Dear Friends in Christ,
Here are a few updates from the parish for the week of Sunday, December 13, 2020, the 3rd Sunday of Advent:
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1) Families of Parishes Announced: |
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This past week, Archbishop Vigneron announced the full list and wave assignments for the Families of Parishes groupings.
Our parish will join Our Lady Star of the Sea, St. Lucy, St. Veronica, and St. Basil the Great Parishes to form one family. We have been assigned to wave TWO which begins on July 1, 2022. A full list of the family groupings can be found by clicking here:
The Family groupings have been compiled in the last few months through consultation with the auxiliary bishops and priests, a process steeped in prayer and with attention given to the best interest of each community.
Going forward, these Families of Parishes will work together, sharing resources and talents to further advance the shared mission of our local Church.
To help us all better understand why we are moving in this direction, Archbishop Vigneron has written a Pastoral Note on Families of Parishes, providing some theological context for the transition and introducing a renewed structure for parish ministry to more effectively equip them for their missionary work. Like all Pastoral Notes released in recent years, this new text is informed by and expands upon the steady foundation of Archbishop Vigneron’s 2017 Pastoral Letter, Unleash the Gospel.
Below is a quick video that helps further explain the whole notion of Families of Parishes.
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Further details about Families of Parishes can be found on the Families of Parishes website: familiesofparishes.org (you can access the website by clicking on the link below):
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2) Christmas Mass Schedule: Based on the Christmas Mass survey and the lived reality of what our attendance has looked like on the weekends, we’ve made some changes to the Christmas Mass schedule.
The schedule for Christmas Eve will be
4 PM, 6 PM, and 10 PM.
The schedule for Christmas Day will be
8 AM and 12 Noon.
These Masses will be live and live-streamed.
We will have two 4 PM Masses as we have done in the past. Father Andrew will be the celebrant of the 4 PM Mass in Church, and I will be the celebrant of the 4 PM Mass in the Emmaus Hall. The option of having Mass in the Gym presented some logistical and accessibility obstacles. It was also clear people wanted a “live” mass rather than a streamed Mass into that second location.
We also decided to create areas in both places to seat larger family units and areas to seat individuals or couples. This plan will allow us to maximize our seating as best we can.
And, as you will note, there will be no Midnight Mass. Instead, the Midnight Mass has been “moved” to 10 PM (if this weren’t 2020, I would say this move was a SURE sign your pastor is OLD).
The Mass schedule for the Feast of the Holy Family will remain the same as our current weekend mass schedule, namely 4 PM and 6 PM on Saturday and 8 AM and 12 Noon on Sunday.
I will be sending out multiple announcements and emails about our schedule change and other logistics for Christmas weekend in the coming days. I will also post this information on the electronic signs. Any help you can offer in spreading or sharing this news will be greatly appreciated.
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3) Third Sunday of Advent and the PINK Candle: Many often ask why the third candle in an advent wreath is pink. Today is called GAUDETE Sunday which is the Latin word for REJOICE. We are called, based on our readings and antiphons today, to REJOICE that the Lord is near. Click on the image to download a one page PDF on the meaning of Gaudete Sunday.
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4) Opportunity for Confession on Monday and Tuesday of this Week: Given that we could not have our normal SERF Communal Reconciliation Services because of the pandemic, each parish in the SERF Vicariate will have opportunities for individual confession on MONDAY (December 14) from 6 until 8 PM and then again on Tuesday (December 15) from 2 until 4 PM.
For our parish, the set up will be the same as we have for our regular confessions. Chairs will be set up in the Gathering Place and confessions will be heard in one of two conference rooms.
The layout of the rooms is such that you can go face to face or behind a screen.
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5) Advent 2020 Sponsorship Appeal: Each year we make a special effort to raise money to help cover the costs of items we use and the services we rely upon throughout the year. Our appeal looks a little different this year since we’ve added some COVID-related expenses while removing others pertaining to in-person events, etc. It is my great hope that next year we will add all those items back to this appeal, and our facilities will again be filled with the faithful in community and fellowship.
This sponsorship request allows you to see your generosity at work in some direct ways and it brings to light some of the daily expenses we face in our parish. I’ve listed the annual budget for each item, suggested sponsorship amounts, and the number of sponsors we need to meet that expense. This approach allows many to help in a way that best suits their abilities. Please keep in mind that all amounts are suggested. If you can’t meet the proposed sponsorship, please give what you can and know that all gifts are appreciated and necessary.
Donations can be made by completing the Sponsorship Appeal Form (click on the image above to download a PDF copy of it), on the St. Joan of Arc website (or by clicking on the button below), or at the Parish Center. Sponsors will be acknowledged unless indicated otherwise.
I cannot thank you enough for your generosity in all that you do to make St. Joan of Arc such a warm, welcoming and vibrant parish.
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6) Advent Calendar for Children: The Advent season is a time for us to prepare our hearts and minds as we near the celebration of our Lord’s birth on Christmas. Try one of these faith practices each day and then color in the calendar square as you count down to Christmas. Don’t worry if you miss a day or need to change the activity. Do your best to keep focused on Reason for the Season.
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7) Advent Calendar for Adults: Here is an Advent calendar from the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops). Download the PDF by clicking on the picture to the left.
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8) Blessing of a Christmas Tree: As many families start to put up their Christmas tree(s), here you will find short prayer of blessing that can be done with your family. Click on the image to download a PDF copy of the blessing.
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9) Dispensation from the Obligation to Attend Mass Extended: Archbishop Vigneron has extended the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass until Ash Wednesday, February 21, 2021. Please click on the link below to read the full text of Archbishop Vigneron's letter.
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WE MADE IT! AMEN! ALLELUIA! As of today, we have raised $200,563 in pledges and gifts. That means we have reached 101% of our goal. This amount represents gifts from 713 families.
I am grateful to those who helped us reach our goal!
We have a pledge balance of $17,058.40 (the balance of outstanding pledges). Any amount that is raised over our goal once all the pledges are paid out, will go to our Capital Campaign Fund. Thank you for your extraordinary generosity!
Here is a breakdown by gift range:
$2,500+ (9)
$1,000+ (28)
$500+ (69)
$250+ (95)
$100+ (280)
$75+ (22)
$50+ (96)
$25+ (70)
$10+ (40)
$0.25+ (4)
I would ask that you please prayerfully consider making a one-time or a monthly gift today if you have not done so already.
The easiest way to give is electronically. Please click on the link below to make an electronic gift. If you wish to give by check and do not have your envelope, please complete your pledge card (this is important so we get credit for your gift), make your payment payable to “Catholic Services Appeal (CSA)” and send it to:
Catholic Services Appeal
P.O. Box 44077
Detroit, MI 48244-0077
Also, if you make your payment electronically through your bank, please be sure to use this address (and mark your ID number in the memo field).
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11) Holy Hour this Week: Please consider spending some time with the Lord at Holy Hour this week. This week's Holy Hour will be silent (no music).
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12) This Sunday's Readings - Sunday, December 13, 2020
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13) Grow+Go for the Third Sunday of Advent:
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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. Look for Grow+Go in our weekly emails. |
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14) Sunday Reflection by Jeff Cavins:
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In this week’s Encountering the Word video for the Third Sunday of Advent, Jeff Cavins brings us a message of hope as we prepare for the coming of Christ. |
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15) 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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16) This week's edition of TALLer Tales:
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Finding Hope in the midst of Utter Sorrow: The week after Thanksgiving was an emotionally draining week for me. In my thirty years of being a priest, I’ve had to walk with several families who have lost a loved one to suicide. But this week was different in that I had two suicide funerals back to back. One was for Odin, a 20-year-old parishioner who ended his life on Thanksgiving evening. The other funeral was for Steve Finn, my brother-in-law’s brother, who ended his life the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. As many know from reading TALLer Tales, our family is very close to the Finn Family, and my sisters and I consider the Finn siblings as if they were our own brothers and sisters. There’s hardly a holiday or gathering that goes by that we’re not all together. With two back to back suicide funerals in a matter of days, I cannot get my mind off the fact that we do not deal with mental health crises or mental health illness very well in our country. I’ve seen things behind the scenes while visiting mental health facilities and have heard many firsthand accounts of the struggles many have in finding the right rehab center or right doctor. I wish we did so much more for people with mental health illnesses!
Odin had just finished Thanksgiving dinner with his family. He was only 20 years old and had a whole life in front of him. He loved being around the water. He was in the middle of applying to the Coast Guard and was looking forward to his aspiring career. But for some unknown reason, Odin ended his life shortly after the family finished their Thanksgiving Day dinner. He made the mashed potatoes. He was laughing. He was participating in the meal. Then, he went up to his room after dinner and hung himself. It didn’t make sense. There was no note. There were no signs. Nothing. When I got the call late Thanksgiving night, Odin’s mom, Ingrid, was sobbing and just kept saying, “This is no way to solve a problem.” Obviously, there HAD to be a problem. But Odin’s mom, his siblings, his friends still can’t figure out what would have caused him to end his life. Many knew, even his family, that Odin didn’t like sharing his feelings. When there was a problem or when he was dealing with something, like when his dad died years ago, or just the normal stuff teenagers go through, Odin would immerse himself in his video games. When Odin’s dad died, the family did go to counseling, but Odin didn’t participate in the sessions that much. Video games became his outlet. But video games can’t heal or offer advice.
Odin’s mom and I had a conversation just before I began writing this column. I wanted to make sure she was okay with me sharing some of Odin’s story. She wanted me to share the story in the hopes that Odin’s story might help other families. Ingrid fears that the social isolationism occurring because of COVID is simply driving more and more young people into their video games. We need to encourage our young people to talk, to talk to trusted adults, to talk to their peers. Not by text. Not by chatting. We may not be able to get together with many people, but we can engage in conversations around the dinner table or by Zoom or Facetime. We need to get our young people talking … not only talking about what’s going on in their life but also talking about their feelings. Why Odin took his own life will forever remain a mystery. Only God knows why. And it’s in God’s hands that we entrust this troubled soul for the healing he needs. As I said at Odin’s funeral, if God’s love can penetrate locked doors, if God’s love can heal the crippled, bring sight to the blind, and raise Lazarus to new life, then God’s love can also heal Odin.
Steve was my brother-in-law Jay’s brother. Steve and his wife Becci and kids live next door to my sister and brother-in-law in Allenton. There were ten kids in the Finn family. Jay and Steve are now deceased. As I stated above, our family is very close to the Finn Family and have been since my sister and Jay met. There isn’t a family celebration or holiday that we’re not together.
Steve was gifted in so many ways. He was a phenomenal carpenter and loved to fix anything that needed fixing. Yet, these very gifts and talents became the downfall of his life and are what led to him dealing with mental health crisis after mental health crisis for the second half of his life. He always strove for not just perfection but ABSOLUTE perfection. And that became THE problem. It was in the building of his house that we saw the illness go into a tailspin. He had in his mind what the absolute had to be, and he would be thrown into a mental health crisis when the absolute didn’t or couldn’t happen. His mind just never stopped. He had a full-time career as a firefighter and fire engine operator. He excelled at his job and always functioned well at work. At home, he was a different person. Our family feared this day for years. He had been in and out of many mental health and rehab centers. He was always willing to try. And he tried so desperately hard to get help. His latest was at the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health Treatment and Recovery. And that’s what was so challenging about Steve’s death. He tried SO HARD. Yes, he talked about ending his life in the past and had plans, but the family was always able to get him help. We thought he was on the rebound this year, but he went into another tailspin late this summer. We were used to the ups and downs. Many of us were on his speed dial, and he would call on the way home from work in Detroit or when he was at his worst at home. Sadly, many of us have been with Steve when he was curled up like a ball in a bedroom closet. We’ve been with him when he was at his lowest, but he always seemed to rebound. He always did better in the spring and summer, but winters were the absolute toughest for him. I fear the thought of another winter compounded with all the issues and realities of our COVID world, became too much for Steve to consider.
Steve’s wife, Becci, beautifully walked with him. She, unlike anyone else, could often get him to check into the next rehab center when he was at his lowest and was starting to sound the alarm that he was done and had no hope. It wasn’t an easy journey for Becci, but she stood by him and was at his side. One of our nephews beautifully said at the funeral home that Becci’s love for Steve gave him many more years of life. And, we are all so grateful for Becci’s love and the gift she was to Steve.
As I was preparing my homily for Steve’s funeral, I went back through some text exchanges I had with Becci. One text stood out. She asked, “Why can’t I understand him? Why can’t I help him?” While I could not answer the first question, the second question had an answer that she didn’t necessarily see. She was helping him with her love for him. As I already stated, it wasn’t an easy journey, but she never gave up on him.
At our 7 AM Mass on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, I prayed for those who suffer from mental health issues. While I had Odin on my mind, I also thought of the many other people I knew who were suffering from mental health issues. Little did I know what was happening at that very time.
After mass, I wandered over to the Parish Center and sat down at my computer. My sister Cindy called and was sobbing. She told me that Steve had just shot himself outside of his house, and she and her kids and Steve’s sister Chris and her husband Don arrived at the house at the same time (they all live next door to each other). My heart sunk. Steve had texted a buddy who was with him at the IAFF Center for Excellence. The text simply said, “I’m done. I can’t take it anymore. Tell Becci I’m sorry.” Steve’s friend immediately texted Becci, who wasn’t home at the time. Becci texted my sister, who then yelled for my nephews who were home, and she also called Chris and Don. They all converged at the house at the same time. By the time they got there, Steve had already ended his life. He left notes apologizing for what he did and wanted to let his family know how much he appreciated all they did for him. Steve said he couldn’t take it anymore. He meticulously left all his papers and important passwords and codes neatly laid out on a table.
My heart just broke for Becci, their kids, Steve’s mom, and siblings. We feared this day for years. What was so difficult at the same time was knowing how much Steve tried to overcome this illness. As I can confidently say I don’t know of any spouse who could have loved more than Becci, I can also say I don’t know anyone who tried harder to get help than Steve. All the needed “ingredients” were there, but the illness was too over-powering.
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Steve was from a family and surrounded by people of great faith. Steve’s mom would regularly and quietly pray the rosary at Steve’s house when Steve was at his worst. She stood vigil by him and for him and was a consistent intercessor for him before the Lord. Steve’s siblings would answer those phone calls and drop anything to help him in times of crisis. Steve was so loved. Even though his illness stretched the entire second half of his young 48 years of life, people never gave up on him. Did it get tiring at times? Yes. But given the ups and extreme downs we witnessed, you always knew that the time you gave him was important and helped save a life.
Sadly, Steve questioned whether God loved him. I’ll never forget a conversation I had with him when in the midst of some profound tears, he asked, “WHY would God ever love ME?” Steve always saw himself as imperfect and worthless. He thought he was a terrible spouse, a terrible dad, a terrible son, a terrible brother. He felt he was too imperfect and too much of a sinner to be loved by God. Nothing we said ever convinced him otherwise. At our many family events that often included mass at St. John the Evangelist Church in Allenton, Steve would always have difficulty walking into Church. He felt he was unworthy to be in God’s house. It was always so sad.
Last year, Steve’s mom, Violet, his sisters Chris and Cathy, and I met Steve at the Capuchin monastery. He worked at Engine House 41 on Warren and Rohns not far from the Monastery. The plan was to visit the tomb of Fr. Solanus and ask the friars to allow me to wear one of Fr. Solanus’ stoles while I anointed Steve. The whole experience at the Monastery with Steve was so grace-filled. After I anointed him, he fell into my arms and cried for what seemed like an eternity. Amid the tears, he kept saying that all he wanted was to be healed.
As I was praying and preparing for the funeral, I saw the family chose the Gospel of the raising of Lazarus. Usually at funerals we don’t have the whole story included, namely the part where Jesus goes to the tomb and asks the stone to be rolled away. But the more I prayed about this, the more I realized I needed to include the whole story because of Jesus’ words to the crowd when Lazarus came out of the tomb, “Untie him and let him go free.”
My reflection on the Gospel had two points. One was the question Jesus asked Martha when he said, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Martha’s response was a resounding, “YES, Lord, I believe.” I shared that our prayers for Steve and our belief in Christ’s power to bring people to new life have incredible power and assist Steve in getting the healing he so desperately wanted. As we know from the Gospel accounts, sometimes it was the faith of the person needing the healing, and other times it was the faith of those who brought the one needing healing that allowed Jesus to perform his miracles. So our YES to the Lord and our belief in Christ’s power to bring healing, wholeness, and new life to Steve do truly assist in bringing that miracle to Steve.
What is that miracle then? The miracle is for Steve to get the healing he needed. The miracle is for Steve to know he was truly loved by God and was worthy of His mercy. Ultimately what I want for Steve, something our entire family wants for Steve, is for him to hear from the Lord himself, “Untie him and let him go free!”
Both funerals made me realize once again we have such a long way to go to bring about effective, compassionate and healing care for those who suffer from mental illness. We have to do a better job of reaching out to people, now more than ever, to let them know of our love and support. Often it’s a listening ear that’s needed. We have to encourage parents to engage in meaningful conversation with their kids, and there is no better place for that than at the dining room table. We live such busy lives that the busyness can often cause those who need help to think they are a burden to family and friends when they reach out for help. If you are in need of help, please reach out to a family or friend and do what you can to get professional help.
May Odin and Steve receive from the Lord the healing they need. May those who have mental illness receive the care and healing they need and realize they are beloved children of God and that God walks with them. They are never alone.
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Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.
In Christ,
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17) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
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I’ve always enjoyed camping. There’s something about going back to basics, having to use shoe laces to tie your tent to a tree because you left the poles at home, cooking pancakes on a rock because you forgot the pan, discovering that you can fall asleep with a tree root pressed into your back.
I’ve always been struck by those moment when the first morning light becomes evident. On the horizon there’s a glimmer of the sun that has not yet risen, and a promise of a new day that has yet to begin. The dark night of the forest is about to be forced aside by new light. The cold and uncertainty of the dark night begins to diminish. They say that the sky is a kind of pink/ purple in the early morning.
These images are reflected in today’s rose-colored advent candle and optional rose vestments priests can wear on this Sunday. My own rose vestment has the purple of Advent throughout it. It reminds us that we are still in this season of Advent, but the lighter rose color and the gold banding reflects the character of a celebration that could otherwise seem like any other Sunday.
Gaudete Sunday calls us to reflect on St. Paul’s exhortation in the second reading, “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks!” We have great reason for hope and for thanksgiving this Advent season.
Peeking through the darkness of a world that’s had a lot of darkness this year, through the penitential aspects of Advent and the ways the season has been calling for us to keep watch and prepare ourselves, is now this light, a lighter and brighter color, a sign of the great joy that is coming into our lives, now visible on the horizon. That joy is Christ the King, who is “already, but not yet.” He is the Son who has already Risen, the one who is here with us, but on whom we still wait with great hope and anticipation to be born at Christmas.
This is the two-fold purpose and character of Advent. We wait to experience Christ born anew for us, that we might rekindle the sense of joy we ought to have as God continues to love us, the way He always has. So give thanks and rejoice always.
When I was in the seminary, my house-job was that of sacristan. On one occasion the Archbishop was visiting and had requested the seminary’s rose vestment set to be prepared. I set out what I thought was the correct vestments and was preparing everything else for mass when I got a call to come to the sacristy. Apparently, colorblind seminarian Andrew had not put out the rose vestment set at all! I apologized to the Archbishop, “I’m sorry, Archbishop, I know what a rose is, I’m just not sure what color it is!” Bishop (now Archbishop Byrnes) was in the room and backed me up: “I know what you mean…. I only had 8 crayons in my box,” he said.
One year I thought I’d hit on a million dollar Advent idea, a niche in the market for seminaries worldwide. Every year, Sacred Heart purchased a new set of Advent candles, and every year, we used the first purple candle, the second purple candle, the third rose candle….. and that was it. Then the semester ended and we all went home… So why does nobody sell a 3 candle Advent set for seminaries?! And you don’t gain a free set every 4 years using up the unused 4th candle because you still need a rose-colored one! It’s not clear how far my idea went, but if anyone’s looking to make their fortune in 2021, you can have that idea on me.
Rejoice always in the Lord! He rejoices in you. You are the expression of His great joy, bubbling over into creation. We know how the Christian story unfolds, from birth to death to resurrection and to new life. This is Advent and we await Christmas, but, in some sense, it is also an Easter moment because we can see now that the Savior is coming close and soon He will be here, an infant, born of Mary and the Holy Spirit, coming to rescue us. A new day is coming, and the darkness will be forced aside.
So the tree is up, the Advent Sundays are racking-up as we begin the 3rd week of 4. If you are anything like me, you barely thought about Christmas shopping yet. (Thankfully, Amazon.co.uk, not .com delivers within the UK, so it has become my last-minute store of choice to deliver to my family without me having to wait and pay for shipping!)
The advertiser tell us constantly that it’s “not too late.” Indeed it is not too late to review your preparations for Christmas and for Christ’s Second Coming. Not too late for you to continue to work on making your Advent preparations worthwhile.
Hopefully you have some idea of your Christmas plans and plans for mass.
Maybe you’ll be in attendance, maybe you have need of making use of our live-streaming. But in whatever way you choose to join us—join us! You are important to this community and to our celebration of the coming feast days. And know of our prayers for you and your families.
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You are in my prayers this week.
Fr. Andrew
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This week's LIVE Stream
Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:
Monday (December 14):
7 AM - Mass
Tuesday (December 15):
7 AM - Mass
8:30 AM - School Mass (Upper Grades)
Wednesday (December 16):
7 AM - Mass
8:30 AM - School Mass (Lower Grades)
Thursday (December 17):
7 AM - Mass
Friday (December 18):
7 AM - Mass
Saturday (December 19):
1 PM - Wedding of Matthew Mastay and Anne Yunker
2:30 PM - Baptism of Easton Joseph Shelton
4 PM - Mass
6 PM - Mass
Sunday (December 20):
8 AM - Mass
12 Noon - 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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Click on the image below
to download a copy of our Sunday Bulletin
for December 13, 2020
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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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