Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Work is more than the 'bottom line,' cardinal says at Mass for Commerce
Work is more than the 'bottom line,' cardinal says at Mass for Commerce
by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published October 24, 2008
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Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic
The 15th annual Mass for Commerce, held last week, drew several hundred people from all walks of the business field. |
Detroit — Those attending the Mass for Commerce last week were more than business people who happened to be Catholic; they were people who incorporate their Catholic faith into their daily lives.
Such is the idea behind the Mass for Commerce, which was in its 15th year when held last Wednesday in Sacred Heart Major Seminary's chapel. The celebration is for those in the business community or anyone else who has a job or spends money, explained chair John Sier, a lawyer with Kitch Attorneys in downtown Detroit.
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Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic
Dennis Dilworth, a former chair of the event, and John Sier, the current chair, agreed that the Mass for Commerce gives Catholics in the business community the chance to get to know each other better. |
The Mass is always open to everybody, from the CEO of an organization on down, he explained. "The Mass is open to everyone who wants to come and share in the faith," he said.
The idea is to guide those attending to incorporate principles of their faith into their daily lives — including their work lives. "Sometimes that's easier said than done, particularly when you're in commerce," he said.
The late Tom Angott, co-founder of his family's C.F. Burger Creamery/Twin Pines Farm Dairy and the person who came up with the idea of a Mass for Commerce 15 years ago, was recognized by both Cardinal Adam Maida in his homily and by Sier at the end of Mass. It was announced that some of funds raised, which go toward paying for the breakfast, would go toward purchasing a new processional cross for the Mass in his honor. Angott died Sept. 11 and was known for his involvement in the Church, including serving many Catholic institutions in the Detroit area.
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Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic
John Prost, of HAAS Financial Services Inc. and host of The John Prost Show on WMTV, Channel 5, chats with Cardinal Adam Maida during the breakfast that followed the Mass for Commerce. |
In his homily, Cardinal Maida said it was important for those in commerce to "reflect on the spiritual foundation which is the core of our lives," especially considering the turmoil the stock market has been in for the past few weeks. He said people could approach their work in the financial sector as a job or a ministry, not only earning a living but making positive contributions to boardroom decisions.
And although "natural human temptation is always to be drawn to the 'bottom line,'" he said, for a person of faith, there are other things to consider, too. "Every decision we make impacts not just the immediate individual in front of us, but has a ripple effect for countless families and indeed, has repercussions for the metro area and far beyond," he said.
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Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic
Several priests from the archdiocese concelebrated the Mass for Commerce with Cardinal Adam Maida, including priests from Sacred Heart Major Seminary, where the Mass was held. |
The cardinal said that as the economy falters, "now more than ever, we need to be anchored in the Holy Spirit and take time for prayer, to enter into the interior castle of our soul and listen to the voice of the Lord affirming and inviting us to growth."
"As we deal with loss and disappointment these days, let us find our serenity, courage and hope in the only place that will never fail or disappoint us – that is, in the Lord Himself," he said.
Dennis Dilworth, vice-president for business development for Colliers International and former chair of the event, said the social gathering after the Mass also allows people in the business community to get to know each other better. He estimated 250-300 people at last week's event.
Msgr. Charles Kosanke, who read the Gospel and who has been on the steering committee for about a decade, said that not only does the Mass give Catholic business people the chance to gather together to celebrate their faith, but "It's a wonderful opportunity for Catholic business people to network," he said — and support one another.
Sier pointed out that Catholic business people can make small changes within their sphere of influence, such as how they do business and treat their co-workers, that can reflect their Catholic faith. He also said attendance at the Mass has grown over the years due to word-of-mouth, especially when someone receives a personal invitation from someone else who's attended in the past.
In fact, Renee Ahee, of Ahee Communications, attended last week for the first time for that very reason. Attending the Mass helped her to have a different perspective on attendees' role as Catholics and business people, she said. "We have an obligation to the community beyond the bottom line," she said.
Although her office is in Sterling Heights, she didn't regret making the trip to the seminary, in Detroit's Boston-Edison neighborhood, before her day started. "It's really been rewarding to come," she said. "It certainly set the tone for the day."
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