Synod 16 Update

Kathy From Pastoral Council

 I had the esteemed honor of attending the now famous Synod 16 as a member of St. Valentine’s Parish. The three days were packed with so much it is hard to give you an adequate summary without taking multiple pages. I encourage you to go to the Michigan Catholic on line, November 25th edition, or the Archdiocesan website: www.aod.org  for well written and  captivating video portrayals of this historical event.

 Throughout the preparation period and at the Synod itself, many themes surfaced. We were to find ways that would “change the DNA of the Archdiocese,” to “Unleash the Gospel “ and to encourage all of us to  “become joyful missionary disciples,” professing the saving Love of Christ to all in southeastern Michigan.

  At our first gathering of the Synod, we soon felt in our souls that these were not mere slogans. More than 400 Catholics processed outside singing Come Holy Ghost, in public streets along Washington Boulevard. During the ensuing mass at the magnificent St Aloysius Church, the fervor, and the intensity of the congregation was impressive and palpable. Something very different was happening here. Certainly the Holy Spirit was upon us and remained with us as we spent three days praying, discerning, discussing, evaluating, and prioritizing goals that will allow us to actualize the message in those themes. It was equally inspiring to witness members in all 6 of the AOD counties share similar deliberations and conclusions despite our diversity.

A pastoral letter from Archbishop Vigneron will likely be given during Pentecost 2017.  What do we do until then? Well, one thing for sure that we should not do, is be a passive observer in our pew. It is time to change our own DNA, NOW!!  As one synod members aptly said, “The challenge for the individual is to be a faithful Catholic, a committed Catholic, to be something worth sharing.“ To paraphrase a famous quote: ask not what God can do for you, but what you can do for GOD.

  Thank you to all who prayed for us during the Synod. We are asked to continue praying for the success of Synod 16 and, if I may add, pray for the rebirth of us, the individual, as the Holy Spirit continues to guide us.

 There are personal pictures from the event on our church bulletin board in the main vestibule.

 Warmest Regards, and wishing you all a Blessed Christmas,

Eileen MacDonell

 Synod 16 Prayer:

God our Father, you have called us to be witnesses to Jesus and have sent us on a mission to lead all people to encounter him. Send you Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and enkindle our hearts, so that we may grow daily as your disciples. Empower us to face bravely the challenges of our time. Keep us close to you, together with Jesus your Son, Mary our Mother, and St. Anne our patroness as we engage in Synod 16 to Unleash the Gospel. Transform us into a band of joyful missionary disciples, who will bring the message of Jesus’ power and mercy to every person in Southeast Michigan. We ask this through Christ our Lord, Amen.

                                                                                                Archdiocese of Detroit ( AOD)

3rd  Sunday of Advent ~ Pastoral Reflection

Kathy Weekly message

advent3The closer we get to Christmas, the more likely we will hear the question, “Are we ready for Christmas?” Besides all the other preparations we do for Christmas like putting up the Christmas tree, decorating the house, baking cookies the 3rd Sunday of Advent adds three more things to our “to do” list: we are called to rejoice, be  patient and be a messenger.

If we are to be ready for Christmas, the prophet Isaiah tells us that we should rejoice, because God is coming to save his people. We are to rejoice because our salvation is nearer, the time of Advent waiting is nearly over, as the celebration of the birth of Christ draws near. St. James in his letter tells us to be patient as we wait for the coming of the Lord. Part of being patient is to avoid complaining about others. Bearing our share of hardships is another part, one that can be a real test of patience. The prophets of old while proclaiming God’s message were patient, they had to face many hardships yet they did their task with persistence. The third week of Advent also calls us to be messengers. In the Gospel Jesus indirectly claims to be the Messiah. He points to the actions that exemplify the presence of the Messianic age. He praises John as a prophet and one even greater than a prophet, a person who prepared the way of the Lord. Each one of us is the messenger and so we too have a very important role to play but before telling others to prepare a way for the Lord we need to set an example. Jesus through his Eucharistic meal nourishes and strengthens us so that we will be able to carry out our task with patience and with joy.

 As we are nearing the celebration of Christ’s birth I invite each one to take advantage of the opportunity for confession during this time. Most of the Churches have confessions on Saturday’s before Mass. Besides our regular confessions we will have our Advent Penance Service on Wednesday December 14th  7.00 pm, at St. Valentine’s Church. There will be a three more priests besides Fr. Henry and myself. Advent is a good time to heal all that keeps us from experiencing the divine love and mercy. Once you take part in this sacrament then if you had confessions on your “To Do” list then you will be able to check it off. Let’s hope that our spiritual preparation for the birth of Our Savior ranks right up there with the many other ways we anticipate December 25th.

On this rejoice Sunday we rejoice that the birth of our Lord and Savior is near! We rejoice in the forgiveness God generously offers us!

Blessings to all,

Fr. Socorro

 

A Christmas Gift for Your Parish

In order to balance our parish budget every year we rely heavily on the generous gifts that come to us through the Christmas collection. We also rely heavily on the weekly Offertory gifts that are made 52 weeks out of the year. Both your Christmas gifts to our parish and your weekly Offertory gifts help us manage our operating budget.  For this reason, we ask you to please be as generous as possible with your Christmas gift to the parish. The Archdiocese gives all parishes a special exemption from the 7% assessment only for the Christmas collection. Your contribution to your parish at Christmas stays right here at St. Valentine. If you can be more generous during the Christmas season, please mark your envelope “Christmas” and the contribution will be recorded as such.

 Thank you for your generosity both throughout the year and at Christmas.

God Bless You.

Fr. Socorro

Two New Auxiliary Bishops Named for Archdiocese

Kathy From the Archbishop

Pope Francis has named two local priests, Father Gerard W. Battersby and Father Robert J. Fisher, to be auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Bishops-designate Battersby and Fisher will be ordained as the archdiocese’s 29th and 30th auxiliary bishops, respectively, on January 25, 2017, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. Auxiliary bishops aid the archbishop in the pastoral care of the archdiocese.

“All of us in the Archdiocese of Detroit are deeply grateful that Pope Francis has named Father Battersby and Father Fisher, two well-loved and respected priests in our archdiocese, to be auxiliary bishops in our local church,” said Archbishop Allen Vigneron, the Archbishop of Detroit. “Just days ago we celebrated Synod ‘16 to move the whole Catholic community in Southeast Michigan forward in our efforts to Unleash the Gospel. Both of these new bishops bring a rich set of gifts and talents to the roles they will play in leading our community in our mission to share the Good News of Jesus.”

Bishop-designate Gerard W. Battersby: He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit on May 30, 1998. He has served at St. Thecla Parish in Clinton Township and at St. Gerard, Immaculate Heart of Mary and Presentation-Our Lady of Victory parishes in Detroit. He was made director of graduate seminarians at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in 2007 before being assigned to graduate studies at the University of St. Thomas in Rome. Since 2011, he has been serving as vice-rector and dean of seminarian formation at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He also has been pastor of St. Mary of Redford Parish in Detroit since October 2015.

 “I would like to thank God and Pope Francis for this inestimable blessing,” Bishop-designate Battersby said. “It is with joy and confidence in Jesus Christ that I accepted the Holy Father’s invitation to be a co-worker of his in the apostolic ministry. I would also like to thank Archbishop Allen Vigneron, who has been truly a good shepherd and a sterling exemplar to me.”

 Bishop-designate Robert J. Fisher: He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit on June 27, 1992. Following his ordination he served at Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Grosse Pointe Woods, as director of priestly vocations for the archdiocese, at St. Angela Parish in Roseville and at St. Lawrence Parish in Utica. He has been rector of the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak since March 2014.

 “I am humbled by the Holy Father’s call to serve as an auxiliary bishop,” said Bishop-designate Fisher. “I am grateful for Archbishop Vigneron’s guidance, direction and fraternal support. With the prayers of the community, I will direct all my energy toward sharing Christ in and through the Church.”

 In the Detroit Archdiocese, Bishops-designate Battersby and Fisher join Auxiliary Bishops Donald Hanchon and Arturo Cepeda, and retired Auxiliary Bishops Francis Reiss and Thomas Gumbleton. Archbishop Allen Vigneron serves as chief shepherd for the 1.3 million Catholics who reside in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Lapeer and St. Clair counties.