St. Anastasia Roman Catholic Church
Moms Group

The Moms group is so excited to be able to offer a presentation  by:

Dr. Paul Wright author of “Mother Teresa’s Prescription for Happiness”.

When: Faith @ Work on Wednesday, October 26th from 2:30-3:30pm.

This is a lunch and Pizza and Salad will be served.

Please RSVP by calling or emailing the store or by letting Kim know 248.689.8380

We asking for $10 donations which will be given to the Sisters of Charity in Mother Teresa’s name.  Come and enjoy the afternoon and bring your book to be signed.

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For those who are interested in continuing the book club, we were going to choose another book to start reading. Here are my suggestions – Let me know what you think.

* I Dared to call Him Father, by Bilquis Sheikh The Miraculous story of a Muslim woman’s encounter with God. It’s a biography, 167 pgs, $13.99.

Books are available for purchase at Faith@Work, Troy, MI. 248.250.9216.

We will meet in January to discuss the book, please order your book and start reading.

Blessing of Pets

 Next Sunday we will offer a blessing of pets. This custom is in remembrance of St. Francis of Assisi’s love for all creatures. St. Francis, whose feast day is on October 4^th, loved the larks flying about his hilltop town. He wrote a Canticle of the Creatures, an ode to God’s living things. “All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures.”

Please bring your pets to receive a blessing at 2:00 p.m. in front of the church doors. In case of inclement weather, the blessing will be held in the narthex. All pets are welcome but please consider the wisdom of bringing an aggressive animal.

at the 12:15 Mass

Your fellow parishioner, Chris Stark, will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving here at St. Anastasia as a newly ordained Deacon. A reception will follow in the Social Hall. Please join us for this celebration and opportunity to         congratulate him and thank him for his ministry!

“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”   – 1 Thess 5: 16-18

To the Faith Community of St. Anastasia Catholic Church,

My name is Chris Stark, and for the last nine years, the community of St. Anastasia has been my family’s home parish. St. Anastasia became our parish when my wife, Patti, and I moved our family (MaryGrace – 15, Joey – 12, and now Emma too, – 3) back home to Michigan after I had completed a three year work assignment in Dayton, OH. I distinctly remember the first day I stopped by the parish office to register, and was warmly greeted by Becky McKelvey and Holly Michelcavage. I specifically recall at the time, thinking to myself, that if this is the way I am welcomed as a new parishioner – that this community was going to be a great fit for our family’s faith and community needs. My initial assessment has proven to be absolutely correct. The entire St. Anastasia   Parish community has been a great gift to our family.

For the last seven years I have been taking classes at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. For the last four of these past seven years, I have been in “formation” toward becoming a Permanent Deacon for the Archdiocese of   Detroit. In one week, on Saturday, October 1st, I will receive the gift of Holy Orders, and will be ordained to the Permanent Diaconate.

Many of you have shared this journey with my family and me. You’ve held us up in your prayers, you’ve encouraged us, and you’ve given us moral and   financial support – as the parish has provided assistance with the costs of my education at the seminary. For all of your prayers, well-wishes, and support, please accept my heart-felt and sincere appreciation. Quite literally, I would not have come this far – if it had not been for the love and support of my family and my family of faith here, at St. Anastasia. God bless you all!

Upon my ordination, the Archbishop will assign me to serve a parish community as their Deacon. Wherever that assignment may be…please know that I take with me the love and experiences I have come to enjoy and appreciate about St. Anastasia to the new community where I will be asked to serve. That being said – the Stark family is not leaving St. Anastasia. This is our ‘home’ parish. Our family’s and specifically, our children’s faith has been and will   continue to be nurtured here.

I share this with you as a way of expressing my continued and ever-growing sense of awe, wonder, and love for our God and His ways. I thank Him first for my faith, my family, and His call to service. I thank Him for all of you – and  particularly for those who have helped guide this journey we’ve begun, here. A special “thank you” to our Pastor, Fr. J.J. Mech – Fr. J.J., you are our leader, our guide, our mentor, and our friend. You are a gift to this faith community and to me, personally. May God continue to bless and keep you!

A special ‘thank you’ to Deacon Ron, as well. Your witness of humble service has been an inspiration to me.

Finally, I want to thank Becky, Holly, Marian and the entire Pastoral Staff …Bless you! See you in church.

May God bless you – Chris Stark 

WHEN I WAS GRIEVING YOU COMFORTED ME
The Lord called Dad “home” almost two weeks ago. Some of you met my dad. He would have been 86 on Halloween and has been slowing down recently. Since he was legally blind, he and Mom have not been able to make as many trips to Troy as they would have liked. If you did know him, you would recall that he is an extremely humorous man who cherished his family and faith. He died happy. His greatest fears were that he would have to go to a nursing home and that he would eventually lose his mental faculties. Neither of these occurred. He was sharp to the end. Less than 24 hours before his death the doctor asked, “Mr. Mech, are you breathing heavy?” My dad’s response: “Only when the nurse bends over!” His humor (not always appropriate, but always funny) obviously remained intact to the end. It was a beautiful death. My mom, siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews and I were all with him (about 30 in total). We were praying, telling stories to him, thanking him, laughing and crying. It is exactly what he would have wanted. 

With the funeral prep, making sure my mom’s every need has been attended to, and that she always has someone with her (they would have been married 59 years on Oct 4^th), and trying to process grief, it has been a crazy whirlwind ever since. I want to say thank you on behalf of myself and my family. So many of you have sent cards, attended the wake and/or funeral, dropped off food, and have offered prayers and encouragement. My dad was a huge worry wart. Since I am not married, he was always concerned about me getting taken care of. I have spoken to my dad in prayer and feel that he no longer needs to worry. In these last few weeks, I have never felt more loved and supported. I cannot thank you enough. Please let those prayers continue.

NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL
You may have read in some of my recent jottings that we have a new Business Manager, Brian Bergin. He began last week. You may have read his article in last week’s Good News.  If you did, you realize that God has a sense of humor. I finally got rid of Fr. Mark, who loved U of M (I’m not sure if he had ever set foot on the campus. He could not have gone there since he was too humble). Brian is an actual alumnus. So pray for me and “let the razzing begin!?”

Sorry for the lack of updates on the finances. With Brian here, they should be published on a weekly basis once again. Go Green! (that is the color of MSU, I am not referring to the cash).

LET THE CHILDREN COME TO ME…
…And especially the teens.” Brian is no longer the newest employee. He hung on to that for a short week and a half. We have completed an exhaustive search for our new youth minister.  After many weeks of interviews, and second interviews, we have selected a new leader for the teens of St. Anastasia. Believe you-me, it was a close race and a tough decision. We had many excellent candidates and are very blessed to welcome as the newest member of our team: Elizabeth Convery. 

She went to Notre Dame Prep, Michigan State University (this had nothing to do with her selection…ok, maybe a little), and is now attending Sacred Heart Major Seminary for further studies. Not only was Elizabeth very involved in her student parish, went on many mission trips, served as a catechetical intern,   co-founded a Catholic women’s group, led an alternative Spring Break mission trip, but she also has a ton of energy and love for the Lord. Me and the search committee believe that she will be an excellent fit and do a great job leading our youth. Please pray for her and the program. Introduce yourself to her when you see her and make sure she feels that famous St. Anastasia hospitality.

IT IS UPON US
With vision comes opportunity and we have some great opportunity at our door. You will be seeing posters, info in the bulletin, receiving a phone call this coming week, and an information packet regarding the Changing Lives Together initiative beginning here at St. A’s. I believe this campaign is a huge vehicle for opportunity.

The purpose of the phone call is to connect with every parishioner (you, as well as folks who have not been heard from in a while), confirm correct info, find out your needs, and to ask for your prayers for the success of this campaign. I want to know what the parish can do for you. Since it is impossible for me to contact all 3500 families registered in the parish, I am asking that you speak with the team who has been assembled to make these calls in my place. Be sure to let them know if you have prayer needs and what talents/gifts you would like to share with the parish.

On the first weekend of October, information packets will be distributed at all the Masses. We will ask you to please fill out the form in the pews, take it to the narthex and turn it in for your packet. Anyone who does not pick up a packet will receive one in the mail (help us save on postage and grab it).

God bless,
Fr. J.J.

It’s one thing to come to church on Sunday to check the task off our to-do lists.  (“First one out of the parking lot wins!”) It’s another thing altogether to LIVE our faith when times are especially tough, when our hearts are breaking, when our plans are dashed, or when God seems to be distant and even cruel. Those are the times when our faith can disintegrate OR when every gift we’ve accepted and absorbed at the altar can come to our rescue – strengthening our relationship with God – if we allow it.  I’ve been blessed to witness many folks deeply allowing it over the past few weeks….

I’m Brian Burgin – the new kid on the block. Let me tell you five things you need to know about me:

1. Amy and I have been married 26 years in October. We have three sons: Justin (22) now living and working in Chicago; Mitchell (18) a freshman at Adrian College; and Collin (13) an eighth grader at Our Lady of Sorrows School. We have a mini-dachshund named Murphy who rules the house.

Over the next few weeks we will publish the current text for the Mass along with the translation of the New Roman Missal. This week we will continue with the preface to the Gospel and the Nicene Creed.

Over the next few weeks we will add the current text for the Mass along with the translation of the New Roman Missal. We will begin with the Greeting, the Penitential Act and the Gloria.

The Greeting, Penetential, Gloria

Apostles Creed, Suscipiat, Preface, Sanctus

Before the Gospel, Nicene Creed

The Mystery of Faith, Sign of Peace, Agnus Dei, Conclusion

IS THIS SOME KIND OF A THEME?!

This weekend we remember the 9/11 attacks. We inevitably have our emotions stirred. We inevitably want to react. Our life is changed.

Speaking of change, in the Church’s 2000 year history, our liturgy has gone through quite a few changes. Since the Council of Trent, about 400 years ago, until the Second Vatican Council in the 1060’s, the Mass was celebrated in Latin. Following the liturgical reforms of the Council, permission was given to celebrate the Mass in the vernacular, or the language of the people.  A standard text was released in Latin to facilitate necessary translations. Our official English translation has gone through many changes too. The first official translation happened in 1973, with other minor revisions taking place since. ICEL, the International Commission on English in the Liturgy, represents over ten different English speaking countries and ten different sets of bishops and has been overseeing the newest translation.

When we think of all the ways that STRESS enters into our lives – illness, moving, relationships , the Lions, pregnancy, job changes, lack of chocolate, and so on –  the occasion of welcoming the new Roman Missal is probably a pretty tiny blip on our radar. Right?  And yet, whether we’ve been going to Mass regularly for decades or since sometime last week, it might start occurring to us to wonder, “Hey!  Why are they messing with the Mass?”  And to feel rather put out about it.  Because we humans like things to remain the same.  It’s comfortable.  Cozy.  And it kinda substantiates that we’ve been right all along, doesn’t it?  So… “We shouldn’t be changing the Missal!  Because that would mean we’ve been doing it wrong all these years!” might cross our Catholic minds.

But I hope not.  Because what we really have before us is a new opportunity to celebrate the ancient and holy Mass with both freshness and wisdom, in a spirit more united than ever with the Church all around the world.

We are very blessed as Catholics. We can trace our liturgies all the way back to the original Christian communities. We know the Word we profess, and the sacraments we participate in are part of the mission Christ gave to us. Our understanding of what God has revealed in Christ is always deepening. This means that the mysteries of God and how the Church articulates and explains them has been developing over the last 2000 years. It continues to develop.