Category: Pastoral Blog

As I come to the end of my tenure here at “Izzy’s,” I return to the theme of my very first “Musings,” namely Art (the visual arts). Last summer I wrote two pieces on the faceted glass windows, which were …

Fr. Ron takes pride in the fact that St. Isidore does the full liturgical cycle of the year. (Most parishes today do not have a Saturday morning Mass because priests are busy with weddings, funerals, and afternoon vigil Mass.) Another …

Lent begins this Wednesday! It is a time for us to go ever deeper into our spiritual life and experience spiritual renewal as we prepare to renew our Baptismal promises on Easter Sunday.

Lent began as a season of proximate …

Lent begins late this year. Ash Wednesday is March 6. But it is not too early to begin planning how you will keep the penitential season.

As in the past, St. Isidore will be joining the other parishes in the …

Lent begins late this year: Ash Wednesday is March 6. But it is not too early to begin planning how you will keep the penitential season.

As in the past, St. Isidore will be joining the other parishes in the …

Being a good speller is a curse. Mistakes that most people don’t notice stick out like a sore thumb to us—actually it’s more like fingernails on a chalkboard! In my experience, there are four church words that are mispronounced or …

It is a long tradition in the Church of having special “intentions” for a Mass.  The special intention is usually a deceased loved one, or someone in special need of the graces of a Mass.  As you have noticed, we …

Some of the most powerful prayers/reflections of the 20th Century have similar themes: serenity, patience, and humility.  Some of these prayers will be familiar to you, but others may not be. All of them are worth praying and reflecting on …

Having celebrated an Advent season of joyful preparation, and the wonder-filled Christmas Season with its many bright feasts, we have now entered into “Ordinary Time” on the Church calendar.  The purple and rose vestments of Advent, and the white and …

There are so many themes in this Christmas season that comes to a close today. Light, gift, family, the humanity and divinity of Jesus (incarnation), etc. One that I had not paid so much attention to in previous years really …

Today’s Solemnity of the Epiphany is, liturgically,  the brightest feast of the entire Christmas Season.  Today we rejoice in our belief that Jesus is revealed as the Light for all people!  The Magi are Gentiles, Through following the star, they …

A few decades ago, as the commercialism of Christmas continued to grow, the phrase “put Christ back in Christmas” became popular. Back then I thought this was a very modern problem—not so! St. Francis of Assisi in 1223, inspired by …

I love the season of Advent.  It is a time of joyful anticipation of Christ’s Coming.  During these first few weeks of Advent we focus on Christ’s Second Coming, when he, in the words of one of our penitential tropes, …

The entire Archdiocese of Detroit has a special focus for this Advent/Christmas season—especially for Christmas Eve/Day itself. We are calling it “Radical Hospitality.” Hospitality is an important virtue in our tradition, from Old Testament times right down to our own …

Dear St. Isidore Parish:

It is with a heavy heart that I recently gave my resignation as youth minister of St. Isidore. All this has happened in the last month: I formally gave my resignation on Tuesday, November 13th and …

A New Liturgical Year begins next Sunday, December 2, the First Sunday of Advent.  Today we celebrate the last Sunday in the current Liturgical Year, the Feast of Christ the King.  As we bring the year to its conclusion, we …

As some of you know, I have two homes really. Five days a week I live and work here at St. Isidore, and two days, usually Thursday and Friday, I am with my Jesuit brothers at UD Mercy in Detroit.…

Because I have a foot in both the Western and Eastern Churches, I am often asked this question:  “Can I go to an Eastern Church for mass, and if so, can I receive holy communion?”  First of all, you should …

DO NOT BE AFRAID…

…to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to …

At 9:30 Mass this Sunday we celebrate the Rite of Acceptance into the Catechumenate. This is the second of four stages in the Right of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). The first stage is Inquiry, the second is Catechumenate, the …

Last Sunday, Pope Francis canonized two saints, a pope and an archbishop who died within a couple of years of each other—Pope Paul VI in 1978, and Archbishop Oscar Romero in 1980. Both of these churchmen had a strong influence …

St. Isidore has recently been featured in a national podcast; the “Ministry Moment” Monday podcast offered weekly via the National Pastoral Musicians Association.

The podcast includes a discussion between St. Isidore Liturgy and Music Director, Amy Righi and NPM Podcast …

 My name is Jeff Loeb and I was ordained a permeant deacon of the Archdiocese of Detroit on October 6^th, 2018.  I will be serving and praying with you starting the weekend of October 13^th.

  My …

St. Isidore faithful,

We have all been affected, in one way or another, by the horrible sexual abuse scandals of the Catholic Church.  The news is disturbing, and for many of us, incomprehensible.  Back in August, I wrote a letter …

 We will be celebrating the Sacrament of the Sick at the 4:30 Mass next Saturday, October 13.  Celebrating this sacrament at a parish weekend liturgy allows the parish community to come together to honor the sick of our parish, to …

Today, I will share with you some of my thoughts and practices regarding liturgy. There are three main influences in my liturgical theology: my interest in language, my Maronite (Eastern Church, Lebanese) roots, and my desire to move away from …

 I am sure you have noticed the improvements made to our parking lot.  New LED lighting has been installed, cracks in asphalt have been filled in, and the surface has been re-sealed and re-lined.  The upgrades improve the appearance of …

September 7-9 was an “all-hands on deck” weekend that showcased the generosity of our parishioners and staff in serving God’s people. Even the many unchurched people who came here for the wedding, funeral, and baptisms.  

It was a “perfect storm.” …

In many ways, a parish’s “calendar” follows the school year.  Thus, many exciting things are starting up in the parish in the next couple of weeks. 

Faith Formation begins for our eighth graders this week, and then for the remainder …

Fr. Mark’s Musings for Sept 2

As some of you have noticed, I have some very definite ideas about politics, and as far as I can tell, most of my ideas are quite a bit different than those of most …

I, like perhaps many of you, am angry, disgusted, and horrified at the news and recent stories in the media regarding the sexual abuse of minors by members of the Catholic clergy and the coverup of the horrible crimes by …

I was delighted to receive a very positive response to my last “musings” regarding the beautiful stained glass-windows in our Church. Several of you told me that you are now better able to appreciate these windows that you have looked …

Put your faith into action!

The Worship Commission is tasked with assisting in the preparation and evaluation of all liturgical events.  Since the liturgy is the source and summit of Catholic life, your participation can help to make the worship …

I am really looking forward to Vacation Bible School this week! Our creative and talented Faith Formation
Team and Vacation Bible School Team make this week both a lot of fun for our young people and a great opportunity for …

Members of the St. Isidore Teen Ensemble and SITE Youth group, Edessa Calles, Sophia Consadine and Rebecca Topor, along with families and leaders Amy Righi and Matt Hunt attended the St. Anne’s Novena on July 17, 2018 at historic St. …

I am an artist, and I also appreciate and admire the artwork of others.  I do not yet know who did the windows in our church, but I have come to enjoy his/her work more each day, as I grasp …

I am Fr. Mark George SJ, a Jesuit (Society of Jesus). I am 60 years old, and am a member of the Jesuit community at UDMercy in Detroit, and will continue to spend two days a week (midweek) with my …

We are delighted to welcome Fr. Mark George, S.J., as our new Parochial Vicar (Associate Pastor) to St. Isidore. As you see in his introductory article on page 2, Fr. Mark brings a great deal of experience and talents to …

We give a warm welcome to all of our guests joining us for our annual Strawberry Festival. We hope you enjoy our St. Isidore hospitality, along with great entertainment, delicious foods (especially the strawberry delights), and wonderful company. We thank …

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers and grandfathers-and all those who have been like fathers to our young people. We honor you today for all the sacrifices you make in nurturing your children and grandchildren. As part of the solemn …

Our 5:30 Sunday Evening Mass

Making Time and Creating Space: “Connecting it all together”

How busy we are as Catholics, we know that there is always time for God, no matter how cluttered and chaotic our day gets. There must …

Strawberry Festival 2018 is just three weeks away!  What I like most about the Strawberry Festival is how it helps build community at St. Isidore, as we all come together to work for the good of the parish and offer …

Strawberry Festival 2018 is just three weeks away!  What I like most about the Strawberry Festival is how it helps build community at St. Isidore, as we all come together to work for the good of the parish and offer …