Religious Education: This weekend is an opportunity for all our public school students to sign up for Religious Education classes after Mass. Families can also sign up online.
Canada trip: I really enjoyed the pilgrimage to Canada the week of August 8-12. In a nutshell, we visited the shrines and basilicas of the Holy Family—including the grandparents of Jesus, Saints Joachim and Anne, in Quebec. The trip had the feel of spending time with our “spiritual” grandparents. Our pilgrimage director, parishioner Kaye Pescatello, really did a splendid job of leading us. On the bus ride home many shared their experience of the pilgrimage and one man said, “Now I know the difference between a pilgrimage and a vacation.”
Middle Lane: During one of our lunch stops on the pilgrimage, I had a conversation with one of our parishioners. She brought up how she recently was pulled over by the police shortly after leaving our parish. The officer said that the reason she was stopped was because she pulled into the center (turn) lane on Saginaw Street and just stopped there before merging into the other lanes. Stopping your car in the middle lane before merging in the other lanes is against the law. The police officer asked her if she would tell all of her friends at Holy Family. I admit, I often stop in the center lane while waiting for traffic to go by and then merge. I’ll make sure not to do that anymore (if possible). It’s not easy sometimes.
Interesting conversation: On the way back from our pilgrimage sites we celebrated Mass at a Catholic Church in the Ontario Province. Across the street from the Church was a Catholic grade school and high school. I asked the pastor how much tuition was at the schools. He replied, “There isn’t any tuition; the government provides for all education.” I’m thinking, “wow, free tuition!” But before I could get a word out, he said, “Don’t pray for it.” He went on to comment that because the government covers all expenses, they also therefore have too much say in decisions. They play a big part in hiring the teachers, selecting the books, etc. The pastor lamented that some teachers don’t even believe in God and many are totally against the basic tenets of the Catholic faith. I am keeping his advice and not praying for this to happen in our country.
Other School news: I received word from our principal, Theresa Purcell, that our school enrollment will once again increase this year with more and more interest on a regular basis. This is exciting news! We welcome our “new” parents to the school on Wednesday, August 24. And please don’t forget our Boosters Club Golf Outing on September 10 to help support our athletic teams.
Questions and Answers: On the bus ride home—since it was a long drive—we had a time where the pilgrims could ask the priest any questions. There were a lot of questions pertaining to Church issues, such as “what is the difference between a Cathedral and a Basilica or a Shrine?” And then there were some questions such as “if a Catholic doesn’t want to vote for either Presidential candidate, do they have to vote?” Good questions. I was thinking of having a Q & A as part of the bulletin column on occasion.
On the Way: Many of you know that Larry Blondin, our Director of Evangelization, is on his way to becoming a permanent deacon next May. This Tuesday, August 23, Larry will receive the Ministry of Acolyte at the Cathedral in Lansing.
Enrichment: Speaking of Larry, he is once again offering many Faith enrichment courses this coming fall. I can’t speak highly enough of these programs that really help us grow in our faith journey. Please see page 7 of the bulletin for more details.
Crim Race: This coming Saturday, August 27, is the Crim Race. Will anyone from our parish beat Fr. Gary? I might take them out for dinner if they do.
Msgr. Jerry