Ad Limina visit and Spiritual Bouquet

Archbishop Vigneron, along with auxiliary Bishops Reiss, Hanchon, Byrnes, and Cepeda, and the balance of bishops from Michigan and Ohio, will be making an Ad Limina visit February 1-6. The Archdiocese/Archbishop will be blogging the visit in a similar way as when the Archbishop received the Pallium in 2009.

The Archdiocese would like to present a spiritual bouquet to the Holy Father as part of this visit. Read about it here. Add a comment with your pledge for the spiritual bouquet.

Here is the main URL for the AOD blog. Start following for updates on the visit and also on the quinquennial report!

Meet the AOD Coordinator of Music!

The Archdiocese hired a new Music Coordinator in October, Joe Balistreri. Joe has been a Music Minister at St. Matthew in Detroit since 2002. He will be putting on an organ recital to be followed by a reception/meet and greet on two occasions.

The first will be Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 2pm at Our Lady, Star of the Sea in Grosse Pointe Woods.

The second will be Friday January 20, 2012 at 7:30pm at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth.

The recital will feature "French organ works based on Epiphany proper chants. Composers include Durufle, Tournemire, Messiaen, Hakim."

If you like Organ music, or you are a music minister in the Archdiocese, this is a great opportunity for you!

St. Leo's gets some attention.

I haven't been to St. Leo's but a Reuter's Photographer has. (Update: So has reader Andy... see link at the bottom)

There is a corresponding article. And the Photographer's blog on the subject

St Leo's will be one to watch. One day perhaps I will be able to visit this ~120 year old church. Here are the recommendations of the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council:

... St. Leo is encouraged to begin to develop in early 2012 with completion by June 2012 a plan to merge with St. Cecilia. In light of the financial and building maintenance challenges and the thriving charter school at St. Leo, but the need for a continued Catholic presence in this part of the city, the planning group is encouraged to consider one of the following two options:

1. St. Leo church be offered to the current Charter school for sale, continuing Outreach at an acquired location to yet be determined ...

2. Negotiate with the current charter at St. Leo’s to consider renting the school at St. Cecilia’s, (larger property may serve its needs), therefore providing an opportunity for St. Cecilia’s-St. Leo to thrive as a united community at the St. Cecilia site, but continuing to serve the poor in the community.

It's not certain that this one will be closed, but the odds seem to be stacked against St. Leo's. It doesn't appear to be used very much as a worship space (only 1 mass time listed on AOD site), but the outreach is very important to the people of the city. Hopefully an amenable solution can be attained so that the poor can be served here or nearby for many years to come.

Reader Andy posted some pictures to his Flickr account. (202 to be exact)