SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH Sunday, July 4, 2021 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time Please Welcome Fr. Craig Marion to Sacred Heart Church I entered Seminary in 2010. Prior to entering Seminary, I worked for almost 13 years. My college background prior to entering Seminary was Business, Accounting and Finance. I was fortunate at the age of 18 to be hired by a small consulting company. Beginning as an office clerk, and in my time there I was able to learn a great deal. I was eventually working as the Assistant to the Human Resource Manager, I then worked as Systems Analyst and when I left the company I worked in Systems Support as a Recruiter. After leaving the consulting firm, I worked for General Motors for more than six years. In a strange turn of events, I ended up worked in the Quick Service Business. Who would have thought a guy that almost always worked in financial work, would wind up running Restaurants? Quick Service Restau- rants were very challenging. Immediately after being training, I turned around a unit in Southgate, from there I was asked to “fix” a unit in Allen Park, this unit had enormous problems, gaping holes in the HVAC roof units, the main drain line was no longer functional, the store was in severe disrepair and the employee morale was very low. In the end, working on average of 80-100 hours per/week a great deal was fixed and repaired and morale improved. The unit stabilized and was making money. However, after 18 months, I realized I could not continue to work nearly 100 hours average per/week permanently. I also realized that was really the level of commitment needed for the unit to continue to progress. So, I decided it was best for me to go back to doing the work I did best and returned to financial and business analytical work. I was then hired to work for a multi-national insurance and financial corporation; the intricacies of Insurance were challenging. While doing this work, in prayer I thought perhaps the Lord had a differ- ent plan for me. I became then, much more involved with my home parish, St. Vincent Ferrer. I began assisting as a Lector and an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist. I really prayed in a deeper way for the first time in my life and I really desired to know what God’s will for me was. With that I spoke to my Pastor (Fr. John Esper) he encouraged me to contact the Vocations office for the Archdiocese. After some time, I decided to call, Fr. Tim Birney, the Director of Priestly Vocations, at the time, and I decided to visit the Seminary for a discernment weekend. It was a beautiful weekend. I could see what life was like, living in the Seminary. Soon after I met with Fr. Birney again, he offered me an application to enter Seminary. I completed the application process and I was fortunate to be approved to enter Seminary. I resigned from working and entered Seminary in 2010. I spent three years studying Philosophy and living in the college of Sacred Heat Major Seminary. I graduated from the College, in 2013, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy. As all men who now study to be a Priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit, I immediately began studies in Theology at Creighton’s University, within the Institute for Priestly Formation program, specifically the Spiritu- ality of a Diocesan Priest. I then returned to Sacred Heart and began Theology in the fall of 2013, as a candidate for Holy Orders and finished with a Master’s Degree in Divinity from Sacred Heart Major Seminary and also concurrently earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Sacred Theology awarded from the Angelicum in Rome. Thanks-be-to-God, I was ordained June 3, 2017. Most recently, I have been serving at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Rochester, MI. Just prior to that, I was serving as the Associate Pastor at St. Paul on the Lake Parish, first for Msgr. Pat Halfpenny, and the final year for Fr. Jim Bilot. I have been so very blessed in this assignment. Both Parishes were wonderful parishes and the people are such a gift. I pray that I will be a good servant to all of you at Sacred Heart as your summer Administrator. I promise to keep you in my prayers. Please, if you would, pray for me. Fr. Craig Marion Page 2 Sacred Heart Catholic Church HEARTS ON FIRE at Sacred Heart JULY 5 | SAINT ELIZABETH OF PORTUGAL Where Faith is Known, On July 5, it is the feast day of St. Elizabeth of Portugal. Elizabeth of Lived, & Shared Portugal was married young: she was only twelve years old when she became the wife of King Denis of Portugal. She was the daughter of King ”Be who God meant you to be and you will set the Peter III of Aragon and at her baptism in world on fire!” St. Catherine of Siena 1271 received the name of her great- aunt, St. Elizabeth of Hungary. Even at LISTEN to “Charisms 101”—You and I received the that early age, she had a well-disciplined Holy Spirit in our baptism….But the public manifes- character and, like her namesake, looked after the poor and pilgrims, with the tation of the Holy Spirit—fruit-bearing—requires in- consent of her husband. tentional cooperation on our part. We must choose She inaugurated what today we would in faith to do what God has called and anointed us call social works in her kingdom, set to do….Charisms are supernaturally empowered up hostels for pilgrims and travelers, graces given to apostles who have a mission to provided for the poor, established bring the presence and love of Jesus Christ to a dowries for poor girls, founded a hospi- specific setting or situation. Charisms are whole life tal and a house for penitent women at Torres Novas, and built an orphanage. Her husband was notoriously gifts that apostles take with them everywhere they unfaithful to her, but she bore all this with patience and her sweet- go….are always [used] for others….are distinct from ness of disposition was her greatest asset. She even looked after his natural talents….cannot be used for evil….might be illegitimate children as if they were her own and made provision for given as a single charism, but typically are given 2-5. their proper education. She had two children of her own, Alfonso and Constance, the son (Fruitful Discipleship, by Sherry Weddell, pg 97-111) later rebelling against his father. St. Elizabeth of Portugal became the peacemaker, and several times reconciled the son to the father. Through her efforts, war was averted between Castile and Aragon. PRAY: Tear or cut off this prayer and keep it where In 1324, her husband became ill, and she devoted all her attention you’ll remember to pray it throughout the week to him, never leaving his room except to go to church. His illness Come, Holy Spirit, Lord of the Gifts, to Sacred Heart was long and tedious, but he sincerely repented of his disordered life and died at Santarem in 1325. After his burial, she made a pil- Church and to our Sister Parishes; Enkindle the fire grimage to Compostela and decided to enter the Poor Clare convent in our hearts to “intentionally cooperate” with the at Coimbra. Persuaded not to do this, she became a Franciscan special Charisms you gave us at our baptism. Open our tertiary and lived in a house close to the convent. minds to “choose” mission—that particular calling you Elizabeth died at Estremoz at the age of sixty-six, en route there to anointed us to do in order to “bring the love of Jesus bring about peace between her son and her nephew, Alfonso XI, of Christ” to a specific place or person in our world. Guide Castile. She was canonized by Urban VIII in 1625. She is the patron us into discernment of these Charisms, so that we may saint against jealousy and of brides, charities, difficult marriages, falsely accused people, and widows. use them for Your glory. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in each of us the fire of your love as we discern and use the Charisms you have Prayer for Our Country given. Amen! Eternal God, You created the earth with a broad stroke of your love, ASK & ACT: What is this note saying to me? This made men and women in your image, and entrusted week I’ll look back on my life to see if there were this world to us as good everyday stewards. certain times or situations where I felt I was doing God’s work or He was working through me. If so, did May our country never turn from you. I get any feedback that others thought so too, or May your disciples lead by example that the result was “supernaturally powered”? If not, and may the lost always seek you. I will ask God to reveal to me a situation this week Give our earthly leaders the wisdom to know where He could use me—then I will watch for your will and the courage to follow it. opportunities to say “Yes." May our country be a reflection of your Kingdom where the lion lies down with the lamb and where Go to familiesofparishes.org to see more about Family of Parishes peace, hope, and love are afforded to everyone.