Updates

Student Office Assistant Needed

We are seeking a student to work in our busy parish office.  Responsibilities include greeting and assisting visitors, answering phones, assisting campus ministers with general office work, creating simple Excel spreadsheets, flyers, brochures, preparing certificates and recording sacraments in church records. Must be able to prioritize as well as pay close attention to detail and be flexible.  Strong computer skills, including experience with Microsoft Word, Publisher and Excel are desired. Spanish speaking helpful.  8 – 10 hours per week, evenings and weekends.  Please send cover letter and resume outlining your work and volunteer experience as well as your experience with the Catholic Church to Lanette Mele.

Faith Sharing Fridays October 9, 2015

Readings for Sunday, October 11th, 2015

If I met Jesus on the streets of Ann Arbor today, longed to follow Him, yet was asked to radically change my life before taking one more step, would I be dejected? Stopped in my tracks, certainly. Would I turn away? Or be prepared to make room in my heart for Christ?

At first thought, I wouldn’t consider myself materialistic. But if I’m honest, I’m pretty weighed down sometimes. Taking up room in my heart are emotional possessions; human attachments and fears; anxieties of succeeding as a Ph.D. student while being present to myself, my community, and my relationship with God.

At the end of a long day, do I have the strength to take another deep, longing breath toward Christ? Too often, the answer is “I sure hope so.”

Yet Jesus, looking at the man, loved him—loves me. I imagine a gentle touch on my shoulder as He recognizes the gravity of what He’s asking me to do. In His humanity Jesus knows the pressures and pull of this life. Indeed, He’s on the same path that I am in this very moment. 

Still, I hear Jesus kindly and lovingly prodding me to realize that I lack the same thing the man did: Space. Openness in each relationship, each task, each prayer for the work of the Spirit.

I’m sure the disciples were anxious and frustrated when confronted with the reality of such deep, all-encompassing change. And I’m sure that, like me, they stumbled along the way.

Yet, while fearful, I am in total awe that I’ve been met today with the very grace that makes salvation possible. Jesus reminds me not only of God’s power, but that I walk the path of this human life with His breath inside me. He will touch every piece of my life, shake it up, and transform it. But the first challenge is mine: Make space for His work.

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I return over and over to St. Ignatius’s Suscipe as I pray for the strength to let go of those things that take up space in my life and in my heart. This musical setting beautifully captures the release and trust that I long for, and that Jesus reminds me I must work toward on today’s journey.

“I surrender, Lord, all I have and hold.
I return to you your gifts untold.
Give me nothing more than your love and grace—
These alone, O God, are enough for me.”

What do you need to let go of in order to turn and follow Jesus on His journey? What scares you about doing so? Where do you need Jesus’s gentle prodding in your life?

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Colleen McClain is a Ph.D. student in the Michigan Program in Survey Methodology and a member of the GRAD/YP and Small Church Community lead teams at SMSP.

Ignatian Family Teach-in For Justice

November 7-9, 2015
Washington, D.C.

Ignation Family Teach-In For Justice (IFTJ) is an annual gathering for members of the Ignatian family (Jesuit institutions and larger church AKA everybody) to learn, reflect, pray, network, and advocate together in the context of social justice and solidarity. It is a place where you will be empowered, reenergized, inspired, challenged, and supported by a community that believes social justice works in union with faith. Join your peers (soon to be friends) from SMSP and University of Detroit Mercy for a weekend you will never forget! All are welcome!

For more information, contact Bill Alt or Meredith Burke or click here to visit the IFTJ site.

Click Here to Register

Coverage of the Pope Watch Party on ABC 7

Thanks to everybody that joined us Thursday morning to watch the Pope’s historic address to congress. What an inspiring event – we laughed, we cried, and we cheered. ABC 7 news covered the event and produced a short piece (just under 2 minute) highlighting the watch party and our reaction. The piece below aired live on Sept. 24th at 4:45 PM on ABC 7 Detroit.

Support the CROP Hunger Walk!

Join us for the 41st Annual CROP Hunger Walk Sun., Oct. 11, 2015.

Help raise awareness and money to alleviate hunger by joining the St. Mary Student Parish CROP Walk team.  Sponsored by the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, this annual ecumenical, interfaith walk raises funds for local as well as international hunger fighting agencies.  Donors can designate Catholic Relief Services as a recipient if desired.

Registration for the walk begins at 1pm, send-off service and walk begin at 2pm at Rudolph Steiner High School on Pontiac Trail.

To join our team, visit hunger.cwsglobal.org. Paper envelopes are also available in the parish office for those who wish to fund raise in person.

Can’t walk? Please consider supporting our team with a donation via the website or drop off a check in the parish office (made out to CWS/CROP). Thanks for your support and prayers.  Hope to see you at the Walk on Sun. Oct. 11th.

For more information, contact Lisa Hirsch at [email protected] or 734-741-1235.

Prep for the Pope’s Visit to the US

Prepare for the Pope’s visit and check out our events right here at St. Mary!

Join Our Watch Party

As part of his visit to the United States, Pope Francis will address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, September 24, 2015 bringing together faith and politics. His address to Congress will be an opportunity to invite legislators to reflect on the U.S.’s response to those who are marginalized by poverty and injustice, especially migrants, those plagued by climate change, and workers treated unjustly while challenging all of us to live more fully the Gospel call to mercy and justice and promoting a culture of life.

St. Mary Student Parish will host a watch party in Donnelly Hall (9:30 – 11:00 AM) to view this historic event. If you are available, please stay after the Pope’s address for discussion and a call to action. All are welcome!

Ig.nite: Pope Francis Edition

Undergrads! Join us for a special edition of Ig.nite on Thursday, September 24th. Mass begins at 5:10 PM followed by dinner and a student-led panel discussion to react to Pope Francis’ address to the United States Congress. On theme with Pope Francis’ background, we’ll be serving a South American dinner specialty:

grilled skirt steak and chorizo sausage with chimichurri sauce,
empanadas, chipa rolls, and of course dulce de leche tiramasu!

For more information on the Pope’s historic visit, click here to download our flyer containing information on his background, itinerary, and past papal visits to the US.

Register for Small Church & Busy Student Retreat

Fall is here and we have some great opportunities for spiritual development. Join a Small Church Community (SCC) for weekly small group faith sharing, or join the Busy Student Retreat (BSR) for one-on-one spiritual direction that fits into your busy schedule.

Small Church Communities

Faith sharing groups help to make our big community feel a little smaller. There are a variety of SCC groups for all ages that meet at various times beginning in October. Together with your group, reflect on faith experiences and discover how the word of God applies uniquely to your life.

Register online before Sept 23. Register Here

The SCC program is open to all parishioners. Contact Elise Huber for more information.

Busy Student Retreat

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.

Retreatants commit to:

• An opening dinner on Sunday, October 4 at 7:00 pm
• 15 minutes of individual prayer each day during the retreat (Oct 4 Nov 22)
• 30-45 minutes of conversation each week with a spiritual companion
• A closing celebration on Sunday, November 22 at 6pm

Cost is $10. Register Here

The BSR program is open to undergrads, graduate students, and young professionals. Deadline to register is Sunday, Sept. 27. If you have any questions and/or require financial assistance, contact Abby Braun.

Seeking Welcome Week Volunteers!

Each September, our parish community welcomes new and returning students to St. Mary’s and to life at the University of Michigan. Welcoming students is one way every parishioner and family can participate in our mission of campus ministry.

Here’s how it works in 3 easy steps:

1. Click this link to go to our invitation page on VolunteerSpot
2. Enter your email address (You will NOT need to register an account on VolunteerSpot)
3. Sign up! Choose your spots – VolunteerSpot will send you an automated confirmation and reminders.

Note: VolunteerSpot does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use your email address, please contact Susan and she will sign you up manually.

Fr. Dan Reim Legacy ASB Scholarship Fund

As we said goodbye to Fr. Dan earlier this month, we were truly in awe of his 11 inspiring years at SMSP. Active in our community – tackling social justice issues – and always smiling, he will be greatly missed.

We have set up a Legacy ASB Scholarship Fund in his name to honor his remarkable contributions. When he arrived in Ann Arbor, there were 3 active ASB sites. This past year we participated in 9 domestic and 3 international sites, sending over 130 students from our community to serve those in need.

If you are interesting in donating to the Fr. Dan Reim Legacy ASB Scholarship Fund, envelopes are available in the parish office or you can give online.