Week of August 4, 2024

1) Mission Appeal - PIME Missionaries

Over the weekend, we welcomed Father Daniele Criscione, PIME, for our annual Mission Appeal. 

As US Mission Center Director, Fr. Daniele has played a pivotal role in shaping the global reality of missions through technology. A takeaway from his time in youth spiritual animation in Italy, he is no stranger to using technology for evangelization. Fr. Daniele saw the possibility, provided by Zoom, to join our friends closer than ever before with PIME Missionaries around the world. Now, over distances that once seemed immeasurable, our missionaries can join our families at home in prayer.

From the Detroit Catholic:

Live close to Christ, live close to the people, and the people will find Christ.

It’s this mentality that drives Fr. Daniele Criscione, director of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions' (PIME) Detroit Mission Center in northwest Detroit.

As the mission center director, it’s Fr. Criscione’s responsibility to cultivate relationships with the local Catholic community to support the PIME missionaries' work around the globe.

With about 500 PIME priests, brothers and seminarians serving in 19 countries, the projects are as diverse as the institute itself, providing foster care, schools, food pantries clothing and building up communities around the world.

“We build chapels, dig wells, help with leprosy center and colonies — really many things,” Fr. Criscione told Detroit Catholic. “But what we really try to do is just to be with Jesus, and through our life and works, to inspire people to make Jesus known.”

Fr. Criscione often counsels those who believe they have a calling to the missions, and he tells them the same thing: More important than going to the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel, the main goal of a missionary is live in friendship with Jesus, something everyone can do in their own backyard.

“People think the role of a missionary is to proselytize, but that’s not what we do,” Fr. Criscione said. “Our goal is actually to live closer to Jesus, and then each one of us will be a martyr to a certain extent. The word 'martyr' comes from the Greek word that means 'to witness.' If you’re a martyr, you’re a witness. 

Read More HERE

If you are interested in helping to support the PIME Missionaries, please make an electronic gift by clicking the link below or write a check to SJA with the memo field: Missions. Special envelopes will be available for this purpose.

If you already have an OSV online account, please remember to sign in first (top right corner), or you can give it as a guest.

2) CSA Update

If you have not yet given to this year's CSA, please do so soon. We still need to raise $29,289 to reach our goal.

You can give online by clicking on the link below, by calling in your pledge/gift, or by picking up a CSA packet in the Parish Center or in the Gathering Space of Church. Your gift is important and enables us, the Church in Detroit, to carry out Christ's ministry of mercy and love throughout southeast Michigan and beyond — works no one individual or parish could possibly do alone!

3) The Violinist - A Documentary about Blessed Father Solanus Casey

From Detroit Catholic

DETROIT — Most Detroit-area Catholics are familiar with the story of Blessed Solanus Casey.

The famed “porter of St. Bonaventure” was a struggling seminary student who, under the guidance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, went to Detroit and found a vocation as a simplex priest and humble doorman who gave spiritual counsel to hundreds upon hundreds of people.

But a new documentary is taking a fresh look at Blessed Solanus, through the eyes of the people who knew him best.

“The Violinist: Stories of Solanus Casey,” an Augustine Institute film that premiered July 27 at the Solanus Casey Center in Detroit, tells the story of the holy man — and alleged mediocre violin player — through the perspective of people who knew him best.

“The Violinist” is less a straightforward narrative about Solanus Casey’s life, and more an opportunity to catch a glimpse of Fr. Solanus’ real impact on people’s lives, explained Emily Mentock, executive producer of “The Violinist” and co-founder of Digital Continent.

“The story isn’t about all the incredible things he’s done or a complete biography detailing his life, but insights from people he knew,” Mentock told Detroit Catholic. “It features his friends, family, and people he lived with speaking about what his everyday holiness looked like, and the impact he had on people he met personally, which led to, eventually, so many people wanting to attend his funeral and mourn his passing that the city of Detroit had to declare a day of mourning to celebrate him.”

Read More

Watch the Trailer BELOW

Our parish has a subscription to FORMED.ORG. Sign up today for free to watch the 30-minute documentary and other resources available on FORMED.ORG. Click on the image below to watch the documentary (if you don't have an account on FORMED.ORG, search for our parish to sign up).

4) SJA's New High School Youth Group

5) Faith Formation Registration

6) Ascension's Bible and Catechism App

7) Holy Hour on Thursdays

8) This Sunday's Readings: August 4, 2024 - the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

9) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

The Catholic Eucharist in the Bible

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. The readings are:

First Reading: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54

Second Reading: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24

Alleluia: Matthew 4:4B

Gospel: John 6:24-35

10) Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Everything in This World Passes Away



Friends, in the midst of our country’s great Eucharistic Revival, we continue our reading of the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John. And this week, I want to reflect on a line that names something so spiritually basic: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life.”

11) 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.

12) 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.

13) TALLer Tales

Drivin’ Ms. Daisy to the UP (Part 2): From what I can remember, this is only my third time traveling in or through the UP. I must say, from the moment you pass over the bridge, it’s like you’re in another world. Immediately, there is a sense of peace and tranquility. There is beauty everywhere you turn. The pace of life is so much slower. It’s just different and beautiful; it’s hard to describe. The drive along US 2 is absolutely picturesque. The two times I’ve traveled along US 2 upon arriving in the UP have been with the sun setting or soon to set. It’s just so beautiful. There are so many scenic roadside lookouts that you could stop every 10 minutes or so to take in the incredible beauty. And, even if you stopped at EVERY scenic lookout or roadside park, you would NEVER be bored or say, “This was a waste of time.” And, what’s also cool about the drive along US 2, especially along the long stretch from the Mackinac Bridge to the Garlyn Zoo Wildlife Park, which is a span of about 40 miles, you see people parked on the side of the road just sitting down at the sandy shores of Lake Michigan, enjoying the sunset, a swim or a canoe or paddleboard ride. It’s just peaceful and beautiful. One of my new “bucket list” items would be to travel through the UP during peak fall color season. That would be even more incredible!

Yes, life is much different in the UP. Other than the busyness you’ll experience in the bigger cities like Sault Ste Marie, Marquette, and Houghton, you won’t find a lot of “rush hour traffic” anyplace else in the UP. You could travel sometimes 3 hours before running into a town that “might” even have a gas station. We were even warned before going, and it was a wise tip that you should never let your gas tank go down below the halfway mark because of the lack of gas stations in the remote areas of the UP. AND, you need to carry some cash. Because cell service is so spotty, you can’t always be guaranteed that you can use a credit card. While we carried cash just for this purpose, we were always able to use our credit card; however, finding gas stations in the remote areas that sold diesel was often difficult. 

AND, then (remember I’m a newbie at all of this), you had to be careful whether you were getting regular efficient diesel (for on-the-road vehicles) or recreational diesel (for off-the-road vehicles). Most gas stations selling diesel had both at the pumps; it was confusing at first. I also had to get used to two different diesel pumps. I’m not used to these things “downstate,” as people in the UP say. There was the regular diesel pump (like I’m used to) and a wider nozzled high-pressure pump. I quickly learned the wider nozzled pump was for semis. Even getting diesel became a learning experience that took a few days to grasp.

On our way back from Copper Harbor, the most northern tip of the UP, we stopped in the quaint little town of Hancock, a little hill at one end of the Portage Canal Lift Bridge just outside Houghton on US 41 to get some fuel. We pulled into this gas station just before the bridge. I pulled up to a pump and noticed a young kid, maybe a late teenager, just standing near the pump. I didn’t think anything of it at first. The gas station reminded me of something straight out of the Andy Griffith Show. It was just a quaint little gas station. As I was getting out of the RV, I noticed there was another kid talking to another car on the other side. The two boys looked like they could have been twins. Again, I didn’t think anything of it. As I reached for my wallet to pull out my credit card, I finally asked the guy, “Can I help you?” I didn’t know if he was standing there for a reason or needed something. He piped up proudly and said, “No, we’re a FULL-SERVICE gas station. I’m here to help you!” WOW! You’ve got to be kidding. Immediately, I thought I MUST be in Mayberry! A FULL-SERVICE gas station? When was the last time you ever heard of such a thing? So, I gave him my credit card, watched as he tapped it on the card reader, and then pumped my diesel. He gave me my receipt, and I returned to the van and told my mom the story. Oh my, this confirmed my feeling that life in the UP … IS different!

Getting to Know Bishop Baraga (Part 2): Since being introduced to Bishop Baraga last year, I quickly learned on this trip that I’ve been saying his name wrong. I was saying Bishop BAR-a-ga. It’s really said Bishop BEAR-a-ga. The Baraga name is found all over the UP.

After the death of his parents, the young Frederick Baraga caught the attention of Dr. George Dolinar, who, though a layman, was a professor of Canon Law in the seminary in Ljubljana. Dr. Dolinar “adopted” the young Frederick as his protégé. With the advent of the Napoleonic Wars, the young Frederick was introduced to the French language, which would become essential later in his missionary life. When he was 19, he entered the University of Vienna to study civil law. One of the biographies I read said, “As an unusually bright and obedient scholar, he acquitted himself well in all his studies, but was especially apt in languages. He was always neat in appearance, took good care of his health and shunned alcoholic liquors. Although his chief diversion was painting, he enjoyed also long recreational walks, particularly during vacation time. Among these were some long hiking trips by which he unknowingly prepared himself for the many fatiguing journeys that awaited him in the fulfillment of his life’s work (The Apostle of the Chippewas: The Life Story of The Most Rev. Frederick Baraga, DD, by Joseph Gregorich, pub. 1932, p. 14).

While in Vienna, the young Baraga got to know the noted confessor and preacher, Saint Clement Maria Hofbauer, a Redemptorist priest, teacher, and reformer. The young Frederick started to imbue his own life with St. Clement’s zeal and holiness. At about the same time, Frederick was engaged to be married to the daughter of his friend and now guardian, Dr. Dolinar. However, as Frederick continued to study, his conviction in a religious life began to grow. “He became more reserved, more serious-minded. One of his comrades, in fact, noticing this change in Frederick’s interest, remarked in jest that Anna, his fiancée, would never be his wife. Frederick vowed that, after a year, he would marry her. However, a short time later, God’s call began to assert itself, and during his last year at the university, he made a sudden but firm decision to espouse Holy Orders. His decision was the product only of much deliberation. Nonetheless, it surprised his relatives and friends, since Baraga had confided his secret to no one until he felt satisfied that he was fitted for the vocation that he was about to choose. The fact that he loved and respected his benefactor, Dr. Dolinar, to whom he felt much indebted, made his decision difficult indeed (The Apostle of the Chippewas, p. 16).” In the autumn of 1821, after graduating from law school, Frederick Baraga entered the diocesan seminary in Ljubljana.

More to come.

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers!

In Christ,

gmb@sjascs.org

14) Voiland's View

As Catholics, we desire to live good lives and be good people. We want to be able to say that we are proud of ourselves as moral individuals. Understandably, we most likely are never thoroughly satisfied with our moral standing before God. We know that we continually struggle with our weaknesses and imperfections. We cave in to desires that then prick our consciences. We are bothered by inclinations that we know aren’t fitting for someone who calls himself or herself Christian. So, we continuously evaluate our behavior. We try to decide if we go enough for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Or do we readily seek forgiveness from God for our sins at the various opportunities offered at each Mass we attend? Are we doing a good job or not?

Seeking forgiveness for our sins, and trying to live an upstanding moral life, comes through a good examination of conscience. First, we must figure out what we feel sorry for and, even further, what we should be sorry for. Interestingly, doing a good moral checkup is more of an art than a science – at least, it is in certain respects. Not every moral judgment is cut-and-dried – prepackaged for easy consumption. This complicates our moral stability . . . and we don’t like such complications. We much prefer moral judgments to be clearly black and white, thumbs up or thumbs down, right or wrong. Such rigid simplicity is especially evident in how we treat other sinners. Folks are particularly quick to convict others of their wrongdoing. People will tell others all about their lives, and how they’ve messed it up. But they often don’t truly know the person they convict, or their hearts, their minds, or their spirits. Understanding righteousness and sinfulness can be tricky at times.

Establishing legitimate culpability for certain sins requires some serious thought and commitment. We need a deep desire to know the truth. We need to think about how the Lord sees our behavior. Then, how do we see ourselves when we are in the midst of sinning or not sinning? What is going on in our hearts? We can be overly harsh on ourselves for no good reason, or we can let ourselves off the hook for serious offenses. Neither extreme is good. What we should truly seek is the central reality – the truth – of our motivations.

One sin that can be tricky to solidly nail down is coveting. Coveting is a big deal. Two of the Ten Commandments specifically mention it: #9 – Don’t covet your neighbor’s spouse, and #10 – Don’t covet your neighbor’s goods. Coveting underlies a lot of sin. But what does this rather strange word really mean? Coveting involves an inordinate or extreme desire to possess something, to control it, to master it, to make it your own. (If you are familiar with The Lord of the Rings, think of “My Precious!” – possession of the power of the Ring!) Coveting involves the deep desire to possess something that I have no right to have.

Understanding covetousness is where some grayness can cloud our ability to clearly see the black and white distinction between right and wrong that we prefer. The murkiness comes when we realize that just because someone or something is attractive to us does not automatically mean that we crave it for our own. We can recognize that the next-door neighbor is really good-looking, but if we check ourselves there, at that realization, we’re safe. It is when we step over the line of moral correctness and think to ourselves, “I want her” or “I want him,” then we have lost it, and fallen into sin. The same goes for the neighbor’s Lamborghini. Nice car . . . but it’s not mine.

Where the inclination to covet can be exceptionally strong is when what we covet doesn’t really seem like much. If a couple is struggling in a marriage where husband and wife are either at each other’s throats all the time, or maybe barely acknowledge each other’s existence, the attention of someone who is just willing to listen and be civil can be understandably tempting. Or, when it feels like torture going to work endless hours at a miserable job, for a miserable boss, just to barely feed the kids, all those vacations that the people across the street take all the time feel like a crown of thorns. Many people bear real crosses.

The combination of the crosses we bear and the generous bounties we sometimes find heaped upon us leaves us in a delicate position. We are always in flux. Yet, regardless of our life circumstances at any one time, we are always obligated to do the right thing. We must live according to God’s law of love for him and our neighbor. Love plays out in a fine balance between justice and mercy. Being just and merciful isn’t easy, though – especially in a world that is all about ME. We are obligated as Catholics to care about God and others, while we care about ourselves, as well. Spending time contemplating the fine line between appreciating something and coveting it can help us develop a sense of moral balance.

Perspective is everything in the moral life. Seeing with eyes of Faith and the heart of Christ keeps us on the true path. We become more consistently thankful, not only for the things we have, but for the things other people have, too. This leads us to treat ourselves better and, at the same time, to show others how to be more thankful themselves. God is good! Praise the Lord!

Fr. Bob

rvoiland@sjascs.org

15) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

If You’re Tired of Needing God

Sometimes life brings us down. Difficult situations cause us to become discouraged. This is natural (and inevitable). But there’s another kind of discouragement that comes from a sense of “I should be better than this”, or, “I thought I was better than that”.

Believe it or not, the root of that discouragement is pride—a desire to be strong without God’s help.

Today, Fr. Mike breaks down this phenomenon, helps us to recognize it in ourselves, and gives us some tips to let go and draw our strength from God alone.

I posted this video from Fr. Mike a few weeks ago, but I'll keep it here for a few more weeks because it gives a great introduction (only 10 minutes long) to understanding the WHOLE Bible so you can then understand its many parts.

16) Words on the Word: August 4, 2024 - On Guard

Sometimes, even when it seems like a “no brainer” that something is being done with the right intentions, it’s prudent to consider the ways in which it might backfire.

Consider the headlines a few weeks ago in Florida, where, according to some recent headlines, a new law has been passed encouraging volunteer chaplains to work in schools to offer what one story said was “additional counseling and support to students.”

On its face, that probably sounds like a promising idea. 

The law, however, which many media reports said was most likely intended to bring elements of Christianity into the schools, does not limit or specify the religious affiliation the chaplain must have. And that, in turn, has left the door open to a “religion” that recognizes and honors the evil one as its inspiration.

It’s not the first episode of its kind in the United States, and it almost certainly won’t be the last. How this ultimately plays out, of course, remains to be seen, but it’s worth using this set of circumstances as a reminder that each of us is confronted with lies and deceit in our lives. 

And we’re called to be mindful of those challenges and to vigorously orient our hearts and minds to Christ.

“I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds,” St. Paul writes to the Ephesians in today’s second reading. “That is not how you learned Christ, assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and 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.” 

© 2024 Words on the Word

17) 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.



18) 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!

Sean Beeson - Catholic Arts Today

Sean Beeson is a composer who has written pieces for Disney, McDonald’s, Google, Taco Bell, and (above all) Spirit Juice Studios. His primary inspiration throughout his career as a professional composer has been his high school sweetheart-turned-wife, Laura. She told him, “If you’re going to worry, don’t pray. But if you pray, don’t worry.”

Now, over ten years later, this Catholic father of five reveals the secret to his success. “Stay rooted in your faith. When God is at the center of your faith, your life flourishes.”

19) Hallow App:

20) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, August 5, 2024, Weekday, Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Margaret Mary Major (Green/White)

7:00 am: Leonard Mastay

Tuesday, August 6, 2024, The Transfiguration of the Lord (White)

7:00 am: Mary Ann Ryntz

Wednesday, August 7, 2024, Saint Sixtus II, Pope and Companion Martyrs, Saint Cajetan, Priest (Green/Red/White)

7:00 am: A special Intention for the Family of Tina Calisi

6:00 pm: Dorothy & Leon Potwardski

Thursday, August 8, 2024, Saint Dominic, Priest (White) 

7:00 am: Agnes & Jack Hubbard 

Friday, August 9, 2024, Weekday, Saint Teresa of the Cross, Virgin & Martyr (Green/Red)

7:00 am: Special Intention for Tom & Diana Ziolkowski on their 50th Wedding Anniversary

Saturday, August 10, 2024, Vigil for the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

4:00 pm: Mary Ann Ryntz, Bonnie Batche, Jack Catalano, Charlotte Miller, Mary Lou Racine, Roseann Coules, Thomas J. Pollack, Martin Krall and Special Intentions for Thomas Sloan, the J. Champine Family, the Thomas Family and Alison Reslow

6:00 pm: Michael & James Forrester

Sunday, August 11, 2024, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

8:00 am: The Intentions of SJA Parishioners

10:00 am: Agnes Bousho

12:00 pm: Dennis Venuto, Joseph Paluzzi Jr., Jose` P. Bernardo & a Special Intention for Alison Reslow

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

This week's LIVE Stream

Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:

Monday (August 5)

7:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Funeral for Donna Hakim (Read Obituary HERE)

Tuesday (August 6):

7:00 AM - Mass

Wednesday (August 7):

7:00 AM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Thursday (August 8):

7:00 AM- Mass

7:00 PM - Holy Hour

Friday (August 9):

7:00 AM - Mass

Saturday (August 10):

10:00 AM - Memorial Mass for Bob Scarfone

12:30 PM - Baptism of Michael A. Morrow

1:30 PM - Baptism of Henry S. Mastay

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Sunday (August 11):

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.

22) SJA's Latest Parish Bulletin

Click on the image below

to download a copy of the bulletin

for August 4, 2024

23) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List

24) Detroit Catholic