July/August 2011

Ordination 2011

Meet 3 new priests for the Diocese of Lansing

Dear Fr. Joe: How do I prepare for confession?

Am I a bad parent

if I don’t go to every one of my son’s soccer games?

Cast the upon the World Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you .

(Jn 14:27)

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Be a sign of Christ's peace to those most in need.

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contents 6 yourlife The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

Most Reverend Earl Boyea PUBLISHER

Rev. Dwight Ezop

EDITOR AND CHAIRMAN

July/August 2011 • Volume 12: Issue 6

Patrick M. O’Brien

PRESIDENT/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Elizabeth Martin Solsburg

DIRECTOR OF CUSTOM PUBLISHING/ EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Cynthia Vandecar

MARKETING MANAGER

Patrick Dally

ART DIRECTOR

Michelle Hildebrandt

GRAPHIC DESIGNER/WEBMASTER

Jillane Job

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

InnerWorkings

PRINT MANAGEMENT

Cari Ann DeLamielleure | Michelle Sessions DiFranco | Doug Culp | Dcn. Tom and JoAnne Fogle | Marybeth Hicks | Rev. Charles Irvin | Paul Jarzembowski | Rev. Joseph Krupp | Dr. Gelasia Marquez | Dr. Cathleen McGreal | Andrew Peltcs | Sister Ann Shields | Todd Schulz CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Derek Melot

PROOFREADING

Carlson Productions | Tom Gennara | James Luning | Don Quillan | Philip Shippert | Jonathan Tramontana CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Bob Patten | Chris Sushynski CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS

FAITHTM (USPS 019993) is a publication of FAITH Catholic, Diocese of Lansing, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48906-5550. FAITHTM is a membership publication of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing and is published monthly except for February and August. To purchase a subscription, log on to FAITHmag.com. If you have a change of address, please contact your parish. Periodicals postage paid in Lansing, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to FAITHTM, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing MI 48906-5550. ©2011 FAITH Catholic. FAITH is a trademark of FAITH Catholic.

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Rev. Charles Irvin FOUNDING EDITOR

For advertising information: Call 517.853.7600

table of contents

6 work life How can I make myself fire-proof?

8 parenting journey Am I a bad parent if I don’t go to every one of my son’s soccer games?

8 conflict resolution How can I get people to stop honking their horns ?

10 culture a feast fit for a priest – chicken piccata with mushrooms

12 yourfaith 12 in the know with Father Joe How do I go to confession?

14 theology 101 What will we be saying at Mass? Preface Dialogue, Preface and Sanctus 13 spiritual fitness Forget not love

24

19 yourstories 19 ordination 2011 Meet the 3 new priests for the Diocese of Lansing 22 cover story Artist guided by fearlessness and faith

ordination 2011

19 Liturgical calendar: The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus July 1 | The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary July 2 | St. Elizabeth of Portugal July 4

23 3

from the editors

Summer a time to reflect, a time to plan

I

t usually happens sometime during the first week of June each year. I find myself excitedly thinking that summer is finally here and that things will slow down just a little bit around the parish. After all, by then, most of the major parish events of the spring have been celebrated – Easter, first Eucharist and high-school baccalaureate. With a slower pace, perhaps, summer will offer extra opportunities to spend time with family and friends, chances to enjoy a little bit more time outdoors, fewer evening meetings and a generally slower daily pace. By the third week of June, I usually find myself wondering what I could possibly have been thinking during the first week of June.

saint of the month

St. Clare

the patron saint of television St. Clare was born on July 16, 1194, in Assisi, Italy.

At age 18, her parents wished her to marry a wealthy young man. Clare refused

4

new opportunities to involve parishioners more deeply in the life of the parish?

The slower pace of summer also provides each of us with opportunities to reflect on how we have been involved in the life of our parish communities. Beyond participating in Mass each Sunday, has God been tugging at your heart, encourag-

T. Gennara

In truth, the pace of parish life an opportunity to spend time evaluating the events of the does slow down a little bit duryear that has ing the weeks passed. It of summer, also provides which reflects Has God been a chance to a shift in tugging at your begin thinking focus. Instead about and of the anheart, encourplanning nual milestone aging you for the year events that to explore ahead. What are centered a new way went well? in sacramento take part What might tal preparain the life of be done tion, religious better or education, your parish? differently? the RCIA Are there new and seasons needs that will like Advent, require re-tooling existing proChristmas, Lent and Easter, the months of summer provide grams or ministries? Are there

ing you to explore a new way to take part in the life of your parish? Perhaps serving as a lector, extraordinary minister of holy Communion or altar server? Does the parish office need a volunteer to greet visitors and answer the phones?

Are you being called to share the gift of your faith with the children, youth or young adults of your parish? Is someone like you needed to assist with the parish’s outreach efforts to the poor, the sick or the lonely? Are people needed to offer the gift of intercessory prayer?

Summer is a perfect opportunity to evaluate the many ministries and programs that enliven our parish communities. Summer also provides the same perfect opportunity for each of us to consider how we can offer our many God-given gifts in support of the life of our parish communities. Have a safe, holy and restful summer – and then be prepared for the new opportunities of the fall.

And so our journey in FAITH continues.

Father Dwight Ezop is editor of FAITH Magazine and pastor of the Catholic Community of St. Jude. E-mail: editor@FAITHmag.com.

and joined St. Francis in religious life.

Her sister Agnes and others soon joined Clare at the Church of San Damiano. They formed what would become known as the “Order of Poor Ladies.”

The order concentrated on manual labor and prayer.

When sick and immobile, Clare saw and heard Mass on the wall of her dorm.

For that, she was named the patron saint of television by Pope Pius XII in 1958.

Clare joins Francis in religious life.

– Story and illustrations by Chris Sushynski

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria, priest July 5 | St. Maria Goretti, virgin and martyr July 6 | St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest

Marriage

the wedding day is just the beginning

A

FAITH by the numbers

s I am writing this, I am preparing to celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary. Ten years is one of those milestones that, for me anyway, is a signal to stop and reflect. me and our family. He does it in a thousand little ways that are visible only to me, and sometimes only to God. His love makes real the understanding of marriage as a sacrament and a vocation.

As we celebrate the ordination of three new priests (see page 19), let’s also take a moment to reflect on our own vocations. For many of us, that means marriage.

There is some wonderful information available at www. foryourmarriage. org, a website from the U.S. Catholic bishops.

Take a moment and take a look.

T. Gennara

I’ve been thinking a lot about marriage as a vocation, as something more than what the latest episode of “Bridezillas” would have you believe it is. Despite its depiction on TV, the wedding is not the culmination of the marital relationship – the “happiest day of your life.” It is, rather, the beginning of a new life as a couple, as a family.

My relationship with my husband has given me a glimpse of how the love between a man and woman can be a reflection of the love Christ has for his Church. Every day, Scott lays down his life for

Elizabeth Solsburg is editorial director of FAITH Magazine. She can be reached at esolsburg@FAITHcatholic.com

Her parent’s wishes for her.

The Diocese of Lansing was blessed with three new priests on June 11. See page 19 for more.

37

% of FAITH readers who took our online poll said they’ve encouraged someone to consider priesthood.

80% 13

Online at www.FAITHmag.com

of ordinands were encouraged to consider priesthood by another priest.

25% - 50% of ordinands were encouraged to consider priesthood by family or friends. – CARA Spring 2009

Clare’s order focused on manual labor and prayer.

% of FAITH readers who took our online poll said they knew someone who would be a good priest.

For more information on vocations to the priesthood in the Diocese of Lansing, contact Father John Linden at 517.342.2507

She is the Patron Saint of Television.

t and martyr, and his companions, martyrs July 9 | St. Benedict, abbot July 11 | Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin July 14 | St. Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the Church July 15

5

work life

How can I make myself

Q

a

Given the state of the economy, I’m really worried about my job. I keep hearing about making yourself “fire-proof” at work.

How do I do that?

What does “fireproof” mean? In the workplace, it refers to what an employee should be doing to avoid being laid off or fired. There are four primary areas of performance you will want to monitor. If you are able to measurably demonstrate your accomplishments in each of these areas, you will be taking important steps to protecting and improving your value to your current – or if need be – to a future employer.

1

Problems A problem is typically an area of performance that has deteriorated. Your goal when problems occur in your department is to demon-

strate your ability, individually or as part of a team, to restore performance to previous levels – or beyond. Recognition as a problem-solver has its obvious benefits.

2

Continuous improvements When everything is going fine, instead of coasting, you need to look at aspects of your work where improvements can be made to improve your organization’s overall competitive-

Can being selfish really make you happy?

Is it possible to ignore the needs of a neighbor, friend, child, coworker or stranger while at the same time experience contentment in life?

Anyone who believes that happiness has nothing to do with stewardship is, at best,

6

delaying the sorrow that lies ahead. Maybe that’s why the human heart responds better to kindness than it does to coldness.

A point to ponder: You have a choice to make.

ness. Your ability to move beyond “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” to “I’ve found a way to make things even better” will help you and your organization remain ahead of the competition.

3

Routine responsibilities Such duties are the lifeblood of any organization. These are the things you do day-to-day, which likely take up the majority of your time. Yet, these tasks can be so routine that the volume and quality of your work are overlooked. Ensure others know what you do. Don’t assume “they” know.

4

Personal improvements While the first three categories of performance management are critical to your organization’s short-term success, this category encompasses personal development activities that make you a more valuable employee in the long run. Are you continuing to learn new skills? Are you attending professional development seminars?

Are you taking continuing education classes? Avoid job-skill coasting. Being seen as someone committed to long-term self-im-

9 marriage matters

10 culture

T. Gennara

fire-proof?

8 parenting journey

P. Shippert

yourlife

inside:

Nick Synko is a professional career and workplace issues coach. For more information, visit SynkoAssociates.com and CareersThroughFaith.org. provement can make a “security” difference.

All this being said, no one is “fire-proof.” You can be the best you can possibly be in a declining industry or in a non-competitive organization and still be let go.

Just remember that all your accomplishments today will never be for naught. They can readily become part of your future resume and interview talking points – and be the reason you win that next job opportunity.

Whatever you are able to do – or not – remember that your real “fire-proof” security is in God. Paul wrote in Philippians 4:19: “My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

Trusting in him and his word is your best protection.

living a joyful life You can go through life wanting to be served, or find it in your heart to serve others. Try memorizing the words from Matthew 25: 34-

40. Perhaps then we will be prepared to stand before God and answer the question: “But when did I see you Lord?”

David Eich’s new book, Happiness: Only in the Next, is available now at www.FAITHmag.com

Our Lady of Mount Carmel July 16 | St. Camillus de Lellis, priest July 18 | St. Apollinaris, bishop and martyr July 20 | St. Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and doctor of the Church July 21

Contact Bruce Everett to learn more about advertising in FAITH Phone: 517.853.7650 | E-mail: beverett@faithcatholic.com | www.FAITHmag.com

YOUR

WORD is my delight

A Catholic writers’ retreat

OctOber 5-9, 2011

at the St. Francis retreat center • DeWitt, MI Come! Delight in God’s Word and Sacrament.

Delight in writing in a beautiful and serene retreat setting. Delight in meeting and sharing with other Catholic writers and publishers. (Limited to 60 attendees) For more information and to register, go to www.stfrancis.ws • This retreat is sponsored by St. Francis Retreat Center in collaboration with FAITH Catholic Publishing and Communications and The Catholic Writers’ Guild

Y O U R

L I F E

parenting journey

Am I a bad parent if I don’t go to every one of my son’s soccer games?

Q a

My son is on two soccer teams — one in the rec department and one at school. Now my daughter is on a travel hockey team. My wife thinks we need to go to every game for both kids. I am exhausted each night after a long day at work. Am I really a bad father if I don’t go to every single game?

In the movies, parents sit glued to their seats watching as the underdog team pulls off an amazing play. But as much as we would like to be ever-attentive parents, real life is more challenging than the movies!

Families are systems

Plan a schedule Parents need to talk about the meaning behind game attendance. Is it for the kids? Or does one parent consider it a kind of

“couple time”? What can be done to help with after-work exhaustion? Would taking the dog for a 15-minute walk provide a second wind?

As a couple, plan a two-week schedule and adjust it as you go along and see how it works. Plan a time to discuss the new schedule; breakfast after church on Sunday may be a good time for family feedback. And make sure that the kids are doing age-appropriate household chores, too. Remember that you are all on the same team!

Dr. Cathleen McGreal is a psychology professor and certified spiritual advisor.

How can I get people to stop honking their horns to get their kids’ attention?

Q

a

conflict resolution

I live near a pool where parents drop off their kids to go swimming. When the parents return for pick-up, they sit in their cars and honk the horn — sometimes for five minutes. Is there a way I can get them to stop? in and out. If so, the administration only has to enforce the rule. Also check if there is a city sound ordinance.

Third, ask a few neighbors to join you in a meeting with the administration of the swimming pool to share your concerns. If there is a policy in place, ask them to enforce

it. If not, you could suggest one be created.

If this is done with a sense of concern for the families and their children as well as the comfort of the people in your neighborhood I would hope it would be well received. Just remember to be charitable – the Golden Rule is the best rule.

S. Kendrick

First, ask your neighbors if they share your discomfort and annoyance.

See if any of them will join you in speaking with the pool’s administration.

Second, see if there is a written policy for entering and leaving the pool. Maybe parents are required to walk their children

8

T. Gennara

When children are young, parental work and social activities tend to set the stage for the family schedule. But as children’s activities get added, parents often don’t stop to think of how it will affect the entire family system.

A son enjoys playing soccer and a second team is added without discussion about family activities that will be displaced. A daughter loves hockey and the family is thrilled that she makes the travel team. But those schedules are demanding. Household

chores get set aside; makeshift adjustments add stress. Meal times vary depending on game times and practices.

Parents might wonder what happened to their own exercise plans as they sit on the bleachers. When one parent is exhausted and the other’s expectations aren’t being met, then the system is out of balance. It is time to discuss changes that can nourish the family as a whole. “This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:7)

Dr. Gelasia Marquez is a psychologist and family counselor.

St. Mary Magdalene July 22 | St. Bridget of Sweden, religious July 23 | St. James, apostle July 25 | St. Joachim and St. Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary July 26

he

says:

“My wife’s stepmom should take care of her husband”

she

“My stepmother is neglecting dad.

I want him to move in with us”

Mike says: About three years ago, Cyndi’s dad married a woman who is only a year older than Cyndi. Now, at 81, her dad is ailing, and his new wife doesn’t want to have anything to do with caretaking — but she’s sure happy spending his money.

Cyndi wants to have her dad move in here. I think it’s up to his wife to take care of him or to spend some of his money on nursing home care.

T

What

says:

Cyndi says: I know Mike is angry because we all saw this coming, and warned Dad not to marry her. But what’s done is done – and this is my dad we’re talking about. I can’t stand to see him in pain and ill-cared for.

Money or not, it’s up to us to take care of him.

do they do?

his is a really gut-wrenching situation to face because of conflicted feelings. This is difficult because there are valid arguments on both sides of the issue. On one hand, Cyndi is exhibiting behavior conducive with the Fourth Commandment: honor thy father and mother.

your marriage matters your concern. You could suggest or maybe help with a solution. Remember, however, that the decisions about his care rest with him and his wife. They, too, are a couple and need to make responsible decisions, so be careful that you are not inserting yourself into their affairs and possibly creating a difficult position for you and Mike.

One of the first challenges of married couples is to emotionally separate from their family of origin, which includes parents. Scripture holds that we should honor our parents, but also that a married couple becomes one. To accomplish the latter, both husband and wife must place each other first in their relationship. As a married couple, our parents are no longer our first priority. Our spouses come before our parents. That means that in an area of conflict between parents or a spouse, the welfare of the spouse always should take precedence.

T. Gennara

(i.e. at the expense On the other of her and Mike’s hand, Mike appears marriage relationto be advocating Wanting to honor her ship). that the priority in father by providing care It appears we are their relationship is in his elderly years is a not talking about a based on this Scriptruly admirable motive single parent living ture passage: “For and action when not in poverty with no this reason a man taken to the extreme one to care for him. shall leave his father Mike is right, in and mother [and be concept, to say that joined to his wife] Cyndi’s stepmother and the two shall has the responsibility to care for her husbecome one flesh.” (Mark 10:7-9) band. But concepts do not always transFor many couples, these two apparent late easily or smoothly into reality! conflicting priorities cause extreme anxiety Cyndi may wish to share her and difficulties in their marriage. Mike and concerns about the welfare Cyndi’s situation is not an uncommon issue of her father with his wife. It among couples and families today. For a good percentage of the population, our elder might be helpful to arrange a parents are more healthy and vibrant than in meeting with her and share past generations, leading to the greater possi- your thoughts and feelings, especially if you notice a bilities of these situations. Wanting to honor particular issue that raises her father by providing care in his elderly years is a truly admirable motive and action for Cyndi, when not taken to the extreme Deacon Tom Fogle and JoAnne Fogle help prepare couples for marriage.

9

Y O U R

L I F E

culture

feast T priest

a fit for a

Chicken piccata with mushrooms 10

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

he older I get, the more I realize the value, sacrifice and contributions of the priestly vocation. Sure, most of us know the sacrifices they make as part of the vows of celibacy, poverty and obedience. But that is only the start.

For example, consider the extent to which the priest is the go-to for so many people’s problems. We don’t call priests to tell them we got a promotion, or a

new car, or when we are expecting a new child. We call a priest when our soul is weighted with the loss of a loved one, when an ailing relative needs anoint-

St. Martha July 29 | St. Peter Chrysologus, bishop and doctor of the Church July 30 | St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop

Chicken piccata with mushrooms 4-6 chicken breasts pounded thin 1 cup flour for dredging (on a plate) 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1-2 tablespoons butter 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms 1 tablespoon capers 3-4 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup chopped parsley 1 to 1 ½ cups chicken broth ½ cup white wine juice of one lemon salt and pepper to taste Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour to coat.

Set aside. In a medium sauté pan, heat the butter. Cook the mushrooms for 3-5 minutes. Add the crushed garlic and capers. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover with lid. In a large sauté pan, cook the chicken breasts for 2-3 minutes on each side over medium/high heat.

Add the white wine, lemon

he gives to us. Did you ask a priest to pray for you or a loved one today? Say a prayer for him in return. Did the good monsignor listen to your woes and share some helpful guidance? Why not ask him how you might help out more at the parish before you leave? These are simple acts of love and charity that we can extend to our faithful servants; the priests who heeded God’s call and give

– Photography by Philip Shippert

T. Gennara

ing, or when we are tormented by addictions or moments of doubt. They are constantly asked to give. And with fewer priests around, each of them is carrying a larger share of the load.

Don’t get me wrong, this is part of their vocation and there also are great blessings and advantages that come with the role. But I feel a good goal to keep is to make an effort to give back to a priest each time

their lives for us.

Something that many priests enjoy (when they have the time) is to be asked to dinner. In our family, we like to include priests for celebratory family gatherings or even invite them over for a simple family meal to give them a break from their often-challenging routine.

As with any guest, the question of what to serve emerges.

Sometimes we simply ask them what they prefer to eat. Priests are often exceedingly polite and usually tell us the less than helpful, “I eat anything.”

Should that happen to you, let me arm you with what we call “old faithful.” Pun intended on the ‘faith’ part. It is an Italian chicken dish that cooks quickly and is quite tasty. It’s great for entertaining and everyone loves it – even priests.

juice, salt and pepper. Add the chicken broth, sautéed mushroom mixture and parsley. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes or until the liquid is slightly thickened. Transfer the chicken breasts to a serving dish and pour the sauce (from the pan) over the chicken.

Top off with lemon wedges and parmesan cheese.

Michelle DiFranco is a designer and the busy mom of two children.

p and doctor of the Church August 1 | St. Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop and martyr August 2 | St. John Mary Vianney, priest August 4 | Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major August 5

11

yourfaith in the know with Father Joe

How do I go to confession?

Q

a

Father, it’s been so long for me and I know I need to go to confession: I’m worried about the “How to” of it all … so, how do I go to confession? you to know your sins so that you can claim his mercy. Really settle into that prayer until you are comfortable.

TIP #1: We need to ask God to guide our preparation for this great sacrament. Calling to mind our sins on our own without God’s help can lead to either a profound depression (sorrow without hope) or too lax of an approach.

As you sit there, think of the things you know you’ve done wrong: Don’t sugarcoat them, don’t over-describe them. You and

B. Patten

What a great thing that you’ve decided to return to the sacrament of reconciliation! This moment holds the potential for you to really take the next big step in your relationship with Jesus and his Church! Let’s go through the “How to” of it all. I’ll also include some helpful tips at the end.

So, first things first: You need to prepare. Get your head and heart ready to go. If you can, I recommend you sit down in church (preferably in front of the Blessed Sacrament) and have with you a pen and paper. Ask God to guide your mind and heart to lead

12

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

A magician was driving down the road ... Then he turned into a drive way!

16 Forget not love

T. Gennara

Dear Fr. Joe:

God know exactly what you are talking about. Simply walk through your life and see where you have sinned. There are tons of good guides out there for this; we call them an “Examination of Conscience.” If you can’t find a good guide, there is nothing wrong with looking at your Bible at Exodus 20: 2-17: that’s where you’ll find the Ten Commandments.

Basically, as you look through your life, you are asking God what is present there that keeps you from loving God and receiving his love. You are looking for wounds that you have inflicted on yourself, your family or the people around you.

To be clear, you are not looking for things where other people have wronged you. This is one of the most common mistakes people make in confession. This isn’t a time to describe other people’s sin, it’s a time to confess your own.

So, now you are making your list. If you are not a listmaker type of person, then do whatever it is you need to in

14 Preface and Sanctus

Send your questions to: “In the Know with Fr. Joe” FAITH Magazine, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48906 Or: JoeInBlack@priest.com order to have a clear mind and purpose when you go into the confessional.

Next, look at the times the church offers for reconciliation and put on your calendar that you are going. No matter what happens that day, you are committed to getting to confession and getting right with God. TIP #2: If confessions are listed as being from 1p.m.-2 p.m., get there at 1:00p.m. Stake out your place in line. Often, people will wait for the last minute and show up at 1:50 p.m. and find that there is a line. The priest may have booked something for after confessions. If that’s the case, then you might get frustrated.

Once it’s your turn, head into the confessional. You’ll immediately notice that you have two options: face-to-face or anonymous. Before you go in, you’ll probably want to have a plan as to which you are going to do. If you’re not sure, here are some ideas.

Anonymous: This is my personal preference. In this option, there is a screen or door for you to sit or kneel behind.

This way, you cannot see the priest and the priest cannot see you. As a priest, I like this pref-

Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord August 6 | St. Dominic, priest August 8 | St. Teresa Benedicta o

EVERETT

spiritual popcorn

Can the Spirit be in the soundtrack?

I

f we listen carefully, we can hear summer calling out to us: a warm breeze blowing through the trees, the crack of the bat at a baseball game in the park, the sound of the waves crashing into the beach, the birds chirping in the skies above our heads.

If we’re not careful, we can work ourselves too hard this summer and drown out these graceful tones with the sounds of copier machines, ringing phones and traffic jams.

Even underneath the dialogue and action of our favorite movies there rests a soundtrack we might miss if we don’t take a moment to listen. Do you remember

Read more of Paul Jarzembowski’s thoughts on www. spiritualpopcorn.blogspot.com.

can read his expressions and you’ll say “Forgive me, Father, this. That information can help hopefully, see his passionate for I have sinned. It has been the priest guide you through this conviction when he tells you such and such time since my process! that you are forgiven your sins. last confession.”

I’m out of room, but next So, now you’ve made your Tip #3: Don’t hesitate to tell time we’ll talk about what hapchoice and it’s time to get to the priest at this point if you are pens next. business. The priest will nervous or scared or worried Enjoy another day in God’s begin by making the sign about how to do presence! of the cross and saying out loud “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Father Joe’s book, Smart Answers and Holy Spirit.” At this point, Bad Jokes, is available now at he may say a short prayer www.FAITHmag.com. It’s also availor read a Scripture to able for your Kindle at www.amazon.com smart answers you. When he is finished, &bad jokes Draft

DO NOT PRINT

fr. Joe Krupp

was born in

a priest who proves

God has a sense

of humor

as director of Campus ministry. a regular on Catholic tv and in FAITH magazine, fr. Joe loves to read and teach, as well as watch football. he prays for the Lions regularly.

& bad jokes from

raised in the north flint area, juggler in a wee town as a circus called His brief career montrose. father to an unly short due Joe traveled with lines, cut tragical Youth to Youth involving power Catholic pleasant incident prominence for 10 years, evangeliz evangelization to national Fr. Joe rose ing Catholic as the Fifth youth with skits, 80’s, serving in the mid music and personal of five den“four out testimonies. after to rest dentist in the graduating from . Not content years UM-Flint, Fr. tist” surveys Joe took six Joe went on to Fr. on his laurels, sacred heart seminary on his lauto not rest in detroit, off in order period in his michigan. ordaine after this d in 1998 what he rels. Shortly for the diocese currently writting of Lansing, he life, he is seller” named to be best served at numerou calls a “sure s parishes on Made Me Great”, and How it the weekends “Humility d by a second while working be followe as chaplain at Lansing which will Humble Men Three Most Catholic The volume “The high school in How I Trained and Lansing, healing in the World michigan. as Fr. Joe enjoys t of July 2009, Other Two.” problems brough fr. Joe, a former solving all wolverine, has the world, h and writing swift dispatc embraced his of books to him with inner spartan on the backs when the bishop If you his own blurbs assigned is not looking. him full time when the editor Fr. Joe, you can’t. to michigan contact to wish state universi unreachable. ty to serve He’s simply

smart answers

fr. Joe Krupp

erence because it takes me, the confessor, out of the equation as much as possible. This is a moment between you and God and the priest is there to facilitate it.

In my opinion, this frees you up from any worries about shame or the priest remembering something.

Face-to-face: This option is one you choose when you take the chair across from the priest.

He sees you, you see him. The blessing of this choice is that you can see the priest’s face, you

Dooley Wilson singing “As Time Goes By” in Casablanca (1942) or being riveted by Elmer Bernstein’s majestic score in Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments (1956)? More recently, audiences might recall John Williams’ fearsome twonote chord in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) or Celine Dion singing “My Heart Will Go On” from James Cameron’s epic

Titanic (1997).

Not only are these sounds memorable, they capture the soul of the film. Whether it’s sorrow or fear, the music that plays beneath the action can grab our attention and stir our imagination. It can lift us up when we feel sad, energize us when we’re lethargic and gently focus and quiet our minds when we’re running too fast through life.

One of the most reflective ways that I pray with movies is by taking the time to listen to the scores from films that inspire, challenge or motivate me. Being able to travel with music (through iPods, iPhones and the like) allows me to pray almost anywhere.

Each summer, I am taken away to heavenly cornfields and childhood memories of baseball by listening to James Horner’s incredible soundtrack for Field of Dreams (1989). With that emotional score, I reflect and remember the valuable lessons my father and my family taught me over the years: follow your dreams, respect the heritage of the past and imagine the impossible, “for nothing is impossible with God.” (Luke 1:37) This summer, think about the movies that move your soul and enliven your spirit. Find their film scores and carve out a few moments of prayer and contemplation where you can turn off all the other noises this season – and listen attentively to the sounds of the Spirit.

from a priest who proves God has a sense of humor

Collected column s from faith

magazine

of the Cross, virgin and martyr August 9 | Feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr August 10 | St. Clare, virgin August 11 | St. Jane Frances de Chantal, religious August 12

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theology 101

“Hosanna in the highest” quotes what the crowds said as Christ entered Jerusalem.

(Matt 21:9) “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” recalls those same crowds who originally were shouting out a verse from Psalm 118:26.

What will we be saying at Mass?

Preface Dialogue, Preface and Sanctus

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he center and summit of the Mass is the eucharistic prayer, our great prayer of thanksgiving and sanctification. (GIRM 78) Indeed, the Greek word for thanksgiving is eucharistia.

The prayer is mainly recited by the priest as, in the name of the entire community, he addresses God the Father, through Christ, in the Holy Spirit. How this prayer begins is evidence of its importance.

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

St. Pontian, pope and martyr and St. Hippolytus, priest and martyr August 13 | The Assumption

Preface Dialogue, Preface and Sanctus Old words:

New words:

Priest: The Lord be with you.

People: And also with you.

Priest: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People: It is right to give him thanks and praise.

Priest: The Lord be with you.

People: And with your spirit.

Priest: Lift up your hearts.

People: We lift them up to the Lord.

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. People: It is right and just.

Priest: Father, it is our duty and our salvation always and everywhere to give you thanks through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ. He is the Word through whom you made the universe, the Savior you sent to redeem us. By the power of the Holy Spirit, he took flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary. For our sake he opened his arms on the cross; he put an end to death and revealed the resurrection. In this he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people. And so we join the angels and the saints in proclaiming your glory as we say:

Priest: It is truly right and just, our duty and salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Father most holy, through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, your Word through whom you made all things, whom you sent as our Savior and Redeemer, incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin.

Fulfilling your will and gaining for you a holy people, he stretched out his hands as he endured his Passion, so as to break the bonds of death and manifest the resurrection.

And so, with the Angels and all the Saints we proclaim your glory, as with one voice we sing (say):

All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

All: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.

Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest.

The Preface Dialogue

day. They highlight a particular reason to be thanking God.

The prayer begins with a dialogue between the people and the priest, who invites us to give thanks to God. “The Lord be with you/And with your spirit” is an exchange already experienced twice during the Mass. Next, the priest invites the people to “Lift up your hearts” (sursum corda) and they respond, “We lift them up to the Lord.”

“Let us give thanks to the Lord our God” can be found in sources dating back to the first Christian communities.

Indeed, it is found in nearly all sources except the East Syrian texts. In the new translation, we will respond, “It is right and just.” This is an accurate translation from the

Latin. Moreover, it is a natural complement to the line that follows: “It is truly right and just …” The priest reinforces what we have just said as he begins the preface.

The Preface In the preface (praedicatio – “speaking before”), the priest, “in the name of the entire holy people, glorifies God the Father and gives thanks for the whole work of salvation or for some special part of it that corresponds to the day, festivity or season.” (GIRM 79a) The scholars of Vatican II restored the practice of having a rich variety of prefaces – some are proper to the prayer itself, but most have been composed for a particular liturgical season or

The Sanctus The Sanctus (“holy”) is one of the oldest congregational hymns of the Mass. It is taken from an ancient synagogue practice and was incorporated into Christian worship as early as the first century. It was not seen everywhere in Western practice until after the fifth century.

The first line of the Holy, Holy, Holy is from Isaiah 6:2-3.

In a vision, the prophet sees God on a throne surrounded by his angels. In Hebrew, the term is sabaoth and implies that God has command over an army, or “host,” of angels. It is just one more indication of God’s power over all things. So,

in the new translation, we will say “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts.”

“Hosanna in the highest” quotes what the crowds said as Christ entered Jerusalem. (Matt 21:9) “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” recalls those same crowds who originally were shouting out a verse from Psalm 118:26.

So let us be attentive to every word as we offer God this great prayer of thanksgiving and praise. It is “truly right and just” that we should do so.

of the Blessed Virgin Mary August 15 | St. Stephen of Hungary, August 16 | St. John Eudes, priest August 19 | St. Bernard, abbot and doctor of the Church August 20

T. Gennara

Rita Thiron is director of the Office of Worship for the Catholic Diocese of Lansing and a member of the board of the Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions.

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Looking for Sunday Mass while on vacation? Scan the tag with your mobile device, or visit www.MassTimes.org.

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 22 | St. Rose of Lima, virgin August 2

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spiritual fitness

However, due to our culture, which equates busyness with productivity and/or personal worth, we often succumb to the temptation to replace the cancelled events with other activities. Thus, even in the summer, the pace may never slow. Sometimes I get a mental image of myself on a wheel going round and round and round and never accomplishing anything of real importance – just doing the “same old, same old” routine.

Everybody needs some kind of change periodically – a vacation. But perhaps this year you don’t have the money to go somewhere, or someone is

sick in the family, or you waited too late to plan and nothing we can afford is available … or … or …

What should a vacation accomplish? Rest of body and mind and heart. Why? So that we can return to the routine ready to love afresh and serve those God has put into our lives — family and coworkers and friends. How can that happen?

First of all, go on vacation.

Even if it is something simple or you just take time to stay home and do some reading, you need the rest.

Second, take God on vacation. Don’t leave him behind

What should a vacation accomplish? Rest of body and mind and heart. Why? So that we can return to the routine ready to love afresh and serve those God has put into our lives – family and coworkers and friends. How can that happen?

T. Gennara

W

ell, here we are at the height of the vacation season. Even if you are not going somewhere on vacation this year, the summer season tends to change the pace of life. Likely, some events or patterns in your life are being modified because of activities being canceled for the summer. A slower pace is welcome – very welcome!

along with other responsibilities. We are talking here about the most important relationship you have. Your eternal destiny rests on this relationship. So, God needs a primary place in your family, among your friends and coworkers.

Most importantly, it is only God who can supply the rest and refreshment you really need. Yes, our bodies are tired. But our minds and hearts are even more fatigued by the lies and filth that so much of our secular culture heaps upon us. Sometimes we are so immersed in it we don’t even recognize how infected we are. Some of the symptoms are these: skepticism, cynicism, hopelessness, fear, anxiety, bitterness and anger. For many of these symptoms, we need God. Third, I am going to make several practical suggestions of how you can bring God with you on vacation with family or friends. Don’t try them all at once. Start with one and see how it develops within your circle, then slowly add – maybe even incorporating some of them at home apart from a vacation time.

Sister Ann Shields is a renowned author and a member of the Servants of God’s Love. Questions can be addressed to Sister Ann Shields, Renewal Ministries, 230 Collingwood, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 For more reflections on prayer and a fuller treatment of this topic, see my book: Pray and Never Lose Heart, available from Renewal Ministries, 230 Collingwood, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. $12.

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Pray the Morning Offering together, perhaps at the end of breakfast. Everything you do this day will be blessed and through it God will bless you. God’s blessing brings physical as well as mental, emotional and spiritual refreshment.

“O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you all my prayers, works, joys, and sorrows of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends and, in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father.”

Don’t forget Mass – scan the tag on page 16 to find Mass times in your vacation spot.

Take 15 minutes and read the Gospel reading for that day. Reflect on: What is God asking of me today? Following God’s will each day brings peace, alleviates stress and lessens anxiety. Reflecting on the reading for 15 minutes will give God time to strengthen and build your family’s relationships and your friendships on a more solid foundation – one that will endure.

End each day of the vacation by thanking God for his blessings. While sitting on the beach, by the campfire or right in your own living room, say the Lord’s Prayer together.

When you take God on vacation with you, you will see his presence more and more in your daily life. The peace of mind and heart you feel will not fade away in a day or a week after the vacation is over. Remember that God has promised: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

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23 | Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle August 24 | St Joseph Calasanz, priest August 25 | St. Monica August 27 | The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist August 29

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from the bishop

We are called to be the lifeblood of God in our world today

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ecently, in his blog, Dr. Jeff Mirus noted that while on vacation he spent time thinking about his marriage. He wrote: Living our vocation properly is the most important thing we can do here on earth. If we are married, this means that constantly forming and renewing our spouses and children in Christian love is more important than getting a better job, rising to greater public influence, making more money … pursuing personal dreams, or even sacrificing mightily to do apostolic work ... For those of us married in the Church, the greatest gift we have is the sacramental grace of our marriages. We must love and nurture this special share in the life of God even as it loves and nurtures us. And the greatest gift we can give is the stability, security, and deep formation our children will receive as we both love them in this grace, and love this grace in them.

Carlson Productions

What Dr. Mirus writes about his marriage is true of everyone’s vocation. Our baptism has set us onto our first vocation.

As the Second Vatican Council noted (Lumen Gentium 11): “all the faithful, whatever their condition or state – though each in his own way – are called to that perfection of sanctity by which the Father himself is perfect.”

The only way to achieve this goal, to respond to this calling of God, this vocation, is to live out the grace, which God provides in baptism and that grace, which nourishes our baptismal life as found in the other sacraments (especially confirmation, Eucharist, reconciliation, and anointing of the sick). The Catechism of the Catholic Church adds

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the following (#1694): Incorporated into Christ by Baptism, Christians are “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:11) and so participate in the life of the Risen Lord. Following Christ and united with him, Christians can strive to be “imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love” (Ephesians 5:1-2) by conforming their thoughts, words, and actions to the “mind … which is yours in

Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5), and by following his example.

So, grace is the key. God is providing us his very life and strength to live a certain way, so that we will become holy, that is, like God. It is living in grace and nurturing grace, which must be our aim in all things.

Of course, we all have many different activities in any given day.

However, if any of those activi-

ties serve to divert us from the use of God’s grace and the nurturing of God’s grace in our lives and in other lives, then those other activities are to be seen as less important and perhaps even dangerous. This grace, this life of God, then becomes the chief criterion for how we set our priorities as Christians.

Now this applies, then, in an added degree to all those baptized who respond to a further calling or vocation from God: to marriage, to the consecrated life, or to ordination. In each of these vocations of service there is additional grace, as Mirus points out. It is that grace which should guide how we live out marriage or the consecrated life or the ordained ministry.

It is living the grace of marriage, living the grace of the consecrated life, living the grace of orders which must be the chief criterion by which any of us prioritize our various activities and evaluate how we have conducted ourselves. In these further vocations, that grace or life of God is given to us always for the service of others, in order for us to help them live out their baptismal call to walk in the baptismal grace of God. It has been said that Christianity has not failed, it simply has not been really tried! If this is so, my sisters and brothers, that is our responsibility. We must be the very life-blood of God in our world today, the very soul of our societies, the yeast which will, in the end, raise the whole dough. So, let us be about it. May the grace of the Lord be with you all.

Bishop Earl Boyea is the fifth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing.

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

yourstories

The Diocese of Lansing was blessed with three new priests on June 11. Bishop Earl Boyea ordained David Rosenberg, Dan Kogut and Jonathan Perotta to the priesthood at St. Mary Cathedral. In the next few pages, meet Fathers Perotta, Kogut and Rosenberg – and enjoy photos of their ordination. You can also see more at www.FAITHmag.com.

By Bob Horning | Photography by Tom Gennara

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Father David Rosenberg I grew up in Galesburg, Ill., in a strong Catholic Croatian immigrant family. As early as age 4, I had my first thoughts of priesthood. At that age, I was so attracted to the Eucharist, I would wake my mother to a cup of coffee, and we would walk to church for daily Mass.

Because my life was enriched by and in harmony with Jesus, I yearned to be a priest someday. All through high school, I was active in parish life. But in my college years and into my 20s, my life priorities shifted away from the Church.

By my mid-30s, I was faced with being a single dad, raising my son, Sean. It was a dark, cold time for me.

One night, alone in the house, I longed for Scripture and the Jesus of my childhood, both for me and for my son. Late that night, I checked into a hotel room so that I could get access to a Bible. Two of the passages that I read helped heal me by lifting the terrible millstone of sorrow and anger off my shoulders.

discover the riches of our Catholic faith.

I yearned to pass that gift on. I spent years studying for the diaconate while working full-time as a business executive and helping FAITH Magazine in its early years. Finally, on May 14, 2005, I was ordained a deacon.

Up to that point, I hadn’t thought of becoming a priest. In fact, I didn’t know there was such a thing as “older vocations.” But I slowly became aware of that option and was accepted in 2007

by Bishop Mengeling and Blessed John XXIII National Seminary in Weston, Mass., a seminary for older vocations.

In the seminary, my favorite experiences have been my pastoral internships. One year, I worked in a large Catholic nursing home. For two years, I was assigned to parishes with vibrant youth ministry. This last sum-

Soon after, Sean and I went to Mass at our new parish, St. Joseph in Dexter. After Mass, we were welcomed warmly by the pastor, and so began some of the most beautiful years of my life.

Living my Cursillo Weekend in 1990 opened the eyes of my heart. After that, there was no turning back. I felt a calling to the diaconate as I observed the retreat spiritual director, who was a deacon. He helped me and the others

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FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

mer, I worked as summer director at St. Francis/Bethany House Retreat Center in DeWitt.

As a priest and spiritual father, I look forward to exploring with my parish family the richness found in Scripture and our Catholic tradition.

For me, there could be no better life than to inspire the laity to be a eucharistic people who fervently love and serve our Lord, family and community.

Father Dan Kogut Growing up, the priesthood was the farthest thing from my mind. Since my father and grandfather were in the military, I imagined I would have a military career, as well.

At Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, I was discerning whether to live single or to marry. I started a relationship with a young woman and kept praying about my decision. I soon decided that God wasn’t giving me the grace to be single. Celibacy seemed frightening. I couldn’t fathom spending the rest of my life without this woman I had come to love.

However, I grew increasingly unsettled. My heart was restless, and it seemed like I was running from God. During an ethics class, Professor Janet Smith was talking about St. Damien of Molokai, who died of leprosy while serving a leper community in Molokai, but not before converting most of

the island. Dr. Smith explained that each one of us is made to live for others and sacrifice ourselves in the way St. Damien did – and that we won’t be truly happy until we do. This struck a chord with me. I realized that God was calling me to celibacy, and that I needed to say “yes” to him.

Breaking up with my girlfriend was difficult, but when I said yes to the Lord, I had amazing joy, peace and freedom.

I have never regretted the decision. Being a priest is the way God made me to sacrifice for him.

After college, I spent two years with FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), an outreach that invites students into a growing relationship with Jesus and the Catholic faith. During the summer break, I lived with Father Ed Fride of Christ the King Parish in Ann Arbor for a week. I asked

him many questions, especially how I could reconcile being a parish priest with my desire to evangelize. His answers, and just being around him, inspired me. It solidified my thinking about becoming a priest, and influenced me to enter Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

I loved seminary. The fraternity among seminarians is outstanding. We all have a singleness of purpose – to follow Jesus as priests, give our lives to the Church and help people grow in holiness. It was also a time to grow in relationship with the Lord.

My favorite classes were on Church history and Scripture, and the spirituality of the new evangelization.

As a priest, I look forward to continuing to preach the Gospel and to the joy of saying “yes” to Jesus. I also look forward to offering the body and blood of Jesus for the sins of the world, and to bring him to others in the Eucharist.

We are like the woman at the well, seeking fulfillment in relationships or via some other means. But our ultimate fulfillment is only in Christ. Only he can answer our deepest questions and satisfy our human needs.

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Father Jonathan Perrotta Unlike many men who become priests, I never had an inclination toward the priesthood when I was young – except to know I didn’t want to be one.

Vincke, then the diocesan vocations director, convinced me I should be a seminarian for Lansing. I had a sense of coming home. I entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary in 2006.

I attended St. Francis of Assisi and Christ the King Parishes in Ann Arbor with my five siblings. I went to Thomas Aquinas College in California, receiving a liberal arts degree.

For nine of the next 11 years, I worked for Trader Joe’s in Connecticut, Delaware and Michigan.

The call to the priesthood is not about me, but about what God wants to do through me in the lives of others. I may not be a great priest, but I couldn’t say no to the call he is offering. As St. Paul says, “His power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) I can trust that he will work through me and my weakness.

Things changed in 2005 when I went to The Abbey of Gethsemani in Kentucky with my father for a weekend retreat. I had an experience of God’s love, joy and peace. My prayer life deepened over the following months and I received significant inner healing.

I had always desired marriage and the intimacy it brings, but, for several years, my life had been focused on my career. I wanted to make marriage a priority in my life again, but, as I prayed, I realized I needed to ask God what he wanted for me. Instead of praying to find the right woman, I changed my prayer to ask what was his will, and asked Mary to pray for me.

As a priest, I hope to be able to help marriages. That desire developed from reading the freeing, life-giving teaching of John Paul’s “Theology of the Body,” and from seeing people struggle with their marriages and with sexual sins. I want to see them live a full life in

Soon after, I attended a day of discernment. When I arrived, I sensed Mary saying this was an answer to my prayer. What I learned there helped me overcome my objections and my heart was now open to the priesthood. For the next year or so, I continued discerning.

A lunch conversation with Father Jerry

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FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

Christ in marriage.

I am excited about being a priest for the people I already know and love in Lansing. I want to help open the Word of God to them, and be an example of the joy that comes from living the life of Christ in the Holy Spirit.

Giving the sacraments and praying for them is something I love doing. Please pray for priests and seminarians, as we do for you.

O

n May 21, Bishop Boyea ordained 10 men to the permanent diaconate. The ordination Mass took place at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in East Lansing. Permanent deacons are ordained ministers of the Catholic Church who are a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came “to serve and not be served.� Deacons serve the Church through their various ministries, which include proclaiming the Gospel, preaching, teaching, baptizing, leading the faithful in prayer, witnessing marriages and conducting wake and funeral services.

For more information about the permanent diaconate, contact Deacon Jerry Brennan at 517.342.2451 or jbrennan@dioceseoflansing.org.

Ordination to the Permanent Diaconate May 21,

2011

Permanent deacon ordination Bishop Boyea announces the parish asssignments of those men ordained permanent deacons on May 21, 2011: Deacon John Amthor - St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn Deacon Richard Badics - St. Francis of Assisi, Ann Arbor Deacon Leonard Brown - St. Joseph, Adrian

Deacon Raymond Ellingson - S.S. Charles and Helena, Clio Deacon John Fitch II - St. Casimir, Lansing Deacon Michael McCormick - St. John the Evangelist, Jackson Deacon Michael McCrandall - St. Mary, Flint Deacon Chuong Nguyen - St. Andrew Dung-Lac, Lansing Deacon Omar Odette - Our Lady of Guadalupe, Flint Deacon Gregory VandeVoorde - Christ the King, Ann Arbor Photography by Tom Gennara

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the s line s la g rd d colore ks in Richa ly h ic r c ra of heets ooden w e d a handm studio e on th y’s t le s i n r a h H e of C ages ing on d m i u l e c in se you’ll there, d d n n a a d e . at aroun r cards her x of shims ass th l g Look d o e e ab ray an tain and p ked in ates the s elf as c s u t m i I walls I h l s t cre n Pau e see hard eepes H d . s ’s e e of Joh where Ric l rch op s of chu ction of pe s This i d e r d fle ts s hun k a re e mee h adorn er, his wor n e h ur ries. ret ple w up yo n e interp nd faith sto e tells peo p “O hts sa oject. thoug ts,” h r s i p d t r n belief w a a l a ne ges re al cuss e ima “You’ s i m d e o v hem t nds and gi nd with t i ther a e . m . g . d o r t n e a ers pap hearts answ ut on e p s o n ” h a c form. iece t t p r that I a o t y m ble That’s “I’m a . s e g ima create

By Patricia Mish | Photograpy by Jonathan Tramontana

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cover story

H

e brings his Catholic faith to every work, spending time in prayer before he tackles a new project.

“I feel that one of our partners is God the creator,” says Richard, “We give the reins to him all the time, and out of this comes these great windows.”

For 37 years, Richard has been creating stained-glass art as the owner of Omnibus Studios, Inc. He and his wife Anne, a registered nurse, have put their trust in God as they have raised a family and weathered the ups and downs of not always knowing when the next project will come.

“We just believe God leads us,” Richard says. “We believe that God has a great purpose in our lives. We’re not afraid to totally trust in him and let him lead us.”

Early years Richard started sketching as soon as he could hold a pencil. When he was a child, he looked forward to Sunday family dinners when his well-to-do aunt would visit.

“I always had a picture to sell her,” he recalls with a smile.

Richard attended St. Francis de Sales Catholic School in Muskegon. The Bernardine

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sisters “recognized my artistic ability,” he recalls. “They saw my potential and would have me create posters and other art for our classroom. The good sisters helped me recognize the value of my gift.”

His family encouraged his art, as well. His parents gave him an art supply kit for Christmas, which he treasured. He has a book compiled by his mother with his

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

earliest drawings.

A major turning point came one day around 1960. His grandmother pulled out a weathered book that looked “ancient” to his 12-year-old eyes.

She handed him a pencil sketch of swans created by her father in 1873. An artist, like his great-grandson, he had wanted to study in Paris during the height of Impressionism, but his parents would not let him.

“She gave me permission to be an artist – right then,” recalls Richard. “She said, ‘You know, you’re going to be a great artist.’”

No fear Richard attended Muskegon Catholic Central High School.

At 16, with the encouragement of a former associate pastor at St. Francis, he entered a Christian art show. He won fourth place for a crucifix he created by soldering together hammered pieces of tin that he cut from coffee cans – a work still on display at Peace Lutheran Church in Sparta.

He went to Michigan State University, where he pursued an art degree. “I was poised to be an industrial designer headed into designing automo-

Hanley’s stained-glass windows at St. Martha’s Parish in Okemos.

biles,” he says. “But honestly I wasn’t very excited about it.”

One day in the early 1970s, Mark Talaba approached him.

Mark, a recent MSU graduate, told Richard he planned to open a stained-glass studio and asked him if he’d like to be the designer.

“So I made a major decision in about 10 minutes,” Richard says. “I basically dropped out of school and it began. It really was the fulfillment of something that was many years of things falling into place.

“One focus of my life has always been trying not to be fearful,” he explained. “I’m sort of a radical in a good sense. I’m swimming upstream. I’m not doing what normal people do all the time.”

Richard and Mark rented studio space in Okemos. Then they heard about a stainedglass studio in Fort Wayne, Ind., that had gone out of business. Thousands of square feet of stained glass were up for auction. They bid and won.

They hired friends to help collect “thousands of dollars worth of glass” that would fill their 25by-50 foot studio wall-to-wall.

Up to that point, Richard had only a little experience with the stained-glass craft.

The two did what they could to survive – creating stainedglass lampshades, windows for new homes, everything from candle holders for a local restaurant to MSU memorabilia. Six or seven months after starting the business, they were handed a Detroit Free Press with a front page article about Detroit’s stained-glass master, a Sicilian named Andrew Maglia.

The elderly Maglia was seeking an apprentice who could take over his famous studio.

In the late 1970s, Richard and Mark parted ways and

Inside the artist’s studio Each stained-glass window created by Richard Hanley begins with the people in the congregation.

“I tell people, ‘When you were in kindergarten you were all artists. By the time you were in fourth grade you weren’t, because you were afraid.’ You have to figure out a way to get people past their fear.

“When we begin a project, I ask for the Lord’s help as I scan the many glass choices and the large patter that sits atop the light table.”

As a Catholic, my focus in my life is to be a loving person and to bring peace and to be fearless so that I can really express myself.”

Richard took over the studio. A major turning point came when he learned that First Presbyterian Church in Brighton was looking for stained-glass windows for a new sanctuary addition.

Led by multimillionaire and former U.S. Congressman Richard Chrysler, the church committee had flown to a few of the best studios in the country. One committee member was the mother of someone who worked for Richard. They laughed when she suggested using the small Okemos studio, but invited them to come before the committee anyway.

Richard created a sample panel and presented it to the committee – and got the job.

Looking back, he credits “no

fear and God” with giving him the pluck to get the commission. “Those two go together. I was fearless.”

He and his crew of five craft workers created 24-foot-high windows for the church, working 70-hour weeks over four months. “That was the turning point, where, all of a sudden, I realized I could be as big as I wanted to be in this. From that point on, we began doing nothing but churches.”

God is their business partner Until that point, Richard was basically “married to my studio.”

But he was lonely, so he started praying for help finding a wife.

After Mass one Sunday,

someone got up and encouraged everyone to attend a dinner dance to raise funds for St. John. Richard asked Anne to go with him. She accepted.

A few weeks later, Richard turned up driving his pumpkin-orange work van. Fortunately, Anne was able to look past that. “I liked him a lot,” she recalls.

Two years later, they were married. They have been partners since, in marriage, business and faith. “We felt like we were in business with the Lord,” Richard recalls.

At one point, the two had $1,000 in the bank and did not know when the next paycheck would come in. Anne was not working at that time because their children were young.

“I said, ‘Since we’re trusting in the Lord, why don’t we go ahead and take 10 percent of our income even though we can’t afford it and give it to the church,’” Richard says.

“So we just stepped out in faith and we did that,” he adds.

A year later, they had $10,000 in the bank.

Anne remembers years when Richard would be finishing a job and nothing would be on the horizon. “We prayed and it came. God provided step by step. We couldn’t always see the next step, but he was there all the time. It’s amazing.”

‘Not just windows’ Richard has done many projects for both Catholic and Protestant churches.

Before sketching the windows, Richard reads the Bible.

When working with Protestant denominations, he often consults a Protestant minister.

Regardless of the project, his Catholic faith underlies his work. “As a Catholic, my focus in my life is to be a loving person and to bring peace and to be fearless so that I can really express myself.”

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yourcommun things to do

July/August café events

things to do

Catechist Formation Opportunity: Aug. 5-6 at St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn. Opportunities in the Sun – offering all 22 catechist topics plus enrichment topics. Cost: $7 per class. For information, contact Diane Dover, 517.457.2107 or ddover@ frontiernet.net.

July 9-10, an Engaged Encounter weekend at St. Francis Retreat Center, 703 E. Main St. in DeWitt.

For information or to register, call 810.588.4181 or info@ lansingcee.org.

July 14 and Aug. 11, 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Transplant Support Group/ Lansing Area will meet at Peoples Church’s Centennial Room, 300 W. Grand River in East Lansing. Group meets the second Thursday of each month. For information, contact Joan Smith at 517.351.2174 or joansmith@mindspring.com.

July 14-15 a Youth Ministry Basic Training Overnight at Bethany House, DeWitt. All new adult and teen leaders are welcome as part of parish groups. Registration information is posted on the diocesan youth ministry Web page.

July 15, 5 p.m., “Rockin’ the Spirit” – a Christian family concert hosted by the Fowlerville Knights of Columbus Council #8605 at St. Agnes, 855 E. Grand River in Fowlerville.

Gate opens at 3:30 p.m. Refreshments on-site, bring blankets or lawn chairs for festival seating. No alcohol or outside food allowed. Tickets are available at the gate or call Bob Kuch at 517.881.2411.

July 16, 8 a.m., Christ the King Parish, Flint will have a golf tournament at Genesee Valley Meadows Golf Course, 5499 Miller Rd. in Swartz Creek. Fee is $65 per person, includes everything – skins, continental breakfast and dinner.

Contact parish office for information, 810.233.0402.

July 16, Catholic singles, mid-30s50s, are invited to attend a statewide picnic hosted by the Lansing Catho-

July 25, 7 p.m.-8 a.m., St. John Parish, Howell is hosting Catholics with Questions – “Our Souls Under Siege: Virtues and Vices.” Bob Pavlock will discuss the virtues necessary for Catholic life and the reality of the vices that hold us back from further intimacy with God St. Pius X, Flint – Rite of Christian

Initiation of Adults - is for anyone interested in learning more about the Catholic faith; would like to convert to Catholicism; who has been baptized, but never received other sacraments; and inactive Catholics with a desire to be more fully informed while activating their faith.

It meets September–May, Thursday evenings in the parish center.

Call the parish office to register, 810.235.8574.

July 18-22, Private Directed Retreat at Weber Retreat Center in Adrian will provide time and space for solitude, personal prayer and optional participation in campus liturgy and Tuesday evening peace prayer. Each participant will meet daily with a spiritual director. Cost is $375, which includes room, meals and daily spiritual direction. Register by July 1 at 517.266.4000 or weber.adriandominicans.org.

Summer Scripture Days – Aug. 9-11, the 18th annual Summer Scripture Days will be at St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt in Bethany House. Author Kevin Perrotta will present “Love Crosses Boundaries.” The study will cover personal stores of people in the Old Testament – their experiences and decisions, both positive and negative. For information and to register, call the Diocese of Lansing’s Catholic Charities office at 517.342.2465. lic Singles at noon in Burchfield Park, Holt. Held rain or shine. Cost is $7, plus park entrance fee. Bring your own beverage – no alcohol – and a dish to pass. RSVP required.

Aug. 6, join us for a day at Lake Michigan and Saugatuck. Meet for breakfast at 8 a.m. at Flap Jack Shack on Waverly Road in Lansing, then off to the beach. RSVP by Aug. 1, 517.321.7886 or e-mail LansingCatholicSingles@live.com.

Visit www.lansingcatholicsingles.com for details for events.

July 17, Diocesan Young Adult Mass and Picnic – for ages 18-38.

Mass at 2 p.m., followed by picnic at Independence Lake, 3200 Jennings Rd., Whitmore Lake. For information, visit

www.dioceseoflansing.org/ youngadult/YAMass_Picnic_flyer2011.pdf.

July 18, Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County invites you to its Chip-in Fore Children Golf Outing at Travis Pointe Country Club, 2829 Travis Pointe Rd., Ann Arbor.

Cost is $130 per golfer or $520 per foursome. For information or to register, call 734.971.9781, ext.

313 or development@csswashtenaw.org.

July 23, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., St. John Parish, Howell is hosting its second annual Car Show. There will be racecars on display, prizes, silent auctions, food and music – rain date July 30. Visit parish website for more information.

July 26-28, Youth to Youth Catholic evangelization training. For information, contact the Mt. Zion Catholic Community at 810.639.7175 or mt.zion@centrytel.net.

Aug. 4-5, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Aug. 6, 9 a.m.-noon, a Treasure Sale at St. John Parish, Howell. If you have items you wish to donate to the sale, drop-off is July 31 after all Masses and Aug. 1-3, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Visit parish website for more information.

Aug. 5-7, a Retrouvaille weekend will be held at St. Francis Retreat Center, Bethany House in DeWitt.

For information or registration, call 517.290.5596 or retrouvailleoflansing.catholicweb.com.

Aug. 7, 2:30 p.m., at St. John Catholic Church, Jackson, a Mass and dinner to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cursillo Movement in the Lansing Diocese. For more information, email nama4kids@ yahoo.com or 517.902.3385.

Aug. 10-12, Want stuff? Support St. Mary Pinckney’s youth group by purchasing treasures at its annual

New Roman Missal Braille copies – Braille copies are available of bulletin inserts of the New Roman Missal explanation. To obtain a copy, contact the Diocese of Lansing’s Persons with disabilities office at 517.342.2497 or jdavis@dioceseoflansing.org. If you know a parishioner who is blind and reads Braille, please inform them of this service.

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FAITH Magazine / July/August 2011 / www.FAITHmag.com

nity rummage sale. For information, contact Rebecca, 734.878.2217, ext. 203.

Aug. 11-13, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Holy Redeemer Church, 1227 E. Bristol Rd., Burton is holding its annual giant garage sale. No early sales.

Featured are household goods, gardening equipment, furniture, toys, games and sporting goods.

For information, contact Barb Butler at 810.694.8991.

Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m., Big Band Dance with Johnny Knorr presented by St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn’s Knights of Columbus. Cost: $17.50 per person.

Please get tickets early – only 250 tickets will be sold. Set-up and snacks provided. For information, call 517.431.4885 or 517.431.2287.

Aug. 13, St. Mary, Pinckney’s Knights of Columbus hosts its annual golf outing. To register, contact Bob, 734.646.4969 or boblocapt@chartermi.net.

Sept. 23, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School’s second annual Tuition Assistance Golf Outing at the Polo Fields Golf and Country Clubs in Ann Arbor. To register, call the Development Office at 734.821.2208.

Sept. 24, 9 a.m.-9 p.m., St. Joseph, Owosso’s youth group will have a Fall Scrapbook Crop in the school gym, 811 E. Oliver St. Cost is $40. Meals, snacks and raffle items included. Seating is limited. For a registration form and information, call Sue Edwards at 989.723.5927.

Catholic Charities Livingston County Catholic Charities (LCCC), 2020 E. Grand River, Ste. 104, Howell, 517.545.5944 or livingstoncatholiccharities.org Anger Management Group meets every Wednesday at LCCC office from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m. Fee is $25 per session. Initial assessment required to join the group. For information or to schedule an assessment, contact Michael Stuart, 517.545.5944.

Aug. 3-4, We C.A.R.E. marriage preparation program will be held at LCCC’s office in Howell.

Registration fee is $75. For a registration form and information, visit LCCC’s website.

Parish festivals July 3-4, St. Mary, Westphalia’s annual Parish Festival – eight ride attractions for young and old – all-day ride wristbands can be purchased from the parish office, 989.587.4201.

July 29-31, Most Holy Trinity, Fowler’s Parish Festival – It’s a Small World – has something for everyone. Activities include: volleyball tournament, tractor pull, Social/ Vegas tent, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, parade, roast beef dinner, children’s games, live entertainment, raffles and more.

July 30-31, St. Joseph Chapel/St. John, Jackson’s annual Parish Festival – July 30, 4 p.m.-midnight and July 31, noon-7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to enjoy great food, music, dancing, raffles and games for all. For information, contact Stephen Job 517.789.9798.

Aug 5-7, St. Casimir Church, Lansing’s annual Corn Roast Festival. Enjoy great food, beer tent, dancing, raffles and children’s games. Aug. 5, 4:30 p.m.

At our retreat centers St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt, call 866.669.8321 or www.stfrancis.ws Aug. 5-7, Alcoholics Anonymous/Alanon Women. For information, call Ann Johnson, 231.832.2472.

St. Vincent Catholic Charities, 2800 W. Willow, Lansing, 517.323.4734 or stvcc.org St. Vincent Catholic Charities is looking for volunteers who, with a St. Vincent Catholic Charities staff member, would meet refugees as they arrive at the Lansing airport to welcome them to the United States. For more information, contact Thuy, St. Vincent Outreach coordinator, at 517.323.474 ext. 1203 or phamt@stvcc.org.

Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County (CSSW), 4925 Packard Rd., Ann Arbor734.662.4462 or csswashtenaw.org July 15-16, We C.A.R.E. marriage preparation will be held at St. Patrick Church in Ann Arbor; and Aug. 19-20, We C.A.R.E. class will be at CSSW. To register, call 734.971.9781 ext. 421 or csswashtenaw.org.

to midnight; Aug. 6, 2 p.m. to midnight; and Aug. 7, 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tent Mass Sunday at 11:30 a.m. For information, call 517.482.1346.

Aug. 6, St. Casimir Catholic Parish, 815 Sparrow Ave., Lansing will have Come to the River – at 9 a.m., a 5K Run/Walk; 10:15 a.m., Kids Fun Run for ages 12-18; and 10:45 a.m., Kids Dash for ages 7 and under. Kids Fun Run and dash are free. Register online www.active.com/running/ lansing-mi/come-to-the-river-5krunwalk-2011. For information, call 517.482.1346.

Aug. 13-14, St. James Church, Mason’s Parish Festival will have outdoor Masses, hot air balloon rides, a Balloon Illume, live music, live auction, kids’ games and lots of food and fun. Information about weekend events can be found at stjamesmason.catholicweb.com.

Aug. 14, 8 a.m., St. James Church, Mason will have a 8K/5K run/walk held in conjunction with its parish festival. Also featured are 800 meter and 80 meter ‘kids’ races. The main benefactor is St.

Weber Center, Adrian, call 517.266.400 or www.weber.adriandominicans.org July 8-11, “Being Dominican in the 21st Century;” July 22-24, “Women of the New Testament;” and Aug. 14-19, “Contemplata Aliis Tradere Retreat.”

Dominican Center Marywood, Grand Rapids, 616.643.0371 or register online

Vincent Catholic Charities. Registration information and sponsorship opportunities can be found at caminostjames.com.

Aug. 27-28, St. Agnes, Fowlerville, 855 E. Grand River, is hosting its Funfest. There will be a catered Polish Dinner on Saturday following 4:30 p.m. Mass. Festivities continue Sunday after 11 a.m.

Mass with its famous BBQ chicken dinner, raffle, children’s games, live music, dancing and more. Open to the public – all are welcome. For information, call the parish office 517.223.8684.

Sept. 3-4, St. Patrick, Ann Arbor will have a Labor Day Festival. Live music, great food, games for kids – including petting farm, inflatables, rockclimbing wall, toddler play area and more. Silent auction, Vegas tent, bingo and a grand prize raffle. Come noon to 11 p.m.

Free admission. For information, call 734.662.8141 or www. oldstpatrick-annarbor.com.

Sept. 16-18, Holy Rosary, Flint’s Super-Fest – Sept. 16, 6 p.m.-midnight; Sept. 17 and 18, noon to midnight.

at www.dominicancenter.com Directed Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius eight-day retreat for men, July 15-23, July 25-Aug. 2 and Aug. 4-12; and for individuals and groups – Aug. 22-30 – at Bread of Life Retreat Residence, 2011 4901 N. Dixboro Rd., Ann Arbor. For information, call 630.417.1984 or e-mail AnnArborRetreats@aol.com.

For more things to do, including a list of vacation Bible schools, visit www.FAITHmag.com

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St. Louis Center hosts 5th annual Blessing of the Bikes

local news Putting others first The students at St Paul’s Catholic School in Owosso demonstrated what it means to put others first. They held their annual Lenten Food Drive from April 12-15. During that time, they collected 1,474 food items. All the food items collected were donated to St. Vincent DePaul to help the less fortunate in the area.

Father Koenigsknecht retires Father K – the name affectionately used by most of his parishioners – retired with a final Mass as pastor on June 26, just a couple days after his 70th birthday. It marked the end of 25 years as pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in Lansing.

“My hair was still dark then,” he laughed, recalling his early days at the parish. As he spoke, memories came tumbling out, including the years of school events, ox roasts and special celebrations. He is only the third pastor Resurrection has had in its 76 years of serving the spiritual and social needs of its parishioners.

Celebration of the sacrament of confirmation Bishop Earl Boyea celebrated the sacrament of confirmation with 51 students at St. Dominic Chapel, Siena Heights University, Adrian. The students were from Light of Christ, Blissfield/ Deerfield; Sacred Heart, Hudson; St. Mary on the Lake, Manitou Beach; and St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn.

Jean Schaub, pastoral coordinator of St. Mary on the Lake, said, “It was a beautiful celebration of the Holy Spirit. Readings were in English and Spanish and there was a sign-language interpreter.”

– Jan Hoffbauer

St. Mary School benefits migrant workers Each summer for four years now, Deacon Randy Coffelt of St. Mary Church in Pinckney and his wife Debbie have done missionary work with migrant workers at Buurma Farms in Gregory. Every week, migrant workers and their families attend religious education classes, Bible study and a Communion service, when a priest is unavailable to celebrate Mass. However, Deacon Randy was unable to purchase the Spanish Sacramentary and Lectionary books needed because of the expense.

The children at St. Mary School created a service project to help raise money for Deacon Randy. They raised money from students buying a bag of popcorn the first Friday of each month. Students generated more than $225, allowing Deacon Randy to purchase the Spanish Catholic materials he needs.

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Now in its fifth year, St. Louis Center’s Blessing of the Bikes was held for another successful year as a benefit for the children and adults of the center, who live with developmental disabilities on a daily basis. Sheila Fitzgibbons and Richard Ellison of Jackson chair this event and came up with the idea of holding a “Blessing of the Bikes” event to create another entertaining event to raise money.

Senior Day of Reflection Retreat Director Father Larry Delaney, St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt, was the guest speaker for the Senior Day of Reflection. A resurrection retreat, Father Larry talked about the five losses people experience; of someone they love through death, friendship, idealism, health, and something to believe in.

Seven churches in Lenawee and Hillsdale counties have taken turns hosting this annual event for almost 20 years. If interested in attending a retreat contact St. Francis Retreat Center, 517.669.8321 or www.stfrancis.ws. – Jan Hoffbauer

Habitat women’s build Lenawee County Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Bob Dister is pleased with the women’s build project. Thirtyfive women were encouraged to participate by two Habitat board members, Sister Durstyne (Dusty) Farnan, OP, and Sister Mary White, OP. The Adrian Dominican Sisters spearheaded a grant from Lowe’s, who sponsored three clinics to show the women how to use tools and install windows, doors, rafters, siding and roofing by building a potting shed.

The women took their skills to a Habitat house on Lincoln Street in Adrian. It was a wonderful community and relational build, according to Sister Dusty, who said, “The women had a great deal of pride in their skills. It was a way to help women who are homeless to put their faith into action.”

For information, contact Bob at 517.265.6157 or Facebook at Habitat Lenawee County. – Jan Hoffbauer

Catholic Charities of Genesee and Shiawassee hold a day of celebration On May 21, the celebration began with a May crowning in the courtyard of the former convent of St. Michael, now Catholic Charities’ main office at 901 Chippewa in Flint. It was followed by Mass offered by Bishop Earl Boyea honoring Flint’s own Sister Claudia Burke, founder of Catholic Outreach, the Food Bank and the North End Soup Kitchen. During the Mass, Bishop Boyea announced the name change of St. Michael School to the Sister Claudia Burke Center for Hope.

What is God calling me to be?

last word

A step-by-step guide to discernment

P

erhaps you have asked yourself, “Is God calling me to be a priest?” “Is God calling me to be a sister?” If the hint is in your heart and mind, you can assume that God put it there for a reason – a reason that may remain mysterious regardless of how your eventual life will unfold. Do not easily dismiss the idea; do not assume that God couldn’t possibly be calling you to something special. God brought you into life for a purpose. You were not born because of a chance rolling of cosmic dice. From all eternity, God had you in his mind. If you don’t love God as who you are no one else will.

OK, once you get past that hurdle (and the devil will make you jump over lots of others!), the next thing you should do is give God some time alone with you in prayer – meditative prayer that allows you to see your life as you imagine God sees it. Tell God that you love him and ask him to guide you and fill your thoughts with his thoughts.

Next, take some good, in-depth looks into yourself. Do you like people? Do you love to help people? Are you naturally caring? Do you want to please God? Are

you able to talk with God, to listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit deep within you? Do you believe the Holy Spirit is quite capable of inspiring your thoughts and your imagination with mental pictures? Of filling your heart with particular feelings? Beware of the devil trying to convince you that all of these

Father Charles Irvin is the founding editor of FAITH Magazine and is retired.

Roadmap to graduation Lenawee County Catholic Charities has 12 students following their Roadmap to Graduation program. Director Linda LaCrosse is pleased with the results. Homeless students are graduating and 87 percent

Official announcements Bishop Boyea makes the following appointments effective as of June 29, 2011 unless otherwise noted: • Reverend Louis Ekka from part-time parochial vicar at St. Mary Queen of Angels Parish, Swartz Creek, to parochial vicar at Good Shepherd Parish, Montrose, while continuing as parochial vicar of St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Flushing.

• Reverend Francis Faraci, a senior priest, will serve as temporary administra-

inspirations are simply the result of your own fantasies.

Finally, don’t be hesitant about talking with a priest or a sister about your suspicions that God may be calling you.

After all, they had to go through the same sort of discernment process. If they went through it, they are certainly capable of helping you with yours.

A calling from God is a precious thing for the whole Church. It’s not something just for you alone; it’s a gift for us all. So be generous. Have courage; set your fears aside. Remember that Jesus repeatedly had to tell his disciples not to be afraid.

Remember that God doesn’t play dirty tricks on us. Have faith, have confidence and let God lead you into the life he wants for you. His heart speaks to your heart.

Remember, too, that the heart has its reasons the mind doesn’t know about.

will attend college.

“Without a high school diploma, they cannot get a decent job. They live with their mentor families, who help monitor their grades, provide room and board and become a role model for them,” shared Linda.

Jan and Gerry Cline hosted their first student, Adam, who will graduate. They are not new to taking care of children. They have helped 55 foster children since 1986.

To become a mentor or give financial support, contact Linda at 517.263.2191, ext.115.

tor of Holy Rosary Parish, Flint, effective May 23, 2011.

• Monsignor Raymond Goehring – completion of service as assigned sacramental minister at St. Ann Church, Bellevue.

• Reverend James Lothamer, S.S., with the consent of his Provincial Superior Reverend Thomas Ulshafer, S.S., appointed parochial vicar of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish/St. John Church and Student Center, East Lansing, effective June 1, 2011.

• Reverend James Lothamer, S.S., with the consent of his Provincial Superior

Reverend Thomas Ulshafer, S.S., appointed temporary administrator of St. Mary Magdalen, Brighton, from Aug.1- Dec, 15, 2011 during the sabbatical of the Reverend David Howell, pastor.

• Reverend Francis Mossholder from parochial administrator of St. Ann Church, Bellevue, to pastor of St. Ann Church while continuing as pastor of St. Mary Parish, Charlotte.

• Reverend George Puthenpeedika a temporary leave of absence for reasons of health from Holy Rosary Parish, Flint, effective May 23, 2011.

For more local news, visit www.FAITHmag.com

31

notes:

JoIn US For GolF Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011 Hawk Hollow and Eagle Eye 10 a.m. shotgun start on both courses Honorary hosts Knights of Columbus Councils of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

Individual Golfer Golfer Foursome

$175 $700

Tee Sponsorship Golfer/Tee Sign Package

$300 $900

not a golfer? Come join us for dinner $50 per person - Please rSVP! For registration and sponsorship, contact Lisa Weber at 517.342.2535 or e-mail Development@Dioceseoflansing.org Golf brochure and registration form available online at www.Dioceseoflansing.org www.dioceseoflansing.org

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