PASTORAL COLUMN - Saint Mary Magdalen Parish

ST MARY MAGDALEN PARISH
KENTWOOD, MICHIGAN
PASTORAL COLUMN
My dear friends in Christ:
Pope Francis has captivated the world with his humility, warmth
and compassion for each person. Vivid accounts of his tenderness
for “the least of these”—the elderly, the imprisoned, those with
disfiguring disabilities, the unborn, and many more—seize our
attention. Why? At the heart of each of these interactions is a
truth which resonates in our hearts, revealing to us something
essential to understanding ourselves and our purpose. We are
loved. In his 2013 Day for Life Greeting, Pope Francis conveyed
that “even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the
unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in
his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the
utmost reverence and respect.” We see Pope Francis living out
the truth of these words in his actions. We want to be part of a
society that makes affirmation and protection of human rights its
primary objective and its boast. Yet to women faced with an
unexpected pregnancy, abortion is often presented as their only
“choice.” A large percentage of children pre-diagnosed as having
Down syndrome are never given the chance to live outside their
mothers’ wombs. Elderly members of our families fear they will
become burdensome and seek physician assisted suicide. We see
these and many more of our brothers and sisters pushed to the
periphery.
These tragedies go directly against respect for life, and they
represent a direct threat to the entire culture of human rights.
Rather than societies of “people living together,” our cities risk
becoming societies of people who are marginalized, uprooted and
oppressed. What can be done to prevent this? We must draw
close to Jesus in prayer and in the sacraments. We must ask the
Lord for the grace to see ourselves and others as he sees us—as
masterpieces of his creation. When God created each of us, he did
so with precision and purpose, and he looks on each of us with
love that cannot be outdone in intensity or tenderness. We must
look at ourselves and at others in light of this truth and treat all
people with the reverence and respect which is due.
The Church’s antidote to an individualism which threatens the
respect for human dignity is community and solidarity. Are we
moved by the suffering of those without shelter? Do we seek to
alleviate the fear, confusion and panic that women facing
unexpected pregnancies may be experiencing? Do our hearts ache
for elderly patients in nursing homes who feel abandoned and
unwanted, having no one to visit them?
Our mission is to show each person the love of Christ. As
uniquely created individuals, we each have unique gifts which we
are called to use to share Christ’s love. We are continually given
opportunities to do so in our interactions with the cashier at the
grocery store, our spouses, children, friends and even the people
we encounter in traffic. Each of these moments is valuable
beyond our realization. We may never know how much a simple
gesture of compassion may affect someone’s life.
Love and justice must motivate each of us to work for a
transformation of our own hearts so that we can transform the
world around us. This is the message of Pope Francis. May the
Risen Lord put the Gospel of joy in our hearts so that we may
bear witness to the greatest love story ever told.
Source : Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap., Chairman (USCCB)
MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday, October 18, 2014
5:00 p.m. †Deceased members of the Wells Family by
Dolores Campione
Sunday, October 19, 2014~29th Sunday In Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m.
†Darren White by Amy White
11:00 a.m. †George & Monica Travis by Terese Mauro
5:00 p.m. †Joseph Johns by Tom Johns & Family
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
8:00 a.m.
For the health of Georgina Acosta by Bart Atkins
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
8:00 a.m.
For the intentions of Boyd Family by Edward
Boyd
Thursday, October 23, 2014
8:00 a.m.
Intentions of the Parish Community
Friday, October 24, 2014
8:00 a.m.
Intentions of the Parish Community
Saturday, October 25, 2014
5:00 p.m.
†John Quy Tran by Hoa & Muoi Nguyen
Sunday, October 26, 2014~30th Sunday In Ordinary Time
9:00 a.m.
†Gerald McCaffrey by Judy McCaffrey
11:00 a.m. For the intentions of Tammy Hickey by the
Gootjes Family
5:00 p.m. For the intentions of the Parish Community
Scripture Readings for:
OCTOBER 26TH ~ 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ex 22:20-26; Ps 18:2-4, 47, 51; 1 Thes 1:5c-10; Mt 22:34-40
Let us pray for one another with one mind and heart
to the Lord our God
Neighborhood 0
Bob & Donna Huebner
Barbara Kuhn
Anne Bush
Margot Saladino
Brenda Shaver
Liane Church
Neighborhood 1
Norman Czerniak
James Emelander
Neighborhood 4
Shirley Rinne
Neighborhood 7
Tammy Hickey
Neighborhood 8
Bartholomew Atkins
Roger Wells
Neighborhood 9
Ted Cipponeri
Pauline Parent
Neighborhood 11
Elsie Christensen
Neighborhood 12
Judy McCaffrey
Joe Voss
Neighborhood 13
Joyce Thompson
Neighborhood 15
Evelyn & John Kehoe
Leon Rutka, Jr.
Philip Agnello
Neighborhood 16
Jean Lindsey
Ann Syrba
Neighborhood 17
William Henderson
Betty Abbot
Neighborhood 20
Kevin & Kyle Friar
Shirley Patterson
Neighborhood 22
Don Rexford
Neighborhood 26
Carol Aldrich
Gary Maher
Neighborhood 29
Boots Schmidt
Neighborhood 30
Dorothy Daniels
Neighborhood 33
Carolyn Sheeran
Jeremy Sheeran
Neighborhood 35
Pat Kallio
Others to remember:
Mel Johnson
Baby Lila
Jeanne Witgen
Captain Jordan Smith
Baby Brayson
Madison Williams
Margaret LaHuis
Chuc Nguyen
Bill & Sally Louwers
Daniel Ferguson
Lyndsey Freiburger
Joe Jakubowski
Becky Yonker
Gertrude Swing
Monica Swing
Kathy Jo Fraher
Kelly Sheeran
Matt Hagen
Pamela Hoffman
Marie Peterson
Hannah Swajanen
Britten Williams
Jim Roodvoets
JoAnne Hodder
JoAnne & Patti Case
Jim Nawrocki
Dennis Wyngarden
Greg Aufschlager
Bob Brown
Delores Kloke
Jackie Vollink
Readings for the week of October 20 through October 25, 2014:
Monday: Eph 2:1-10; Ps 100:1b-5; Lk 12:13-21
Tuesday: Eph 2:12-22; Ps 85:9-14; Lk 12:35-38
Wednesday: Eph 3:2-12 (Ps) Is 12:2-3, 4c-6; Lk 12:39-48
Thursday: Eph 3:14-21; Ps 33:1-2, 4-5, 11-12, 18-19; Lk 12:49-53
Friday: Eph 4:1-6; Ps 24:1-4b, 5-6; Lk 12:54-59
Saturday: Eph 4:7-16; Ps 122:1-5; Lk 13:1-9
OCTOBER 19, 2014
TWENTY–NINTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
YOUTH MINISTRY
FAITH FORMATION
Hello Everyone,
About 30
people
attended the
Rosary
Rally last
Saturday as
we gathered
publicly on
52nd St. to
pray the
rosary. It
was beautiful to hear the prayers offered and to imagine
them joined with those of the other 12,000 rallies
nationwide. To know that so many were gathering
together, children calling upon their mother to come to
their aid; to come to the aid of our country. We ask her to
place us all within the protection of her Immaculate Heart
and through her perfect love and intercession bring
conversion, peace and joy to our hearts and to our country.
High School Fall Fun Night will be October 24 from 7
-10pm. All high school students of the parish and their
friends are welcome, join us for a Bonfire and some
backyard fun!
Rachel’s Vineyard
Catholic Charities of West Michigan will be facilitating a
Rachel’s Vineyard Retreat on the weekend of November
21-23.
Rachel’s Vineyard weekend retreats are a beautiful
opportunity for any person who has struggled with the
emotional or spiritual pain of an abortion. Designed for
women and men, the retreat process is an opportunity to
surface and release repressed feelings of anger, shame,
guilt and grief. It is a specific process to help experience
the mercy and compassion of God and grieve the loss of an
unborn child or children.
If you know someone who could benefit from this ministry,
please extend to them the invitation to attend this retreat. A
flyer and registration brochure is available in the Gathering
Area.
For more information, call Maggie Walsh at (616) 3401824 or toll free 1-800-800-8284 or email
[email protected]. All inquiries are strictly
confidential.
For the past couple of Wednesdays our Faith
Formation prayer service has focused on prayer and the
rosary. We spoke about the rosary that the Men's Group
led to pray for those who are ill in the parish. We gathered
in the parking lot to raise our voices for the annual Rosary
Rally in which our country unites in prayer. And we have a
giant paper rosary whose colors represent a world that
needs our prayer and for whom we are called to be witness.
This week our focus was the power and responsibility of
prayer. We are called to pray for and minister to the world.
In keeping with that, we asked the Faith Formation students
to offer their prayer of petition and here is some of what
they prayed for:
for all the people who have cancer
for Roger Wells who is in pain.
for all people who live through fires.
for everyone who has something really bad wrong with
them and is really hurt.
for everyone with ebola.
for the ill.
for continuous love and understanding of Jesus and for
the sick and the poor.
for all the people who are sick and have broken homes,
let them heal.
for people who are on the road to have a safe trip.
for all who are hungry and homeless.
to end abortion, for the homeless, hungry and for world
peace.
that people have the strength during hard times and that
they get through it.
that the U.S. and ISIS don’t get into a war.
for the Vandyke family, Mr. Vandyke passed away.
for the poor and for all of us to have strength.
for all the people who are having trouble in their family.
for the sick.
for people who are hungry and sick and are out there
fighting for us.
So for any of you that were not at the prayer
service to lift your voice and ask for God's grace and mercy
for others we ask that you take a moment and pray for the
things that lie close to the heart of others as we are called to
pray for the world.
God's Blessings,
Molly Wisdom
THE BOOK OF THE NAMES OF THE DEAD can be
found in the Gathering Area. Please write in the names of
those you would like to pray for during the month of
November. We especially remember those who have died in
the past year.
CHRISTIAN SERVICE
Today is World Mission Sunday! We are invited today to
reach out and help build the Church in Mongolia, the
world’s youngest Catholic Church, as well as local
churches throughout the Missions, in the most remote areas
across our world. Your prayers and generous gift to the
Society for the Propagation of the Faith in the collection
today help the work of priests, religious and lay leaders in
Mongolia and throughout the Missions who offer the poor
practical help and the experience of God’s love and mercy,
His hope and peace. Please keep the Missions in your daily
prayers. Please visit www.IAmamissionary.org for more
information.
††††
The Feeding America West Michigan Food truck will be
here Saturday, October 25. All parishioners are invited to
come and help with the distribution of food. Come around
8:30 a.m. to the Family Center, distribution will begin at
9:00 a.m. For those in the parish who may be in need,
please come and accept these perishable goods along with
others in the community who find the food donations
helpful.
††††
An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training has
been scheduled for Monday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m. in
the Family Center. This training is highly recommended
for our ushers or anyone who feel this training would be
beneficial to them. Please call the office to RSVP.
FINANCIAL NEWS
Capital Campaign Summary (as of 9/30/2014)
Expenditures (Costs)
New building construction costs & parking lot $ 8,870,028
Contents & furnishings
$ 283,374
Temporary Worship Space & Extra expenses
due to fire (including FC restoration)
$ 904,400
Total expenditures
$ 10,057,802
Funding
Insurance (78% of project)
Proceeds (payments)
Parish (22% of project)
Capital campaign payments to date
Resurrection Fund donations/fundraisers
Total funding to date
Shortfall
Less Pledges outstanding
Additional funding needed
††††
Paper Gator: Where did it go? It is located just on the
north side of the BAC in a wooden fenced in area. You
will have to open the gates to see it.
††††
“The credibility of a healthcare system is not measured
solely by efficiency, but above all by the attention and love
given to the person, whose life is always sacred and
inviolable.” ~ Pope Francis, “Address of Holy Father Francis to
Participants in the Meeting Organized by the International Federation of
Catholic Medical Association,” September 20, 2013
††††
Tuff Turf Mole Busters
884,305
509,670>
374,635
Contributions
$10,857
$182,060
Budget
$13,350
$200,250
Over (Under)
($2,493)
($18,190)
PARISH STAFF
Pastoral Staff:
Ruth Bush:
Mary Evett
Dominic Ford
Jenna Fowle
Molly Wisdom
Coordinator of Christian Services, x106
[email protected]
Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministry,x104
[email protected]
Coordinator of Evangelization & Technology x108
[email protected]
Director of Music Ministry, x105
[email protected]
Coordinator of Faith Formation, x103
[email protected]
Administrative Staff:
Joe Hakeem
Business Manager, [email protected], x102
Nancy Baum
Parish Secretary, [email protected], x101
Sharon Mascarenhas: A. A., [email protected], x107
Maintenance Staff:
Bobby Jackson Jr., Supervisor & Brenda Bush
Pastoral Support Staff:
Deacons
Mike Dordan & Michael Wood
Sacristans
Wayne Ball, Joseph Nguyen
Pastoral Council:
Mark O’Gorman—Chair
Laurie Emelander
Patricia Guzzo
Jesus Hernandez
Nathan Jeruzal
Pamela Kosten
Charles Mason
Daniel Moomey
Luisa Ortiz
Ronald Stephan
Wayne Westbrook
Nina Nguyen (Youth Rep)
Finance Council:
Becky Vetter—Chair
Brent Hawkins
Lynie Huynh
Tom Nawrocki
Cathy Wells
Stewardship:
This week’s bulletin Sponsor:
$
<$
$
276 envelopes 26 electronic contributions
††††
Prison/Jail Ministry Invites You: Come and find out
what this ministry is all about! They are holding an
informational session this month, on Tuesday October 21,
2014, from 9am-12pm OR 6:00pm to 9:00pm at Cathedral
Square. Please contact Jude Acheson (Granstrom) at 616475-1255 or e-mail [email protected] to
register or for more information. A light breakfast/dinner
will be provided.
$ 1,084,796
$ 204,389
$ 9,173,497
FINANCIAL REFLECTIONS
Date
Oct. 12, 2014
Year to date
††††
The next ‘Over 55’ lunch is this coming Thursday at
11:30. Please call the office to RSVP by Tuesday. Lunch
will be served at Noon.
$ 7,884,312
Mike Bush
Jamie Taggart
Monica Dean
Parish Registration: Contact the Parish Office for information, 455-9310.
Sacrament of Marriage: Call the Parish Office at least 6 months in advance.
Sacrament of Baptism: Please call the Parish Office to register for Baptism Prep.
PARISH NEWS
Group of the Week: Hand Bell Ensemble
This week, we are “feature-ring” the Hand Bell Ensemble. St.
Mary Magdalen was fortunate in being able to replace the 3
octave set from Schulmerich Hand Bell Inc. This group
utilizes different ringing techniques which enriches the hymns
sung at Mass while creating a reflective atmosphere during
Communion Meditation pieces. The capacity to read music is
not required by any means, but can be helpful. However, you
must be physically able to stand and swing bells (between 3 to
5 pounds). This group meets on Thursdays from 5:30pm to
6:30pm and is scheduled based on the availability of the
members. If interested, please contact Jenna Fowle by email
([email protected]) or by calling the office 455-9310.
THIS WEEK IN THE PARISH
Monday, October 20, 2014
6:00 p.m. – SSA– Church
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
4:30 p.m. – Children’s Choir – Church
5:15 p.m. – Supper - FC
6:15 p.m. – Faith Formation classes
7:45 p.m.– Youth Ensemble
Thursday, October 23, 2014
11:30 a.m. - Over 55 Lunch - FC
5:30 p.m. - Hand Bell Choir - Church
6:30 p.m. - Adult Choir - Church
Friday, October 24, 2014
7:00 p.m. - Youth Fall Fun Night - FC
Saturday , October 25, 2014
9:00 a.m. - Mobile Food Pantry
Sunday , October 26, 2014
9:00 a.m. - Baptism Celebration
WIDOW’S GROUP will meet for dinner at 5:15 p.m. at
Woody’s on Clyde Park Ave. on Monday, October 27th.
(from left to right – Rhiannon Bierenga, Hue Nguyen, Kathleen
Stephenson, Deborah Stakenas, Jenna Fowle, Barbara Kozachik,
missing from the picture is Rebecca Osbourne.)
TIME TO BAKE AND FREEZE for the Craft Bazaar’s Bake
Sale on Saturday, Nov 8th from 10am to 3pm. Any of your
favorite goodies will be appreciated. Looking forward to
receiving all of your delicious baked goods: pies, cakes, cookies,
fancy breads, rolls, brownies, etc. Sponsored by the Women’s
Guild