Our Lady On The River Parish 	Holy Cross, Marine City; St. Catherine, Algonac; St. Mark, Harsens Island

Our Lady On The River Parish
Twenty Third Sunday in Ordinary Time	September 6, 2009
Sponsor of the Week	McKenzie Photography & Imaging



Mass Inentions
Monday, September 7	7:30 a.m. 	St. Catherine
		V Jim Kuptz by Wife
		V Joseph Kerszykowski by Wife
	9:00 a.m.	Holy Cross
Tuesday,  September 8
	7:30 a.m. 	St. Catherine
	9:00 a.m. 	St. Mark
	9:00 a.m. 	Holy Cross
		V Rosanne Lozowski-Arnold by Family & Friends
Wednesday, September  9
	7:30 a.m. 	St. Catherine
	9:00 a.m. 	St. Mark
	9:00 a.m. 	Holy Cross
Thursday, September 10
	7:30 a.m.	St. Catherine
	9:00 a.m. 	St. Mark
	9:00 a.m.	Holy Cross
Friday, September 11
	7:30 a.m.	St. Catherine
	9:00 a.m.   	St. Mark
	9:00 a.m. 	Holy Cross
		? All Holy Cross Students, Teachers & Faculty
Saturday, September 12
1:30 p.m.       Wedding 	Holy Cross
		? Megan Girvin & Christopher Wylin
4:00 p.m.	St. Catherine
		V Lucille Mazzola by Chuck & Diane Busuttil
	4:30 p.m.	St. Mark
		V Milton Terrien by Jim & Carol Miller
		V Louis Lehman by Family
	5:30 p.m. 	Holy Cross
		V Rosanne Lozowski-Arnold by Famiy & Friends
		V Norma Arnold by Jeff, Amber & Janet Arnold
		V Veronica Melkert by Margie Smith & Family
Sunday, September 13
	7:30 a.m.	Holy Cross
	8:00 a.m. 	St. Catherine
	9:30 a.m. 	Holy Cross
		V Margarete Czerniawski by Jerry & Diane Justa
			(Birthday Remembrance)
		V Ron Lowes, Sr. by the Class of 1960
		V Clara Finn by
				The Volunteers of Downriver Helping Hands
10:00 a.m.  	St. Catherine
		V Robert G. Sanders by Family
 10:30 a.m. 	St. Mark
		V Gary Ebert by Jason and Evan
		V Louis Lehman by Family
11:30 a.m.	Holy Cross
		V Terri Pelzer by Family
		V Stella Orzechowski by The Danuta Danko Famiy
		V Barbara Stockwell by Ray & Laura Schweihofer
7:00 p.m. 	St. Catherine
	For the People of Our Lady on the River Parish


Parish Directory
www.OurLadyontheRiver.net

Fr. James Lopez, Pastor
Fr. Matt Ellis, Associate Pastor
Sr. Mary Ann Ankoviak, csj
Pastoral Associate

Fr. Sig Kowalczyk, Fr. Ron Kurzawa,
Fr. Fred Bodde, Fr. Leo Broderick & Msgr. George Browne, Senior Priests

Gary Krueger, Bob McLeod, Deacons

Bulletin Info
bulletin e-mail:
bulletin@OurLadyontheRiver.net
(deadline 12 noon Monday)

Marriages:
Membership & six month preparation
period required.

Sacrament of Reconciliation  3:00 p.m.

Holy Cross  	1st & 3rd Saturdays
St. Catherine  2nd & 4th Saturdays
St. Mark	1st Fridays before Mass

Sacrament of Baptism  12:45 p.m.

Holy Cross 	3rd Sunday
St. Catherine 	last Sunday
St. Mark 	by appointment

Membership & preparation required
Please call your Church Office to
register & verify dates.

***Holy Cross
Catholic School***
(810) 765-3591 FAX:  (810) 765-9074
www.HolyCrossOnline.net
e-mail  school@holycrossonline.net
Amanda Lund, Principal

Thoughts from your Pastoral Associate
	In many ways our lives are like that of the deaf man of today's Gospel - unable to sort out what everyone is saying and unable to put the right words to what we know to be true.  The deaf man found a way to make it through life, but he must have felt pretty much relegated to the edge of events by his inability to hear clearly.  Life can be difficult to sort out because all of us have gone through much effort to build our opinions on many issues.
	In the church there is the struggle to use dwindling personnel and resources wisely.  In education, it's school survival, in families it's how to raise and discipline children properly and lovingly, at work it's balancing the budget and establishing priorities.  Everyone has a point to make and everyone has a piece of the wisdom.  How does one hear clearly and speak intelligently with such an abundance of voices?
	This may also be how the community of Mark's Gospel felt about putting faith and life together.  On the one hand, they were followers of Jesus.  On the other hand, they were a small community clinging to survival, alien to the culture in which they found themselves, and tempted to go the way of their neighbors.  It was a stressful time for them with no one able to point a clear, clean path to the future.  They, too, must have felt deaf to the wisdom they needed to hear and mute to proclaim the promise.
	We may sometimes feel that everyone else has the answers, so why don't we, too?  Such are the times when it seems that the best we can do is be faithful to the journey and committed to the struggle.   Like the deaf man who himself did not come to Jesus, but was brought to him by others, we find that in the end, our only recourse is to trust that the movements of our lives will bring us, too, to God Who alone can open our ears and give voice to hope.  God is deeply involved with us.  God does open our ears.  Out of our prayer and the wisdom of the community, we do hear one more voice that rises in its own good time above all others.  It is the voice of God Who brings us home through chaos to calm and peaceful order. Let's pray to hear, as the deaf man finally did.
Labor Day
	On Monday, we pause from our labors and celebrate Labor Day.  A pause that takes time to reflect back and see that history reveals many heroes and heroines.  Generations of good, hard-working people who believed in the good news of our Lord, Jesus, who loved the Church to which they were faithfully present, and helped continue the on-going dream & plan God has in mind for all of us.  When we ponder the strengths and sacrifices of those who came before us, who have had a significant impact on our lives of faith, we are renewed.  This Labor Day may be a good time to pray with our own unique family tree.  All of us need to remember in great gratitude so many people who contributed to and shaped our lives and this parish family through the years.  Memories and openness to new learning guide us to realize that God has helped us in the past and is our faithful God of the future.  We are in God's hands, and we refer everything to God's care.  We ask Mary, Our Lady on the River, closer to the heart of Jesus than anyone, to pray for us.
Saints in every vocation quest …
	Continues with kudos to all who discovered St. Francis de Sales last week - Joann & John Vance, Mary Minnich, Dolores Stone, Patrick & Regina Lomasney, Aline Irvine and Pat Johnston.
	This week's saint knew and helped St. Francis deSales.  It is said that he was so short he used to stand on a stool to be seen in the pulpit.  He was the third of ten children in a family where prayer and serving others were priorities.  He was a Jesuit priest and was an advisor to five different popes.  Good luck!
Something more to ponder -
Many of us might need to be more like the little girl whom a farmer found lost in his meadow.  The farmer said to her:
“Do not cry; I'll take you home.”
The little girl, with a smile, said to him:
“I knew you would; I was waiting for you.”
“Waiting for me?”, said the farmer, “What made you think I was coming?”
“I was praying you would, “ she said.
“Praying? When I first heard you, you were saying
A-B-C-D-E-F-G.  What was that for?”
She looked up again and said, “I'm just a little girl.  I was praying all the letters of the alphabet and letting God put them together the way He wanted to.  He knows I was lost, and He knows how to put them together better than I do.”
“He has done all things well”, the people announced in today's Gospel.  All that needs doing, God does, and does well.  May we all strive this week to do everything well too!
God's blessings and my prayer for you.
Sister Mary Ann Ankoviak, csj
pastoralassociate@ourladyontheriver.net



Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
StC 7:30a Mass  Parish Office Closed
StC 7:30a Mass
StC 7:30a Mass
StC 7:30a Mass
StC 7:30a Mass
StC 3p Reconciliation
Sunday Masses
HC 7:30 a; 9:30a;
11:30 a
StC 8:00 a; 10:00 a;
7:00 p
StM 10:30 a  HC 10:45 a Usher Mtg        HC 12:30 p Ice Cream Social
StC 8:15a St. Vincent de Paul
StM 9:00a Mass
StM 9:00a Mass
StM 9:00a Mass
StM 9:00a Mass
StC 4:00p Mass
HC 8:15a Rosary
HC 9:00a Mass
HC 9:00a Mass
HC 9:00a Mass
HC 9:00a Mass
StM 4:30p Mass
HC 9:00a Mass
Marysville 10a Bingo
KC MC 7p Bingo
StC 10a Christian Svc Mtg

HC 5:30p Mass
StC 6:00p Exposition and Adoration
MC 9a-3p Farmers Mkt
StC 6:45 p Prayer Group

StC 7:00p Mass


Died in Christ

Please remember in your prayers:

	V Virginia Sanders

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord.
Let the Perpetual Light shine upon her.
May she rest in peace.           Amen.

Liturgicak Schedule
Day/Time
Lectors
Altar Servers
Saturday
4:00 p.m.
St. Catherine
Ed Ptasnik
Skye Jarskey
Alexis Semaan
5:30 p.m.
Holy Cross
Charlotte Foley
Brandon Downey
Anna Tomlanovich
Hannah Yadon
Sunday
7:30 a.m.
Holy Cross
Wynne Achatz
Mitchell Hurttgam
Brenden Hurttgam
Dion VanBoekel

8:00 a.m.
St. Catherine
Gary Kupper
Jacob Nuter
Abigail Nutter
9:30 a.m.
Holy Cross
Theresa Whitenight
Rachelle LaFontaine
Stone Moody
Natallie Tipton
10:00 a.m.
St. Catherine
Nick Licari
Alex May
Nicholas Todino
10:30 a.m.
St. Mark

Norbert Gorski

11:30 a.m.
Holy Cross
Fred/Mary Ann
Osterbeck
Maggie Bachler
Caroline Glowski
Danielle Grusser
7:00 p.m.
St. Catherine
Celebrant
Celebrant
4:30 p.m.
St. Mark
Pat Travis

Readings for the Week of September 6, 2009

Sunday:	Is 35:4-7a/Jas 2:1-5/Mk 7:31-37
Monday:	Col 1:24---2:3/Lk 6:6-11
Tuesday:	Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30/Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 or 1:18-23
Wednesday:	Col 3:1-11/Lk 6:20-26
Thursday:	Col 3:12-17/Lk 6:27-38
Friday:	1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14/Lk 6:39-42
Saturday:	1 Tm 1:15-17/Lk 6:43-49
Next Sunday:	Is 50:5-9a/Jas 2:14-18/Mk 8:27-35

©Liturgical Publications Inc

September 6, 2009  •  Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mass Schedule

Holy Cross, Marine City Site
	Saturday: 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 7:30; 9:30 & 11:30 	a.m.
Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m.

St. Catherine, Algonac Site
Saturday: 4:00 p.m.
Sunday:  8:00; 10:00 a.m.&
7:00 p.m.
Monday - Friday: 7:30 a.m.

St. Mark, Harsens Island Site
Saturday: 4:30 p.m.
(Memorial Day - end of September)
Sunday: 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday - Friday:  9:00 a.m.

Holy Days - as announced

Locations

Marine City Site
610 S. Water St. • Marine City, MI 48039
810-765-3568 • Fax: 810-765-2974
Office Hours:
Monday - Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
(Closed 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.)

Algonac Site
1103 Washington St. • Algonac, MI 48001
810-794-3301 • Fax: 810-794-1849
Office Hours:
Monday - Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Harsens Island Site
4190 Green Drive • P.O. Box 70
Harsens Island, MI 48028
810-748-3828 • Fax: 810-748-9148
Office Hours:
Tuesday - Friday: 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.


www.OurLadyontheRiver.net

Please pray for our sick and suffering
Hank Babisz  Betty Baker Maggie Barnes
Joseph Bica
Judy Biland     Angela Bills
Bill & Rita Boulier
Fr. Leo Broderick
Dean Bryeans Jacob Bryson
Thomas Delor, Jr.
Andrea DeVolder
Rosemarie
Dinehart
Wendy Furtah     Marge Hamlin
Tim Henshaw
Alvin Jones
Nina Johnson
Irene Kajder
Richard Koss James Kuykendall
Sam Leszczynski
Peter Licari
Harry Lisee     Joseph Lopez Mary Lorkowski
Sally Lozen
Pat Macy  Marcella Markel Paul Markle
Amanda
McClenaghan
Josephine
Michalski     Sally O'Neil    Thomas Ostin Sophia Palmer Theresa
Pawlowski
Judy Piotrowski
Sandy Polomas
Cora Plummer Rocko Prinzivilli Bill Sadecki   Lorena Sadler
Walter Sawkin Helen
Schweihofer   Bill Scott
Laura Siecinski
Tommy
Skladerna
Evelyn Smith
Joan Smith
Bob Soulliere
Avi Ben Stella
Barbara Susan
Stevens Family Jessica Thomas             Patrick Tierney Alice Trader Ashleigh Tranchemontagne George and Tena VanLoon Tracy Warner Leona Weaver JoAnn White Paulette
Wieczorek   Keith and Dolores Wright Catherine Ziegler


Our Lady On The River Parish Stewardship of Treasure Report
Weekend of August 8 & 9, 2009
Amount in Sunday envelopes

 $  16,400.70

Families with envelopes
1702
Gifts from visitors (loose collection)
 $    1,118.40

Envelopes received this week
625
Children's envelopes

 $         13.50

(% of all stewards)
37%

Total Sunday Collection

 $  17,532.60



Weekly amount for parish operations

 $  17,720.00



over/under amount

$  (187.40)



Request to Add Name to Prayer List

Name to add to list: _____________________________

Description of ailment: ___________________________

Submitted by:__________________Phone: __________

____ Above person has agreed to have his/her name on the Prayer List of Our Lady on the River.
Payable to ….

	When you are writing out a check to the parish please make checks payable to “Our Lady on the River”.  If you would like, you can abbreviate by writing OLR.  				       Thank You!!
"One Sows, Another Reaps"

Parish Target for 2009	   	     $99,000
Amount Pledged for 2009 	     $81,912
Amount needed to meet goal	     $17,088
Average Amount of Gift   	          $126
Number of Potential Donors 	          1765
Number of Replies (including “zeros”)    648
 % of Participation                                  37%

	Four more pledges brings us up to 37% of our families with just over $17,000 to reach our goal.  We have also received a couple of increased pledges to help lower our deficit.  If you find that you can send in more than your original pledge please just send it in with a note indicating that it is an increase.
Catholic Schools
It's back-to-school time for the thousands of children who attend Catholic elementary and high schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
Catholic schools are an integral part of the educational ministry of the Church, which continues the teaching mission of Jesus Christ. Catholic schools proclaim the Gospel; develop a faith community in which Gospel values are formed, experienced and lived; preserve and teach the doctrines and traditions of the Catholic faith; and provide a learning environment which fosters academic excellence.
Gifts to the Catholic Services Appeal allow the Office of Catholic Schools to help Catholic schools provide their students with exceptional academic training and faith formation. The office, which is part of the Department of Education, provides teacher education and accreditation services, develops ongoing policy and curriculum guidelines, and offers professional growth opportunities for teachers and principals.
For more information about Catholic schools, or other CSA-funded programs and ministries, go to www.AODonline.org.


A Note From The Principal

     Our school year is off to a great start!  We have had wonderful weather and comfortable temperatures, which makes starting school a little easier.  I would like to thank the many parishioners and parents who responded to the call for lunch supervisors.  However, as the parish continues to be conservative in spending, so must our school.  Therefore, we are not going to be able to start the year with lunch supervisors holding paid positions.  Thank you to those who have volunteered.  We still have room for you if you would like to give an hour to the children of Holy Cross.
	I hope that you are having a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  It is nice to have the first week of school under our belts.  The first week of school is one of my favorites!  It is great to see how much everyone has grown.  We are also very happy to be able to welcome both old and new friends to school.  This year we are welcoming eight new families to our K-8 program.  We are proud to be their partners in education.
	Preschool begins this Wednesday.  We still have room for your child or grandchild.  Preschool is a wonderful opportunity for your youngster to get to meet new people and be proud to tell the people he meets that he goes to school.  If you are thinking about preschool, please contact the school office.
	Before the students returned, the faculty was able to come together for a retreat at St. Mark's on Harsens Island.  Even though it was raining, we had a wonderful time!  I am glad that we were able to join Fr. Sig and the parishioners for Mass.  This was the first Mass that I have attended at St. Mark's and I look forward to the opportunity to return in the future.
	The fall sports season will be getting underway this week.  Our JV and Varsity girls' basketball teams and our Varsity boys' football team have been practicing and we can't wait to see them play.  Please check our website for the sports schedule.
	Have you bought your SCRIP this week?

In His Service,
Mrs. Amanda Lund, Principal



R.C.I.A. -
What's It All About?
Why Do Catholics Do That?

	Are you interested in learning more about the Catholic Church?  Are you searching for a deeper relationship with God? Are you interested in becoming a member of the Catholic community?
	The RCIA, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults provides a process for people who wish “consciously and freely to seek the living God and enter the way of faith and conversion as the Holy Spirit enters their hearts” (RCIA 1).
	If you're already a Catholic member of our parish, think about inviting someone you know to come with you  on Sunday, September 27th 11:00 a.m. for coffee, tea, and dessert and a 30 minute question-and-answer session.  We'll meet at St. Catherine Church and all are welcome.
	For more information, email Sister Mary Ann Ankoviak at pastoralassociate@ourladyontheriverparish.net or fill in the form below and return to any parish site office.
YES, I AM INTERESTED IN R.C.I.A.

Name:__________________________

Address:________________________

City, Zip________________________

Phone:__________________________

Religious Education News

Are Your Children Registered???

	Our Religious Education classes for Kindergarten will begin on Sunday September 13th from 9:30 until 10:30 a.m. in Holy Cross School.
	Evening classes for grades one through eight will begin on Monday September 14th and Tuesday September 15th. Both will start in Holy Cross Church at 5:30 p.m. this is mandatory for each student and a parent.  Registration forms are available on our website www.ourladyontheriver.net under the commissions & committees tab.
	We are in need of a couple more teacher volunteers. If you could do so one evening a week for 1hour and 15 minutes please call me at 810-765-8300. We have a wonderfully supportive staff who will assist you all the way.

Special Announcement …
Grades 6 & 7 for Monday evening are both closed.

Mrs. Margie Smith
DRE

Protecting God's Children
For Parish and School Activities
Workshop Saturday, September 12, 2009

	Any adult that wishes to work in any capacity with the children in the school or the parish, such as room parent, chaperone for field trips or other events must have completed a Protecting God's Children class and a criminal background check.  Our Lady on the River Parish will be hosting a Protecting God's Children Workshop in the Holy Cross Activity Center, on Saturday September 12th from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
	If you would like to attend you must be pre-registered. You may do so online at www.virtus.org and follow the prompts. If you have any questions please call Mrs. Margie Smith in the Religious Education Office at 810-765-8300.

OLR
Volunteer Lunch Helpers Needed

     We are in need of a few helpers during the school lunch period, 10:40 - 11:30 a.m.  You do not have to commit to every day, all help is appreciated.
     Any parent, grandparent, etc interested in helping please contact the school office at 810-765-3591.

Pastor's Message

	Labor Day Weekend is here and we can celebrate the occasion as written in the Letter of St. James: “Loving your neighbor as yourself.” We can take this opportunity to reach out to our neighbors and break bread with them and share some cheer. I think that it is important to take time out of one's life and appreciate a holiday like Labor Day so that fellowship and thanksgiving can be shared with one another. Having a barbeque or a boat ride on the river are some things that can be done to close the summer season and welcome the fall. We thank the Lord for that vacation or that short trip to visit family or friends because after Monday, a new school year begins or a new job opportunity takes places. There is always something new after this holiday.
	In doing so, I hope that each of you will remember the message from Christ, which is “Ephphatha” and the translation means “Be opened.” Jesus opened the ears of the deaf man and cured him of the speech impediment. We have the opportunity to listen not only with our ears but with our hearts as well. Will we cure the world of all her ills? Of course not, but we can listen and hear what our neighbor is saying and provide the love and support that they need to assist them during their trials or celebrate with them in their moment of joy. Ephphatha does not just apply to the physical openings of one's ears, it also implies to changes that occur in one's life. We must always be prepared for change in the life in which we live. Change is necessary because without it we can fall into the sin of complacency. And if we become complacent, we begin to hold onto man made traditions which is what Jesus warned against in last week's gospel. We are to honor God with our hearts and not just with our lips.
	I would like to close my article this week with a thank you to all who sent me birthday cards and gifts. My favorite gift was one where I needed a screw driver to open it up. It took me twenty minutes to open the container and find a single glove. I am sure the mate will appear in the near future. I do appreciate the practical joker who sent it to me because it reminded me of some of the practical jokes my family played on me when it was my birthday. Again my thanks to all for your kindness and well wishes it does mean a lot to me.
	Enjoy your Holiday and remember to pray for those returning from their vacations so that they reach their destinations safely.
	All My Prayers,
	Fr. Jim
(Continued on page #)
Sharing the Gospel

	You can hear God talk to you. He speaks to you through the Bible. He speaks to you through your parents, teachers, and friends. When you hear him, you obey his commandments. You stop pouting and stomping. You obey your parents. You put your toys away. You share your food, clothing, and blankets. You say the right words to make a friend feel better. When you listen, God helps you stay on the path to heaven.

Prayer
Open my ears to hear you clearly, Lord.	                  Amen

Mission for the Week
I will listen and follow my Mom and Dad's directions right away.
	LPiResourceCenter.com

Our Lady on the River Parish Choir

	Attention all singers and instrumentalists!!  Rehearsals for the Our Lady on the River Parish Choir will begin on Thursday, September 10th at St. Catherine starting at 7:00 p.m. in the church.  All former and new choir members from Holy Cross and St. Catherine are invited to join.  We will alternate rehearsal and Mass locations on a weekly basis.  Music is a vital part of our liturgies that needs many volunteers.  Come use your musical talents to praise the Lord!  For more information contact Bea Wassenberg at 810-794-0098.

Glorious is God's work;
Let us give thanks and praise!

Harvest Dinner Co-Chair Needed
Sunday, October 11th

     We need a new co-chair to be responsible for the vegetables including the farmers wagon.  We will tell you/show you everything you will need to know, and will continue to work with the new person for this year and possibly next year.  The ultimate goal is for someone else to learn the details of where & how it all comes together.
	If you would be interested in helping, please contact Mary Jane Basney at 810-765-4527.

Labor Day
Monday,    September 7

Parish Offices Closed
Nativity of the
Blessed
Virgin Mary
Tuesday,
September 8th

Parish Prayer For Vocations News

	Each Sunday, at the 9:30 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Mass, anyone is invited to take home the parish crucifix and prayer manual to pray at home for vocations.  Each week, those who have had this privilege, are invited to write comments on their experience.

Some of the comments received follow:

“It was a very powerfully humbling experience to feel God's Presence so strongly as we read the prayers.”

“I feel very blessed to have participated in the parish prayer for vocations.  This is a time of great need for many prayers, especially Father Lopez and all vocations in our Catholic faith.”

“It was nice to gather with my family for ten minutes each day of the week praying.  It is amazing how just ten minutes a day to spend with the Lord and family can help separate the urgent from the truly important.  Putting God first also takes away from our own self-centeredness.  Our youngest, who doesn't read yet, still took part by holding the cross.  Our oldest loves to read prayers.  We all took part.  A wonderful family experience!  Thank you, and God bless.”

Farmer's Market
in Marine City!

Fruits, vegetables, flowers, pumpkins, soaps
All from LOCAL producers

Every Tuesday
September & October
9 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Old City Hall
 At Heritage Square
Labor Day Weekend Bake Sale

Bring and/or Buy
Pies, Cakes or Cookies
St. Mark Activity Center
Before and After
4:30 p.m. Mass Saturday
10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday

sponsored by St. Mark Women's Guild
The Marine City Lions Club will host a
BBQ Chicken Dinner
Sunday, September 13, from noon to 6 p.m.
At the clubhouse • 545 Ward Street, Marine City
Carry outs available 810-765-9121
Proceeds to benefit the Fireworks Fund

Oktoberfest
September 18,19,20
Downtown Marine City
Friday: Bike Night
Saturday: Fireworks
Sunday: Family Day
Great Food, Live Entertainment & Activities

Holy Cross Ushers

Sunday,
September 13th
following 9:30 a.m. Mass
in the Activity Center

Catholic Study Club

Wednesday,
September 9th
7:30 p.m.
home of Mary Schlottman

FUN Raiser Meeting

Monday, September 14th
7:00 p.m.
Holy Cross Activity Center
	We are looking for people from all three sites to participate and help come up with FUN ideas for events at Our Lady on the River Parish.

Christian Service Meeting

Thursday, September 10th @ 9:00 a.m.
St. Catherine Activity Center


Interesting Tips To Beat Stress
 
	With the current economic situation reducing stress can be a daily challenge.  Here are some simple suggestions.
1.  Just say no. Sometimes you have to draw the line. 
2.  Sit up straight.  A good posture improves breathing
	and circulation to the brain. 
3.	Smell the apples.  Keep a green apple on your desk,
	smelling the apple has been shown to calm the nerves. 
4.	Have a potato.  Just 1.5 ounces of a carb is enough to
	help. 
5.	Eat tuna which is loaded with an amino acid and shown
	to boast mental performance. 
                          
Harbor Health Home Care  810-765-7144
	The loss of our beloved mother, Helen Burgess, was very difficult for our family.  The kindness of the members of Our Lady on the River Parish helped us transform this time of sadness into a memorable event that we are sure our mother would have thought simply beautiful.  We'd like to thank Fr. Jim, Bea, Kirsten and Catherine and finally the funeral luncheon committee.
With Much Appreciation,
George & Paula Burgess
Flu Shot Clinic Volunteers

	Liz Norris, Visiting Nurse Association, will be conducting a Flu & Pneumonia Clinic Meeting & Update:
Wednesday, September 23rd
10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
St. Catherine Activity Center
	All who have helped in the past and any new helpers are invited.  Please bring your ID card, CPR card, etc if you have worked before.  Contact Liz at 810-984-4131 or 1-800-959-4131 with questions.
Hope to see you - returning & new faces.

St. Mark Women's Guild Invitation

	Ladies of the Parish, you are cordially invited to a membership luncheon on Thursday, September 17th at noon at the home of Lillian Stoneback, 6175 Green Drive. Call in your reservation to the St. Mark Office, 748-3828. Come and see the different ways to become a member and be the recipient of many social and spiritual benefits.

You Can Make A Difference
Become a Blue Water Hospice Volunteer

	Blue Water Hospice provides support and care for persons in the last phases of a terminal illness.  Trained volunteers are needed.  Won't you consider helping?
	Training Tuesdays & Thursdays, beginning September 10th through October 8th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Blue Water Hospice
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Contact Volunteer Services
810-989-2452

   They who supply the seed will find that it multiplies, increasing the harvest of righteousness.  They will be enriched in every way for their generosity, for they administer public benefit and see to the needs of the Church.
   Their generosity overflows in much gratitude to God.

2 Corinthians 9

Join us for our 1st Annual
Our Lady on the River Parish
ice cream social

Next Sunday,
September 13th

Following the 11:30 a.m. Mass
in the Holy Cross Activity Center

Please bring the family or come alone enjoy a dish or cone and
meet and socialize with members from all three sites of
Our Lady on the River Parish




















Harvest Dinner Chinese Auction
Sunday, October 11th

	Donations of good new items needed.  Contact Judy at the Parish Office (810-765-3568) if you can help by donating items.      thank you
Bowlers Needed

	The Picadillys Mixed League is looking for new members.  They bowl at Colony Bowl on Wednesday mornings at 10:00, starting September 9th.  Contact Judy Arneil at 810-794-4492.
Wedding Anniversary
September

Robert & Willabelle Tenyer   	Sept 7	63 years

May God keep you and continue to
Bless you for many years to come.
From The Pastoral Staff and Merger/Transitional Team

Dear Parish Members:

	As we read in the newspapers or watch on the television, companies big and small, are going through transitions and adjustments in order to meet their financial budgets. Our Lady on the River Parish is facing a similar situation. Our parish budget deficit, resulting from a decline in our weekly offertory, must make adjustments in order to have a balanced budget submitted to the Archdiocese of Detroit. It is unfortunate that adjustments must be made for financial reasons when focus is taken away from the liturgical life of the parish. However, the parish cannot financially run itself. Like any family, the parish must meet its financial obligations such as: payroll, taxes, heating and water bills, phone and electric bills, etc.
	The Pastoral Staff and the Transitional Team have been working diligently in finding ways of balancing the budget for the next fiscal year. In doing so, the Mass schedule was evaluated and the recommendation is to reduce the number of Masses. Our weekend Mass attendance does not reach full seating capacity which indicates that Mass times could be adjusted or decreased. The long term goal for a merged parish, like Our Lady on the River, is to make all members feel welcomed worshipping and attending functions at any of the sites. Currently we celebrate 9 Masses per weekend, 10 in the Summer Season. The goal is to reduce those numbers to 6 or 7 Masses per weekend.
	The rules of worldwide Catholic law states a priest is allowed to celebrate one Mass per day, the exception is two and an extreme exception is three, which comes with permission from the local bishop. On any Saturday, a priest may have a wedding and/or a funeral Mass to go along with his other scheduled weekend Masses. Although we have been blessed with the assistance of our five senior priests to help serve our Mass schedule, we have run into situations where 2 or 3 of them have been unavailable because of needs elsewhere or illness. We need their help but we should not deny them from assisting other parishes in the area. Last year we spent $30,000 in pay stipends for senior and visiting priests. By reducing our schedule we lower our expenditures while maintaining our spiritual relationships with our valued senior priests.
	We would like each registered family of Our Lady on the River Parish to please consider a weekend Mass schedule that would best accommodate your sacramental needs. Next weekend at Mass you will be asked to fill out preferred Mass times. Or, if you have the time now, please fill out the form at the bottom and return it to the parish office. Remember, as we continue to work through this merger process, we are bringing three sites together to be considerate towards one another and respectful of one another. This is the time where the selflessness of Jesus Christ must be our guide in planning our Mass times for the priests, Music Director and our neighbor in the pew.

I'm a registered parish member:   (    )  Yes

Signed (optional):  ________________________________
Marine City
Saturday
5:30 pm
Sunday
  7:30 am
  9:30 am
11:30 am
Number of People
Algonac
Saturday
4:00 pm

Sunday
8:00 am
10:00 am
7:00 pm
Number of People
Harsen's Island
Saturday
4:30 pm
Sunday
10:30 am
Number of People

One in The Spirit Prayer and Bible Study Group





	September 8	Journaling
	September 15	No Meeting
	September 17	Healing Mass
	September 22	Psalms 91
	September 29	Holy Spirit Lead

	Our meetings are held on Tuesday evenings @ 6:45 p.m. in the St. Catherine Chapel. All parishioners are welcome to join us. If you are in need of prayer for yourself or someone else, write your requests in the Prayer Petition Books located at the exits.
	To be placed on the prayer chain or for further information, please contact Eloise @ 810-794-9975.

Mass With Healing Prayers

Thursday, September 17, 2009
7:00 p.m.
St. Catherine's Church

Celebrant:  Fr. Collins Okeke,
 (Former summer associate at St. Catherine, from Nigeria)
Aren't we all in need of Jesus' healing?
Emotional ~ Spiritual ~ Physical

This will be a Spirit filled night where we can experience the
Love and Peace of Jesus.

Prayer teams will be available after Mass.

Music Provided by Bill Richart