratitude from your family and friends at St. Clare.

July 16:  OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL

Program: Catholicism, Session 4: Our Tainted Nature's Solitary Boast

Program: Footprints of God: Mary

Video: Mary of Nazareth; No Greater Love; The Nun

Audio: Mary: Handmaid of the Lord; Mary: The Indispensable Mother of God

 

July 18: ST. CAMILLUS DE LELLIS

Book: The Young People's Book of Saints

Come join fellow St. Clare bike riders on Thursday, July 20th, at 6 p.m. for a leisurely ride through the Grosse Pointes. We will begin at St. Clare in the parking lot between the school and the gym and ride (weather permitting) approximately 6 miles at an easy pace.  Ending back at St. Clare, we will return to a picnic in the court yard at approximately 7 p.m.   All ages are welcome (children must be accompanied by an adult). All riders should dress appropriately and bike helmets are recommended.  Feel free to invite a friend or two! Please RSVP with the number of riders who will be attending so  we have a count for the picnic. You may RSVP to Mike or Sue Madison - 313-881-7687 or madisonmike57@gmail.com

Please see our website for more information and a complete  description 

of each of the movies.  http://www.stclarem.org/smallgroups

My name is Ann Tonissen and I am the newly named Principal of St. Clare of Montefalco Catholic School, I am humbled and honored to serve such a wonderful community and continue the proud history of the school. I am a strong believer in Catholic Education.

 

I come to this position with 25 plus years of teaching and administrative experience. I received my Bachelor's degree in Education from Eastern Michigan University and my Master's degree in Educational Leadership, with a specialty in Catholic Education Leadership, from Madonna University.

 

I am looking forward to being an active contributor in the spiritual and academic growth of each student at St. Clare of Montefalco School. I believe all students, regardless of background or ability, should have access to a high quality Catholic education.  As principal and instructional leader of the school, it is my job to ensure that every teacher and every student is supported and encouraged to be the best that God has created them to be. It is my job to guarantee that the Catholic Identity of the school is vibrant and that academic opportunities for each student are significant and appropriate for each child's individual development.  It will be through these three pillars that St. Clare of Montefalco School will continue to grow and be a successful and essential part of Catholic Education in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

 

On a personal note, I have 2 children, Bill and Andrew. Both of my sons are married.  Bill and his wife Andrea have a 20 month old son Liam and live in Yorktown, New York. Andrew and his wife Rachel live in Portage on the west side of Michigan. They are about to celebrate their 3 rd Anniversary. Without a doubt, my family is the greatest gift of my life.

 

Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing month of July, as we head into the middle of summer.  I usually write a word or two about the MLB Allstar break and the chances of our Detroit Tigers but I think I will refrain this year and just say "I believe in miracles" and hope for the best.  I still enjoy watching the games and will continue to do so.  Go Tigers!

 

I wish to express my gratitude to our Knights of Columbus who are hosting our Coffee & Donut Socials on the Mack Ave. lawn during the summer.  We were blessed this past weekend with perfect weather.  I know someone is there early to drag out the tables and chairs, run the coffee and set-up the donuts and bagels.  Thank you from all the staff and parishioners for making us a more visible presence to our neighbors and providing our St. Clare family with the opportunity to mingle and socialize after mass.

 

Finally, I am grateful for my St. Clare Maintenance Team of Dennis Hermann and Tim Panas for their day to day diligence in keeping St. Clare Church and School clean and running smoothly.  Sweeping the floors, emptying the trash, changing the lights, replacing belts on compressors and so much more are all part of the day to day operations of maintenance needs at St. Clare.  The summer list increases with repair requests for the school classrooms.  They are in the process of painting Room 2 and making small repairs in classrooms to switches, doors, windows, and cupboards.  Thank you for all you do!

Just checking...Have you  

If you are not on FORMED, you might ask what is it?  This is a goldmine of Catholic formation.  It has programs, books, audios. and movies and a large variety of topics and interests.  To sign up go to FORMED.org.  Scroll to the bottom and find REGISTER. Fill in the information.  Our Code is 6GVKQ. (case sensitive.)

Once you are registered, the easiest way to access FORMED is to go through the St. Clare App.  If you do not have this App on your iPhone, I suggest you get it. Then use it!

 

The Augustine Institute who sponsors FORMED, has now placed a FORMED app in the app store.  It is easy to access from this location also.

 

SUMMER BIBLE CAMP:

Our Bible Camp will be August 7-11 from 9:30-12:00 in our church social hall.  If you have a child/grandchild/neighbor from 4-11 years of age, I encourage you to invite them to our camp.  We will concentrate on the "Superheroes of the Old Testament." Registration forms are on the tables in the church as well as on page 10 of this Bulletin.  Please check the garden wall for ways you can help.  If you are free the week of August 7 and would like to help, please let Sr. Kathy, Erin Miller, Noelle Shaheen, Denise VanSile, or Marge Zurack know of your interest.  Any adult who wants to help must have the Protecting God's Children Class.  Any high school student who would like to assist must have the Called to Serve Workshop.  There are a few offered in places in the outer parts of our diocese.  Go to aod.org and see if any are available to you.

The Knights of Columbus are very grateful for the support of our parishioners and friends in our last two endeavors.  The Reverse Raffle was a huge success.  The funds generated allowed us to recover money lost from the sale of the Sunday newspaper. 

 

The Father's Day Breakfast generated enough proceeds to send a $700 check to our Michigan State Council, Knights of Columbus in support the Christians of the Middle East.

 

One again, Thanks to all.

5k and Pray 

August 12, 2017

Proceeds benefit a local family fighting cancer

 

To register or for more information visit: www.projecthopemichigan.org

or contact Laura Bodien (313)720-1961

The Archdiocese of Detroit & Catholic Charities of S.E. Michigan invites all Catholics to volunteer for a 6 day project from July 31 -August 5, as 17,000 volunteers are mobilized to remove blight & beautify 360 blocks near Sacred Heard Major Seminary. Volunteers will mow grass, cut overgrown brush, remove debris and paint. The scope is to transform the former Durfee school into a Community Innovation Center with Central High School & DPSCD.

 

Volunteers from the AOD parishes, schools, and ministries will help in this endeavor. Volunteers are asked to sign up for at least one 4 hour shift-9 a.m.-1 p.m. or 1p.m.-5p.m. Parishes in our Vicariate are volunteering on August 1. For more information or to sign up, please go to www.aod.org/liferemodeled. Volunteers must be over 14 years.