I.C.R.S.S. coming to St. Joseph on October 15th

As recently announced by Mother Divine Mercy Parish, Archbishop Vigneron has asked a religious community, the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICRSS), to come to Detroit. More specifically, the archbishop asked them to move into and care for St. Joseph Church. Restoration of old churches is a bit of a "charism" for the order as they are currently undergoing massive reconstruction of Chicago's Shrine of Christ the King Sovereign Priest for the second time after a devastating fire last year. 

Two priests will begin ministry on October 15th and, as such, the new, non-territorial parish will be known as St. Joseph Oratory. St. Josaphat and Sweetest Heart of Mary will continue as Mother of Divine Mercy Parish. Details are still being finalized but Fr. Greg Tokarski will remain as pastor of Mother Divine Mercy.

ICRSS was established in 1990 by Monsignor Gilles Wach and Father Philippe Mora in the African nation of Gabon. The U.S. headquarters is in Chicago, with many oratories in the Midwest, but this is their first establishment in Michigan. Their international headquarters and seminary are in Tuscany, Italy. The community adheres to the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite but a visiting priest will celebrate Saturday Vigil Mass in the Ordinary Form for those that desire it.

For more info about ICRSS: institute-christ-king.org

St. Joseph Church currently closed for repairs

Regarding the condition of St. Joseph Church, a message from Fr. Tokarski:

Our Mother of Divine Mercy Finance Council and I met with contractors to consider bids for the immediate repair of the St. Joseph steeple and we have accepted one of the proposals. The repairs, which address the safety of the steeple and prepare it for full restoration later, are expected to begin within one week and should take one month to complete. These repairs include removal of all slate; removal and preservation of all ornamental copper; repair of roof decking to ensure solid steeple surface; making steeple watertight with commercial ice/water shield material, and securing the ice/water shield against wind damage. I am very pleased that we were able to accomplish this process so quickly and with a reasonable budget.

I am delighted that St. Joseph will re-open soon and that all three beautiful churches that comprise Mother of Divine Mercy Parish will offer sacraments to our faith community. I continue to work with our parish leadership team, both the Finance Council and the Parish Pastoral Council, to explore the needs of our parish, both the physical needs of our exquisite houses of God and the spiritual needs of those who visit us. As we further develop the comprehensive plan for Mother of Divine Mercy I will share those details with you. For example, additional work will be required to return the St. Joseph steeple to its original state (which has a time factor), and I am pleased to report that a committed group is ready to raise the funding necessary from outside sources, as well as our own parish family, for this effort. I appreciate your support of our parish and especially your prayers in this Year of Mercy.

Jubilee Year of Mercy

Archdiocese of Detroit's Holy Door of Mercy 

Throughout the jubilee year, Holy Doors will be opened at the major basilicas of Rome, as well as cathedrals worldwide, including the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. Faithful who make a pilgrimage and pass through a holy door receive a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions. 

"The Holy Door will become a Door of Mercy through which anyone who enters will experience the love of God who consoles, pardons, and instills hope."- Pope Francis, Misericordiae Vultus, 3

When will the Holy Door of Mercy be open to the public?
Opening Mass: Dec. 13 at 11:00 AM
First Friday of every month: 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday afternoons: 1:00 - 3:00 PM
More info: AOD.org

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Year of Mercy Devotions
at Mother of Divine Mercy Parish

First Saturday of the Month following the 4 pm Mass at Sweetest Heart of Mary Church ~ Eucharistic Exposition, Divine Mercy Chaplet & Benediction, with Confession available during this time of prayer

First Sunday of the Month following the Noon Latin Novus Ordo Mass at St. Joseph Church ~ Eucharistic Exposition, Divine Mercy Chaplet & Benediction, with Confession available during this time of prayer

Every Sunday following the 9:30 am Tridentine Mass at St. Josaphat Church ~
Divine Mercy Chaplet

Mother of Divine Mercy Parish Mission:
March 18, 19 (St. Joseph’s Day) & 20

Pilgrimage to the Door of Mercy and Mother of Divine Mercy Parish
April 23 - A special morning to early afternoon pilgrimage to the Door of Mercy at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the three historic churches of Mother of Divine Mercy Parish (St. Josaphat, St. Joseph & Sweetest Heart of Mary) in Detroit, including devotions and church tours at each, lunch & more; please email events@MotherofDivineMercy.org for more information.

More info: PDF

Upcoming events: August 7-9

PIEROGI FESTIVAL
Friday, August 7, 6:00pm-10:00pm
Saturday, August 8, Noon-9:00pm
Sunday, August 9, Noon-8:00pm
Sweetest Heart of Mary
Polish food, raffles, games, polka music and dancing
parish website

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Saturday, August 8, Noon-4:00pm
Sunday, August 9, Noon-4:00pm
St. Albertus Shrine
Church open for self-guided tours, no scheduled Mass

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THEOLOGY ON TAP
Saturday, August 8, 6;30pm
Vivio's at Eastern Market
Dr. Monica Miller speaks on "The Three Lessons of Abortion"
AOD

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DETROIT MASS MOB
Sunday, August 9, Noon
St. Josaphat Church
Noon English Mass preceded by 9:00am Tridentine Mass
parish website

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St. Joseph's Day: March 19

On Thursday, March 19, St. Joseph Church will recognize their patronal feast day with a 14-hour celebration. It is also a solemnity, which means you can relax your penance for the day.

Schedule of Events in the Church:

Time	Description
6:30 AM	Private Confession Available
7:00 AM	Novus Ordo Sung Mass celebrated by Pastor Fr. Gregory Tokarski followed by Saint Joseph Novena Prayers and Veneration of Saint Joseph Relic
8:00 AM	Public Recitation of the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and Saint Joseph Novena Prayers
9:00 AM	Guided Tour of the Church
9:30 AM	Classical Organ Recital
11:00 AM	Solemn Exposition and Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament with Public Recitation of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary and Saint Joseph Novena Prayers
NOON	Novus Ordo Sung Mass celebrated by Bishop Donald Hanchon with the St. Joseph Cappella and Blessing of Bread followed by Saint Joseph Novena Prayers and Veneration of Saint Joseph Relic
1:30 PM	Guided Tour of the Church
2:30 PM	Public Recitation of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary and Saint Joseph Novena Prayers
3:00 PM	Stations of the Cross led by Deacon Joseph Lennon followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Saint Joseph Novena Prayers and Veneration of True Cross Relic
4:00 PM	Chaldean Sung Mass celebrated by Monsignor Zouhair Kejbou
5:00 PM	Guided Tour of the Church & Private Confession Available
5:30 PM	Public Recitation of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary and Saint Joseph Novena Prayers
6:00 PM	Latin Extraordinary Form Sung Mass celebrated by Fr. Joseph Tuskiewicz with the St. Joseph Cappella followed by Saint Joseph Novena Prayers
7:30 PM	Public Candlelight Procession with Blessed Saint Joseph Statue and Veneration of Saint Joseph Relic
8:00 PM	Guided Tour of the Church

Schedule of Events in the Social Hall:

Time	Description
1:00PM – 6:00PM	Saint Joseph Italian Full Course Meal with homemade pasta (meat or marinara sauce), soup and rolls, salad, fig cookies and desserts, beverages. Tickets at the door are $12 each, $6 for children 8 and under.
8:00AM – 8:00PM	Gift Shop including traditional Saint Joseph Statues, Pictures, Books, Cards, Medals, Journals, Rosaries, Blessed Saint Joseph Oil, St. Joseph Choral CDs, and Oktoberfest DVDs. Saint Joseph's Altar displaying devotion to St. Joseph and providing for the poor. Donations of baked goods, flowers, and canned foods for the altar may be brought to the Social Hall on or before March 19th.

For more info: parish website, facebook, or call Michael Semaan at (248) 250-6005.

 

Update on St. Josaphat's steeple

 Restoration work continues on St. Josaphat's Church as workers have constructed scaffolding and new slate shingles have arrived on-site. The goal is to finish repairs by the end of May and re-open the church in June.

The parish is grateful for the donations received but the financial burden is still enormous. The restoration is expected to cost approximately $500,000. Donations are still accepted —and needed — to continue the effort. Any donations exceeding the cost repairs at St. Josaphat will be used towards restoration at Sweetest Heart of Mary and St. Joseph, the other two churches of Mother of Divine Mercy Parish.

For more info, watch the below videos or read The Michigan Catholic & WXYZ.

St. Josaphat Save Our Steeples Campaign

As part of their ongoing series, "Detroit 2020," WXYZ recently did a segment about the state of St. Josaphat Church. Kevin Piotrowski, the parish council president, led a reporter on a brief tour of the church and talked about the repair efforts. Nearly $30,000 has been donated so far but the repair costs will easily reach six figures.


More from the relating article here: Detroit 2020

To help with the campaign: Save Our Steeples