Week of August 24, 2025

1) Special Collection for the People of Gaza

Archbishop Weisenburger asks Detroit-area Catholics

to be 'most generous' in helping groups working to end starvation crisis

DETROIT — Joining bishops across the United States, Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger is urging Detroit-area Catholics "to be most generous" this week and next in supporting a "critical collection" to provide emergency humanitarian aid for the starving people of Gaza, a crisis that has reached "catastrophic" levels, he said.

The collection, sponsored by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be taken up the weekends of Aug. 16-17 and Aug. 23-24 in Detroit-area parishes. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB, has asked dioceses across the United States to participate in the collection.

"We mourn the terrible sufferings of Christians and other innocent victims of violence in Gaza who are struggling to survive, to protect their children, and to live humanely in tragic circumstances," Archbishop Weisenburger said in a bulletin announcement distributed to parishes Aug. 12. "Pope Leo continues to call for a ceasefire and for aid to enter the territory, noting with great sorrow that 'Gaza is starving.'”

All funds from the special collection will be used by Catholic Relief Services, which is on site in Gaza and partnering with local Church entities to provide food, shelter, financial assistance, hygiene supplies and trauma assistance; and the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, which is providing "vital emergency humanitarian relief and medical care for the sick, malnourished, and wounded," Archbishop Weisenburger said.

Donations can also be made directly to either Catholic Relief Services or the Catholic Near East Welfare Association.

"Your generosity is an opportunity to serve Christ Himself," Archbishop Weisenburger said.

Pope Leo XIV and Catholic ambassadors around the world have highlighted with great concern the unfolding humanitarian crisis and mass starvation in Gaza, with the pope calling the situation "dire" and expressing his "heartfelt appeal for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the full respect of humanitarian law."

2) Registration for Faith Formation 2025

3) Help Connect College Students to their Faith and Local Catholic College Communities

4) Blood Drive

5) Discover Scouting

6) Walking with Purpose

Monday Evening Class: 7-9 PM

Beginning September 15

Beholding Your King

Moderators: Katie Lubera and Frankie Chamberlain

We live in a self-centered culture that all too often leaves us feeling empty and dissatisfied. A fuller view of God and His glory is the perfect antidote, which you will experience in Beholding Your King.

We’ll study King David, select psalms, the temple, and many Old Testament prophets and see the ways in which they all point to the coming King of kings, Jesus Christ. This Bible study is the second part of a two-part series and is ideally completed after Beholding His Glory.

What we’ll discuss:

• Prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament and their effect on people past and present.

• Psalm 23, the most familiar of all the Psalms which has comforted people throughout the centuries.

• God’s steady purpose in both the Old and New Covenants and the promises He kept to all of us.

Monday Morning Class 10 am-noon

Beginning Sept 15

Beholding His Glory

Moderator: Karen Licari

As we study the people and events of the Old Testament, we’ll encounter problems that only Christ will solve, needs that only He will satisfy, and promises that only He can deliver.

Beholding His Glory shows us how all Scripture points us to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We’ll learn to recognize and appreciate God’s plan for our own lives, His awe-inspiring majesty, and His desire for personal intimacy with each one of us.

• Learn how our Savior was first revealed in Genesis and how He is the answer to the issues of shame and fear.

• Understand important parallels between the lives of Moses and Jesus, and how they both led their people to freedom.

• Accompany Joseph of the Old Testament on his life journey. The God who proved faithful to Joseph will not disappoint us!

7) Hearts Afire Study and Prayer Ministry

8) CSA 2025

Each year, the CSA allows us to celebrate how our Church in Detroit responds to the material and spiritual needs of individuals and families throughout southeast Michigan. One 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 allows more than 100 ministries, services, and programs to fulfill this year's CSA theme: Feed My Sheep, taken from the Gospel of John.

Our CSA goal this year is $205,013. Anything raised above the goal will return to the parish, while the parish must cover any shortfalls. Thus, your support is greatly needed and appreciated.

If you have not given yet this year, please follow the instructions found in that mailing or make a gift electronically by clicking the button below or by visiting https://givecsa.org/st-joan-of-arc.

9) Why Series: Why Register as a Parishioner?

Belonging to a parish is about much more than finding a place to attend Mass each Sunday. It’s about finding community, a place to plant spiritual roots, and to commit ourselves to being involved. Learn why belonging to your parish is so important in our current culture and choose to commit to your parish today!

10) Want to become Catholic? Want to be baptized? Do you need to be Confirmed? Learn More about the Catholic Church

11) Ascension's Bible and Catechism App

It's Here: The Bible & Catechism App!

The word of God and the complete teachings of the Catholic Church. Answers and commentary by Fr. Mike Schmitz, Jeff Cavins, and other experts. Video, audio, and textual commentary. Right on your phone.

12) Holy Hour on Thursdays

13) This Sunday's Readings: August 24, 2025 - The 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

14) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

The 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Jeff Cavins discusses what Christ means when he says we must walk through the narrow door to be saved. The Sunday Readings are:

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

15) Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Does God Punish Us?

Friends, I want to focus this week on the second reading, which is from the marvelous Letter to the Hebrews. It addresses a very important and very controversial topic—namely, the divine punishment. You would be hard-pressed to say that this is not a motif in the Bible. That’s simply not the case; in fact, it’s a rather major motif. How do we make sense of this theme of divine punishment without falling back into a terrible view of God as an arbitrary, capricious tyrant? This little passage from Hebrews gives us the interpretive key.

16) Grow+Go

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 the button or image below to download a PDF copy of this Sunday's Grow+Go.

17) Giving to SJA:

I'm truly grateful for 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.

18) TALLer Tales

Protecting Daisy Loo: As you can imagine, I go to great lengths to protect Daisy Loo, my mom’s souped-up van. Originally, we thought the van would reside most of the time at my sister’s house in Allenton, but it has proved much easier for me to keep it on-site so that, at a moment’s notice, I can drive my mom wherever she needs to go. Given my mom’s medical needs, Daisy Loo is essential, and I take every precaution to protect her. For example, when I hear reports of hail, I drive Daisy Loo under the portico entry leading to the Gathering Space to shield her until the storm passes. I’ve done that a few times. But protecting Daisy Loo from a host of other issues is a real challenge!

For many years, we had a rather large rat problem around the Parish campus. And these rats were big. The rat population seemed to die down over the last few years, but then construction started on Mack Avenue recently, and we noticed an upswing in the rat population.

Just a few days ago, Father Rich told me he saw a rather large rat crawl out from underneath Daisy Loo. That set off all kinds of alarms for me. I immediately set out to figure out how to protect Daisy Loo from my rat “friends.” So, I did what everyone does: I Googled the problem to death and then ran to Amazon to buy whatever Google suggested.

I was lucky enough to come across several articles about rats eating away at wire harnesses and other components underneath cars. I already knew they loved our Christmas lights, but learning that a wiring harness or anything electrical could be destroyed by these critters, and that repairs could get very costly, was a wake-up call. I found two products that caught my eye.

The first was a set of sacks containing a very pungent product that looked almost like super-sized, old-fashioned hard candy. The lemon “flavor” was for indoor use, and the peppermint ones were for outdoor use. You hang them around areas where you don’t want rodents. These seemed simple enough. But one thing I’ve learned: don’t bring these little things up to your nose and take a big whiff, or you’ll be smelling the scent for DAYS! The peppermint oil one was strong enough to keep me away for a few days!

The second product was a battery-operated rodent repellent designed specifically for car engines. It supposedly emits an ultrasonic sound that rodents can hear, and it has a series of LEDs that flash when it detects motion. The kit even includes zip ties so you can conveniently secure the unit under your car to scare off these annoying rodents.

Armed with my new products, I went to work. I secured what was needed to scare my “friends” away. With the battery-operated repellent, I was too lazy to crawl underneath Daisy Loo to find a spot for it. If I got down on the ground or back on my car crawler/creeper, I couldn’t guarantee I’d be able to get back up without lots of help! So, I just placed the device on the ground near the van’s side door. Since we weren’t expecting any rain, I figured it could stay there temporarily until I could find a secure spot for it.

Well, the other day, the faithful parishioners who handle all the gardening around the campus (and God bless Debbie, Thelma, and Mary, along with Chuck and Dan, for all their hard work) were working near my house. A few of them came over to the Parish Center, and I overheard them talking to Rachel, Mary Pat, and Dina at the front desk. They were concerned because they noticed a black box flashing a series of lights underneath Msgr. Mom’s van. They weren’t sure what it was, but in case it was an explosive or something dangerous, they wanted someone to know. All I heard was, “OH, I don’t know about that. I’ll have to ask Monsignor if he knows about it.”

Well, yes, Monsignor knew about it. I had to explain that I was trying to protect Daisy Loo from a bunch of rats. Of course, the very mention of rats creeped out a few people. Now I have a new problem: some humans don’t want to be around Daisy Loo or my garage ever since I mentioned the rat issue. Ironically, I didn’t have to buy or install anything to make that happen!

The Consequences of Living a Busy, Hurried Life (Part 5): In last week’s reflection, I offered three suggestions on how to make prayer possible in the midst of extremely busy lives. The first suggestion was to set a reminder or regular calendar item on your phone. The second suggestion was to remember that how you pray will be different from how others pray, and that’s okay. In other words, don’t get too caught up comparing your prayer life to someone else’s. The third suggestion was to establish some places of prayer, like a church, a chapel, or even a special spot in your home.

While many churches are closed for security reasons during the day, there are other places to consider. For example, while our church is closed outside of Mass and meeting times, you can always stop by the Parish Center Chapel during normal business hours. The chapel is a very quiet and simple place to spend time with the Lord.

I remember when I was still riding my bike (those days are long gone), I would go on extended bike rides from my sister’s condo near 16 and Gratiot. I’d plan those trips to include a stop at the outdoor chapel at St. Hubert’s Parish. That was such a great place to pray! I even find a stroll through Resurrection Cemetery and stopping by one of the mausoleums to be a great place to pray.

If you ever find yourself at Henry Ford / St. John Hospital or Corewell Hospital, Grosse Pointe, while visiting someone, both have beautiful chapels; they are larger than some of our churches! I also love going to the Solanus Casey Center. Whether it’s going to confession at St. Bonaventure Monastery or simply praying in the chapel there, it’s always a meaningful experience. Plus, you can wander over to the café afterward for a cookie and coffee.

My point is, there are plenty of places to consider when establishing places for prayer. But you can also create a prayer place in your own home. Setting up a prayer corner or designating a special chair in your room just for prayer keeps that area separate and dedicated to God. You can keep devotional materials, reading resources, or your rosary handy in that space.

If we go out of our way to create these places of prayer, we’re more likely to use them, and our efforts will draw us closer to the Lord … no matter how busy life may get.

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.

In Christ,

gmb@sjascs.org

19) Voiland's View

We commonly use the term ‘news’ to refer to information about things of current interest. Newspapers are current event stories that are printed on paper and sold to us for some good, old-fashioned reading. Newspapers are on their way to extinction as they fail to financially compete with cheaply transmitted electronic news. Electronic information comes in a variety of forms. The first mass-marketed electronic version of the news was by radio. Families would gather around the radio set in their house to hear about what was going on in places around the world to which they had no other access.

Radio news gave way to television news sources. With the advent of television, we could be informed both audibly and visually. Much more information could be transmitted in a shorter amount of time by using both words and pictures. Now, through the use of computer technology, we can carry a little television screen around with us 24/7/365. The phones in our pockets and purses, and the screens on our desks and on our laps, are all computers that make information of every sort instantly available to us.

Prior to the last few decades, we were not as well connected to a wide breadth of information as we are now. Finding out what was going on in the world took effort. We could buy a newspaper – then carve out time on a work break, or at home, to read it. We could flip on the radio, if there was one around, and listen our way through the commercials to pick up on some newsworthy tidbits. Or we could wait until six or seven o’clock in the evening to hear one of three television newscasters tell us what we needed to know. Nowadays, we can spend every idle moment we have reaching for our phones and searching for “the latest.” Not to say that everyone is always fiddling with their phone to be more informed, but the potential to gather news is ever present.

The amount of information that endlessly blares at us is mind-boggling. Aside from the quantity of information available, the sources of this data are incredibly diverse and obscure. Surely, there are still the traditional corporate news agencies that parrot each other on issues that “the mainstream media” insist we should know. Yet, now, with the internet and universal computer access, practically anybody can be a news source. Bloggers, podcasters, foreign governments, businesses, religious organizations, criminal networks, commentors at the bottom of web pages, and anybody else who knows how to type, dictate, or use their camera can broadcast what they want us to see, hear, and know. It is a bit much.

Our information overload is like being a little kid crawling around on a steaming heap of junkyard trash looking for something of value. If we don’t get choked by the stench first, we will probably end up getting an infection from the emotional cuts inflicted by exposure to inevitable lies or half-truths. With so much information dumped on us every day, how is a guy or gal supposed to sort out the good stuff?

A big part of the answer is to remember who is giving you the information. Back in the day, there was an expectation that journalists delivering the news adhered to their responsibility to deliver information truthfully and without bias. There was greater faithfulness to this responsibility than there is now. The three nightly news anchors on the three major television networks of days gone by, at least made a good appearance of telling us “just the facts.” We know now that there was more to it than that, but those news broadcasts at least left room for some independent viewer thought. Not so anymore.

We can now be assured that most “news” is tainted with assorted political, corporate, or personal, ideological bias. This is reminiscent of the yellow journalism of the late 19th century. To sell newspapers, the publisher owners ‘juiced up’ stories to sell more papers. Truth did not matter as long as profits went up. Like sex and violence which leads news stories today, what stoked reader response then is what got published. What sells now, like it did for the yellow journalists, is emotion. We are continually goaded by news sources to be upset. Sex and violence rile us up as they always have. 

But endless political bickering also keeps our adrenaline flowing and our blood pressure up. Absurd cultural demands push us to distraction. And the inversion of traditional lifestyles makes us wonder if we are even on the right planet, some days.

To help keep our heads screwed on straight, we must be attentive to a couple of things. First, we should restrict our overall exposure to news/information/data/commentary. Think again, if you are old enough, about how much information we consumed during a day, thirty years ago. It was nothing compared to today. We are not wired to process the volume of nonsense that cascades down upon us every waking minute. Besides that, there is no value in being coerced by sensational journalism and internet whining about which we personally can do little or nothing.

Keeping in mind the need to limit exposure to all the noise info, think about what we are being told by media sources. Little of what we are told comes in a neutral, unbiased, purely informational format. Most news is selected or reported in a way to make moral statements or to incite fear, distrust, hatred, or confusion in us. Hearing about death and destruction in four consecutive news stories does not help much. Shaking our heads and wringing our hands is not productive. This is where we Christians come in.

Moralizing is our job and the job of the Church. It is up to us to receive information (news) and judge it by considering Church teaching. The media does not have the moral right to tell us Catholics, either explicitly or by insinuation, what to think about what they tell us. All we want from them is a simple report of the facts of a situation – and such reporting is hard to find. Once we have some accurate knowledge of a situation, we can take it from there. Between the Church, the Holy Spirit, and our consciences, we will be guided to a good moral response.

Attentiveness to how we process all the information that the world throws at us is important for our health – emotional, physical, and spiritual. Letting God’s Church be the guide for our minds, rather than some talking head on a screen, will afford us genuine peace – Christlike peace. We need more of that in our world. It is at our fingertips. Turn the noise off and turn Jesus on.

Fr. Bob

rvoiland@sjascs.org

20) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

How to Be Okay with Silence

Does silence ever feel uncomfortable? Do you fill the quiet with TV, music, or endless scrolling?

Fr. Mike explains why silence isn’t something to fear but something we desperately need, both in our daily lives and especially in prayer. While learning, entertainment, and even guided prayers can be good, true growth happens when we create space for silence and allow ourselves to hear the voice of God.

21) Words on the Word: August 24, 2025 - Pecking Order

It was no coincidence, to be sure, that a national news aggregation website placed two stories from The Wall Street Journal in succession one day a few weeks ago.

First came this headline: “For a Few CEOs, Pay Keeps Growing – by the Billions.”

Then, right beneath it, this one: “Earning More but in Worse Shape: Hardship Overwhelms Many American Families.”

There always has been, and always will be, some disparities in social structure. Through myriad circumstances, some people earn more money, or have more material advantages, than others.

That being said, it’s almost shocking, even by today’s standards, to see a story explaining how two executives in the United States last year held stock-based pay packages that increased in value by “at least 10 figures in a single year,” beyond a billion dollars. 

Especially when it’s juxtaposed with a story that explains how “nearly half of kids in the U.S. live in households below the middle class.”

Tools for fixing such situations are potentially very complex, perhaps even impossible. But for now, it’s worth noting that situational disparities are as fleeting as our time on earth. In other words, for those sitting on top of the world, it could all disappear in a heartbeat. And for those on the bottom of the socio-economic stack, there is a promise of something better to come.

A promise from Jesus, based not on the fleeting value of a dollar bill, but on the eternal rewards of surrendering our lives to him, regardless of the size of our bank account.

“And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God,” we hear in today’s gospel passage from St. Luke. “For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

© 2025 Words on the Word

22) This WEEK on FORMED:

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:

• 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.



23) 52 Stories: Good News from Spirit Juice Studios

Prepare to be Inspired

Spirit Juice Studios is blessed to work with countless Catholic organizations, dioceses, parishes, and schools. We get to help them tell their powerful stories about all the good stuff that is happening within the Church. Sign up for 52 Stories so we can share them with you! You’ll meet the unsung heroes of the Catholic Church, discover the stories of holy women and men around the world, and witness miraculous moments of God’s grace in everyday life.

In a world full of bad news, these stories will give you 52 reasons to believe that God is working through the Catholic faith to transform lives through His love and mercy. Sign up today!

Fighting for Life

More than a billion babies have been aborted in the past century, lives that could have been meaningful. Made for the Thomas More Society, this documentary tells the story of Joe Scheidler and how his 28-year-long battle to end abortion paved the way for pro-lifers and activists around the country to be peaceful, brave, and passionate in the fight for life.

24) Hallow App:

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.

25) Garden of Hope

26) Men of the Sacred Heart

27) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, August 25, 2025, Weekday; Saint Louis, Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest (Green/White)

7:00 am: Paul Michael Voss

Tuesday, August 26, 2025, Weekday (Green)

7:00 am: Deacon Robert Busch & Marie Rogier

Wednesday, August 27, 2025, Saint Monica (White)

7:00 am: Thomas Sloan

6:00 pm: Giovanni Ciccone

Thursday, August 28, 2025, Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (White)

7:00 am: Hugo Calisi

Friday, August 29, 2025, the Passion of Saint John the Baptist (Red)

7:00 am: Florence Semany

Saturday, August 30, 2025, Vigil for the Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

4:00 pm: Sophie Rupinski, Bonnie Batche, Palma Strussione, Richard & Joyce Keller, Victoria Marineau and Special Intention for the living and deceased members of the J. Champine Family, for the living and deceased members of the Muer & Thurber Families, for the Thomas Family, for Sam Manalo and Sam Baur

6:00 pm: Charlotte Power

Sunday, August 31, 2025, Twenty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

8:00 am: The Intentions of SJA Parishioners

10:00 am: Janet Ternes

12:00 pm: Peter Sarra and Special Intentions for Laurie Ruda and Sam Baur

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

This week's LIVE Stream

Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:

Monday (August 25)

7:00 AM - Mass

5:00 PM - Mass with the School Community

Tuesday (August 26):

7:00 AM - Mass

Wednesday (August 27):

7:00 AM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Thursday (August 28):

7:00 AM - Mass

8:30 AM - Mass

7:00 PM - Holy Hour



Friday (August 29):

7:00 AM - Mass

Saturday (August 30):

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Sunday (August 31):

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.

29) SJA's Latest Parish Bulletin

Click on the image below

to download a copy of the bulletin

for August 2, 2025

30) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List

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.



31) Detroit Catholic

Stay Connected with Our Catholic Faith — Sign Up for the Detroit Catholic Free E-Newsletter

Looking for a trusted source of Catholic news delivered straight to your inbox?

Detroit Catholic offers free daily or weekly email editions featuring insightful coverage of Catholic issues and events—locally, nationally, and globally.

I join Archbishop Edward Weisenburger in encouraging every parishioner to subscribe.

It’s quick and easy:

1. Visit: detroitcatholic.com/subscribe

2. Enter your email address and choose the daily and/or weekly edition.

That’s all it takes to start receiving this excellent—and completely free—source of Catholic news.

Stay informed. Stay inspired.

Msgr. Mike