Tuesday, March 12, 2013

2013 Sustain a House LENTEN Articles


St. Francis of Assisi, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Lenten Effort - Almsgiving
2013 
Sustain a House - Fight Poverty
help a family … help a community


Although we do expect a few additional late donations to arrive this next weekend for 
the Sustain a House Sack,
as of 4/22/2013 our total collected is
$12,162.49. 

 All money collected in our St. Francis Parish Lenten Project Sack to 
Sustain a House – Fight Poverty… Help a family … Help a community... 
will go to sponsor our Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley
2013 Catholic House 
at: 2143 Merrill, Ypsilanti 48197. 
Learn more at: StFrancisA2.com/lent
Yes, St. Francis Parish, you do good work!
Thanks for our Lenten Program to Sustain a House with Habitat for Humanity.
See Catholic Habitat House.      ...   And, note, Ann Arbor . com wrote a story ...  ...
During the Lenten season we pray, fast, and give alms.  “As the Body of Christ, We Serve One Another.” The Lenten Season is a time of sacrifice almsgiving and prayer, in preparation for our renewal. Use your sack (or cardboard Rice Bowl) for collecting your monetary offerings from savings by preparing simpler meals or making other sacrifices for those living in harsh poverty conditions.
Our St. Francis of Assisi Parish- Peace and Justice Committee is proud to present the following Original LENTEN Efforts/Projects.
 
2013 
Sustain a House - Fight Poverty
help a family … help a community

Join us in support of our Habitat for Humanity
Catholic House, partner family
seeking decent housing
and sustainable living.

Please return your cash and/or check contributions
in the sack on
Palm Sunday, March 31, 2013.
Checks should be payable to: 
St. Francis of Assisi, 2150 Frieze Ave., Ann Arbor, MI  48104
Our Lenten Activities Calendar 2013  Use this calendar and Fast and simplify your lifestyle - with the donations going to help us pray, fast, learn, and give in solidarity with those less fortunate, experiencing hunger and harsh poverty conditions.  Participation in this parish-wide Lenten Project/Sack will cause each of us to learn to make small changes that make our lifestyles more sustainable over the long-term.  We are united in the effort.
Our PRAYERS of the Faithful Petitions During Masses 2013
Our ARTICLES, linked below here, all tie into Habitat for Humanity's sustainable practices. 

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Corporate World to Volunteer


Sustain a House – Fight Poverty: help a family … help a community


Corporate World to Volunteer… "young retirees" giving back.
(Written by:  Karen Shellie for Forum March 24, 2013.)

Growing up Catholic, community service was a way of life.  Where there was a need, it was our responsibility to be part of the solution.  One of my earliest memories of service took place while I attended St. Thecla Elementary School in Clinton Township.  After pedaling for what seemed like 100 miles during a bike-a-thon, we successfully raised money to feed the starving children in third-world countries.  While it’s entertaining to look back at this time as an adult and realize it was really just three miles, those miles represent children, like me, learning to take action to help others.

That sense of service remained with me over the years.  It is what attracted me to St. Francis Parish nearly 13 years ago.  My interest was sparked by a post asking for volunteers for the newly forming Stephen Ministry and, after interviewing, I was accepted into the inaugural class of Stephen Ministers.  The training was intense and rewarding.  I learned more about myself as a Christian and I learned how to give by simply being present.  I was blessed with the ability to work with several care receivers, and eventually took the next leap to being trained as a Stephen Ministry Leader.

As a Stephen Minister and Leader, I was able help fellow parish members navigate through difficult situations and lay the groundwork for the future of our ministry.  In the midst of my tenure, however, I was downsized from a company after 11 years of service.  But I did not feel defeated; I was ready for a new beginning.  That new beginning was a position at Borders that would last for the next five years.  But then, on September 27, 2011, I closed the doors to my precious little book store forever.

I took time off to think about my next move, still helping with the Stephen Ministry and now championing the Giving Tree.  After all, when you’re feeling down, the best medicine is to help someone else.  The best place to be is back home at St. Francis!  We have such a gracious and generous community; it was a blessing for me to be able to be the instrument of change to those in need. 

It was during this time that I realized my passion to work as an advocate for those in need.  God has blessed me with a great deal of energy and passion to get things done.  His path for me included exposure to the inner workings of the marketing world, experience in working with decision makers, and first-hand experience with the “working poor”.  Most importantly, He blessed me with the tools to know how to be present, and how to advocate for those in need to the right people at the right time for the greatest impact.

It was a combination of my professional experience and service on multiple committees at St. Francis that led to my current position as Manager of Corporate Relationships at Habitat for Humanity of Huron Valley.  I received an email via the jobs group at St. Francis about an open position and knew from the moment I walked in their doors that it was the place I could make my home.  The rest is history.

If you also have a sense of service, consider volunteering at Habitat for Humanity!  Visit our website at:  http://h4h.volunteerhub.com or call (734) 677-1558.



Please Return Contributions on Palm Sunday, March 24th, 2013, to St. Francis of Assisi Parish
Please return the LENTEN PROGRAM OFFERING sack.   Visit: StFrancisA2.com/lent
Sustain a House – Fight Poverty… Help a family … Help a community. 
Our Lenten Activities Calendar 2013  
Our PRAYERS of the Faithful Petitions During Masses 2013
Our ARTICLES, all tie into Habitat for Humanity's sustainable practices. 
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We Serve One Another


“As the Body of Christ, We Serve One Another”
(Written by Bethany Eurick for the March 17, 2013, FORUM COVER.)

Traditionally during lent I tend to give something up. This usually means that I go on my annual Lenten diet.  However, I think this “sacrifice” is missing the point.  Lent is the perfect time to think outside our own world and dedicate ourselves to serving others. One way I have been able to serve others is by participating in the Lenten activities offered by the Peace and Justice Committee.

My experiences on the Peace and Justice Committee have helped me look outside of myself and better understand the needs of those around me. For example, participating in the Fair Trade Chocolate Sale helped me understand the importance of using my resources to support both the people around me and people I have never met. Through Lent, Christ is calling me into a deeper relationship with Him and them.  It is through these types of activities offered at St. Francis that I find the true meaning of Lent.

Furthermore, watching the film Sun Come Up and discussing global warming have led me to reflect on the importance of our environment and how our actions can affect fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  Lent is a time for me to take a step back and reflect on where I am in my journey with Christ and make a plan to deepen it. Christ even gives us tips to help grow. He tells us in Matthew 25:40, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’' 

Mother Teresa reminds me that “not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”  


Enjoy using the sack and activities calendar for our LENTEN PROGRAM
Sustain a House – Fight Poverty… Help a family … Help a community.   Learn more at: StFrancisA2.com/lent
Our Lenten Activities Calendar 2013  
Our PRAYERS of the Faithful Petitions During Masses 2013
Our ARTICLES, all tie into Habitat for Humanity's sustainable practices. 

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Sunday, March 3, 2013

A Catholic Thing: That Environmental Stewardship Thing


“As the Body of Christ, We Serve One Another”
That Environmental Stewardship Thing & Catholics 
(Written by Ashley Bishel for Forum Cover March 10, 2013.)

Last June, I attended an Environmental Justice service trip Green Bay, WI with an organization called Young Neighbors in Action. During that week, we not only volunteered at a sustainable organic farm called Tsyunhehkwa, which is run by the Oneida Nation, but also learned about why, as Catholics, it is important for us to take care of our planet.

We learned about the Nine Themes of Catholic Environmental Ethic. These included some familiar phrases, such as "respect for life", but applied in a broader context - for example, treating animals as not just a means of human fulfillment but as God's creations. Another theme was "new solidarity" - sacrifice of self interest for the good of others and the earth.

One of the things from that week that stood out to me clearly was a quote from a message John Paul II delivered during the World Day of Peace in 1990: "The ecological crisis is a moral issue". It wasn't something that we have an option to take an interest in, it’s a duty. We have a moral responsibility to take care of God's earth as both Catholics and human beings. That’s huge - environmental issues are not something we can, in good conscience, ignore. We need to take action.


Enjoy using the sack and activities calendar for our LENTEN PROGRAM  Sustain a House … Help a community.   Visit: StFrancisA2.com/lent
Our Lenten Activities Calendar 2013  
Our PRAYERS of the Faithful Petitions During Masses 2013
Our ARTICLES, all tie into Habitat for Humanity's sustainable practices. 
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