July/August 2012

THE

MAGAZINE

THE

CATHOLIC

DIOCESE

LANSING

www.FAITHmag.com I July/August 2012 I $2.50

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INSIDE: Ordination 2012 – Meet the 3 men ordained to serve the Diocese of Lansing | Supreme Court ruling on health-care reform | Let us pray – a year of prayer PLUS: What does the Church teach about family planning?

JOIN US FOR GOLF! Wednesday, August 29, 2012 Hawk Hollow and Eagle Eye 10:00 a.m. shotgun start on both courses

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contents 6 yourlife Rev. Dwight Ezop

EDITOR AND CHAIRMAN

July/August 2012 • Volume 13: 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

Derek Melot

table of contents

6 work life I lost my job – again! 8 parenting journey I love caring for my child with special needs, but I am feeling a little burned out 8 conflict resolution I need items for my new home. Can I host a housewarming party? 9 marriage matters She says: “I don’t want our children to know they have a half-sibling.” He says: “I gave up a baby for adoption when I was a teen – my kids should know.” What do they do?

10 yourfaith

PROOFREADING

Carlson Productions | Tom Gennara | James Luning (cover) | Philip Shippert | Don Quillan 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.

Most Rev. Carl F. Mengeling FOUNDING PUBLISHER

Rev. Charles Irvin

10 in the know with Father Joe What does the Church teach about family planning? 12 spiritual fitness The Morning Offering

17 yourstories

FOUNDING EDITOR

17 my story Jordyn Wieber – Olympic athlete 18 cover story Baseball and priests – How Cliff promotes vocations with the Lansing Lugnuts 22 ordination 2012 Meet the 3 men ordained to serve the Diocese of Lansing 31 last word Is God calling you to be a priest?

Cliff shares more of his story. Only at www.FAITHmag.com

2012

Ordination

T. Gennara

Call 517.853.7600

T. Gennara

For advertising information:

T. Gennara

PUBLISHER

T. Gennara

Most Reverend Earl Boyea

J. Luning

The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Lansing

26 For Diocese of Lansing seminarians, Jane is a ‘second mom’

Liturgical calendar: St. Thomas, apostle July 3 | St. Elizabeth of Portugal July 5 | St. Maria Goretti, virgin and martyr July 6

from the editors

Teach us to pray

t’s not an uncommon request. In fact, the disciples are recorded in the gospels as approaching Jesus one day and asking him, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” In our own day, people will often share with me that they don’t feel as though they have or are taking as much time to pray as they would like. They also share that even when they do pray they find themselves contending with distractions during their prayer.

T. Gennara

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

The Diocese of Lansing is preparing to begin its Year of Prayer on August 3, 2012. Read more about that on page 11. Like any habit, the habit of prayer requires some effort to begin and some effort to maintain. In order to begin, think of a “typical” day. Is there a time of day when you are most free from distractions? The length of time available doesn’t need to be huge – just ten or fifteen minutes to begin (or even a little less, depending on circumstances). The next requisite is a place for prayer. Hopefully, each of us can find a place hat will serve well. I’m lucky enough to have a “prayer chair” at home that is only used for my prayer times during the day. Make

saint of the month

Do Not Live in Contradiction Sts. Perpetua & Felicity Feast: July 10

your prayer place special by including a candle, a crucifix, some religious art, or perhaps a statue. This will help to mark the space as sacred and reserved for prayer. When it comes to what to pray, think about the great riches of the Church’s liturgical seasons. Having a book of daily Advent or Lenten reflections or the lives of the saints can help. The rosary is wonderful during the months of October and May. Check out your parish bulletin for a list of the sick in your parish or the names of those who have died during the past week. Keep a list of the names of people who have asked you to pray for them, as well as the members of your own family, calling to mind their needs. Of course, the

The heartbreaking account of the martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity was written by Perpetua herself and continues to mystify and edify Christians today. St. Perpetua became a Christian in 203 A.D. during a period of persecution. Her father was against her decision and attempted to dissuade her. She was 22 years old, well-educated, married (possibly widowed) and had a baby boy

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

Church’s own daily prayer, the Liturgy of the Hours, is a great way to sanctify the key hours of any day. Your pastor can help you with the Hours, and the summer is a great time to pray them, since summer Ordinary Time is usually pretty easy to prayerfully navigate. With the time, a prayer place, and some simple resources, begin forming this good habit. Start slowly but regularly to set aside time each day. Allow yourself a couple of months to get used to praying for ten or fifteen minutes each day, and don’t be in a rush to increase your prayer time. Moving too quickly or forcing prayer can lead to disappointment. A spouse or children can be invited to join in praying. Distractions in prayer can be mastered if they are truly distractions. The noisy person in a quiet library won’t be a distraction to us if we don’t permit it. Distractions can also require our attention, because sometimes they can be God’s not-too-gentle way of guiding us to prayerfully explore something quite unexpected. Working diligently to form or deepen the habit of personal prayer will be a great way to start the Year of Prayer. And so, our journey in FAITH continues.

she was still nursing. However, she was unmoved by his pleadings. She asked her father, “See that pot lying there? Can you call it by any other name that what it is?” When he responded that he could not, she said, “Neither can I call myself by any other name than what I am – a Christian.” She was soon arrested with four other catechumens, including the slave Felicity. Although separated from her child in

St. Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and martyr, and his companions, martyrs July 9 | St. Benedict, a

75th CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF LANSING

Anniversar y

the

Diocese

Lansing

The Diocese of Lansing celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Throughout the year, we’ll be presenting pieces of our history, thanks to our diocesan historian, Msgr. George Michalek.

Father Fisher’s fieldstone churches

ather Edwin Fisher was appointed pastor of St. Dominic in Clinton and its missions in 1906. In 1909, he was named pastor in Manchester, as well. The mission fields of both were combined, and he began building churches. He was fond of fieldstone, and he designed St. Mary in Manchester, the first of four fieldstone churches he built using the same basic plan. Others were St. Peter in Blissfield, St. Agnes in Brooklyn and St. Elizabeth in Tecumseh. Father Fisher was born in WilkesBarre, Pa. He graduated from the University of Detroit and attended St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore. He was ordained July 7, 1901. Because he traveled on horseback to his missions, he became an overcrowded prison in stifling heat, Perpetua’s pain was overshadowed by Felicity’s who was eight months pregnant and who was suffering immensely from the rough handling of the guards. Two days before the execution date, Felicity gave birth to a girl who was adopted by another Christian. On the day of execution, Perpetua and Felicity, along with the others, entered the arena with joy and calm. They stood side by side as they had their throats slit. What causes people like Perpetua and Felicity to stand firm in the face of death, ignoring the pleadings of loved ones, and

known as “Onehorse” Fisher. In January 1911, St. Mary’s society purchased Farmer’s Hotel on the public square in the village of Manchester for $1,400. It was torn down and what stones were suitable from the foundation were used for building the church, along with nearly 1,000 loads of stones brought in from the fields by local farmers. The church cost $14,000 and was debt-free when dedicated in January 1912. For the church in Blissfield, Father Fisher had the local families take their horses and wagons and bring stones from as far away as the Irish Hills. St. Peter was dedicated Nov. 28, 1912, Thanksgiving Day. It was destroyed

of abandoning their small children? An Eastern sage once remarked, “A truth that is not acted upon becomes a poison.” This same sense is what we find in the witness of these saints. Once they encountered the truth that is Jesus Christ, they could not live in denial of this. Had they renounced Christianity in order to save their lives, they would have introduced a contradiction into their lives which would have been far worse than physical death. To know the Truth and then live as if the Truth does not exist is a poison far more deadly to the soul than the knives of any executioner.

by fire Pentecost Sunday 1927. Two boys, one an altar boy, who lived down the street, ran to rescue the Blessed Sacrament. They saved the hosts, along with some of the sacred vessels. The boy and his friend, a Protestant, were honored at the rededication dinner one year later and presented with gold watches by the pastor. Father Fisher visited Tecumseh shortly after his arrival as pastor of St. Mary in Manchester. On Aug. 3, 1913, the auxiliary bishop of Detroit, Bishop Edward D. Kelly, presided at the cornerstone laying. Because of the anti-Catholic sentiment in the area, the Knights of Columbus council in Adrian chartered a train for 300 Catholics to come in a show of support. The church was in use until 1951. It now houses the city’s historical society. St. Agnes was built between 19091917, but was closed soon afterward due to declining population and because St. Joseph Shrine was nearby. In 1931, the building was closed and later given to the village of Brooklyn for use as a library. Two other churches in the diocese are fieldstone, St. Joseph Shrine and the day chapel at St. John in Fenton, but they weren’t built by Father Fisher. Father Fisher died of a stroke on Jan. 8, 1934, in Lakeworth, Fla. at age 61.

abbot July 11 | Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin July 14 | Our Lady of Mount Carmel July 16 | St. Camillus de Lellis, priest July 18 | St. Apollinaris, bishop and martyr July 20

yourlife work life

again!

I just lost my job again – this is the third time I’ve been laid off and I’m feeling discouraged. I’m wondering if all this means that God is calling me to do something really radical, like join the overseas missions.

Whatever you do, don’t take a slow boat to China! If you were dumped by a third girlfriend, would you see it as a sign to pursue the religious life? Was St. Paul called to teach the nations because he flopped as a tentmaker? Did Jesus launch his public ministry on the heels of a failed carpentry business? An overseas mission is never a fallback option

to employment setbacks. St. Augustine would say: Grace builds on nature. St. Ignatius would say: When one is in desolation, he should strive to persevere in patience … It is characteristic of the evil spirit to harass with anxiety, to afflict with sadness…It is characteristic of the good spirit, however, to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations and peace.

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

8 parenting journey

Your 8-step process: 1. Don’t over-spiritualize. No demon or angel caused your job losses: They were likely the result of a combination of natural factors. Examine them. Were you well equipped for your past jobs? Were you a happy and high performer? Were your best talents and interests in play? Were you in over your head? 2. D eclare war on discouragement. Memorize Psalms 23, then Psalm 20. Let these truths simmer in your soul and bolster your confidence and hope. 3. S tay the course. Refuse to entertain an exotic spiritual calling. “Doing something really radical” is not only a bad decision-making tactic, but a temptation and obstacle to true fulfillment. 4. S eize the opportunity. Success feels great, but can sugarcoat selfawareness. Failure shocks self-reflection into overdrive. Just as the unexam-

9m arriage matters

T. Gennara

I lost my job –

inside:

Jim Berlucchi is an educator, executive coach, speaker and author, Jim Berlucchi is the Executive Director of the Spitzer Center, whose mission is to build cultures of evangelization (www.spitzercenter.org). ined life is not worth living (Socrates), so the examined life, though sometimes troubling, is the best living. And very Catholic. 5. Ask for wisdom. Try a 30day guaranteed prayer: The canticle from Wisdom 9:16, 9-11 (in the Church’s Liturgy of the Hours, Saturday morning prayer, Week Three). God cannot refuse. 6. S eek personal counsel. Recruit an insightful friend with wise worldly experience. Ask him/her to help you better understand why you lost your jobs, what strengths to lean into and weaknesses to shore up. Review the questions in step one. 7. E ngage professional resources. Great services and talent/personality surveys are available – www. careersthroughfaith.org might be your perfect fit. 8. Envision your best future. Because God does. He leads by encouragement, not discouragement, inspiration, not desperation. With his grace, your short-term failures will be a springboard for long-term success.

St. Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and doctor of the Church July 21 | St. Bridget of Sweden, religious July 23 | St. Sharbel M

Cast the upon the World

Be a sign of Christ's peace to those most in need. Support the works of the Holy Father through the

Peter's Pence Collection in your parish.

Makhluf, priest July 24 | Feast of St. James, apostle July 25 | Ss. Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary July 26 | St. Peter Chrysologus, bishop and doctor of the Church July 30

Y O U R

L I F E

parenting journey

I love caring for my child with special needs, but I am feeling a little burned out

We have a special needs child and I stay home to take care of him. I love him dearly and wouldn’t trade him for anything, but I am getting burned out. I feel as if I have no respite and no end in sight. Sometimes motherhood seems overwhelming. What can I do to keep going day after day?

Take care of yourself, too. Parenting can be physically and emotionally draining. When a child needs special care, then the work is intensified – it is natural that you are feeling burned out. What can you do to improve your sleep patterns? Sleep deprivation makes everyday tasks more difficult. Plan simple but healthy meals and buy nutritious snacks.

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

I need items for my new home. Can I host a housewarming party? I just moved into my first home, and I need a lot of household “stuff.” Can I host a housewarming? Should I register for gifts?

with a round loaf of bread piled with salt, as signs of hospitality. The bread and salt represented the giver’s wish that the recipient’s pantry always be “plentiful.” Another European tradition asks the guests to bring bread, salt, sugar and wine with these blessings: “Bread so that you

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

shall never know hunger.” “Salt, so your life shall always have flavor.” “Sugar so your life shall always have sweetness.” “Wine, so you shall always celebrate God’s gifts in your life and in the life of your family.” I suggest that your hand-written invitations invite your friends to be part of the joyful experience of having your first home – which still needs a “lot of household stuff.” Then include the gift registry information.

conflict resolution

S. Kendrick

There are various beliefs about when, why and how the housewarming began. The most universal is as an old Russian folk custom. When the emperor and empress would pay a visit to a village, merchants and gentry would present their honored guests

T. Gennara

When my brother, Tim, was seriously injured, my mom’s life changed dramatically. Sometimes the parenting journey isn’t what we anticipate. It is OK to grieve over your lost dreams. When you got married, you probably imagined what the future would hold. It is not likely that you expected the challenges of caring for a child with special needs. Allow yourself time to grieve over the loss of those dreams. The satisfactions and joys of parenting will still be yours to savor, but your journey will be different than expected.

Schedule ways to nurture yourself. Find an exercise DVD that you enjoy and carve out time to get moving! Or buy a foot soaker and fragrant salts, put on your favorite songs and enjoy. Talk to your husband about times when he can take over so that you can visit friends. Plan special time with him, too! Stay connected! The National Family Caregivers Association (http://www. thefamilycaregiver.org/) initiated an online program to connect care-givers. NFCA provides resources and suggestions. One idea, for example, is “When people offer to help, accept the offer and suggest specific things that they can do.” Is a neighbor willing to come over twice a week so that you can walk around the neighborhood for 15 minutes? Perhaps a friend can find useful community resources? Make a list of the tasks that are challenging and brainstorm how others might help. Share your ideas with a member of your parish staff and see if there is a way that your faith community can be supportive, too. Search for a support group so that you can share your experiences with other parents. Pray and open yourself to God’s love, especially when you feel overwhelmed. “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair” 2 Cor 4:8

Dr. Gelasia Marquez is a psychologist and family counselor.

St. Ignatius of Loyola, priest July 31 | St. Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church August 1

She

says:

“ I don’t want our children to know they have a half-sibling.”

“I gave up a baby for adoption when I was a teen – my kids should know.”

Cindy says: Patrick and his high-school girlfriend had a baby together whom they gave up for adoption. That baby is now an adult, and my husband thinks we should tell our children about her. I do not want my children to know that they are not their father’s only children.

Patrick says: I’m sorry Cindy is bothered by this, but the child I had with my high-school girlfriend is a reality. I’m concerned that she may try to contact me, or my other children, and I don’t want it to come as a complete surprise.

What

do they do?

iving a lie, even when disclosure may prove embarrassing, is never a good idea. The disclosure to your children that they have an additional sibling can be a teachable moment; a testament to the sanctity of life (adoption verse abortion), a testament to the reality associated with teen pregnancy and its consequences, and a testament to the relationship between parents and their children (sharing struggles and weaknesses). If our lives are to be lived in the light of Christ, we must live in the truth and not in a lie. ents. The family can once again be whole, knowing all the children are accepted and are part of the family. Living the truth is the only way to live a virtuous life that is pleasing to God. We recall the words from Scripture, “Truthful lips endure forever, the lying tongue, for only a moment.” (Proverbs 12:19) St. Augustine reminds us that, “A lie consists in speaking a falsehood with the intention of deceiving.” Not telling the truth about the baby given up for adoption, is deceiving other family members. If Cindy and Patrick’s children are old enough to understand the dignity of life, then they are old enough to handle the truth. The Catechism of the

your marriage matters Catholic Church also says, “To lie is to speak or act against the truth in order to lead someone into error.” (2483) The error in this situation is a false understanding that there are no other children belonging to this family. The exposure of this past event in Patrick’s life is an opportunity for Patrick and Cindy’s relationship to be unencumbered for the first time. If Patrick and Cindy would rely on God’s goodness and mercy, they will experience his healing presence and peace. Perpetuation of keeping the secret by Patrick and Cindy will serve no useful purpose. In fact, our connections with some couples who have experienced this same issue have found that a greater bonding occurred with their children as a result of the disclosure. The grace and wisdom of the Holy Spirit will lead the entire family into wholeness and acceptance when Patrick and Cindy place their trust in God’s mercy and are bold enough to live in the truth. T. Gennara

If Patrick feels a deep responsibility to share this long-kept secret with his family, it would be wise if he and Cindy would discuss it at length and prepare themselves before sharing the story with their children. If Cindy can be at peace with this past experience of her husband, it could truly be a blessing for the children; it would model for them God’s infinite mercy and forgiveness of our human faults. The love children witness through a family will help them understand the sacredness of marriage and how husbands and wives support and defend each other in good times and in bad. In the long run, in sharing this event with the children, the relationship between Patrick and Cindy will improve because the anxiety caused by keeping a secret will evaporate. The children will most likely experience an increase in respect for their par-

says:

Deacon Tom Fogle and JoAnne Fogle help prepare couples for marriage.

yourfaith in the know with Father Joe

What does the Church teach about family planning? In an earlier issue, we looked at why the Church teaches us to reject contraception. I’ve received some shorter questions on the topic and will hit as many as I can here.

Isn’t NFP simply the same as contraception?

Not at all. The Priests For Life website gives us some great reasons why: 1. NFP does not involve attempting to engage in a sexual act and doing something to that act to ensure that it be infertile. It permits the inherent ordination of the act to remain. 2. NFP keeps sex and responsibility together. 3. NFP promotes all the elements of marriage for a couple (we talked about this previously.) 4. NFP keeps family planning in the hands of both the husband and the wife: They work together and must communicate well for it to work 5. NFP is a positive approach that helps couples who wish to get pregnant but are unable. Pope John Paul II gave an excellent address on this topic which you can find at: http://old. usccb.org/prolife/issues/nfp/nfpweek/nfpcontraception.shtml

What about contraception outside of marriage? What does the Church teach there?

As far as I can find, the Church has no teaching on contraception outside of marriage for the simplest of reasons: sex outside of marriage is a mortal sin. Unlike many secular institutions, the Church believes in you and in the power of God in you to refrain from sex outside of marriage. You know those commercials that say “Don’t drink and drive”? Notice they don’t follow up with “but if you do, wear a helmet.”

What if my doctor requires me to take pills or undergo a procedure that makes it impossible for me to have children? What do I do?

The Church teaches us that, sometimes, such a thing is unavoidable. This quote is from Humanae Vitae: “The Church does not consider at all illicit the use of those therapeutic means necessary to

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

T. Gennara

Dear Fr. Joe:

cure bodily diseases, even if a foreseeable impediment to procreation should result therefrom – provided such impediment is not directly intended. (Paragraph 15) It is important to note that, when we talk about therapeutic means, we are not talking about acne or minor conditions. Women who take the hormones in the pill to treat physiological conditions, and not for the purpose of avoiding pregnancy, are not contracepting.

12 spiritual fitness

Send your questions to: “In the Know with Fr. Joe” FAITH Magazine, 1500 E. Saginaw St., Lansing, MI 48906 Or: JoeInBlack@priest.com XXIII, Mater et Magistra: AAS 53 (1961), pg.

What about Third World countries? I’ve read some strong condemnations of the Church refusing to help distribute contraception in places where people are too poor to have children – why would we do that?

447 [TPS VII, pg. 331])

I confess that, on this one, I wonder where these folks’ concern about Third World countries goes beyond this argument? Travel to any Third World country and you will find the Church there, feeding the poor and taking care of the people in need: fighting for the dignity of the people there. In terms of this question, I can’t say it better than Pope John XXIII: “No statement of the problem and no solution to it is acceptable which does violence to man’s essential dignity; those who propose such solutions base them on an utterly materialistic conception of man himself and his life. The only possible solution to this question is one which envisages the social and economic progress both of individuals and of the whole of human society, and which respects and promotes true human values.” (John

His point is simple. We want to help people because they have the dignity of being humans – children of God. Because of that, we can’t offer a solution to those problems that takes away from the very dignity that moved us! Why is this teaching so important for the Church?

My friend Dan really nailed it in an email to me, I’d like to quote him: “This is the positive message of the Church’s vision of the human person. In a sense, this whole discussion is about attempting to separate our sexuality from our personhood: to make sex what we do instead of who we are and to thus obscure our calling to be God’s image and likeness.” So, there it is! There are so many questions and my space is limited. Dig deep, brothers and sisters, let this beautiful teaching transform us and deepen our understanding of the gift of our humanity and God’s love! Enjoy another day in God’s presence.

St. Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop and martyr August 2 | St. John Mary Vianney, priest August 4 | Feast of the Tran

Aug. 2012 - Dec. 2013

Let us pray – a year of prayer

YEAR OF FAITH – YEAR OF PRAYER

Diocese of Lansing Year of Prayer: Aug. 3, 2012 to Dec. 9, 2012 Until we have encountered Jesus at a deep and personal level, at a heart level, our engagement in the life of his bride, the Church, will remain quite limited. … Jesus calls us his friends. Friendship is built on communicating with one another. Prayer is communicating and so we need to pray…. We also need to pray because the task ahead is daunting. In begging God’s help, we acknowledge that what we cannot do ourselves can be accomplished by the grace of God. So as we say at Mass, “Let us pray.” As a diocese, let us join in a long Year of Prayer, starting on Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, and ending on Monday, Dec. 9, 2013. This time frame coincides with the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Lansing on Aug. 4, 1937, and the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the patroness of our diocese and our cathedral, dedicated on that date in 1913. We also will join the universal Church which has been called to a Year of Faith by Pope Benedict XVI, beginning Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012, and concluding on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2013. This period also includes the Ordinary Synod of Bishops in Rome during October 2012 (the 50th anniversary of the Opening of the Second Vatican Council) when the bishops will advise the Holy Father on the theme of the new evangelization. … I invite all of our parishes, schools and agencies, our houses of consecrated men and women, and all families and individuals to pray that all of us in the Household of Faith will become friends with Jesus and a community of witnesses to the world. – Most Reverend Earl Boyea, Bishop of Lansing in his pastoral letter Go and Announce the Gospel

of the Lord (available at www.dioceseoflansing.org)

Go and noun ce the Gospel an of the Lord

Most Reverend

Pastoral Letter Earl Boyea, Fifth Bishop of the Dioce se of Lansing April 5, 2012 Holy Thursday

Jesus promised his Apostles that he would send his Spirit. And the Holy Spirit has always and everywhere guided the Church. So it is fitting that we call on the Spirit to guide all our work, especially our efforts to evangelize. The bishop has directed that the following prayer be recited at every Sunday Mass, either at the end of Mass or after the Prayers of the Faithful, until the end of the Year of Prayer on Dec. 9, 2013.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit Presider: Let us pray that every person within the Catholic Diocese of Lansing will come to know and love our Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way, grow in maturity as a disciple of Christ, become actively engaged in the full life of the Church, and joyfully utilize his or her gifts for building up the Kingdom of God and the salvation of souls. All: Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created and you shall renew the face of the earth. O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit, we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

nsfiguration of the Lord August 6 | St. Sixtus II, pope and companions, martyrs August 7 | St. Dominic, priest August 8 | St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr August 9

Y O U R

F A I T H

T. Gennara

spiritual fitness

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 complete teaching: A free booklet, “Captured by Mercy” is available by calling 1.800.282.4789. A CD, “Captured by Mercy” is available for $10. Order by writing Renewal Ministries, Att: Jan xSauter, 230 Collingwood, Suite 240, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. (Check payable to Renewal Ministries) “Welcome the Spiritual Gifts” by Peter Herbeck is a free booklet. Order by calling 1.800.282.4789.

YEAR OF FAITH – YEAR OF PRAYER

The Morning

Offering As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Lansing, and the Year of Faith and Year of Prayer, Sister Ann will be writing about the rich tradition of various Catholic devotions throughout the year. This month, she explores the Morning Offering. (For a prayer card containing various Catholic devotions, including a guide to saying the rosary, please visit www.FAITHmag.com)

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

Feast of St. Lawrence, deacon and martyr August 10 | St. Clare, virgin August 11 | St. Jane Frances de Chantel, religious

Jesus, through the Immaculate heart of Mary, I offer you all my prayers, works, joys and sufferings 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.

the deepest desire of his heart is that we continue to be converted more toward his will, his plan for our salvation. He wants us to live in union with him forever – thank of it, in union with the source of all beauty and truth and goodness, all love. That’s what God wants, and I think about this when I offer my day for all the intentions of his Sacred Heart. Because God is God, his heart always is turned toward the poor, the orphan, the widow; his gaze always is on the victims of war and disaster; he always looks upon even the most notorious sinner and longs for him or her to turn away from evil and toward him. So when I offer my day for all the intentions of his Sacred Heart, these are some of the intentions I know must be in his heart, and by this offering, are now my intentions, as well. How God rejoices to see us united with him in prayer! (See Hebrews 7:25 and

This prayer has commonly been known as the Morning Offering Hebrews 4:14-16) – a prayer to be said at the beginning of the day. It’s a prayer When we make the Morning Offering, this is a good time to ask that offers everything of each day – all your thoughts, words and the Lord to protect each of us from sin and from evil desires. Tell actions – as an act of worship to God. This prayer, in effect, tells the Lord you want your mind and body to please him and to give the Lord that in all you think, say and do this day, you want to be you strength, as you offer this day, to consecrate your life to him united with the Lord and contribute to the salvation of others. – for the next 24 hours! Sometimes it’s prudent, especially if we Secondly, it unites you, by the intention of your will, with all the have a habit of sin in one area, to take it a day at a time. A day is Masses being offered throughout the world. All your needs and possible, and then two and then all those for whom you have … (Lo, the pattern gets broken) promised to pray will be united by his grace. with the Mass that is being Sometimes we erroneously think Put your family intentions, offered in some part of the your worries and concerns world 24/7. that what we offer to God has into his hands. Especially when Sometimes I like to think to be in the form of a prayer, or we are dealing with difficult of this prayer as providing a participation in some religious problems, they can consume framework around the portrait event directly. But, because I am us and our prayer time. So – of my day and I pray that my baptized, my every thought and word and offer those intentions to the whole day – whether I am action, can, if offered to God, become a Lord once a day in the Morning ironing, teaching, vacuuming, Offering – as you pray the running a business, taking out form of praise and thanksgiving. prayer at this point you may the garbage, being a teller at a want to name the specific local bank, relaxing with friends, concerns you have, or you may playing with my children, caring want to just pray the words of the prayer itself and let it go at that. for the sick in my family, whatever – that all my thoughts, words, But offer them all to the Lord; don’t hold on to them in your mind. actions can now become like a sweet incense of praise and That only produces fear, anxiety or anger or frustration. Put them in gratitude before the throne of God. the Lord’s hands – they are in a safe place. Sometimes we erroneously think that what we offer to God has Finally, the Intentions of the Holy Father. I have listed those to be in the form of a prayer, or participation in some religious intentions for the next upcoming year. They also can be found on event directly. But because I am baptized, my every thought and the USCCB website: usccb.org Joining your prayer with that of word and action can, if offered to God, become a form of praise the Church through the Holy Father’s intentions truly makes your and thanksgiving – a gift that honors him because we are, in part, prayer personal and universal at the same time. fulfilling the purpose for which we were created. The Morning Offering is brief, but packed. Reciting this prayer I love to pray for all the intentions of his Sacred Heart. I like to every morning will begin to change your perspective and widen think as often as I can about what might be the most important your heart. Let’s do it together. priorities in the heart of God, so to speak. I know generally that

Prayer Intentions for the Year of Faith During each of these months, please pray especially for these intentions of our diocese. ugust 2012 – for all those who are A absent from our assemblies September – for all children October – for migrants November – for the dead December –

for consecrated men and women January 2013 – for a greater respect for human life February – for the forgiveness of sins March – for our Elect, candidates and Inquirers April – for all married couples and families May – for those who are single, divorced, and widowed June – for all clergy July – for those who are ill and

for medical professionals August – for teachers and catechists September – for all liturgical ministers, including musicians October – for all college students and young adults November – for those in prison December 9, 2013 – in Thanksgiving for all that God has done for this diocesan Church

August 12 | St. Pontian, pope and martyr and St. Hippolytus, priest and martyr August 13 | St. Maximilian Kolbe, priest and martyr August 14 | Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary August 15

special report

Seated from left to right are: Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Associate Justice An Ginsburg. Standing from left to right are: Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer, Associate Justice Samuel Alito

Supreme Court ruling on health-care reform

The history

n June 28, 2012, the United States Supreme Court decided in a 5-4 ruling to uphold the constitutionality of the 2010 health-care reform law, known as the Affordable Care Act. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion supported by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the dissent for Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. 14

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was enacted in order to extend insurance coverage to an estimated 32 million Americans by 2019. The White House Office of Health Reform points to several “key benefits” of the act, such as a prohibition against denying insurance coverage to children with pre-existing conditions, an allowance for young people to remain on their parents’ insurance policy until age 26, and the elimination of lifetime caps on coverage. Beginning in 2014, the law also will

St. Stephen of Hungary, August 16 | St. Bernard, abbot and doctor of the Church August 20 |

REUTERS/Larry Downing

nthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice Ruth Bader o Jr., and Associate Justice Elena Kagan.

require those without insurance to pay a penalty individually ranging from $95 to 1percent of income, whichever is greater. This will rise to $695 or 2.5percent of income by 2016. Families will have a limit of $2,085. In addition, Medicaid is to be expanded and new state-based insurance marketplaces or exchanges are to begin to operate. The constitutionality of the law was immediately challenged, in particular as it concerned the individual mandate to purchase insurance. Led by the state of Florida, twenty-six states reacted to the law by filing

a lawsuit that argued that the act violated the Commerce Clause of the Constitution when it allowed the government to force individuals to purchase insurance, a product that the individual may neither want or need. The set expansion of Medicaid also was challenged on the grounds that the federal government could not force states to comply.

cerns shared by the Catholic community. However, the Catholic bishops opposed the passage of the health-care legislation for three main reasons. First, the Affordable Care Act allows the use of federal funds to pay for elective abortions and for plans that cover such abortions. Further the act “forces those who choose federally subsidized plans that cover abortion to pay for other people’s The ruling abortions with their own funds.” Second, the USCCB found the statute to The majority opinion affirmed the claim be “profoundly flawed because it has failed of the States that the Commerce Clause to include necessary language to provide of the Constitution does not give Congress essential conscience protections (both within the authority to and beyond the require individuabortion context.)” als to have health The failure to acinsurance. Howcommodate the full “The individual mandate ever, Chief Justice range of religious must be construed as Roberts indicated and moral objecimposing a tax on those that other parts of tions in the provision who do not have health the Constitution did of health insurance insurance.” In other grant this authority. and services was words, the individual The syllabus to the problematic to mandate was upheld opinion states that the bishops. This by the Court as fallRoberts concluded concern has been ing within the Conthat “the individual affirmed dramaticalgress’ power to tax. mandate must ly by the Health and be construed as Human Services imposing a tax on mandate that forces those who do not have health insurance.” religious and other employers to cover In other words, the individual mandate was sterilization and contraception, including upheld by the Court as falling within the abortifacient drugs. Congress’ power to tax. Finally, the bishops felt that many imAdditionally, the Court held that the remigrant workers and their families would be quired expansion of Medicaid in 2014 did worse off under this new law because they violate the Constitution because it threatwill not be allowed to purchase, even with ened states with the “loss of their existing their own money, health coverage in the new Medicaid funding if they decline to comply exchanges that will be created. with the expansion.” The coercive nature So what’s changed? of this provision made it unconstitutional on the part of the federal government. The According to a statement issued by the Court, however, added that this violaUSCCB on June 28, 2012, the decision tion could be remedied by preventing the of the Supreme Court to uphold the AfSecretary of Health and Human Services fordable Care Act “neither diminishes the from withdrawing existing Medicaid funds moral imperative to ensure decent health for failure to comply with the expansion. care for all, nor eliminates the need to corIn other words, the federal government rect the fundamental flaws” described in cannot require states to comply with the the 2010 statement. expansion. The USCCB continues “to urge Congress to pass, and the Administration to sign, What the USCCB says legislation to fix those flaws.” In short, as the 2010 statement states, the Church will On March 23, 2010, the United States need to renew its commitment to work for Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) health care that “truly and fully safeguards issued a statement applauding the effort to the life, dignity, conscience and health of all, expand health care to all. At that time, the from the child in the womb to those in their bishops identified many elements of the last days on earth.” – By Douglas Culp health-care reform act that addressed con-

| Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 22 | St. Rose of Lima, virgin August 23 | Feast of St. Bartholomew, apostle August 24

Y O U R

F A I T H

from the bishop

What is marriage?

ecently, the president, the head of our government, has stated that it is time to change the meaning of marriage, such that persons with samesex attractions should be able to be married. This claim has been raised by many in our country. The argument usually goes something like this: “All persons are equal and have equal rights; marriage is a right for those who love each other; thus, as long as two people love each other, why should they not have the same rights as others?”

Carlson Productions

At the very heart of this argument is the matter of marriage and what exactly it is. This argument, presented often by supporters of “gay marriage,” has no connection to children. Yet, children are at the very heart of what marriage is intended to be. Yes, marriage is about a personal relationship, but it is a particular kind of personal relationship, one which has a very important public meaning. Someone’s friendships with others, even someone’s sexual relationships with others, usually have very little to do with the common good, that is, they really do not do much to help

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

advance the general welfare of our society. However, marriages open to the procreation and raising of children, are a means to guarantee the survival of the human race. That is definitely an interest of society and is part of the common good. Marriage, then, is part of human nature, for it respects the complementarity of our genders; it respects the given-ness of our bodies; and it provides for the continuation and education of humanity. If marriage is reduced to the simple affections of two people, society has very little interest in that. However, if real marriage and healthy marriage are vital for our continuation as a society, then we have a deep interest in advancing marriage in that direction. This means that we should be promoting the foundational pattern of male-female relationships based on mutual commitment and stability of life as the best conditions for the raising of children. Now, in fact, we know that this kind of marriage is under widespread attack today. Divorce is rampant; unwed parenting is becoming the norm;

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

contraception has separated sexual activity from responsibility; and cohabitation is outstripping real commitments. The victims in all this are the children. However, our society also is the victim because these children will some day be our leaders. The lack of stability in their lives may lead to an entire generation unable even to imagine stability as a healthy goal of society. We in this nation, and especially our leaders, should be promoting and teaching the importance of this cradle of our future. Marriage is not a right for two people who love each other. Marriage is a social institution, based in our human nature, and encouraged and protected by the state for the preparation of the next generation of citizens.

Commitment in marriage is difficult because it involves ongoing sacrifice and the promise to fulfill obligations, not only to one’s spouse, but to the children who are meant to be the fruit of their union. Thus marriage also represents a promise to society, which expects those children to be cared for and educated to take their proper roles in the future. This great institution of marriage has been with us for all of our human history. Is our wisdom in these last ages so great that we will undo what has been the mainstay and the heart of family and society in the course of one generation? The Prophet Hosea warned, “For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.” (8:7)

St. Joseph Calasanz, priest August 25 | St. Monica August 27 |

yourstories

Jordyn Wieber – Olympic athlete

ordyn is a gymnast from St. Jude Parish in DeWitt who is a member of the 2012 Olympic Team. To date, she’s competed in more than two dozen international and national competitions, recently becoming one of two women ever to win the AT&T American Cup in New York. Gymnastics are important to Jordyn, but she knows there is more to life.

“I like to look at my gymnastics ability as a great gift from God,” she says. “Without God in my life, I feel like there would be no meaning.” I NS

Look fo r a mo in-depth re about J feature ord upcomin yn in an g is of FAIT sue H.

Jordyn says her strong faith comes from her parents: Rita and David. “My parents have always made going to church as a family important,” Jordyn says.

I DE

“Sometimes we have to split up due to our schedules, but most of the time we are able to get to Mass together. It’s a very special family time and it means a lot to me.”

Baseball and 18 priests – How Cliff promotes vocations with the Lansing Lugnuts Ordination 22 2012 – Meet the men ordained to

| St. Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church August 28 | Passion of St. John the Baptist August 29

22 25

serve the Diocese of Lansing

By Eileen Gianiaodis

cover story

has been a baseball fan (spelled n-u-t) since he was a boy. Combine that with his enthusiasm for his faith and you get an unusual night at the ballpark every year. This year it will be Aug. 17, when the Lansing Lugnuts host the Fort Wayne Tincaps. From the ceremonial first pitch at 7:05 p.m. by Bishop Boyea, to the fireworks display following the game, there will be a lot of Catholicism mixed in with the baseball. The night is a cooperative effort between the Lugnuts and the diocesan Knights of Columbus. Cliff, who has organized the event since 1999, said, “The original, and still primary, intent is to promote vocations. Our council, St. Mary Cathedral #11694, decided that we needed an organized event in the diocese that allows everyone to participate in a public display of our Catholicism. “Most of all it’s fun. With priests in collars, sisters, postulants and novices in habits, and seminarians being identified, it presents

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

a positive identity. It gets people more aware of vocations, and provides a contrast to the way some people may picture Catholics.” Between innings, the scoreboard will scroll the names of all seminarians and the names and religious order of sisters in attendance. The knights will be recognized by council, chaplain, and grand knight. The first year, the game drew 625 Catholic fans; eventually the number reached 2,600, in addition to the regular Friday night crowd of around 8,000. Cliff is planning a You Tube promotional video this year to boost attendance. Cliff credits his council for doing much of the work, as well as his wife, Helen, and sons, Cliff and John. He loves organizing the game and seeing the fans, but because he is usually visiting and working during the game, he estimates that he has watched less than 50 pitches in the 13 years. In the not too distant past, Cliff wouldn’t have devoted so much time to the game and other Knights’ activities, let alone to his faith. “I always attended Mass, even in my teens and 20s,” he said, “though I wouldn’t have called myself a convinced Catholic. Later, I developed an interest in discovering authentic Catholic teaching and separating that from the confusion being taught by some in the ’60’s to the ’80’s. “What I learned turned out to have value after my sister, Juliann, told me she had been studying with the Jehovah’s Witnesses. I was able to answer some of her questions about Catholicism; however, I didn’t know enough, so I would visit my parish priest, Msgr. James Murray (later the bishop of Kalamazoo), during lunch hours to get her questions answered. By Bob Horning | Photography by Jim Luning

“The benefit for me, of course, perfect for promoting vocations was that I learned more about through the baseball game. “It’s Catholicism, and it all made obvious that strong vocations sense. My sister came back to are critical to bringing happiness the Church eventually and now to all of us in this world and for runs the Marian Peace Center leading us to the next,” he said. in Petoskey with her husband. The game is a plus for the LugKnowing more about the faith nuts, too, a class A minor league also enabled me to help my affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. dad become Catholic two years Assistant General Manager Nick before he died.” Grueser said “it is a good com Cliff said that the gift of munity partnership for us, and Catholicism means everything we are able to help the Knights to him: “The truth of what the spread the word about faith.” Church teaches gives me a Grueser enjoys working with foundation for all I do and for all Cliff and calls him “one of the of my decisions in life; without it hardest-working and most I wouldn’t be doing most of what faith-based guys I have met. He I do for others. The impact that must spend all of his waking the Church has on our world time volunteering when not at through charity, in business, MDOT, [Cliff is a civil engineer education, science, medicine and with the Michigan Department more is fantastic.” of Transportation]. He has the Cliff’s enthusiasm for the best of intentions and a great Church spills over to the K of C: heart. I have jokingly asked him “When I discovered the Knights, to come work with me.” I found an organization I didn’t Some of the attractions for know I was looking for,” he said. Catholics attending the game “Am I glad I did! It is a great tool will be the singing of ‘God bless for doing good. I might have America’ by Father Bill Lugger of wonderful ideas and a willingness to work, but, without a network St. Casimir Parish, and the national anthem by Father Lugger and the for implementation, I would be stymied. There is no better fraternal Singing Knights, with the Knights of Columbus Color Corps. The St. organization on earth. Its work with the Church, family, youth and Thomas Aquinas Parish choir will sing “America the Beautiful” during community is exemplary. I can’t help think about all that we could do the seventh-inning stretch. with more members.” A highlight for Cliff is that, through the generosity of the Knights, In past years, Cliff has been the grand knight of his council, the more than 200 children from St. Louis Center in Chelsea, St. Vindiocesan program director and the state vocations director. Besides cent Catholic Charities and Holy Cross Children’s Services attend the baseball game, he is involved the game. He also recognizes in several other activities, most corporate sponsors Kellie Dean through his council: The Albers of Dean Transportation/Dean Take me out to the ballgame Trust Fund for Diocesan VocaTrailways and Doug Bushard at tions, the Bishop’s Golf Classic, Aldinger, Inc., as big factors in Before, during and after the game, there will be display Junior Cougar Catholic Youth the success of the evening. tables on the third base concourse with promotional material Golf League, the annual drive Cliff remembers the year from the children’s organizations and on priestly vocations for the mentally impaired and, that Father John Fain, newly and the religious orders of sisters in attendance – the Sernaturally, pancake breakfasts. ordained, was manning the vocavants of God’s Love, the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother Besides raising funds or tions table. After the game, he of the Eucharist and the Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma. awareness of vocations through told Cliff, “Nobody asked specifiThere also will be Catholic apologetic material and free rothe Lugnuts game and the golf cally about vocations, but I did saries. Tickets can be ordered through the Knights councils. classic, diocesan councils conhave people ask how they could Gates will open early at 5 p.m. for the Knights so children tribute $500 to a seminarian or a come back to the Church.” Cliff of families attending can play on the inflated toys on the leftnovice/postulant each year. said that always will be a defining field concourse. So to Cliff, the Knights are moment of this event for him.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I get excited about celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, baptizing babies, teaching people about God and the riches of our faith and ministering to those in joy and sorrow.â&#x20AC;?

2012

Ordination

Father James Victor Mangan 22

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

Photography by Tom Gennara

ather James Mangan is a native of Ann Arbor. His parents are James and Susan Mangan. He is a graduate of Father Gabriel Richard High School, Eastern Michigan University and North American College, Vatican City State. His home parish is Christ the King in Ann Arbor.

I was born and raised in Ann Arbor. (Go Blue!). I grew up as the second-youngest of six children. The faith always was important at home and my parents worked hard to make sure that my siblings and I learned how important and central a role Christ should have in each of our lives. I can still remember the time I first felt called to the priesthood. Although I had been raised in the faith, it was not until the later years of high school that I felt the invitation to make more of a personal commitment to God. So, over those few years, I began to take up a regular prayer life, and through that began to personally experience the love of Christ. And right alongside this experience, I felt a need to share this love with others. Once I got to Eastern Michigan University, I immediately got involved in some different Christian groups on campus, as well as the campus parish, Holy Trinity. As time went on, I was spending more and more time helping out with campus ministry. Then, one day, I was reading about the priesthood and it struck me that I thought that would be a pretty great job. After all, I was spending a lot of time doing ministry, why not spend all my time helping people to know God Very early on in the process I got involved with Chi Rho House, which was a discernment group based out of St. Thomas the Apostle in Ann Arbor. Many different priests of our diocese dropped in on our evening gatherings to share their experience of the priesthood. Having the opportunity to hear different priests share their story helped me to figure out what God was planning in my story. Through their lives as priests, I could begin to imagine what my life as a priest would be like if I joined seminary and went through the process. Although I was getting more and more involved in the faith, I had never mentioned anything about the priesthood until college, so my family was a little surprised at first. But they quickly got behind me, and ever since then have been a great source of encouragement. It has been a huge blessing to have their support. After I finished up college, I entered seminary at St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. When I first joined seminary, I never imagined that I would end up in Rome. It was quite a surprise to find out that there was an American seminary in Rome, let alone that I would be going there. During my time in Rome, I feel that God has really blessed me with a greater appreciation for the Holy Father, universal Church and the saints, so many of whom have relics in Rome. The biggest highlight of my year as a transitional deacon was helping out at my apostolate to the study abroad students of St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University, the sister college of Notre Dame. I have enjoyed the chance to preach during our weekly Mass. Although it was not always easy to find something to say that was both meaningful and relevant to their lives, it always was rewarding to have the opportunity to help them in their faith. And since most of them were Notre Dame fans, as a native of Ann Arbor, I also enjoyed reminding them who won the football game earlier this year. I get excited about celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, baptizing babies, teaching people about God and the riches of our faith and ministering to those in joy and sorrow. The list goes on. I feel so blessed to be about to embark on such a meaningful and important life as that of a Catholic priest.

On June 23, Bishop Boyea ordained John Whitlock and Paul Erickson to the transitional diaconate. They will be ordained to the priesthood in June 2013

Deacon John James Whitlock

eacon John Whitlock is the son of Dennis and Mary Whitlock. He graduated from St. Johns High School in St. Johns, and is a graduate of Grand Valley State University. His home parish is St. Joseph, Adrian. Deacon Whitlock is studying at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit.

I didn’t enter the Church until the end of my undergraduate studies, and so I entered seminary later than some of my classmates. My discernment of the call to the priesthood was a gradual process. It began as I became more and more involved in the Church, and was strengthened in prayer and by the encouragement of friends and my pastor. Discernment continues even when a man enters the seminary; in fact, it becomes even more intense. The seminary is designed to help you come to know and be at peace with God’s perfect will for your life. Today, there is not always a lot of support for men who feel called to the priesthood. And yet a man cannot pursue a vocation on his own. He really needs priests to mentor him. He needs parishioners to encourage him. Personally, I always will be grateful for the prayers of many religious sisters on my behalf. Besides these external supports, the seminarian must have a strong faith. What many call a “vocations crisis” in the Church is really a crisis of faith. When young people learn to love the Lord Jesus with their heart, mind and strength, and to seek his will alone as the first priority in their lives, we will again have all types of vocations in abundance. One of the greatest gifts of diocesan priesthood is that you are able to meet wonderful people of faith everywhere you go. Just knowing this reality has changed how I view the world and gives me much hope. Furthermore, it is almost unfathomable to think that I am going to be able to offer Mass and to grant absolution in the sacrament of penance. It is at this point that a man really has to rely on the grace of being called by Jesus, because no one could ever dare take this upon himself any other way. I do not really have any expectations, except that I know God always will be faithful, come what may.

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

2012

Ordination

Deacon Paul Erickson

eacon Paul Erickson, the son of Brian and Arlene Erickson, was born in Ann Arbor and grew up in Saline. His home parish is St. Andrew in Saline. Deacon Erickson is a graduate of Saline High School and the University of St. Thomas. He is as student at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. I first felt called to the priesthood after my freshman year in college (Eastern Michigan University). I took a second year at EMU as a kind of discernment year. In a nice stroke of providence, the on-campus parish, Holy Trinity, was offering housing to Catholic men eager to get out of the dorms. Sixteen men moved in to the old frat house that the parish had leased. The men I lived with that year were extremely valuable in my discernment process. In fact, three of us entered seminary that next year. Talking and praying with those guys really watered the seed that the Lord had planted within me. Overall, my family has been supportive. I don’t come from a particularly “religious” family, so I don’t think many of them really understand some of the decisions I’ve made, especially some of my extended family. However, they all have seen how much I have thrived in the seminary and how much I look forward to the ministry. What I hope to gain is a love for ministry. I have gotten tastes of it from other times in parishes, but to have the grace and responsibility of diaconal ministry is something altogether different from anything I have ever done before. Mainly, I hope, in a word, to learn how to love – to understand what it means to be the head of a parish community and pour myself out in service for them. I am very eager to celebrate the sacraments. They were part of what drew me to the priesthood in the first place: to be the one who literally brings Jesus to people, to be the instrument of his mercy and healing, to re-offer his sacrifice for the nourishment of the faithful. It seems almost too good to be true.

Y O U R

S T O R I E S

my story

For Diocese of Lansing seminarians, Jane is a ‘second mom’

ane Sessions welcomes visitors into the Department of Formation’s Office of Seminarians with a warm, wide smile and sparkling eyes. Strangers or friends, secular or religious, Jane offers hospitality, assistance or a listening ear to each person. For 20 years, Jane has helped men navigate the discernment process. From the moment of first contact to ordination, Jane is the voice, hands and heart helping with paperwork and deadlines. Administration assistance isn’t all she offers seminarians, though. Jane also shares her faith, nurtured from childhood. Her simple but profound belief that God guides her through trials

and celebrates her joyful moments is inspiring, and her joy in Christ fills her words and actions. “At a really young age I fell in love with Jesus,” Jane says. Her spirituality began to develop when Jane would escape the cacophony of her large family by retreating to her room and reading the white, zippered Bible her parents had given her for Easter. “Being the middle child, I didn’t like a lot of chaos,” Jane says with a smile. Those quiet reflective moments were balanced with many activities in the neighborhood Methodist church she attended with her siblings. It was a special place for Jane, filled with activities around which she centered her childhood and young adult life. Her introduction to Catholicism came from neighborhood friendship with three large Catholic families. Jane remembers games of kick the can or hide-and-go-seek end-

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

Funding seminarian education the Bishop Albers Trust Back in 1962, Lansing’s first bishop, Joseph Albers, saw the need for supporting prospective priests and allocated a substantial amount of his estate toward that purpose. In 1972, Bishop Alexander Zaleski and Auxiliary Bishop James Sullivan established the Joseph H. Albers Trust Fund as an ongoing source of financial help. Bishop Zaleski was one of the first to make a significant contribution to it. The fund has helped support most of the seminarians since. For those who want to donate to the Albers Trust Fund, or to get more information, contact Jane Sessions, the trust’s secretary, at 517.342.2504. Or by email at jsessions@dioceseoflansing.org. ing at one family’s home where she would be invited to share in their evening ritual of praying the rosary. “Being that I already loved Jesus, I thought honoring his mother was really awesome,” she says. “And then I got the opportunity to

go to Mass several times.” During the Mass, Jane marveled at the presence of Christ she witnessed on the crucifix and in the Eucharist. Jane’s exposure to Catholicism intensified when she began dating her husband, David, in high school. He would pick her up from teaching Sunday school at the Methodist church and they would attend Mass together. After high school and David’s return from a tour of duty with the Air Force in Vietnam, they became engaged. Jane found her growing love for her fiancé was mirrored in her growing love of Catholicism. Before Jane and David married, she went through the RCIA program and came into the Church. “I love the rituals of the Catholic Church,” Jane says. “I love the traditions.” Married life added new faith experiences, both as a stay-at-home mother to three daughters and through her participation in different activities at St. Gerard Parish in Lansing. Shared activities with David included teaching religious education classes, working in the marriage preparation program and participating as a team couple with World Wide Marriage Encounter. “The Catholic Church, family life and the vocation of marriage are deeply rooted values to both of us,” Jane explains. These faith experiences and David’s unexpected job loss led Jane to apply for a secretarial position 20 years ago in the formation office of the Diocese of Lansing. After being hired, Jane remembers asking Father Mark Inglot, who was seminarian director at the time, why he wanted her for the position. Father Mark said that he could train someone with business skills to do administrative work, but her faith, attitude and natural smile were gifts that couldn’t be taught. She believes her faith and skills have increased from her experiences working for five different directors. “Each priest helped deepen my faith and sharpen my skills in unique ways” Jane says. She sees her position as a ministry that, along with her faith, and her family, she feels deeply blessed by and gives thanks for every day. “I’m very proud of our diocese for all that they do to assist our seminarians during their discernment. It’s not about numbers, it’s about good priests and the Diocese of Lansing is very blessed” Jane says. From first contact, Jane is there to guide each man through each step of the application process for the diocese and the seminary. She created checklists and timetables to make

life easier for the applicants to keep deadlines from being forgotten. Jane coordinates financial sponsorships for each seminarian from more than 40 Knights of Columbus councils in the diocese, which provide support for their personal needs such as books and supplies. Along with other duties under the department chairperson, she administrates the Joseph Albers Trust Fund, which was set up by Bishop Albers to help with tuition grants for college seminarians – expenses not covered in contributions made to the Diocesan Service Appeal for theology seminarians. “Jane really is, in many ways, the connection of these young men with the diocese, especially during the application process,” says Father John Linden, director of the Office of Seminarians. Father John credits Jane’s joy-filled and open personality as providing comfort and security to young men feeling vulnerable about their new direction in life. “It is very important to have that warm person as you walk in the door,” he says. When Father John introduces each new seminarian to Jane, he explains that Jane will be the man’s third mother, right behind the Blessed Mother and the seminarian’s mother. “The least we can do is give them someone they can find comfort with,” Father John says. Jane is the friendly voice on the other end of the phone for the seminarians who even study in Rome. She communicates regularly with families of seminarians and creates a community for all the families together through special events. “It is a privilege for me to witness up front as each of these men grow in their journey to the priesthood, and celebrating their suc-

2012

Ordination

cess at ordination. I get pretty sentimental at an ordination as I reflect back on the first time I connected and worked with him as a candidate through the application process,” she admits. Jane’s relationship with seminarians does not stop after ordination. She often receives visits and phone calls from her former seminarians, and sometimes one becomes her boss, like Father John. “She’s authentically Jane, and the same person I met 13 years ago,” Father John says warmly. “There was Jane to welcome me both times in my insecurity and help me feel secure,” he says of her powerful and soothing presence when he started in the seminary and years later as he became the department chair and the director of seminarians. He appreciates Jane’s faith and experience, as well as her support of him the past two years. “It makes my work more joyful,” says Father John. “It’s all about answering God’s call in your life and giving it your all; God’s grace will do the rest,” Jane says. This simple yet profound belief has kept Jane close to God all her life and helped her to support and inspire a generation of seminarians and priests.

Jane Sessions with Father John Linden, chairman of the Department of Formation

By Mary Kay McCormick | Photography by Tom Gennara

yourcommun community

things to do: July 14, noon, Lansing Catholic Singles will host a picnic for midlife, single Catholics at Burchfield Park in Holt at the North Bluff picnic shelter. Rain or shine. Bring your own beverage and dish to pass. www.LansingCatholicSingles.com. Lansing Catholic Engaged Encounter Weekends: July 14-15; Sept 15-17; and Nov 10-11. For more information or to register, visit lansingcee.org ; call Sue and Wayne Fransted at 810.588.4181 or e-mail info@lansingcee.org . July 15, 2 p.m., a young adult Mass and picnic at Holy Spirit Church, 9565 Musch Rd., Brighton. Bring a dish to pass. RSVP by July 10 by calling 517.342.2555 or prink@dioceseoflansing.org. July 16 and Aug. 13, 7 p.m., an information night will be held at St. Thomas the Apostle School, 530 Elizabeth St., Ann Arbor, in the library about the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan classes that will begin in September. Visit www.cbsm.org or call 313.274.4500 and ask for Deacon Jack Gardner.

July 27, 7 p.m., or www.runYou are invited to join Grammy-nominingfoundation. Father Bill Ashbaugh, pastor nated, Dovecom/. of St. Thomas the Apostle in Award-winning Ann Arbor and Dr. John Jeter, Sanctus Real Lansing parishioner of St. Joseph, will have a benCatholic Howell, on a 12 day pilgrimefit concert at St. Singles invite all age to Spain, Portugal and Mary Catholic mid-life singles France, Oct. 15-26, 2012. Church, 10601 (mid-30s-60s) Visit www.pilgrimageplace. Dexter Pinckney to their August com to find out more or Rd., Pinckney. events: Aug. 4 contact Corporate Travel at Open to all ages. – a Day at Lake 313.565.8888. No coolers Michigan and allowed. Food Saugatuck; meet and beverage at 8 a.m. for concessions are available. A free breakfast at Bob Evans on Lansing’s will donation is encouraged. www. west side, then carpool to the beach sanctusreal.com at 11 a.m. Bring a sack lunch and beverage. RSVP by Aug 1. Aug. July 27-29, REFLECT Catholic 25 - Dinner and a Lugnuts game; Singles Retreat, for those in their meet at 4:30 p.m. at The Nuthouse mid-30s-50s, at St. Francis Retreat in Lansing for dinner, followed by the Center in DeWitt. $133 for double game at 7 p.m. Cost $10. RSVP room and $158 for single room – and payment due by Aug. 13. For includes meals, lodging and materidetails, call 517.321.7886 or Lanals. To register, call 989.450.0993, singCatholicSingles@live.com. or email reflect.michigan@gmail. com for more information. Aug. 9-11, St. John Catholic Church’s annual Treasure Sale Aug. 3, 4 p.m., Mass at St. Mary will take place at 2099 N. Hacker Cathedral in Lansing to celebrate Rd., Howell. It will collect items in the 75th anniversary of the diocese. good, clean condition for the sale All are invited to attend. Aug. 5-8. Aug. 4, 9 a.m., second annual Come to the River 5K Run/ Walk and Kid’s Challenge at St. Casimir Catholic Parish, 815 Sparrow Ave., Lansing. Entry fee is $20 through July 30. 517.482.1346

Parish festivals

Show at 2099 N. Hacker Road. Show car entrance fee is $20.

July 1, Light of Christ Parish second annual Foundation Day Picnic at Gerber Hill Park, 14360 Carroll Rd., Mass at 10:30 a.m. followed by picnic. 517.447.3500.

July 27-29, Pinckney Palozza is a community celebration held on the grounds of St. Mary Catholic Church. Email jocallaghan@stmarypinckney.org or call 734.878.3161 ext. 219.

July 13-15, Mid-East Festival hosted by Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Flint. Admission free; parking is $3.

Aug. 3-5, St. Casimir in Lansing’s annual Corn Roast Festival, Aug. 3, 4:30 p.m.midnight; Aug. 4, 2 p.m.-midnight; and Aug. 5, 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. Call 517.482.1346.

July 21-22, St. Joseph Parish, Dexter’s parish festival at the corner of Mast and North Territorial roads, Sat., July 21, noon-10:30 p.m. and Sun., July 22, noon-6 p.m. July 21, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., St. John Catholic Church, Howell, will host its third annual Car

Aug. 10, 7:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m., Big Band Dance with Johnny Knorr presented by the Knights of Columbus, St. Joseph Shrine, Brooklyn – $17.50 per person. Purchase tickets

Aug. 10-12, St. James, Mason will host its third annual Festival and Camino of St. James 8K/5K and Fun Runs. Proceeds will help support St. Vincent Catholic Charities. Email festivalstjames@gmail.com. Go to www.caminostjames. com to register for the 8K/5K and Fun Runs.

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

early, only 250 tickets will be sold. Set-up and snacks provided. Call 517.431.2287 or 517.467.4885. Aug. 14, 1:15 p.m., Protecting God’s Children Awareness Session for adults at the Diocese of Lansing’s Diocesan Center, 228 N. Walnut Street. For more information, contact Sally Ellis at 517.342.2551. To pre-register for a session, visit www.virtus.org. Aug. 17, Family Night to Celebrate Vocations at Lansing Lugnuts game with Bishop Boyea. Tickets are $11. For group ticket information, call Nick Grueser, 517.485.4500 ext. 276 or Knights of Columbus, Cliff Farr, 517.881.6802 cell. Sept. 15, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., Holy Redeemer Council of Catholic Women, Burton is holding a MOM 2 MOM sale in the Family Life Center. If you have questions or want to reserve space to sell, contact Nancy Amrich, 810.742.3827 or amrich1010@gmail.com. Sept. 29, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Christ the King, Ann Arbor will have a Holy Spirit Seminar Registration beginning at 8:15 a.m. Cost of $15 includes brunch, lunch and printed materials. www.ctkcc.net, 734.426.5514 or ortiz4519@ earthlink.com.

Aug. 24-25, St. Michael Parish, 345 Edwards St., Grand Ledge, will hold its annual FunFest. 517.627.8493 or www.stmichaelgl.org. Aug. 25-26, St. Agnes, Fowlerville’s Parish Festival. Call the parish office, 517.223.8684, for tickets and information. Sept. 1-2, Old St. Patrick, Ann Arbor Labor Day Weekend Festival. Free admission noon to 11p.m. www.oldstpatrick-annarbor.com or call 734.662.8141. Sept. 7-9, St. Mary, Morrice will hold its annual Fall Festival. Sept. 7-9, SS. Charles and Helena in Clio will hold its annual Septemberfest.

nity Summer Scripture Days 2012 For a greater understanding of the Book of Revelation, please join us at Summer Scripture Days as Bishop Earl Boyea conducts the study of the apocalyptic literature. Empower your knowledge by attending Aug. 14-16 at St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt. Registration is required before July 27. Brochures are available in your church’s gathering space or contact Diane at 517.342.2465 or darzberger@ dioceseoflansing.org For more things to do, including Vacation Bible School, visit:

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Bishop Boyea announces the following appointments and assignments, effective June 27, 2012, unless otherwise noted: •R ev. Thomas Butler, from pastor of Ss. Charles and Helena Parish, Clio, and canonical pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Otisville, to senior status; •R ev. Richard Eberle, OSFS, after consultation with the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, from pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Hudson and canonical pastor of St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Manitou Beach to priest in residence with pastoral assistance to St. Mary, Star of the Sea Parish, Jackson; •R ev. Louis T. Ekka, from parochial vicar of St. Robert, Flushing to administrator of St. Agnes Parish, Fowlerville; •R ev. John Fain, from pastor of Church of the Resurrection, Lansing to parochial vicar of St. Mary Cathedral Parish, Lansing and St. Therese Parish, Lansing; •R ev. David W. Harvey, relieved of service as canonical pastor of St. Joseph, Gaines; •R ev. Joseph Krupp, from chaplain of St. John Student Center (St. Thomas Aquinas Parish), East Lansing to pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, Hudson and St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Manitou Beach; •R ev. Shaun Lowery, OSFS, in consultation with the Oblates of St Francis de Sales, to administrator of St. Mary of Good Counsel, Adrian effective July 1; •R ev. James Mangan, upon presbyteral ordination, to parochial vicar of St. Patrick Parish, Brighton; • Rev. Steven Mattson, from pastor of St. Mary, Queen of Angels, Swartz Creek to pastor of Church of the Resurrection, Lansing, with continuing duties as superintendent of schools; •R ev. Philip Mayfield, PIME, in consultation with the PIME community, from pastor of Holy Trinity Student Parish, Ypsilanti to return to the PIME community; •R ev. Robert McGraw, from pastor of St. Agnes Parish, Fowlerville to pastor of Ss. Charles and Helena Parish, Clio and canonical pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Otisville. As a result of the transfer, Father McGraw will be relieved of his duties as regional vicar of the Livingston Vicariate; •R ev. Eoin Murphy, from administrator of St. Joseph Parish, St. Johns to senior status, returning to Dublin, Ireland; •R ev. Joseph Ngidjoi, PIME, after consultation with the PIME community, assigned as parochial vicar of St. John the Baptist, Ypsilanti, with assistance to Holy Trinity Student Parish, Ypsilanti and effective Aug.15; •R ev. Duaine H. Pamment, current pastor of St. Isidore Parish, Laingsburg also to serve as administrator of Holy Family, Ovid; •S ister Ann Marie Petri, OP, pastoral coordinator of St. Joseph, Gaines to retirement; •R ev. Gerald Ploof, relieved of responsibilities as temporary parochial administrator of Church of the Resurrection, Lansing; •R ev. Jeffrey Poll, pastor of St. Mary, Durand, to additional responsibilities as pastor of St. Joseph, Gaines in accord with the pastoral plan; •R ev. Bernard Reilly, rector of St. Mary Cathedral Parish is also to serve as administrator of St. Therese Parish, Lansing; • Most Holy Trinity Student Parish, Ypsilanti linked to St. John the Baptist Parish, Ypsilanti with the Rev. Robert Roggenbuck to serve as pastor, in accord with the pastoral plan; •R ev. Mark Rutherford, from parochial vicar of St. Patrick Parish, Brighton to parochial vicar of Church of the Resurrection Parish, Lansing; •M rs. Jean Schaub, from pastoral coordinator, St Mary of the Lake, Manitou Beach to retirement; •R ev. Robert Schramm, OSFS, in consultation with the Oblates of St Francis de Sales, from pastor of St. Mary of Good Counsel, Adrian to senior status, effective July 1; •R ev. Phillip J. Schweda, to shared ministry between the diocesan Tribunal and parochial vicar at St. Martha Parish, Okemos; •R ev. Paul Schwermer, from leave of absence for health reasons to parochial vicar of St. Robert, Flushing and Good Shepherd, Montrose; •R ev. Nathaniel Sokol, from in residence at St. Agnes, Fowlerville to parochial administrator of St. Mary Queen of Angels, Swartz Creek, with continuing responsibilities in the Tribunal of the Diocese of Lansing; •R ev. David Speicher, appointed vicar for the Livingston region; •R ev. Raymond J. Urbanek, from pastor of Holy Family, Ovid to senior status; and •R ev. Michael Williams, from pastor of St. Therese Parish, Lansing to pastor of St. Joseph Parish, St. Johns. Bishop Boyea announced at the Ordination Mass on Saturday, June 23, 2012, that the following Diocese of Lansing priests have been honored by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI: •R everend Anthony Majchrowski, pastor of All Saints Parish, Flint, has been named a Chaplain to His Holiness, with the title Monsignor; •R everend Gerald Vincke, spiritual director of the North American College, Rome, has been named a Chaplain to His Holiness, with the title Monsignor; •R everend Bernard Reilly, rector of St. Mary Cathedral, has been named a Prelate of Honor to His Holiness, with the title Monsignor; • Reverend Monsignor Michael D. Murphy, a senior priest of the diocese, has been advanced in rank and named a Protonotary Apostolic Supernumerary. A ceremony recognizing these papal honors will be planned in the near future. Please join Bishop Boyea and the entire diocese in congratulating these men. Bishop Boyea also announces that Deacon Ray and Grace Pizaña, of St. Elizabeth, Tecumseh / St. Dominic, Clinton have been honored by Pope Benedict XVI with the Benemerenti medal, awarded by the Holy Father as a mark of recognition to persons in service of the Church.

local news Seeker of Justice – Dr. James O’Connor Dr. James O’Connor received the Seeker of Justice Award from Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale counties. Sue Lewis, executive director of Catholic Charities, presented the award to him after a special tribute given by Jackson Mayor Martin Griffin. O’Connor was recognized for his major fundraising efforts for Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Michigan Center. In four years, he helped raise $26,000 for the parish, in part by founding the annual Andy Open Golf Tournament through the Knights of Columbus in honor of Father Andy Dunne’s 30 years of service to the parish. – Jan Hoffbauer

Blessing and open house for Catholic Charities

Bishop Earl Boyea blessed the new expanded office space at Livingston County Catholic Charities on May 11 prior to the agency’s open house. LCCC’s blessing and open house were an opportunity for the agency to show the community their expansion and new Foster Family Care and Adoption Program. Livingston County Catholic Charities serves the entire community and remains committed to meeting community needs. For more information regarding the services offered at Livingston County Catholic Charities, call 517.545.5944.

Knights purchase new ultrasound machine Tim Donovan, district deputy of the Knights of Columbus and the eight Councils in Livingston County, spearheaded the fundraising efforts to purchase a new ultrasound machine to replace the obsolete machine that has provided thousands of free ultrasound exams to women in need. The free services at Pregnancy Help Clinic provide women with compassionate free help. The free exams are provided as proof of pregnancy to enable women to qualify for the government WIC program and allow them and their partners the opportunity to see an early image of their baby.

FAITH Magazine / July/August 2012 / www.FAITHmag.com

St. Louis Center in Chelsea holds its sixth annual blessing of the bikes St. Louis Center held its annual blessing of the bikes in April. There was food, live entertainment and tours of its facility, which provides a residential, family living and learning environment for the physical and spiritual needs of children and adults with developmental disabilities. For more information: www.stlouiscenter.org.

Protest of the Health and Human Services mandate held in Lansing About 1,100 people endured 90-degree heat to join in a rally held June 8 at the Capitol to protest the HHS mandate requiring employer health plans to cover some services that contravene many churches’ moral teachings. The mandate, issued in January, does not allow exemptions for many religious organizations and grants the government the right to determine what constitutes a religious entity. The rally was one of four held within the Diocese of Lansing that day. Notable speakers included Bishop Earl Boyea. For more information, visit standupforreligiousfreedom.com.

Saline Knights of Columbus Council #6674’s cross project has a powerful message In the city of Saline, there are many small crosses popping up in people’s front yards. The significance of the cross is to show others that Christian values are important. People can make their own crosses or purchase one for $5. If you are interested in learning more about the cross project, contact Randy Dieter at randydieter@gmail.com.

Celebration of life

The Pregnancy Helpline sponsored their annual Celebration of Life event at the Nazarene Church, Brighton. Dr. Alveda King, niece of the late Martin Luther King, Jr., was the guest speaker. Ann O’Reilly, director of Community Outreach and Development, said that, last year, the clinic sponsored 2,900 client visits and 400 of them were crisis visits. In five years, 150 babies have been saved from being aborted because of its ultrasound machine. For more local news, visit www.FAITHmag.com

Is God calling you to be a priest?

last word

as anybody ever told you they think you would be a good priest? Have you ever admired a good priest and thought you would like to be like him? Have you dismissed thoughts about being a priest or dismissed imagining yourself as a priest only to have those thoughts and images return to you? That happened to me, and has happened to many men. If God wants you to be one of his priests, he won’t easily give up on you. He will be persistent. So if those “nudgings” keep coming back to you, it’s a pretty good sign that you are being called. How should you respond? When you examine your attitudes and feelings, are you a “people person,” one who is self-sacrificing and self-giving in order to love and care for others? Being a priest means living like Christ. He did not live a comfortable life. As a matter of fact, he never regarded his life as his own. Always he kept in front of him the realization that he belonged to his Father in heaven

and that he was sent in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was his Father who controlled his life. He didn’t. He emptied himself out in doing his Father’s work. If you are to be a good

priest, you must have that same mind, attitude and love. A truly holy priest never thinks of himself first. A truly holy priest is uncomfortable when it is suggested that he is holy. If you would be a good priest then forget yourself, your ego, and any selfpromoting ambition you might have. The priesthood is all about God, not about you. Finally, if you feel that God is calling you to be a priest then contact the best priest you know of, tell him what you are feeling, and ask to spend some time talking with him. He will be delighted to do so and will not pressure you because with great sensitivity he will respect that which is happening between you and God. One final thought: “Let go and let God.”

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

The Diocese of Lansing celebrates its 75th anniversary this year Do you recognize any of these altar boys?

CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF LANSING

If you recognize any of these altar boys or the parish, drop us a line on our Facebook page. Answer next month! Last month’s answer: St. Augustine Church in Deerfield.

notes:

:5A-ve th,e ~A-te! Saturday, October 27, 2012 The Catholic Diocese of Lansing Presents:

Wt ~ut( T~is Trti(,SUrt The First Annual Women's Catholic Conference 8:00 am to 4:00 pm Best Western Plus in Lansing, Ml www.LansingDioceseCWC.org

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