Church of the Madonna- Detroit

The Church of the Madonna holds a special place in Detroit's recent history. It was in the basement of this church that Focus: Hope was started.  Focus: Hope, though not affiliated with the Catholic church, now occupies a large campus across the street from Church of the Madonna and continues the work of solving hunger, economic inequality and racial injustice.

This beautiful church has a quiet dignity about it. Founded to serve those in the Italian and Maltese communities it now serves a mostly African-American congregation, reminding us that the good news is universal.

During the weekday Mass I attended, the congregation gathered around the alter table and joined hands during the consecration of the Blessed Sacrament. I felt then and there that we are all called to God's table. We held hands and recited the Lord's prayer and took communion as one family around our family table.

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.