February 2008
Month of the Passion of Our Lord

What does the food pantry need?
Never sure what to contribute to the food pantry?
Click here each week to find out what we're low on.
Members of the community need our help!

Adult Faith Formation is on!
Check the schedule for this winter's program.

News: February 3, 2008
4th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Our food pantry frequently can't meet the needs of all the needy who come to get a package each month. At the same time, people have trouble knowing what to bring. The food has to keep, and it has to be nutritious. (That unopened jar of pimentos in your fridge won't do much for a needy family.) To help solve the problem, and to keep donors oriented, we have instituted an inventory web page that Deacon Stimpson will update as needed. This will tell you what kinds of things to bring, and what is most needed. If you like, you can visit it before you go shopping, so that you can plan your donations.

Our Bishop Plagens Council of the Knights of Columbus will host a blood drive for the entire cluster here at St. Joseph Church Social Hall on February 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. At least 25 donors are needed in order for the Red Cross to come out. Sign up sheets are available now in all the churches of our cluster. The Blood supply for the Metropolitan area often falls to only a one day supply. Give the gift of life and support our Knights in their selfless efforts to make the world a better place starting here with our cluster family. Chairman Mike Kapusniak 313-414-3710.

Deacon Bill Stimpson is hoping someone may have an old computer to donate to St. Joseph’s rectory. Deacon Bill handles the food pantry here and would also like to work on his bulletin articles and other religious writings while he is occupied here at the rectory. Anyone wishing to donate a computer can bring it to Sunday Mass. Patrick Degens, our bulletin editor, can open the rectory for anyone bringing a computer to help the deacon.

Our storm window project is complete. The original contract of $149,000 was increased to $152,000 because of extensive wood rot in our window frames. Our original storm windows were not vented, a basic necessity for protecting stained glass. This caused a heat build-up that made the windows expand excessively, resulting in the breaking of glass. It also caused condensation and wood rot. All this has been corrected and all rotted wood has been replaced. Our original storms consisted of rectangular sheets of opaque glass. Our new windows are virtual works of art. The new aluminum frames follow the tracery of the stained glass windows. On either side of the church the new storms each have 3 aluminum circles, a time consuming and intricate work to fabricate. The glazing material is General Electric Lexan, a bulletproof material. This is important, because some damage to the old windows came years ago from bullets. Please walk around the exterior and enjoy the new view.