Contacts & Publisher

Subscription Form

Home  / News & Publications /  Michigan Catholic News / 2009 /  Mass of welcome

by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published February 27, 2009

Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic Members of the Igbo community bring up the gifts for communion at a welcoming Mass for Archbishop Allen Vigneron at St. Cecilia Parish in Detroit.

Detroit — Hundreds of people at St. Cecilia Parish, Detroit, welcomed Archbishop Allen Vigneron into their community while giving him a taste of their own.

At a special welcoming Mass at the church, one of 10 throughout the archdiocese to allow people to meet the new archbishop, African cultures were reflected in dress and song selection, including traditional African drums and a Kenyan Alleluia. The Igbo Catholic Organization, a group from Nigeria who celebrated Mass at St. Cecilia in Igbo once a month, brought up the gifts for Communion.

Previous welcoming Masses have been held around the archdiocese, to reflect not only its geographical reach but also its ethnic diversity. One at Most Holy Redeemer Church in southwest Detroit was especially for the Hispanic community and the one at St. Cecilia was especially for black Catholics.

Archbishop Vigneron, in his homily, talked about how fulfilling our mission in life will always require some kind of poverty — "a certain kind of letting things go," he said — something that's not easy with our culture always telling us what we want and what we "need."

"If we don't have a lot, we couldn't be happy," is the message of mainstream culture, he said. But in the Gospel, Jesus says he expected the 12 to have given up a great deal to take possession of the kingdom of God.

Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic Clarence Gibson, of Church of the Madonna Parish in Detroit, chats with Archbishop Vigneron after a welcoming Mass at St. Cecilia Parish.

Archbishop Vigneron said that earlier in the day, he'd spend six to seven hours in appointments, with about four of those hours spend listening to people telling him what they needed, "and I don't have a lot to be able to give them — personnel, teachers, and, you know, more money."

He said the experience reminded him of how poor he really is. "God will use my poverty, God will use my limitations, God will use what I don't have if I entrust it to him in order to build up his kingdom," he said.

And that's what wonderful about how God works, he said — he takes what's little and makes it significant. "God even took dying and made it the way for life to triumph in the world," he said. "No limit can stop the love of God as long as I open my heart to him."

After Mass, a line formed quickly for people to meet Archbishop Vigneron, shake his hand, and even take their picture with him. Clarence Gibson, a member of the Church of the Madonna Parish, and who serves on the board of Focus: HOPE and is involved in other activities and groups, took a few minutes after Mass to chat with the archbishop.

"He's a beautiful person," he said. "Talking to him and listening to his homily, seeing his heart… he's a real good person."

Kristin Lukowski | The Michigan Catholic Thomas Traylor, who has been drumming for 55 years, provided traditional African percussion to the welcoming Mass.

Stacia English and her friend, Joyce A. Hall, are new members of the Knights of St. Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary, so they attended to show support for the group and "of course, to welcome Archbishop Vigneron," she said. A lifelong Catholic and member of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, she attended school at St. Cecilia and was excited to come back.

"I loved the music," she said of the service.

Hall said she wasn't able to attend the archbishop's installation Mass, but was glad she was able to attend the welcome Mass instead.

An injury had kept St. Cecilia member David Thompson away from the parish since Christmas Eve, but he made the effort to attend the welcome Mass. "I thought it was a beautiful service," he said. "It was important for me to come back to church — I didn't want to miss this occasion, especially at my old church."

Darlene Oubre was one person who helped make the Mass memorable; she, a member of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, sang in the choir, along with dozens of men and women from other Detroit parishes coming together for the special occasion. "It was wonderful," she said of the Mass. "I think (Archbishop Vigneron will) bring a whole lot of good things to our city. I'm hoping that the rest of the city embraces him with open arms."

• Black Catholic Ministries: www.aodonline.org/blackcatholics
• Archbishop Transition Updates: www.aodonline.org/archbishop