ST. PETER CATHOLIC CHURCH 95 MARKET STREET MOUNT CLEMENS, MICHIGAN 48043 April 25, 2021 Phone: (586)468-4578 Website: www.stpetermtclemens.com Hello Parish Community of St. Peter, This is Fr. Christopher Muer and I’m very excited to be your new associate pastor. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to all of you and to share with you my joy at my new assignment. I am the fourth of eight children and I grew up in Grosse Pointe and attended Grosse Pointe South High School. It is nice to be moving back to the eastside. After graduation, I went to Ferris State University where I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Construction Management. I always had an interest in construction and enjoyed my time in the field. I was raised in the faith and belonged to St. Clare of Montefalco Parish in Grosse Pointe where I attended Religious Ed and was an altar server. My Greatuncle was a priest in Detroit and I grew up with priests around, but it was at Ferris where I started to discern my vocation to the priesthood. While at Ferris, I became very involved with the on campus parish and grew greatly in my faith and closer to God. It was there that I started to discern my vocation and ask God what He wanted for my life instead of me telling God what I wanted. After graduation in 2010, I worked for one year in the construction field for a Detroitbased construction company, Wallbridge. While working for them on a job in Manhattan, Kansas, I was continuing my discernment of my vocation and entered Sacred Heart Seminary in the Fall of 2011. After seven years in seminary (with a year long internship at Guardian Angels Parish in Clawson) I was ordained to the priesthood with Fr. John on May 19, 2018. For the past three years I have been serving as the associate pastor at Our Lady of the Lakes in Waterford. I have enjoyed being at a school and look forward to serving at St. Mary school. As far as hobbies, I enjoy tinkering on projects, the outdoors, biking, hunting, camping, etc. I am excited to get to know the parish family of St. Peter and am excited for you to get to know me. Please know of my prayers for all of you over these next few months and I ask you to please keep me in yours as I prepare for my transition to becoming your associate pastor. May the resurrected Lord continue to bless all of us in this Easter season. Fr. Christopher Muer Dear Parish Family, In today’s Gospel from St. John, Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd. He is willing to give His life for those who follow Him. He is our protector and guide. The image of the Good Shepherd brings to mind those who lead us as priests. These men are ordained for a life of service. They lead us in prayer, they heal us through their administration of the sacraments. They listen to us, console us and offer us advice. They walk with us, sacrificing their own needs for the sake of others. They facilitate ways for us to serve each other and encourage us to become joyful missionary disciples. The process of becoming a priest is a long, intensive formation process. The first step of admission to the seminary involves interviews, discernment, testing and screening. If a candidate already has a bachelors degree, a one year program in the study of philosophy is required. Next, they are admitted to the study of Theology. Sacred Scripture, Church History, Canon Law, Liturgy and Pastor Studies as well as ongoing spiritual direction. The formation of a priest also includes various experiences in parish life. They experience a variety of liturgical and other prayer opportunities while they are encouraged to participate in service and sports opportunities. There are also ceremonial steps along with way such as admittance to lector and acolyte. A year before ordination, the seminarian is ordained a Deacon and spends the Continued on page 3. Page 2 St. Peter Parish, Mount Clemens BigNews…. By Fr. Douglas Bignall= Fourth Sunday of Easter Reflections on Families of Parishes =Part 7: The Bad Habit of a Status Quo Mentality (UTG Reference) Through your precepts I gain understanding; therefore I hate all false ways. Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path. Psalm 119:104-105 "There can be a kind of institutional hardening, a resistance to change. We may consider that certain institutional forms, customs and practices have carried us in the past and we do not want to put in the effort to reform them. Pope Francis speaks of "the complacent attitude that says: 'We have always done it this way."' Instead he urges all local Churches to "be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style and methods of evangelization in their respective communities."" Unleash the Gospel Perhaps no bad habit called out in Unleash the Gospel is more prophetically linked to Families of Parishes than that of a status quo mentality, a resistance to change. P.T. Barnum once said, "Comfort is the enemy of progress," and his words are as true for the Church as they are for the world of entertainment. There is, of course, a certain degree of stability that is necessary for us. If everything around us is constantly changing, we experience an unsettled existence which is not conducive to prayer or to listening to the promptings of the Spirit. But we must recognize as well, dear brothers, that the Church's definition of change is on a completely different scale than what our parishioners understand and appreciate. Our restructuring here in the Archdiocese of Detroit is taking place on a timeline which many outside of the Church have argued is far too slow. Indeed, many of our parishioners will be reorganized in their places of work two or three times in the years that we are taking to make our single change. And much of the restructuring that is done in the secular world is announced one day and executed on the next. This does not make the accelerated timing of the secular world right for the Church. We are an institution that has stood far longer than any secular organization has ever dreamed of being in existence. We need to be prudent about change within the Church. But this should simply cause us to carefully consider how the bad habit of a status quo mentality is multiplied within the Church. We, more than most anyone, have a tendency to fall back on the attitude that "we have always done it this way." The early Church was not so constrained. They adjusted and shifted as needed, almost on the fly, to accommodate the explosive growth that the Spirit had gifted to them. We must be prudent as we move into Families. But we must also be willing to see that a status quo mentality can be a serious obstacle to us achieving what the Holy Spirit asked of us in Synod 16. Reflection: Mark 10:21823= Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, "You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!" Have a prayerfilled week, Fr. Douglas Bignall Please have bulletin articles turned in by Monday at 11:00 AM for the Sunday Publication. Submissions can be sent to [email protected] Thank You! St. Peter Parish, Mount Clemens Page 3 Mass Intentions for April 26-May 2, 2021 transitional part of his last year before priesthood experiencing Monday, April 26 8:00a.m. parish life. Many parishes have permanent deacons who have ben trained to serve but are not candidates for the priesthood. Fr. Michael Cooney (dec) req: Both permanent and transitional Deacons are ordained to serve a parishioner by preaching the Word of God, administering the Sacraments of Don Vermeulen (dec) req: Baptism, presiding at the Sacrament of Marriage and funerals a parishioner (when celebrated outside of Mass). Special Intention for Pete Nollette req: a parishioner Robert & Charlene Kammerer (dec) req: a parishioner Next month, Archbishop Vigneron will preside at the beautiful Tuesday, April 27 8:00a.m. Mass and celebration of Ordination to the priesthood of Deacon Elizabeth Kaufmann (dec) req: Family Bob Voiland. Bob grew up here at St. Peter Parish and attended Wednesday, April 28 8:00a.m. St. Mary School. Bob will celebrate one of his first Masses here Joseph Flaga (dec) req: Joy & Family at the 10:00 AM Mass on Sunday, May 23rd. Let us pray for Adriana Pleban (dec) req: Family Deacon Bob as he prepares to embark on a new phase of his Alvin Theut (dec) req: Ham ministry. Special Intention for Mike Gallagher req: Ham Special Intentioni for the Breiling Family req: Family Have a truly blessed week, Jean Marsh (dec) req: her children Sheila Roy, Pastoral Associate Richard Rodanhisler (dec) req: Ted Pleban Thursday, April 29 8:00a.m. Mass Patricia Spoutz (dec) req: Angie Drew & Tracy Rumpz St. Peter Parish is online! Friday, April 30 8:00a.m. Mass Jean Marsh (dec) req: Parisioners www.stpetermtclemens.com Therese Weber (dec) req: Don & Shirley Simon Saturday, May 1 4:00p.m.