Contacts & Publisher

Subscription Form

• Schools find many ways to celebrate Catholic heritage
  Joe Kohn
  Detroit - Catholic elementary schools across the Archdiocese of Detroit are taking a number of approaches to celebrate Catholic Schools Week this year.
• Catholic schools plan lessons in Christ's charity
  Joe Kohn
  Monroe - It was an early afternoon in December when fourth — and fifth graders from St. Michael the Archangel Elementary were walking across their school parking lot. They had just sung Christmas carols for and visited with the residents at Marian Place, the senior center next door, and were returning to class.
• Blue Ribbon school: Shrine Elementary School wins a national education award
  Kristin Lukowski
  Royal Oak - Although there's a new, blue banner hanging on the outside of Shrine Elementary School, and although there's a shiny new plaque inside, it's still business as usual within the school's walls.

Cardinal celebrates Mass for Catholic Schools Week
Robert Delaney
Detroit – Cardinal Adam Maida drew on this year's Catholic Schools Week theme – "Catholic Schools: Character. Compassion. Values" – when he celebrated Mass Monday for about 800 students from 80 of the 122 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Concern for the homeless: Catholics work to help, not just as Super Bowl approaches, but as ongoing ministry
Joe Kohn
Detroit – Detroit officials and residents hope to spit-shine the city's image when the Super Bowl comes to town Feb. 5. But to make the city sing, Detroit's public has had to focus on a growing concern that screams for help – the problem of homelessness.

Guest House to build new $3.5 million facility
Kristin Lukowski
Detroit – Guest House, which provides alcohol and substance abuse services to men and women religious, has announced plans to build a $3.5 million treatment center for sisters at its 102-acre Lake Orion campus.

Parishes still facing high heating bills
Kristin Lukowski and Robert Delaney
Detroit — There are still 52 official days of winter left, which, in Michigan, could account for several more months of winter-like temperatures.

Pastors seek ways to help Wixom Ford employees
Robert Delaney
Detroit – Fr. Michael Savickas said he plans to remind parishioners affected by the planned closing of Ford Motor Co.'s Wixom assembly plant of the traditional symbol of the Church as an anchor.

USCCB spokeswoman: Defending life begins at home
Deirdre McQuade in September 2005 became director of planning and information for the Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. She was in the Archdiocese of Detroit in December to appear on Cardinal Adam Maida's "Dialogue" talk show on the Catholic Television Network of Detroit. Here are excerpts from an interview with The Michigan Catholic reporter Joe Kohn:

Church officials react to Bp. Gumbleton's abuse revelation
Staff and wire services
Detroit — Church officials are reacting to the surprise revelation by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton last week that he was sexually abused by a priest when he was a teenage seminarian in Detroit.

TIF plans near final review phase
Robert Delaney
Detroit – The work of the Together in Faith Coordinating Committee will likely be completed soon, as the process of planning the future of the Archdiocese of Detroit nears its next phase.

Prayer for vocations: Monstrance blessed by JPII visits area churches
Kristin Lukowski
Dearborn – For Noreen Popiel, making a trip to visit a monstrance blessed by Pope John Paul II had special meaning on several levels.

Praying for life, rallying for life: Marking Roe v. Wade anniversary, Catholics preach forgiveness, steadfastness in battle for life
Joe Kohn
Detroit – In addressing the ongoing holocaust that has cost the lives of 36 million unborn children in the United States, Catholics and others who call themselves "pro-life" came together last weekend to reaffirm that they will win the fight against abortion with two weapons.

Historic churches look to new funding sources
Robert Delaney
Detroit – Keeping one historic church in good repair is a challenge, but Fr. Mark Borkowski must try to keep up three historic Detroit churches – each more than 100 years old.

Teens help feed the hungry with Souper Bowl of Caring
Robert Delaney
Detroit — Teens holding soup kettles and asking for $1 donations will be seen outside many Catholic churches after Masses on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, as part of the Souper Bowl of Caring to benefit local charities.

Many lay groups encourage, pray for vocations
Kristin Lukowski
Detroit — "Jesus, Good Shepherd, raise up in all parishes, communities, priests, deacons, religious, consecrated lay people and missionaries according to the needs of the whole world which you love and want to save," begins the prayer on the back of the holy card, created by Parents for Vocations at St. Hugo of the Hills Parish in Bloomfield Hills.

Healing hands, healing hearts: Nigerian bush village doctor relies on the strength of his faith
Marylynn G. Hewitt, SFO
Enyibichiri, Nigeria — There are no X-ray machines, heart monitors or ultrasound machines in Dr. Joseph Ekoh's clinic in this bush village, a rugged 2 1/2-hour drive off the paved road. As a devout Catholic, he depends on something else for guidance – the power of prayer.

Jesus in the driver's seat: Auto show co-chair tries to live his Catholic faith in daily life and in the business world
Kristin Lukowski
Detroit — In the final week before the 2006 North American International Auto Show, Richard Genthe zipped from appointment to appointment in a full-to-bursting schedule to make sure everything was on track for the exhibition.

AIDS impact is 'devestating' to priestly ministry in Nigeria
Marylynn G. Hewitt, SFO
Abuja, Nigeria – Bishop Michael Nnachi Okoro has just finished setting the table for more than two dozen guests he'll welcome for the evening meal at the retreat center in Ebonoyi State.

Retired sisters offer to tutor inner-city youth
Robert Delaney
Detroit – Some religious sisters who once taught classrooms packed with dozens of children are finding a new ministry in one-on-one tutoring through the Epiphany Education Center on Detroit's east side.

Faith Formation Article: Day of Peace can be observed all year
Sr. Janet Schaeffler, OP
An interesting statistic: On Oct. 6, 2005, the percentage of search hits for the term "peace" versus the term "war" on The New York Times Web site was 26 percent searching for the word "peace" while 74 percent searched for the word "war".

Brrrrrr! Shock at increased heating bill leaves some parishes cold
Kristin Lukowski
DETROIT — The surprise that came in the mail for St. Cecilia parish, school and activity center wasn't exactly tidings of joy

Back in business
Robert Delaney
Detroit – The All Saints Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen at All Saints Parish in southwest Detroit was back in operation Monday, after a fire that started late on Christmas Day forced its cancellation during the last week of 2005.

Church to focus on life issues, poor, education, election in 2006
Joe Kohn
Detroit – It's hard to predict what twists the political landscape might take in a given election year, but there are a handful of issues the Michigan Catholic Conference in Lansing expects to be talking over with legislators in 2006.

2005 — the year in review
Inspirations: Throughout 2005 we met many who inspire others by just doing what it is they do — day after day and year after year. We found the passion of these unsung heroes of the Church worth noting.