THERE ARE DIFFERENT GIFTS but the same Spirit; there are different ministries, but the
same Lord...
Next weekend we will celebrate Pentecost. You will be invited to share your gifts with
our community. I would ask you to prepare by asking what are the gifts, talents and abilities
which the Lord has given you? How might these abilities serve to build up the Kingdom of God?
Beginning next weekend and for the two following, you will be asked to sign up to serve
on our Pastoral Council or on one of our various ministry teams. The insert in today's bulletin
will list the different ways in which you might serve. Please read it over this week, AND PRAY
ABOUT IT. Perhaps you might hear the Lord calling you.
Please give this decision your prayerful consideration. You need NOT have great wisdom or knowledge, but rather natural gifts and a desire to learn! For example someone might have a good artistic sense and a love for the Liturgy. That one might join the Worship or the Art & Environment Team. Another might have experience in the construction or maintenance field and a good practical sense. That one might join Properties. Again, give it your prayerful consideration!
PASTORAL COUNCIL works with me and the rest of the parish staff to coordinate all the pastoral efforts of our community. In a real sense, it means that instead of just myself and\or the staff, there are an additional 12 sets of eyes and ears with the heart of a pastor (shepherd).
Our council has begun working developing a "pastoral plan" to guide the next phase of our growth as a parish. We are looking for registered and Confirmed members of our community who are people of faith and common sense. Please consider nominating yourself or another parishioner.
COMMUNITY LIFE TEAM This is the ministry of "fun and frolic". Those who sign up for this new ministry have the task of FUN-raising - to bring us together in social settings to help build community among us.
Like the Ministers of Prayer, this is a new ministry. As we continue to grow, I hope both of these new groups will help us to grow well. Please consider joining one of them! THE ORDINATION to the priesthood of our transitional deacon, Jerry Vincke, will take place at St. Mary Cathedral in Lansing on Saturday, June 12 at 10:30 am. Every one is invited!
For those who have never experienced it, an ordination is a wonderfully solemn celebration of the continuation of Church's ministry. It is somewhat long for little ones (about 2 hours), so parents might want to give some consideration as to whether their child(ren) might benefit from the experience.
FATHER JERRY VINCKE will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving with us on the following
day, Sunday June 13. This Liturgy at 11 am will be followed by a reception in the hall. Please
plan on joining in!
Fr. Dave Howell
DSA Once again, Fr. Dave and the DSA volunteers of St. Mary Magdalen would like to thank all of those families who have given so generously to the 1999 Diocesan Services Appeal. Our DSA total now stands at $40,236, which is 78% of our parish goal of $51,855. Thank you for your support. We are beginning to wrap up our parish solicitation efforts for the 1999 DSA campaign. You can save us valuable time and energy by making your decision about a 1999 DSA gift as soon as possible. Please take a moment to consider how much you would like to give and then fill out a 1999 DSA Pledge Envelope. They are available in the Gathering Area.
Please pray that the sick will respond to God's healing will, especially: Kenneth Kovach, Ellen Colombo, Ken Colombo, Richard Waldeck, Ian Dunworth, Dottie King, Jan Mazurkiewicz, Jake, Shirley Brake, Keith Dunn, Karen (Pat Spindler's daughter), Paul Allberry, Nola Mitchell, Brenda, Ron, Eileen Auld, Marilyn (mother of Steve Crowell), Debbie, Nancy, Jeanette, Bob, Jane, Timothy, Zora, Mary Kay, Wayne, Ed, Merle, Tom, Keith, Ruth, David, Kenneth, Robert, Cheryl, Laurie, Baby Keegan, Evan Snowgold, John, Catherine, Anna, Larry, Clarke, Dennis, Adeline, John Fay, and Emerson Brown.
Next weekend is the Feast of Pentecost and as you are leaving the Liturgy, all parishioners will be invited to take from a basket a reminder of the great feast just celebrated. These reminders will list one of the twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit. These are the virtues which result from the activity of the Holy Spirit within us. Called Fruits of the Holy Spirit, they are products of grace flowing from the Holy Spirit. How much richer all our lives would be with an increased measure of these virtues!
This spring and summer we have several different adult programs in progress. Currently on Sunday nights, Deacon Dave is offering a continuation of the Vatican II series entitled, Holiness-Who Me? On Wednesday evenings and again on Thursday mornings, I'm facilitating our study of the Book of Revelation; and beginning in June, we will offer our fifth summer of Scripture and Stitches with a new quilt and lively discussion of scripture. Include some spiritual enrichment in your R & R this summer. Please call for more details. Yours on the Journey, Marilyn
IF SOMEONE YOU LOVE HAS AN ALCOHOL OR DRUG PROBLEM, YOU CAN HELP! The Bishop's Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs has made available here at St. Mary Magdalen a home education program discussing what can be done about alcoholism and drug addiction.
Titled "TAKE CHARGE!" the program is for families, friends and co-workers of a substance abuser. It offers myth-shattering explanations about chemical dependency and shows families how to motivate someone with an alcohol or other drug problem to accept help.
The message of the Take Charge! program emphasizes that families and friends can help break the cycle of addiction. The program stresses that recovery from chemical dependency is a family affair and that there is hope.
Families often believe nothing can be done until the alcoholic or addict hits bottom - losing family, job, home and health. The program explains how a family can raise the bottom, motivation the chemically dependent loved one to get help before losing everything. To borrow a copy of TAKE CHARGE! from St. Mary Magdalen, please contact Jim or Dottie at (810) 227-7908 or Deacon Dave (810) 229-8624.
Registration for Religious Education will be held the week of June 14. The fee for this year is $45 for 1, $70 for 2 and $85 for three or more. Registration will be held from 9:30-3:30 and 6:30-8:00. Religious education will be held on the same days and times as last year. We need catechists, aides and hall monitors for the year. Please consider volunteering.
Journey with Jesus will take place the first week of August. Please register as soon as you
can.
Sister Maryetta
I would like to thank all of you who donated your time and energy to bake for us and helped us with the sale. We appreciate your time and support for our activities. I hope everyone enjoys the goodies they purchased!
Tonight at 6pm, before our regular meeting time, we will be decorating our t-shirts in the youth room for the relay next weekend. For this gathering you will need to bring your own boldly colored t-shirt and any fabric paint you might have. Please plan to attend for we will be also be discussing the decorating of our tents. Any questions, please call me at 227-7937.
Special thanks to all who attended the meeting last Thursday and signed up to volunteer your time. I greatly appreciate your support for the youth and for me. Anyone who was unable to attend, but is interested in helping out, feel free to call me with your name and phone number. We'll go over the events and activities we have planned.
Tommy and I have been with the youth group for about two and half years now, and this will be the first time we will see any of our active young people graduate. This is a great achievement for them, and we couldn't be more excited for them. We are so very proud of all of you! Time and friendship are so precious. We look forward to these last few meetings before school ends and the busy-ness of summer activities and work schedules begins to take over.
We will still be meeting over the summer months, just not as regularly. However, quite a few other activities are planned throughout the summer. I will keep you updated via the bulletin. Margaret Callaghan
Stewardship Report Last weekend approximately 1300 people participated in the Liturgies. These folks contributed $13,059.07 to the parish. Last year on this Sunday the contributions totaled $9,503.67.
DIOCESAN YOUNG ADULT PICNIC for single and married people in their 20's and 30's will be held at Patriarch Park in East Lansing on Saturday, June 12, from 1-5:00pm. Bring your own food (some grills available) and mingle with young adults from the Lansing Diocese. Call (517) 342-2494 to attend.
ST. PATRICK'S 24TH ANNUAL SHAMROCK FESTIVAL is this weekend at St. Pat's here in Brighton. Sunday will be Fr. Tom appreciation day. Enjoy the games, rides, crafts, food and special events that are on tap.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) was one of the first agencies on-site to offer help to the refugees
from Kosovo. In order to continue providing assistance, CRS is in dire need of cash donations.
If you wish to make a donation, you may send a check directly to:
Catholic Relief Services
PO Box 17090
Baltimore, MD 21203-7090
The check should be made out to Catholic Relief Services. Please indicate "Kosovo Relief" on
the check. If you want to make a donation over the phone (credit card), call 800-736-3467.
Financial donations are tax deductible. If you have further questions, call Catholic Charities,
517-342-2463.
On Monday Evening, June 7, from 7-9pm, the BeFrienders will host an Information Night for those interested in BeFriender Ministry. Please come and inquire about the ministry. Current Befrienders will answer your questions and explain the ministry.
BeFriender Ministry is a ministry of presence and compassionate listening. BeFrienders are specially trained lay persons who enter into caring relationships with persons struggling with chronic illness, working through a separation or divorce, grieving a loss, and other difficult life situations.
The BeFriender Ministry program encourages all parishioners to consider the following qualities needed to be a BeFriender Minister. As you read through them, maybe you will recognize your gifts or those of another whom you might encourage to participate. A BeFriender Minister should: (1) respect the dignity and value of others; (2) maintain healthy boundaries in relationships; (3) hear others without telling them what to do or make decisions for them; (4) sit quietly with another when they cannot put their hurts into words; (5) maintain a strict policy of confidentiality; (6) draw on their own spiritual resources; (7) be reliable in keeping appointments.
This fall on Tuesday evenings, beginning Sept. 21, 7-9pm, we will begin our annual
training sessions for those parishioners who feel called toward being a part of BeFriender
Ministry. We look forward to working with all the parishioners who feel called to be a part of
this ministry. If you have further questions, please feel free to contact any one of the
coordinators:
Judy Scharf (248) 889-0274
Donna Rushak (810) 229-4590
Kathy Reichardt (810) 227-3124
Don't Miss Anything... When you browse the shelves of the Saint Mary Magdalen library, titles of the larger books are clearly visible. However, little treasures, such as Henri Nouwen's reflections on his near-death experience and the way in which we prepare for leaving the concerns of earth, may be overlooked. The Path of Freedom will be found among the meditation books at 248/Nou.
SURVIVING AFTER SUICIDE SUPPORT GROUP meets the first Tuesday of every month at 7pm at McPherson Hospital in Community Room #1. This is open to anyone who has experienced a loss by suicide and would like comfort and support with others who are surviving the aftermath of suicide. For more information, call McPherson Home Services (517) 545-6796.
LIVINGSTON COMMUNITY HOSPICE GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP is held the first Wednesday of the month at McPherson Hospital in the 3rd floor quiet room from 12:30-2:00pm. It is open to anyone in the community who has experienced a loss by death. This is free of charge and designed for coping with life's transitions in a safe, confidential atmosphere. Individual appointments are also available to community members who are not comfortable in a group setting. Call 517-545-6797 for more information. Transportation to support groups is available through the Women's Resource Center (517) 548-3525.
THE NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF SEPARATED AND DIVORCED CATHOLICS will hold their 1999 international conference from June 22-27 at the University of Notre Dame. The theme is Reconciliation. Call (517) 342-2458 for more information.
PRO-LIFE MISSIONARY, Rhiannon Dick, is interested in doing missionary work with the Crossroads group. This organization is made up of college students who spend their summer vacation walking from California to Washington, D.C. in support of life. They speak to parishes and youth groups, doing pre and post-abortion counseling. This volunteer works prevents these students from doing summer work to earn college tuition, so Rhiannon is trying to raise money through donations to this end. If you have any petitions you would like the group to remember or a financial contribution for Rhiannon, you can send them to Rhiannon Dick at 1674 Hartland Woods Dr., Howell 48843.
FRIENDS, a support group for divorced and separated individuals, meets the third Tuesday of the month from 7-9:00pm at St. Francis of Assisi in Ann Arbor. The May 18th meeting in School Room 8A will have as guest speaker, the Honorable Arthur Lombard, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge, who will speak on "a view from the bench."
LAWN CARE = MAINTENANCE As in the past, volunteers are needed to help cut grass, trim, weed, etc., our parish grounds. Some new equipment is on order...acommercial string trimmer, blower and push mower. Those men who operate the big mower for the majority of the work will have a new 72" deck mower to make the job easier and faster. Volunteers will be grouped into teams and assigned weeks to work. With enough volunteers, each team will only be assigned 3 or 4 weeks throughout the season. Family efforts are greatly appreciated! Please consider helping out and sign up in the gathering area.
Sunday May 16
Acts 1:12-14/1 Pt 4:13-16/Jn 17:1-11a
Monday, May 17
Acts 19:1-8/Jn 16:29-33
9:00 a.m. John Francis McElligatt
Tuesday, May 18