1) Happy Father's Day: Fathers for Good Website |
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At their national convention years ago, the Knights of Columbus launched a great website on fatherhood that I encourage all dads to visit. Located at fathersforgood.org, the site offers men of all ages invaluable information and insight to assist them in excelling in their vocation of fatherhood. As the authors of the site state, “Whether you are a seasoned dad, a new dad, a dad to be, or a single guy wanting to know more about fatherhood, this Web site is for you.”
The authors of the site remind us that a Father is: 1) a work in progress, 2) called by God the Father, and 3) “an ordinary man who is called and equipped to do extraordinary things from day to day – work, provide, protect, pray, get involved with his family and be there as an example for his children and to be faithful to his wife.”
Located on the site’s homepage is a featured article by the site’s editor Brian Caulfield called “Household Holiness.” The quick-read article is a good reminder that fathers are called to daily acts of self-giving sacrifice with their loved ones. The article concludes with this paragraph which is an excellent reminder for all dads: “This is good news for us fathers, who seem to struggle just to get through the day and provide for our families in reasonable comfort. Our mission is not to save the world or convert those in far-off lands. Our field is at home, our place of work, the upbringing of our children, the devotion to our wife. Day by day, yes by yes, we can build a life of holiness and happiness, in the small acts of sacrifice born of love, as we lead and serve the ones whom God has given into our care.
To access the Fathers for Good website, click on the image below:
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2) Father Rich's Beatitudes of a Dad |
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If you are interested in downloading a copy of Father Rich's Beatitudes of a Dad that was read at all the masses, this weekend, click on the button below. |
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3) 'I Am Here' campaign shares power of the Eucharist in a 'uniquely Detroit way'
Partnership between the Archdiocese of Detroit, Hallow app a response to U.S. bishops' call for National Eucharistic Revival
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From Detroit Catholic — It was 3 a.m. during a parish-sponsored retreat, and Marie Wilkie of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Farmington Hills was in her pajamas, drowsily sitting before the exposed Blessed Sacrament in the chapel.
Wilkie wasn’t very familiar with Eucharistic adoration, but she was drawn to the presence of the Lord before her.
While chaperoning students on a trip to St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Karen Ervin of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth stumbled into an adoration chapel. Following the example of the nuns praying before the Blessed Sacrament, she sank to her knees. Overwhelmed with emotion, Ervin got up to leave, and Christ clearly spoke to her, saying, “Stay with me.”
Over and over again, Christ calls out from his exposed place in the adoration chapel and invites his beloved children to stay with him, to sit in silence and be present with him — “I am here,” he says.
These stories are at the heart of the new I AM HERE campaign, a partnership between the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Hallow app created to support the U.S. bishops' three-year National Eucharistic Revival and to inspire people to encounter Jesus in the Eucharist and experience his transformative power.
The revival will kick off locally June 19, the feast of Corpus Christi, when Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron will lead a two-mile Eucharistic procession from the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament to Sacred Heart Major Seminary.
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Dear Friends in Christ,
This year’s Catholic Services Appeal (CSA) theme comes from the First Letter of Peter: “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” (1 Peter 4:10). It’s a call for hospitality and service, and to “let love for one another be intense.”
The Catholic Services Appeal is an opportunity to celebrate the ways our Church in Detroit responds to the material and spiritual needs of individuals and families. Our 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 makes it possible for more than 170 ministries, services, and programs to love intensely and to bring the indescribable joy found in Christ to our communities.
Our CSA goal this year is $211,447. 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.
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: sja.aodcsa.org 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.
Assuring you of my prayers, I remain,
Sincerely yours in Christ,
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5) CSA Update as of June 19, 2022 |
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I am grateful to those who have already contributed to CSA 2022. As of today, we have $74,120 in pledges and gifts toward our $211,447 goal ($61,411 has been paid thus far toward our total pledged amount). This amount represents gifts from 254 families (we have 3,317 families registered). We have thus achieved 35% of our goal!
Here is a breakdown by gift range:
$2,500+ (3)
$1,000+ (17)
$500+ (16)
$250+ (38)
$100+ (106)
$75+ (4)
$50+ (33)
$25+ (30)
$10+ (6)
$0+ (1)
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) SJA's Family Faith Camp: July 26-28, 2022 |
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7) Preschool and Elementary Summer Storybook Hour Starting in July |
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Our parish will soon join the other half of the dioceses in being formed into a Family of Parishes.
Our family consists of St. Joan of Arc, Our Lady Star of the Sea, St. Basil the Great, St. Lucy, and St. Veronica Parishes.
To learn more about Families of Parishes please watch the two short videos below or click on the link below to check out a FAQ site the Archdiocese of Detroit has developed to answer questions about Families of Parishes.
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How Will Families of Parishes Work? |
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Introducing Families of Parishes |
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Click on the image below to visit the FAQ Site about Families of Parishes |
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9) Ukraine Relief Efforts |
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If you are interested in supporting the Catholic Church's relief efforts for the people of Ukraine, please click here to donate through our OSV Online Giving Platform. |
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10) This Sunday's Readings - June 19, 2022, The Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ |
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11) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins |
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Jeff Cavins reflects on the readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. He discusses the Tradition of the Eucharist handed down to us through Christ and addressed by Paul in the Second Reading, and he shares his thoughts on the Gospel story of the multiplication of loaves and fish.
Sunday Readings:
First Reading: Genesis 14:18-20
Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 110:1, 2, 3, 4
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
Gospel: Luke 9:11b-17
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12) Bishop Barron's Reflection for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ |
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Friends, we come this weekend to the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and the Blood of Christ. The Eucharist, as Vatican II famously said, is the source and summit of the Christian life—that from which Christian life comes and that toward which it tends. It's the alpha and the omega of our Christianity. Our three marvelous readings today bring forth three key aspects of the Eucharist: re-presented sacrifice, blood covenant, and spiritual banquet. |
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13) Grow+Go for the Solemnity of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ |
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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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14) 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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15) This Week's Edition of TALLer Tales |
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Details, Details, Details: Have you ever noticed that you are moving so fast in the midst of your day that you sometimes don’t pay attention to the minuscular details involved with a task. But sometimes, those little details can make it or break it with a task!
Last Friday, my nephew Adam had his white coat ceremony at the University of Detroit Mercy Dental School. At this ceremony, the aspiring dentists receive their white coats as they enter the clinical stage of their education. There were some 150 “dentists to be” who were part of the White Coat Ceremony and some 25 graduating dental hygienists. Not only do the aspiring dentists and graduating dental hygienists receive their white coats, but they also recite an oath to maintain their profession’s highest moral and ethical standards. It was a great event and indeed a milestone in their educational career. Congrats, Adam (and SJA Class of 2013 Alumnus Jordin Valenti, who is in the same class).
Given that each “dentist to be” could only invite four people to the ceremony, we planned a little party back at the Parish Center immediately after the events at UDM for the rest of the family. Knowing we wouldn’t gather until maybe 7:30 PM or later that night, we opted for simple finger foods rather than a full meal. My mom and I decided we would get the bulk of our supplies from Costco. My plan was to pick up my mom earlier in the day and then make the trek to Costco, load up on things, and then drop everything off at the Parish Center before we trekked off to the main campus at UDM for the festivities. And, God bless my sister Jackie and nieces McKenzie and Kerry. They got “stuck” setting up and prepping for “Uncle Mike’s” party for his Godson! It was technically “my” party, but they did all the work .. isn’t that what older brothers and uncles do?
As my mom and I arrived at Costco, she asked me what I thought of the wooden carved relief of the Blessed Mother and Child Jesus she bought for her neighbors Paul and Ruth, who live across from her. Paul and Ruth kept an eye on the condo during the renovations and often retrieved packages, and even had to deal once with a door that blew open and set off our alarm. They also had to deal with the unsightly dumpster that was often parked in my mom’s driveway. So my mom bought them a beautiful wooden carved relief she got from an artist down in South America.
As my mom and I were discussing this wood carving, I told her I hadn’t seen any pictures of it yet. “Yes, I sent you a picture of it yesterday,” she told me. I paused, then made the dreaded mistake of saying first without thinking, “NO, you didn’t.” “Yes, I did. And you even responded, “WOW. It’s very beautiful.” I was baffled and even more confused because I supposedly responded. Now I get tons of emails and texts, and depending on how many are hitting me at any given moment, I may take a glance at them and move on with my day with the hopes I will return to them later and respond (UNFORTUNATELY, the “return to them later and respond” doesn’t always happen … SORRY). My quick glances are often to make sure there isn’t an emergency that needs my immediate attention.
Once we parked at Costco, I quickly pulled out my phone and looked through the texts my mom had sent me over the last few days. I was sweating bullets, truly hoping the picture wasn’t there. As I scrolled through my mom’s text, I showed her I didn’t get any pictures from her of the carving. Now she was baffled and went straight to her phone because she was certain she had sent it to me. She found the text and showed me, “See, here it is; I sent it to you yesterday. And here is your response.” As she started showing me her phone, she sighed loudly and said, “WAIT A MINUTE … did I send it to the wrong Mike?” Sure, enough, she sent it to the wrong Mike. She then started laughing and wondered what else she had sent him. As she quickly scrolled through her phone, she found a text from a couple of weeks ago which was a screenshot of an email that was actually a scam. She sent the screenshot with the question, “What should I do?” Supposedly I texted back in all caps, “DON’T DO IT.” So my mom dutifully followed her “son’s” advice! As we investigated further, the Mike receiving and kindly responding to these random texts from my mom wasn’t me after all but her salesperson Mike at Dorian Ford (her lease is up, and she is in the process of leasing a new vehicle). “Dorian Ford: Going Beyond Normal Customer Service” could be their new tagline. We were howling with laughter as we were walking into Costco. She was now curious how many other random texts she sent him, thinking she was sending them to me. She realized she hit “MIKE” rather than “ICE-MIKE” (ME – ICE standing for In Case of Emergency Mike). Details, details, details. But when sending a text, you have to be careful who gets them! I’m just glad Dorian Ford Mike was quick and right with his responses! I wonder how many other random texts poor Mike gets from his senior customers!
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Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers.
In Christ,
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16) Tire Tracks in the d’Arc |
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No Price Too High: The Eucharist was my biggest stumbling block to accepting the Catholic faith. God knew that, of course, and He used it to make it the powerful focus of my conversion. This being Corpus Christi Sunday, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, I thought it would be good to share the story of someone who inspired me in my conversion, although I never met him in person until some time later.
Alex Jones was an "on-fire" Pentecostal Evangelical minister in Detroit who was a dedicated shepherd of his church in Detroit. He greatly loved his people and they loved him. In seeking to give his congregation the most genuine experience of the early Church prayer and worship services, Alex had asked his congregation if they were interested in finding out what early Christian prayer looked like so perhaps he could introduce them to a more authentic form of worship on Sundays. He didn’t know what that might look like, but his people agreed that they were interested in knowing more, so he set about researching.
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He carefully read Scripture, the early Church Fathers and writings of the early saints. He researched and began to add elements of early worship to his Sunday services. The more he read, the more Alex came to the startling conclusion that the present-day Catholic Church - and the Holy Mass - is the same "worship service" from the very earliest Church. Nothing could have been further from his Pentecostal upbringing. In fact, at first, even as he added some of the elements he read about, he wasn’t making the connection to the Catholic Church for himself. He’d been taught that Catholics were “the most wicked people on the face of the earth,” he recalls in his book “No Price Too High” (which I highly recommend).
Alex began to share his findings with his church. Some of them did see Catholic tradition in what was being given to them and they confronted Alex about this. He denied any Catholic intentions, but he continued to research. Some of his congregation and even his own family began to have concerns for his mental health. But ultimately, the evidence became overwhelming and Alex could no longer hide from what he had uncovered. He knew he had discovered the authentic Christian faith as Jesus had intended it. He knew he could no longer continue to pastor his evangelical community and he resigned his position, losing his income and many friends along the way. But he could no longer live and teach a faith he knew to be short of the truth.
After a lot of personal and financial difficulties related to his resignation and conversion, he, and over 50 of his church members and family, joined the Catholic Church at Easter in 2001. Alex then went on to study at Sacred Heart Major Seminary and was ordained a permanent deacon, preaching the Catholic faith with the same passion he’d always had.
Sadly, he passed away suddenly in January 2017, at the age of 70. I heard Dcn. Alex preaching at the Detroit Men’s Conference, in the midst of my conversion and I was captivated by his passion and honesty. He was a Catholic deacon but had maintained his fiery Pentecostal preaching-style. Ultimately, his words and his story were very influential in my vocation to the priesthood.
The first Catholic Mass Dcn Alex attended was in 1998, actually in Farmington Hills, at the parish that I would first be assigned to, a few months after his death. In his book, he writes, “I walked in and thought, ‘Wow, this is how it is done.’ I was transfixed. I could see all the elements I that had learned about – and were millennia old – in operation. It was awesome!”
What Alex was acknowledging was what the entire Christian world had accepted for the first 1,500 years after Jesus instituted the Eucharist at the Last Supper. There was nothing symbolic about the Eucharist. When Jesus said, “This is my Body; this is my blood,” it was understood that the bread and wine that passed through His hands at that Passover meal changed into His very body and blood. And when He told his Apostles, “Do this in memory of me,” He was giving authority and power to the Apostles to continue to consecrate these same elements in His name, making it a memorial celebration – making a past event, His sacrificial offering, present every time they celebrated the mass.
The second reading today from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians pre-dates even John’s gospel teaching on the Eucharist. Paul is reporting what he knows to be true, little more than 20 years after Jesus celebrated the Last Supper in the Upper Room with His disciples, and even before the Apostle John has recorded it in his gospel.
Alex’s research and his experiences attending masses, led him to begin to make changes in his own church’s worship services. “What finally drove [my elders] away was the Eucharist,” he wrote, “saying it was the Body and Blood of Jesus…. I said ‘It’s in the Bible. It is in Church teaching.’
Some of Jesus disciples walked-away at a difficult teaching; some do today, but that changes nothing of the truth, or the teaching. We receive Jesus’ Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. Wow!! If we walk away it’s because we really do not understand what is happening here. If we receive Him, how could we ever do this casually or unthinkingly? The Servant of God, Fr. John Harden commented that “faith in the Holy Eucharist is THE TEST of whether a person is a Catholic or not. And no one cheats here because God knows whether a person believes or not.” We may not fully understand - we will never fully understand, but faith bridges that gap where our senses fail. What a gift we have been given.
Thank Jesus today!
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You are in my prayers this week.
Fr. Andrew
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17) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz |
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How the Eucharist Changed My Life
Why do less than 30% of Catholics believe in the Real Presence? It seems like many have forgotten that Jesus gave his flesh for the life of the world.
Today, Fr. Mike reminds us of the gift of the Eucharist and shares the way it transformed his own life. It is the heart of our faith, our spiritual nourishment, the bread that we live for, and the teaching worth dying for.
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18) Words on the Word: June 19, 2022 - Formula for Prayer
Maslow’s hierarchy of needs shows that, unless our basic requirements for food and water are satisfied, we can’t even begin to concentrate on and work toward increasingly important and profound things.
It’s a reality that Jesus clearly understood in his ministry. He ate often with his disciples and other followers, as we know. And when he came to the end of a long day of preaching, and the crowd was hungry, he likewise had a plan.
“He said to them, ‘Give them some food yourselves,’” we hear in today’s gospel passage from St. Luke. “They replied, ‘Five loaves and two fish are all we have, unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people.’”
Jesus then proceeded to multiply the loaves and fishes so that the 5,000 people assembled to hear him had their physical hunger sated, the better to attend to their spiritual hunger.
And while we continue, 2,000 years later, to share in the eucharistic feast Jesus would later initiate, there are times when people nevertheless still go hungry physically.
At the time of this writing the nation was facing a shortage of baby formula, causing the most vulnerable among us to acutely feel the pangs of hunger.
There were larger strategies being put into place to address the issue, but, in the meantime, people of goodwill were finding ways to help.
One story on a national media website reported on a Texas restauranteur who had a supply of more than 300 cans of baby formula that he shared with mothers and fathers in his area desperately seeking sustenance for their infants.
A small gesture, perhaps, but one that certainly answered, in its own way, Jesus’ call to “give them some food yourselves.”
We are called to do the same.
© 2022, Words on the Word
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19) The Bible in a Year Podcast by Father Mike Schmitz |
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If you’ve struggled to read the Bible, this podcast is for you.
Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast, hosted by Fr. Mike Schmitz and featuring Jeff Cavins, guides Catholics through the Bible in 365 daily episodes.
Each 20-25 minute episode includes:
- two to three scripture readings
- a reflection from Fr. Mike Schmitz
- and guided prayer to help you hear God’s voice in his Word.
Unlike any other Bible podcast, Ascension’s Bible in a Year Podcast for Catholics follows a reading plan inspired by the Great Adventure Bible Timeline® learning system, a groundbreaking approach to understanding Salvation History developed by renowned Catholic Bible teacher Jeff Cavins.
Tune in and live your daily life through the lens of God’s word!
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20) 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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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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22) Mass Intentions for the Week: |
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Monday, June 20, 2022, Weekday
7:00 a.m., Sister Silveria Conte and Sam & Grace Valenti
Tuesday, June 21, 2022, Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious
7:00 a.m., Giovanni Ciccone and a Special Intention for the Family of Tina Calisi
Wednesday, June 22, 2022, Weekday Saint Paulinas of Nola, Bishop; Saints John Fisher, Bishop and Thomas More, Martyrs
7:00 a.m., Charles Miller and Phyllis DeMars
Thursday, June 23, 2022, The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
7:00 a.m., A Special Intention for Rachel and Joseph Allemon on what would have been their Wedding Anniversary
Friday, June 24, 2022, The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
7:00 a.m., George and Lucille Bugarin and Katarina Marie Goitz
Saturday, June 25, 2022, Vigil for the Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
4:00 p.m., Salvatore (Sam) Ciaramitaro, Bonnie Batche, for the deceased members of the Batche Family, Sam & Grace Valenti, Nick & Ann Marie Cantrell, Pio & Josephine Alberti, Joseph Snyder, Allen Laturno, Dan & Pat Wyllie, and Special Intentions for the J. Champine Family, for the Thomas Family, for Monsignor Mike and for Mr. & Mrs. James Belloli on their 59th Wedding Anniversary
6:00 p.m., Joan Weber & Dr. Lori Karol
Sunday, June 26, 2022, Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
8:00 a.m., For the Intentions of Saint Joan of Arc Parishioners
10:00 a.m., Joseph Paluzzi Jr.
12:00 p.m., Peter & Louisa Sarra, Anna Mae Reinhard, Andy Ferguson and Special Intentions for the Loupe Family, for the Family of John Korich, for the Niemi family, for the Berglund Family, and for the Franklin Family
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23) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE: |
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This week's LIVE Stream
Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:
Monday (June 20):
7:00 AM - Mass
Tuesday (June 21):
7:00 AM - Mass
Wednesday (June 22):
7:00 AM - Mass
Thursday (June 23):
7:00 AM - Mass
7:00 PM - Holy Hour
Friday (June 24):
7:00 AM - Mass
Saturday (June 25):
1:00 PM - Wedding of Shannon Dusaj and James Chapman
3:00 PM - Baptism of Benjamin Michael Dmitruk
4:00 PM - Mass
6:00 PM - Mass
Sunday (June 26):
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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24) SJA's Bulletin for Sunday, June 19, 2022 |
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Click on the image below
to download a copy of the bulletin
for May June 19, 2022
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25) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List |
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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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