1) Faith Formation Registration is OPEN |
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2) Preschool and Elementary Summer Storybook Hour |
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3) 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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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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5) CSA Update as of July 30, 2022 |
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I am grateful to those who have already contributed to CSA 2022. As of today, we have $153,335 in pledges and gifts toward our $211,447 goal ($124,531 has been paid thus far toward our total pledged amount). This amount represents gifts from 501 families (we have 3,317 families registered). We have thus achieved 72% of our goal!
Here is a breakdown by gift range:
$2,500+ (7)
$1,000+ (26)
$500+ (37)
$250+ (88)
$100+ (189)
$75+ (8)
$50+ (73)
$25+ (51)
$10+ (19)
$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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We have officially transitioned to our Family of Parishes structure. Our family consists of St. Joan of Arc, Our Lady Star of the Sea, St. Basil the Great, St. Lucy, and St. Veronica Parishes.
To learn more about Families of Parishes please watch the two short videos below or click on the link below to check out a FAQ site the Archdiocese of Detroit has developed to answer questions about Families of Parishes.
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How Will Families of Parishes Work? |
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Introducing Families of Parishes |
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Click on the image below to visit the FAQ Site about Families of Parishes |
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7) 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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8) This Sunday's Readings - July 31, 2022, The Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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9) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins |
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Jeff Cavins reflects on the readings for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time:
First Reading: Ecclesiastes 1:2; 2:21-23
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14, 17
Second Reading: Colossians 3:1-5, 9-11
Gospel: Luke 12:13-21
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10) Bishop Barron's Reflection for the Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time |
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Friends, all three of our readings Sunday speak of a primordial spiritual truth—namely, the need to detach oneself from the goods of the world. This has nothing to do with a hatred of the world or a puritanical spirituality of flight from the world; rather, it has to do with knowing how to wear the goods of the world lightly. These goods—wonderful as they are—all finally crumble, evanesce, and disappear; they are not our ultimate good, and we are not meant to cling to them as though they were. |
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11) Grow+Go for the Eighteenth 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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12) 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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13) This Week's Edition of TALLer Tales |
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It’s ALL a Matter of Perspective: Two weeks ago, I accompanied my mom on a trip to the UP. She had several bucket list items she wanted to accomplish, so I said I would help her check off a trip to the UP to see Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks, Tahquamenon Falls, and the Soo Locks. A bonus for us was to visit the Museum Ship Valley Camp in Sault Saint Marie, Lakenenland Sculpture Park in Marquette, and several spots honoring Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga, the first bishop of Upper Michigan and adjacent islands (1853-1868). It was a spectacular trip.
This trip was unique because it was just mom and me! Given that we would be traveling through some pretty rustic areas in the UP, I rented an RV through Outdoorsy.com. Consider Outdoorsy like the “Airbnb” of the RV world. We previously rented through General RV and Cruise America, but I thought I would give Outdoorsy a try. I’m glad I did. I found a beautiful Class B RV (a smaller one (20 foot) that was more like a large mini-van with all the amenities of an RV). After email exchanges with the owner (they wanted to know who was traveling and where we were going), she accepted my request. The Outdoorsy site and process protect both the owner and the renter. For example, when you first pick up the RV, the owner AND renter upload pictures of the vehicle to the site. Once all the pre-trip tasks are accomplished, there is an official electronic handoff of the keys. The same happened on the return. It worked well, and I would consider using Outdoorsy again.
The RV we rented was a brand new 2022 Thor Sanctuary. It was a dream to drive and was outfitted with the latest and greatest technology. It was equipped with the latest battery generator, solar panels on the roof, a retractable awning, and a fully rigged rooftop cell booster antenna. I was in my glory! The cell booster antenna option allowed us to use wifi calling and thus lessen the battery drains on our phones trying to reach cell towers up north. As you can imagine, there aren’t a lot of cell towers outside of the bigger cities, so your cell phone races through a full battery charge just because of all the work it has to do. Even though we had an RV (aka Monsignor’s traveling office), we stayed at hotels at night. We were using the RV to make the journey easier and not have to worry about making stops in the remote places through which we were traveling. On the first day, we traveled for almost 2 hours at one point without passing a gas station! And we thought Allenton was in the middle of nowhere!
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When we arrived in Marquette, my mom looked at the weather forecast for the week and decided to rebook our cruise to see the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore from Tuesday to Monday. Monday was turning out to be a spectacular day, while the forecast for the rest of the week was pretty sketchy. Luckily, we were able to rebook the 2-hour cruise!
I’ve often heard about Pictured Rocks but never paid much attention to it. The 42-mile shoreline is just absolutely breathtaking. I was glad we took the cruise so we could see the whole shoreline. Visiting Pictured Rocks reinforced my long-held belief that Michigan is filled with more beauty than you could ever imagine.
Being out on the water for 2 hours and breathing all that fresh air made me pretty tired. I was yawning well before we arrived back at the hotel. When we got back to the hotel, I went up the elevator with my mom but then had to return to the RV to get some stuff (I don’t remember what it was, but I’m sure it was food related … I’m always on the hunt for snacks). I was exhausted and couldn’t wait to lay down for a bit; I knew I even looked exhausted. Once back in the hotel, a couple in their late 60s or early 70s joined me for the elevator ride. I’m one of those who likes to break the silence in elevators! So, I said to them, “You look like fellow poor tired souls.” They perked up right away. The wife said with great enthusiasm, “Yes, We just came back from a 7-mile hike and then a kayaking trip along Pictured Rocks.” I kept silent. What was I going to say, “Yes, I just came back from a 2-hour cruise and am just as tired.” Suddenly I felt like a complete slacker! But that certainly wasn’t going to stop me from devouring the snacks I now had in my hands.
The Sacrament of the Sick (Part FIVE): Following up on my series on the Sacrament of the Sick, we have to understand that human illness can and does teach us the virtue of patience! When we put it into the proper perspective, though, we realize that in the sufferings we endure (if we endure them properly and with faith), we are uniquely joined to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world. If we adopt the “woe is me attitude” and turn in on ourselves, we will never see the redemptive value of our human illness. However, if we realize there is a redemptive value in our suffering and graciously accept it as part of God’s will for our life, then we can become those saints mentioned in the beautiful prayer I shared last week: “Hear the prayers we offer for our sick brothers and sisters. May all who suffer pain, illness, or disease realize that they are chosen to be saints, and know that they are joined to Christ in his suffering for the salvation of the world….”
Sometimes children can realize this more readily than adults. “What you have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the childlike (Matt. 11:25).” I recall one SJA kid saying he felt it was better he had the terminal illness than his siblings. He knew God had given it to him for a reason. He was often found visiting other oncology pediatric patients while receiving chemotherapy himself. He wasn’t focused on himself but looked for ways he could teach through his illness. He turned his cross into something redemptive for himself and those around him. I remember another SJA student who encouraged his family and friends not to fear his illness or impending death. He taught us the gracious art of dying.
Yes, many times, we are given crosses we do not want. But as a people of faith, we have to accept that these crosses are given to us as a gift, a precious gift from God, a gentle kiss from Christ. We can be sour and ruin the lives of those around us, or we can accept the particular cross as part of God’s will for us and then turn that cross into something redemptive. Everybody likes Easter Sunday, but few want to embrace Good Friday. Just remember, you cannot get to Easter Sunday unless you have lived through the pain of Good Friday and the emptiness of Holy Saturday. It is all a matter of perspective. It is all a matter of faith. It is what redemption is all about!
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Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.
In Christ,
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14) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
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Coming home: As I have said before in this column, I like to put good stories and moments of grace in front of people’s eyes, especially when there seems to be so much negative news around. One such moment occurred last Friday afternoon. On Thursday, I was sitting in my backyard when Patty Chase, our RCIA coordinator texted me. Patty had been going through some old files and had come across some notes about a woman she had tried to contact last year. Through a friend, Gretchen had contacted the parish with interest in becoming Catholic. Patty had been unable to reach her last year, but on Thursday decided to call Gretchen’s friend once again, to see how she was doing. Her friend relayed that Gretchen had fallen last year and been through rehab, but that she was not doing too well now and was in a nursing home in Fraser. Her friend thought it would be good if a priest would visit her.
Patty texted me and I called Gretchen’s friend to get more details. He and Gretchen had talked about the Catholic faith about a year ago and she had expressed interest in becoming Catholic before she died. When I first talked to him last year, I explained that there was usually a process of Catechesis that leads up to a participant joining the church, but ultimately we were then unable to reach Gretchen. Now her friend explained that Gretchen has dementia and Parkinson’s disease and had been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. That put a very different spin on the situation. She is likely very close to her final days.
It was clear that she would not be able to participate in the RCIA program. But her friend said that they often find her in her room, watching EWTN and mass. He said that he would be visiting Gretchen on Friday so I arranged to go see her as close to that time as I was able. I had called Gretchen’s son, who had no objections to either a visit or to his mother becoming Catholic, if that’s what she wanted. And that was my biggest concern—was this something she wanted? Her friend said that she had previously been wiccan and had dabbled in Hinduism. Gretchen told her friend she had at some point been baptized in a Protestant church, but did not know which denomination and there was no chance of finding a certificate.
Deacon Dominick graciously agreed to accompany me on Friday to visit Gretchen. Ideally, I needed a witness and did not know for sure if her friend would still be at the nursing home by the time I could get there. Then Patty contacted me—her plans for Friday had changed and she was able to join us.
As I said, my concern was determining if joining the church was something Gretchen really wanted, not knowing her condition and mental alertness. But as I thought about it on Thursday evening, I pretty much came to the conclusion that based on what I’d heard, I did not feel comfortable in questioning the sincerity or certainty of her request in circumstances where she likely could not speak-up for herself. It was better to do the best we could, and throw the rest to grace and let God sort it out. Ultimately, always err on the side of charity.
So on Friday afternoon, the three of us headed to Fraser. Gretchen was at lunch when we arrived, but we were introduced to her when she returned to her room. Her TV was on…. EWTN. Her friend was still visiting with her, so that helped in explaining to her what these 3 strangers were doing there. He told us that Gretchen was quite the artist - a painter - and that’s how they had met and become friends. When I mentioned this to Gretchen, she told us she wished she could still paint.
As we talked, mostly with Gretchen’s friend, I told Gretchen we’d come to pray with her. Then I asked her if she’d like to be baptized and become Catholic. It was then that Gretchen looked at me and smiled the broadest smile and slowly nodded. Then she lay back on her pillow and closed her eyes, still smiling.
I went ahead and performed a conditional baptism, which occurs when proof of a possible previous baptism cannot be established. We welcomed Gretchen to the Church with applause, a brand new Catholic, as she continued to smile. Then Gretchen received confirmation, being sealed with the Holy Spirit.
I had brought the Eucharist for Gretchen to receive her First Communion, but I had honestly thought that she may not be able to receive Jesus’ Body and Blood due to her illness, but, she had just come back from lunch! So I asked if she would like to receive Jesus in the Eucharist and she whispered, “yes.” I had just brought a quarter of a consecrated host, but still, I broke-off about a third of that small piece and Gretchen received the Eucharist for the first time.
Finally, I anointed Gretchen and we prayed with her and said our goodbyes and left her, tired, but still smiling broadly.
Gretchen’s friend had been able to tell us the street Gretchen lived on previously, before entering the nursing home, but not the exact address. But the house had a particularly distinctive feature outside it, and by chance, I immediately knew where it was—I had just visited her next-door neighbor and taken a photo of it! I didn’t have all the information I needed to record Gretchen’s baptism in our sacramental records, so I went online and did some research (it’s scary what Google knows!). I went onto Google Streetview and found the house number and confirmed that Gretchen had lived there. I was also able to find her date of birth—God-willing she will be 87 years old on St. Andrew’s Feast Day. For a lady of 87 years of age, she was quite active online, with her own Facebook page and Flickr photo account. And indeed, she is quite the watercolor artist—I even found some of her work for sale online.
In our discussion on Thursday evening, Patty really felt that God had put Gretchen on her heart that day and I trusted that sense. I know that God does that at times. When you just sense that you need to pray for someone specifically, when your heart is being tugged at to call a friend you may not have talked to for a while, trust that hunch. You never know what graces God might be looking to give through you.
I thank Patty for not losing sight of a soul that was longing for God. I thank Deacon Dominick for his willingness to assist and be there to pray with us.
Most of all, thank you to God that He never stops tugging at our hearts and calling us closer to Himself, no matter the journey we’ve been on or the roads we traveled to get there. God is the landowner who never stops going-out into the marketplace and summoning the laborers for His vineyard. It may be 9 o’clock, it may be noon, it may be 3 o’clock or it may be 5 o’clock; whatever, it’s never too late.
On this day, the 65th anniversary of the passing of Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey: “Blessed be God in all His designs!”
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You are in my prayers this week.
Fr. Andrew
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15) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz |
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The Shocking Reality of the Eucharist
It’s easy to fall into a routine and lose sight of the little miracles all around us. Unfortunately, it is even easy to fall into a routine and lose sight of the greatest miracle of all, happening right in front of us.
Today, Fr. Mike discusses the greatest gift God has ever given man: himself. Christ offered his body at the Last Supper, he sacrificed it on the Cross, and he continues to give himself to us at each and every Mass. Fr. Mike explains the shocking reality of what it means to eat Jesus’ body and drink Jesus’ blood. This flesh, the Incarnate Word of God, redeemed the world. His body and blood are what save our fallen human nature and they are what give us life. This miracle, occurring each time we go to Mass, gives us an opportunity to partake in redemption, unite with our Savior, and live a sacramental life.
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16) Words on the Word: July 31, 2022 - What Matters Most
For some, it can be a very fine line.
On one hand, one’s drive for achievement is a commendable thing. Striving to get ahead, to create wealth and opportunity, to care for oneself and one’s family, to contribute to the economy … these are all honorable … at least, when they are pursued honestly and justly.
There have, however, been numerous stories in the media lately about people who have not pursued such gain in charitable ways.
A well-known entrepreneur’s continuing effort to purchase, or not to purchase, one of the world’s best-known social media platforms comes to mind. Are everyone’s maneuverings being pursued in good faith? This will likely be a contentious topic for some time.
Then, a couple weeks ago, The Detroit News published a graphic showing how $10 million-plus in corruption crimes against more than 110 people in metropolitan Detroit have been tracked by federal prosecutors. The incidents involved “politicians, police officers, pension fund officials, schools and library leaders” and more, according to the story.
Where does it all end, one might wonder. The answer, of course, is what we should expect – with God. Jesus tells the parable in today’s gospel passage from St. Luke of a rich man who put material wealth and comfort ahead of his pursuit of justice and God’s kingdom.
“But God said to him, ‘You fool, this very night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong,’” we hear in the passage. “’Thus will it be for all who store up treasure for themselves but are not rich in what matters to God.’”
Practically speaking then, the best advice comes in today’s second reading to the Colossians: “Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly,” St. Paul writes, “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.”
© 2022, Words on the Word
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17) 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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18) 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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20) Mass Intentions for the Week: |
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Monday, August 1, 2022, Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (White)
7:00 a.m., Cardinal John Francis Dearden and Salvatore Ciaramitaro
Tuesday, August 2, 2022, Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop; Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest (Green/White/White)
7:00 a.m., William Heck
Wednesday, August 3, 2022, Weekday (Green)
7:00 a.m., John Henness
Thursday, August 4, 2022, Saint John Vianney, Priest (White)
7:00 a.m., The deceased members of the Calisi Family who passed away in the month of August
Friday, August 5, 2022, The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Green/White)
7:00 a.m., Mark Brys and David Toelle
Saturday, August 6, 2022, Vigil of the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (White)
4:00 p.m., Colleen Hollern, Bonnie Batche, Anna Sloan, Bob Fannon, and Special Intentions for the J. Champine Family, for the Thomas Family, for the Zatyracz Family and Prayerful Appreciation for the work of the Priests and Staff of SJA.
6:00 p.m., Joseph Paluzzi, Jr.
Sunday, August 7, 2022, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)
8:00 a.m., For the Intentions of Saint Joan of Arc Parishioners
10:00 a.m., Thomas Pillar
12:00 p.m., Salvatore Ciaravino, Louisa Sarra, Bruno and Sylvia Lipski, and a Special Intention for the Mordovanakis Family
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21) 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 1):
7:00 AM - Mass
Tuesday (August 2):
7:00 AM - Mass
Wednesday (August 3):
7:00 AM - Mass
Thursday (August 4):
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Holy Hour
Friday (August 5):
7:00 AM - Mass
Saturday (August 6):
12:30 PM - Baptism of Karli R. Wagner
1:30 PM - Baptism of Oliver John Brockes
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (August 7):
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 are not able to 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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22) SJA's Bulletin for Sunday, July 31, 2022 |
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of the bulletin
for July 31, 2022
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23) 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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