Week of October 29, 2023

1) The Solemnity of All Saints - Wednesday, November 1, 2023

While there are many beautiful feasts and solemnities in the church’s calendar, the celebration of all the saints is one of my favorites. The Solemnity of All Saints is a Holy Day of Obligation. 

Our Mass schedule for the Holy Day:

Tuesday, October 31

7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 1

7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

The Solemnity of All Saints celebrates all the saints, the known and unknown ones now in heaven. Through this great communion of saints, we help one another achieve sanctity. They, like us, were often ordinary people who answered God’s call to serve in some capacity. They had struggles. They had ups and downs. They doubted. They had dark nights of the soul. But they persevered in their commitment to Christ. They were sinners, like you and me, who had fallen but then had the courage, with the grace of God, to stand back up.

A few years ago, I received an email from my favorite icon store, Monastery Icons. The email wasn’t the typical sales email but contained an article entitled “7 Reasons Why the Saints are Important.” The article opened with these words: “In these challenging times, it’s wise to ‘get back to the basics’ and reflect on what a great gift we as Christians have been given in the examples and the living intercession of the saints. Let’s consider just seven of the many, many reasons why the saints are important in our lives.”

1: The Saints are REAL. Reflecting on the fact that the saints were real is an excellent place to start. The saints and their stories and words were not legends or some equivalent to superheroes or two-dimensional historical figures, however inspiring. They lived on earth and still live in the heavenly world. 2: The saints struggled with the very problems we do … and much worse. The saints had to deal with limitations on Christian worship and speech. As a result, the saints know what we are going through. They lived through similar circumstances and will respond to our calls for help. 3: The saints are our heavenly helpers. Throughout the church’s history, the faithful have called upon the saints to respond to our prayers, to bless, protect, heal, and sanctify us. As the saints themselves turned to saints to help them on their journey on earth, we should call upon the saints to help us on our earthly journey. 4: The message of the saints’ lives and teachings is timeless and timely. While we may never face a demanding emperor or torturer, the supernatural courage and heroic examples of the saints who had to face their own challenges should inspire us as we face the challenges and persecutions of our day. 5: The words and actions of the saints are a sure guide and authority on how we should live. With material on FORMED, YouTube, and other places on the web, it’s easy to learn about the saints, their challenges, and their heroic virtues. As such, search out this material, learn about the saints, and allow their words and examples to guide your earthly journey. 6: The saints are the best role models for sanctity. “If we make the remembrance of the saints our constant companion and study, we will find their example becoming the measure for our own behavior. You become what you contemplate….” 7: Make friends with the saints, and they will be with us and help us. “Christian tradition clearly shows us the way to open a window into heaven. If we place the icons and images of the saints in our home and church, honor and pray to them (especially on their feast days), and remember to always turn to them for guidance and help in every need, however great or small, we can experience for ourselves their blessed protection, healing, and intercession.”

Saints of God, PRAY FOR US!

2) Dr. Edward Sri: All Saints Day: Remembering Ordinary People who Loved Extraordinarily

As the Catholic Church gets ready to celebrate All Saints Day, Dr. Sri reminds us that this great solemnity is not just about remembering those great canonized saints, it’s also about recognizing all those unknown holy men and women who faithfully followed Jesus throughout the ages. Dr. Sri invites to reflect how God may be calling us to be saints and to love extraordinarily in our ordinary circumstances.

Snippet from the Show: On All Saints Day we remember all the holy women and men, both canonized and unknown, who loved God and others extraordinarily in their ordinary circumstances.

3) SJA's Annual Memorial Mass - Thursday at 7:00 PM

On Thursday, November 2, the Feast of All Souls' Day, at 7:00 PM we will gather as a parish family for Mass to remember all those whose funerals took place at SJA over the course of the previous year. Please join us as we commend these faithful departed to the loving hands of Christ the Lord.

4) Schedule Changes this Week

With the Solemnity of All Saints and then the Feast of All Souls' Day, our normal Wednesday/Thursday schedules will be slightly changed.

On Wednesday, we will still have confessions starting at 5 PM (and we will remain there until the start of the 7 PM Mass). Then, we will not have Mass at 6:00 PM, but rather at 7:00 PM for the Holy Day.

Then, there will be no Holy Hour on Thursday at 7:00 PM; our Memorial Mass will take its place that night.

5) World Mission Sunday

World Mission Sunday: Last Sunday wasWorld Mission Sunday, a special day when we unite ourselves with Catholics throughout the world to pray and sacrifice for the missionary efforts of the Church.

Every year, the needs of the Catholic Church in the Missions grow – as new dioceses are formed, as new seminaries are opened because of the growing number of young men hearing Christ’s call to follow Him as priests, as areas devastated by war or natural disaster are rebuilt, and as other areas, long suppressed, are opening up to hear the message of Christ and His Church.

Mission dioceses – about 1,110 at this time – receive regular annual assistance from the funds collected this weekend. In addition, these mission dioceses submit requests to the Dicastery for the Evangelization of Peoples for assistance, among other needs, for catechetical programs, seminaries, the work of Religious Communities, for communication and transportation needs, and the building of chapels, churches, orphanages, and schools. These needs are matched with the funds gathered each year. The world’s national Propagation of the Faith directors vote on these requests, matching the funds available with the greatest needs. These funds are then distributed, in their entirety, to mission dioceses throughout the world.

Our gifts go a LONG way in these mission dioceses. Special envelopes are available in the Church for our World Mission Sunday Collection. You can donate online too by going to mission.stjoan.church or by clicking the link found in my Sunday email or on the home page of our parish website.

Please keep the Church’s missionary efforts in your prayers so that the Gospel may continue to be heard even to the remotest parts of the earth!

6) The Rescue Project

7) Celebrating Archbishop Vigneron's 75th Birthday

As he turns 75 years old, Detroit’s chief shepherd sat down to reflect upon the joys, blessings, and challenges of his priestly and episcopal ministry. From unexpectedly being called home from Oakland, California, in 2009 to calling for a historic synod of the Archdiocese of Detroit, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron said he’s grateful for God’s surprises along the way.

As required by canon law of all bishops who reach age 75, Archbishop Vigneron submitted his resignation to the Holy Father on October 21. He will continue to serve as Detroit’s archbishop until Pope Francis accepts his retirement and appoints a new archbishop for Detroit, a process with no determined timeline.

Show your gratitude for Archbishop Vigneron on his 75th birthday

In honor of Archbishop Vigneron’s birthday and coinciding with Respect Life Month, we invite you to prayerfully consider making a gift in support of Walking with Moms in Need, a ministry in the Archdiocese of Detroit through which our parishes are equipped to accompany pregnant and parenting moms in need. All funds raised in honor of Archbishop Vigneron will directly support these efforts to build a culture of life throughout southeast Michigan.

We also invite you to share a personal prayer or well wishes for our Archbishop. The fruits of this effort – your gifts and your prayers – will be shared with Archbishop Vigneron.

8) Michigan March for Life

9) SJA's Annual Feather Party - November 20, 2023

10) Ascension's Bible and Catechism App

11) This Sunday's Readings: October 29, 2023, 2023 - The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

12) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

"The Greatest Commandment" + The Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

In this week’s Encountering the Word video for the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jeff Cavins teaches how we can love God in a tangible way. The readings are:

First Reading: Exodus 22:20-26

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 18:2-3, 3-4, 47, 51

Second Reading: 1 Thessalonians 1:5C-10

Alleluia: John 14:23

Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40

13) Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Classic Sunday Sermon: God’s Rules for Life

Friends, the Books of Moses teach that the three types of Israelite law—liturgical law, ritual law, and moral law—shape and direct God’s people toward holiness and purity. While the liturgical laws have been carried over and the ritual laws largely set aside, the moral laws remain unchanged, for they represent those great abiding intuitions by which our lives should be structured.

14) Grow+Go

15) 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.

16) This Week's Edition of TALLER Tales

Country Livin’: Country living has its perks. On a Sunday afternoon, after leaving SJA to go to a family gathering in Allenton, I feel like I’ve entered another world once I approach Armada. I enjoy watching the changing of seasons in the farmlands. The beauty of spring brings fresh planting. Then, in the summer months, you watch the crops grow. Finally, when those crops have peaked, you watch as they are cut down, and then the land is prepped for another growing season.

Yes, the country has such beauty that we rarely see in the city. The sunrises and sunsets are beautiful. You get to see much more of them because of the open space. The pace of life is different too. But there are some downfalls! The first that comes to mind is internet access. While you may have decent internet access in “bigger” cities like Almont, Romeo, and Armada, the options are minimal when traveling north on Capac Road in Allenton. My nephew JJ and I often joke that we should create our own Internet company out there, and we’d be rich!

Then there are the endless deer that roam through the fields. You also have to protect your pets from wandering too far outside because coyotes can be heard at night. Then there are all the other critters you just have to work around because you’ve chosen country livin’!

Not too long ago, my sister Cindy and my niece McKenzie were complaining about a foul smell that was most poignant as they ascended the staircase from their basement. They looked for days to determine the cause of the smell. They feared some rodent had died and was someplace in the house. So Cindy one day conjured her sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Chris and Don, to stop by the house to see if they could help sniff out the smell.

Chris and Don were all in. They showed up at the house and went directly downstairs. Don was on a mission to find the source of the smell! As they descended the staircase, Emmy, the family dog (a Jack Russell Terrier), ran ahead but kept hovering around the sump pump. Emmy is known for spending focused time around “things,” so the group wasn’t paying too much attention to her. Don, Chris, Cindy, and McKenzie continued to scour the basement. They couldn’t find anything. They were almost ready to give up when they finally decided to pay attention to Emmy and why she was intensely sniffing around the sump pump.

Don opened the sump pump cover, and they started to gag (and laugh from what could have been a great Three Stooges episode). In the sump pump hole were three critters: a decaying large mole, a dead frog, and another frog still alive and swimming his heart out. They grabbed some tongs, retrieved the rodents, and quickly ran them outside to toss in the field. In the end, a drain in their basement egress window didn’t have a cover, so the critters found their way into the sump pump through the open drain. Now Uncle Mike will be dispatched to run his long camera scope through the drain to see if anything else is lurking in those pipes! Ahh, the joys of Country Livin’! You can’t beat it!

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers!

In Christ,

17) Along the Way with Father Adam

Rome Part II

In Rome there are four “major” basilicas. The word “basilica” comes from the Latin term meaning royal palace. The four major basilicas are the most highly ranked Roman Catholic churches in the world. Although they are all located within the diocese of Rome, St Peter’s Basilica is the only one actually located in Vatican City, within the jurisdiction of the Holy See, while the other 3 are in Italian territory (receiving extraterritorial status under the Lateran Treaty). 

These grand churches, some of the most extraordinary in the world, each house a set of Holy Doors that are opened for each Jubilee Year. (If you remember a few months ago I wrote about Jubilee Years in reference to the Year of St. Thomas Aquinas.) The art and architecture within these churches are enough to inspire pilgrims and tourists from every corner of the world – whether they are religious or not.

“Minor” basilicas, on the other hand, are those Catholic churches throughout the world that have been given a special designation by the Holy Father. Reasons for bestowing this designation may be granted for architectural beauty, historical significance, liturgical renown, or for any combination of these attributes. We have two here in the Archdiocese of Detroit – The National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica and the Basilica of Ste. Anne de Detroit.

Last week I wrote a little about St. Peter’s Basilica and today I want to share about the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls (Basilica di San Paolo Fuori le Mura). This 4th century neoclassical church, founded by Emperor Constantine over the burial place of St Paul, is the 10th largest in the world, covering nearly 100,000 square feet. It is truly grand with glimmering mosaics on its façade and enormous colonnades lining the inside. 

The church was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1823, but was reconstructed identical to its previous form and reopened in 1840 as a result of Pope Leo XII’s outreach for donations. In 1891, a gunpowder explosion destroyed the church’s stained-glass windows, which have since been replaced with more durable copies of translucent alabaster.

In the picture of the altar, it’s hard to see, but the grate covers an opening into which you can see the grave of St. Paul. The small lighted box above the grate holds a piece of chain in which St. Paul was bound when he was taken to Rome to be tried and killed.

St. Paul (also called Paul of Tarsus or Saul) was a Roman citizen of Jewish origin and has become one of the major figures in the Christian tradition.

Born in Tarsus (Turkey) in the 1st century AD, Paul was originally a fervent opponent of Christianity. A persecutor of the early Christians, he eventually converted to Christianity, dedicating his life to evangelizing his contemporaries. His ‘epistles’, letters to the early Christian communities, predated the Gospels and are thus the oldest documents of Christianity.

While in Rome, Paul fell victim to the persecution of Christians by Emperor Nero. Sentenced to death, he was beheaded on the Via Ostiense. Shortly after his death, Christians built a shrine over his burial place. The shrine eventually became the church we have today.

OCIA

Just as St. Paul was a convert to the faith, many people in our own community have made the decision to become Catholic, to give their lives to Christ and join the Church that He founded. One of the blessings of our Family of Parishes is that we are able to pool some of our ministries. 

One instance of this is our OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults), in which St. Joan of Arc and Our Lady, Star of the Sea have joined efforts. Hosted here at SJA, we are able to combine instructors and curriculum to offer the best program that we can, to the greatest amount of people. 

You may see the OCIA candidates after the 10am Mass as they head to “class”. Soon they will join us for what we call “Scrutiny’s”, which are official Rites that take place during the celebration of Mass. On those days, the members from OLSS will go to their parish for the Rite and to be a witness at there. Please pray for our all of our OCIA members and ask St. Paul to intercede for them, that they may continue to open their hearts and minds to the love and power of Jesus Christ.

Blessings!

Fr. Adam

anowak@sjascs.org

18) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

Superheroes vs. Saints

Some people pour through comic books like they're devotional works, following the lives of superheroes like some study the lives of the saints.

In this redux from the archives, Fr. Mike interviews sacred artist Neilson Carlin about the crossover between comic books and sacred art, and how the desire to emulate superheroes is truly fulfilled when we follow the saints to Christ.

Be sure to check out Neilson's fine artwork (pun intended) at https://www.neilsoncarlin.com/

19) Words on the Word: October 29, 2023 - Outward Facing

Everybody’s got their list of troubles. For some, it’s physical difficulties – perhaps disease, pain, or some other discomfort. For others, it’s emotional burdens – perhaps heartache over a family situation or a past hurt. For still others, it’s a financial problem – perhaps a job loss or difficulty making ends meet. And for still others, it’s something spiritual – a feeling of desolation or of being lost in their relationship with God.

And whether it’s something being faced by oneself or loved ones, the strain can be immense. It’s particularly gratifying to hear, then, of people who can look outside of themselves, and, even more importantly, to act on the things they see.

The Detroit Free Press did a story a few weeks ago on a Wayne State University student in her late 20s who is raising two children while working toward her undergraduate degree. That combination alone would be about as much as one person might be able to handle. But the story also went on to detail her service as an active-duty member of the Air National Guard, an assistance payment worker for the state (helping people with programs administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services), and her work as an officer for a prominent student group, which brings with it other community service projects.

Not everyone, of course, could or should attempt to cover so many different bases at once. But those who do, notwithstanding their challenges in life, can be an inspiration to us on how we might be able to help others.

“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment,” we hear in today’s gospel from St. Matthew. Then comes this:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

© 2023, Words on the Word

20) This WEEK on FORMED:

21) St. Germaine's Annual Holiday Craft Show

22) Hallow App:

23) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, October 30, 2023, Weekday (Green) 

7:00 a.m., Carlos Mallare

Tuesday, October 31, 2023, Weekday (Green)

7:00 a.m., Sr. Marie Houle, OP & Sally Cabot

7:00 p.m., George Rupinski

Wednesday, November 1, 2023, All Saints (Purple/White/Black)

7:00 a.m., Patricia Rybak

12:00 p.m., George J. Bugarin

7:00 p.m., The deceased members of the Rogier & Dettloff Families

Thursday, November 2, 2023, The Commemoration of All the Faithfully Departed (All Souls) (Purple/White/Black)

7:00 a.m., Hugo Calisi

Friday, November 3, 2023, Weekday, Saint Martin de Porres, Religious (Green)

7:00 a.m., Ron Lagodna

Saturday, November 4, 2023, Vigil of the Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

4:00 p.m., Duane Gore, George J. Bugarin, Sally Cabot,  Bonnie Batche, Rebeca Sandoval, Sam & Grace Valenti and special intentions for the Thomas Family, the J. Champine Family, for Alison Reslow, Pam Haisenleder, Lorraine Jonas, Ray DeFrates, for Pete Casinelli, Elizabeth Buc, Joan Kowaleski, Robert Baulch, for Armand & Diana Matte on their 50th Wedding Anniversary and Prayerful appreciation for the work of the Priests and Staff of St. Joan of Arc 

6:00 p.m., For the deceased Bishops, Priests and Deacons of the Archdiocese of Detroit

Sunday, November 5, 2023, Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time (Green)

8:00 a.m., For the Intentions for St. Joan of Arc Parishioners

10:00 a.m., Phyliss Dedene

12:00 p.m., Antonietta Mazzella, Aniello Mazzella, Bianca Calisi, Antonio Calisi, Sr. Silveria Conte, Editha DeLeon, the deceased members of the Zapytowski, Paul Poirier, Allison Twomey, Arlene & Lawrence Szefler, Jose Medina, Rosario Medina, Jeffrey Hardy, Joan Hardy, Feliciana Punzalan, Dini Hamm, Daisy Marie Buenavista, Donald & Irene McMahon and Special Intentions for Miller & Mutz Families, Pam Haisenleder, Alison Reslow, Lorraine Jonas and Ray Defrates.

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

This week's LIVE Stream

Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:

Monday (October 30)

7:00 AM - Mass

5:00 PM - Baptism of Carter James Biery

Tuesday (October 31):

7:00 AM - Mass

7:00 PM - Vigil Mass for the Solemnity of All Saints

Wednesday (November 1):

7:00 AM - Mass

12:00 PM - Mass

7:00 PM - Mass

Thursday (November 2):

7:00 AM- Mass

7:00 PM - Annual Memorial Mass

Friday (November 3):

7:00 AM - Mass

Saturday (November 4):

10:00 AM - Funeral for Bridget Wirtz (Read Obituary HERE)

1:00 PM - Wedding of Anna Calderone and William Radatz

3:00 PM - Baptism of Rene James Demers

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Sunday (November 5):

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.

25) SJA's Latest Parish Bulletin

Click on the image below

to download a copy of the bulletin

for October 29, 2023

26) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List

27) Detroit Catholic