January 2007
Month of the Holy Name

Adult Faith Formation has begun. See the schedule for details. The biweekly classes are also listed on the parish calendar.

Schedule change!
As of January 14, 2007, our Latin Mass has moved to 12:00 noon and our English Mass has changed to 10:30. On the fourth Sunday of each month, the 10:30 Mass will be in German. Fr. Borkowski has made this change because so many who attend the German Mass travel a very long distance and petitioned him for the change.

Get involved in the Parish Council!
All parishioners are welcome to attend the meetings and participate in the governance of the parish. You can download the minutes from the last meeting here.

REGISTRATION
If you have been attending St. Joseph Parish but have not registered as a parishioner, please consider joining us! You can download a registration form here. Once you have completed it, please drop it into the collection basket at Mass, or send it to the address at the top of the sheet.

Don't forget Daily Mass!
Fr. Mark has reinstated daily Mass in our cluster. Mass is held Monday and Tuesday in Latin, and Wednesday in English at St. Joseph's at 12:10 p.m. Thursday noon Mass is at St. Josaphat's, and Fridays at Sweetest Heart of Mary, also at noon. Take the time for midday worship!

News: January 28, 2007
FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Wine Tasting
Our 3rd annual wine tasting will take place on February 17th at 7:00 pm in the Saint Joseph Rectory. It will feature the Grapes of Italy. Delicious hors d'oeuvres will be served throughout the evening as you enjoy Italy's finest vintage wines. Tickets at $30 are available after Masses from now until February 11th or by calling Justin Karr at (313) 821-0778. Proceeds to benefit Saint Joseph Church. The evening is being hosted by the Wine Castle of Livonia which carries one of the finest collections of imported and domestic wines and beers in North America. Don't miss out on this evening in our 110-year-old Gothic Victorian rectory which has been featured in Hollywood films. Check on our resident ghost!

St. Joseph Oil
The Basilica of Saint Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Quebec is the largest Catholic church in the world outside of Rome. It is 361 feet high. The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, St. Paul's in London, or St. Patrick's in New York could each fit inside of the Oratory. It stands because of the faith of Brother André Bessette, 1845-1937, who is known and venerated all over the world as the little saint who built the Oratory of St. Joseph. Thousands who came to him were cured of every kind of disease or ailment through the intercession of St. Joseph. At his funeral in January of 1937, one million pilgrims, arriving mostly by train, filed past his casket. Brother André's job was similar to that of Fr. Solanus Casey. He was the porter at the college of Notre-Dame-du-Sacre-Coeur, a position he held for 40 years. Brother André used to invite some of the sick who came to him, to apply blessed oil on the part of their body that they wanted healed. He insisted on the fact that the oil itself had no miraculous power, that it is God who has the power to heal. Since Brother André's day, blessed oil is placed in front of the statue of St. Joseph and is burned for some time before it is bottled and offered to pilgrims. The Oratory invites people to use this oil as a symbol of faith, and at the same time, to pray to St. Joseph, for the grace they desire.
We periodically send to the Oratory for shipments of St. Joseph oil. An offering of $3 per bottle is required to recover the cost of the brothers bottling it and shipping it to us. To obtain St. Joseph oil, please see any altar server.

News: January 21, 2007
THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

The Parish Council will meet tomorrow night at 6:30 in the Social Hall. Fr. Borkowski will chair the second half of this meeting. Parishioners are encouraged to attend and offer their input about the future of our parish and our cluster.

The Sisters of Christian Love, the new order founded by Sister Judie Ann Ruggirello, is a ministry to children with terminal cancer whose families live below the poverty level. Besides this outreach to the sickest of the sick among the poorest of the poor, the sisters and their helpers prepare up to 50 lunches per day for the homeless in our area. Some of these homeless are families with children who are trying to survive in abandoned houses near the Eastern Market. The Sisters’ nick name for the homeless is “Treasures on the Street”. They also distribute clothing, blankets and other items that have been generously donated. They have dedicated their lives to fulfilling God’s purpose to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be His hands and feet to everyone they meet.

“Thank You” from Sister Judie Ann
"We give many thanks for all the support given to us. You, too, are the hands and feet of Jesus. Whether you gave permission to have the giving tree, put the tree up, said a prayer for us, lent a smile or encouraging word, carried boxes and baskets, gave homemade treats, bakery goodies, cheese, hams or kielbasa, wrote a card, gave financial support, took a tag from the giving tree, bought, wrapped and returned the gift; knitted a chemo cap, donated canned food, sent clothing, or something else, we give thanks. To our Muslim friend, that works with John H., who gave us $50 for Mrs. D. (20-year-old with terminal cancer), her husband and their two children ages 1 and 2, may Allah reward your kindness. There is not enough room or time to thank each and every one of you. We do have all of your names on our altar and we lift you up in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament daily. Without your generous assistance, we could not be the hands and feet of Jesus to so many. May 2007 bring you blessings of holiness, good health, peace joy and love. Lovingly in Christ."
Sister Judie Ann, Sister Mary Michael and Kristina
"For angels walk among us in ways we do not know to shelter us beneath their wings and set our hearts aglow." (Clay Harrison)

News: January 14, 2007
SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Our new Mass schedule begins today!
From today on, the Sunday Latin Mass will be held at 12 noon and be followed by Benediction. The Sunday 10:30 Mass will be in English, except on the fourth Sunday of each month, when it will be in German. This change was made for a number of reasons. Among them were these: It will make it easier for people from far-flung areas to attend the German Mass, and it will also allow our priests more time to interact with parishioners on Sundays.

SAINT JOSEPH CHURCH FUNDRAISING
Please keep St. Joseph’s in mind with any Christmas gifts for which you may not have a use or do not care to keep. We are always looking for items for our silent auctions, which have proven very successful in raising funds for our church. Our most recent auction brought in over one thousand dollars and we are always looking for items for future fund raising. If you would like to donate an item, please contact Sharon Fromm 313-720-7974.

News: January 7, 2007
FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY

A Christmas Thank-You
The Liturgy for Christmas was enhanced by many hours of work behind the scenes. Our parish is grateful to the many volunteers who stayed after Mass to clean and decorate the church before Christmas; to the choirs and organists, for their hours of practice during this busy season; to our custodian and his volunteers who had the church shining clean; to our Altar Society for their many hours of work throughout the entire building and to our ushers and their volunteers. May God richly reward each and every one of you for the love and generosity that you show throughout the year to Our Lord here in the Blessed Sacrament at Saint Joseph Church.

Let's not forget our media volunteers! The Christmas Midnight Mass was more heavily attended than it has been in over 15 years. This was thanks to the many voluteers, from within the parish and without, who got our message out on time. The mass mailing involved a lot of grunt work from a very large number of volunteers. We had flyers all over the city, announcements on two radio stations, and we got the word out in many other ways, which really brought people in. Did you notice that the bells rang longer than usual? That's because we had more than one "shift" of bell ringers in the loft to keep things going! People did a great job for the parish, from cleaning, to communications, to music, and it showed.

“Pray the Rosary every day to obtain peace for the world.” — Our Lady of Fatima 1917
Hear the words of our late Holy Father, John Paul II from his letter Rosarium Virginins Mariae. “I myself have often encouraged the frequent recitation of the Rosary. From my youthful years, this prayer has held an important place in my spiritual life… The Rosary has accompanied me in moments of joy and in moments of difficulty. To it, I have entrusted any number of concerns; in it, I have always found comfort. With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love.”

In the charity of your prayers, remember the sick

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