Week of April 21, 2024

1) Fr. Robert Voiland Appointed to SJA

Archbishop Vigneron has appointed Fr. Robert Voiland a member of the In Solidum team of priests who pastor Our Lady Star of the Parish, Grosse Pointe Woods; St. Basil the Great Parish, Eastpointe; St. Joan of Arc Parish, St. Clair Shores; St.Lucy Parish, St. Clair Shores; St. Veronica Parish, Eastpointe, that form SERF Vicariate Family 2, effective July 1, 2024. Father Voiland will live and serve primarily at St. Joan of Arc Parish, under the mentorship of Monsignor Michael Bugarin.

Father Voiland currently serves as a member of the In Solidum team of priests who pastor St. Anne Parish, Ortonville; Our Lady of the Lakes Parish, Waterford; St. Rita Parish, Holly; St. Daniel Parish, Clarkston, that form Northwest Oakland Lakes Vicariate Family of Parishes.

Meet Fr. Voiland:

(From Detroit Catholic)

Born: June 9, 1960

Ordained a Priest: May 15, 2021

Parents: Jim and Jennie Voiland (both deceased)

Education: Mount Clemens High School, Mount Clemens; General Motors Institute, Flint; Macomb Community College, Warren: AAS-Electronics Eng. Technology; AAS-Maintenance Technology; AGS-General Studies; Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, B.A. in philosophy; Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, Weston: M.Divinity

Home Parish: St. Michael, Sterling Heights, and St. Peter, Mount Clemens

Hobbies: Enjoying the outdoors — walking, biking; listening to music; reading; fixing stuff

What were you doing before you entered the seminary?

Immediately preceding my formal acceptance to seminary, I was a commuter student at Sacred Heart Major Seminary working on my philosophy studies. During and before that time, I was a caregiver for several years, also doing some independent electrical work. That period was preceded by my career as an electrician.

When did you first start to think about the priesthood?

My first thought about priesthood came from the sisters who taught me at St. Mary School in Mount Clemens as an elementary student. The idea didn’t seem to take root until I was in my early 50s. Although never married, I had lived a “successful” life and had the opportunity to more or less coast quietly into the sunset. Then, I found available time to attend daily Mass, learned more deeply about my Catholic faith, fell in love with what I was learning, and then heard a homily that made me realize that I could retire from electrical work, but I could never retire from being a Catholic Christian. A suggestion from a sister at St. Michael’s that I might make a good deacon (which I dismissed quickly!) resurfaced as a real possibility. Further discussions with priest friends led to the idea that the Lord might really want me as a priest.

What pastoral learning experiences made the greatest impact on you?

The deep faith of so many fellow Catholics and their dependence upon Jesus and his Church, including me as someone they can trust to serve them. This is humbling and encouraging. Alternatively, I am also struck by the great need of many of the faithful to better see the great treasure that we have right before us in the Church.

What do you think is the greatest challenge facing the Church today? What do you see as the solution to that challenge?

We live in a world that increasingly accepts the idea that humans have all the answers. This is an age-old lie, yet human “progress” blinds many of us from seeing that we are not made for mere worldly happiness but for union with God. Jesus Christ is the only way to get there. The Church must be extraordinarily bold in proclaiming this truth and prepared for great sacrifice in doing so.

What saint has been your greatest inspiration and why?

I have been most moved at this point in my life by St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. They have helped me navigate my rational limitations. Faith does need understanding, and understanding does need faith. Yet, this is not an easy path to travel, as evidenced by the materialist humanism our culture labors under today. These saints bring light into the darkness.

How do you hope to answer the call of the new evangelization in your priestly ministry?

I pray God will use me to help my sisters and brothers recognize that Christ is working in their lives right now, and that it is through them that Christ wants to make himself known to the people they meet. I hope to provide nourishment to the faithful through the sacraments, the Word, prayer, and my own witness. I want to be an intentional disciple so they can be, too.

2) Seminarian Desert Formation Experience

The Desert Formation Experience (DFE) is an annual 30-day spiritual pilgrimage that first-year graduate seminarians make to the Holy Land.

During their journey, they have the opportunity to experience firsthand the places Christ walked and taught, ministered and lived, suffered, died, and rose again. An opportunity that tangibly seeks Christ's guidance and places into context their own vocational walk toward the priesthood.

Some years may require modifications to the quintessential pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In those instances, the Formation Team develops a new itinerary that nevertheless meets the desired outcome for the seminarians to confirm their lives to Christ with a deeper spiritual conviction of their future priestly vocation.

The current and unfortunate circumstances in the Middle East will not allow for a pilgrimage to take place in the Holy Land this year. In lieu, the seminarians will embark on a "Pilgrimage of the Saints" where they will have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some of the most prominent Saints of the Catholic Church as well as visit some notable Marian apparition sites.

3) Unique Gift Ideas for Every Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation this Spring

From AOD's Unleash the Gospel:

Just as with any birthday or holiday, finding the right gift for a Baptism, First Communion, or Confirmation can be a challenge. You want to pick a gift that will be treasured but not duplicated. Sacramental celebrations are not immune when it comes to gift-giving anxiety. The go-to gifts are Bibles and rosaries, and while beautiful keepsakes, they’re likely to be repeated by another guest at the party. But if you are looking to give a gift that is not only unique but also treasured, we’ve got a dozen suggestions for you 

Baptism

Baptism isn’t a valid baptism without proper matter—water. Why not make the holy water memorable? CraftRosariesLLC offers custom glass holy water bottles with tags, ribbons and even dried flowers. There are dozens of options, and some designs can even be purchased in bulk. Why bulk? To share holy water with all your guests, of course!

When my daughter was baptized, she was given a tiny pink teddy bear, which became her comfort stuffy and was lovingly named Nuh-Night Bear. Instead of a bear, give Jesus, Mary, or the Holy Family as a night-time stuffy. I love the handmade dolls from Outrageousmom. They even offer rattles and sherpa baby blankets.

If you like the blanket idea, then check out TheLittleRoseShop. They have many Catholic symbols and saint muslin swaddle blankets and Minky baby blankets. The Little Rose Shop also has beautiful art prints and other nursery décor. My favorite gifts from the shop, however, would be their quiet books. A quiet book is similar to a fabric book in which each page has a quiet activity or puzzle. The Little Rose Shop offers three different books: Where is Jesus?, Mass, and the Rosary. They even have the Mass book pattern available for purchase to make a one-of-a-kind book!

First Communion

Continuing with sacramental matter-related gifts, how about a bread bowl that serves as a prayer or rosary bowl? Yes, the proper matter is unleavened bread, and a bread bowl serves as a dish for when the bread is rising…but it’s the symbolic nature of the bread, you know? Rustic Marine has beautiful handmade bread bowls that are works of art on their own but can also be customized. By purchasing from Rustic Marine, you would be supporting a locally-owned family business that has been working hard after suffering a devastating house fire in 2023. If you like the idea of a rosary bowl or dish but would like something a little less rustic, check out ClareyClayworks. Her handmade and customizable trinket dishes are a great gift option for any sacrament.

I know what my children loved when they were of First Communion age—pop-its. Gather and Pray has Sacraments of Initiation pop-its and pop-it rosaries. Yes, a pop-it rosary that allows communicants to “pop” each decade’s rosary bubble. I showed my kids, and they asked me to buy them one!

Once a child has become one with Christ through the gift of the Eucharist, they are on their way to being joyful missionary disciples! A small custom cross money bank or piggy bank could be used to help your little disciple practice almsgiving.

Finally, a great gift option for a first communicant would be a custom night light. Not only does a night light ease the fears of the dark, but it also reminds children that Jesus is the light of the world! There are many great options out there. However, my favorites were this night light with name and date, this one with a Bible verse and for the princess in your life, a flower cross.

Confirmation

Teenagers are difficult to shop for, and sure, it is easy to simply slip some cash in a card and call it a day. Yet, nothing compares to getting a genuine smile out of a teenager opening a gift they weren’t expecting and love! The Little Catholic specializes in fine jewelry and their pieces are lovely. The saint cuff links were a favorite for young men and the dainty jewelry scapulars and saint necklaces make great options for young women.

If you want to inspire your teen to build a prayer space, PaxBeloved has beautiful digital art prints. Her designs are contemporary which makes them approachable and loved by all ages. To really deck out a prayer space, The Catholic Woodworker has small handcrafted home altars.

The most teenager-approved gifts would have to be anything that deals with technology or music. SJCantius has over 1000 items to gift, but what really caught my attention were their Catholic phone cases. What makes the site unique is the variety of both iPhone and Samsung cases. If your confirmandi wears an Apple watch, give an Apple band like this Philippians 4:13 or John 3:16 design. Finally, if your confirmandi loves to play guitar, this custom guitar pick and pick box would make a wonderful gift!

Read the Original Article HERE

4) How Many Times Did Jesus Appear After the Resurrection?

By George Ryan from Catholic Pop

Have you ever wondered how many times Jesus appeared after his Resurrection?

On this episode of "The Catholic Talk Show," Ryan Scheel, Ryan DellaCrosse, and Father Rich Pagano discuss Jesus’ appearances throughout his 40 days on earth after the resurrection.

How many times did Jesus appear after the Resurrection?

Although we don’t know the exact number of times he appeared, we do have an idea. Scripture documents 10 appearances to Jesus’ disciples. However, according to tradition, he appeared 12 times.

John 20:30 says:

“Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book.”

These appearances affirmed His physical resurrection, Father Pagano says.

"The whole idea of what we're bringing to the altar, Jesus' resurrected body is right there for us to receive each and every single day.”

Who did Jesus appear to first?

Tradition tells us that his very first appearance was to his mother, Mary.

Although not explicitly recorded in the Gospels, Scheel says “the Church Doctors and Church Fathers all maintain this like it was a known fact.”

Why did people not recognize Jesus after the resurrection?

The mysterious nature of His resurrected body often rendered Him unrecognizable to even His closest followers initially. Mary Magdalene “thought He was the gardener” and only recognized Him after He called her by name, Dellacrosse says.

What are the deeper meanings of each appearance?

In each appearance, Jesus taught specific lessons and spiritual truths.

On the road to Emmaus, He revealed Himself as the fulfiller of the Scriptures and demonstrated that He could be recognized in the breaking of bread.

When He appeared to the Apostles behind locked doors, it affirmed His resurrection promises and established the Church’s mission.

His reinstatement of Peter showed His forgiveness and the Church's duty to shepherd His flock.

"Jesus, disguised in our midst today… is still speaking to the hearts of men and women throughout every nation, inspiring this greater vocation to holiness," Father Rich says.

5) 10 of the Most Popular Catholic TikTok Accounts Worth Following

TikTok can be a fun and exciting way to meet people where they are and spread God’s word.

By Christina Herrera at Catholic Pop

TikTok, a popular social media platform with over one billion active users, has more than just silly dance videos.

While it was created in Sept. 2016, some could argue it reached a new height in the United States during the COVID pandemic's “shutdown.”

Participating in trending videos became a way for people to connect during a time of deep isolation. 

It is no secret that the platform is owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company. Despite lawmakers moving forward in an attempt to ban the platform due to national security measures, it remains one of the top-used social media sites. 

According to Tikok, "It is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy.”

Users can provide a multitude of content with the intent of creating and sharing information in videos ranging from 15 seconds to three minutes, to 10-minute video uploads. 

While the platform is controversial, Catholic content creators have found it to be an exciting way to spread the faith, providing apologetics and funny relatable videos. 

Discover the LIST by Clicking HERE

6) Ascension's Bible and Catechism App

7) Holy Hour on Thursdays

8) This Sunday's Readings: April 21, 2024 - The Fourth Sunday of Easter

9) Sunday Reflections by Jeff Cavins

Fourth Sunday of Easter

In this week’s video for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, Jeff Cavins reflects on what Jesus means when he says he is the Good Shepherd.

The readings are:

First Reading: Acts 4:8-12

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28, 29

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-2

Alleluia: John 10:14

Gospel: John 10:11-18

10) Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Three Qualities of a Good Shepherd



Friends, we come to the Fourth Sunday of Easter, known as Good Shepherd Sunday. Jesus says in the Gospel, “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” What is it about that image that sings to us across the ages, from the pages of the Bible to the present day? What I want to do is reflect on this image of the shepherd—first, in relation to Jesus, then second, in relation to leadership in the life of the Church.

11) Grow+Go

12) Giving to SJA:

I'm truly grateful for all of your support of SJA. Your support means so much. The increase in electronic giving has been tremendous. Giving electronically, whether on a one-time or recurring basis is pretty simple. For more information on online giving, please click on the following button.

13) TALLer Tales

Stressin’ Out the Monsignor (Part ONE): There’s very little that stresses me out. I can deal with chaos. I can deal with instant crisis. But knowing you’re on stage with a scheduled live-streaming event some four hours away from home, and you’re not sure it will work … that totally stresses me out.

Starting on the Friday before leaving for Manistee for Father Rich’s sister’s funeral, I started assembling all the technology I would need to take on the road. I’ve learned the hard way that it’s necessary not only to gather everything you think you’re going to need but also to put it all together ahead of time and ensure it’s all working and behaving well with each other. So, after the staff left on that Friday afternoon, I took over the main conference room table in the Parish Center. It was in the Parish Center Conference Room that my faithful “technology elves” started to “throw up” technology, equipment, and wires everywhere. The place was a disaster.

I was like a hermit in my cave, assembling all my equipment on Friday night and Saturday morning. With wires and equipment all strewn out on the Parish Center Conference Room table and plenty of chocolate at my side, I started to piece it all together as if I were “live” up at Manistee. By Saturday afternoon, I decided there was nothing more I could tweak because John and Colleen Schulte would pick up all my stuff that night after mass to drive it up to Manistee in their truck. So, I decided to start packing it all up.

The Schultes met me as planned after the 6:00 p.m. mass, and we loaded it all into their truck. At this point, I said a little prayer and hoped I had everything I needed in those boxes. Since my “events” were Sunday night and Monday morning in Manistee, I had little chance of “running” out to Best Buy or getting something quick from Amazon if needed. Missing one cord or piece of equipment could have doomed my efforts!

The Schultes arrived in Manistee before my mom and I did. Gratefully, they hauled all the boxes up to the choir loft where Dina and I would “hold court” with our stuff. My mom, Dina, Patty and Dave Kesner, and I arrived shortly after the parish’s Divine Mercy Sunday events concluded at 3:30 p.m. At this point, it was a full-court press to get everything in place by 8:00 p.m. I wasn’t sweating it out yet because I still had some 4.5 hours to make it all happen. 

The unboxing went well. John and Colleen did all the schlepping up and down the stairs to save the old Monsignor some wear and tear on his knees and legs. They focused on the wires and cameras going down from the choir loft balcony into the nave. I focused my efforts on getting all the equipment up and running upstairs.

Things were going well until I had to get the internet connection going. The last time we did this, they had a building-to-building bridge that carried the network from their parish offices to the Church. But that wasn’t working this time. I purchased a similar bridge before I left, just in case I needed it. The pastor and business manager gave me keys to the buildings and assured me I could do what was needed to make it all happen. Everything was set up on the inside; I only needed the internet now. But we had a HUGE problem: my streaming was somewhat doomed without the internet. My hotspot didn’t work too well in Church, so I focused my time on trying to get this building-to-building wireless bridge to work. By 7:00 p.m. I started sweating and kept repeating, “I’m not sure how this is going to work.” I got the wireless bridge in place (one unit was hanging out a 2nd story-stained glass window at Church, and the other was in a corner room in the Parish Offices). While the lights and everything indicated it was live and working, the connection to the outside world wasn’t working. I. WAS. FRUSTRATED. And there’s nothing worse than being frustrated (and worried) and having a bunch of choir members start showing up in the choir loft trying to chat with the Monsignor. A recipe for a disaster was being cooked up!

By 7:30 p.m., I was really sweating bullets. I finally decided to drop the bridge work. I loaded up my hotspot and just hoped it worked. My Verizon signal strength was terrible, but my tests showed I had enough to try it. While working with the cameras and making some last-minute tweaks to my setup, I noticed my “downstairs” camera started bouncing around. Right away, I figured someone had touched our camera and the tripod to cause it to go into a dizzying and warbly Vertigo-type motion. I immediately got up from my chair and peered into the crowd to see who was messing with MY stuff. Father Adam immediately looked up like a kid caught in trouble. He immediately pointed to Kevin Hendrick, and Kevin pointed to Father Adam. They got “the look” from afar, and I lowered myself back into my chair. I could see them laughing as I looked at the video monitors. I was always told people feared “the look;” it obviously didn’t work this time!

At 7:50 p.m., I started the streaming and hoped for the best. Immediately, I was getting reports from people back home of a loud buzz and a very choppy video. My heart sank. I messed around with some settings to see if I could reduce the quality of my video streaming in the hopes the reduced settings would be enough to carry us through the broadcast. It just got worse. We did our best, but I now needed another plan for the scripture service and the funeral. I was now sweating worse than Father John Bettin would in the summer!

I was racing for options and could only determine that I’d better record the scripture service and then upload the video when I had a stronger internet connection at the hotel. So, in the middle of the scripture service, I stopped the broadcast to make the necessary changes to record the video on an SD memory card. When I plugged my only SD card into the streaming box, it didn’t recognize it (you would have thought I was at SJA). I tried and tried, but nothing was working. So, now I had a very choppy and painful to listen to streaming event but also an SD card that didn’t work. There was not enough chocolate or chocolate wine to get me through this fiasco.

Once the scripture service was over, the group staying at the hotel was to gather in the hotel’s breakfast area for pizza, snacks, and “provisions.” I was in no mood to be around anyone at this point! I only wanted to stay as long as I could at Church to figure out a fix for my problem. But I wanted to head out and get a new SD card or thumb drive to record and later upload the videos. I found a Meijer in town that was open until 10 p.m. So off to Meijer I went. After leaving Meijer, I returned to the hotel and joined the group downstairs. I tried to pretend I was enjoying myself, but 90% of my brain was still racing for a solution. I also knew I needed some sleep because I planned to meet the priests and parish staff at 8:00 a.m. to work out a plan for the two hours I would have before the funeral to make it all happen. Yes, the Monsignor was stressed out … and it wasn’t even the day of the funeral yet!

To be continued!

Enjoy the week. Know of my prayers!

gmb@sjascs.org

14) Along the Way with Father Adam

The Importance of the Eucharist

Given that I just celebrated my anniversary of my First Holy Communion and soon our students will be receiving this wonderful Sacrament, I thought we could take a moment to reflect together on the importance of the Eucharist. How does one dare to speak of the Eucharist? It is hard to grasp the immensity of this rich, profound and generous gift of God to his children.

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus is remarkably hospitable; he loves to feed his flock. At the Marriage of Cana, the Lord turned six stone jars of water into surprisingly good wine. On other occasions, Our Lord miraculously multiplies the loaves and fishes in order to feed thousands of hungry followers. After the Resurrection, Our Lord grills fresh fish and invites several of the Apostles: “Come have breakfast.” All of these moments point in a most powerful way to the meal of all meals, the Last Supper and the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the greatest of all of Jesus’ gifts. In this sacred meal, Jesus pledges to pour out his life for us and to feed us with his very self: “Take it; this is my body … This is my blood of the covenant.” Jesus is our food for the journey, our nourishment for the narrow path to eternal life.

As Emmanuel, God-with-us, Jesus takes on our human flesh in order to walk our dusty streets, look us in the eye, heal us with his touch, preach with words we could understand, and die on the cross for us. Our Lord chooses to draw near; he offers a ministry of presence. Additionally, Jesus deeply desires to remain present to his flock until the end of time. He masterfully crafts a way to remain truly present (Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity) to through the magnificent gift of the Eucharist.

As the Lamb of God, Jesus sacrifices his life for the flock and takes away the sins of the world. He lovingly and obediently surrenders his life to God the Father by his death on the cross to redeem the world from sin. Consequently, the Mass is also a sacrifice. When we celebrate the eucharistic mystery, we are made present to Jesus in his paschal mystery, which includes the moment when Jesus commended his spirit to the Father. The sacrifice is not multiplied; rather, the one eternal sacrifice is made present in a real, yet sacramental way. Additionally, we are invited to unite all of the sacrifices of our lives — our trials, our pain and our burdens — to his one sacrifice, which is offered to the Father for the salvation of the world. “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.”

As Splendor of the Father, Jesus is a most grateful Son. He knows that all good gifts, even the most difficult and hard-to-understand ones, come from his loving hand. Jesus regularly paused during his day and activities to recognize the goodness of his Father and to thank him. At the Last Supper, Jesus offers deep, heartfelt thanks to God, fully aware that he was on his way to painfully lay down his life. The Eucharist, at its heart, is an act of thanksgiving, a sacrifice of praise, rendered to God the Eternal Father for every gift he has bestowed upon us, most especially for the saving and healing work of his only-begotten Son.

For these and many other reasons, the Eucharist is immensely important to Christians. Vatican II’s General Instruction goes on to say, “For the Mass is the climactic expression of both the action whereby God in Christ sanctifies the world, and of the worship that mankind offers to the Father as it adores him through Christ, the Son of God … All other sacred actions and all the works of Christian life are connected with the Mass, flow from it and are ordered to it.”

Bl. Imelda Lambertini

Blessed Imelda understood well the presence of Jesus in the Most Holy Eucharist and the importance of this great Sacrament, even though she was only 11 years old when she died. Bl. Imelda was from a noble family in Bologna – born in 1322. At that time, it was not the custom for children to receive the Eucharist. However, Bl. Imelda lived a life of great holiness and prayed with the Dominican Sisters every day at Mass. She desired to receive Holy Communion but the sisters (and their priest chaplain) continuously told her that she needed to wait. Until one day, Jesus made it clear that Bl. Imelda should be allowed to receive Him.

After Mass, as one of the nuns was clearing the altar, she heard a noise and looked up to the choir to see Imelda, a glowing light shining above her head, with the Sacred Host suspended in the light. The chaplain was called at once, and he understood that Jesus Himself was making his desire known. “Let the little children come to Me and do not stop them.” The priest gave Imelda her First Holy Communion.

We can well imagine that the nuns were amazed and thrilled both at the great blessing to their little one, and to their convent. The prioress allowed Imelda to remain for some time in thanksgiving, and then sent for her to come and have her breakfast. Imelda was still kneeling as they had left her, a smile on her face. Yet when called for, Imelda’s body was still. She had died of pure joy. Her thanksgiving had been well completed, and she had nothing left to desire. Bl. Imelda loved Jesus in the Eucharist. Are you committed to growing in your love for the Eucharist?

Blessings!

Fr. Adam

anowak@sjascs.org

15) Ascension Presents: Father Mike Schmitz

Can I Sin in My Dreams?

Have you ever had dark, disturbing dreams? If you did, did you feel guilty when you woke up? Did you have some vague sense of shame that such dreams came from your mind?

If you’ve ever experienced this, you might have even wondered whether or not such dreams could be considered “sinful.” Fr. Mike is here today to give you the short answer—no, dreams themselves cannot be considered sinful—and the long answer… what are you doing during your waking hours that could be feeding these dark dreams?

16) Words on the Word: April 21, 2024 - Handle the Truth

It can sometimes feel like we’re living in some sort of alternate reality.

We think we know what “up” is, but we’re told by certain people that “up” is actually “down.” We think we know what “black” is, but we’re told by certain people that “black” is actually “white.” Or we think we know what “hot” is, but we’re told be certain people that “hot” is actually “cold.”

This disconnect manifests itself in political matters, in matters of health and science, and, perhaps most of all, in spiritual matters.

And it matters, very much. 

“The story of Babel is the best metaphor I have found for what happened to America in the 2010s, and for the fractured country we now inhabit,” a New York psychologist who has studied the issue recently wrote in The Atlantic. “We are disoriented, unable to speak the same language or recognize the same truth. We are cut off from one another…”

The good news is that, despite all the wrangling and disagreements, there is, indeed, still such a thing as objective truth.

“See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God,” we hear in today’s second reading from the first letter of St. John. “Yet so we are.” That, to be sure, is truth. 

Our job then, as people of good will and as Christians – and especially in matters pertaining to Jesus and our salvation – is to continue to recognize the truth. To defend it. And to live it.

“He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone,” we hear in the first reading from the Acts of the Apostles. 

“There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”

© 2024 Words on the Word

17) This WEEK on FORMED:

18) 52 Stories: Good News from Spirit Juice Studios

Prepare to be Inspired

Spirit Juice Studios is blessed to work with countless Catholic organizations, dioceses, parishes, and schools. We get to help them tell their powerful stories about all the good stuff that is happening within the Church. Sign up for 52 Stories so we can share them with you! You’ll meet the unsung heroes of the Catholic Church, discover the stories of holy women and men around the world, and witness miraculous moments of God’s grace in everyday life.

In a world full of bad news, these stories will give you 52 reasons to believe that God is working through the Catholic faith to transform lives through His love and mercy. Sign up today!

Life Is Worth It

This short story vividly demonstrates the worthiness of every human life, from parenthood to child growth.

19) Hallow App:

20) SJA's Garden Angels are looking for Volunteers

21) Wind and Fire Series

22) Mass Intentions for the Week:

Monday, April 22, 2024, Easter Weekday (White) 

7:00 am, Joseph Fikany

Tuesday, April 23, 2024, Easter Weekday Saine George, Martyr; Saint Adalbert, Bishop & Martyr (White/Red)

7:00 am, Ann Marie Rogier 

Wednesday, April 24, 2024, Easter Weekday; Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest & Martyr (White/Red)

7:00 am, Mary Lou Racine

6:00 pm, George J. Bugarin

Thursday, April 25, 2024, Saint Mark, Evangelist (Red)

7:00 am, A Special Intention for Joe Schotthoefer

Friday, April 26, 2024, Easter Weekday (White)

7:00 am, Elizabeth deLeon and a Special Intention for Rosa Silva

Saturday, April 27, 2024, Vigil for the Fifth Sunday of Easter (White)

4:00 pm, Mary Lou Bartoszek Racine, Richard Tisdale, Karen McMahon, Jeannie Ricard, Sam & Grace Valenti, Debbie Albrecht, Richard Fredette, Sam & Grace Valenti, Bonnie Batche, Joe Basirico, Special Intentions for the Kaptur Family, the J. Champine Family, the Thomas Family, for Alison Reslow, Pam Haisenleder, Lorraine Jonas, and Linda Frank

6:00 pm, Richard & Virginia Robinette

Sunday, April 28, 2024, Fifth Sunday of Easter (White)

8:00 am, For the Intentions for St. Joan of Arc Parishioners

10:00 am, Dorothy Lubinski & her Parents

12:00 pm Hugo Calisi, the Deceased Members of the Calisi Family who passed in the month of April, Dennis Venuto, Mary Margaret Ortisi, Marie Moroni, Joana Lackey, Dolores Franke, Special Intentions for the Kaptur Family, Alison Reslow, Pam Haisenleder, Lorraine Jonas, and Linda Frank

23) This Week on St. Joan of Arc LIVE:

This week's LIVE Stream

Schedule at St. Joan of Arc:

Monday (April 22)

7:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Funeral for Donna Kilbride (Read Obituary HERE)

Tuesday (April 23):

7:00 AM - Mass

8:30 AM - School Mass

7:00 PM - Confirmation

Wednesday (April 24):

7:00 AM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Thursday (April 25):

7:00 AM- Mass

7:00 PM - Holy Hour

Friday (April 26):

7:00 AM - Mass

Saturday (April 27):

12:30 PM - Baptism of Logan Joel Pena

1:30 PM - Baptism of Wynn Marie Burgio-Herrera

4:00 PM - Mass

6:00 PM - Mass

Sunday (April 28):

8:00 AM - Mass

10:00 AM - Mass

12:00 PM - Mass

Please note that all of our masses and events can be accessed through the ARCHIVE section of our Live stream page if you cannot watch it live!

We also have our own ROKU Channel. Search for "CATHOLIC" in the ROKU channel store, and you will find SJA's channel. A Fire TV Channel is also available.

24) SJA's Latest Parish Bulletin

Click on the image below

to download a copy of the bulletin

for April 21, 2024

25) Weekly Bulletin Mailing List

26) Detroit Catholic