Saint Philomena

The history of saint and possible martyr Philomena is fascinating. In the early 1800s the remains of a young woman were found in the Catacomb of Priscilla. Inscribed on tiles with the remains is the name Philomena. Some decades later, and many miracles later, it was concluded that the inscribed tiles and the remains come from differing periods. The tiles have proved to be much older than the remains of the young woman.

Saint Philomena Church sits on the far Eastern edge of Detroit. Housed in what once was a school gym, the church has a wonderful set of Stations of the Cross. Painted in bold colors and composed of clean lines and forms they have a quiet beauty about them. One can't help being drawn into these stations, they invite contemplation of the Passion. And that's just what I did. Sitting still, staying silent and contemplating. The combination of the church and stations was the perfect setting for meditating on the Faith.

Friends often ask me why a church building is necessary for contemplating God and for meditation. Of course we meditate outside among Creation; on mountaintops and in parks or in gardens and beautiful valleys. And we meditate in the church, a place of dedicated worship. The church, as a building, is a place we can always retreat to in times of sorrow and times of joy. The church, as a building, is a refuge. It is a place we should use more often than just Sunday Mass. We must discover the silent joy of meditating in our house of worship.

After Mass I met a lovely woman that maintains the beautiful flowers planted around the church and takes great care in setting up seasonal decorations in the gathering space of the entryway. In her mid-eighties she told me that work has kept her young. Maybe work is not the correct word for great joy shone in her face when she showed me her gardening and decorating skills. Joy and passion through work has kept her young.

Our Lady of the Rosary - Detroit

 I have become used to seeing familiar faces on the church circuit in Detroit. There are many Christians that feel drawn to the sacred spaces of our faith. At Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary it was the priest that was the familiar face. He has been at three of the churches I visited and I know I will see him at others.

When we read about the priest shortage in a magazine or hear our pastor mention it during the homily we often just nod our heads and murmur that it's a real shame. Not until I kept meeting this priest at Mass did I realize that the shortage is real.

 We are all called to serve Jesus, though we are not all called to serve as priests.Christ called us to be active in our faith and Christ is very clear about this. Forgiving, helping, healing, housing, loving, listening; these are but a few of the actions that define us as Christians and these actions are how we serve Jesus and live the Kingdom.

It's up to us and God to decide just how we can best serve the church and serve the world. So ask God! Take a moment and pray. Take a moment and ask questions. Take a moment and listen. For the Holy Spirit will guide you.

Saint Raymond - Detroit

At Saint Raymond I was reintroduced to a nun I met at Church of the Madonna. The nun remembered me from the previous Mass and inquired about my goal of visiting each Catholic church during the Year of Faith. 

And then she suggested that I should be volunteering at a local St. Vincent De Paul center. 

I spent the following week meditating on how I was living my faith. How does any one of us live our faith? Is it enough to just attend Mass? We know the answer is no.

 Jesus challenged us to live a faith that is frankly difficult and often uncomfortable. Christianity is not an easy faith. It requires us to be active and right the wrongs around us. We are asked to shed ego and express humility. We are called to serve the poorest in our midst. The nun that morning at St. Raymond reminded me of this just be asking me to volunteer. 

Saint Raymond is a center of worship for the Hmong community in metro Detroit. A beautiful embroidered work hangs in the church. The embroidery tells the story of the community voyage to the USA as refugees. 

  

Sweetest Heart of Mary - Detroit

Mystagogy- Using places and the spaces of buildings to draw people into sacred scripture and a deeper understanding of the faith- From The Church: Unlocking the Secrets to the Places Catholics Call Home by Cardinal Wuerl and Mike Aquilina

I came across this word, mystagogy, and the definition while reading the book The Church. That one word describes Sweetest Heart of Mary in Detroit. 

The builders of this church wanted to do more than just build a structure that glorified God. These builders crafted a church that proclaims with triumph all of salvation history. 

Saint Gregory the Great - Detroit

During the sermon at Saint Gregory the priest took a moment to describe the worship service of the early church. Many of the practices of the early church are still done today though often in a more symbolic and ritualized form. One example given is when the priest washes his hands and dries them after receiving the holy gifts at the alter. In the ancient church the priest received not only bread and wine that the parishioners brought but also foodstuffs and clothes for the needy and perhaps even livestock such as ducks and geese. All these things were brought to the priest so they could be shared among the church. (there is a bible passage about the early followers of Jesus pooling what they had and each receiving what he or she needed) It was natural then after receiving all these varied gifts that the priest would need to wash his hands. In our modern church the priest continues this practice by washing his hands with water after the gifts are brought to the alter. 

Our faith is both ancient and new. The Mass we celebrate today is truly rooted in the ancient practices of those first followers of Jesus. The next time you celebrate Mass, look around and watch every movement that happens at the alter and then afterwards ask the priest about it.  

St. James 125th Anniversary - San Francisco

During the Year of Faith Catholics have been called to find a deeper knowledge of our universal faith. We can do this in numerous ways including reading religious books, attending  daily Mass and by seeking the Holy Spirit in the world around us. These are all pretty straight forward ideas to help someone increase their understanding of what it means to be Christian. I prepared for the Year of Faith by ordering a slew of books about Catholicism and I did read them and soon placed them on a shelf next to other religious works in my book collection. And there the books stayed while I congratulated myself for participating in the Year of Faith.

Not long after reading all these books I developed a nagging feeling that the Year of Faith didn't end when I shut the cover of that final work of the many books I had recently pored over. My Year of Faith was only just beginning and these books served as the prelude.

It took a sermon about "living the faith" to make me wonder just how other Catholics are doing this. So I set out the following Sunday on a pilgrimage to discover how Detroit lives the Christian faith. During this pilgrimage I have been blessed not with answers but with something better. I have been blessed with time for reflection and meditation and the understanding of just how much the Holy Spirit dwells in each person within the walls of churches I visit.

On April 28th, 2013 I attended the 125th anniversary

Mass and celebration for St. James Catholic Church in San Francisco. This was my parish while living in San Francisco and in many ways it is still my parish. Saint James was there to welcome me after so many years spent away from the Church. St. James is where my faith was reborn and I was so happy to celebrate this anniversary with the parishioners past and present.

Like many churches, St. James was built by an immigrant community that was determined to build a house that glowed with the glory of God. After 125 years of serving the Mission district community in San Francisco it is an honor preserving and celebrating what those before us built and entrusted to us.

Saint Josaphat - Detroit

 To my surprise I discovered that St. Josaphat is one of three Catholic churches within three blocks. The churches form an almost straight line and make for a dramatic vista as they dominate the surrounding neighborhood, their spires visible from the nearby expressway.

At one time churches formed the heart of the community. It was at the church that children and seniors met one another to socialize, young adults met future spouses and a place where milestones were celebrated. The church was the place for the community to come together at times of loss and find solace in God and in the arms of neighbors. The church was a place of communal actions, where we worshiped as a community, loved as a community and even grieved as a community.

Looking at the vacant land that surrounds Saint Josaphat is difficult to picture the once thriving community that lived and worked on these empty streets. The surrounding community is mostly abandoned though the church endures.

Will our modern world endure without the Church? Will we endure without a center to our community? Do we no longer need to laugh together and love together and grieve together? Do we no longer need to worship together? Sometimes the Church seems quaint and old fashioned in our modern world where there's little time for neighbors or Sundays spent at Mass and parish bake sales and food drives for the needy. Yes, the church will endure since the church is God and God is everlasting. But will mankind endure without the church?