The other two ceremonies are the installation of reader and of acolyte. On Thursday evening, August 29, Jim Chevalier will be installed as an acolyte at the cathedral in Lansing and we are all invited!

I know you join me in congratulating Jim on this "next step" of his journey toward becoming a deacon!

The reason is more than semantic. Usually, commissions\committees are responsible for doing the "work". Our Vision — our goal — is to engage as many of our parishioners as possible in the various ministries of the "Kingdom". So here at St. MM, our planning groups don’t ask how are we going to do this or that - but how are we going to involve the rest of the community!

Fr. Dave Howell

Please pray that the sick will respond to God’s healing will, especially: Virginia Johnson, Nikki Nystrand, Bob Stecewicz, Aaron Christie, Mary Galleher, Joe Weis, Megan Grech, Paul Sharpy, Kathy Sayles, Joel Pasienza, Jerry Neaton, Genevieve Rupp, George Rutton, Robert, Dennis Seefelt, Don Schommer, Pat Cote, Tom Clark, Abigail Line, Bridget, Alec Schalhamer, Eileen, Nancy, Cheryl Franks, Scott Delplace, Laura, Pat Fuller, Jessica, Ninfa Aragona, Judy LaGrow, Becky Wilson, Bob Stecewicz, Mike Beauchamp, George Sierant, Bradley Stevens, Ruth, Marcella, Ashley Horning, Alexandria Nelson, Jessica Wolfe, Debbie, Ginther, Ralph Bennett, Robert Grace, Evelyn, Bill, Craig Livingston, Colette Bertrand, Laura Drittler, Sophie Martin, June Bennett, Ethan Montague, Matt Even, Jimmy Sexton, Mary Lou Colgin, Mary Beth, Bishop Povish, and Donovan.

We will begin saying the rosary each week immediately following morning Mass on Thursdays. We will meet in church in front of the Blessed Sacrament chapel. Please come and experience the special prayer of the rosary.

In today’s readings, St. Paul reminds the Roman — and us — that all things come from God: "for from Him and through Him and for Him all things are." Good stewards understand that all is gift and share generously the gifts of time, talent, and treasure with which they’ve been blessed.

I will be facilitating the first six-week program on grief entitled "A New Day." If you or someone you know has recently lost someone close to them, please consider joining us.

The grief group will begin Monday, September 9, from 7-8:30 pm in the Bethlehem Chapel. Please call the office to register or for more information, 229-8624.

Sr. Maryetta

7:00 p.m. Haunted House Meeting (Youth

Room)

BIBLE STUDY!! There is still room for the 2 offerings for Bible Study, Thursday September 5 - October 10, 10:00 — 11:30 a.m. in the Adult Formation Room for The Psalms, and Thursday evenings 6:30 p.m. — 8:00 p.m. in the Rectory LL for Introduction to the Bible. Cost is $12.00 for the books. Please call me to register.

Respectfully, Sr. Joyce

This year we are hosting R.E.A.C.H. at the end of October at St. Mary Magdalen. Start looking for volunteer sheets the second weekend of September, in the gathering area. Following will be volunteer sheets for food.

HELP IS STILL NEEDED- catechist training starts this week! Thank you to all who responded to my plea at Mass last weekend (thanks Steve for your help!) and signed up to help as a catechist or aide for the Formation program! As of today we still need 13 catechists and 16 aides. Please see the board in the gathering area for the classes that still need help. In your prayers, just remember, "Is it I Lord…" while you think about taking on this exciting opportunity to share your faith with our youth! Make eye contact with me and sign up! (Those of you not here last weekend missed it!)

Registration: Members of the Formation Team have started calling reminders to those families who have not yet registered for the Fall Formation classes. Registration can be made on Wednesdays in August from 9:30am-4pm in the office. If you need an evening appointment, please call me at 229-8624. Many classes are filled, so you may not get your first choice, but get in so you can schedule your fall!

Confirmation Retreat: Information is being mailed out; if you do not receive it soon please call the office. The packet contains the information and permission slips necessary for you to attend the weekend retreat Sept. 13-15. Chaperones are needed to accompany us for the weekend and adult volunteer drivers are needed; please call me in the office (ext #15-if after office hours) if you can help.

Catechists/Aides mark your calendars for 6:30 PM Tuesday, August 27 and see the new books for our first meeting!

Sweatshirts are available for sale for the next three weekends. They are a great deal at just $15 and $25. You can purchase a hooded or zipped collar adult size style and a round collar in the child’s sizes. Be sure to pick one up before the picnic.

Every Monday evening from 7pm to 9pm, there will be a haunted house meeting. If you are interested in helping us with this great and awesome project, please come and join us.

I love this time of the year, I really do. With the summer heat we have had this summer, the cooler weather will be even more enjoyable. Soon the leaves will begin to change and our landscape will become bright with oranges, yellows and reds. Sooner than they like, too, students will be back in school wrapped up in their daily routine of classes and homework, football games and dances. May God bless all of your upcoming fall adventures with safety.

Next weekend the purple packet of scheduled MUD activities for the school year will be available for you to pick up - to mark your calendars. Should you have any questions, you can call me at the office 229-8624.

Margaret Callaghan

It’s hard to believe it’s been 9 years since the inception of St. Mary Magdalen. On Sunday September 8, 2002 we will be celebrating our 9th annual parish picnic, beginning with an 11 am outdoor liturgical celebration next to the barn. So mark your calendars, brush up on your favorite recipes and get ready for a day filled with fun, food and fellowship. This year’s picnic will be focused on more traditional activities like watermelon eating contests, egg and water balloon tossing, horseshoes, volleyball and many more activities with great prizes.

In order to make this year’s picnic a success, we are looking to you for some assistance. If you work for a generous employer or know someone that would be in a position to donate monies or picnic supplies, please fill out the donation form in back of church or call Pat Christie at (810) 229-7557 (home) or (586) 873-0265 (cell). If you are interested in volunteering your time on one of the various sub-committees, please sign-up on the sheets provided in the gathering area.

SPONSOR OF THE WEEK

Last Tangle in Brighton

Mt. Thapor Monastery in Ortinville, Mich, St. Mary’s Monastery in Rock Island, Ill., New Melleray Trappist Abbey in Dubuque, Iowa, St. Procopius Benedictine Abbey in Lisle, Ill., St. Benedict’s Abbey in Benet Lake, Wis., and the famous Gethsemani Trappist Abbey in Trappist, Kentucky, will be hosting "Live-in Experience" vocational retreats soon. Work and pray with the monks and nuns and hear the interesting vocational talks. There is no cost but space is limited. Dates include Aug. 30 — Sept. 2, Sept. 26 — 30, and Oct. 4 — 6. Other weekend dates available. Call Joan Van Roo toll free at 1-800-221-1807. Some restrictions may apply.

There is a need for qualified interpreters for liturgical services in the Genessee Region. Please contact Rose Smith, at the Catholic Deaf Ministry at 517-342-2500 for more info.

Beginning Experience A spiritual weekend designed to help the widowed, divorced, and separated make a new beginning in life. The Beginning Experience helps participants work through the grief process associated with loss and provides an opportunity to begin the healing process.

When: 3 or 4 times yearly

Upcoming Dates: October 4, 5, and 6, 2002

Where: St. Joseph Center

1000 E. Porter Street

Jackson, Michigan

Contact: Mary Jo (Brighton) (810) 229-0040

Where: St. Thomas the Apostle Church

Parish Center

530 Elizabeth Street

Ann Arbor, MI 48104

When: Wed. Sept. 11 — Oct. 30, 2002

7:00 — 9:00 PM

Cost:$30.00 — Price includes book, Divorce &

Beyond by James Greteman, CSC and Leon Haverkamp, MSW.

Faciltiated by Kathleen Boyd, David Greene, John Swantek. For further information and program session format, please call Virginia Mikola at (734) 994-9194.

St. Patrick, Ann Arbor. Will be organizing a support group. If you are interested in joining, contact Kathy Biess at (734) 662-8141.

What does the Church teach about Social Justice?

Dr. Liberato has extensive experience in dealing with the political system and issues of Justice.

What does the Church’s teachings of Social Justice have to do with Public Policy?

St. Patrick Parish

An information meeting for people, who are considering adoption will be held at 7:00 PM., Tuesday, September 10, 2002, at Adoption Associates, Inc. 26105 Orchard Lake Rd., Suite 301, Farmington Hills, MI 48334. Information will be shared on building families through both Domestic (US) and international (China, Russia, Guatemala, Moldova, Ukraine, Poland) adoption. We are the only agency in Lower Michigan that is accredited to work with Russia. Come meet some of our staff

On Sept. 21, 2002, St. John the Evangelist Church, 404 N. Dayton St., Davison, 48423, 12:00 noon — 11:00 PM. Come celebrate with young adults & grow in your faith! Hear dynamic speakers, and share Mass, Dinner, & Dancing. Keynote speakers will be Sr. Durstyne Farnan and Fr. Bill Wegher. Cost is $27 — by Aug. 30, $32 — Before Sept. 13, and $37 after Sept. 13 & at the door, half-day rate $15. To register, call Young Adult Ministry at 517-342-2494.

Trippers Sports Bar, 354 Frandor, Lansing 7 — 9 PM. A four-week speaker series. Each week will feature a different speaker who will address issues of faith for young adults. Free admission. Informal Discussion. Meet new people. For more information call 517-342-2494.

Singles Sunday, Sunday, October, 13, 2002, Holy Redeemer Church, 1227 E. Bristol Rd., Burton, MI., 3 —7 PM. Keynote: Fr. Bill Lugger. Cost is $10; there will be a catered meal.

If you or someone you know is struggling with a drug or alcohol problem know this: You do have a place to turn! Your community offers treatment programs dedicated to assisting those with addiction to alcohol or drugs. Take part in a treatment program and take the first step toward reclaiming your life. To find out about programs in your area, call the DAP help line, toll-free 1-877-342-2513, Bishop’s Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs.

Tuesday, August 27, Memorial of St. Monica, married woman. Widowed mother of St. Augustine of Hippo. She was born in North Africa, and married Patricius, a dissolute and violent pagan. Augustine’s younger brother and his mother became Christians in 371. Monica prayed for the conversion of St. Augustine and followed him to Rome in 383. In Milan, in 386 she saw him baptized and then lived with her son and her grandson Adeodatus while Augustine prepared for his famed conversion. Monica died at Ostia, Italy while preparing to return to Africa. She is the patroness of married women and a model for Christian mothers. Her relics are enshrined at the church of St. Augustine in Rome.

Doctor of the Church, a Western Father of the Church, whose conversion to Christianity is called one of the most important events in the history of the Church. His mother, St. Monica, was a Christian, and she raised him in the faith. In 370 he went to Carthage to study law, turning instead to literary affairs. He also took a mistress who bore him a son, Adeodatus. His brilliance was manifesting itself, as he won poetic tournaments and became known in the philosophical world. It took nine years for Augustine to free himself from his former life. In 383 he went to Italy having to depart in secret because of St. Monica’s opposition to his plans. Augustine planned to teach in Rome but instead went to Milan, where he met St. Ambrose. With Ambrose’s influence, Augustine set about trying to discover a life of celibacy, study, and prayer. With his mother, son, and friends, Augustine retired to a villa to begin his study of the Scriptures and ancient philosophers. On Easter Sunday, 387, Augustine was baptized by St. Andrew. He then went to Ostia, Italy where St. Monica died. Augustine, filled with grief, stayed in Italy for a time, writing and praying. In 388 he sold his goods, distributed money to the poor, and began a life of penance. He was ordained a priest in 391, despite his belief that he was unworthy of such an office. The surviving works of St. Augustine have long provided Christianity with lucid, attractive arguments for the faith. He is the patron of the Augustinians, theologians, and the city of Carthage.

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