Ortonville -- In the fourth and final special liturgy to mark the feast day of St. Anne in the Archdiocese of Detroit, hundreds of parishioners gathered in Ortonville to celebrate Mass and recognize the local Church's patron saint.
“It means a lot,” Fr. Gerry Frawley said. “A lot of parishioners here have a great devotion to Mary, and a very great devotion to St. Anne because she is the Mother of Mary, and also she is the patroness of our parish here.”
Parishioners of St. Anne gathered for the Mass at 10:30 a.m. on July 31, along with special guest, new Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Arturo Cepeda, who recently moved from San Antonio, Texas.
Bishop Cepeda, although new to Michigan, knew St. Anne was a good fit for patron saint for the archdiocese.
“As people of faith, we can look into one of our intercessors that we have, of course we have our all of our saints, but in a very special way to St. Anne’s, so that way we know she is our intercessor for the archdiocese,” he said. “She’s a very good example of self-giving, education, and motherly love.”
In his homily, Bishop Cepeda spoke of the faith that brought all of God’s people together.
“We have faith, we have love -- that is the spirit, brothers and sisters, that brings us together as we celebrate this Eucharist,” he said. “The spirit of faith, for we are full of faith and believe in the world and community and the Archdiocese of Detroit, needs to see in us that we are people of faith.”
After Mass, the congregation followed Fr. Frawley and Bishop Cepeda to the statue of St. Anne outside of the church in a Eucharistic procession.
“It is a very special event for our parish because not only is the Bishop here, but we celebrate the community as well,” Fr. Frawley said. “A lot of it has to do with St. Anne being the patroness of the parish and being the patroness of the archdiocese.”
Following the procession, parishioners took part in a benediction and an hour of adoration back inside the church.
Festivities continued as a picnic was held after adoration. Those gathered enjoyed a live band and sat underneath tents that were set up outside. Also, children enjoyed blow up obstacle course, games and face painting.
“Any time an event brings the community together it’s great,” Fr.Frawley said, “and this celebration is an event that does just that.”
Throughout late July -- surrounding the July 26 feast day of St. Anne -- Masses have been held at the four St. Anne churches in the archdiocese, celebrating the Vatican’s naming of St. Anne as the patron saint. The Vatican decreed in the fall that St. Anne was, and always had been, Detroit's patroness. Archbishop Allen Vigneron shared the decree with the faithful of the archdiocese on May 5.
Bishop Cepeda -- during whose episcopal ordination the St. Anne decree was read -- acknowledged the reason St. Anne was selected by the Vatican.
“As you know, the very first parish that founded here in the area of Detroit was St. Anne’s,” he said, “so from the very beginning and from our ancestors and the very first people that came to the area, they really had a devotion to St. Anne.”
Julie Neal, St. Anne’s Worship Coordinator, agreed with the Vatican’s decision and felt St. Anne was a perfect fit for patron saint.
“As a caregiver, she cares for all of us and that’s what we want saints to do for us,” she said. “As the Mother of Mary, the Mother of us all she taught her to be who she was and there for helped make Jesus who we was on Earth.
“It’s like a sign of respect because the whole diocese was founded on her feast day, so it only seems appropriate to me. We all need someone to intercede for us. And who better than a grandma?”
