You are invited to a Tigers Game on Wednesday, August 9th, 7 p.m.   Please let us know ASAP if you would like to attend, so we can buy tickets. In order to attend, a completed permission slip is required and must be returned to the parish office or emailed to Sharon Freitas at Sharon@freitas.com  Parents are welcome to attend and help chaperone.  If you have any questions email me or call Sharon at 313 882-1973.    GO TIGERS!

Wishing everyone a safe and relaxing month of July, as we head into the middle of summer.  I usually write a word or two about the MLB Allstar break and the chances of our Detroit Tigers but I think I will refrain this year and just say “I believe in miracles” and hope for the best.  I still enjoy watching the games and will continue to do so.  Go Tigers!  

At the invitation of the Diocesan Director for the Propagation of the Faith and within the framework of the Mission Cooperative Plan, Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, Fr. Ray Diesbourg, MSC will be here to talk to us at all of the Masses on the weekend of July 29-30, 2017.  Mission appeals directly remind us that the Church is universal and missionary by nature and presents us with an opportunity to share in missionary work.

Sr. Valerie Binder CSJ, 60 years, Sr. Mary Peter 60 years, Deacon Richard Shubik, 25 years. more info...

The school roof repair project was completed last week on the Charlevoix side of the building. We were fortunate to have good weather and glad there were no major surprises once the tile was removed. It is a methodical process of removing and saving tile while putting down ice shield and underlayment. We will plan to do portions of the roof every summer to keep on top of it. It is rather ominous due to its size and the cost of repairs. Once done correctly, however, it lasts a very long time.

The 2017 Catholic Services Appeal is underway. Gifts to the CSA make possible a wealth of ministries, programs, and services that touch the lives of thousands throughout the Archdiocese of Detroit each day.   This year’s CSA theme, Opening Doors to Encounter Christ, reflects our Holy Father’s invitation to all Catholics to renew their personal relationships with our Savior, as “the joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.”

After an extensive search and evaluation of multiple candidates, we are pleased to announce the selection of the new principal for our school Ms. Ann Tonissen.  The search committee believes Ms. Tonissen  is the best qualified and most appropriate candidate to guide our St Clare students to be the leaders of tomorrow.  She comes to us most recently from St. Frances Cabrini Middle School in Allen Park with glowing reviews, and has spent the majority of her career in the Catholic School system for the Archdiocese of Detroit.

July 1st and 4th are important days for our country and our Canadian neighbors, the land of the free and the home of the brave, and the home and native land. We should be proud and grateful to live in such countries. Many people in the world today do not have a country to call their own, while others live in countries where there is violence, rather than peace. Next weekend let us remember both countries in our prayers. To those who will not be with us on the first weekend of July – our best wishes and have safe travels.

Clergy and Consecrated Life This year’s religious jubilarians are marking their milestone anniversaries with a Mass at Sacred Heart Major Seminary this Saturday. The Archdiocese of Detroit is blessed to have more than a thousand religious sisters, brothers, and priests who actively help the faithful encounter Christ. Your CSA gifts allow the archdiocesan Office of Clergy and Consecrated Life to connect religious communities serving in our Archdiocese while focusing on vocations and offering spiritual and intellectual opportunities, such as retreats, days of reflection, and workshops.

Christian service coordinators will gather at Sacred Heart Major Seminary next week for the Lay Ecclesial Ministry Certification Module, thanks to your gifts to the Catholic Services Appeal. Christian service coordinators are valuable members of parish staffs. They promote and coordinate action that seeks to eliminate the cause of human need in our society. They are also responsible for ensuring a full response to Catholic Social Teaching through opportunities for outreach and...

The theme of this year’s Catholic Services Appeal is Opening Doors to Encounter Christ.    As this theme suggests, Jesus encourages us to examine our lives and reflect on how each of us may enter into a deeper relationship with Him, and how we may open doors so that others may have a personal encounter with Him.  When we support the CSA, we support a multitude of ministries, programs, and services that do precisely this - we open doors to Jesus.  As members of the Archdiocese of Detroit, we have an opportunity and responsibility to keep our local Church vibrant and service oriented. Our response is to graciously accept this 2017 challenge to meet our parish goal of $73,681.

Our Faith Formation Commission is working on our programs for the fall. If you have anything to suggest, or if you would like to give a testimonial on your experience with any of the FORMED programs you have seen or participated in, please speak with anyone on our Faith formation commission: Tom or Annie Warnez, Marge Zurack, Rosemary Campbell, Greg Mantho, Joe Monte, Sr. Kathy or Fr. Andrew.

Please join our Alumni and Friends of St. Clare on June 3rd for a day of family, food and fun.  Reconnect with friends, join in field day events, eat, drink and be merry. We have planned a ...

Our SVdP Conference is currently enrolling children for Camp Ozanam.  There are opportunities for boys and girls from ages 8 through 16 to enjoy a week on the shores of Lake Huron at no cost to their families.  SVdP-St. Clare is hosting a Camp Enrollment Gathering in the Social Hall on Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. until noon, and we are also meeting with families now to help them get a jump start on their paperwork. If you know someone who...

Our search for a new Pastoral Associate continues. We want to be sure the right candidate is selected, so we are refining the position details and narrowing our search. Additionally, I have submitted the job description to the AOD for the opening in our school and hope to interview candidates ASAP.  Please know that our Parish Team is committed to the mission and vision of our St. Clare Community of being an Amazing Parish and striving for excellence.  We expect a smooth transition as we implement these changes.  Please keep us in your prayers.   

I will share with you a few spring maintenance projects you will see around campus.  We just completed a waterproofing project along the Whittier side of the church.  Like any area home the foundation cracks and water begins to show up in the basement.  Hopefully this will allow us to repaint our walls and keep them dry for the near future.   Another project will be replacing the steps to the main entrance to the school.  They are crumbling and are beyond repair.  We will also replace the curbing that hugs the gardens on either side of the step area.  We want to ensure that it is safe for students, teachers, and guests to come and go from our main entrance.

Our dates for Super Heroes of the Old Testament will be from August 7 to 11 from 9:30-12.  Cost will be $25.  We invite all children from 4-10 to attend.  We will also be looking for adult and young adult volunteers.  If you would like to help or if you need more information, please contact Sr. Kathy.

Any high school student who would like to assist with Bible School, tutor any of our students, or works in any other capacity within the athletic program, religious education program, or school programs, must have this program before you can work with children. To register call the parish where the workshop is located or see Sr. Kathy. Our Lady Star of the Sea, May 20, 12-3.  St. Peter Parish, Mt. Clemens, June 10, 9-12. A parent permission slip is necessary.

The community wide clean-up scheduled for May 13th, 12 noon kick off from Balduck Park's north side, will run from i-94 service drive to Mack Avenue & from Moross Rd. to Devonshire.   St. Clare Montefalco Parish is asked to clean the major thoroughfares on both sides of Outer Dr. (including the median), Mack Avenue, East Warren, i-94 service Dr & East Warren from east to west. There are 5 side streets running North to South that include Audobon, Courville, 3 Mile Dr., Bedford & Devonshire.  There are 10 streets or major thoroughfare assignments with two partners assigned to each street, plus two for the Median on Outer Dr.  We could use 22 volunteers to accomplish this.  More volunteers are certainly welcome as streets between Cadieux & Moross Rd's can still be assigned.  

We welcome and congratulate twenty-one children and their families from our parish who will receive Holy Communion for the first time this weekend at 11:00 a.m. Mass.  We pray that this will be the first of many times that you receive Jesus in the Eucharist as you continue on your faith journey. May the image of the Good Shepherd inspire us to follow Christ and listen to His voice even more closely. Once again thank you to Sr. Kathy, Sr. Mary Peter, and Ms. Samantha Cooley for preparing our young students for this great celebration. It truly is a great festivity of faith and family-gathering in our parish. May God bless you and continually guide you—parents and children, as you journey through life.