A Reflection and Invitation

Kathy Uncategorized

   The 48th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision was on Friday, January 22, 2021. On that day, I took my kids to the Planned Parenthood (PP) located at 15707 Farmington Rd in Livonia to pray a rosary for the mommies contemplating an abortion and their babies. It was not the first time we prayed together at an abortion clinic, as my then 9-year-old daughter had previously asked for us to pray at a different abortion clinic when she learned there would be a priest there praying with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance. That had been a truly beautiful and prayerful experience, and I felt it opened me up to listening to the Lord when He asked me to initiate a prayerful presence at another abortion clinic, one very close to my home. 

   And so, after praying on what God wanted my kids and I to do as part of our “Friday morning works of mercy,” I felt called to start praying at the Livonia PP on that cold, wintry January 22nd. Ever since, my three kids and I have been praying a rosary every Friday morning at 10:15 AM at that location, sometimes with others, and sometimes with just the four of us. I don’t know what all God is doing with this spiritual work of mercy that we do every Friday, but I have no doubts that He wants us to do it. I have no idea how many hearts have been touched and/or changed by our prayerful presence, but I can’t help but believe that there is a powerful message of love sent by a mother praying with her children for other mothers and their children, even if they don’t see themselves as mothers. I have no idea if we have or ever will actually save any babies, but I do know that we have seen cars turn away and others leave the parking lot shortly after arriving. Those who have previously worked for Planned Parenthood and who are now leaders in the pro-life cause attest that there is a 75% no-show rate when there are people praying outside the clinic. I can’t help but hear that statistic and feel that it is actually possible to save a life each time we pray at a Planned Parenthood clinic for 30 min. 

   I share these reflections to invite anyone who might feel called to join us to pray a rosary on Friday mornings at 10:15. Pray on it, and see if it is something the Lord might be calling you to do, even if you had never thought of doing it before. If you can’t pray on Friday mornings and are thinking of trying but would like a “prayer partner” at a different day or time, let me know, and I’d be happy to see if there is a time that would work for both you and/or your family and my family to meet. We often pray a second rosary at this PP any week we find another friend or family to join us. Feel free to contact me either by phone or text at (734)674-5896 or by email at ajturbiak@gmail.com for more details, questions, concerns, etc.

 

Anjanette Turbiak

Fun Run/Walk to be held on September 19th!

Kathy Parish Activities, Upcoming Event

Please join us for our 15th* Annual St. Valentine Fun Run/Walk on Sunday, September 19, 2021. The races will begin at 2:30 PM followed by an exceptionally good spaghetti dinner at 4:00 PM. The route will wind its way through the neighboring community with the start and finish being at the St. Valentine Gym.  Race/Dinner registration forms will be available here on the Parish Web page and as inserts in the parish bulletin.

We are also in need of volunteers to help with a variety of tasks connected to the Fun Run and the spaghetti dinner.  Please download the Volunteer Flyer and call one of the contact people listed  to help!

Hope you can join us for this great opportunity to share in fellowships and friendships with other parishioners and neighbors from our family community. We thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you at the finish line.

St. Valentine Race Committee.

Message from Archbishop Vigneron

Kathy From the Archbishop

The following is a message from Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron to the people of the Archdiocese of Detroit:

The Archdiocese of Detroit today celebrates a significant milestone in its missionary transformation as 113 parish communities join together and form 26 Families of Parishes. The remaining 103 parish communities will follow next year, forming 25 additional Families of Parishes. These groupings are the fruit of embracing the graces of Synod 16 and our response to God’s call to renew our structures and align resources toward our common mission to share Christ with every woman and man in southeast Michigan.

 

This is the most radical transformation our parishes have experienced in decades. Teams of priests, deacons, religious and lay staff will work together to better share their gifts and talents with the whole Family of Parishes. This is not merging or clustering. In our model of Families, each parish will keep its identity and charism but will share its gifts with all the parishes.

 

Our move to Families of Parishes is meant to rejuvenate and energize my brother priests, who will benefit from the key elements of collaboration and mutual support among the team. And you, the faithful of the Archdiocese, will also benefit from a larger group of priests, deacons, and lay staff ministering to you. But most importantly, I am confident that Families of Parishes will help us go on mission. This is what Jesus is asking of us; we are equipping our parishes to go out into the community to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to everyone we meet. That is why we are willing to make this radical transformation. 

 

I want to offer a few words of gratitude. To begin, I am grateful for our priests and deacons who will start their new assignments today in their new Families of Parishes. It takes great courage to embrace change. We need their courage and God’s grace to navigate this transition, so please join me in praying for our clergy and for all our lay staff who will support them in our new structures. 

 

I also want to thank the many co-workers who have helped me discern, plan, and launch Families of Parishes. This is a significant undertaking, one we could not have accomplished without open discernment and discussion about concerns, ideas and vision. It is through active listening and prayer that we can follow the path down which the Holy Spirit is leading us.

 

Lastly, I want to express my deep appreciation and affection to you, the faithful of the Archdiocese, who are embarking upon this journey with us. You will play a large role in uniting your new Families of Parishes and contributing to the success of our shared mission. Thank you for trusting in this process and praying for its success. 

 

As we bring together our first Families of Parishes today, we also celebrate the feast of St. Junipero Serra, the great missionary who was instrumental in bringing the Gospel to California in the 1700s. St. Junipero’s motto was “siempre adelante, nunca atrás,” which translates to, “always forward, never back.” It is providential to mark this milestone in the life of the Archdiocese under the intercession of Father Serra. United with Mary and the Twelve, we move forward, never back, confident that Jesus walks with us and that through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will share with men and women of our time the hope, joy and salvation that can only be found in Christ.

 

Sincerely Yours in Christ,

The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron
Archbishop of Detroit