Welcome to Our Lady on the River Parish!
The people of Holy Cross, St. Catherine and St. Mark welcome you to our parish website! Use the links on the right to go to common areas of information, like the bulletin or the listing of Masses scheduled at any of our locations. Then choose a link to the church, chapel, or school to find information specific to that organization, like the Harvest Dinner at Holy Cross, the Fall Festival at St. Catherine, the Men's Club at St. Mark, or the classes at Holy Cross School.
Our three parishes of Holy Cross, St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Mark officially merged on March 6, 2007, to become Our Lady on the River Parish, with the three locations of Holy Cross Church, St. Catherine of Alexandria Church and St. Mark Chapel. Information and links on the process are provided on the "Together in Faith" page.
From the parish
Message from our Pastor, Fr. Jim Lopez, June 28, 2009
I was happy upon the return of Fr. Charles White as he celebrated his Mass of Thanksgiving with us. He is going to do a wonderful job out at his first assignment in Plymouth. I expect Fr. Charles to continue his ministry with the same zeal and passion as he did while as an intern here at Our Lady. However, I have a feeling that being reunited with Fr. Acervo is going have their pastor shaking his head from the mischief they can create. I do wish to extend a personal thank you to all the volunteers that helped make Fr. White's receptions so nice. It was nice to see all the love that was showered upon our former intern. Let us continue to pray for Fr. Charles and Fr. Lee as they continue to do God's Will in their assignments.
Last week I made mention of our missionary that would be staying with us for a week or so. Unfortunately, Fr. Charles Leke Nkafu will not be joining us due to scheduling problems. In his place we welcome Fr. George Jingwa Nkeze. Fr. George will be staying with us for a short time and will be making his missionary appeal over the next two weekends. I hope that you take the time to welcome him and listen to his vocation story. As we celebrate the "Year of the Priest" we must pay attention to the missionary priests around the world who proclaim the Gospel of Life and remember them in our daily prayers. They are the unsung heroes in our world and they should be prayed for daily.
Finally, you may notice that there are new signs up reminding us that Vacation Bible School is approaching us quickly! If you can help by volunteering or donating something towards the Dragon Fly Tree, your generosity will be greatly appreciated. It is a good week for the kids to attend and learn about their faith through readings, videos and activities. I enjoyed last year's Vacation Bible School and I am anticipating another fun week with the kids.
Please be sure to read the letter from Archbishop Vigneron and keep him and all the other clergy in your prayers as they travel to Rome for this very special occasion with Pope Benedict, XVI .
Sister Geraldine Arnold is celebrating her 60th year of Religious Life as a Sister of St. Joseph. Please remember her in your prayers and pray for all vocations to the religious life and priesthood. She does not walk alone, she has a true friend in Sister Mary Ann Ankoviak, together they live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they go and serve wherever they are called. I send my thanks to Sister Geraldine for all that she has given to our parish and the many lives that she has brought God's love to through the years. I thank God that He brought her to us.
I pray that you have a blessed week and that you take the time to enjoy the wonderful summer weather.
All My Prayers,
Fr. JimAnnouncements
It's almost time for Vacation Bible School! July 27 - 31, 2009
Register your kids today! Ages preschool (potty trained) through 5th grade are invited to join the fun. Register after Mass the weekends of July 11-12 or July 18-19 or on-line at www.groupvbs.com/webtoybox/myvbs/ourladyontheriver. 1st child $20; 2nd child $15; 3rd child $10 For more information, contact Stacy at 810-765-0784 or Cathy at 810-794-4367
Holy Cross Church Windows
The window work going on this month is threefold: 1. removing the old, clouded, plastic type outdoor glass; 2. cleaning and doing any needed repairs to the original stained glass; 3. installing new, protective, insulating, clear, tempered outdoor glass. The new glass is insured. The funds for the project come from the previously raised and dedicated capital campaign account for the Holy Cross church building. Enjoy this beautiful landmark dedicated to our Lord! ~Sr.Mary Ann Ankoviak
The Times Herald article by Bob Gross discusses the restoraton of the windows, as well as reviewing other aspecs of the capital campaign.
From the Archdiocese
Message from our Archbishop,The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, June 28, 2009
Archbishop Vigneron
"You are my family of faith"Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Monday is the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, the great patrons of the City of Rome. This year I will be in Rome to celebrate this feast, honored June 29 every year. I will be con-celebrating the Holy Eucharist with Pope Benedict, XVI, and at the Mass the Holy Father will bestow the Pallium on me, along with all the other Metropolitan Archbishops named this past year.
The Pallium is a narrow band or collar of white wool, with six black crosses. An Archbishop who leads an Ecclesiastical Province (a regional grouping of dioceses) wears this vestment around his neck at Mass as a sign of his leadership and authority.
For me, this event is one of the great graces of my priesthood, and I'm sending this letter to invite you, who are part of my family of faith, to share it with me. To that end, let me say here a word about the meaning of the Pallium. This vestment is a symbol of my pastoral office and of my communion with the Holy Father and the other Archbishops of the Church, a bond that extends all the way back to St. Peter and St. Paul. So, I will come into St. Peter's Basilica with all of you held in the prayer of my heart. As I kneel on the platform over St. Peter's Tomb, I will be begging for two things from God: first that He strengthen me to be a good shepherd of His people; and second, that He help all of you and your families to grow in that same life and holiness that the Apostles handed on to us from Jesus. In return, I ask that on Monday - especially at Mass, if you are able to get to church - you lift up in prayer me, together with all my brother priests, that we be filled with the love and courage and zeal that burn in the priestly Heart of Christ.
There is so much more that I would like to share with you, much more than can be put into this letter. To help all of you be part of the Pallium pilgrimage, even if you cannot travel with me to Rome, I will be writing about it at greater length in my column for this weekend's The Michigan Catholic. Our Archdiocesan Communications Department will be sending back reports about this event to be posted on our website: aodonline.org/pallium. CTND will be carrying the Mass on our local cable channel, and will re-broadcast several times in the coming week. Whenever you hear about the Pallium, please remember to ask the Lord to help all of us be better Catholics: better disciples of His and better companions of the Apostles.
Entrusting you and all of the people and parishes of our Archdiocese to the loving care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, I remain
Sincerely yours in Christ,
The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron
Archbishop of Detroit
With the announcement of this Year for Priests, the Pope has declared St. John Vianney the Universal Patron of Priests on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the death of the Cure d'Ars
Announcements
Announcements from the Archdiocese, Week of June 28
From the United States Council of Catholic Bishops
Readings and Psalms of the Month
Please go to this page for Daily Mass Readings, Palsms and much more, provided by the USCCB.
From the Vatican
BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR JULY
VATICAN CITY, 1 JUL 2009 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for July is: "That the Christians of the Middle East may live their faith in full freedom and be an instrument of peace and reconciliation".
His mission intention is: "That the Church may be the seed and nucleus of a humanity reconciled and reunited in God's one and only family, thanks to the testimony of all the faithful in every country of the world".
BXVI-PRAYER INTENTIONS/JULY/... VIS 090701 (90)
Please subscribe to the Vatican Information Service to receive messages from the Pope (free!) by going to this site: http://mlists.vatican.va/mailman/listinfo/visnews_en
Parish Mission Statement
We the people of Our Lady on the River Parish state in a common voice that we are a united Catholic community, bringing together three unique sites, each one being essential to the whole.
We welcome all people into our community. We support the human and spiritual needs of each person with dignity, which strengthens our bond as members of one Body sustained by the Eucharist.
Guided by the Holy Spirit, we commit ourselves to the formation in our Catholic faith at all ages. We will provide a deep and firm foundation for our youth through Catholic education and good example.
We reach out to the greater community through our acts of service and prayer through the intercession of Mary, our Blessed Mother.
General Information
Guidelines for Reception of Holy Communion, from the USCCB
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops "What's New"
Links and Resources
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