A Study in Church History
Join us for a 4-part series of informative and interesting lessons in Church history on the Protestant Reformation & the Catholic Response presented by Fr. Mark Prill.
St. Anastasia’s Social Hall 7—8:30 p.m. August 9, 11, 16, 18 (Mondays & Wednesdays) A free will offering will be accepted to support those going to World Youth Day 2011.
With questions or comments, please call or E-Mail Fr. Mark (248-689-8380).
CSA IS THE BEST FUND RAISING TOOL FOR THE PARISH EVER INVENTED BY MAN…o.k.…now that we have your attention and you probably think we’re nuts, let me explain. Once we achieve our CSA goal, any excess funds over that goal comes back to the parish 100%, free of the 7% archdiocesan assessment and is not counted in next year’s CSA computation. Even better than our Christmas collection which is not assessed the 7% archdiocesan tax but is counted in next year’s CSA goal computation. I’ve talked with several Business Managers and Pastors at other parishes, some in our own geographic area (some not) and they’ve indicated that a growing number of their parishioners cut back on their contributions during the year but contribute a larger portion of their yearly contributions to the CSA or Christmas collection. From our perspective, we’ll never turn down a donation regardless of when it is given, but giving extra or more at CSA time does benefit the parish directly to the largest degree…that is of course once we achieve our goal and go over it by a substantial margin. Think about it and keep it in mind when considering participating in the CSA if you haven’t already contributed or if you have contributed, there’s nothing to say you can’t increase that donation. 
NEW BLOOD AT THE PARISH: We just packed up Fr. John Dumas after his ordination and sent him on his merry way to a new assignment. The oils on his hands are not even dry yet, and we are already inviting in a brand new “man in formation”: James Houbeck. As I have said before, it really is a privilege to be a part of someone’s journey to the priesthood. I would like to invite you to do two things. First, pray for James (if he can survive Fr. Mark, he will survive anything priesthood can throw at him). Second, welcome him. If you see him around campus, introduce yourself. James is a very gregarious man and is very excited about serving the Lord. He will be doing various things here at St. A’s to wet his whistle and get some experience of what parish life is like. I asked James to write a little something about himself so you could get to know him.
I’ve always felt that Father’s Day got second billing behind Mother’s Day, but as I reflect on my upbringing, the “Father” role I fulfilled in the life of my kids, Joy and Eric, and now add the role of “FFIL….Favorite Father-in Law” for Jackie and Tony, my kid’s spouses, I’m not so sure about that second place ranking.
HEY FADA!: This weekend we honor our Dad’s. My Dad was in the hospital about a week and a half ago. He went into emergency for pneumonia and stayed for congestive heart failure. My Dad is home now and happy as a clam (mostly because he does not have to eat the low sodium cardiac diet they were feeding him). Both he and I really want to thank you for your prayers. Please keep ‘em coming, we always need them. Love you, Dad!
While our CSA campaign is doing well, we are running behind where we were last year (on a percentage of assessment achieved) after the first month; not by much but behind none the less. Usually at the 6 to 8 week mark, we traditionally hit a lull in the pledges, that’s about two weeks away. I only point this out as a source of information for you all and also to encourage those of you that have not yet pledged to please prayerfully consider doing so. Across the country, charitable giving (which includes churches) is down an average of 3% with Michigan slightly over that average so we fully understand that times are still tough…we appreciate everything you parishioners do to support the CSA campaign and never take it for granted. As in the past, Father J.J., Father Mark, Deacon Ron, I and the entire staff are on hand to answer any questions you may have. Please keep in mind all the good hings the CSA does diocesan wide which come back to the individual parishes. I’d like to point out that there would be no Sacred Heart Seminary without the CSA and to take it to the local level, possibly no Father Mark, Father John (our former intern), Deacon Ron, Father J.J., and yours truly as we were all educated and formed at the Seminary. And it doesn’t stop there as our Religious Education group takes advantage of the many opportunities afforded at the Seminary. Many of you are aware that two St. Anastasia parishioners are currently enrolled in the Diaconate Formation Program at Sacred Heart with one scheduled for ordination in October of this year…another program funded to a large extent by the CSA. I will point out and explain other ministries / charities funded by CSA dollars that may be of interest to you in this article for the next couple of weeks.
WISDOM TO GO: This is the season for graduations, commencement addresses and inspiring words given to graduates. If you were to dispense advice to someone who has completed a phase of their life and are moving on into the future, what might you share with them? What advice might give them a firm foundation to deal with our modern day situation?
Not long ago, I was praying a rosary in our chapel with three dear friends. One of them had never been in the chapel before. He held his rosary tightly, smiled angelically, and prayed rather more loudly than the rest of us – in language that must have been clearer and more beautiful to Heaven than the muted murmurs of the women.
A 6-session summer course for any adults and teens who want to know the Biblical basis for our sacraments. Both the Old and New Testaments will be explored. Please pre-register by July 8, so we have enough handouts and chairs for everyone. Classes will be taught by Marian Bart and Regina Simony. Please bring your own Bible. Free will offerings will be accepted. Class dates are July 13, 15, 20, 22, 27, 29. 7-8:30 PM in the Davidson Center. You do not have to attend every class in order to participate.
Many of you know Dave Webber, a solid member of the St. Anastasia family. Dave owns Oakland Solutions, LLC, a leading computer solutions provider in the Troy / Oakland County area servicing both commercial and private accounts. We use Dave here at the parish to service and keep our computers humming. We have found him to be very thorough with a fantastic knowledge of computers and to be extremely price competitive. He has once again stepped forward in an effort to help us achieve our CSA assessment for 2010. From June 1st through June 30th of this year he has offered to share 50% of his profits on any job he does for St. Anastasia and where the customer indicates support of St. Anastasia, whether a parishioner or not. We think this is a wonderful way of combining the three essential components of stewardship…his talent as a computer maven, his time working on behalf of St. Anastasia and the people of God, and his generous sharing of his treasure. If any other business owners or General Managers are interested in doing the same, please contact Franz Hoffer at the parish, we’d be proud to put that information in future editions of the bulletin.
Here’s how to arrange to get your home or small business computer problems solved and help us toward our CSA goal: Contact Oakland Solutions at: (248) 689-1439, email E-Mail or visit their website at www.OaklandSolutionsLLC.com
And don’t forget to mention St. Anastasia’s CSA.
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