Soul Psalms - Celebrating Black Catholic History

Year of Faith Detour-
Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament
 www.facebook.com/detroitfaithjourney

Our church is truly universal and we must celebrate this! Catholics come from all races and walks of life and together as one body we bring gifts that strengthen our faith. Soul Psalms was a joyous celebration of Black Catholic history complete with Afrocentric music and a full choir. But it was so much more than just singing and psalms. That evening the Body of Christ lifted its voice to heaven like incense before the alter of God and amidst shouts of joy the Spirit was present among us.

Some links:

Mi Catholic

AOD- Black Catholics

National Black Catholic Congress

Holy Family Church Detroit

"Increase our faith."-Luke

So often, like the apostles, we yearn for a deeper and stronger faith. Our world is full of violence, sadness, and loss that can erode faith. When a loved dies, when a child dies, and when war strips compassion from the earth we find reason to lose faith.

What will increase our faith? Perhaps a set of rules. Perhaps fasting or attending daily prayer service? Or certainly some sign from God, since surely it is God's responsibility to increase our faith.

Or is it our responsibility? And how do we measure faith? Maybe sometimes we need to lose faith in order to increase in faith.

On a rainy Sunday morning in downtown Detroit I pondered this homily message at Holy Family Church. All through the Latin Mass I struggled to keep up, always a few moments behind in the kneeling and standing. When it was time for the readings and homily I felt relief since it was back to English. 

Faith can be a struggle and the struggle is part of being Christian. We can follow all the rules, fast and pray and still struggle in faith. During the homily the priest explained that we must open ourselves to grace and open ourselves to God so that we may increase in faith.

And there lies the challenge.

On Facebook at
www.facebook.com/detroitfaithjourney

SS. Andrew and Benedict Detroit

Living Votive

All eyes were upon me as I entered SS. Andrew and Benedict on a Monday morning. It's easy to spot the newcomer at weekday Mass since those attending are usually a tight knit group. Greeted by smiles from the parishioners, I was looking for a place to sit when  I spotted St. Dominic smiling at me from a church window. Then, a certain brightness filled the church as our prayers and smiles blazed like candles.


And then during Mass, as we prayed for parishioners and loved ones, the priest said that we are all "living votive candles". And now days later I keep reflecting on those words; living votive candles. The priest explained that we light votive candles so our prayers continue to be offered up as the candle burns. As a living votive our prayers never cease since we are like candles burning before the alter of God.  And like the flame of a votive candle our prayer brings light to the world.

I realized why it was so bright inside SS Andrew and Benedict. The church was blazing with the light of living votive flames. And here lies the challenge I have pondered in the days following Mass. How do we as Christians become living votive candles that light the world?

Saint Aloysius Detroit

Prayer Break.
During my Year of Faith journey I developed the habit of scheduling prayer breaks into my day. On my quest to visit the Catholic churches in Detroit I have come to know the locations and Mass times of churches near and far. So whether I am working or just running errands prayer breaks have become an important part of my day.

Some days I need of a prayer break because work doesn't want to stop. I relish the silence of  the church and then head back to work refreshed and calm. Prayer breaks give us perspective and a moment free from worry.

Some days I need a prayer break because I need to talk to a stranger. At Mass there is always the stranger ready to say "hello" or eager to chat for a minute or two. The gentleman standing outside who says a greeting as you enter. The parishioner eager to greet a new face and explain a bit of the church history. These interactions connect me to the world and I relish every one I have.

Some days I need a prayer break because I want to tell God "thank-you". Often, I take a prayer break just out of habit and find myself in the quiet of church suddenly thanking God for creation.

Take a prayer break. A prayer break doesn't have to be in a church. A quiet corner at work is perfect for a prayer break. Even taking that moment to say a silent prayer before eating lunch is a perfect prayer break. Taking a walk around the block can be a prayer break. I particularly like reciting the Glory Be as I walk.

Glory be to the Father,
And to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now,
and ever shall be,
World without end. Amen.

I took a prayer break at St. Aloysius in downtown Detroit.  Their lunchtime Mass is something I really look forward to, especially when I have the time to walk along Washington Blvd. afterwards and reflect on the Graces of life. 

Saint Anne Detroit - Something to Celebrate

My Year of Faith pilgrimage

 I have celebrated Mass in the dining room of a rectory, volunteered at a soup kitchen and even sang Happy Birthday in Polish. Catholic Detroit is full of surprises and full of graces. My Year of Faith pilgrimage has done more than just teach me about our faith, the pilgrimage has brought me closer to God.

St. Anne Church is the mother church for Detroit. Established in 1701 just after the city was founded along a strip of water connecting the Great Lakes. The building has changed over the years as fires and the trials of human life have necessitated it being rebuilt. But the parish endures and thrives welcoming the surrounding neighborhood and Catholics from all over Metro Detroit.

The Feast of Saint Anne is just days after the birthday of Detroit and this is why Saint Anne is the patroness of the city. For 312 years St. Anne has watched over Detroit, interceding on our behalf.  The city has survived catastrophic fire, disease outbreaks, riots, economic decline and now a looming bankruptcy. Through all this Detroit has survived and our faith has never been stronger. 

A strong and faithful Detroit was gathered on this Feast of St. Anne. The pews were full with the diversity of God's children. Our voices erupted as one singing praise to God in union with the angels and saints above. We joyfully processed with the statue of St. Anne after Mass gathering outside to pray the rosary. Outside as dusk fell candles twinkled around us like the stars of the heavens. Our voices echoed as we prayed the Glory Be and the Hail Mary.

 For 312 years, Detroiters have celebrated the feast day of our patroness St. Anne. For 312 years Catholic Detroiters have gathered to pray and worship. For 312 years Detroit has endured under the patronage of St. Anne and the grace of God. And 312 years from now, God's children in Detroit will gather and pray together.

God sustains all creation. This tenant of faith is beautifully expressed in the prayer Glory Be. This is a prayer that I recite throughout the day. When I am happy, thankful and full of joy I recite this prayer. Also, when I am sad or confused I will recite this prayer. This is a prayer that espouses our Faith in God, our Love of God and our Hope in God. This is a prayer that had a special glow when we prayed it aloud outside St. Anne's church in Detroit. That evening I know, despite looming bankruptcy and decades of decline, Detroit had still had three things.
Faith in God
Love of God
Hope in God

 

Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Detroit

Crossing downtown Detroit in lunch time traffic is not the easy task one imagines it to be. Pedestrians throng the intersections and continue to cross long after the light has changed. And the streets of downtown follow the "French" plan of radial streets converging in a twisted mass of intersections.

I navigated my way across downtown and found a handy parking lot behind Saints Peter and Paul and raced into Mass. The gospel reading that day centered around Jesus telling his disciples that the harvest is great and the workers few. This is a  gospel reading that many of us know so well. And yet hearing it that day I couldn't help but think that it's so very relevant today.

How many of us are willing to engage in the hard work required of us as Christians? Jesus doesn't shy away from the fact that following him will be difficult. In our world today I can't help but wonder if we as a culture have become adverse to difficulty. What is difficult is not worth attempting. Christianity, The Way, is difficult and that's precisely what makes it so powerful.

It can be difficult to love
It can be difficult to help others
It can be difficult to see Jesus in every face
It can be difficult to forgive

Is this why there are so few "workers" for the "harvest"?

All Saints - Detroit

I double checked my list of weekday Mass times and locations. And I even took a minute to telephone the rectory so I could hear the recorded Mass schedule once more. Driving out along Fort Street past endless industrial buildings and empty commercial spaces I wondered more than once if perhaps this Catholic church had already closed. As I neared the location of the church the traffic of semi tractor trailers was growing thicker. Then in the near distance I saw a massive complex of a building with a sign atop proclaiming Detroit Produce Terminal. The trucks were like bees swarming in and out of a hive. Each trailer was emblazoned with the name and logo of a grocery store familiar to Detroiters. I had found where our produce comes from but would I find this church?

Not much farther I spotted All Saints church. And better yet, I spotted many people milling about the side entry of the brick church. I promptly parked and made my way over to the group of parishioners. When I informed them I was here for Mass, they looked at me quizzically and told me that Mass was not celebrated on Wednesday morning. This group of parishioners was here as volunteers for the soup kitchen in the church's social hall. Then the words of a nun I met at St. Christopher in Detroit sprang into my head, her gentle reminder that Christ has called us all to help one another in any way we can.

God gave me reminder that morning. We are here to serve one another, we are here to love one another. I stayed and helped at the soup kitchen and silently said a prayer of thanks to God.

Our Lady Queen of Heaven - Detroit

Our Lady Queen of Heaven is located on the East side of Detroit.

The windows of Catholic churches are works of sacred art that are meant to engage the viewer in a dialogue of salvation history. Our windows are rich with symbolism and rich with the narratives of the Old and New Testaments.

The window below startled me when I first saw it. During Mass I kept turning my head to glimpse it. And the more I looked at it, the more I wanted to ask those around me about its meaning. When Mass ended the church cleared out fast and I was left alone to contemplate the window in silence.