On July 14, Parish and Family Life is having a work day at St. Clement. We will be cleaning up the picnic grove and prayer garden, re-setting the benches for the Stations of the Cross and setting in a new fire pit. Everyone of all ages is invited. Bring your gloves, tools and wheelbarrows and you’ll get to a chance to work shoulder-to-shoulder with your parish family!
We will begin at 8 a.m. with prayer and the Knights of Columbus will provide breakfast and lunch.” Would you please sign up HERE if you can come by and help us out??
St Clement had the privilege to host a First Degree ceremony last night. Several councils showed up and we welcomed six new brothers to the benefits of membership. Thanks to the officers of the respective councils for driving attendance and participation.
Thanks to Gary ( DJ Rapper name “Gary Fuzzy Koppalicious” ) Kopp to keep the juicy tunes going all night long.
Being a charitable organization, the Knights get many requests for assistance. Those requests run the gamut from lite yard work to helping a family get re-established. We got word about Katlyn from the Grand Knight of another council; he tagged me in a Facebook post. Of course, we’d absolutely want to help Katlyn and Giovanni. I was gearing up the communication machine to reach out to the membership. We’ve done things like his before and it’s amazing the stuff people are willing to part with to help a young family.
Before I got everyone all excited, I thought I better check in with Susan at Abigayle Ministries. There’s no sense collecting multiple of the same item. I wanted to get a feel for what had been done and what was outstanding on the list of items. This is where God steps in.
This is the email I got back from Susan. Praise God.
———- Begin Forwarded message ———
From: Susan Meyer
Date: Thu, Jun 21, 2018 at 5:45 PM
Subject: RE: Katlyn and Giovanni
To: Brian O’Curran
Cc: Russell Morgan, Joe Suminski, Gary Kopp, Tom Weisner
Hello Brian!
How awesome that you would reach out to help Katlyn and Gio! I must share with you are GOD SIZED miracle…Humble Design.. an organization called and asked if we had a client who was preparing to leave. We told them about Katlyln and they offered to come in a design her home according to her tastes, colors, themes etc in furniture, drapes etc… They will go to their warehouse of gently used items and create a home environment with everything needed for the house…furniture, drapes, art, cooking dishes, plates, cups, silverware, towels..EVERYTHING! They will do this in 3 days and have a big reveal on the 3rd day! All for free…it is absolutely an incredible miracle…she will walk into a home completely decorated and ready to live in..everything but food on the shelves and closets.
On top of that, they are going to film this experience and it will be on TV on the CW network. It is an incredible God moment in every way. Katlyn has no family.. just one friend who made the house possible …and us…no one else and God is doing this amazing thing for her showing her she is HIS! So love our God. Thank you so much for your desire to help…but God just stepped in and said He is taking care of it.
God bless you…you are amazing men of God and we are so blessed by your tenders hearts towards our moms and babies! Thank you for reaching out!
Blessings,
Susan
———- End Forwarded message ———
People say, “where is God?” He’s working every day through good people like Susan at Abigayle Ministries and the awesome folks at Humble Design in Detroit.
For more information on the good works these organizations provide to our community, please click on the images below.
Brothers, Father Thumma is scheduled to in Romeo again over the first weekend in July. This will be his second time visiting our parish. Father Thumma established and runs the Ave Maria Home in Thallacheruvn, India. He feeds the elderly of this village and every dollar goes directly to buying food. He also runs a school.
This is how he explained it to me via Facebook Messenger:
There’s a very nice video to shows the facility and the faces of the people Father supports with his ministry. You can watch it here:
What did you think of the soundtrack? I thought it was fantastic. Then again, I’m a big George Harrison fan. He was a master of blending Indian influences into his music.
Some more images I “borrowed” from his Facebook account.
You might be asking yourself, “where is Thallacheruvn?” Fair question, I asked the very same thing. So, a little Googling (if that’s even a word) brings us here:
(click on the images and you can navigate around)
You can follow the Good Father on Facebook by going here:
But wait, there’s more. In addition to being a Priest, Fr Thumma is also a gifted musician.
What do we do with the money we collect? Many worthy things. This is another example of the causes we support. Thank you for support the Knights so we can support others.
Note to self: We need to get Gary an oversized, clown checkbook, those checks look much better in pictures.
——- forward email ——-
Worthy Officers:
I had the privilege of presenting a check to Sandy Bower, founder of Vet’s Returning Home. The check was funded by the five Councils of District # 24: St. Paul of Tarsus, St. John Vianney, SS John & Paul, St. Isidore, and St. Clement.
Proud to be a Veteran and a Knight.
Vivat Jesus,
Gary E. Kopp
District Deputy – District #24
PGK – # 11772
Another epic country breakfast is in the record books. Thank you to everyone that came by to help or to eat. We had lots of happy dad’s getting a free breakfast. Thanks for Steve Betka – as usual – for leading the effort. It was great all around.
Meanwhile, Deacon Kurt gathered a few new souls for the Lord via baptism. He really does a wonderful job. We were lucky enough to have him baptise my last grandson.
Good morning. Have you taken advantage of the subscription to Formed.org that St Clement has provided for you? Well, you REALLY should. I finished this program on the historical and New Testament origins of the Eucharist last night. It was fascinating. I went into the program thinking I had a pretty good handle on the topic. Well, Dr Pitre showed me otherwise. Even if you think you’ve got it all covered, I bet you’ll find this 10 part program enlightening.
The description of the series:
“”The Lamb of God,” “The Bread of Life,” “The Body and the Blood of Christ”… these are phrases we know from the Mass. But do we understand what they mean in the greater and deeper context of Scripture and Church teaching? Acclaimed author and teacher Dr. Brant Pitre rigorously digs down to the biblical roots of the Eucharist, through its foreshadowing in the miraculous events of the Old Testament, the Gospels, and Apostolic teaching. We’ll discover firsthand how Christ’s Body and Blood are an integral and wondrous part of God’s plan for our salvation.”
Don’t know how to log into formed.org? Contact me and I can help you. Or, have a look in the bulletin.
It is my sad duty to report to you that John Mignone has been called home. His family has asked us to pray a final Rosary with them this Tuesday evening (tomorrow) June 12th at 7:00 pm. John and Jackie were at 11 am Mass every Sunday. Jackie is frequently a eucharistic minister. They have a long history with the parish.
Please make an effort to attend
Location
Henry M. Malburg Funeral Home
11280 32 Mile Road
Romeo, MI 48065
Phone: (586) 752-2000
Date and Time
Tuesday, June 12th at 7 PM
Calendar Invite – HERE <– download to your calendar or phone
On behalf of all the members and officers of Council 7018 at St Clement in Romeo, we thrilled to offer our congratulations and prayers to Brother Charlie McCuen. Charlie, you’ve been a long-time friend and supporter. You’ll do great things and accomplish many worthy goals. Let’s hear it for our new Michigan State Knights of Columbus Warden Elect – Charlie McCuen.
Brothers, as you may know, Ed has been struggling for a couple months. Ed was called home last night. He left surrounded by a loving family. Ed’s been a fixture with our council for quite some time. He showed up for everything. He was always willing to help. Even in his 90’s he was always at the head of the line to help others. Saying he’ll be missed is a major understatement. We Knights have been asked to pray a final Rosary with our Brother Ed on Thursday night. Please make an extra effort to show up for this one. He certainly made the effort for us.
The Knights are having our semi-annual Membership Drive this weekend. Father Steve has allowed us a few minutes at the end of the Masses to talk about our organization. It’s interesting to hear what the Brother’s speaking at the pulpit some up with. Each has their own take on their personal “why.” Why did you join the Knights? What I’ve found is, why you join and why you participate are two very different things.
I joined because Tony Nardozzi asked me to join every week for several years. God love Tony, he filled our Council with many brothers. I joined and promptly did nothing. It’s a common phenomenon. I wasn’t assigned a to-do. But, I poked around for a long time like that. Then one day, everything changed.
I had become friends with Steve Betka years earlier when he and I were teaching religious ed. He sent out an email looking for someone to take over the spot of financial secretary. Of course, my first response was, “LOL, ahhhhh, no!” But I kept thinking about it. I called Steve and we talked it over. I prayed about it. I finally said, “yes.”
It has been an unexpected journey. I didn’t expect to make the friends I have made along the way. I didn’t expect to have the feeling of contributing to something bigger than myself. I didn’t expect to get the opportunity to help so many people.
Who knows, maybe you’ll have a similar experience and we can go on the adventure with us. Want to know more? Watch the video below.
It is my sad duty to report to you that George DeBruyn has been called home. His family has asked us to pray a final Rosary with them on Sunday evening, May 20th at 7:00 pm. Groege and this family have been longtime friends and supporters of the council. Please make an effort to attend.
Another one in the history books. Despite Steve Betka not being there to lead us, we did alright. Greg stepped up and organized this motley crew into a world-class breakfast delivery system. We kinda rocked it.
Thanks to all the guys that showed up on Saturday morning to get all the prep done.
Thanks to all the moms we got to share the day with. You make it all worthwhile.
Dennis and Family
Steve “Do NOT Take my picture!
Mark and this favorite ladies
RON!!!
Marcel selling Jean swamp land in Upsatate New York
Left, Pancake Girl and Right, The Pusher of Cheesy Potatoes.
Today marks the National Day of Prayer for Life which is outlined below. During these challenging times for many, prayer is one thing that should remain consistent throughout our daily activities.
Whether it be at Mass, at work, or in the comfort of your home, please take time to pray for a change in our Culture in our efforts in Protecting the Sanctity of Human Life.
Knights, Sisters of Life Urge Prayer for Life
At a Mass on May 3, 2010, commemorating the 10th anniversary of the passing of His Eminence John Cardinal O’Connor, Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York initiated a National Prayer Campaign for Life, which is being co-sponsored by the Sisters of Life and the Knights of Columbus.
Knights, Catholics and all people of good will are invited to join in raising up a great prayer for life across the nation through the daily recitation of this prayer:
Eternal Father, Source of Life,
strengthen us with your Holy Spirit to receive the abundance of life you have promised.
Open our hearts to see and desire the beauty of your plan for life and love.
Make our love generous and self-giving so that we may be blessed with joy.
Grant us great trust in your mercy.
Forgive us for not receiving your gift of life and heal us from the effects of the culture of death.
Instil in us and all people reverence for every human life.
Inspire and protect our efforts on behalf of those most vulnerable especially the unborn, the sick and the elderly.
We ask this in the Name of Jesus, who by His Cross makes all things new. Amen.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness, or so the saying goes. In the spirit of spring cleaning, Father Steve arranged to have all the carpets cleaned and floors steamed. An absolutely great idea. I suppose it needs to be done. Anyone wanna venture a guess how many chairs had to be moved? Wait, before you answer, let’s just run down where the chairs are:
The Day Chapel
The Altar
The Overflow and Cry Rooms
The Sanctuary
All the changing rooms
The Knights room
The Narthax
The Social Hall and … AND…
The Religious Education Area
Ok, now guess!
The reality is, only God himself knows. The only data point we have for sure is it took 8 to 10 people seven hours over three days to move it all back and forth. Here’s the crew.
The Cleaning Crew
Pictured are Camron and JessicaPytleski, Paul and Kathy Weirbicki, Dan O’Brien, Susan and Joe Suminski, Pat and Bernie Bianchi and Henry Hainer. Not sure why Henry’s not smiling. I think his back is starting to hurt. Or, maybe someone promised him pizza?!? Not sure.
Not pictured is Phil Garnecki.
It was a big job. Thanks to everyone that pitched in.
Four years ago today, Pope John Paul II was canonized and named a saint. Join us in celebrating this great saint who inspired so many people as priest, bishop, cardinal and pope. Even now, St. John Paul II continues to bring people closer to Christ through his legacy. In honor of him, share this prayer for St. John Paul II’s intercession today:
O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church with Saint John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of your fatherly care, the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendor of the Spirit of love to shine through him. Trusting fully in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd. He has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to your will, the graces we implore, through Christ our Lord.
“In fidelity to the vision of Father McGivney, may you continue to seek new
ways of being a leaven of the Gospel in the world and a spiritual force
for the renewal of the Church in holiness, unity and truth.”
Pope John Paul II
When you join the Knights of Columbus, you join a brotherhood of Catholic men more than 1.9 million strong. With a rich 135-year history, the Knights of Columbus has a long tradition of helping men to lead with faith, protect our families, serve others, and defend our values in a busy and changing world.
In 1882, a young parish priest, Father Michael J. McGivney, saw that the families of his parish were suffering both financial and spiritual poverty. His compassion, especially for the widows and orphans left behind after breadwinners were killed working in factories, compelled him to band together the men of his parish and form the Knights of Columbus. LEARN MORE
Through the Knights of Columbus, Father McGivney gave Catholic laymen a new opportunity – the chance to grow in holiness while serving their parishes and communities and protecting their families. In 2008, the Holy See declared Father McGivney as a “Venerable Servant of God”, the first step on the path to sainthood.
Since 1882, Knights of Columbus has grown to more than 15,000 local councils in the United States, Canada, and across the world. Over the past decade, Knights have raised and donated nearly $1.4 billion to charity and given almost 653 million hours in humanitarian service. Each Knight continues Venerable Father McGivney’s legacy and answers the call to be a man who leads with their faith and makes a difference in his community.
If you’re interested in joining the Knights, CLICK HERE or the button below.
May our Catholic faith continue to make you stronger in all you do.
On March 1st, Sister Val let us know about a family struggling after their main breadwinner was sent to Mexico. She reached out to the community for assistance. The Knights contributed to a happy outcome in this situation. It’s situations like this that make the effort worth it. We are honored to help and thrilled this family is reunited.
At Saturday Mass, St Clement celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation with about 100 candidates.
Confirmation deepens our baptismal life calling us to be a missionary witness of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world. We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.
An army of volunteers makes this celebration possible. Debbie Knoblock DRE leads the troops. The canidates families and the entire faith community of St Clement are praying for the candidates’ growth and acceptance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
It’s with great sadness I must inform you that Virgil and Mary Ann Laurain’s daughter Diane Laurain has passed away. Virgil has been a very long-time member of the Council. He and Mary Ann have been raised their family at St Clement. The family has asked the Knights to pray the Rosary with them. The Laurain family has deep ties to the community and St Clement parish. Please make an effort to attend and honour them this Tuesday evening at 7:30 pm. Please note, the start time is 7:30 pm and NOT the usual 7:00 pm start time. Download a calendar invitation HERE.
Location
Henry M. Malburg Funeral Home
11280 32 Mile Road
Romeo, MI 48065
Phone: (586) 752-2000
We have an opportunity to have this travelling exhibit come to St Clement before it’s returned to The National Shrine of St Maximillian Kolbe at Marytown. What is your level of interest? Would you be interested in attending this exhibit?
The Shroud of Turin has long been venerated by the faithful and is believed by many to be the burial cloth of Jesus of Nazareth. The Shroud is one of the most scientifically studied religious icons in history. As science has progressed, so has the speculation on how the image of the crucified man of the Shroud was made.
This weekend, Sunday, April 8th is Divine Mercy. Divine Mercy Sunday is a very special Sunday when the Divine Floodgates from Heaven are wide-opened and Jesus offers us the total forgiveness of all sins and punishment to any soul, who goes to Confession and receives Him in Holy Communion, on that day.
I’m going to admit, I didn’t fully understand this “Divine Mercy” topic. I just happened to notice an email the other day pointing a series on the Formed.org called “Divine Mercy, In the Second Greatest Story Ever Told.” I knew I had some driving around today and managed to get 6 of the 10 episodes done.
Wow! What an education. I really had no idea. This is a fascinating series well worth your time to study. I’m going to watch the other 4 episodes tonight. I’ll be the smartest kid in class. I hope Father asks questions on Sunday! 🙂
Renowned speaker and author Fr. Michael Gaitley tells the dramatic history of God’s love and mercy as interwoven through the transformative message of St. Faustina, the miraculous appearance of Mary at Fatima, the witness of Maximilian Kolbe, and the world-changing papacy of Pope St. John Paul II. Featuring the brilliant cinematic artistry of the Augustine Institute’s film studio, the vast panorama of God’s work of mercy in the world unfolds as a story to be experienced.
Brother Tom Benoit is leading a team in this year’s 2018 Romeo Relay for Life. To kick-off the many events leading up to the event at Barnabo Field, there will be an All You Can Eat Pizza Palooza Wednesday, April 11 from 6 till 8 pm at the Washington Park and Rec Activity Center. Here’s a link to the event to add to your calendar. Here’s a LINK to the flyer.
Last year, a member of St. Kieran, Genna Fusco, graduated from university and joined the organization Athlete’s in Action. This is an organization that uses their skills as athletic trainers to evangelize young people in the Christian faith. Like many of these Christian outreach ministries, each missionary is required to raise their own salary for the work that they do. Russ Morgan is extending an invitation for you to help Genna in her mission cause.
Some of you will remember Genna as an altar server and then as one of our first MC’s for the mass. She was also a part of SKY as a teen and later a member of our adult team. She has a heart for Jesus and the desire to let that heart show to the world.
Genna is having a birthday fundraiser at Rule 62 Cafe in Washington Township tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. to help her raise the salary that will allow her to continue her work. This is from the Facebook Event (LINK HERE) description:
Raising awareness and funding for Genna to continue her work with Athletes in Action, the sports ministry of CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ). 50/50 Raffle all week long and a Silent Auction too! Silent Auction items will be on display and open for bidding starting Thursday and up until7pm on Saturday. Many great prizes and a great purpose too!
This is a personal request from Brother Russ. I would like to ask any brother Knight who can stop by, please do so – buy a raffle ticket, bid on an auction item or just get a cup of coffee and let Genna know that you will pray for her in her ministry. We talk about the need to engage our youth in the work of the Church and now it’s time to act.
Rule 62 Cafe is located just south of 30 Mile Rd at 64271 Van Dyke in Washington Township (west side of the street) across from the old Big Boys. Here is their website – LINK.
“Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” — 1 Timothy 4:12
We know all of you are really busy. We also know many of you have talked about finding a way to grow deeper in your faith and have a more meaningful prayer life. We think we may have just the thing.
Father Art Baranowski will be leading an Easter afternoon of prayer, reflection and discussion to help you find a way to draw closer to Jesus. He will show you a couple of spiritual exercises or “tools” you can use to help you find answers to questions like,
“What do I really want for my life?”
“What does God really think about me?”
“Does God have a plan for me personally and, if God does have a plan, how can I know?”
“Where can I find more peace and contentment in this crazy world I live in?”
Please come and spend just 2 hours to help you grow and deepen your faith in the Jesus who loves you. You are also encouraged to share this with your friends. They don’t need to be Catholic to attend; they just need to have a desire to grow in their faith and strengthen their prayer life.
Because we share differently, men and women will meet separately:
Women will meet onSaturday, April 7 at 2 p.m. in the Day Chapel Men will meet on Sunday, April 8 at 2 p.m. in the Social Hall
Joe Reali was a dynamic young man whose passion was evident on both the football field and in his Catholic faith. After his sudden death in 2015, thousands turned out for his wake and funeral, where they shared stories about Joe’s sacrificial love for others and his care for the downtrodden. Today, the legacy of this devout and fun-loving young man lives on in Long Island’s Joseph Mario Reali Council 16261.
Joe’s dream was to touch millions. His example inspired Knights to form a new council in his name. And each time you watch the video, you help keep his memory alive.
To find out more or to consider joining us at St Clement, please click here.
He has Risen! It’s been another fabulous Easter celebration at St Clement. Thank you to everyone that contributed their talents to make it a success. A big shout-out to Carl Mischley. He’s really an artist and our worship space is upgraded by his attention to detail and talent. Thank you, Carl. Thank you to everyone who helped us pull off another major liturgical event.
This month we honour the McKinnon family as the Knights’ Family of the Month. There’s not much happening around the parish that’s missing a McKinnon. Matt and his son Mike are true leaders in our council and parish. Matt is currently serving as a Trustee and Mike is our Recorder. I took over as Financial Secretary from Matt what seems like a lifetime ago. Congratulations to you both and thank you for all you do.
(Pictured, Matt McKinnon, Mike McKinnon and Joe Suminski)
The Knight of the Month is yours truly. This is a little like writing one’s own obituary. I guess I’ve been given this honour because I show up. Success is 90% just showing up.
The weather was not kind – again – today. In the now infamous words of Mark DiPaola, “this is not a beauty contest!” Boots, hats, longjohns and gloves were a must. With proper preparation, we had a very good event. There was some confusion with the Santa Hat but — people seemed mostly ok wishing me “Merry Christmas” back.
Lot’s of guys (and families) showed to help. I think we had all our spots filled all weekend. That allowed us to collect a good deal money. I’ll report-out when the final count is done. Thanks to everyone braving the elements, or counting money, or making coffee and hotdogs. All the help in all the places is what it takes to make a multi-day event with dozens of people run smooth.
A special Thanks to Mark DiPaola. He was this years’ 2018 MI Drive Chairperson. He put in a tremendous amount of energy to make this weekend so smooth. Without his leadership, this event and the cause it supports would suffer greatly. Thanks, Mark!
