The SPA Weekly
Your Latest News From St. Paul the Apostle Parish
Pentecost: May 22-23, 2021
Links to: YouTube Channel / Bulletin / Previous newsletters
This week:
Mass Time Change and Additions
ALL, IN ONE PLACE, TOGETHER (Acts 2:1) by Fr. Peter
Welcome Mass Update! Thank you to all who attended!
Becoming a Eucharistic Community
CSA Update
Adoration by Candlelight - May 26
Lenten Coins for Kids Project - Thank you!
Volunteers Needed
- Switch to Online Giving
- Year of St. Joseph weekly quote
High School Senior Graduation Mass - Sunday, June 6 - Register Today!
Save the Date - Fall 2021 - Discussion Based Book Study
A Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration Every Friday at 9am
ALL, IN ONE PLACE, TOGETHER (Acts 2:1)
My dear St. Paul parishioners,
The first reading of Pentecost Mass tells us that the early Christian community of Jerusalem “when the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together” (Acts 2:1). That oneness of faith and hearts that did not nullify diversity but gave it direction and meaning was both the pre-condition for the coming of the Holy Spirit and its result. The Holy Spirit brings together men and women of every nation, every tongue and race, under the sun, as on Pentecost Day and every time people everywhere follow God and his promptings.
St. Augustine of Hippo thus comments the grace of Pentecost in opposition to the dis-grace of Babel: “If pride caused diversities of tongues, Christ’s humility has united these diversities in one. The Church is now bringing together what that tower had sundered. Of one tongue there were made many; marvel not: this was the doing of pride. Of many tongues there is made one; marvel not: this was the doing of charity. For although the sounds of tongues are various, in the heart one God is invoked, one peace preserved” (Tractate on the Gospel of John, #6).
Pentecost is the anti-Babel. The “Spirit of truth” as Jesus calls him (John 15:26) comes to reveal God, the Truth, and all the truths that flow from Truth. He is the author and founder of the Church, built upon the solid foundation of Truth and Charity. Let us therefore always be under the guidance of this Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Jesus.
I strongly invite you to be one, in one place, together, not just in Mass every Sunday, but in particular way during the week following Pentecost, this Wednesday evening, for Adoration by Candlelight. Please join me in invoking a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our parish, our nation and our world, that hearts and minds may be renewed, set on fire for God and our fellow neighbor.
This Saturday evening our school community gathers for SPAuction 2021. We will celebrate the vibrancy of our parish school and come together to support its mission and further build according to God, powerfully present in our midst. I rejoice in anticipation of our gathering, after such a long time, safely outside and in larger numbers than we have been able to lately.
Last Sunday we welcomed new parish & school families after the 11am Mass and what a joy it was to visit with one another and share a simple meal outside, without masks! I am especially thankful to our staff who has organized this event in every detail and to the families who responded. We look forward to a repeat on the first Sunday in August. It is time to rebuild community after the pandemic and do it around the Lord. He is the cornerstone, without which we cannot build a lasting foundation (Matthew 21:22).
The last two weeks we have been able to resume our Men’s Group early on Thursday mornings and it’s been such a joy to get together, learn about the depth of our faith in the Eucharistic Presence (we are watching the “Presence” series from Formed.org) and share how all this resonates with our faith. In doing so we build each other up and God knows we need it! Men of the parish, please join us on Thursdays 6:30-7:30am throughout the summer, you will not regret it. This Tuesday evening I will be at our last "Blessed is She” women’s gathering before the summer break, what a blessing this and other women’s groups, Bible studies, have been during this pandemic! Thank you, ladies, for witnessing to me and to the parish your hunger for God, your thirst for Good, Truth, Beauty, Community!
We are in full graduation season, another reason for joy. Last Wednesday I was with our Catholic Central graduates, honoring them and rejoicing for their accomplishments during this very challenging 2020-2021 school year. I congratulate all our parish students upon graduation. This Thursday evening we celebrate our 8th graders together with their families and our school staff. We send them off to their next step in life and we are confident that the spiritual, intellectual and human formation they have received here at SPA will be a solid foundation for their high school years and beyond.
Last but not least, I want to celebrate with you the news that didn’t make it in last Sunday’s bulletin: the lifting of the mask restrictions, following the latest CDC findings and subsequent norms/guidelines from the State of Michigan and Bishop Walkowiak. Surprised by such a quick turn of events I published a letter last Saturday and invite you to read it carefully. We are proceeding with gradual changes after last Sunday’s first Masses with the new norms in place and simplifying our presence in Mass by reserving the Tabernacle (right/East) side of the church for those in need of masking/distancing, while the choir side two rows (left/West) will be available to the rest of the congregation. The joy was quite palpable last Sunday and thank you for your respect, understanding and charity with one another as change is underway.
I bless you with the blessing of unity, the blessing of Jesus!
Yours in Christ,
Fr. Peter Damian
Welcome Mass Update!
Thank you to everyone who attended our first Welcome Mass and gathering of the year! It was so nice to see so many parishioners gathered together as a community! If you were unable to attend this event, our next New Parishioner Mass will be August 1.
CSA - Update
Thank you for your gifts to CSA 2021! Your generous support funds essential diocesan ministries that support our seminarians, provide training for teachers and faith formation staff, and brings assistance to our brothers and sisters in need.
To date 230 pledges, have contributed $84,566 of $180,000 or 47% of our parish goal. Please keep in mind that any amount raised over our diocesan goal of $137,000 will be returned to the parish. Please continue to pray for the success of this important endeavor.
For more information and to view different giving options, visit https://grdiocese.org/csa/
Adoration by Candlelight - Pentecost
Wednesday, May 26 • 6:30 pm
Eucharistic Adoration with readings from the Vigil for Pentecost and music led by members of the Choir.
Lenten Coins for Kids Project - Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Lenten Coins for Kids project! We raised a total of $4,280 - with $3,155.45 coming from our parishioners and $1,124.55 coming in through our school. Your generosity will help fund 5 local pregnancy resource centers who provide local families in crisis pregnancies with support, diapers, clothing, and more! As always, we are overwhelmed by the generosity and kindness of our amazing parish!
- The SPA Respect Life Committee
Becoming a Eucharistic Community: A Personal Encounter
It is moving for me to see how everywhere in the Church the joy of Eucharistic adoration is reawakening and being fruitful. In the period of liturgical reform, Mass and adoration outside it were often seen as in opposition to one another: it was thought that the Eucharistic Bread had not been given to us to be contemplated, but to be eaten, as a widespread objection claimed at that time.
The experience of the prayer of the Church has already shown how nonsensical this antithesis was. Augustine had formerly said: "...No one should eat this flesh without first adoring it;... we should sin were we not to adore it" (cf. Enarr. in Ps 98: 9 CCL XXXIX 1385).
Indeed, we do not merely receive something in the Eucharist. It is the encounter and unification of persons; the person, however, who comes to meet us and desires to unite himself to us is the Son of God. Such unification can only be brought about by means of adoration.
Receiving the Eucharist means adoring the One whom we receive. Precisely in this way and only in this way do we become one with him. Therefore, the development of Eucharistic adoration, as it took shape during the Middle Ages, was the most consistent consequence of the Eucharistic mystery itself: only in adoration can profound and true acceptance develop. And it is precisely this personal act of encounter with the Lord that develops the social mission which is contained in the Eucharist and desires to break down barriers, not only the barriers between the Lord and us but also and above all those that separate us from one another.
Save the Date - Discussion Based Book Study
Mondays, Fall 2021
Coming Fall 2021, St. Paul will host an in-depth study of the book “Live Not By Lies” by Rod Dreher. Mark your calendars for Monday evenings to join this discussion based study, facilitated by Prof. Todd Kapitula.
We are living in a time of great confusion. But, as the writer of Ecclesiastes says in verse 1:9, there is nothing new under the sun, so there are echoes in the past of what we are currently experiencing. “Live Not by Lies” takes as its title the Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s great call to his fellow Russians who were living under the lies associated with totalitarian Communism.
Part one of the book is titled, "Understanding Soft Totalitarianism." In this part we will:
- Define what is "soft" totalitarianism, and the crucial ways it differs from the "hard" totalitarianism of the Soviet Union
- Begin to understand the underlying conditions needed for a society to initially accept totalitarianism
- Explore why we are potentially drifting towards being a soft totalitarian society.
Part two of the book is titled, "How to Live in Truth." In this part we will:
- Focus on how we as Christians are to live in a society where truth and language seem so malleable and ever-changing.
- Learn from Christian dissidents who lived in Eastern Europe under Communist rule, and discover how they are their children were able to hold fast to their faith under such trying circumstances.
Click here to pre-register for the fall study. There are a limited number of books available in the Parish Office.
Register Today to Become a St. Paul Parishioner!
To become a registered member of St. Paul the Apostle Parish, fill out the form on our website.
Please contact us if you have questions.
Apostolic Letter Patris Corde of the Holy Father Pope Francis
As we read the infancy narratives, we may often wonder why God did not act in a more direct and clear way. Yet God acts through events and people. Joseph was the man chosen by God to guide the beginnings of the history of redemption. He was the true “miracle” by which God saves the child and his mother. God acted by trusting in Joseph’s creative courage. Arriving in Bethlehem and finding no lodging where Mary could give birth, Joseph took a stable and, as best he could, turned it into a welcoming home for the Son of God come into the world (cf. Lk 2:6-7). Faced with imminent danger from Herod, who wanted to kill the child, Joseph was warned once again in a dream to protect the child, and rose in the middle of the night to prepare the flight into Egypt (cf. Mt 2:13-14).
Read the full letter here.
April Financials
Monthly Income: $86,148
Monthly Budgeted: $83,983
YTD Income: $1,082,509
Thank you for your generosity!
Mass Intentions: May 24-30, 2021
Bridget Riordan by Her Family
Intentions of Leo & Leo Vicari on their 60th Wedding Anniversary
David Gerst by His Family
Pamela Gerst by Her Family
Evelyn Shustha by Bill & Joyce Nelson
Mary Pastore
Please Pray For
Erin, Ryan, and Brooks Abel, Donna Antzack, Marie Ault, Gerry Arthur, Jenine Bourdon, Joe Brown, Arthur Brodie, Barbara Camenga, Don and Bobbie Cericola, Paul Ceton, Nancy Church, Karen Collins, Mary Ann Datema, Ante Galic, Frank Geluso, Elaine Grace, Gerry Halland, David Hoffer, Colleen Hollern, Dario Juric, Ann Kohankie, Steve Kracik, Douglas Leete, Arlene Lillis, Davor Lucic, Mary McMahon , Mitzie Murphy, Pat Murphy, Thomas Pacic, Julia Panciera, Barb and Mike Parker, Lee Perrin, Tom Perrin, Steve Perrin, Margaret Pisciotta, Amy Quillan, Kathryn Rice, Emma Saccomani, Larry and Maryann Schafer, Stephanie Schafer, Val Schafer, Karen Shively, Evelyn Shustha, Joe Spielmaker, Carol Stewart, Nancy Stone, Dan Thill, Dorothy Tolan, Barb and Rich Van Antwerp, Tony Vicari, Dan Vincent, Anna Vulpetti, Mary Jean Wessely
And all those we know and love who are ill.
This week, JoAnn Donnelly will be praying for the needs of our Parish. Call with your intentions at 231-409-4796.
Next: Kirstin Drennan
Bulletin Deadlines & Contact
If your group has information or an event for the bulletin, please submit Friday by
5:00 PM to Merribeth at mkreuger@spagr.org. The article will go in the following
week’s bulletin. Submissions may be edited for content or space considerations.
Parish office hours
The Parish Office is open to the public for necessary business. The office hours are Mon-Fri 8am—4pm, closed 12pm-1pm for lunch. We are available for in-person necessary business and we do so initially with considerable Covid-19 limitations and precautions, which are still in place in this phase.
Please keep the following in mind:
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All visitors will need to respond to basic questions related to Covid-19 symptoms in order to be admitted to the office. We encourage everyone to use our online health screening questionnaire before or upon entering the Parish Office. Our staff does the same as we are committed to doing our best to keep everyone safe.
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Face masks/coverings (when medically tolerable) and social distancing (except with those from the same household) are required.
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Visitors are encouraged to come by appointment, allowing the Office time to conduct the questionnaire prior to your arrival. You can use the electronic form provided here or verbally acknowledge compliance with these conditions.
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Please continue to drop off weekly envelopes in the dropbox under the Parish Office window (to the right of the office door) to minimize the number of Office visitors.
For those who do not have a reason to schedule an in-person visit, you may still speak with our staff in the following ways: call 616-949-4170 or email Meghan at mbrennan@spagr.org or Elizabeth at ebertacchi@spagr.org.
Schedule 5/22 -5/30
- Saturday, May 22 • Pentecost
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Reconciliation
5:00 pm Mass
6:00 pm SPAuction - Sunday, May 23 • Pentecost
9:00 am Mass
11:00 am Mass
6:00 pm Mass - Monday, May 24
8:30 am Mass - Tuesday, May 25
7:00 pm Blessed is She: God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit - Wednesday, May 26
12:00 pm Mass
6:30 pm Adoration by Candlelight - Thursday, May 27
6:30 am Men’s Group
8:30 am School Mass (Closed to the Public)
11:00 am School Mass (Closed to the Public) - Friday, May 28
8:30 am Mass
9:00 am Holy Hour of Adoration - Saturday, May 29 • The Most Holy Trinity
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm Reconciliation
5:00 pm Mass - Sunday, May 30 • The Most Holy Trinity
9:00 am Mass
11:00 am Mass
6:00 pm Mass
The Church is available for private prayer:
The church will be available for private prayer by way of the Parish Office from 8:00 am—12:00 pm and 1:00 pm—4:00 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 1:00 pm—4:00 pm on Thursday.
Information about public Masses
- Back to Mass! A special edition newsletter. For the latest updates, please check our parish website: https://spagr.org/church/covid19/
- Please notice that doors will be open for Masses only half an hour before Mass and dismissal will take place immediately after Masses. This is to allow for all our ushers & cleaning crews to be in place and carry out their roles with the special needs in place in this Phase Two of resuming public Masses.
- While we do not have anymore a set capacity limit for Masses, please observe social distancing between households at all times and wear a face covering inside, unless it is medically intolerable for you to do so.
- Consider attending our Sunday evening Mass.
- While the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains, those with more flexible schedules are encouraged to consider attending a weekday Mass in lieu of Sunday Mass.
Parish News & Resources during COVID-19
Thank You Premier Event Sponsors
Contact Us!
Email: ebertacchi@spagr.org
Website: spagr.org/church
Location: 2750 Burton Street Southeast, Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Phone: 616-949-4170
Facebook: facebook.com/stpaulapostlecatholic