2015
Taking the Polar Express to Alternative Spring Break
Written by Omar Mahmood on Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
There is a train called the Polar Express that only those who believe in Santa can see or hear or ride. Chris Van Allsburg tells in his book of little Billy, who boards that train to the North Pole.
When he finally meets Santa, Billy wants nothing fancy. So Santa gives him a sliver bell from his sleigh. Billy is honored, but ends up losing it as it slips out of his ripped pocket. After so many misadventures, Billy makes it home for Christmas morning. He is surprised to find the bell under his Christmas tree. When he rings it, his parents hear nothing. Only Billy and his little sister can hear the tinkling of the bell. Only those who believe, only those who listen, can hear it. By the end of Billy’s long life, he has still held onto his faith. His friends and his sister no longer can hear the bell. But he believes, and so he can hear it tinkle still.
I have been honored in the past few months to have been welcomed into the folds of St. Mary, no less as a Muslim student on campus. The climate here in Ann Arbor, at least among students, is overwhelmingly rebellious, disdainful of traditional institutions like religion. And yet here we strive for God. In everyone there is a holy spirit, the very breath of God, and we all breathe it.
As we prepare for ASB, I remind myself and my friends that we must listen too to those whom we help. They are helping us too, maybe more than we can ever help them. I have spent some time working with eye patients in impoverished parts of the world, with Unite for Sight. Their stories move me still, and remind me that I am nothing before God, and they break my heart in the best of ways. I share here one conversation with a lady in Honduras, that I wrote about in a blog I kept there:
I sat down with a thin woman of a smaller frame. She was 47, but I would have guessed her to be at least 60. She had never been to school. I felt that at some time long ago she must have been pretty. Her smile was soft, but gave way to a glint of silver on her right canine, as much of the women here kept a casing of sorts for dental fashion.
Her boyfriend had left her some years ago. I asked about her house. She explained that she had none, and that she would get by renting rooms day by day if she could. Her water came from the river. She washed clothes in that river, she said. I asked her what she had to eat yesterday. “Nothing,” she said in a soft tone that was blunt in its own way. I would have liked to think she was exaggerating, but she said it over and over again, softer each time. “Somos pobres.”
I could muster nothing but “Que Dios le ayude”.
To know our weakness is to know God’s greatness. In those moments of knowledge, of heartbreak, Billy’s bell rings still.
Questions for Reflection:
If you were in The Polar Express, would the bell still ring for you?
Do you ever feel that your religious identity is in conflict with the campus culture? What is your response?
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Syed Omar Mahmood
Omar is an alumnus of Detroit Country Day School. He wishes he lived two hundred years ago, although a log cabin in God’s Country does have its merits. He is a junior studying Comparative Literature & Evolutionary Anthropology.
Email: syedom@umich.edu
2015
Journey with Jesus
Saturday, March 14 2015
Click here to sign up
Journey with Jesus is a self directed experiential retreat through the life, ministry, sentencing and death of Jesus. As we prepare for the holiest of weeks, take the time to engage deeply in prayer and reflection.
Journey with Jesus is composed of 10 interactive stations throughout the parish building. All participants will be given a reflection booklet to guide them through a hands-on experience of prayer which engages all of the senses.
Participants will begin at 10:00 AM in the church and conclude the prayer experience with a Lenten lunch and small group discussion by 1:00 PM.
Due to the nature of this prayer experience, spaces are limited to the first 100 parishioners. There is likely to be a waiting list, so if you realize you are no longer able to participate, please let Kelly Dunlop know ASAP to ensure maximum participation.
2015
Flint Family Service Trip
Sunday, July 12 – Wednesday, July 15, 2015
A group of families from St. Mary Student Parish will travel to St. John Vianney Parish in Flint, Michigan to work on a variety of community projects appropriate for folks of all ages. Learn, work, pray, reflect and relax with other families from our parish community.
Work sites may include St. Luke’s NEW Life Center, North End Soup kitchen, Boys and Girls Club, Shelter of Flint, Carriage Town Mission and Habitat for Humanity. Children as young as 5 have participated in the past. Please consider joining us for a fun week of making a difference!
Application materials can be picked up in the St. Mary office. Application Deadline is March 16th, 2015.
For more information, contact Lisa Hirsch or Tom McDonough 734.741.1235 mcdfam5@sbcglobal.net.
2015
The Rotating Overnight Shelter is Back!
If you are looking for a chance to volunteer your time, consider signing up for a shift with the Rotating Shelter February 16 – February 23. Sign up to join the hospitality team at the beginning of the night, or for an overnight shift.
We are also accepting food and snack donations! Please contact Lisa Hirsch or Rachel Conner.
2015
Volunteer for a Year of Service in South Africa!
WHAT Open Arms provides housing, education, and love for 57 children in the poorest province of South Africa.
WHO We need you! Open Arms is now recruiting Michigan students for a full-year commitment starting July 2015 to teach in the home school, organize children’s activities, and assist the directors with management.
WHEN Join us for an info session Thursday, Feb 26th at 7 PM in Donnelly Hall as part of the Gabriel Richard Lecture Series.
APPLY NOW Email Open Arms or visit our Long Term Service page for more info. The deadline to apply is Monday, Feb 23. Interviews for July 2015 positions will be scheduled the week of Feb 23 in Ann Arbor.
2015
Blood Drive – Feb 1st
Put the power of faith into action and help save a life!
SMSP will be hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive this Sunday, February 1st from 9:00 AM – 2:45 PM in Newman Hall. The need for blood is especially critical because of decreased donations due to the cold and inclement weather.
Walk-ins are welcome, or go online today to redcrossblood.org and enter our sponsor code goblue to schedule your appointment today!
2015
Join an SCC and Meet New People!
Last year, as a freshman, the University of Michigan quickly became by far the largest stage I had ever been on and the fact that I didn’t know a lot of people made it a little scary. I was excited to get to know people at school and quickly learned that the best way to do so was to get involved in groups of people with similar interests. Once I found St. Mary’s I began searching for specific ways to grow in my faith while continuing to make friendships and get to know my peers. Quickly it became apparent that I needed to join an SCC. I joined the Undergraduate Men’s SCC and got to know some really great guys. Aside from getting a head start on the weekly readings each Wednesday night, we were able to talk openly about our faith lives. Every week it was a time that I could go and know that I was in a safe place with people who respected how I felt and accepted everything I was saying. I have had a great experience with SCC’s and know it will continue in the future.
Jon Perry is a sophomore in the College of Literature, Sciences and the Arts at the University of Michigan.
2015
SCC Reflection & Sign Up Link
Freshman year was difficult. Nothing can compare to it: leaving home, the only life I had known up to that point, and moving to a huge university where I could be surrounded by people and still feel lonely. I was told that it takes time to make friends, which is true, but the waiting was excruciating.
I came to mass by myself one Sunday, and prayed that God would help me get through the next few weeks until I could go home again. At the end of mass, I heard an announcement for the Small Church Communities. I cannot describe what I felt, but something in me moved and I felt an urge to join an SCC. I hoped that I would make some friends and maybe learn a little more about my faith.
When our first meeting rolled around, I was a nervous wreck. I have always been shy and really didn’t know what an SCC would be like. Even so, I went and was amazed by the community created in this group. I made some of my best friends here in Ann Arbor, one of which is now my roommate. Now, almost 3 years later, we still meet as a group and my SCC helps me to bring God into my daily life. I have grown tremendously in my faith, and I can honestly say that my Small Church Community has changed my life.
Elise Huber is junior studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan
Interested in joining an SCC? Please visit our SCC Registration Form.
2015
Busy Student Retreat is Back!
Are you looking for a way to deepen your faith? Do you want to go on a retreat but feel too busy to commit to a weekend away? Not sure what to ‘do’ for Lent this year? If so, the Busy Student Retreat is for you!
Spend time with God in the midst of your regular hectic schedule. Bring the joys and concerns of your daily life into conversation with Jesus. Invite the Holy Spirit into your decision making.
WHO The retreat is open to undergrads and members of the graduate student & young professional group
WHAT Retreatants commit to 15 minutes of daily individual prayer and 30 minutes meeting weekly with a spiritual companion (a Campus Minister, priest, or a parishioner who will lend a listening ear and talk with you about your prayer and faith life)
WHEN February 15 – April 7 (The retreat takes place in your daily life during the Lenten Season)
COST $10.00 (financial assistance available if needed)
Registration is open through Sunday, February 8th.
If you have any questions and/or require financial assistance please contact Abby Braun.
2015
Lenten SCC Sign Up
WHERE ARE YOU HEADED?
We all come from different places on the faith journey, but in a community with sharing we find we are all heading in the same direction. Why not join us this Lent? Journey with us in a Lenten Small Church Community by praying and sharing Scripture – we believe you will be richer for the experience.
For more information, including meeting times and locations, please visit our SCC Registration Form.