St. Thomas Aquinas Parish & School 955 Alton Road East Lansing, MI Office Phone: School Phone:

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1 St. Thomas Aquinas Parish & School 955 Alton Road East Lansing, MI Office Phone: School Phone: May 6, 2018 St. John Church & Student Center 327 MAC Avenue East Lansing, MI Office Phone: ST. THOMAS AQUINAS Weekend Mass Times Saturday 4:30pm Sunday 9:00am & 11:00am Weekday Mass Times Monday - Friday 6:30am Wednesday and Friday at 9:00am Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday 3:00-4:00pm & following the 4:30pm Mass ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST Weekend Mass Times Sunday 8:00am, 10:00am Noon & 7:00pm Weekday Mass Times Monday, Wednesday & Friday 12:15pm Sacrament of Reconciliation Monday, Wednesday & Friday 11:00am - Noon 1

2 SIXTH SUNDAY OF EASTER May 6, 2018 Fr. Mark s Remarks Congratulations to our MSU student parishioners who are graduating this spring! Your presence with us has been a blessing and the prayers of the East Lansing Catholic community go with you. Thank you to Katie Diller, our Director of Campus Ministry, Joe Ries, our Director of Student Outreach, Fr. Ryan, Fr. Gary, and all the staff at St. John Church & Student Center for another great academic year forming future Catholic leaders for the Church around the world. Sunday, May 13 at the Noon Mass at St. John Church. My prayer for you, may the gift of Jesus help you to grow in faith, hope, and love! Have a blessed week! Get On the Bus! SATURDAY May 19 Grand Rapids The feast of Pentecost (May 20) will be the last Sunday that DAVID MANN will direct the 9:00am contemporary group and the adult choir at the 11:00am Mass at St. Thomas Aquinas. David has directed the adult choir at STA for the past two years. Our parish participates in a program through the MSU School of Music that has graduate students in choral conducting assist the music programs at local churches as part of an assistantship. David has done an exemplary job working with Dr. Hae Won Jang and Ali Darley from our music ministry. The adult choir very much enjoyed and appreciated his talents and leadership. Dr. David Rayl from MSU will recommend to us another graduate student to fill David Mann s shoes. Blessings to David in his future endeavors. He was a gift to the music ministry here! In September of 2019, Keith Tharp (Director of Administration) and I will be leading another parish travel expedition. This next trip is to the Greek Islands. Even though this trip is over a year away, more than half of the spots are spoken for. The highlights of the trip are on the parish home page at Our longtime travel agent Lynn Fuller is taking reservations for this trip at lynn@fullertravelservice.com or She has worked with many parishes and priests. Every parish trip I have taken has brought great fellowship and lasting memories with parishioners. We take a trip every two years and have been to Italy, the Netherlands, and Alaska. Fr. Jerry Ploof led a trip of parishioners to France. Consider coming with us to Greece! Blessings upon our First Communicants who will be receiving the Lord for the first time in the Eucharist Saturday, May 5 at the 4:30pm Mass and Saturday, May 12 at the 4:30pm Mass at STA and 2 Do you want to become a-better-version-ofyourself? Re-energize your life? Gain personal clarity? Live every day with Passion & Purpose? Join fellow parishioners to see Catholic speaker and author Matthew Kelly! Matthew is an energetic and inspiriting speaker. This is a tremendous opportunity for people of all ages! Go the FUN & EASY WAY on a bus trip departing from St. Thomas at 4:30pm. Tickets are $60 and include transportation, parking, entrance to the event, and a box meal. Call either office to reserve your seat or go online to elcatholics.org/event to register and pay by credit card. Financial assistance is available. Prayers for Priests Please pick up a copy of the May Prayers for Priests calendar available in the back of both churches. This month we pray for: Fr. Mark on May 4 and Fr. Gary on May 12. Please pray for them and all of our priests each day. Need More Fun In Your Life? Please join our Parish Widows group for Lunch at Coral Gables on Thursday, May 17 at 12:30pm. If you would like to attend, please call the St. Thomas Parish Office ( ) by Wednesday, May 16 to make your reservation. Hope to see you there!

3 Men s Book Group The next gathering of the Men s Book Group will be Monday, May 7, 7:30pm in the Conference Room at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. All men are welcome to join us! For more information, please contact Bruce at bmaguire@fnba.com. Albert Avenue Closure -Starts Monday, May 7- Albert Avenue will be completely closed from the West side of Grove St. to Abbot Rd. beginning Monday, May 7. The closure is expected to last six weeks. The only way to access the Grove St. Ramp will be via Linden Avenue. Go and Announce Thank you to everyone who has made a gift or pledge commitment to our Diocesan Services Appeal. Our gifts to DSA enable our diocese to provide services crucial to our parish. The programs and services funded by DSA offer direct assistance to individuals and families, and to parishes, schools, and Catholic Charities agencies. Evangelization occurs through dozens of ongoing ministries made possible by our contributions to DSA. If you have not yet made a gift or pledge, we invite you to do so today. Gift envelopes are available in church or the parish offices. Or you may submit your gift online at Your DSA gift will support the vital services and ministries that help bring the love of Christ to all we encounter. 3

4 TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE WITH DISCOUNTED PRICING FOR St. John Student Center - Home of the Catholic Spartans Katie Diller - kdiller@elcatholics.org Director of Campus Ministry Joe Reis - jreis@elcatholics.org Campus Minister Will You Answer the Call To The Alliance for Catholic Education? ACE recruits talented graduates, such as Brendan Butcher, from colleges and universities across the country to develop a corps of highly motivated and committed educators to meet the needs of our country's most underserved Catholic elementary and secondary schools. Teaching Fellows serve for two academic years with summers spent studying toward a M.Ed. degree at the University of Notre Dame. Here are Brendan s thoughts on his experience: Why serve? To give back to the Catholic school system that was such an amazing part of my life. Favorite Memory of St. John Campus Ministry? Fall & Spring Retreats! Brendan Butcher Alliance for Catholic Education 5th Grade Teacher Holy Family Catholic School St. Petersburg, FL Post-Grad Volunteers Every year a few amazing Catholic Spartans discern a call to serve the Church through priesthood, religious vocations for a limited period of Christian service. This year, SIX young alumni are offering themselves to the Lord. We look forward to featuring their stories throughout the summer! Catholic Spartan Summer Spirituality Staying around for the summer? jreis@elcatholics.org to get connected with a summer Bible Study or Faith sharing group! Undergrads or grad students aged welcome. We will meet on Wednesday evenings beginning May 16. Opportunities for Catholics over age 26 are available through Graduate Student & Young Professional Group and Adult Faith Formation. Grad Student & Young Professional Group Join us for: Lectio Divina Thursday, May 10 at 7:15pm Downstairs at St. John Serving young adults, Age To join our Facebook Group & list, contact us at stjohnsgroupgmail.com. 4

5 The Wild Goose DVD Series: Discovering a Deeper Relationship with the Holy Spirit Beginning Wednesday, May 23 7:00-8:30pm The Wild Goose was a term that the ancient Celts had for the Holy Spirit.... Yes, there is a wildness to the Holy Spirit. If you allow him, the Wild Goose will lead you on an adventure greater than you can imagine. The Spirit will lead you to a place of mercy, healing, peace and presence. The Holy Spirit (is)... a Person that will lead us to the heart of God. We will meet in the Bishop Baraga Room at St. Thomas Aquinas on Wednesdays, May 23 & 30, June 20 & 27, July 11 & 25, and August 8. All are welcome to join in for any one evening or all of these sessions! Questions? Please contact Al Weilbaecher at or al@elcatholics.org. Special Monthly Masses ROSARY ALTAR SOCIETY For Women of All Ages Who Wish to Serve the Church Did you know that we have monthly Korean and African Masses for the area community? MONTHLY MEETING OF THE ROSARY ALTAR SOCIETY Join us on the second Sunday of the month for the Korean Mass in the Chapel at St. Thomas. The next Mass will be on Sunday, May 13 at 3:50pm with a Community Potluck following Mass in the gym. The first monthly meeting of the Rosary Altar Society will be held on Wednesday, May 9 at 10:00am in the Bishop Baraga Room at STA. We will hold elections and make plans for next year. All women of the Parish are welcome! An African Mass is celebrated on the first Sunday of the month in the Chapel at St. Thomas. The next African Mass will be Sunday, June 3 at 3:30pm. PLEASE JOIN US! Bereavement Support Group PLEASE JOIN US! If you are struggling with loss in your life, we are here for you! St. Therese Parish Open Doors Tutoring Program We meet every other Wednesday evening from 6:00-8:00pm in the Dining Room of the former rectory at STA. Our next gathering is this Wednesday, May 9, 6:00-8:00pm. If you would like more information about this faith-based bereavement support group, please call Al Weilbaecher in the STA parish office at St. Therese Parish is home to a free tutoring center for children in grades K-6. They are looking for volunteer tutors on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4:00-6:00pm. If you are interested in being part of this rewarding ministry, please call the St. Therese Parish Office at The two requirements are: Complete Virtus Training Complete a Criminal background check. We would love for you to join us! Brochures describing the bereavement support group are available in our formation racks or on the parish web site. Anyone is welcome to attend! 5

6 Religious Education Mother s Day Everyone has had a mother in their life, but Jesus had the most remarkable one. Find out more about Mary at under the study portion: The Bible and the Virgin Mary. Steubenville Registration Registration for our Steubenville Retreat, June 29 - July 1 this summer is open for all high school age students, including 8th graders who will be going into high school next year! We will take a group of buses with other Lansing youth groups to Steubenville, Ohio for a weekend filled with amazing talks, music, small group time, and a lot of fun. There will be around 2,500 teens at the conference! If you are interested in attending, please jhamilton@elcatholics.org. Nursery Care With summer rapidly approaching, the nursery care during Sunday Mass at St. John will end for the summer after the 10:00am Mass this Sunday, May 6. The St. Thomas nursery will close after the 11:00am Mass on May 20 for the summer. Bells on Their Toes Generations Community Theater Presents Bells on Their Toes at St. Casimir Church, 815 Sparrow Ave, Lansing. Evening performances on Friday and Saturday, May 18 & 19 will be at 7:00pm. Sunday, May 20, the Matinee will be at 2:00pm. Tickets are $12 for Adults; $10 for Seniors; $5 for Students (K-12); and Free for Preschool children. Diocesan Task Force on Race and Catholic Schools The next listening session and meeting of this Task Force will be at 5:00pm, Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at Queen of the Miraculous Medal, 1111 Carlton Blvd., Jackson. Tickets can be purchased at the door or Church Office. This is a fundraiser for their Religious Education program. Faith Sharing Questions for Next Sunday s Gospel We invite you to prepare for next Sunday s liturgy, the Ascension of the Lord, May 13, by reflecting on the Gospel reading for that Sunday: Mark 16:15 20 [Jesus said,] Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Do I live as if I am Christ s presence on earth, aware that I am his missionary? If Jesus were in my family, social, and professional situations, what would he do? For Further Reflection... Opening the Word is a video program offering prayer and insights on the Sunday Scriptures. You can watch videos and download study materials at FORMED.org. If this will be your first time, you can access the Parish subscription by registering at FORMED.org and using our parish access code: 07838b. 6

7 Rite of Christian Initiation Of Adults Update Do You Know Someone Interested In Becoming Catholic? If you know someone who may be interested in learning more about the Catholic Church, pass this information on to them. A new group of inquirers will begin meeting Tuesday, May 15, 7:00-8:30pm and Sunday, May 20, 2:00-3:30pm, both at St. John Church and Student Center, downstairs in Room 25B. Individuals choose the time which best suits their schedule. The sessions will consider topics such as "Is there a God?", "How can I have a relationship with God?", "How do Catholics use the bible?", "Why is Mary so important to Catholics?", "Who are the saints?", etc. You are welcome to attend with a friend or to come alone. Participants include undergraduate and graduate students, year-round East Lansing and area residents -- people of various ages. The sessions incorporate answers to your questions, conversation, and hospitality. If you or someone you know has been thinking about learning more about the Catholic Church, call Pete Ries at , ext or pries@elcatholics.org. If you are already a Catholic, and would like to share your faith by being a table discussion facilitator or an RCIA sponsor for one of the candidates, give Pete a call. With the growing number of people beginning the RCIA process, additional help is needed as the East Lansing Catholic community continues to reach out to the people in our area. OFFERTORY Run 4 Riley Please join us to support Mrs. Jenny Rule and her family on Saturday, May 12 at 9:00am at St. Thomas for our annual Run 4 Riley. The funds raised during this event will help support all students at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish School. Again this year, there will be challenges for our students and the wonderful sponsors as in the past. As we move closer to May 12, we ask you to take time to register for this event today by going to: Actual Offertory through April 22, 2018 $2,164,136 Budgeted Offertory through April 22, 2018 $2,194,700 Deficit: $ 30,564 Please Note: The fiscal year began 7/1/2017. Offertory consists of cash and checks given at Mass, electronic giving from parishioners, and stock gifts. Christian Service - Matthew 25 April 22: Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II will receive $2,310 to help support the international medical missions for orphaned and abandoned children in Lima, Peru. The Casa strives to provide a loving, family atmosphere for orphaned and abandoned children. It is a safe refuge for the children and, for many of them, it is their first real home. May 6: Salesian Missions provides aid to poor children in Bangladesh. May 13: Friends of Casa Materna has been providing vital services to help reduce maternal and infant deaths in rural Nicaragua since The Casa has served over 17,000 mothers experiencing high-risk pregnancies. Thank you for your generosity! Enrollment at LCHS LCHS is now accepting applications for the school year for incoming 9th graders and for transfer students into grades 10 and 11. Applications are available at For more information, contact the admissions office at admissions@lansingcatholic.org or call

8 Faculty / Community Book Discussion Group For May, we will be reading and discussing the book, Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty; An Intimate Portrait of My Grandmother, written by her granddaughter, Kate Hennessy. We meet on the first and third Thursdays of each month at St. John from 5:30-7:00pm in the Library. At our next meeting on Thursday, May 17, we will finish discussing this book. Questions, please contact Al Weilbaecher at or al@elcatholics.org. All are welcomed to participate! Eucharistic Ministers Needed for Hospital Ministry You visited me when I was sick... Eucharistic Ministers are needed to distribute Communion at Sparrow and McLaren Hospitals especially on the weekends. Following training, the time commitment is generally one day per month for 2 to 3 hours at Sparrow or 1 to 1 1/2 hours at McLaren. Contact Cassian Hardie at or cassian.hardie@sparrow.org for more information. St. Vincent de Paul In the Gospel today, Jesus says to us, This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you You are my friends if you do what I command you. By your gift to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul you fulfill the commandment to love one another as Jesus has loved you. Pray for the Sick & Deceased Please pray that those who are ill or suffering in any way might receive the care that they need. We embrace in prayer: Angelica and George Liu, Derick Nusbaum, Margaret Beahan and those listed in our Book of Prayer. We embrace in prayer all of our departed brothers and sisters, especially: Holly Cholagh and Elizabeth Buege. Diocesan-Wide Living Rosary for Families You are invited to attend a Living Rosary on Saturday, May 12 at the State Capitol grounds in Lansing, sponsored by The Knights of Columbus. This year s theme will be Building the Domestic Church "the Family Fully Alive". We ll begin at 11:00am and all are welcome. Bring the Family! This beautiful Rosary features young children and the Knights of Columbus 4 th Degree Honor Guard releasing biodegradable balloons and all our prayers up to the Heavens. A short program will precede the event. A light lunch will be available after. St. Vincent Catholic Charities (Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties) Phone: Cristo Rey Community Center, Lansing Phone:

9 Events In our Parish Monday, May 7, :00pm RAS Charity Quilt Group (STA) 6:00pm Christian Family Movement Group (STA) 7:30pm Men s Book Club (STA) Tuesday, May 8, :00pm Ladies Wine, Spirits & Cheese Mingle (STA) 7:30pm K of C General Membership Meeting (STA) Wednesday, May 9, :00am Bible Study (STA) 10:00am Rosary Altar Society Meeting (STA) 3:45pm Cherub Choir (STA) 6:00pm Bereavement Support Group (STA) 7:00pm Boy Scouts Parent Meeting (STA) 7:15pm St. Vincent de Paul Meeting (SJSC) Thursday, May 10, :00am Faith-Sharing Group (STA) 3:00pm Seraph Choir (STA) 6:30pm STA Contemporary Ensemble (STA) 7:00pm SJSC Music Ensemble (SJSC) 7:15pm Grad Students & Young Professionals (SJSC) 7:30pm STA Adult Choir (STA) Friday, May 11, :30pm American Guild of Organist Board Meeting (STA) Saturday, May 12, :00am Food Cupboard (SJSC) 9:00am SVDP Ozanam Orientation Meeting (STA) Sunday, May 13, :00am & 11:00am Nursery (STA) 9:00am & 11:00am Children s Liturgy of the Word (STA) 10:00am Nursery (SJSC) 10:00am Adult Choir Practice (STA) 3:50pm Korean Community Mass (STA) Upcoming Retreats at St. Francis Retreat Center May 17, 9:00am-3:30pm "Living a Purpose Driven Life: Take firm hold on the everlasting life to which you were called." May 20, 9:30am-4:00pm "Marriage: Building Trust, Communication, and Intimacy with Each Other and the Lord." Retreats are at St. Francis Retreat Center, DeWitt. For more information and registration go to: stfrancis.ws or phone Mass Intentions Monday, May 7, :30am (St. Thomas Aquinas) Don Maki req. by Denny & Diane Olmstead 12:15pm (St. John) Assunta Pecora req. by the Family Tuesday, May 8, :30am (St. Thomas Aquinas) The Souls req. by Mara Boettcher Wednesday, May 9, :30am (St. Thomas Aquinas) Fran Mercer req. by Rick & Julie Bryce 9:00am (St. Thomas Aquinas) Jim Casper req. by Fran Casper & Family 12:15pm (St. John) Rosemarie Yurick req. by Helen Henke Thursday, May 10, :30am (St. Thomas Aquinas) Rob Hummel req. by STA Evangelical Catholic Group 10:00am (Burcham) Int. of the Burcham Hills Residents Friday, May 11, :30am (St. Thomas Aquinas) Don Hillman req. by the K of C #7816 9:00am (St. Thomas Aquinas) Int. of Betty & Bill Wirth req. by Joretta Beck 12:15pm (St. John) Leo & Mary Margaret Scheetz req. by Janet & Patrick Scheetz Saturday, May 12, First Communion 4:30pm (St. Thomas Aquinas) Virginia Mackowiak req. by Thomas Mackowiak Sunday, May 13, The Ascension 8:00am (St. John) People of the Parish 9:00am (St. Thomas Aquinas) People of the Parish 10:00am (St. John) People of the Parish 11:00am (St. Thomas Aquinas) People of the Parish 12:00pm (St. John) - First Communion People of the Parish 7:00pm (St. John) People of the Parish Pentecost Next Weekend Pentecost is often called the birthday of the church. Wear red to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the commissioning of all of us to share the Good News!

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