A L L T H I N G S C O N S I D E R E D FUNERAL LITURGIES It is unclear when we actually began celebrating Christian funeral rituals, but I am confident we began having some sort of funeral Liturgy before the end of the first century. It stands to reason, that the death of the first martyrs led Christians to develop some sort of faith-filled ritual to deal with the loss of loved ones. By the early Middle Ages, the Church began modeling its rituals on the rituals that were used to commemorate the death and resurrection of the Lord. Well before the end of the first millennium, the funeral Liturgy called the Requiem Mass was celebrated soon after the death. It required special music, vestments and candelabra. At the same time, while the Requiem evolved, so did a separate funeral Liturgy for children. The adult service was called a Requiem Mass (meaning rest in peace) and the Liturgy for young children was called the Mass of the Angels. (That was because it was celebrated for younger children who did not know what sin was.) In any case, the purpose of the funeral Liturgy is twofold. The primary purpose is to return to the Lord the gift of the person who has died. God gave us the gift of our deceased loved one and now, in sorrow, we return this gift to God. The second and equally important part of the funeral is that we also pray for ourselves that we might survive this time of grief and grow in our faith. MASS of the LITTLE ANGELS A few years ago one of our parishioners lost her child because of miscarriage. And while the Church provides a special ritual for dealing with the death of a young child, it has had almost nothing to deal with a miscarriage. It is as if the child never existed. (There is a special prayer service in the Book of Blessings for the blessing of a mother who has miscarried, but there is no public ritual.) At the request of that mom, we developed the Mass of the Little Angels for parents who have had a miscarriage or still birth. It is an opportunity to come together with them to share their sorrow and to find our consolation in the death & resurrection of Christ. Since then we have celebrated a Mass of the Little Angels on or near the feast of our Lady of Sorrows, (Sept 15) which commemorates the sorrows of the Mother of Christ who lost her Son. The Mass of the Little Angels is intended especially for parents who have lost a child through miscarriage or still birth. But everyone who wishes to come and share the sorrows of these folks who have known such great loss is welcome! The Mass of the Little Angels is this Wednesday at 7 pm in the chapel. Fr. Dave Howell THIS WEEK S LITURGIES September 16, Monday 1 Tm 2:1-8/Lk 7:1-10 9:00 am +Dick Hyde September 17, Tuesday 1 Tm 3:1-13/Lk 7:11-17 9:00 am Communion Service September 18, Wednesday 1 Tm 3:14-16/Lk 7:31-35 7:00 pm +Mass of the Little Angels September 19, Thursday 1 Tm 4:12-16/Lk 7:36-50 9:00 am +Robert & +Eva Collins September 20, Friday - Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Priest, Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs 1 Tm 6:2-12/Lk 8:1-3 9:00 am +Virginia Wood September 21, Saturday Eph 4:1-7, 11-13/Mt 9:9-13 September 22, Sunday Am 8:4-7/1 Tm 2:1-8/Lk 16:1-13 4:30 pm Vigil +Teresa Recchia 9 am +Gerald Baumgart 11 am St. Mary Magdalen Parishioners TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Amos 8: 4-7 Amos has been called the prophet of social justice. He lived about 750 B.C., at a time of economic prosperity and religious corruption. Amos was a forceful and colorful preacher, as we will hear in today s passage. 1 Timothy 2: 1-8 We continue to read from first Timothy, a letter written in Paul s name about 30 years after his death. Today s passage, drawing upon Paul s authority, teaches about public prayer. We will also hear quoted what may have been an early Christian creed. Luke 16: 1-13 The old name for this story is the parable of the unjust steward. And the shocker is that the unjust steward or manager receives praise for his cleverness. The parallel is this: If Jesus disciples (we) were only half as clever at promoting His kingdom as this manager was at promoting his own welfare, that kingdom would flourish. Reflect: What does someone owe you? What will you do about it?
BANNS OF MARRIAGE STEWARDSHIP REPORT Week of 9/8/13 Approximately 1,482 people participated Env/Cash $21,512.96 EFT $15,108.00 Securing Our Future $10,131.78 TOTAL $46,752.74 Thank you for your gifts. Please pray for all the sick who have been commended to our prayer that they will respond to God s healing will, especially: Shirley Milatz, Jerome Wszola, Robby DeRosier, Craig Livingston, MaryAnna, Jack Wagner, Hillary Barrera, Laura Meader, Bob Newell, Tom Geni, Ann Bund, Gail Kelso, Heidi Ditri, Sharon Mayer, Stan Galazyn, Haley Larson, Cullen, Jennifer Mosely, Skip & Sharon Dixon, Steve Reichardt, Lynn Long, Abby Fountaine, Larry Baldinger, Diane Burr, Charles Tuma, Elizabeth Wisniewski, Justina M. Pellerito, Anne Barone, Christie Glover, Marianne Nason & family, Louise Gillies, Marianne Dluzniewski, Stephen Dgialowski, Mark Horzelski, Jeff Fontaine, Luke Petri, Elyce Cron, Marisa Sullivan, M. Sullivan, Lisa Benjamin, Theresa Baerwalde, Fred Goettsche, John Conahan, Nancy Sharpy, Elaine Daul, Stacie Sherman, Jack DeRosia, Mel Schmidt, Patrick Conklin, Mary Jessat, Kaye Bosco, Helen Godwin, Patricia St. Henry, Joan & George Farhat, Richard Parent, Martin Hansen, Jim Wojda, Dennis Gautherat, Steve Cook, Jim Darish, Mark Matras, Fred Hoekstra, John Paul Bitterle, Butch Lockwood, Raymond, Liam, Susie Slesak, Shannon Barrigar, Pam DeTruf, Lois Ashton, Tara Graham, Michael Albanelli, Sabrina Watt, Lynda Lawrence, Julie (Anderer) Lloyd, Greg Perry, Dorothy Koprowicz, Cheryl Debano, Mark Debano, Gabriella Testani, Celestine Emerick, Marylyn Trader, Kierra Hartman, Dianne Hammer, Pat & Carol Ann Copeland, Rosemary Gamble, Bert Loomis, Bob MINISTERS OF PRAYER Sunday, Sept 15 Nancy Nychypor Mon, Sept. 16 Barb Dolkowski, Adrienne Silvestri Tues, Sept. 17 Chris Kovanda, Dianna Bosak Wed., Sept. 18 Donna Jones, Kathy Schroeder Thursday, Sept. 19 Tom and Rita DeRaud Friday, Sept. 20 Brigitte Burke Saturday, Sept. 21 Cindy Sultana I. Lauren Milosek & Matthew Miller THE WEEK AHEAD Monday, Sept. 16 6:00 pm Magdalen s Kitchen-Community Room 7:00 pm Formation Mtg. -East Room 7:00 pm Grief Group-Room 1 7:00 pm Inquiry - East Room & Library 7:30 pm K of C - RLL Tuesday, Sept. 17 9:30 am Rosary - Guadalupe Shrine 6:00 pm Protecting God s Children - East 7:00 pm Baptism Preparation - N/Nurs. 7:00 pm Server Training - Church Wednesday, Sept. 18 10:30 am MOMS-N/Nursery 12:30 pm Knitters - Library 6:00 pm 50+ Christian Singles - North 6:30 pm Catechist Training - CR 7:00 pm Mass of the Little Angels 7:30 pm Pastoral Council -East Thursday, Sept. 19 7:00 pm Basic Catholic Teachings - East 7:30 pm Music Ministry Friday, Sept. 20 9:30 am Rosary - Guadalupe Shrine 6:00-8 pm Mom to Mom Sale setup-gym/cr/quad 7:00 pm Divorced & Separated-East Room 7:00 pm Server Training - Church 8:00 pm TAIZE - Chapel Saturday, Sept. 21 7:00-2:00 pm Mom to Mom Sale gym/cr/quad Sunday, Sept. 22 10:15 am Ichthus - North Room 10:15 am Home Study Mtg. Room 3&4 11:00 am Baptism Presentation 12:00 pm 9th Conf. Parents Mtg. - CR 12:30-3:00 pm K of C 1st Degree - Chapel 5:30 pm 10th Gr. Religious Formation 7:00 pm Youth Group This Weekend: Service Ministry Fair
Religious Formation News from Mary at mmahar@parishmail.com and Karen at sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org VIRTUS: Protecting God s Children: Class will be held Tuesday, 9/17, at 6:00 for all adults working with children. (All parents are welcome.) Register online at Virtus.org Catechists, Assistants and anyone interested in finding out more about leading our youth in classes are invited to attend our next meeting this Wed., Sept. 18, at 6:30. Babysitting will be available. FALL FORMATION CLASSES BEGIN: 9 th grade youth/parents: start Sunday, Sept. 22, 11:00 Liturgy and lunch/meeting with Fr Dave. Home study families will meet Sept. 22 at 10:15. Family Program starts Sept. 29. Kindergarten begins Sept. 29. Wednesday/Thursday classes begin Sept. 25/26. Wed/Thurs-September 25/26: Parents (all grades 1-8) to attend first class. New this year, we are asking all Wed/Thurs parents to attend the first night of classes for a short parent meeting in Church. You have asked year after year for more information so this is your opportunity to give us your feedback, ask questions, meet the Lead Catechists, and more! We Need Your Children for fall Formation Classes: Please register your youth for class! We are placing students in classes and need to recruit catechists for each class. Registration for fall classes can be done this weekend in the gathering area or in the office Monday thru Thursday 9am 8:30pm, and Friday 9am-4pm. Make sure you register - regardless of your ability to pay. If you have a youth in a Catholic school needing to prepare for any of the sacraments (2 nd & 4 th grade), you need to register your child for preparation here at St. Mary Magdalen. Help is still needed! We are in need of catechists and aides to help share our faith with the youth in our programs! We have many times we offer classes: Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday. We offer a Family Program, Traditional classes and Home Study. We have a Formation Team in need of members; we meet once a month. It is so exciting getting ready for our formation year! We are training new catechists and aides, catching up with the returning ones, planning new lessons, and getting the rooms ready for your youth! Be sure to pick up your 2013-2014 Formation Calendars in the gathering area or at www.saintmarymagdalen.org You can also see the syllabus for each grade level along with the Lead Catechist s email! Youth News from Margaret at yminister1@gmail.com and Stasia at tkcsmom@att.net Our first meeting was last weekend and it was so good to see everyone! There were some new faces amongst the returning and we look forward to meeting more newcomers in the weeks ahead. Because of the car wash this morning, we are not meeting tonight but will be in session next week. Many thanks to everyone who participated in the annual Tin Can Raffle last weekend. Whether you donated an item or bid on a few of your favorite items, we thank you for your support. Despite the rain we raised over $1,200 including the Homemade Neapolitan Pizza party silent auction item donated by Darlene and Gary March and won by the Schulte Family! The money raised from this event will help off set some of our operating costs, and also pay for some of our chaperones to attend events and overnight retreats. Thank you to everyone!! The Diocesan Youth Jamboree is scheduled for Sunday Nov. 3 and the theme this year is Jesus League, Call Us Ready, a superhero day that focuses on fun, faith and growing in relationship with God and one another. Our own Christie Eisenhut has been a part of the planning committee for this event since last year. We will spend the day in Lansing with nearly 1,000 other high school teens on Sunday, Nov 3. Congratulations to Carolyn Kehn who was chosen to be on the diocesan leadership committee of DYAC a committee of teens from across the diocese who help make youth ministry across the Lansing Diocese better. This team also puts on an overnight leadership retreat during the summer. Congratulations also to Chelsea Bielicki who was chosen to be a part of the planning team for the week long summer leadership camp DYLC. It will be a great experience for both of them!! God calls us to be community; to share in our hopes, dreams and disappointments. At Youth Group we provide an opportunity for you to grow in faith, community and relationship with one another. Contact Margaret Callaghan at yminister1@gmail.com. We meet every Sunday evening from 7-9 in the youth room. EDGE The EDGE open house is Monday, Sept. 23. We are having a parent meeting while the youth participate in games run by our high school leaders. I will have a calendar of all our meeting dates and special events, you can order an EDGE t-shirt or sweatshirt, ask questions, sign up to help with snacks; and meet the adult and teen leaders. We are eager to start our meetings to see past participants and to meet new ones!!
Adult Education and Formation Faith and Service - From Sr. Joyce pastmin1@saintmarymagdalen.org THANK YOU! To the many, many women, men and youth who offered their services to make this 20 th Anniversary Picnic an enjoyable event, your efforts, muscle and generosity is duly noted and gratefully appreciated. GUESSING JAR WINNERS Tom Austin guessed 2200 in the popcorn jar; actual was 2886. Connor Joyce guessed 1077 No Nut M&M s, actual was 1078. Connor Joyce guessed THE EXACT 252 in the Office/School Supplies. Allie Darish guessed 320 Nutty M&M s, actual was 353. Come to the Office to collect your Prizes! Western Hoe Down at the Barn September 28 after the 4:30 pm Liturgy, gather at the Barn for a Chili Supper and dancing. Richard Maurer from Ypsilanti will be our caller for Square dances, Line Dancing, Contra Dances and of course some of our familiar Hokey Pokey and Chicken dances. Dress in your western attire and bring your whole family. Friends are welcome too. We will have tables and chairs under a tent but you may want to bring some lawn chairs and jackets for the September evening air. A Cake Walk is being planned too, so come and enjoy a night of music and fun. Second Annual Lansing Diocese Catholic Women s Conference Last year went so well and more than 1000 women participated, so this year it is moved to a larger location. Theme: Transforming Love Saturday, October 26: 8 am 4 pm Best Western Plus, Lansing Register before September 25 - $50 per person, $40 for Seniors & Students See Adult Formation Board for Flyers and Info. 50+ Christian Singles September 18 This newly formed group is in the process of becoming. They are planning and recruiting interested persons and gathering suggestions to see how this group will take shape. Please come to a meeting if you are interested and offer your ideas and hopes. Meetings are the third Wed. of each month at 6 pm in the North Rm. For more info. call Barb Fuller 517.349.4710. School for Discipleship The Brochures are out for signing up for this year s classes. See the Adult Formation Board or register online at www.saintmarymagdalen.org Monday evenings beginning October 7, at 7 pm. Fr. Dave will teach the Book of Revelation. Often misunderstood, this class will help clarify the purpose and reading of this Apocryphal Book. Tues. evenings beginning Oct. 8, at 7 pm, Mr. John Schultz will teach Christian Morality in Today s Issues. Daily we are challenged with current issues that challenge our faith response. Mr. Schultz will help with the roots and basics for Catholic decisions. MASS OF THE LITTLE ANGELS On Wednesday, Sept. 18 we will celebrate a very special Liturgy. We will pray for all mothers and fathers who have known the profound pain of losing a child; whether the loss is a result of a miscarriage or any other circumstance at any stage of their child s life. The MASS OF THE LITTLE ANGELS will be at 7 pm in the chapel. If you cannot join us, please keep them in your prayer. GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP St. Mary Magdalen s Grief Group began last Monday evening on Sept. 9 and will run till Oct. 28 from 7-8:30 pm. If you have lost someone or are having a difficult time in your grief, please join us. If you have any questions or would like to register, call Sr. Maryetta at 810.229.8624. RECYCLING Thank you to all those parishioner s who drop off their papers for recycling. St. Mary Magdalen received a check for $81.32 for all your efforts. The funds are used for those among us who are in need. NEEDED COFFEE & DONUTS MINISTERS PLEASE sign up to help set up coffee and donuts (served following our Sunday Liturgies) at the Ministry Table in the Gathering Area. Help is especially needed at the 4:30 & 11. THANKS
The Christian Community Is Invited Taizé A Time of Prayer St. Mary Magdalen FRIDAY, SEPT. 20 at 8pm Taizé is an ecumenical prayer service (approximately 40 minutes) composed of song, scripture and silence. We gather for a quiet evening of prayer and reflection in the midst of our busy lives. Have you heard about our 8 Great Dates? We have successfully offered these date nights for married couples for the last 3 years, with much positive feedback! We re again planning to offer 8 Great Dates beginning January 10, 2014. Friday evenings, 6:30 9 pm, dinner at tables for 2, candlelight, a little music along with an entertaining evening video presentation, designed to build up your marriage relationship. There are 8 Friday evenings, January thru March 7. If you have any questions or are interested in pre-registering, please give Sandi Phillips a call at 810-923-4915 or in the office at 810-229-8624. Magdalen s Kitchen Sign-Up Names of those interested in serving at Magdalen s Kitchen for the Mondays of October and November 4 th and 11 th, 2013 are being accepted. 3 assistant cook positions, 8 set-up/server/clean-up positions, 3 dish washer positions, 4 dessert positions, and 4 sub positions are needed for each Monday. Sign-up sheets are organized by date and are near the Charity and Justice table in the Gathering Space. Sign-ups are on a first come first serve basis. Reminder slips are available to remind you of your commitment; a reminder telephone call will be placed just prior to the date you are to serve. Volunteers must be middle school age (and accompanied by an adult) or older to fill a server/dish washer position and 18 years of age or older to fill a cook position. Future dates (second half of November and most of December) will be posted in mid October. PROTECTING GOD S CHILDREN If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity with children this coming year, you'll be required by the Diocese to take a course entitled "Protecting God's Children" (parents are welcome, too). The class takes a look at child sexual abuse and how it can be prevented, if all adults know how to spot the signs of abuse, and what steps to take. This is an interesting and valuable class for any number of reasons; you learn to keep children safe and keep yourself safe from any appearance of impropriety. You learn how to appropriately voice concerns and how to follow up if you think abuse may have occurred. A session of Protecting God's Children will be offered on Tuesday, September 17, 2013 beginning at 6:00pm. Sign up online at www.virtus.org. If you have questions contact Mary Mahar or Gary Prise at 810.229.8624. You are a valuable part of the solution to keeping our children safe! Prayer Shawl Ministry Team would like to invite anyone interested in knitting or crocheting to join us on Wednesday afternoons from 12:30-2:30 in the library. In the past year we have made 119 chemo caps, 27 prayer shawls, 16 lap blankets, 2 baby blankets, 2 scarves, 6 dish cloths, and 200+ headbands. These items are given to parishioners, Woodland Cancer Center, St. Joseph s hospital, different hospice organizations, nursing homes and the headbands were specifically made for the ministry, My Sister Song. If you have questions concerning the Prayer Shawl Ministry please contact Sr. Maryetta. And yes, this ministry team has a sense of humor and is a tight knit group. " No one can remain insensitive to the inequalities that persist in the world! Everybody, according to his or her particular opportunities and responsibilities, should be able to make a personal contribution to putting an end to so many social injustices. The culture of selfishness and individualism that often prevails in our society is not what builds up and leads to a more habitable world: it is the culture of solidarity that does so, seeing others not as rivals or statistics, but as brothers and sisters." Pope Francis
Divorce and Beyond is for people who are already divorced or have filed for divorce. It examines what happens to most spouses going through marital breakup and helps participants understand what they are going through and that others have gone through the same things, It teaches how to make divorce a growth experience. Come to St. Mary Magdalen Friday evenings, 7-8:30 pm from Sept. 13 to Nov. 15th. Register with Sr. Maryetta, 810.229.8624. There is a $10 fee for program materials. Three sessions will be provided specifically to address the unique needs of the children. MEDITATION FOR BEGINNERS God is speaking to you, but are you listening? Learn how to meditate in the centering tradition of emptiness. This class is taught by parishioner, Darlene March; you don t need to bring anything but yourself! North Room Tuesday, Sept. 24, 11am-1:30pm andwednesday, Sept. 25, 6:30pm-9pm AND ADVANCED~For those who have taken the Beginner s class and have been meditating regularly (3 to 5 X per week) Come and share your experience with fellowmeditators and learn how to deepen your experience. Taught by parishioner, Darlene March. North Room Thursday, Sept. 26, 7-9 pm. ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE Mon. 9/16 9:30-11:00 am Open Walk-gym 4:30-6:00 pm St. Pat s Soccer-Field Tues. 9/17 9:30-11 am Open Walk-Gym 5-8:00 pm Soccer-Fields 6:30-9:00 pm Boy Scouts-CR/Gym Wed. 9/18 9:30-11 am Open Walk-Gym 4:30-6:00 pm St. Pat s Soccer-Fields 7:00-8:00 pm Women s Basketball Thurs. 9/19 9:30-11am Open walk-gym 5-8:00 pm Soccer-Fields 6:30 pm Open Walk-Gym 7-8:30 pm Think Strong/Be Strong-Gym Fri. 9/20 9:30-11am Open Walk-Gym 4:30-6:00 pm St. Pat s Soccer-Fields Sat. 9/20 7:00 am-2:00 pm Mom to Mom Sale gym/cr/quad 8:30-9:30 am Coed Boot Camp- Fields PARISH WEBSITE www.saintmarymagdalen.org PASTORAL STAFF EMAIL ADDRESSES Pastor: Fr. David Howell: pastor1@saintmarymagdalen.org Permanent Deacons: H. David Scharf: deacon1@saintmarymagdalen.org James Chevalier: deacon2@saintmarymagdalen.org Gary Prise: deacon3@saintmarymagdalen.org Devon Wolfe: deacon4@saintmarymagdalen.org Pastoral Ministers: Sr. Maryetta Churches: pastmin2@saintmarymagdalen.org Sr. Joyce Hoile: pastmin1@saintmarymagdalen.org Director of Faith Formation of Youth: Mary Mahar: mmahar@parishmail.com Director of RCIA & Liturgist: Diane Kubus: rcia@saintmarymagdalen.org liturgist@saintmarymagdalen.org Youth Ministry: Margaret Callaghan: youth1@saintmarymagdalen.org Director of Music: Steven H. Schulte: steve@colleengleason.com Director of Pre-School: Kathie Anderer: preschool1@saintmarymagdalen.org SUPPORT STAFF EMAIL ADDRESSES Adm. Asst. Faith Formation of Youth : Karen MacDonald: sect2@saintmarymagdalen.org Secretaries: Debbie Dehanke: sect3@saintmarymagdalen.org Josie Doucette: sect1@saintmarymagdalen.org Sandi Phillips: sect4@saintmarymagdalen.org Bookkeeper: Dave Wisniewski: bookeeper@saintmarymagdalen.org Custodian: Dan Tuthill: maint1@saintmarymagdalen.org