1) Archbishop Vigneron, Bishop Burbidge expand on role of digital, social media |
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From Detroit Catholic: DETROIT — Two bishops who recently addressed the topic of digital and social communications in the life of the Church joined a panel of media experts to talk about the changing role of 21st century media and how it shapes the Catholic response to the modern age.
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit and Bishop Michael F. Burbidge of Arlington, Va., each of whom recently authored pastoral letters on the topic, joined moderator Billy Atwell, chief communications officer of the Diocese of Arlington, for a wide-ranging discussion about how Catholics can use, discern and impact the modern media landscape.
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3) Faith Formation Registration is OPEN |
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4) Faith Formation Help Needed |
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5) SJA School Gala SAVE THE DATE Info |
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6) Want to become Catholic? Are you an Adult who Wants to be Baptized? A New RCIA Group is forming soon! |
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How Do I Become Catholic? Watch the Video Below!
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7) Protecting God's Children Class at SJA - August 31, 2022 |
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Dear Friends in Christ,
This year’s Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) theme comes from the First Letter of Peter: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10). It’s a call for hospitality and service, and to “let love for one another be intense.”
The Catholic Services Appeal is an opportunity to celebrate the ways our Church in Detroit responds to the material and spiritual needs of individuals and families. Our parish alone could not meet these many needs. It is through the sharing of our gifts and our service that we, together, can be the Church Christ wants us to be.
Would you consider making a gift to this year’s CSA?
Your generosity makes it possible for more than 170 ministries, services, and programs to love intensely and to bring the indescribable joy found in Christ to our communities.
Our CSA goal this year is $211,447. Anything raised above the goal will return to the parish, while any shortfalls must be covered by the parish. Thus, your support is greatly needed and appreciated.
You may have already received a mailing from the Archdiocese of Detroit. If you did so, please make a contribution to the CSA as indicated in that mailing.
You can also easily give by visiting: sja.aodcsa.org or by clicking on the button below.
Also available at the Church exists, in the bins outside the Sr. Carol Center, and at the Parish Center are general CSA brochures and envelopes that can be used to make a contribution to the CSA.
Assuring you of my prayers, I remain,
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Msgr. Mike
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9) CSA Update as of August 21, 2022 |
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I am grateful to those who have already contributed to CSA 2022. As of today, we have $179,075 in pledges and gifts toward our $211,447 goal ($149,348 has been paid thus far toward our total pledged amount). This amount represents gifts from 547 families (we have 3,333 families registered). We have thus achieved 85% of our goal!
Here is a breakdown by gift range:
$2,500+ (8)
$1,000+ (34)
$500+ (40)
$250+ (96)
$100+ (201)
$75+ (8)
$50+ (78)
$25+ (57)
$10+ (22)
$0+ (3)
As stated above, the easiest way to give is electronically by clicking on the button above. If you wish to give by check, feel free to contact the Parish Center and we will mail out an envelope and related material.
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10) Ukraine Relief Efforts |
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If you are interested in supporting the Catholic Church's relief efforts for the people of Ukraine, please click here to donate through our OSV Online Giving Platform. |
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11) This Sunday's Readings - August 21, 2022, The Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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12) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins |
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Jeff Cavins discusses what Christ means when he says we must walk through the narrow door to be saved.
First Reading: Isaiah 66:18-21
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 117:1,2
Second Reading: Hebrews 12:5-7, 11-13
Gospel: Luke 13:22-30
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13) Bishop Barron's Reflection for the Twenty-first Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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Friends, I am admittedly a bit reluctant to talk about the topic of our Gospel for today—namely, this famously controversial matter of how many will be saved. I have talked a lot and written a lot about this issue, and people have very strong opinions about it: everybody will be saved, only a handful will be saved, and everything in between. There is a lot of energy around this question. In this homily, I would like to get at the question in a new and fresh way by looking at Jesus’ answer in the Gospel. |
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14) Grow+Go for the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time |
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Grow+Go, content is designed to help you understand what it means to be an evangelizing disciple of Christ. Using the Sunday Scriptures as the basis for reflection, Grow+Go offers insight into how we can all more fully GROW as disciples and then GO evangelize, fulfilling Christ's Great Commission to "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19) The concept behind the weekly series is to make discipleship and evangelization simple, concrete, and relatable.
Click on the button or image below to download a PDF copy of this Sunday's Grow+Go.
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15) Giving to SJA:
I'm truly grateful for all of your support of SJA during this pandemic. Your support means so much. The increase in electronic giving has been tremendous. Giving electronically, whether on a one-time or recurring basis is pretty simple. For more information on online giving, please click on the following button.
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16) This Week's Edition of TALLer Tales |
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A Griswold Family Trip: For as long as I can remember, members of our family would make an annual trek to Birch Run and Frankenmuth in August. The “rituals” of the day haven’t changed in the years we’ve been making this northern late-summer day trip.
The usual plan of the day is to spend time at Birch Run, eat at Z Chef’s Café (the café located downstairs the infamous Zender’s Restaurant), and then spend time at Bronner’s. We usually don’t deviate much from that plan. We started eating downstairs at Z Chef’s Café many years ago and have always found the experience and food exceptional. What I like most about eating downstairs at Z Chef’s Café is that you can still get what you want, but you control the portions. Plus, since it’s a café, it doesn’t take as long to eat a meal as it does upstairs in the main restaurant. I know you’ll say it’s all about the experience. But let’s be honest, the longer it takes to eat, the less time you have to shop! Now, my dad and brother-in-law never minded the longer meal times because it meant less time sitting outside on the benches watching the crowd as they waited for the shoppers to do their thing!
This year, it was only my mom, Jackie, and me (when it’s a small crowd like that, it usually means another trip up there as the others will want to make the annual journey before Christmas). Unfortunately, we got a very late start (because of me, surprise, surprise), and as a result, we didn’t get to Birch Run until maybe 2:00 PM. After hitting our favorite stores at Birch Run (for me, it was a short shopping run because many of my favorite stores, like the tool store, Bose, etc., don’t exist anymore), we made our way to Zender’s. We had our usual lunch downstairs at Z Chef’s Café and then went to Bronner’s.
Once inside Bronner’s, I usually get lost wandering around. I like to look for the latest in Christmas technology and what’s new in the big Christmas displays (just in case I find something that might look good for around the parish). As typical, all three of us were buying Christmas gifts for others as well as an ornament or two for our own trees. We didn’t get to Bronner’s until about 5:00 PM and stayed there until near their closing time of 8:00 PM. We typically hit the clearance sections first and then wander around the rest of the store. One of my standard Christmas gifts to others is an ornament, so I’m always on the hunt for religious or unique ornaments. Since I wasn’t finding anything that hit me, I kept looking. Toward the end of the shopping experience, my mom and sister commented that I hadn’t picked up anything yet to buy. They thought that was pretty odd because I ALWAYS walk out of Bronner’s with more bags than anyone else. So, feeling a little guilty and like the annual pilgrimage to Bronner’s would have been a complete bust, I retraced my steps to the religious and Jim Shore sections and just started picking up ornaments for my Christmas giveaways. Within five minutes, I had a small basket filled with “things.”
Once we got to the checkout, my sister Jackie was first in line. The two young guys at the counter dutifully scanned and then wrapped all her things. When the one guy announced the final cost as $230, Jackie jumped and said, “WHAT?” Both my mom and I laughed. Then Jackie started to banter with the guy behind the counter. “Wait a minute. Are you sure? I bought a lot of clearance items. There’s no way all that stuff cost $230. They’re all small items. Are you really sure? Are you SURE you gave me the clearance prices?” The guy behind the counter didn’t flinch or have any comebacks for Jackie. She forked over her credit card, and I said with a chuckle, “Wait ‘til Lonnie hears this one.” My mom and I were next. She went to the register next to me, so we were checking out simultaneously. I then got to gulp. Mine was more than Jackie’s. I got hit with $245. “No way. Let me see that receipt.” When my mom finished checking out, she came out with more than us!
As we left the store, I scanned the receipts, still believing there was some error. But then we started talking, and they started laughing at me! Ten minutes before checking out, I was empty-handed, which would have been a first for me shopping at Bronner’s. My credit card would have been proud of me. I went back and power-shopped because I felt guilty walking out of there empty-handed. In five minutes, I did $245 of damage to my credit card. UGH! Oh, well, most of what I bought were Christmas gifts! But this is why power-shopping isn’t always a good thing … even worse when you shop with two professional shoppers!
Last Chance Getaways and Vacations: As we enter these final weeks of August, many people will try to get in one last vacation or getaway before the fall. We must look at this needed break as an opportunity to enjoy the sun, the beach, and our water sports. It’s a time to recharge. It’s also an opportunity to get in some spiritual reading or quiet moments with the Lord. If you’re headed up north, take a moment to stop by The Cross in the Woods. Use the time to read or pray. Listen to the “holier” music on your phone. Take a walk and pray the rosary. Sit along the shore and read sacred scripture. Just take the time to be with God!
If you can’t sneak in that last chance getaway, do yourself a favor and enjoy some of the beauty in the area. We don’t have to go far to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. Consider strolling down Lakeshore or visiting one of the nearby parks. Whether you travel far away or stay close to home, taking that extra quiet time or downtime will make a difference in your life!
Believe me, I’m writing to myself as much as I’m writing to you. We need to take some downtime because the pace of life will inevitably increase once September hits and all the fall activities begin. You would be doing yourself a great disservice if you allow the month of September to arrive and you feel exhausted at the same time. And then, when we feel exhausted or tired, we naturally can get crabby or can be less than charitable with others. And, it’s not rocket science to realize that the busier we get, the less most of us accomplish because we never give our bodies and minds the rest and downtime they need. Busyness isn’t a virtue or a sign of a successful person. As I’ve often said, busyness is really the work of the Devil because all that activity can keep our mind off God and doing what He wants us to accomplish.
May each of us find the time we need to recharge and thus return home somewhat transformed and ready to begin anew. Yes, fall is almost here! So, take the time, make the time, to enjoy some of God’s beauty around us! Before you know it, we’ll be wearing sweaters, and soon after that, we’ll be complaining about the snow while at the same time yearning for the beautiful summer days we currently have in our midst!
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Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.
In Christ,
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17) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
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Special Visitors: Look who stopped by the parish center last week. Leeland Helzer and his mom paid us a visit. Many of you were generous to donate to Leeland’s appeal so we could help out his family install a wheelchair ramp at their home and also assist them with some of their medical bills and ongoing care.
Leeland has had some real medical challenges in the past 2 or 3 months that his mom admitted had her pretty scared and Leeland and his family still needs our continued prayers.
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Leeland is doing better right now and is continuing to attend a special school, which is also giving his mom a new network of support from other parents dealing with similar challenges. Leeland and his family need our continued prayers. Gratitude to all who have helped to raise them up. |
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The wheelchair ramp at the Helzer home that your donations built.
More Visitors: Those of you at the 10am Mass last Sunday got to witness what may have looked like an obscure form of martial arts at the altar during the Offertory hymn. I can assure you it was not. It’s astounding how just placing a chalice of wine on the altar seems to trigger an alarm somewhere in Fruit Fly HQ, wherever that it (does anyone know where they emerge from… or where they go when there is no fruit?). It’s a pretty common occurrence in the summer around the altar. You may see the priest cover the chalice with a purificator, or see him try to swat the flies away. But we have to be careful—one wayward swat and the chalice is all over the altar and it doesn't look too reverent. But nobody wants to consume the Precious Blood and a couple of fruit flies. These flies show-up all over the place, on the altar, on the chalice, on the Missal, on the lectionary, on your face…. all the awkward places you don’t want them, and pretty distracting, especially because you usually realize that all the weird gestures and attempts you make to get rid of them look ridiculous to anyone in the pews, who can’t see the flies.
Sunday’s Fruit Fly did not want to give-up his prey. And I wasn't going to give-up my pray(ing). So after a few half-hearted swipes, that I know some of you noticed, it was a stand-off. He sat on the chalice, I covered it. He sat on the purificator. I wafted him away. He sat on the altar and stared at me. I couldn’t reach him and it’s tough to swat a fly from the hands extended orans position of prayer. I think I won the battle on that occasion, but he sent reinforcements during the week, so the war is not yet over.
It’s clear that nature has stepped-up it’s game around the parish lately, speaking of not wanting to give-up the prey. Some of you may have seen pictures and videos I posted online recently (others I know saw it in person) but we had another visitor to the campus recently. He was going after the squirrels, and quite successfully. I was driving past the church on my way to a meeting late one afternoon and I saw the back-end of what I thought was one of the geese that frequent the campus in the Spring. I though that was odd, so late in the season, but as I looked in my rear-view mirror, I realized it was a hawk. Last year I found a hawk sitting on top of my garbage can, but this one was clearly eating something. I stopped my Jeep literally in the middle of the street and jumped-out to take video. I was shocked that the hawk let me get within 4 feet before flying across the street with its dinner. Later, I found the abandoned kill under a tree by the parking lot and I moved it out of plain pedestrian sight to the trees behind my house. But the hawk stayed around the campus until 9pm.
The following afternoon, I happened to walk out of the parish center and glimpsed something moving through the tree tops behind my garage. I walked around the garage, video already on and found this beautiful Red-Tailed Hawk on the lawn, having retrieved his left-overs. This time he struggled to fly away with it, but would not give it up, even though I was this time only 3 feet away. I followed him around the lawn behind the PC for 5 minutes before leaving him be.
I will spare the squeamish among you— no squirrel in these photos…
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You are in my prayers this week.
Fr. Andrew
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18) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz |
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Why Can’t Catholics Scatter Their Ashes?
What is a human being? What happens when we die? Why do we visit cemeteries? And why do Catholics bury the dead instead of scattering their ashes?
Today, Fr. Mike connects the dignity of the human person to the dignity of the body in death—and beyond.
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19) Words on the Word: August 21, 2022 - Boom and Bust
A website that aggregates headlines put two stories adjacent to each other recently with the tags “boom” and “bust.”
On the “boom” side was a story from The Wall Street Journal that explored how strong the casino business currently is in Las Vegas, a marked contrast from a couple years ago in which the town and its bellwether industry took a hit due to the pandemic. The rebound owes to a number of factors, the story noted, including pent-up demand and increased international travel.
“There are not enough strong words to convey how well it’s going in Vegas for us,” a casino executive was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, on the “bust” side was a story from another national website with the headline, “More Americans Are Going Hungry, and It Costs More to Feed Them.”
That piece explored how rampant inflation is hitting formerly comfortable middle-class people, making it harder for them to afford even the basic necessities of food and gasoline. And because there is always a domino effect in such circumstances, it also noted that food pantries are finding it more difficult to maintain supplies due to higher costs and fewer donations.
America is and always will be a country in which there is a wide disparity among those with the most resources and those with the fewest, and everything in between.
Seeing the contrast in such side-by-side, stark contrast, though, is a good reminder for all of us not to take what we have for granted. And to always be mindful of the importance of keeping our priorities straight with God.
Circumstances can change. And so we must be watchful.
“For behold, some are last who will be first,” Jesus says in today’s gospel passage from St. Luke, “and some are first who will be last.”
© 2022, Words on the Word
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20) The Bible in a Year Podcast by Father Mike Schmitz |
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If you’ve struggled to read the Bible, this podcast is for you.
Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast, hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz and featuring Jeff Cavins, guides Catholics through the Bible in 365 daily episodes.
Each 20-25 minute episode includes:
- two to three scripture readings
- a reflection from Fr. Mike Schmitz
- and guided prayer to help you hear God’s voice in his Word.
Unlike any other Bible podcast, Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast for Catholics follows a reading plan inspired by the Great Adventure Bible Timeline® learning system, a groundbreaking approach to understanding Salvation History developed by renowned Catholic Bible teacher Jeff Cavins.
Tune in and live your daily life through the lens of God’s word!
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21) FORMED Pick of the Week: |
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Our parish has a subscription to FORMED, a premier online platform filled with over 4,000 Catholic studies, movies, audio dramas, talks, e-books, and even cartoons for our children. FORMED has content from over 60 apostolates, including Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press, and the Knights of Columbus, with material that is professionally produced, engaging, and solid in its catechism. Best of all, this material is free to you because of our parish subscription.
You have easy access to all of the material on FORMED to support your own faith journey and that of your family members.
You can enjoy FORMED on your computer or on your television with an inexpensive Roku device or Apple TV. You can even listen on your phone as you commute to work or do chores.
To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps:
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Go to https://signup.formed.org/
- Enter our parish’s zip code 48080 or enter St. Joan of Arc
- Enter your name and your email address
That’s it! You’re in. Now you can get the free FORMED app for your phone by searching FORMED Catholic in your app store.
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Are you looking for a one-stop app for prayer and meditation? Look no further than Hallow. Hallow is an awesome prayer app. Hallow is a Catholic prayer and meditation app that helps users deepen their relationship with God through audio-guided contemplative prayer sessions. The app launched 2 years ago and is already the #1 Catholic app in the world.
We have a number of parishioners who are already using the app and loving it (my mom being one of them and she is on the app most of the day). Great for praying alone or together with your spouse/family, Hallow truly has something for everyone, no matter what you are going through (see below for their different content categories).
Hallow is free to download and has tons of permanently free content, as well as a premium subscription, Hallow Plus.
To get started, simply click the button above/below to activate your free account on the Hallow website. Make sure to select “Sign Up with Email” when registering. For step-by-step instructions, you can visit this process guide. Enter the code stjoanofarcmi to obtain a discount on individual pro plans.
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23) Mass Intentions for the Week: |
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Monday, August 22, 2022, Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (White)
7:00 a.m., Thomas Gillette
Tuesday, August 23, 2022, Weekday, Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin (Green/White)
7:00 a.m., Antonietta Mazzella and Roland Doak
Wednesday, August 24, 2022, Saint Bartholomew, Apostle (Red)
7:00 a.m., Ruth Ohmart and Felice DiBerardino
Thursday, August 25, 2022, Weekday, Saint Louis, Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest (Green/White/White)
7:00 a.m., Richard & Phyllis Zanotti
Friday, August 26, 2022, Weekday (Green)
7:00 a.m., Deacon Robert Busch, Marie Rogier and Elsie Czarnecki
Saturday, August 27, 2022, Vigil of the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
4:00 p.m., Paul T. Daudlin, Mr. & Mrs. Casimir Wojcik, Bonnie Batche, Antoinette Jump, Albert Czekaj, Joan Gimpert, Richard & Joan Collins, Anne & Anthony Zynel and Special Intentions for the J. Champine Family, for the Thomas Family, Sara Curcuru and Family, for Father Rich's mother Sally Cabot, and for Christine Bugarin.
6:00 p.m., Michael and James Forrester.
Sunday, August 28, 2022, Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
8:00 a.m., For the Intentions of Saint Joan of Arc Parishioners
10:00 a.m., Giovanni Ciccone
12:00 p.m., Hugo Calisi, Peter Sarra, Florence Semany, Manny Micallef, Marguerite Joseph, David Pochmara, David Henry Peacock, Jill DePorter Miller, George J. Bugarin, Robert Schick and a special intention for Christine Bugarin.
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24) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE: |
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This week's LIVE Stream
Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:
Monday (August 22):
7:00 AM - Mass
Tuesday (August 23):
7:00 AM - Mass
Wednesday (August 24):
7:00 AM - Mass
6:00 PM - Baptism of Giada R. Frampton
Thursday (August 25):
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Holy Hour
Friday (August 26):
7:00 AM - Mass
Saturday (August 27):
12:30 PM - Baptism of Brantley Michael Pranger
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (August 28):
8:00 AM - Mass
10:00 AM - Mass
12:00 PM - Mass
Please note that all of our masses and events can be accessed through the ARCHIVE section of our Live stream page if you cannot watch it live!
We also have our own ROKU Channel. Search for "CATHOLIC" in the ROKU channel store, and you will find SJA's channel. A Fire TV Channel is also available.
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25) SJA's Bulletin for Sunday, August 21, 2022 |
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of the bulletin
for August 21, 2022
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26) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List |
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Sending the bulletin has been greatly received by so many people. If you are getting the bulletin online and would prefer that it not be mailed to your home, please click on the button below to be removed from the mailing list.
At the same time, if you are NOT getting the bulletin and would prefer to get it, click on the same button and ask to be ADDED to the list.
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Read the latest from the DETROIT CATHOLIC
Click on the image below.
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