Parish Discernment
Last night we enjoyed a presentation of three proposals regarding possible future community service commitments for the parish. Let me express thanks on behalf of us all to the parishioners who have labored for many months doing the research and refinement necessary to present viable proposals.
If you weren’t online to participate, please watch the recording. Everyone who has seen the presentation is requested to submit their comments by means of an online survey. Links for the video recording of the presentation, and for the survey are found elsewhere in this eNews. I would like as many parishioners as possible to complete the survey. Just as Pope Francis has assembled the Synod in Rome so that the universal Church can find its way forward through listening to the voices of people from all over the world, so too do we need to hear from all our parishioners in order to make the best discernment of our future direction as a parish.
BTW, there will be a public presentation here in Detroit about the Synod by a former Jesuit editor of AMERICA magazine on November 9.
Jesuit Statement on the War
As we continue to grieve over and pray for the cessation of violence in the Holy Land, I would like to share the public statement of the Jesuits from their international offices in Rome, found HERE.
“Where two or more are gathered in my name…”
Both of the above – our parish service discernment, and the violence of war – call for our prayer; furthermore, November is the month when the Church by long tradition unites in prayer with and for our departed. (We’ll remember them especially by name at this Sunday’s liturgy.) How fitting then at this time to share a message from our Intercessory Prayer Group about submitting prayer requests:
This ministry brings your concerns, troubles and illnesses to God through the supportive prayers of the 30+ community members on our Prayer Team. Intercessory prayer helps us to remember that God is the source of all that we are and all that we have. We need to pray in order to remind ourselves of who alone provides for our needs. Our prayer for others can enlarge our hearts, so that we collaborate with the Holy Spirit in working for goodness and mercy to come upon those who request support from our church family.
Praying for others is a sacred trust: we trust that our prayerful acts of care contribute to the healing, comfort, and spiritual welfare of our community members. In this way we engage in the compassionate mission of Jesus! Community members have acknowledged and shared examples of the comfort and healing they have received from bringing their illnesses and troubles to the Prayer Team. All prayer is a blessing.
The process is quite simple. Prayer requests may be written and placed in the Ark of Prayer located on the table by the church entrance. It is brought up each Sunday during the opening procession. You can also submit a request to sspp-prayer@googlegroups.com or at our parish website, ssppjesuit.org. Those prayer requests are then sent confidentially to the Prayer Team and are prayed for throughout the week. The email address can also be found on the prayer cards next to the prayer box.
If you are interested in joining the Prayer Team, please contact pastor@ssppjesuit.org.
This ministry has been a blessing to our Community!