CLICK ON DETROIT: For months, mass at St. Clare Montefalco Parish in Grosse Pointe Park has been different in many ways, but still celebrated weekly. “People have gotten pretty used to things by now,” said parishioner and Leadership Director Bill Harrington. “We socially distance, we wear masks, we use hand sanitizer.” For those who don’t feel comfortable coming to church in person, the Archbishop of Detroit, Rev. Allen Vigneron, extended a blessing. Announced on Friday, the dispensation from the obligation to attend mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation was extended to Ash Wednesday, Feb, 17, 2021. Click story to view the video clip.
November is a perfect time to remember our deceased family members and friends in prayer. In the past, we invited you to enter the names of your beloved deceased in our Book of Life. This year, a basket has been placed near the baptismal font where you may deposit a card with the names of those you wish to be remembered. There are cards available or you may bring one from home. Those whose names are placed into the basket will be remembered at all Masses during the month of November. If you would like to have Masses offered for your loved ones, you will find envelopes for this purpose on the table as well, and please indicate clearly that this is for the Mass.
On Wednesday, November 11, we remember our Veterans of the past and present who dedicated their lives in service for our freedom. Wednesday morning Mass at 8:00 am will be offered for all veterans. We remember and we are grateful to all veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good. Please join us for this celebration.
On November 1, 2020 at 11:00 am, St. Clare will celebrate All Souls Day with a special Mass in memory of all those who died this past year. Candles with names of the deceased will be prepared for all those buried from St. Clare. If you have a family member or a loved one who died this past year, who was not buried from St. Clare, you can call the St. Clare parish office at 313-647- 5060 and provide the name of the person who died. We will prepare a candle for you to carry that day in procession along with the others.
Join me on Thursday evenings at 8:30 pm when I lead the rosary live via our Facebook page. The month of October is dedicated to Our Lady and the Rosary is the prayer where we reflect on the mysteries of our faith. We ask our Blessed Virgin Mother to intercede on our behalf as we place our petitions before her. It also is timely for us to pray for our country as we draw closer to the election in November.
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron will celebrate a memorial Mass to remember the infants and children lost to miscarriage and stillbirth on Sunday, October 18, 2020. Mass will be celebrated at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament at 11:00 AM. Parents and families who have suffered the loss of a child will be invited to come forward to receive a memorial rosary and a special blessing from the Archbishop.
On Tuesday, September 29, our 6:30 evening Mass, will celebrate the feast of the Archangels. This is the day the Michaelite Congregation to which Fr. Tom and I belong, will begin its Centennial Year. This is a special day for the Michaelite Fathers (C.S.M.A.), as we celebrate our patron saint, St. Michael the Archangel. C.S.M.A. stands for the Congregation of St. Michael the Archangel. Say a prayer for us and the members of our community to be good followers of St. Michael and good priests according to God’s heart. Thank you for all your generous donations to the cause of our community, especially our seminary.
Two weeks ago, David Troiano, Ron Kotz, Dan Piepszowski, and Mark Fikany met to discuss how our Music Ministry can more engaging in our fall celebrations. Beginning Sunday, September 27, additional music will complement our services. Limited choir members will return to the 9:00 am Mass. At 4:00 pm and 11:00 am a cantor will accompany the organ/piano. We will also resume the Sunday 5:00 pm Mass on September 27.
Children’s Faith Formation: Classes will begin on October 4. If you have not registered your child or children, please do so today. I would like to order materials by tomorrow, September 21, so we have them here by our start date.
Have you considered that this time of challenge and uncertainty could possibly be the Church in Detroit’s finest hour? This is a time for our parishes and communities to do what we do best: rise up. In southeast Michigan, we are no strangers to challenges,and we, with the grace and love of God, have always been resilient, rising from the ashes and overcoming these trials.
It’s been two months since we returned to the church for services. I am happy to be able to sit in the pews again with other parishioners, but just like everywhere else I go these days, it is a little bit different…
During these days of COVID-19, we all must learn to “think outside of the box” to get the job done. In this case, two area soup kitchens are going to the carry out box to meet the needs of their guests.
On Monday, July 27, everyone in our parish database who has a valid email address or valid cell phone number will be imported to Evangelus, our new communication system. Evangelus will not replace other forms of communication. It is being added to help modernize communication, utilize technology and give you control over how you want to stay connected to the parish.
Faith Communities Census Weekend of Action begins on Friday, July 24, 2020. Shape the future! Fill out the 2020 Census. Over the next 10 years, data from the 2020 Census will inform the distribution of hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funds each year that support education, health care, emergency services, housing and food assistance, and more.
Many of us go to the cemetery in the springtime to clean the graves of our loved ones and say a prayer. Some parishes participate in a custom known as Cemetery Sunday. It provides us an opportunity to come together on a designated date at the cemetery and pray collectively for those who have gone before us. This year, St. Clare will continue this tradition on Sunday, August 9 at 3 p.m., the Hour of Divine Mercy, at Resurrection Cemetery. Mark your calendar for this date and join us.
Thank you for your patience and generosity through these unusual times. The fiscal year budget for 2020/2021 reflects St. Clare’s uncertainty of our Community’s future in relation to government regulation and St. Clare’s best efforts to keep our parishioners and employees safe. The budget is driven by guidance from the Archdiocese of Detroit and estimates based on the second quarter of 2020.
The first week of July have significant holidays that commemorate the birth of two nations, USA and Canada. This week let us remember both countries in our prayers for peace and continued friendship; that Americans and Canadians strive to be the witness to Christ in their countries and the world. That they continue to work to influence their governments to act from a place that reflects Christian principles and attitudes, and that we pray and work for justice and peace in our countries and throughout the world. Join us for Mass on these days; Wednesday, July 1, at 8 am and a special celebration on Saturday, July 4, at 8 am.
We have now had four weeks of services and our parish offices have reopened with limited hours. As I mentioned at the onset of the openings, we would be reviewing our protocols and make adjustments to fit the needs of the parish. Initial requirements to limit our seating capacity at Mass to 25% has been increased to 50% seating. Our regular weekend Mass schedule can very easily accommodate this change and the needs of the parish. Therefore, starting with the July 4 weekend we will discontinue the Saturday 6 pm Mass. I want to express my gratitude to all ministers for their willingness to support this additional service. Established protocols regarding social distancing, cleaning and the wearing of facemasks in the church and parish offices remain in effect. We thank you for your compliance with these safety measures.
Our own Sacred Heart Major Seminary is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year. This event certainly calls to give thanks and to celebrate. So, the Seminary and Archdiocesan family invites everyone to join in on June 26, 2020 for the Archbishop’s Gala online! As usual, there will be: remarks from Archbishop Vigneron, the Rector will provide a State of the Seminary report, raffle tickets, and much more. The event is free of charge. Please visit archbishopsgala.com for more information.
BIG NEWS: Our summer small groups will begin this week on June 17. Please email faithformation@stclarem.org if you would like to be part of a small group for sharing. You will need access to the internet for the video and Zoom for the sharing. The program will be four Wednesdays; June 17 and 24 and July 1 and 8 beginning at 7:15 and ending about 8:30. For the summer we have placed our Adult Faith Formation activities on Wednesdays because Adoration and Evening Mass are on Thursdays.