St. Joseph Catholic Church

DON ANTONIO’S DISPATCH
St. Joseph
Catholic
Church
MAY 8, 2016
Happy
Mother’s
Day!
Mothers are a wonderful
gift to our society and our
church. There are times
in Scripture where God,
either through a prophet,
or even Jesus Himself refers to His love for us
like the love of a mother. Hopefully we see the
love of God reflected, even in an imperfect way,
in the love that we receive from our mothers.
When my parents moved from Williamston to
DeWitt, my mom rediscovered all the things that
she had kept and treasured from us kids: the
report cards, the hand-made cards, the school
projects, etc., etc. Mothers so often treasure
those expressions of love, even if it’s not the
work of a genius or a proficient artist, because
they are made with love, and I believe the gift
mothers love to receive the most is the gift of
love from their child(ren). I am very blessed to
have, not only my mother, but also both of my
grandparents still alive. Others now wait with joy
-filled hope to see their mother or grandmothers
in heaven. Some share that mother’s love with
adopted children, both those legally adopted and
those who informally adopt. What a great
treasure our mothers are, and how right and just
it is that we celebrate them today!
In this month of May we also get the chance to
honor our Blessed Mother, Mary. Her example
of motherhood is one that every woman should
follow: always say yes to God, be humble, and be
full of faith, hope, and love. Life wasn’t always
easy for the Blessed Virgin Mary: pregnant
before she was married, almost divorced, on the
road constantly during Jesus’ first years to avoid
persecution, and then seeing her Son die a
horrible death on the cross. But her faith, hope,
and love were rewarded when she was assumed,
body and soul, into heaven. It’s interesting to
think that the only human person the Church has
solemnly defined as being body and soul in
heaven is a mother: Mary. But she’s also a model
for all of us, men and women, and we hopefully
all try to say yes to God.
This week we have our last Finance Council
meeting of the fiscal year. We will be approving
our budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. It’s a
little tighter than this year, but as long as
spending stays under control, we should have
another surplus, which will allow us to save us
money for capital needs, rather than asking you
for money anytime something breaks or needs
replacing. I thank you for your continued
generosity which will make this surplus possible,
and will allow the buildings and grounds of St.
Joseph parish to be well-maintained.
Last, but not least, we are holding a calendaring
day again this year on 1 June. That means that
any group that uses the St. Joseph campus will
need to have at least a tentative schedule by 23
May if they want their place reserved. This
applies to groups like the CCW, Knights of
Columbus,
or
any
organization that wants
to do a collection. If we
don’t have the activity or
the collection on the
calendar,
there’s
a
possibility that it won’t
happen when you want,
or even at all. Please
contact Leslie in the
office so that we can
work
together
in
scheduling the many groups that use our parish
space. Thanks for your cooperation in advance!
“When Jesus saw His mother
and the disciple there whom he loved,
He said to His mother,
‘Woman, behold, your son.’
Then He said to the disciple,
‘Behold, your mother.’”
John 19:26-27a
ASCENSION OF THE LORD
MAY 8, 2016
YEAR OF MERCY: DOING
THE WORKS OF CHARITY
ASCENSION OF THE LORD
ST. JOSEPH CATHOLIC
CHURCH
415 Ormsby St.
Adrian, MI 49221
Phone: 517-265-8938
Fax: 517-265-1987
www.stjosephadrian.com
Weekend Mass Times:
Saturday: 5:00 p.m.
Sunday: 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Weekday Mass Times:
Tuesday: 5:15 p.m.
Adoration: 5:45 - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday - Friday: 8:00 a.m.
Exposition of the
Blessed Sacrament :
First Fridays 8:30 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sacrament of Reconciliation:
Saturday: 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. or by appt.
Parish Staff
Pastor:
Fr. Anthony J. Strouse
[email protected] ext 23
Deacons:
Dcn. Leonard Brown
Tues. & Thurs. 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. or by appt.
[email protected]
Dcn. John Crowley
Hours by appointment
[email protected]
Administrative Assistant:
Leslie Love
[email protected] / ext. 21
Pastoral Associate:
[email protected] / ext 28
Director of Religious Education:
Jonathan Dick
[email protected] / ext 32
Music Director:
Sarah Breslin
[email protected] / ext 36
Maintenance / Custodial:
Rob Love / Nick Muck
[email protected]
St. Joseph Cemetery:
Arlene Ball - 263-5535 or 403-2114
[email protected]
Bulletin / Ministry Schedules:
[email protected]
Copy deadline is Friday at 2:00 p.m. the
preceding week.
We reserve the right to edit articles for clarity and
length.
Parish Office Hours
Mon - Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed for lunch: 12:30 - 1:30 p.m.
Elizabeth Leseur
Reflecting on the life of Elizabeth
Leseur, I am drawn into the mystery
of vocation, suffering, and of
conversion. Her story is one of
prayer, intense sacrifice, and surrender
to God’s providence.
Elizabeth met Dr. Felix Leseur when
she was sick. They soon fell in love.
Shortly before the marriage, she
discovered that Felix had become an
atheist. After the marriage, he became
outspoken in his attacks on the
Church.
He tried to persuade
Elizabeth to give up her faith, but she
refused. As much as Felix went in the
atheistic direction, she went in the
opposite direction.
She became
determined to convert her husband.
Her method of conversion was not
argument. She asked God to send her
the perfect amount of suffering
needed for the conversion of her
husband. She chose to become a
victim soul for the love of her
husband. She would suffer so he
could come to grasp the reality of
God.
After experiencing severe sickness for
years, she died in 1914. Her husband
found a note written to him that
explained what she had done for him.
The note also prophesied that he
would become a Dominican priest.
The note made him more determined
to prove Christianity a fraud. He
traveled to the Shrine in Lourdes, to
prove the miracles there were fake.
However, the Blessed Mother touched
his heart.
He returned to the
Faith and became a Dominican priest
in 1923.
~Father Simon-Felix Michalski, OP
Just as the apostles cannot stand
around idle, staring up to heaven,
neither can we, who have become
disciples of Jesus. We are called to “get
busy,” to do the work of the Lord, to
tell others the Good News of Jesus
Christ.
1) In what ways can you announce the Good
News of Jesus to others?
2) What can be done to expand or deepen
your commitment to live as a follower of
Jesus Christ?
3) How would you describe situations in
which it is difficult to announce the Good
News? What might be done to change or
improve such situations?
MAY MORNING OF
REFLECTION FOR SENIORS
Senior Parishioners: The Lenawee/
Hillsdale Area Catholic Council on
Aging is sponsoring a May Morning of
Reflection for Seniors on Tuesday, May
24 at the Weber Center in Adrian. Sr.
Molly Nicholson is the presenter. The
morning will begin with a continental
breakfast at 9:00 a.m. followed by a
prayer service, and will conclude with
Mass at 10:30 in St. Catherine’s Chapel.
There is no cost for the event.
To register call Catholic Charities at
517.263.2191 or leave a message on Sr.
Molly’s phone at 517.266.4292 by May
20, 2016.
2016 - 2017 CALENDAR
The staff will be having
their calendar setting
day for the 2016-2017
fiscal
year
on
Wednesday, June 1. We
are asking that all parish events planned
for July 2016 - June 2017 be turned in
to the parish office by Monday, May 23.
Please contact the parish office if you
have any questions.
6ATH
SCENSION
SUNDAYOFOF
THE
EASTER
LORD
MAY 8,
1, 2016
HOUSEKEEPER NEEDED
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
Linda Butchart has decided to retire as
the housekeeper for St. Joseph rectory
effective 1 July 2016. We are very
grateful for her years of service.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul was founded in 1833 to help impoverished people
living in the slums of Paris, France. The primary figure behind the society's founding
was Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, a French lawyer, author, and professor
in the Sorbonne. He was 20 years old when the society was founded
and was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1997.
Fr. Kurian would like to continue to
have a housekeeper. This is a paid, staff
position, and is supervised by the parish
priest. Duties include: washing towels
and bedding; dusting; sweeping &
mopping the rectory floors; cleaning
r ector y bathrooms ; and other
household duties. These duties are
performed every three weeks. If you
are interested in the position, please
contact Fr. Anthony in the parish
office.
SACRED HEART PARISH
FESTIVAL
JUNE 2-4, 2016
THURSDAY, JUNE 2:
Yard Sale under the tent .9:00 a.m. 6:00 pm
FRIDAY, JUNE 3:
Live Auction 6:00 - 9:00 pm
SATURDAY, JUNE 4:
Sacred Heart School 5K Run 9:00 a.m.
and
the FINAL Ride for the Heart Poker
Run .11:00 a.m. - 3:00 pm
Bingo .12:00 - 3:00 pm
Kid’s Games 12:00 - 10:00 pm
Concessions .12:00 - 10:00 pm
Beer Tent .12:00 - 10:00 pm
DJ By Chris Aron: 7:00 - 10:00 pm
B.B.Q.Dinner Serving: 5:00 - 8:00 pm
Ride For The Heart Raffle: 6:00 pm
Heart of Hudson Cash Raffle: 8:00 pm
Proceeds from the
Poker Run to benefit
the Pat Reuter
Education Fund for
Sacred Heart School.
For more
information call:
517.448.6405 or visit:
http://
www.sacredhearthudson.org/ride-forthe-heart.html
St. Vincent de Paul (24 May 1581 – 27 September 1660) was a French
Roman Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. He
is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He was
canonized in 1737. He was renowned for his compassion, humility, and generosity
and is known as the "Great Apostle of Charity".
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is part of the Vincentian Family which also
includes the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian priests and brothers, also
founded by St. Vincent de Paul), Daughters of Charity, Ladies of Charity
(organization of lay women who help the poor, founded by St. Vincent de Paul),
Sisters of Charity in the Setonian tradition, and several others, including some
religious groups that are part of the Anglican Communion, like the Company of
Mission Priests.
The society gradually expanded outside Paris in the mid-19th century and now
numbers about 800,000 members in some 140 countries worldwide, whose members
operate through "conferences". A conference may be based out of a church,
community center, school, hospital, etc., and is composed of Catholic volunteers
who dedicate their time and resources to help those in need in their community.
Non-Catholics may join with the understanding that the society is a Catholic
organization.
Our conference is based out of our parish, St. Joseph Catholic Church and was
formed over 100 years ago. Some of our current members are doing the work
started by their grandparents and great-grandparents. While we are independent of
the church we are fortunate to have your support. St. Joseph Church provides us
with space to operate and generous parishioners who support our efforts with
donations of time, money, and food. We focus on feeding the hungry of Lenawee
County and we thank you for your support in our mission. Clients can come to us
once a month and we will give them 3 days’ worth of food for their household. We
also occasionally provide assistance with water bills.
We are always in need of volunteers. If you can even donate 2 hours a month, we
can use you. Please contact JoAnne Baty at 517-605-4819 if you are interested.
This month the following items are in short supply: canned tuna fish, canned pears
and peaches, soups, canned food such as beef stew, spaghetti-o's, baked beans,
canned peas, carrots and mixed vegetables. These donations are always welcomed.
We can also use your donations of personal care items, toilet paper, and cleaning
supplies since our clients are not able to use food stamps to purchase these needed
supplies. You can always drop them off in the baptistery in our basket along with
your clean, used, plastic grocery bags.
Our monthly meeting will be this Tuesday, May 10 at 10:00 AM in the Holy Family
Room. Our truck will arrive on Thursday, May 12 usually between 11:30 am and
12:30 pm. We can always use extra help with unloading the truck.
Thanks for your support for our mission!
6ATH
SCENSION
SUNDAYOFOF
THE
EASTER
LORD
MAY 8,
1, 2016
LIVING ROSARY
SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Knights of Columbus is honoring
our Blessed Mother with a Living
Rosary for America’s Future on
Saturday, May 21 at 10:00 a.m. at the
State Capitol. Youth of the Diocese of
Lansing, the future of America, are
especially invited. They can join the
Knights as part of the living rosary.
Following the rosary a light lunch will
be available at St. Mary Cathedral parish
hall.
“The Roots of Parish Social Mission (Part 2)”
BENEFIT CONCERT
Michael Russell O’Brien – Concert to
Benefit St. Louis Center Residential
Community for Developmentally
Disabled. 7:30pm, Saturday, May 14, St.
Joseph Church, 6805 Mast Road,
Dexter. Michael’s “one man show” is a
performance of classic Catholic music
favorites and humorous stories about
his conversion back to the faith. A
Musical Event for the whole family!
Doors open at 7:00pm. Tickets are $10
each, available online at www.stjos.com
or at the door.
RACHEL’S VINEYARD TEAM
Would you like to become part of a
team to bring hope and healing to those
suffering from the effects of abortion?
Join counselors, lay ministers, social
workers, psychologists and psychiatrists
who are part of the Rachel's Vineyard
p ro cess .
E -mail
to :
[email protected] or call the
Project Rachel helpline at 517-9930291, ext 141, to reach Cecilia
Tombelli, Director of Project Rachel,
Diocese of Lansing.
SAVE THE DATE:
Relay for Life:
Mark your calendars to come out and
participate with the St Joseph Catholic
Church team at the 2016 Relay for Life
of Lenawee County. Sign-up to join
the team at http://relay.acsevents.org
and lookup the St Joseph Catholic
Church Team to join or make a
donation. If you have any questions
contact Dcn Len. Date: June 25, 2016;
Time: 11:00am – 11:00pm; Where: The
Centre
Last week we discussed the Biblical call to charity, justice, and peace. These
mandates have been examined and expressed in a special way in Catholic Social
Teaching. The central message is: our faith is profoundly social. What does that
mean? It means to be called truly “Catholic” we must answer the church’s call to
serve those in need and work for Justice and Peace; to be called followers of Christ
we must take up His mission of bringing the good news to the poor, liberty to
captives, and new sight to the blind.
Social Justice is an important part of evangelization and the links between the two
are strong. We cannot proclaim a Gospel we do not live and we cannot carry out a
real social ministry without knowing Christ and answering His call to justice and
peace. This tradition is not just a theory; it challenges our priorities as a nation, our
choices as a church and values as a parish. It is a sign of our faithfulness to the
Gospel.
The center of the Church’s social teaching is the life, dignity, and rights of the human
person. We must serve the poor and vulnerable and build bridges between those of
various groups. Family life and work have special places in Catholic Social teaching.
We must also have concern for God’s creation and work for environmental justice.
This tradition of Social Justice is an essential resource for parish life. It offers us the
framework necessary to fulfill the call to works of charity, justice, and peacemaking.
God Bless & Protect You
Social Justice Committee
BLUE PRAYER SHEET UPDATES
Any parishioner wanting a loved one on the blue prayer sheet is asked to contact the
parish office. The next blue prayer sheet will appear in the bulletin on the second
weekend of July.
The Deacon’s Corner:
“Be Bold, Be Catholic”
(Prayer, Study, Generosity & Evangelization)
A Reverence for Scripture and Tradition: Learn Traditional Prayers
Have you ever wondered why it is important that we memorize prayers? The prayers
we tend to memorize are traditional prayers and these prayers are some of the most
precious elements of our faith. These traditional prayers offer us a couple benefits

When we are unable to speak to God in our own words for whatever reason
we still have these prayers that unite or place us in God’s presence.

They connect us with an extremely rich faith history. When we pray
traditional prayers we are using the same words of some of the greatest
people of our faith: St Theresa of Avila, St Francis of Assisi, and when we
pray the Our Father this is the prayer that Jesus taught the Apostles.
But, the most important thing to remember is that even when we recite the prayers
we have memorized it needs to come from the heart, because at times a heart felt
Hail Mary means more than an entire rosary prayed without thought simply to say
we did it, or a heartfelt word or phrase from the Our Father can accomplish more
than the entire prayer recited in haste. Therefore, whether we pray spontaneously,
from a script or from memorization it is important that we pray from the heart.
~Dcn Len
ASCENSION OF THE LORD
MAY 8, 2016
~ ~ PARISH CALENDAR ~ ~
† Deceased
Monday
♥ Living
May 9, 2016, Easter Weekday
Readings: Acts 19:1-8/Jn 16:29-33
Tuesday
May 10, 2016, St. Damien de Veuster
10:00 a.m.
1:30 p.m.
5:15 p.m.
5:45 p.m.
5:45 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
St. Vincent de Paul Meeting
Communion Prayer Service @ High Rise
† Marian & Linda Medina
Adoration
Sacrament of Penance
Ancient Order of Hibernians & LAOH
Readings: Acts 20:17-27/Jn 17:1-11a
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FIRST COMMUNICANTS
On Sunday, May 1, eight second graders made their First
Communion. Pictured with Fr. Anthony and Dcn. John and
Dcn. Len are: Jeremy Bennett, Haylee Vore, Randy Power,
Benjamin Marsh, Aubrey Smith, Noah DeSandro, Isabelle
DeSandro, and Cayden Barrus. Cameron Ritz will be making
his First Communion later this month.
Wednesday May 11, 2016, Easter Weekday
Readings: Acts 20:28-38/Jn 17:11b-19
8:00 a.m.
6:15 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
† Paul Barbarich
Cantor Meeting
Summer Choir
Confirmation Practice @ St. Elizabeth
Knights of Columbus
Thursday
May 12, 2016, Sts. Nereus, Achilleus, & Pancras
8:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
11:30 a.m.
2:00 p.m.
† Dee Klocke
Morning Prayer Group
St. Vincent de Paul Food Delivery Truck
Mass @ Lynwood Manor
Friday
May 13, 2016, Our Lady of Fatima
8:00 a.m.
† Mary Robertson
Saturday
May 14, 2016, St. Matthias
3:30 p.m.
5:00 p.m.
Sacrament of Penance
† Bill McGee
Due to the Invocation of the Holy Spirit, there will be no
High School Youth ministry on May 15. It will pick up the
following week.
Sunday
May 15, 2016, PENTECOST SUNDAY
8:00 a.m.
10:00 a.m.
6:00 p.m.
♥ Members of the Parish
† Dee Klocke
Confirmation Gathering
The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation will take
place on Wednesday, May 18 at 7pm at St. Elizabeth's in
Tecumseh. Confirmundi need to be there by 6pm for
preparation!
What a special group of young people who join us in
celebrating the Eucharist!
Readings: Acts 22:30; 23:6-11/Jn 17:20-26
Readings: Acts 1:15-17, 20-26/Jn 15:9-17
Readings: Acts 2:1-11/Rom 8:8-17/Jn 20:19-23
MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH MINISTRY...
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
64th
40th
30th
67th
Confirmation Practice is on Wednesday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m.
at St. Elizabeth in Tecumseh. Sponsors are asked to attend.
If your sponsor cannot be there please find someone to stand in.
Sunday, May 15 at 6pm at St. Joe's is the "Invocation of the
Holy Spirit" for our confirmundi. Sponsors are asked to
attend with their teen. If they cannot be there, their parents
are asked to attend.
Readings: Acts 25:13b-21/Jn 21:15-19
Mr. & Mrs. John Hermes
Mr. & Mrs. John Austin
Mr. & Mrs. Tim Bays
Mr. & Mrs. George Libs
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH MINISTRY
05/03
05/08
05/10
05/12
… will meet May 19, and 26. There will be no M.S.Y.M on
May 12, and May 26 is the last M.S. youth night!
OUR PRAYERFUL SUPPORT…
to the family and friends of Harold Pixley (4/29/16) who
was born into eternal life this past month.
I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness
and in health. I will love and honor you all the days of my life.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon
him. May he rest in peace.