Week of October 15, 2023

1) Major relic of St. Jude, the 'apostle of the impossible,' to visit Detroit Oct. 13-17

Five-day stop is part of nationwide tour of major relic — a large arm bone — of first-century saint who walked with Jesus Christ

From Detroit Catholic: DETROIT — A major relic of one of Jesus’ twelve apostles will stop in the Archdiocese of Detroit for five days of public veneration next month.

The relic of St. Jude Thaddeus — a large piece of an arm bone believed to be the apostle’s — will be available for Catholics to visit, pray with and venerate Oct. 13-17, hosted by five different southeast Michigan parishes, one per day over that span.

The relic is visiting the United States for the first time ever as part of a nationwide pilgrimage sponsored by Treasures of the Church, an apostolate that brings relics to parishes and dioceses all over the world. The nine-month tour, which is scheduled into 2024, will visit dioceses in Illinois, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, with further stops to be announced.

Treasures of the Church is run by Fr. Carlos Martins, a Companions of the Cross priest based in Detroit.

During the Michigan visit, the relic will be available for veneration at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak (Oct. 13), Immaculate Conception Parish in Lapeer (Oct. 14), St. Andrew Parish in Rochester (Oct. 15), the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit (Oct. 16), and Divine Child Parish in Dearborn (Oct. 17).

Each parish will host veneration and a special Mass. More details are available here.

In a video announcing the pilgrimage, Fr. Martins said the Holy See asked the apostolate to sponsor the relic, which has been venerated in Rome “since ancient times,” Fr. Martins said.

St. Jude has been known for centuries as the “patron of hopeless causes,” a powerful intercessor whose favors are well documented. One notable example is the favor granted to Danny Thomas, a down-on-his-luck actor who founded St. Jude Children’s Hospital in thanksgiving after praying before a relic of St. Jude in Detroit.

The relic Thomas venerated is now believed to be housed at Immaculate Conception Parish in Lapeer, one of the host sites for the Michigan pilgrimage.

“St. Jude is one of the Church’s most beloved saints,” Fr. Martins said. “His intercessory power with God and his uncanny ability to come through with a happy resolution to the petitions presented to him has earned him the nickname ‘the apostle of the impossible.’ More than any other saint, St. Jude is the saint to whom people turn when they are hopeless and have tried everything else to obtain a heavenly favor. St. Jude is one to whom people turn for hope.”

St. Jude Thaddeus is one of the original twelve apostles of Christ, and some Catholic tradition identifies him as a cousin of Jesus (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3). After Jesus’ ascension, traditions holds that St. Jude preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya, suffering martyrdom in 65 A.D. while preaching near modern-day Beirut, Lebanon. He is often depicted in art with another apostle, St. Simon the Zealot, with whom he is believed to have been killed.

The Church’s tradition of venerating relics goes back to ancient times, when the early Christians would gather the bones of apostles and martyrs, many of whom were known in life to perform miracles and heal the sick through God’s power (Acts 5:15).

The visit of St. Jude’s arm to the Archdiocese of Detroit is an extraordinary opportunity to receive grace through the intercession of a man who literally walked with Jesus, said Fr. Mario Amore, director of the archdiocese’s Department of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship.

“We are grateful for Fr. Martins’ initiative to bring the extraordinary pilgrimage of the major relic of St. Jude to the Archdiocese of Detroit. It is a wonderful opportunity for the faithful to encounter the ‘Apostle of the Impossible,’” Fr. Amore said. “While this relic physically puts us in contact with the person of St. Jude, one of the Twelve, the Church venerates relics to connect us to the person of Christ, whose companion Jude was in every sense of the word.”

Read More ...

Tour of the Relics of St. Jude the Apostle

Sunday, Oct. 15

St. Andrew Parish

1400 Inglewood Ave., Rochester

Veneration begins at 2 p.m.

Mass in honor of St. Jude at 5 p.m.

Veneration continues after Mass until 10 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 16

Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament

9844 Woodward Ave., Detroit

Veneration begins at 1 p.m.

Mass in honor of St. Jude at 6 p.m.

Veneration continues after Mass until 9 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 17

Church of the Divine Child

1055 North Silvery Lane, Dearborn

Veneration begins at 2 p.m.

Mass in honor of St. Jude at 7 p.m.

Veneration continues after Mass until 10 p.m.

Watch the Video Announcement of the Tour by Clicking the Image Below

2) Caregiver Survival Presentation

3) The Rescue Project

4) Gala 2023: October 21, 2023

5) St. Aloysius Church Downtown Celebrates 150 Years

From Detroit Catholic: DETROIT — Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron celebrated the 150th anniversary of St. Aloysius Parish on Oct. 8, congratulating parishioners and encouraging the faithful to give God thanks for all the blessings He has bestowed in downtown Detroit.

Referring to St. Aloysius as his “second home,” a block away from the Chancery office and the site of his Ash Wednesday celebrations and other Curia celebrations, the archbishop said it was right and just to thank God for all St. Aloysius Parish had done in the past century and a half in the heart of the city.

“It’s always a grace to celebrate a parish milestone such as this one,” Archbishop Vigneron said in his homily. “I don’t get to do too many for 150 years. It really marks an important milestone in the life of the parish. After the cathedral, I consider St. Aloysius my second home, since it’s the parish in which the Chancery lay. So congratulations to (Fr. Mario Amore) and all of you.”

St. Aloysius Parish got its start on Aug. 24, 1873, after Bishop Caspar Henry Borgess of Detroit purchased Westminster Presbyterian Church on Washington Boulevard to serve the growing English-speaking Catholic population in downtown Detroit, under the pastoral leadership of Fr. Ernest Van Dyke, scion of one of Detroit’s oldest families.

The parish became the proto-cathedral for the Diocese of Detroit in 1874 after Bishop Borgess charged the care of the Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul on Jefferson Avenue to the Society of Jesus in exchange for founding a college in the city.

St. Aloysius remained the proto-cathedral until 1890, when Bishop John Samuel Foley moved the episcopal see to St. Patrick Church on Adelaide Street in Midtown Detroit, renaming it SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral.

In 1930, as the parish and the city continued to grow, the original church was torn down to make way for the Romanesque-style, three-tiered church that stands today.

The three-tier design draws inspiration from the Milan Cathedral in Italy, which allows for greater seating capacity for a church in a tight urban layout.

St. Aloysius Parish features a three-story design to accommodate as much seating capacity as possible in a small urban footprint.

The semi-circular “well” before the main altar allowed parishioners to see the priest at the high altar, regardless of where they were sitting.

St. Aloysius Parish is known today for its backpack and sandwich street ministries, carried out by St. Aloysius Neighborhood Services.

Archbishop Vigneron encouraged parishioners to think of all the sacraments, baptisms, weddings, confessions, and funerals that have been celebrated at St. Aloysius, all the service projects and moments of outreach, all the ways in which the parish “produced good fruit in God’s vineyard,” the archbishop said.

“We offer back to God the Father, along with the Body and Blood of Christ, all these great gifts to the Father,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “That is what we do, the gesture that epitomizes that, showing God the Father, the Body of Christ on the paten and the deacon show the Blood of Christ in the chalice to the Father, we offer along with those great gifts to the Father all the work that has been done these past 150 years in this parish.”

At the end of Mass, St. Aloysius parishioners gifted Archbishop Vigneron with a special rosary commemorating the parish’s 150 years, decorated with iconic features of St. Aloysius’ architecture.

Fr. Mario Amore, who has primary pastoral care of St. Aloysius, thanked the archbishop for all the support he has shown the parish over the years.

“The archbishop has been a wonderful supporter of St. Aloysius for all of my time here and for many years before that,” Fr. Amore said. “We want to express our deep gratitude to you in a personal way for your unwavering support in the parish and in the city of Detroit. Your leadership and vision and commitment to our community has been a source of great inspiration for us.”

Fr. Amore recognized the works of the Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor) who administered the parish for 27 years, establishing many of the neighborhood outreach and service projects that have become ubiquitous to St. Aloysius.

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6) Center for Exceptional Children

7) Interested in becoming Catholic? Do you need to complete your sacraments of initiation? Join the next OCIA class!

8) Wednesday Evening Confessions and Mass

9) Holy Hours on Thursdays

10) Ascension's Bible and Catechism App

11) This Sunday's Readings: October 15, 2023, 2023 - The Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

12) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

“The Secret to Life” + The Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In this week’s Encountering the Word video for the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jeff Cavins explains what Scripture really means by “the land of milk and honey”. The readings are:

First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10A

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6

Second Reading: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20

Alleluia: cf. Ephesians 1:17-18

Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

13) Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Classic Sunday Sermon: The Summit of the Christian Life

Friends, the mountain is a great image throughout the Bible. It is the place where we go up and where God comes down to meet us. Today’s first reading from Isaiah orients us to three holy mountains of the Lord: first, the historical Mount Zion; second, its fulfillment in the heavenly Mount Zion; and third, a sort of “middle mountain” of the Mass, where we raise our minds and hearts to God, who comes to gather us, to speak his word, and to feed us.

14) Grow+Go

15) Giving to SJA:

I'm truly grateful for all of your support of SJA. 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.

16) This Week's Edition of TALLER Tales

Cruisin’ with Mom (Part TWELVE): For the last several weeks, I have been sharing about my trip with my mom on board the Viking Octantis for a Great Lakes Cruise. Our journey began in Toronto, and from there, we traversed the Welland Canal Locks and made stops in Port Colborne, Point Pelee, Detroit, Alpena, Mackinac Island, and finally, Milwaukee.

Last week, I shared about our visit to Mackinac Island. After departing from Mackinac Island, we sailed under the Mackinac Bridge and began our journey to our final destination, Port Milwaukee.  

On this particular night, we had our scheduled dinner in one of the ship’s formal restaurants, The Restaurant! The seating in The Restaurant was somewhat tight. I laughed because you could schedule your sitting at a table with your own party or be randomly assigned to sit with others. We chose to eat at a table for two; I’m sure it perpetuated the Cougar myth about “Mr. and Mrs. Bugarin.” Even though we were at a table for two, the other party, another couple, was seated so close to us that it was hard NOT to have a conversation with them because they were inches away. We struck up a conversation with them mainly because we were caught up watching the beautiful sunset that was taking place outside the window, and we had to look past their way to snap our pictures. After getting through all the niceties about the sunset, we found out they were on the cruise to celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary. They were ranchers and farmers with THOUSANDS of acres of land. The husband was quick to add that this was his busiest season, but given his anniversary and the fact this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he knew he HAD to entrust his farming to others in the family so he could take the time to be with his wife to celebrate their anniversary.

After watching the light from the sunset dancing on the water, we left Deck One and ascended to Deck Five, the location of The World Café. Yes, yes, yes, I just finished dinner. But, I had an ulterior motive: I wanted to grab some of The World Café’s outstanding cookies for a snack later that evening. Unfortunately, the cookies never made it to the room.

That night, we began our journey to Milwaukee. The plan was to dock in Milwaukee that morning and have one more day of excursions and one last night on the ship before disembarking that Friday.

My mom and I got up that Thursday morning, had Mass, had breakfast in our room, and stayed on board most of the day. But sailing into our final port of Milwaukee was a bit fascinating. Our final docking location was called The City Heavy Lift in Port Milwaukee, a large commercial dock area for freighters. The City Heavy Lift was just beyond Milwaukee’s iconic Daniel W. Hoan Memorial Bridge. But the fascinating part of the whole experience of docking in Milwaukee was that the ship had to get into position for its next departure with an entirely new set of passengers after we disembarked. Because the space near The City Heavy Lift was narrow, the crew had to turn the Octatis entirely around in the Milwaukee Bay, sail backward under the Hoan Memorial Bridge, and travel backward around the corner in the Kinnickinnic River to our final docking location. It was fun watching us come to a standstill in the Milwaukee Bay, having them rev up the thrusters to turn the ship around and then sail backward. I have some timelapse videos I will post in my Sunday email.

Neither of us felt like doing any of the planned excursions that day. We just wanted a day to relax and explore parts of the ship we had not yet seen. But this time, my mom had her own ulterior motive. She booked an appointment with the onboard Viking Travel consultant about another cruise. We went with the thought we would just “see” what they had available, but before we knew it, my mom was booking an Eastern Seaboard Explorer cruise next September, traveling from Montreal to New York, with stops in Quebec, Saguenay, Gaspe, Halifax, Boston and finally New York.

We took this day to roam around the ship a bit more and discovered some beautiful little spaces and outdoor gardens we had not seen before. I scoped out the Hanger, the ship’s enclosed in-ship marina. This is where all the excursion craft are stored. While I couldn’t walk around in the Hanger, I could view it from the deck above it, which had plenty of glass floor windows looking into The Hanger with all of its cool “toys.”

We finished packing, had one last dinner in the World Café, and said goodbye to the staff there and those who took care of us in our staterooms. What a superb group of individuals; I was so impressed with the staff and the whole experience!

We had an early wake-up call the following morning, as we had to be off the ship by 7:00 a.m. to begin the journey to the airport for our return to Detroit.

As many know, because I’ve traveled so much during my time as Cardinal Maida’s secretary and then with my ministry in Washington, D.C., I prefer staying close to home for “vacations.” But this entire experience was truly impressive; even better was sharing it with my mom! It was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and it was great to help my mom cross off another item on her infamous bucket list of items to accomplish in life. She has many more items on that list, and my sisters and I plan to do all we can to make them happen.

As I reflect on all of this, I can’t help but think that we should all come up with a bucket list of items to do in life! And then, we have to MAKE the time to accomplish them with the help of family and friends. More importantly, we should also help our parents and elderly relatives accomplish their list because often enough, without our help, they would never be able to complete their bucket list! I’m glad my mom brought me on board, and the funny part is that because of our ports, we could enjoy the company of my sisters along the way. The work, the tasks, the farms, the ranches, the ministry, the “to-do” lists will always be there. But life experiences that bring family and friends together and forge awesome memories will ONLY HAPPEN if we take the time to make them happen! What’s on your bucket list? And, how can you help a parent or your parents or some of your elderly relatives accomplish their bucket list?

Thanks a million, Mom! It. Was. Awesome! Just think, for the next cruise, I’ll be 60, and maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to eat at the “adult table” on board the Viking Mars!

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers!

In Christ,

17) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

Prayer is a Battle: Strategies for Victory

When we read the lives of the saints it can appear like prayer comes so easily to them; almost as if they were soaking in a hot tub of grace. But then when we go to pray we are confronted with the harsh reality that “Prayer is HARD.” It can feel much more like struggling to swim laps in an Olympic-sized pool.

Today, Fr. Mike shares some wisdom from the fourth Pillar of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Our Life in Prayer.

“Prayer is both a gift of grace and a determined response on our part. It always presupposes effort. The great figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the saints, and he himself, all teach us this: prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and against the wiles of the tempter who does all he can to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God. We pray as we live, because we live as we pray. If we do not want to act habitually according to the Spirit of Christ, neither can we pray habitually in his name. The “spiritual battle” of the Christian’s new life is inseparable from the battle of prayer.”

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2725

18) Words on the Word: October 15, 2023 - Life’s Balance Sheet

Businesses can be a lot like people.

They are founded (born) with great optimism into a world of opportunity. They require investment to keep them strong as they grow. They go through varying seasons, times when they are more popular and less popular, times when they are sick, times when their priorities change, times when they move, and so forth.

Eventually, like people, most businesses eventually reach an older age and, with very few exceptions, most businesses eventually expire.

The key through all of that, any accountant will tell you, is to manage assets and liabilities and watch cash flow.

A recent story in The Detroit News reported on a fairly well known outdoors retailer, founded in Madison Heights, that has decided to close all but three of its brick and mortar locations across the country. As it happens, one location remaining open is here in Birmingham.

“This move supports our business optimization efforts and will allow us to operate more efficiently, quickly leverage best practices across our outdoor business and drive our long-term success,” the company said in a statement. “We look forward to continuing to provide … great gear and service on (the web) and at … (remaining) retail locations.”

By making this change, executives are betting they’ll be able to thrive in a different way. 

It’s the same for us, as St. Paul reminds us in today’s second reading.

“I know how to live in humble circumstances; I also know how to live with abundance,” he writes to the Philippians. “I have learned the secret … of living in abundance and of being in need.”

No company and, more importantly, no person, lasts forever. May God grant us the wisdom to manage our affairs to maximize our impact in this world and realize our ultimate dividend in the next.

© 2023, Words on the Word

19) This WEEK on FORMED:

20) St. Margaret of Scotland Christmas Resale Event

21) Hallow App:

22) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, October 16, 2023, Weekday, Saint Hedwig, Religious (Green/White) 

7:00 a.m., The deceased members of the Calisi Family who died in the month of October

Tuesday, October 17, 2023, Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, and Martyr (Red)

7:00 a.m., Mary Ann Mecha

Wednesday, October 18, 2023, Saint Luke, Evangelist (Red)

7:00 a.m., Debbie Albrecht

6:00 p.m., Sally Cabot

Thursday, October 19, 2023, Saints John de Brebeuf, and Issac Joques, Priests, Companions, Martyrs (Red)

7:00 a.m., Barbara Gaines

Friday, October 20, 2023, Weekday, Saint Paul of the Cross, Priest (Green/White)

7:00 a.m., Richard C. Rich

Saturday, October 21, 2023, Vigil of the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

4:00 p.m., Sally Cabot, Crescenzo Fazi, Bonnie Batche, Edward, Helen & Henry Blind, Casey Zaranek, Patricia Dimavicius, Joan Weber, Dr. Lori Karol, Laura Barkley, Edward Elsesser, Paul Radzienda, Donald Strobbe, Manny Lamprides, Sophie & George Guidolin, Angeline Calus, and special intentions for the Thomas Family, the J. Champine Family, for Alison Reslow, Pam Haisenleder, Lorraine Jonas and Ray DeFrates 

6:00 p.m., For the Intentions of the Presbyterate & Diaconate of the Archdiocese of Detroit

Sunday, October 22, 2023, Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

8:00 a.m., For the Intentions for St. Joan of Arc Parishioners

10:00 a.m., James Forrester

12:00 p.m., John L. Joseph, Joan Hardy, Feliciana King, Michael Artley, Marie Shaheen, Patrick Lamkin, and Special Intentions for Alison Reslow, Pam Haisenleder, Lorraine Jonas, Ray DeFrates, and for Rachel Allemon on her 100th Birthday.

23) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE:

This week's LIVE Stream

Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:

Monday (October 16)

7:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Funeral for Pauline Romanelli (Read Obituary HERE)

Tuesday (October 17):

7:00 AM - Mass

8:30 AM - School Mass

Wednesday (October 18):

7:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Funeral for JoAnne Hebert

6:00 PM - Mass

Thursday (October 19):

7:00 AM- Mass

7:00 PM - Holy Hour

Friday (October 20):

7:00 AM - Mass

Saturday (October 21):

10:00 AM - Funeral for Dennis John Doheny II (Read Obituary HERE)

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Sunday (October 22):

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.

24) SJA's Latest Parish Bulletin

Click on the image below

to download a copy of the bulletin

for October 15, 2023

25) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List

26) Detroit Catholic