Faith
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of mind and heartMy Dear People,
Every October the Catholic Church in the United States celebrates Respect Life Month, and the first Sunday of October is observed as Respect Life Sunday. Today is Respect Life Sunday. As Catholics, we are called to cherish, defend, and protect those who are most vulnerable, from the beginning to the end of life, and at every point in between. During the month of October, the Church asks us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of every human life.
This year the call to Respect Life takes on a special urgency and prominence in our lives. With the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court, radical legislation and ballot proposals are popping up in states across our nation. These proposed laws and even constitutional amendments are seeking to secure the right to take the lives of the unborn at any stage of pregnancy and beyond. It is hard to imagine the right to kill being enshrined in our state’s Constitution. No form of murder is protected by the Constitution. How contrary this runs to our U.S. Constitution that calls us to understand our God-given unalienable rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.
Please hear the call of Respect Life Sunday to stand up for life. Pray for an end to murder in all its forms. Pray for a defeat of Michigan’s ballot Proposal 3. Speak out for life, especially to family members and friends who are confused or unsure about this issue. Support organizations that care for women dealing with unplanned pregnancies. Show respect, care, and compassion to the vulnerable of society, from the aged to the disabled. Respect Life must be a way of life for us as Christians. It is what Jesus called us and modelled for us to do.
Fr. Bill
THE 2022-23 CHRIST’S MISSION APPEAL has begun with the information stage. This first step was the taped message from Bishop Gruss that was played last weekend. It was followed by a parish mailing which was sent to your homes with a letter from Fr. Bill asking for your support of the 2022-2023 Christ's Mission Appeal. The second step is the Response. A mailing will come to your home from Bishop Gruss which will contain some more information on the Appeal along with a Response card and envelope. Please watch for this mailing, pray about your response, and then please give generously to this year’s Christ Mission Appeal.
In order to reach our increased goal, we are asking that you please consider a 33% increase to your last year’s donation. If you gave $100, please give $133. If you gave 200, please give $266. We are all going to have to dig just a little deeper so as to reach our goal this year. As we humbly ask for your help, we express great gratitude to you for your generosity to our Parish and Diocese. We need the financial support of everyone so as to reach our targeted goal.
If you do not receive the parish mailing or the appeal & response packet from Bishop Gruss, please call the parish office so as to confirm that we have your correct mailing/contact information.
SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE TO ATTEND NOUVEL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS: Christ the Good Shepherd and St. John Paul II Parishes both have scholarships available so as to assist you in providing your child/ren with a Catholic School education. These scholarship moneys come from Endowed Funds of the Parish that can only be used for Catholic education purposes. Applications to be considered for one of these scholarships are available through the Parish Offices during normal business hours or call the Parish office to have a Scholarship application mailed to you.
WE CONTINUE OUR EUCHARISTIC RENEWAL/REVIVAL with the ninth segment of the teachings of “Catechism of the Catholic Church” (CCC) on the Holy Eucharist.
Part Two, Article 3: The Sacrament of the Eucharist
- The Liturgical Celebration of the Eucharist
1348 – All gather together. Christians come together in one place for the Eucharistic assembly. At its head is Christ himself, the principal agent of the Eucharist. He is a high priest of the New Covenant; it is he himself who presides invisibly over every Eucharistic celebration. It is in representing him that the bishop or priest active in the person of Christ the head presides over the assembly, speaks after the readings, receives the offerings, and says the Eucharistic Prayer. All have their own active parts to play in the celebration, each in his own way: readers, those who bring up the offerings, those who give communion, and the whole people whose “amen” manifests their participation.
1349 – The Liturgy of the Word includes “the writings of the prophets, “that is, the Old Testament, and “the memoirs of the apostles” (their letters and the Gospels). After the homily, which is an exhortation to accept this Word as what it truly is, the Word of God, and to put it into practice, come the intercessions for all men, according to the Apostle’s words: “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions.”
IN HONOR OF THE FEAST OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI (October 4), A BLESSING OF PETS AND ANIMALS will take place. (Saturday, October 1, 1:00 p.m. at St. John Paul II Parish) Sunday, October 2, 1:00 p.m. at Good Shepherd Parish on the lawn between the Rectory and Church. Please have your pet secure on a leash or in a carrier. It is a ten-minute blessing service. Everyone is invited to bring their pets for this blessing.
THE PASTORAL COUNCILS OF EACH PARISH have started meetings for this year. The following is a list of Council membership for each parish and e-mail contact information.
CHRIST THE GOOD SHEPHERD 2022-2023 PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS:
Chairperson: Mike Smith, info@deltadoor.com Eric Morris erimor@braunkendrick.com
Leslie Duperon, lcduperon@hotmail.com Marge Sienko, msienko301@aol.com
Robin Kaczanowski, robinkaczanowski@sbcglobal.net
Linda Kreager, linda@loiskaycontracting.com Ed Taylor, etaylor317@aol.com
Susan Lokwood, sklwarmheart@yahoo.com Jerry Strasz jpstrasz@yahoo.com
Maureen Schultz, mcschultz1@outlook.com
Ex-officio members: Deacon Dale Sisson, Fr. Bill Rutkowski, Fr. Baltha Raj, Fr. Richard John
ST. JOHN PAUL II 2022-2023 PASTORAL COUNCIL MEMBERS
Chairperson: Ruth Gomez, guadalupemia38@yahoo.com
Vice-chair: Art Anguiano, anguianoart66@gmail.com
Secretary: Luke Gembrowski, lmgembro@gmail.com
Al Bader, 989-372-0366 Dick Hagerty, rhagerty58@aol.com
Mary Miceli, marymiceli@sbcglobal.net Judy Rugenstein, judyrugenstein@gmail.com
Elaine Schnepf, egschnepf@chartermi.net
Ex-officio members: Deacon Dale Sisson, Fr. Bill Rutkowski, Fr. Baltha Raj, Fr. Richard John
✠ DEFEATING PROPOSAL 3 - THE REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM FOR ALL AMENDMENT
This November election, the Catholic bishops in Michigan are urging all Michiganders to vote NO on Proposal 3. This measure would add an amendment to the state constitution to:- Legalize abortion at any time in pregnancy for any reason
- Allow abortions to be performed by anyone, even those without a medical license
- Allow any person to help teens obtain abortions without their parents knowing
- Protect abortion providers from penalties for killing or injuring a woman during an abortion
- Revoke state law that requires abortion facilities to be licensed and inspected
- Require taxpayers to pay for abortions
- ANY ONE: any age…including minors
- ANY TIME: up to the moment of birth…and beyond birth
VOTE NO: On legal abortion through all nine months of pregnancy for any reason
On anyone performing abortion
On ending parental consent for teenage abortions
On allowing legal immunity for medical and non-medical abortionists
DEFEAT THE ANYTHING GOES ABORTION AMENDMENT
THE 2021-2022 PARISH FINANCIAL STATEMENT was mailed out to the homes of parishioners this past week along with the Christ Mission Appeal letter from Fr. Bill. If you did not receive this Parish Financial Statement, please call the parish office so that a copy of this financial statement can be provided to you. As always, thank you for your faithful, steady, financial support of our parish.
SINCERE GRATITUDE goes out to Ed Taylor and the entire Social Commission of Christ the Good Shepherd Parish for holding the “Mystery Potluck” on September 25. It was an enjoyable event with a delicious meal and fun mystery prizes. God bless each of you for your work: organizing, set-up, and clean-up. If you missed this community builder, you missed a good event. Plan on attending the next Social Commission parish event!