The Official Web Site for the Archdiocese of Detroit

Published June 30, 2006:

We celebrate the lay ministry vocation
Adam Cardinal Maida
As I compose my monthly column on developing a "culture of vocation" within the archdiocese, I wish to begin by thanking our priests, religious, and lay faithful for your prayers, support, and words of affirmation at the time of my recent celebration of 50 years of priestly ministry.

Cd. Szoka looks to help local priests
Robert Delaney
Detroit – Getting better acquainted with the early Church Fathers and lending a hand in local parishes are among Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka's intentions for his retirement.

Six priests reach senior priest status this year
The following priests have been granted senior status: Fr. Robert K. Singelyn, Fr. Jasper F. Sirianni, Fr. Francis S. Skalski, Fr. James F. Trent, Fr. Donald L. Walker, Fr. Wojciech Wojcicki.

St. Linus marks 50 years
Joe Kohn
Dearborn Heights – Bright sunshine and brighter smiles epitomized the day June 24 as St. Linus Parish ended a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Adam Maida, pastor Fr. Robert LaCroix and former pastors and associate pastors.

Southfield parish to be at St. Michael's site
Joe Kohn
Detroit – The current site of St. Michael Parish in Southfield, near Ten Mile Road between Telegraph and Lahser roads, will be the site of a new parish to replace four existing Southfield parishes.

Vacation Bible School blends faith and fun
Joe Kohn
Clifford – At St. Patrick Mission last week, preschoolers learned that it's good to follow Jesus. 5-, 6- and 7-year-olds learned about the Father's kindness and forgiveness. And older children learned of the Spirit's calling them to be charitable to others.

A home of her own: Catholics in area parishes help build homes for those in need through Habitat for Humanity
Kristin Lukowski
Pontiac — "God has blessed me," Ilene Perrymond said as she surveyed the house she helped build, which will become a new home for her and her two children.

Parish celebrates 100 years and plans for merger
Robert Delaney
Detroit – "A hundred years of ministry from this place – what a wonderful gift!" Auxiliary Bishop John Quinn said in his homily last Sunday at the Mass celebrating the 1906 founding of Annunciation Parish on Detroit's lower east side.

Guardian Angels and St. Brendan close
Robert Delaney
Detroit – Two northeast Detroit parishes closed in recent weeks, as the strategic plan developed by the Together in Faith process continues to be implemented.

'Superman Returns' - And brings back the relevance of virtue
David DiCerto of Catholic News Service
New York – It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a winner.

Published June 23, 2006:

Mass changes: New translation provides opportunity for education
Staff and wire services
Detroit – Not only is a newly-approved translation to the English Mass more closely aligned with original Latin text, but the changes also provide an opportunity to educate and catechize people to help them understand the liturgy better, said Dan McAfee, Archdiocese of Detroit's director of Christian Worship.

Boating season starts with Blessing of the Boats
Kristin Lukowski
Detroit – Mary Lynne and Brian Hunter have had their house blessed, so when they heard their parish was organizing a Blessing of the Boats, they decided to bring their 26-foot powerboat.

Local pastor dives into his birthday celebration
Kristin Lukowski
Detroit – As pastor of St. Malachy Parish in Sterling Heights, Fr. Joseph Gembala is used to having an audience.

Adrian Dominicans have strong presence in archdiocese
Robert Delaney
Detroit – Adrian Dominican Sisters have a major impact on the life of the Archdiocese of Detroit at many levels. With nearly 200 sisters in ministry in the archdiocese, they have one of the largest presences of any women's religious community serving the local Church.

Dominican Dedication: Cloistered nuns mark 100 years
Robert Delaney
Farmington Hills — From their founding in 1906, the Dominican Cloistered Nuns of the Monastery of the Blessed Sacrament have maintained perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.

Oxford Dominicans focus on retreats, senior care
Robert Delaney
Detroit – "Prayer, study, ministry and community are the four threads of Dominican life," says Sr. Gene Poore, OP, councilor on the leadership team of the Oxford Dominicans.

Dominican Nuns of Mount Thabor welcome all prayer requests
Robert Delaney
Detroit – Sr. Mary Martin, OP, says she believes "many young women are attracted to the contemplative life" of a cloistered nun.

Published June 16, 2006:

Cardinal Maida celebrates golden jubilee - 'Celebrating the Eucharist' is 'the best part of being a priest,' he says
Robert Delaney
Detroit – As he began a day of celebration of the golden jubilee of his ordination June 8, Cardinal Adam Maida said the best part about those 50 years has been the priest's essential role in the liturgy.

'We need to make all things new' - Cardinal marks 50th anniversary with Mass celebration
Joe Kohn
Detroit – As hundreds gathered at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament to celebrate a Mass marking Cardinal Adam Maida's 50th anniversary of priesthood, the cardinal offered a challenge to himself, those gathered and all people of good will...

Cardinal has been a good, faithful leader, supporters say
Kristin Lukowski
Detroit – It's not an easy job being cardinal, but supporters of Cardinal Adam Maida agree that he's done a fine job.

New youth ministry program to be tried in archdiocese
Robert Delaney
Detroit – A new model of youth and young adult ministry will be tried out in pilot programs in two vicariates this fall, as the Archdiocese of Detroit implements one of the chief goals of the Together in Faith process.

Hispanic youths gather for Encuentro - 2,300 gather for evangelization-focused movement at Notre Dame
Joe Kohn
Detroit – Twenty-three-year-old Gilberto Almaraz, a Hispanic Catholic in the Archdiocese of Detroit, has a message for his peers: If you come to Him, God will show His love for you.

Refugees find shelter, new start at life, at Freedom House
Robert Delaney
Detroit — Rabinah, a Ugandan refugee, say she likes her volunteer work at a center for abused women in Oakland County.

Parents need support in our changing world
Sr. Janet Schaeffler, OP
Since our faith life is 24/7, the topics, explorations and conversations for adult faith formation will, necessarily, be varied, rich and numerous.

Former Martyrs parishoners welcomed at St. Cecilia
Robert Delaney
Detroit — About 90 former members of Martyrs of Uganda Parish entered St. Cecilia Church in procession last Sunday, led by Deacon Douglas Jackson and Fr. Tyrone Robinson.

Search begins for JPII Center director
Detroit – A search for a new executive director for the Pope John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C., is under way.

Published June 9, 2006:

Archdiocesan priests are thankful at jubilee celebration
Joe Kohn
Detroit – As priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit celebrated 25, 40, 50, 60 and 60-plus years of their ministries at a celebration at Sacred Heart Major Seminary last week, their hearts were filled with appreciation to the Lord, His people and their brothers in ministry.

Michigan Catholic wins five awards
Nashville, Tenn. — The Michigan Catholic won five awards at the recent Catholic Press Association (CPA) meeting in Nashville, Tenn. The Catholic Television Network of Detroit also won an award.

Fr. Keller retires as Air National Guard chaplain
Robert Delaney
Harrison Twp. – In the nearly 21 years of Fr. Robert Keller's service as an Air National Guard chaplain, he said no assignment was as moving as his recent deployment as chaplain to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where U.S. military casualties from Afghanistan and Iraq are flown for treatment.

Marian breaks ground for addition
Kristin Lukowski
Bloomfield Twp. — While Marian High School places a strong emphasis on academics, that's only part of the picture.

A celebration of Holy Orders - Three men ordained for the Archdiocese of Detroit will share 'the work of Christ the good Shepherd,' Cardinal Maida says
Kristin Lukowski
Detroit – Resolving to preach the Gospel, teach the Catholic faith, and celebrate the mysteries of Christ, three men entered the priesthood during a solemn service June 3 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Religious jubilarians celebrate decades of ministry in the archdiocese
Robert Delaney
Plymouth Township – More than 100 religious jubilarians – sisters, brothers and priests in religious orders – were honored May 31 at a special Mass and dinner at the Retreat Center at St. John's.

St. Justin, Hazel Park, celebrates 50 years
Kristin Lukowski
Hazel Park — On the feast of Pentecost, marking the 50th day after Easter, St. Justin Parish in Hazel Park celebrated 50 years as a community.

Published June 2, 2006:

Golden Jubilee Issue: Cardinal Adam Maida

'I have to be God's instrument' - Cardinal Adam Maida reminisces about his 50 years of priestly ministry
On his golden jubilee as a priest, Cardinal Adam Maida also marks almost 16 years as archbishop of Detroit. He shared some reflections on his priesthood with Michigan Catholic reporter Robert Delaney on the eve of his golden jubilee.
Cd. Maida plays active role in universal Church
Robert Delaney
As archbishop of Detroit and a member of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Adam Maida is not only shepherd of the Detroit Archdiocese, but is called upon to play a role in the Church on the national and international levels as well.
Cardinal Maida 'contributed immensely' to ecumenical work
Robert Delaney
Detroit — Since becoming archbishop of Detroit in 1990, Cardinal Adam Maida has drawn praise for his efforts to build better ecumenical relations among Christians and also to build understanding among people of all faiths.
Cd. Maida reflects on 50th anniversary ofhis ordination
Cardinal Maida
"How shall I give thanks to the Lord for all He has done for me? I shall take up the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord!"

Church handled 'Da Vinci' well, says UDM prof
Joe Kohn
Detroit — There were no excommunications or top-down, Church-wide boycotts to oppose "The Da Vinci Code," the movie now playing that bleeds spurious fact into malicious fiction to distort the legacy of Jesus Christ.

84 priests celebrate lives of service
The Church of Detroit honored 56 diocesan and 28 religious priests celebrating milestone anniversaries of their ordination to the priesthood at a Jubilee Mass and luncheon May 30 at Sacred Heart Major Seminary.

Media of faith - Metro Detroiters have array of outlets to get Catholic perspective on life
Joe Kohn
Detroit – With an increasing number of television shows, popular songs, novels and movies that disregard – or even attack – Christian values, it may be difficult to keep Christ as the focal point of life.

Parish offers help in parenting teens
Joe Kohn
Farmington – Today, teenagers can network in so many ways – on computers, at school, at parties, on cell phones, etc. – that parents are often panting to catch up.

NFP is safe, and it works, says Church
Joe Kohn
Detroit – It's not the "rhythm method." It's 99 percent effective. And it doesn't have a single side effect.

Gesu garden teaches kids about life
Joe Kohn
Detroit – Students at Gesu School are planting everything from peppers to paw paw trees as a large-scale science project in a corner lot on their campus off McNichols Road in northwest Detroit.

Meet the men to be ordained to the priesthood for the archdiocese
This year, three men will enter the priesthood to serve the Archdiocese of Detroit. The three transitional deacons – Charles Fox, Hoang Lam and Don LaCuesta – answered questions presented by The Michigan Catholic.