ST . A . A LPHONSUS LPHONSUS - ST . C . C LEMENT LEMENT P ARISH ARISH Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn, Michigan APRIL 8, 2018 Fr. Linus Kinyua, Pastor Fr. Aaron DePeyster, Associate Pastor Mission Statement We, the family of St. Alphonsus - St. Clement, are called by Jesus Christ to know Him and celebrate His Word. Sustained by the sacramental life rooted in the Eucharist, we reach out in service to all through faith, love, and fellowship. Second Sunday of Easter Second Sunday of Easter Second Sunday of Easter Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." (Jn 20:28-29) New Parish Website! You may be pleased to know that we have a new website. Fr. Aaron has been working religiously (pun intended) to create a new and up- to-date venue for current parish information. Please visit us at: http://www.stals-stclem.org and tell us what you think. Welcome! Ariah Nicole Delgado, Alfred Luis Garza, Carissa Lynn Garza and Matthew Colin Szokola Easter Vigil in the Holy Night 2018
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SSTT. A. ALPHONSUSLPHONSUS -- SSTT. C. CLEMENTLEMENT PPARISHARISH
Dearborn, MichiganDearborn, Michigan
APRIL 8, 2018 Fr. Linus Kinyua, Pastor Fr. Aaron DePeyster, Associate Pastor
Mission Statement We, the family of St. Alphonsus - St. Clement, are called by Jesus Christ to know
Him and celebrate His Word. Sustained by the sacramental life rooted in the Eucharist, we reach out in service to all through faith, love, and fellowship.
Second Sunday of EasterSecond Sunday of EasterSecond Sunday of Easter
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you
have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and
have believed." (Jn 20:28-29)
New Parish Website! You may be pleased to know that we have a new website. Fr. Aaron
has been working religiously (pun intended) to create a new and up-
to-date venue for current parish information. Please visit us at:
http://www.stals-stclem.org and tell us what you think.
Welcome! Ariah Nicole Delgado, Alfred Luis Garza,
Carissa Lynn Garza and Matthew Colin Szokola
Eas te r V ig i l i n the Ho ly N igh t 2018
Page 2 St. Alphonsus ~ St. Clement, Dearborn
Rest in Peace
Sr. Ann Dineen, SM ~ 3/22/18 Frances Heuser ~ 3/27/18 Dorothy Hunter ~ 3/31/18
Stewardship Report w/e 3-25-18 Year to Date
BUDGET $5,425.00 $ 211,575.00
ACTUAL 5,793.00 208,110.00
VARIANCE + 368.00 - (3,465.00)
CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES $ 5020.00
FLOWER FUND 237.00
Pray for the Sick of the Parish Luigi Aronne, Libby Azzopardi, Kathleen Bitonti,
Rose Ann Buttigieg, Louis Cascardo, Maria Cercone,
Stewardship Thoughts Today’s First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles
details how the early community of believers was of
one heart and mind, portioning all possessions with
no claim of ownership over them. All goods were held
in common and allocated according to need. In
St. John’s First Letter and Gospel, the evangelist
teaches us about strength of faith in Christ, which
guides us to love God and to answer His commission
to send disciples forth to conquer the world. We
profess in awe, along with St. Thomas, My Lord and
my God! As faithful stewards, these passages inspire
us to share our many blessings with our parish, the
Archdiocese, the worldwide Church, and our
neighbors in great need. Pray the Chaplet of Divine
Mercy with your family and visit the Divine Mercy
Center in Clinton Twp.
Men’s Meeting All males of the parish are invited to attend the Men’s
Meeting on Thursday, April 12th at 7:00pm in FYH.
Page 3 St. Alphonsus ~ St. Clement, Dearborn
Divine Mercy Sunday Should we be a little easier on Thomas? The last few days have been a whirlwind.
On Thursday, a Passover celebration went horribly awry as Jesus was betrayed and
taken into custody for unstated crimes. Less than 24 hours later, the simple arrest
has turned into a death sentence to be carried out that very afternoon. Most of the
disciples fled, including Thomas. He would have heard of the events of Good Friday
secondhand, in shock over the death of his Lord and Master. Then Sunday morning
arrives with joy from a few disciples ~ Jesus is risen! But there is no persistent sight
of him, only Mary Magdalene's quick moment in the garden and an empty tomb.
Another day passes. The Apostles are gathered that Monday night, but Thomas is
absent. He returns to a jubilant report of the risen Lord. Again, Thomas has seen
nothing.
The experience must have been surreal. Did Jesus really appear raised from the
dead? Did he really suffer and die? Has all of this been some strange hoax? Desperate
for an answer, Thomas insists, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and
put my finger into the nail marks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."
After his resurrection, Jesus' body ~ mangled and bloody from the crucifixion ~ is
restored. Did it need the scars? A perfected body would have taught us one lesson:
everything is renewed as it once was, the past erased. Jesus chooses another lesson,
however. He retains his scars that we might know him. In the whirlwind of our lives,
we make our own mistakes, our own betrayals and compromises. In the resurrected
Jesus, we see a God who does not forget his own sorrow. We are invited to meet him
~ wound for wound ~ and place our hand on his own nail-scarred palm, the eternal
sign of his everlasting mercy.
Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet Begin with the Our Father, Hail Mary, and the Apostles Creed.
Using regular rosary beads, work your way around the five decades
with the prayers below.
On the standalone beads, pray: "Eternal Father, I offer you the body,
blood, soul, and divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord
Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole
world."
On the decade beads, pray: "For the sake of his sorrowful Passion,
have mercy on us and on the whole world."
At the end, pray the following three times: "Holy God, Holy Mighty
One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole
world."
It is typical to conclude the Divine Mercy Chaplet with the words:
"Jesus, I trust in you."
What is the story behind Divine Mercy Sunday? In Poland during the early 1930s, Jesus appeared to a religious sister,
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. These private revelations had one key
theme: the love and mercy of God. The relevance of this message was
evident then and would continue to resound in importance throughout
the social and political upheaval of the 20th century.
One of Jesus' requests was the institution of a feast of God's mercy.
St. Faustina records in her diary, "I desire that the Feast of mercy be a
refuge and shelter for souls ? let no soul fear to draw near to me ? It is
my desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after
Easter" (Diary, no. 699). After St. Faustina's canonization in 2000, the
Vatican declared that the Second Sunday of Easter would be known as
Divine Mercy Sunday.
Feasts & Celebrations
April 8 – (1935)
Divine Mercy Sunday In 1931, Jesus appeared to
St. Faustina and asked that the
Sunday after Easter become the
“Feast of Mercy.” Jesus promised
anyone who honors him as King
of Mercy and prays the Chaplet of
Divine Mercy ~ the prayer he gave
St. Faustina ~ would receive special
graces and great mercy.
Page 4 St. Alphonsus ~ St. Clement, Dearborn
42nd Annual Buddy’s Pizza “Slice for Life” Benefit for the Capuchin Soup Kitchen
Monday, April 16, 11 am-10 pm You can go to any Buddy’s Pizza location. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children (under 10), entitling you
to all the pizza and salad you care to eat. Carry-out tickets also available. Tickets available in advance online at
www.CSKDetroit.org, or purchase at the door on April 16. For more info, call (313) 579-2100 ext. 153.
2018 Natural Family Planning Support & Education Series: Deeper Reflections April 24th at Sacred Heart Major Seminary ~ NFP, Subfertility and Infertility
April 22 – 28, 2018 is National Infertility Awareness Week. Approximately 1 in 8 couples will struggle to build
their family. At this meeting we’ll explore NFP in relation to subfertility and infertility. Couples have found help
from NFP to identify and treat a variety of fertility concerns. The Church recognizes the pain of infertility and
offers her love and support to couples dealing with this unique cross. We will come together to offer prayer, comfort
and understanding for all those affected by infertility.
RSVP to [email protected] and visit www.aod.org/nfp for upcoming dates and more information!
GOOD CITIZENSHIP When questioned about paying taxes, Jesus uttered now-famous words. "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar
and to God what belongs to God." Being a part of a community isn't always easy, and being active members of civil
society includes responsibilities we don't always prefer.
When Tax Day comes around, we can suffer through, or we can choose to offer up our frustration as intercession.
If you disagree with the decisions of civil leaders, pray for them! If the state and federal government fund causes
you support, thank God! While Jesus acknowledges that we "do not belong to the world," we nonetheless are called
into it. Through our words, actions, and prayers, we are called to transform the world according to God's plan.
IHM Chapel Concert Series Join us for a Chapel event featuring the brass septet, Adrian
Chamber Brass, and a full brass choir at the IHM
Motherhouse Chapel on Sunday, April 22nd, at 3:00 pm. Mark
your calendars today and plan to enjoy an afternoon of quality
entertainment.
The festivities are held at 610 West Elm Avenue, Monroe MI
48162-7909. For more information, call (734) 240-9767.
Right to Life - LIFESPAN Resource Book Photo and Patron Ads
DO YOU KNOW? We are currently in the process of assembling this year's LIFESPAN Resource Book, the most
thorough pro-life resource in Michigan. Support our pro-life work by purchasing a "Patron" or "Photo Patron" ad.
We have levels of support to fit every budget, ranging from $10-$100. Find the level with which you are most
comfortable and please donate to LIFESPAN's efforts to change hearts and minds and save lives! Celebrate a
milestone (graduation, birthday, anniversary) by including a picture in a photo ad to commemorate the important
people in your life!
For more info, contact LIFESPAN at (734) 422-6230 or www.miLlFESPAN.org.
Register TODAY for your space at the annual Celebration of Life Dinner and Silent Auction on May 8, 2018 at
the San Marino Club in Troy.
Bible Study Our St. Alphonsus-St. Clement monthly Bible Study continues on Tuesday,
April 10th at 7:00 pm in Father Yagley Hall. All members of the parish are
invited to attend.
LIFT Sodality News LIFT Sodality meets this Tuesday, April 10th at 6:00 pm in Fr. Yagley Hall. All ladies of the parish are invited to
attend. This meeting will be followed by Bible Study at 7 pm
