SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME State of the Parish D ear Parishioners, It has been a wonderful two and a half years for me at Old St. Patrick’s! I have learned so much about the parish and about you, and I hope that I have made progress in serving your spiritual needs and minis- tering to you as your parish priest. In addition to the spiritual, as pastor, I have been tasked with the material care of the parish staff, buildings, and campus. It has been a grace to see how God has provided for three major construction projects on my watch: Front Steps of the Church: a major restructuring of the front steps, new ramp, new railings (also on bathroom stairs), new cement on road to prevent flooding New Parking Lot: rebuilding of the parking lot, new asphalt, new light poles/lighting Cemetery Expansion: (in progress) so far: brush removed, new trees planted, mowing These capital projects have been outstanding needs at the parish for some time, and much talking and planning had been going on toward them for years! I am happy to have been able to complete both the Front Steps and the Parking Lot projects and made progress toward the Cemetery Expansion plans. These projects were funded mostly through our savings and Witness To Hope pledges (as the monies continue to come in). They did not affect our bottom line much. They are meant to serve the parish for years into the future and provide a well-kept appearance of our campus. In the meantime, our parish operations cost a certain amount each year. They include: electrical/ contractor bills, lawn/snow maintenance, grounds beautifications, parish hall equipment fixes, staff salaries, food and parties, educational materials, mission speakers, visiting EF priests, parish trips and meetings, technology, etc… Our current, June 2019-June 2020 budget for the operations of the parish is $417,764 and we would cover this with Sunday Collections and Fundraising (mainly the Lenten Fish Fry’s) But since I arrived at the parish in Decem- ber of 2016, there has been a somewhat alarming trend in our Collections (see the chart to the right). As you can see, the year that our former pastor, Fr. Gerald, left, and Dcn. Jerry Brennan took over for several months, then myself, Collections were at an all-time high: $403K. To be sure it was a year of change in the leadership of the parish, and as such, it is not unusual that there would be some membership turnover (parishioners leaving and new ones com- ing). This is normal during a pastoral change at any parish, however, I suspect at Old St. Pat’s it was even more acute, NOTES FROM FATHER TOM Continued from front cover
Transcript
SEPTEMBER 15, 2019 24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
State of the Parish
D ear Parishioners, It has been a wonderful two and a half years for me at Old St. Patrick’s! I have learned so much about
the parish and about you, and I hope that I have made progress in serving your spiritual needs and minis-tering to you as your parish priest. In addition to the spiritual, as pastor, I have been tasked with the material care of the parish staff, buildings, and campus. It has been a grace to see how God has provided for three major construction projects on my watch:
Front Steps of the Church: a major restructuring of the front steps, new ramp, new railings (also on bathroom stairs), new cement on road to prevent flooding
New Parking Lot: rebuilding of the parking lot, new asphalt, new light poles/lighting Cemetery Expansion: (in progress) so far: brush removed, new trees planted, mowing
These capital projects have been outstanding needs at the parish for some time, and much talking and planning had been going on toward them for years! I am happy to have been able to complete both the Front Steps and the Parking Lot projects and made progress toward the Cemetery Expansion plans. These projects were funded mostly through our savings and Witness To Hope pledges (as the monies continue to come in). They did not affect our bottom line much. They are meant to serve the parish for years into the future and provide a well-kept appearance of our campus.
In the meantime, our parish operations cost a certain amount each year. They include: electrical/contractor bills, lawn/snow maintenance, grounds beautifications, parish hall equipment fixes, staff salaries, food and parties, educational materials, mission speakers, visiting EF priests, parish trips and meetings, technology, etc… Our current, June 2019-June 2020 budget for the operations of the parish is $417,764 and we would cover this with Sunday Collections and Fundraising (mainly the Lenten Fish Fry’s) But since I arrived at the parish in Decem-ber of 2016, there has been a somewhat alarming trend in our Collections (see the chart to the right). As you can see, the year that our former pastor, Fr. Gerald, left, and Dcn. Jerry Brennan took over for several months, then myself, Collections were at an all-time high: $403K. To be sure it was a year of change in the leadership of the parish, and as such, it is not unusual that there would be some membership turnover (parishioners leaving and new ones com-ing). This is normal during a pastoral change at any parish, however, I suspect at Old St. Pat’s it was even more acute,
NOTES FROM FATHER TOM
Continued from front cover
TO PRAY IS TO LOVE MASS INTENTIONS
TUE 700:
WED 815:
THU 830:
FRI 815:
SAT 400:
SUN 800:
1030:
• Please pray for those in need, including: Dan Krebs, Patricia Fuller, Lisa Ann Kozakowski, John LaRock Sr., Michael Cooper, Phil Rutledge, Kathy Cooley, Robin Fahmie, Karen Prins, Sandra Adams, Richard Pelkey, Pete Siebertz, Nicole Brcic, John Dziuban, Jim Stephensen, Mason Rutledge, Georgiana Bruen, Wayne DeForest, Ron Fuller, Ann Mary “Nancy” Phillips, Katie Hutton, Betsy &
Charlie Rodgers, Pam Wiitala, Chris Dreffs, Caroline Pribble, Emma Thompson, Howard Pease, Kelli Merlo, Shirley Dreffs, Bryan Eaton, Phillip Campbell Sr., Glenn Klecker, Paul Massimilla, Lois Roth, Scott Simon, Mary Boudreaux, Clara Peterson, Marieke Carter, Janet Fabery
Please pray for those in the military, including: Adam Draves, Nathan Baker, Garette Moore, Larry Workman, Daniel Scott Brown, Mark
Richard, Philip Maxwell, Tony Phillips, Anthony Darket, Samuel Chase Johnson, William Godfrey, Bill Lott, Mike Nelson, Frank Snaith, Allan Fletcher, Noah Kranz, Chas & Holly Carter, Tony DeLellis
Pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life. Michael Kunitz: Byzantine Catholic Dcn. David Pellican: AOD
For the Canonization of Fr. DeSmet
Kolbe Brcic Chris Salata Mary Schloss Lois Hoban Parishioners Tony Pellican
Continued on inside cover
as Fr. Gerald enjoyed a very faithful following. That year (ending in June 2017) saw our Sunday Collec-tions drop by $40,426. I’m afraid the following year (as shown in the chart) the Sunday Collections went down: $44,698 as well. I am not sure, but suspect this may still have been a period of uncertainty as I was learning about the parish. In addition, I am aware that a few of our parishioners who left (a number moved away) also happened to be our major donors… so perhaps that accounts for some of the drop. On the other hand, new parishioners have tended to be young families with little children, who can hardly be expected to fill the gap! However, if we continue the trend of losing about $40K in Sunday Collections each year, we will not be able to operate the parish at the current level. I do not wish to make cuts to our excellent staff, new musicians, and youth minister, etc. or to the great speakers, missions, and events which we host. I also desire to be a wise steward and keep a balanced budget and for that to happen, we need to stop the bleeding. I am asking that each of you consider and pray about how much you are giving to the parish… Are you tithing to the parish? Are you giving regularly? Are you asking for the needs of the parish in your prayer time? Have you made a commitment to give electronically? I am hoping that more and more of us will sign up for electronic giving (EFT) which helps the parish tremendously, in keeping regular income flowing. I plan to order special envelopes that you can use for your children, if they’d like to make contributions in the basket. We are also looking into plastic tokens of some kind, that one could pick up at beginning of Mass and put into the basket as a sign of one’s electronic offering. Mr. George Landolt, the Chief Financial Officer of the Diocese of Lansing, and a homeschool dad, recently made a trip to visit and advise me. He was impressed with everything we offer at our parish and all the homeschool families I told him about! Yet, he reminded me, that the current trend in Sunday giving is troubling and asked me if I wanted to budget for $40K less this year… I told him “no” that we intend to preserve what we have, and even grow it! I am counting on your prayerful support. I have seen your generosity with our Mission Appeal this year (we collected over $10K in one weekend for Missionary Society of St. Paul in Nigeria) and I trust with God’s help you will provide for the needs of our parish! Thank you in advance for your prayerful support!
Fall Rummage Sale
Before winter closes you in on the extra “stuff” you’ve accumulated all year, start setting aside some of the good stuff for our parish rummage sale October 17-19! Donation drop off begins October 13 after the Masses, and will continue Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, 10am-5pm at the parish center. To help work the rummage sale, or to assist us in clean up, please contact: Nancy Keough at (734)649-6156
ST. PATRICK PARISH CALENDAR
ALTAR SERVERS SATURDAY 4:00/Sept 21 T. Fox
SUNDAY 8:00/Sept 22 A. Hehmann
SUNDAY 10:30/Sept 22 N. Holody J. Holody N. Perrydore P. Schloss J. Schloss J. Schloss
OLD ST. PATRICK PARISH DIRECTORY
Reconciliation Tuesday 5:30PM - 6:40PM Saturday 2:30PM or by appointment; Don’t hesitate to call for an appointment!
Weekend Schedule for Holy Mass Saturday 4:00PM Sunday 8:00AM & 10:30AM
EF/TLM Latin Mass 2nd Sunday of Month 12:30pm
Weekday Schedule for Holy Mass Tuesday 7:00PM Wed. & Fri. 8:15AM School Year, 8:30AM Summer
Thur. 8:30AM First Saturdays 9:00AM
Eucharistic Adoration of Our Lord Tuesday 5:30PM– 6:45PM First Friday 7:00PM– Saturday 8:45AM
a preparation class and Baptism date. Marriages Arrangements are to be made at least nine months prior to the wedding. Funerals Funeral arrangements are made by contacting the parish office. Parish Registration Contact the office for a registration form.
Contributions: Weekend of September 8, 2019: $5,874.30
Bulletin announcements must be submitted in writing to [email protected] by Monday at noon and will be edited at the discretion of the editor or pastor.
SUNDAY, September 15
Donut Sunday
8:00 K of C Corporate Communion
9:15 First Day of Religious Education
MONDAY, September 16
6:30 RCIA
7:00 K of C Meeting
WEDNESDAY, September 18
7:30 Well Read Mom’s Book Club
THURSDAY, September 19
6:30 American Heritage Girls
7:00 Choir Rehearsal
FRIDAY, September 20
7:00 Ladies of St. Brigid
“Ladies Night Out”
SUNDAY, September 22
9:15 First Day of Religious Education
9:30 Religious Ed. Parent Meeting
Knight of the Month Our Knight of the Month for
September is Eric Strauss.
Eric joined the Knights of
Columbus after retiring last
year. He is a 1st Degree
Knight and recently, he has
helped at the Pro-Life Booth during the Ann
Arbor Art Fair, 40 Day’s For Life, installing
Chester’s fence, and delivering a piano to
the Parish Hall. Eric helps by counting your
church contributions, collecting scrap met-
al donations, pancake breakfasts, and
special church cleaning. Along with his
family, Eric has helped with festivals, fish
fries, and the Chicken-Run. Eric has been
a Lector since joining the parish in 1991.
He considers himself blessed to serve with
the wonderful folks at Old Saint Patrick’s
Church! Congratulations Eric and thank
you for the time and effort you devote to
Old St. Patrick’s. May Our Lord Bless You.
Family of the Month Our Family of the Month for September is
the Gene Wierzgac Family. Gene is a 4th
Degree Knight, a member of the Color Corp
and Program Director for the Council. He
is a Lector, member of the Cemetery
Committee and takes photos at Parish
Activities. His
wife Gerry is
a Sacristan at
Dominoes
Farms Chap-
el, cleans and
irons the altar linens and does sewing for
the priests. She has also made monthly
meals for the Miles Christi Priests for the
last 15 years. Matt, their youngest son of
six children, is a 4th Degree Knight, a mem-
ber of the Color Corp, Navigator of the 4th
Degree Assembly (equivalent to the Grand
Knight of our Council) and District Deputy
in charge of 4 Councils – St. Mary Magda-
lene, St. Patrick, Holy Spirit and St. Mary’s
Pinckney. He is part of the Admissions
Team at St. John’s in Howell, 4th Degree
Exemplification Marshall and a member
of the Livingston County Ultrasound
Committee. Thank you Wierzgac Family for
dedicated service to Old St. Patrick’s and
our Catholic Community. May God Bless
You.
General Meeting Mon., Sept. 16th at 7pm (rosary at 6:30 pm
in the church), the Officers and Knights will
meet in Parish Hall. All Knights are encour-
aged to attend.
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
IN SERVICE TO ONE, IN SERVICE TO ALL
Knock, knock
Who’s there? Repeat.
Repeat who?
Ok. Who, who, who...
Prayers for the Faithfully Departed
Pray for the repose of the soul of: Tom Dawson
(Husband of Trish Dawson, Father of Jessica, Elizabeth (Jhonathan) and Jack.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Do you get Fr. Tom’s weekly emails? Keep posted on the latest parish news and events! Contact the parish office, [email protected]
Interested in Becoming Catholic? Attention OSP Parishioners, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults started last Monday! This year we will be using Credo, an RCIA program created by the Dominican Fathers at the Thomis-tic Institute in Washington D.C. We have a great group of folks already signed up with room for more! If you know of anyone who is thinking of converting to the Catholic Faith or simply interested in learning about the Church, please have them contact Dcn. Gary Perrydore at gperrydore@ comcast.net
Ladies Night Out!
All Ladies of Old St. Patrick You are cordially invited to the Ladies of St. Brigid evening fall event. This Friday, September 20th, 6:30pm, at Nancy Keough’s home (1407 W. Joy Rd.). We will spend the evening discussing upcoming events and enjoying each others company. Please bring a snack to share. Looking forward to seeing you there!
Visit FORMED.org or search for “Formed” on your favorite app store
Already have a FORMED Account?
1. Visit FORMED.org 2. Click Sign In
3. Enter you email 4. Click the link in your email
5. You’re in! No more passwords!
Want to create a new FORMED account with your parish?
1. Visit FORMED.org 2. Click Sign In
3. Select “I Belong to a Parish” 4. Find your parish by name, or zip code
5. Enter your email– and you’re in!
Fall 2019 Youth Group Kick Off September 22nd
6:30 pm Bonfire, Outdoor
Games (and FOOD!)
Come and meet your new Youth Minister
Marisa has served in youth ministry for 20 years and has been a youth
