Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are a few updates from the parish for the week of August 1, 2021.
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1) Math Teacher Needed for SJA School |
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St. Joan of Arc Catholic School is looking for a full-time Middle School Teacher. This position involves teaching Mathematics for the 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades. The candidate would also be required to teach Religion to their homeroom.
The teacher candidate should be able to:
- Promote the mission and vision of St. Joan of Arc School.
- Be committed and passionate about Catholic education.
- Create a consistently high level of student engagement and learning.
- Be capable of teaching a range of mathematics, from 6thGrade through Algebra 1, inability-grouped classes.
- Be able to share their faith with their students.
- Differentiate instruction within the classroom to meet the needs of all students.
- Establish positive relationships with students.
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Maintain a consistent disciplinary approach that promotes self-direction and confidence by setting high standards for student behavior and manages inappropriate behavior effectively.
- Communicate regularly with students, families, and colleagues.
- Cooperate with school administration to complete additional operational, and professional responsibilities and duties, as needed.
All teachers in the Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of Detroit shall be certified and/or approved for teaching by the Department of Education for the State of Michigan.
This candidate is required to have a valid Michigan teaching certificate (Elementary or Secondary Education) with a Math Endorsement (EX).
The candidate must complete fingerprinting, background check, and the Protecting God’s Children virtual workshop prior to working with students.
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2) heART of our Faith Children's Workshop |
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Children who have recently completed grades 1-6 (ages 7-12) are invited to spend a morning discovering how different kinds of art can speak to our hearts when telling the stories of our Catholic Christian faith. Through a fun hands-on project, music, and a little bit of no-pressure drama, we'll be explorers and artists trying out what it means to create as a way to tell others about Jesus. There is no cost for the workshop, however, free-will offerings on the day of are accepted and appreciated.
Both workshops are the same, so please register for one class. Maximum 40 students at each.
See our parish website for information and to register. There are no walk-ins. Call/Email Mrs. Hass if you have any questions (586-777-1282 or khass@sjascs.org).
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3) Information about Retrouvaille - A lifeline for Married Couples: |
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4) Catholic Services Appeal 2021 |
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Dear Friends in Christ,
In St. Paul's Letter to the Colossians, he urges them, "Whatever you do, do from the heart (Col. 3:23)." These words are particularly meaningful since he wrote them from prison, facing persecution and hardship. The faith community at Colossae was facing its own hardships as they strove to live the life Christ called them to whatever the circumstances. Being rooted in the Lord would serve them well as they continued to grow as a faith community, and as the Church continued to grow throughout the world.
The theme of the 2021 CSA is FUEL THE MISSION. The mission is simple, to make Christ's kingdom present in our day to the many people of Southeast Michigan. That mission cannot be fully accomplished unless it is fueled with human and materially resources.
Our CSA goal this year is just slightly more than $217,000. 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.
Your gift helps support men who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood. It impacts youth, family, and young adult ministries to help people at all stages of life grow in faith. It helps Catholic schools continue to form the next generation of leaders and disciples. It helps our food pantries and soup kitchens feed and clothe the poor. Your gift brings Jesus to Southeast Michigan in a very real and tangible way.
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: csa.stjoan.church 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.
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5) SJA's CSA Update as of July 25, 2021 |
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I am grateful to those who have already contributed to CSA 2021. As of today, we have $121,311 in pledges and gifts toward our $217,002 goal. This amount represents gifts from 384 families (we have 3,236 families registered). We have thus achieved 56% of our goal!
Here is a breakdown by gift range:
$2,500+ (3)
$1,000+ (27)
$500+ (38)
$250+ (69)
$100+ (138)
$75+ (12)
$50+ (53)
$25+ (23)
$0+ (21)
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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6) This Sunday's Readings - August 1, 2021 |
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7) Grow+Go for the 18th 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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8) Sunday Reflection by Jeff Cavins |
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In this week’s Encountering the Word, reflecting on the Gospel for the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jeff Cavins explains that when Jesus said he is the Bread of Life, he meant it literally. |
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9) 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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10) This Week's Edition of TALLer Tales |
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Trying NOT to Disturb the Sleeping: Around this time of year, our family often heads north to spend a week at a cottage on Big Blue Lake near Kalkaska. This year, my mom wanted to take a slight detour from the usual summer routine simply because it would have been the first big family trip without Dad. So my mom decided she would break up the summer and fall with a few mini-trips with her kids. My sister Jackie and I were first on the docket with a trip to the western side of Michigan. We traveled to Holland, Manistee (the infamous home of Fr. Rich), Frankfort, Glen Arbor, Leland, and Suttons Bay. We have such beauty in Michigan!
While driving through Manistee, we were on the lookout for markers like “Fr. Rich lived here” or “Fr. Rich went to school here” or “Fr. Rich dined here.” While we didn’t encounter any such signs, we did encounter a police motorcade and even a flying car! So, Manistee became a notable part of our journey! More on that in another article.
While we were doing the touristy stuff in Holland, I got the call from our neighbors at Connor Park Florist that some activity was happening at the Church. They were the first to alert me and the police that someone just drove up the ramps and through one of the Mack/Overlake entrance doors. So while my mom and sister were in this quaint and lovely gift shop looking at wooden tulips and ceramic vases, I was outside calling 911 and SCS Police dispatch to get someone to SJA ASAP! I then called Father Andrew, who stopped his grocery shopping experience, and Dina, who was at home, and both flew over to SJA right away.
Once I got to the point where I could return to my mom and sister, they showed me what they bought and wanted to know what was happening with all the calls I was making. “OH,” I said, “someone just drove up the church ramp and into the entrance door on the corner of Overlake and Mack.” I then showed them the pictures that Father Andrew and Dina were forwarding to me.
Knowing how fast news travels and how the story could get all kinds of different twists and personal interpretations, I decided it would be best to write a short email to the parish community about what happened. Within an hour of the incident, a FOX 2 News Truck was already on-site, so I was glad to have alerted the parish community about the incident before it became a story on the news.
Later that evening, when we got back to our hotel in Holland (and Holland was much bigger than I thought), we figured the incident would be on either the 10 or 11 PM Fox 2 News. We already started the process of getting ready for bed as we all were pretty tired from the day when my sister said, “Oh, let’s turn the TV back on and watch the 10 PM news.” So we did. I was on my aero bed comfortably controlling the world from my cell phone while keeping an ear for a report on the SJA incident. After waiting for about 15 minutes, it was apparent the SJA incident wasn’t going to be on the 10 PM news. What my ears DID hear were both my sister and mom sound asleep! Good grief. They had the remote.
Now, I brought my own Roku streaming stick (of course), which we used throughout the trip so we could watch our Detroit channels and our usual stuff while we traveled. With a Roku device, you can use an app on your phone to control the device and, in most cases, also power off the TV and use it for volume control. This typically works quite well when you’re at home on your own network, but I wasn’t sure how it would work with the configuration I had at the hotel. After tinkering with it for about 10 minutes from the comfort of my bed, it was apparent my remote solution wasn’t going to work from my phone, so I had to search for the “real” remote in our darkened room. As I crawled about, trying not to make any noise so as to disturb either my sister or mom from their sleep, I found the remote. BUT, I had a big problem. The remote was secured firmly in my sister’s hand. I could only roll my eyes. This was going to be a challenge. The task was to remove the remote without waking her. I tugged at the remote, but it didn’t budge at all. My sister had that remote snuggly secured in her hand as if she were protecting the last bit of chocolate on earth. I sat for a few seconds and surveyed all my options. As I type this, I never thought about the most obvious solution: walk over to the TV and turn it off manually. Sometimes the most obvious is too obvious! I then thought that if I could lift a finger or two on her hand, it would give me enough room to wiggle the remote from her tight grip. So, I slowly lifted her index finger. She didn’t move at all. This was becoming a game of Olympic proportions. I tugged at the remote again, and while it moved a bit, it still didn’t move enough to allow me to remove it from her hand. With a bit more work, I finally had possession of the imprisoned remote control. I then turned off the TV and crawled back into my bed without disturbing or waking either one of them! Who needed to watch the news or the Olympics; this video would have made a great story. While I failed to accomplish the task electronically through the app, there was a sense of great accomplishment of freeing that imprisoned remote from my sister’s hands without disturbing a single nano-second of her sleep. I deserved an Olympic Gold for that Olympic task!
Last Chance Getaways and Vacations: As we enter the first week of August, many people will try to get in one last vacation or getaway before the fall. We need to look at this needed break as an opportunity to enjoy the sun, the beach, and our water sports. 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 get that last chance getaway in, do yourself a favor and enjoy some of the beauty in the area. Consider strolling down Lakeshore or visit one of the parks. Whether you travel far away or stay close to home, taking that extra quiet or downtime will make a difference in your life!
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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11) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
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The most august of all: I must admit to being prone to a touch of melancholy at this time of year, as we enter into August. I love the summer months, but I always begin to notice the shorter evenings, the talk of the school year beginning soon, and those “summer’s ending soon” TV commercials. It all goes by so fast and I can get distracted by the cooling embers of late-summer. But this time of the summer is also an awesome time to be Catholic, if we’re paying attention. The Church sets before us some “powerhouse saints” and holy days - saints who, in the words of the hymn, were “true apostles, faithful prophets, saints who set their world ablaze.”
We ended July with the Feast day of our own Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey (July 30) and the founder of the Jesuit order St. Ignatius of Loyola (July 31). Today, (August 1) is the Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguouri, though the celebration is suppressed in favor of the Sunday solemnity. St. Alphonsus was the 18th century moral theologian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, who founded the Redemptorist congregation, dedicated primarily to parish and foreign missions. Wednesday (August 4) is the Memorial of St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests, who called thousands back to a life of holiness by his own example of prayer, humility and simplicity of life.
These saints reveal Christ to us by their personal striving for holiness. They lived their lives with the same temptations and stresses we endure. Blessed Fr. Solanus Casey suffered failure in his studies and rejection from seminary. St. Ignatius struggled with anger, pride and lust, St. Alphonsus Liguori was crippled by terrible scrupulosity. St. John Vianney was thought to be too unintelligent to be given any great responsibility. But each one answered the Lord’s call to personal holiness. By God’s grace, these saints overcame temptation and discouragement to reveal the Lord by their lives. On Friday, we will celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration, when Jesus revealed His full divinity as the Son of God to Peter, James and John on Mount Tabor.
And the Litany goes on throughout the awesome month of August: the Memorials of St. Clare, St. Jane Frances de Chantel, St. Teresa of the Cross and St. Dominic; the Feast of the martyr, St. Lawrence; the Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe; the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven; the Memorials of St. Bernard, Doctor of the Church and Pope St. Pius X; the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary; the Feast of the Apostle, St. Bartholomew; the Memorials of St. Monica and her son, the great philosopher, theologian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, St. Augustine; and the Passion of Saint John the Baptist.
What an incredible month of opportunity to recognize the richness of our faith tradition. As the author of the letter in the second reading for the Transfiguration on August 6th says, we have been “eyewitnesses of his majesty” through all these holy men and women. These constitute the cloud of witnesses, the Church Triumphant, in whose company we celebrate our faith around the altar every day and at every Holy Mass. I encourage you this month to delve into the lives of these great saints and implore their intercession. Between them, they encompass just about every struggle you and I may ever experience. And they persevered to the end and were rewarded in eternal glory. They are truly “august.”
County Fair: Speaking of “powerhouses,” August means the Monroe County Fair and the tractor-pull! Two years ago I wasn't able to make it and last year was cancelled (hence my own little tractor-pull), but generally it’s an annual pilgrimage. I love a good county fair, but Monroe pulls out all the stops. I can usually only make one day of the fair, so it’s always the Thursday… the day of the tractor-pull. I love everything about the fair, the atmosphere, the celebration of agriculture, the piglet race (yes, really… little pigs wear numbered bibs on a track!). There’s the usual fair-food staples, including fries and vinegar in a bucket. The are traditional restored tractors on display. There is an amazing RV open-house, for anyone with a spare $200,000 burning a hole in their pocket (that’s not me, but they are awesome to tour around). The 4H barn is always worth a look. I pick-up creative project ideas from there. We’ve have some odd July weather as we all know, but weather permitting, the tractor-pull is the highlight of the day. I would hesitate to include it in the category of “celebration of agriculture” as those tractors bear little resemblance to anything you’d see on a farm.
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The original tractor-pulls were similar to the one my friend , Fr. Mark and I held with our tractors last September: two tractors back to back connected by a heavy chain…. And pull! Today, highly modified, ridiculously over-powered and highly polished “tractors” compete individually on a dirt track, pulling a weighted sled to see which can pull the furthest distance. It’s smokey, really loud and quite absurd, but also quite amazing! There are usually exploded engines and clouds of ominous smoke and the beautiful sight of an old reliable 1940s farm tractor coming to the rescue to tow away the crippled monster…. Ultimately, the “celebration of agriculture” wins out!
Are You “Fed-up?”: “Sir, give us this bread always.” The people in today’s gospel like what Jesus is doing. They have just witnessed Jesus miraculously feeding the 5,000. Clearly, He’s something special. If He can do that, if He can prevent them from being hungry, they want Him around. Jesus knew they recognized the miracle before them and that they wanted to make Him their King, so He’d slipped away. But they pursued Him. They still remembered Moses doing this for them. “Our ancestors ate the manna in the desert,” they said. Jesus corrected them—it wasn't Moses who did this for you, it was God. The people are still thinking about their stomachs. They want more of this, whoever is providing it. Jesus begins to push the idea further. God has already provided their “manna,” the bread of life—God has provided His Son, Jesus. Whoever comes to Him will never be hungry again. He is the true bread from Heaven, not manna, not barley loaves and fish, but His own Body and Blood to be sacrificed on the cross and made present on our altar to this day, in the Eucharist. Feed on this, and we’ll have the life He intends. Believe what He teaches and act on it and we’ll never thirst. But we can’t expect to only accept Jesus with our own way of thinking. Being a disciple of Jesus demands the expansion of our minds to place everything in category of “the possible.” After all, He’s God. And I don’t want a God who will only do what my mind understands. You are in my prayers this week. God is bigger than that.
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You are in my prayers this week.
Fr. Andrew
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12) St. Basil the Great Annual Rummage Sale |
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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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14) Words on the Word: August 1, 2021 - The New Normal
The so-called “old normal” – the old way of looking at the world and doing things – seems to be gone, in many respects.
And a so-called “new normal” – a new paradigm, seems to be taking hold.
Much of this, to be sure, is the result of the coronavirus pandemic. The changes in attitudes and behaviors and procedures were widespread. Among other things, the labor markets have been roiled considerably.
If simply driving past all of the “Now Hiring” and “Help Wanted” signs doesn’t make it obvious enough, one simply has to look at the headlines.
“U.S. job openings hit record 9.2 million,” the headline of one internet reporting service began a few weeks ago, “but businesses can’t find enough workers to fill them.”
The story went on to describe how people were leaving the workforce, or being recruited from competitors; how job openings in almost every industry greatly exceeded the number of workers available, or willing, to fill them.
It’s a situation that likely will find some resolution over the coming months and years, the story explains, but, at least for now, it’s the world in which we find ourselves.
A world significantly different than what we are generally accustomed to, as far as jobs go, where there are typically more candidates than openings.
It all points to the importance of being open to change, in whatever ways we might encounter it, so that we can keep our eyes fixed on what really matters.
“I declare and testify in the Lord that … you should put away the old self of your former way of life,” St. Paul says in today’s second reading to the Ephesians. “Be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth.”
© 2021, Words on the Word
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15) Teresa and Deacon Dom's Roman Holiday Marriage Retreat
Click on the image below to learn more about this Roman Holiday Marriage Retreat.
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16) 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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17) 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 2):
7:00 AM - Mass
6:30 PM - Memorial Mass for Anna Maria Dolunt
Tuesday (August 3):
7:00 AM - Mass
10:00 AM - Memorial Mass for Simone Glowaz and Nicole Glowaz
Wednesday (August 4):
7:00 AM - Mass
Thursday (August 5):
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Holy Hour (Praise and Worship Music)
Friday (August 6):
7:00 AM - Mass
5:00 PM - Wedding of Katie Church and Matthew Buszek
Saturday (August 7):
11:30 AM- Baptism of Charlotte L. Schumaker
12:30 PM - Baptism of Lillian Mary Riddle
1:30 PM - Baptism of Remi Theadora Humbach
2:30 PM - Baptism of Mackenzie Hamilton
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (August 8):
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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18) SJA's Bulletin for August 1, 2021 |
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of our
Bulletin for August 1, 2021
The 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Weekly bulletin: 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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