Published May 7, 2004

DETROIT — The video series on Scripture and other topics Msgr. John Zenz has done for the CTND Catholic cable TV channel are also being used in parish education programs, providing an additional benefit from these projects funded by the Catholic Services Appeal.

“Msgr. Zenz is wonderful, and he’s a wonderful teacher. He knows how to present the profound in a very simple way,” says Oxford Dominican Sr. Nancy Zajac, who has used many of the CTND series with groups at Our Lady of All Saints Parish in Fraser, where she is pastoral associate.

-CTND Photo A CTND videographer tapes Msgr. John Zenz discussing the St. Mark's Gospel while fishing in a lake.

Over the years, Msgr. Zenz, moderator of the archdiocesan Curia, has done video series on specific books of the Bible, such as the Gospels, 1 Corinthians and Revelation, as well as on themes such as the “Parables of Jesus,” the infancy narratives, and the Lenten Gospel readings. Other series have examined the moral life, introduced viewers to the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” or guided them in spiritual preparation for the Jubilee Year. And that is in addition to programs he has done on topics such as the priesthood or the Mass.

CTND, the Archdiocese of Detroit’s cable channel, is carried by most local cable TV systems. It is among the many ministries funded by the CSA, the annual collection that was officially launched in most parishes last weekend. Other parishes set their drive for CSA pledges in motion a little sooner or are doing so a little later, but all of them are working toward meeting the 2004 campaign’s overall goal of $15.9 million.

Almost all archdiocesan departments are funded through CSA, including the departments of Parish Life and Services, Education and the Vocation Office, Metropolitan Tribunal and Sacred Heart Major Seminary. The Michigan Catholic also receives funding from CSA. Sr. Zajac says many people know who Msgr. Zenz is and trust him, so there is a ready audience for any of the videos when used at the parish.

“His videos are always very well organized. I love, love, love using any of his work,” she adds.

Besides the Scripture series, the series on the catechism was also used at Our Lady Queen of All Saints, and Sr. Zajac says it turned out to be “a really good way to get people into the catechism, which could be a really formidable text.”

“There was a lot of discussion afterwards, a lot of applications to personal life, and a much deeper appreciation of the Church,” she says.

Msgr. Zenz says preparing for the series involved a great deal of research, but one of the most exciting parts of the project was coming up with the various settings for the segments of each series. In an effort to have the setting tie in with the material, he and the CTND crew might tape one segment in a soup kitchen or another in a jail.

For the series on St. Mark’s Gospel, they used various sports-related settings, “because Mark’s is a more masculine Gospel,” he says.

The acclaim his series have received and their continuing use by parishes is humbling for Msgr. Zenz. “I’m enormously grateful to God for the talents he’s given me, and for the opportunity to use my skills as a teacher to bring God’s Word to people,” he says. Msgr. John Zenz’ video series may be purchased from CTND. For more information, call Evangela Dove, at (313) 237-5938.