Detroit — Several years ago, The Michigan Catholic’s Priesthood Sunday edition began as a way to honor and thank the priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit for their selfless service to God and His people. In each year since, we’ve asked readers of this publication to tell us about the priests in their lives, including the many ways their spiritual fatherhood has blessed the Archdiocese of Detroit. This year is no different, and you’ve responded in similar enthusiastic fashion. For all they do for us — the baptisms, weddings, funerals, sacraments and just simply being there — we join with the following readers in giving thanks to God for their years of humble service and compassion.

 

Resurrection Parish, Canton, is the embodiment of Christian teachings. Founded by Fr. Dick Perfetto, succeeded by Fr. Ken Chase, and currently Fr. Gene Katcher, our priests are dynamic. Fr. Gene represents his two predecessors in: perception to the needs of the parish; charismatic; supportive of current programs and new ones; always available to individuals; provides a house of religious/liturgical peace; financially responsible and successful; respected by peers; helpful to the needs of other parishes; sustains reputation of the parish; homilies DWARF Bishop Sheen’s; he’s one heck of a priest. We are a triple crown parish!

Larry Markiewicz

Resurrection Parish, Canton

 

The Lawrence and Margaret Lowe family would be proud to honor Fr. Edward Prus as our special angel. When he became pastor at the Shrine of the Little Flower, we came to know and love him as he ministered to us and many, many other parish families. He visited the sick at their bedside, married us, baptized our babies, counseled and encouraged us individually and through his memorable homilies. Many other deeds he performed with no recognition. I’ve never met a man who could touch people to our core from the very young to the aged with God’s love. Many, many blessings we have received from God through him. Thank you, Fr. Prus!

Sharon Lowe Godfrey

Lathrup Village

 

I am a member of the St. Benedict congregation in Waterford. It is an amazing parish, and I feel blessed to be a part of it. I can say that the keystone of our parish is our pastor, Fr. Jim Mayworm. He left retirement to come and be our shepherd, and what a shepherd he is! He came to teach, preach, laugh, sing, listen, and most importantly, love. He has done all of this with blinding brilliance. Father begins each Mass with “God is good.” And we respond with, “all the time.” What an amazing way to bring us all into the spirit. We all start Mass not as a separate group of individuals, but as a connected body of believers expressing our faith in union. Fr. Jim’s love of music has enhanced our worship experience. We sing our way through much of the Mass, praising the Lord with our joyful song and rejoicing. He radiates love from the altar as he lovingly sings to his congregation. His sense of humor is also something that he shares with us on a regular basis. Laughter is such a beautiful thing, and we have a lot of that at St. Benedict. He has a joke for us at the end of Mass. It is so much fun listening to others try their jokes on Father. You can see that he enjoys this interaction as much as his parishioners do. 250 words are simply not enough to explain our Fr. Jim Mayworm.

Anonymous

White Lake

 

I would like to honor our pastor, Fr. Linus Kinyua, and our associate pastor, Fr. James Lopez, for your priestly honors. They are special blessings in our lives at Henry Ford Village in Dearborn. Thank you for your spiritual gifts and your presence. A special birthday greeting for Fr. Linus. God bless you and love from your Henry Ford Village family.

Penelope Nash

St. Linus Parish, Dearborn

 

My name is Dawn Marie. I am writing to you to let you know that we the members of St. Priscilla are so very happy and proud to have Fr. Theo D’ Cunha as our pastor of our St. Priscilla family parish in Livonia. Fr. Theo is so full of love and compassion; he is always with us no matter what happens in our life. Fr. Theo has done so much for our St. Priscilla family parish and we are so very proud and very happy to have Fr. Theo as our pastor. Fr. Theo has always been a an inspiration in my life and has always been here for me as my pastor, mentor and friend. Thank you, Fr. Theo, for everything you have done for me and for the members of our St. Priscilla family parish. Thank you, thank you. Fr. Theo D’ Cunha, we all love you very much.

Dawn Marie Mays

St. Priscilla Parish, Livonia

 

We nominate Fr. Larry Pettke as an outstanding priest. In his nine years at St. Louis Parish in Clinton Township, he has explained the Sunday readings to us in a very understandable manner and relates how we can practice it during the week ahead. He shows much interest in people and communicates informally his concern and compassion for their earthly concerns. Through the annual picnics and auction dinners, our parish is closer together in personal relationships and also on a sturdy financial basis. With our good wishes,

Ev and Mary Bissonette

St. Louis Parish, Clinton Township

 

Fortunately, my wife Jill and I have known many fine priests in this archdiocese and also among the Jesuits, with whom we have a history. We would like to single out our pastor at St. Mary of the Hills in Rochester Hills, Fr. Stan Ulman. He just turned 70, and lucky for us, when he submitted his customary “letter of retirement” to the archbishop, he was asked if he was willing to stay another five years. His immediate response was “Yes, of course.” One of the adjectives that we use for Fr. Stan is “unpretentious.” He does not put on airs. As Pope Francis has encouraged all of us, Fr. Stan is “out there” with the sometimes smelly and stinky sheep (that’s all of us). It is his custom during the weekday evenings of each summer to visit the homes of parishioners, simply to greet them, inquire about their concerns and bless them. He routinely numbers well over 100 such visits each summer. Fr. Stan is a Good Shepherd, always greeting parishioners before and after each Mass with a warm smile. He has a fabulous staff to assist him, including a music ministry that is the “talk of the town.” He orchestrates an involved parish council; he is a homilist with a golden tongue who is able to bring the Word of God to each of us in an interesting and practical manner. We and the parish community love you, Fr. Stan. Sto Lat!

Denis and Jill Naeger

Sylvan Lake

 

I’d like to say “thank you” to Fr. Ken Mazur. He had a huge task to start a brand new parish when St. Damian, St. Theodore and Divine Savior in Westland merged and formed St. Mary, Cause of Our Joy. He is the perfect person for the job and has done an amazing job so far.  We’re a growing parish and while it’s all been a team effort, Fr. Ken has led the effort and has led it perfectly. Thank you, Fr. Ken!

Rodney Harris

Canton

 

Msgr. John Budde is the pastor at St. Mary Our Lady of the Snows in Milford, and a very dear friend. He’s a kind and gentle man with a great sense of humor and wonderful spirit. He has truly been a blessing to the parish and to me personally. Oh, and he’s kind of OK at golf, too.

Joe Hassell

St. Mary Our Lady of the Snows Parish, Milford

 

Our family would like thank Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron for his saying “yes” to his vocation to the priesthood as a young man. We are extremely grateful to his faithfulness, devotion, and dedication to the people of God. He continues to pray for us and strives to lead by his example of unbelievable trust in Our Savior’s mercy and love for all of us. Thank you, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, for being our spiritual father and allowing us to journey with you to the eternal Jerusalem. Thank you for believing and encouraging us to engage with the faithful of the Archdiocese of Detroit for the Synod in November. May God continue to bless you with His grace as only He can. May our Blessed Mother hold you close to her mantle and protect you always. Love and prayers in Jesus’ Name.

Richard, Marie Coules and family

 

It has been almost nine months since I came back home to the Catholic Church. I have been attending St. Anastasia Parish in Troy for nearly nine months also. I cannot write this email without expressing gratitude to all three priests at my parish because all three have had an impact on my life. Fr. Steve Wertanen, Fr. Jim Grau, and Fr. Greg Piatt are great homilists, wonderful listeners and awesome men of God. Thank you, Fr. Steve, Fr. Jim, and Fr Greg. God bless you! I love you very much!

Merisa Musemic

Sterling Heights

 

Fr. James Arwady has taken on his first pastorate as the pastor of St. Christopher Parish, Marysville. Fr. James has demonstrated by his attitude and actions that he is a priest dedicated to the Church and to our Lord, Jesus Christ. He is courageous in that he has not been afraid to implement changes in the parish that will help us to better know and understand the teachings of the Church and how it applies to our lives. He delivers well-prepared homilies that explain both the context and deeper meaning of the Scriptures. He is open to and available to people. He has endeared himself to the parishioners with his quick smile and his self-effacing sense of humor. As a relatively new pastor, Fr. James is making his way into the minds and hearts of those he serves. We, his parishioners, are most fortunate to have Fr. James Arwady as the pastor of St. Christopher Parish in Marysville.

Joe and Marilynn Pavlov

St. Christopher Parish, Marysville

 

I know I am a priest, but I would like to honor two of my brother priests for this edition of The Michigan Catholic. The first priest is Fr. Norm Thomas of Sacred Heart Parish in Detroit. I want to honor him for his zealous love for God’s people, working past his retirement age even with the health adversities he has faced, and his constant willingness to love others, even doing sick calls at the local hospitals. He really cares about the human person, the heart of the person. He taught me to always take care of the sick and dying — never miss that because that is when people need you the most, and I am most grateful for his advice.

The other priest I would like to honor is Fr. John Bustamante of Assumption Grotto Parish in Detroit. He lives a life of hidden charity. When I was a seminarian, I worked with the Missionaries of Charity Sisters in the community. Once the Sisters were in desperate need to find a priest to anoint a young Hispanic man who was shot in the head dying at DMC. The Sisters were trying to find a priest; they ended up calling Fr. John, and he drove that night all the way from his parish to DMC to conditionally baptize this dying man and give him all the graces Holy Church can give before the departure from this earth. I saw Fr. John’s priestly love pour out, loving this man in the heart of the Church. The dying man had his family in Mexico and so was dying in a foreign land with foreign people. But by the grace of Fr. John and the Sisters, Celestino, the dying man’s name, was smiling saying “Jesus” on his lips as they took off life support and allowed him to be rested in the hands of the Father. He died with the family of the Church around him; Fr. John being the father. That moment deeply touched me as a seminarian and as a priest. I honor Fr. John for his love. Thank you so much and God bless.

Fr. Ryan Adams

National Shrine of the Little Flower
Basilica, Royal Oak

 

A lot of times, it’s difficult to find positive things to say about a person and their dealings with life. The exact opposite is true in the case of Fr. Zbigniew Grankowski of St. Barbara Parish in Dearborn. This is truly a great man of God. Our personal experience with Fr. Zbigniew centers around the last few years of my dear mother’s life. At age 93, Mom suffered a severely broken hip, due to a fall.  At that age, rehabilitation was difficult and she slowly deteriorated in health. Mom never lost the desire to attend Mass, and Fr. Zbigniew noticed her difficulties. His words of comfort and blessings provided her with a break from the physical torments that she was dealing with. Fr. Zbigniew visited Mom at Oakwood Hospital and prayed with her. He sang to her in her native language (Polish) and provided her with memories of her earliest connection to our Catholic faith. Fr. Zbigniew gave Mom her final rites/blessings and we will never forget the kindness and compassion that he showed. Mom passed on April 13, 2012, at age 96. God Bless this great man of our Catholic faith! My dear mother’s name is Pauline Katarsky. We miss her so much, but know that with Fr. Zbigniew’s blessing, she is with Jesus in heaven. Thank you.

Daniel Katarsky

St. Barbara Parish, Dearborn

 

All priests are blessed because they are called by God. Each one has something special about them. I’m going to be 79 years old, so I share a few priests I’ve been blessed by — and my husband and family.

1.) Fr. Robert Witkowski, former pastor of St. Edmund Church in Warren. Very kind, holy priest always available for any special needs such as confession, anointing of the sick, and blessing of homes. Never too busy to be the person God called him to be — His priest.

2.) Fr. Art Fauser (deceased), a very approachable priest when there were severe problems to consider. If a person was away from the church a long while, Father was very kind to them and understanding to all who approached him for help.

3.) Fr. W. Healy, spiritual pastor of the Discalced Carmelites. This priest walked, talked and lived the Carmelite life. When you were in his presence hearing his talks, spiritually it was a touch of heaven on earth.

4.) Fr. Michael Cooney, pastor of St. Peter Church in Mt. Clemens. Very humble and kind priest, willing to help people in all their special needs. He brings understanding and blessings to anyone who asks him for help.

5.) Fr. Bogdan Milosz, pastor of St. Faustina Church in Warren. Fr. Bogdan has a great devotion to the Blessed Mother and Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Some people go to church to be entertained, forgetting who the Divine Host is: Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Fr. Bogdan reminds them at Mass, first Friday devotions, and holy hours on Thursdays, who the main celebrant is: Jesus Christ, who should be honored.

6.) Fr. Nick Zukowski, pastor of St. Martin de Porres Church in Warren, a very holy priest who is humble and has a sense of humor, but also in his humor gets across a spiritual message.

7.) Fr. Ron Babich brings people closer to the Blessed Sacrament. He introduced us to a Polish song (sung in English) after Holy Communion. When we heard it, it brought us to tears.

8.) Last but not least, a “special thank you” to Archbishop Allen Vigneron for allowing the Holy Door at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. For my husband and I it was an overwhelming experience of the presence of God in a special way, each of us in a different way. We didn’t know anything about the Holy Door until it was presented by Pope Francis. May God bless Archbishop Vigneron one-hundred fold for his kindness plus being concerned about souls in the archdiocese and the state of Michigan.

Forgive me for mentioning so many priests, but since you requested it in The Michigan Catholic, I decided to write about the ones that I feel have something “outstanding” to offer the world and especially those whom I and my husband Fred and our family have been blessed in some way by each priest. May God bless each priest mentioned and all priests one-hundred fold for the gifts God has given them, enabling the priests to bless in His name.

Fred and Joyce Tworek

Warren

 

Dear Fr. John Dumas: We are most grateful for your time at our school and Divine Grace Parish. You were an excellent role model for living the Catholic faith. Through your actions and words we were taught to be more reverent and prayerful. We are thankful for teaching us about feast days and martyrs. You helped us to learn more about the liturgical year and the parts of the Mass. We appreciated your good homilies. Thank you for administering the sacraments to us and helping grow closer to God. You are a great priest and we appreciated all you did for us. May God continue to bless you.

The students and staff of St. Patrick School

Carleton

 

I am grateful for all priests. They spend a lot of time studying and figuring out if they are meant to be a priest. Then they spend their life serving people. How wonderful to have Mass because of our priests! The life of a priest is like Christ. They teach us to be holy and how to stay holy. I will continue to pray for all priests, bishops and the pope. With love,

John DeSana

Grade 3, St. Patrick School, Carleton

 

Dear Priests: Thank you for all that you do for me. Thank you for baptizing me and making me part of a living Church. Whenever I go to church, I feel holy. When I receive the Body of Christ, I feel like I am a disciple at the Last Supper and the priest is Jesus. I will always look up to the priests. Love,

Caleb Totten

Grade 4, St. Patrick School, Carleton

 

Fr. Steve Mateja: Thank you Fr. Steve for having Mass on Saturday, Sunday and during the week. Thank you for teaching us about the Word of God. Every day I will thank you for everything you do. You taught me to treat others with respect, and to treat others the way I want to be treated. Thank you for everything you do for us. Love,

Emily Johns

Grade 4, St. Patrick School, Carleton

 

Dear Fr. Steve Mateja: Thank you for all your hard work that you do for us. I like you as our priest because you are funny, loving, faithful and caring. Here is a prayer I give to you, Fr. Steve: O Lord thank you for giving St. Patrick School a great priest. Please keep Fr. Steve safe and make sure he does not get hurt. I give you this prayer with love and care for Fr. Steve. Amen.

Hannah Roof

Grade 4, St. Patrick School, Carleton

 

Dear Fr. Steve Mateja: Thank you for being our priest. We love having you here. You are very generous with the donation of mulch. You are so caring and kind. I love your homilies too. You talk about the Scripture readings, but it’s also related to your own life. I love going to church because it is a happy place. I also like that you come to the rooms to talk and answer our questions. I remember when you came to our volleyball practice, because I think you have a great spike. Thank you so much. God bless,

Lauren Monske

Grade 6, St. Patrick School, Carleton

 

Dear Fr. Steve Mateja: Thank you for coming to this school. You have helped me grow in my faith. You have been so amazing at our school. It’s nice how you go around to the different classrooms and tell us thing about our faith but in more detail. You also take the time to let us learn about you. If we did not have priests then we wouldn’t be able to receive the sacraments. So thank you for taking the time to devote your life to God. You heard God calling you to be a priest. Your vocation is to teach the Word of God. I hope you stay with the school and parish for a long time. Even though I will be in high school, I will still come to weekend Mass. Sincerely,

Catie Johns

Grade 8, St. Patrick School , Carleton

 

Dear Fr. Steve Mateja: Thank you for coming to Divine Grace Parish and St. Patrick School. I am thankful for all you have done already. You have made us a better community already. I can tell that you are going to do even more. You have helped me become a lot closer to God. You are a great priest, and you are a fun guy to be with. You are a wonderful role model for me and all of the children at St. Patrick. I love hearing your homilies at Mass. They always teach me a great lesson, and they will stick with me forever. We are all so happy for your presence. Sincerely,

Cyrus Marks

Grade 7, St. Patrick School, Carleton

 

Dear Fr. Steve Mateja: Thank you for teaching about Jesus. I like seeing you sing at church. Love,

Cara Morrison

Kindergarten, St. Patrick School, Carleton

 

Dear Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron and Fr. Joe Horn: Thank you for allowing us to visit the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament as part of our Vocation Awareness Day. We appreciated praying at the various Holy Doors at the cathedral during the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Our time at Sacred Heart Major Seminary was fun and we learned a great deal about becoming a priest or religious. The Mass was reverent and we liked having students from many different Catholic schools participate. The food and tour were great. Thank you for all you do to help us grow in faith and learn about the choices in our adult vocation. We pray for you and all priests. Sincerely,

 

Grade 7, St. Patrick School, Carleton

Sacred Heart Catholic Parish and School would like to sincerely thank pastor Fr. Ken Chase and Fr. Jack Child for their service to our community. Under their strong leadership and humble guidance we have all grown in our faith as disciples of God. Fr. Ken’s countless hours of work are appreciated. Our lives are all richer as we all work toward living out our mission to strive, live and share the good news of Jesus, and to provide academic excellence, faith formation and service inspired by the teaching of Jesus. May God continue you to bless you Fr. Ken and Fr. Jack. With much gratitude and love,

Melissa Lambrecht
(On behalf of your Sacred Heart Parish and School family)

Dearborn

 

Fr. Stephen Rooney, pastor of Our Lady on the River Parish in Marine City, is a priest who is always giving to others. He cares about his parishioners but he also cares about all people. I have seen how important it is to Fr. Rooney to involve laypeople in the ministries of the parish. Fr. Rooney asked me to take Communion to someone who could not get out of the house because she was taking care of her very ill mother. He saw something in me and gave me encouragement to do this and now I take Communion to several people. Before Fr. Rooney became our pastor I would never have thought of doing that, but he has that gift to be able to see what others are truly capable of and help us see that giving to others is what our Lord would want. Fr. Rooney is a kind and caring priest.

Mary Shackett

Our Lady on the River Parish, Marine City

 

Praise for the same pastor who I meet regularly at Chene and Lafayette by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Apartments. He’s there almost daily. We pray. He shares whatever he has with all of us. Generous heart! Fr. Lawrence Ventline walks our strip mall, our neighborhood and streets nearby Larned, Lafayette, downtown. We love him. He cares. Library helper typed this. Thanks to her too!

Stella Zawicki

Homeless

 

Fr. Lawrence Ventline gets my approval. He is a good guy who prays and feeds us downtown. Someone said he is in Pope Park in Hamtramck also often. I wish we had more like him.

Tom Fellowsy

Downtown Detroit

 

Words can hardly describe what Msgr. Ricardo Bass’s presence has meant at St. Hubert Parish in Harrison Township and to the community. Msgr. Ricardo Bass has been gifted with total dedication as a pastor, a sense of humor, an intelligent grasp of not only individual needs, but also parish needs, a memory that identifies parishioners by name, a love of song, homilies that touch the heart, a morale booster, and the love of liturgy that brings home the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.  These are only a few of his praiseworthy attributes. Only gratitude to a God who gave him to us for five years is our only prayer. Only He knows how much he will be missed.

Jane Przygocki, s.j.

St. Hubert Parish, Harrison Township

 

We love the faith community at St. Ambrose under the stewardship of Fr. Tim Pelc. He has guided this parish from near closure in the 1980s to a thriving multi-level complex serving the needs of a diverse congregation. His ability as a priest has fostered the continued growth of our parish. One particular reason we respect and embrace Fr. Tim is because of his moving sermons. So many times during the week we think back to what he preached and it is as if he were speaking again and directly to us. He is an exacting leader who demands the very best for our parish. On holidays our church is beautifully decorated and encompasses meaningful celebrations. The children’s Mass on Christmas Eve, Midnight Mass and the Easter Masses are notable examples. Fr. Tim is caring, thoughtful and very approachable. We are honored and blessed to have him as our pastor as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of St. Ambrose Catholic Church. Thank you, Fr. Tim!

Robert and Janis Ramsey

St. Ambrose Parish, Grosse Pointe Park

 

The wonderful Fr. Randy Phillips at St. Blase Parish in Sterling Heights has been such a blessing to me and all humanity despite being very busy with all his other priestly duties. I, an injured person, have personally witnessed and benefitted from his consolation and care. He reaches out in subtle yet significant ways especially to those who need it most. His talent to be inclusive to all God’s people by accommodating, if possible, any special need has been seen throughout my years of worship at St. Blase. He also has an exceptional skill to direct ordinary people to use their God-given gifts. I have seen examples of him ministering to us during many sacraments including baptisms, weddings, Masses, anointing of the sick, confessions, etc. He also has much involvement in our parish, reaching out to help others. Our spiritual growth is one of his many priorities and all of God’s people are benefitting from it. I also think he is not doing this to gain such attention as this letter. But I wholeheartedly believe he deserves it!

Darlene Preston

St. Blase Parish, Sterling Heights

 

We would like to express our deep appreciation for Fr. Stanley Pachla’s leadership at St. Veronica Parish in Eastpointe. From quietly ensuring our church is always in best repair, to supporting the various parish ministries, and to always demonstrating Gospel values, Fr. Stan has been a true blessing. Beyond seeing to our spiritual needs, Fr. Stan has supported the parish’s outreach to those in need within our community through his provision of our food pantry and the use of our parish’s convent by Gianna House — a support for expectant teen mothers — to cite just two examples.

As our parish celebrates our 90th anniversary, we are indeed fortunate for Fr. Stan and his faithful stewardship in the tradition of our previous pastors. May God bless and keep him!

Jim and Cathy Kelly

St. Veronica Parish, Eastpointe

 

Our parish, St. Francis of Assisi-St. Maximilian Kolbe in Ray Township, is a close-knit, loving community.  As our spiritual leader, Fr. Chris Talbot shows by example how to make the message of Jesus come alive. There are many stories to illustrate how Fr. Chris ministers to his flock. I will share just one very personal story.

This summer, my 90-year-old father went home to God. My father had been a longtime parishioner of St. Gemma in Detroit. The archdiocese clustered St. Gemma with a number of other parishes to form St. Catherine of Siena Parish. When St. Catherine closed, my father was left without a parish after more than 50 years. I asked Fr. Chris if he would preside over my father’s funeral when the time came. The time came this summer. Fr. Chris spent an hour with all of my family to hear stories of Dad, our mother (deceased), and the love we all shared. The funeral was beautiful and prayerful. Everyone listening thought Fr. Chris knew my father and extended family for years. His homily captured the essence of my dad and the love and guidance he gave to all of us. My siblings and I were so grateful. There are no words to adequately express my deep gratitude for all that Fr. Chris does for all of us at St. Francis-St. Maximilian. We are truly blessed.

Susan Mooney Smith

St. Francis of Assisi-St. Maximilian
Kolbe Parish, Ray Township

 

Let me tell you about Fr. Chris Talbot of St. Francis of Assisi-St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Ray Township. Fr. Chris is extremely approachable and open to a variety of ideas — but BEWARE! As is the case with most priests, his time is very limited. So when you come forward with a new idea, you just might find yourself spearheading it. But more importantly, in the realm of spirituality, he is so willing to be approached to listen to the story you need to tell. Just as Christ was willing to listen to the rich man in his struggle to reach heaven, so Fr. Chris listens to us in all our struggles. The celebration of Mass, at St. Francis-St. Maximilian, is always just that: a celebration. Whether it’s Fr. Chris or Fr. Art Baranowski (our senior priest and our gift from God), our liturgy is always alive and vibrant. From the opening prayer to the final blessing, through our priests, we know and celebrate God’s love for us. Our own daily lives are jam-packed with activities, and Fr. Chris is no different. Yet he finds time to visit the sick, in the hospital or at homes; he is active with the religious education programs; the Christian outreach programs always feel his support; his management in stewardship matters is always present. You might say: “Well that’s his job.” You’re right, but that’s also his gift to us through the workings of the Holy Spirit! Thank you, Fr. Chris, and I thank God for you!

Anonymous

St. Francis of Assisi-St. Maximilian
Kolbe Parish, Ray Township

 

Fr. Zbigniew Grankowski has greatly impacted my life as a Catholic since I was around 10 years of age. Growing up I always attended Masses but never understood or felt a connection to being Catholic until I met Fr. Zbigniew. The first time I attended Mass with Fr. Zbigniew Grankowski at St. Cunegunda Parish in southwest Detroit, I finally felt a connection to being Catholic. I am now 20 years old and feel a great connection to my faith all thanks to Father’s teachings. Every Mass I leave with a similar message: to love one another, pray for one another, and, no one is perfect. What makes Father so special and important to me is that he proves to be human just like the rest of his people and he, too, is not perfect and makes mistakes. He teaches me to love those around me no matter what might appear to be different because we are ALL loved children of God. Fr. Zbigniew reminds us of the importance of children, because like he always says, “the children are OUR future.” He doesn’t just say they are important to him but he proves it to his congregation. The most touching scene in Mass is Father calling the children up to the altar, and him helping their minds and faith expand, growing into the future disciples of our Catholic Church. For all of this and much more, I thank you Fr. Zbigniew!

Haylene Velasquez

St. Cunegunda Parish, Detroit

 

A priest that has been a special blessing in my life is Fr. Mike Loyson from St. Colette Parish in Livonia. His homilies speak to me and my life. He does such an excellent job connecting with the parishioners. He is a “people person” and genuinely cares for each and everyone he meets. An example of this is how instrumental he was in the lives of my parents as they aged and became ill. He would check up and visit them in the hospital. He has always been very involved in the lives of my family and my grandchildren, whether it be a simple chat, advice or prayers. He has went over and beyond for us. He is just a phone call away. I know that I can count on him and he is there to help. He is very patient and understanding; I find comfort in knowing this. He has strengthened me in my faith by inspiring me to pray more, attend Mass daily, and become more involved in Christian service. I find great joy in helping donating blood, working at the soup kitchen, and donating items for the poor. He has helped me to become a better person, a more prayerful person. I am so grateful for the impact he has had on my life. Thank you,

Elaine Solak

St. Colette Parish, Livonia

 

Within weeks of becoming parishioners at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth, we felt like part of a family. This is due, in large part, to the environment created by Fr. John Riccardo.  An incredibly brilliant and insightful priest, he’s approachable and surprisingly easy to relate to. Even though Fr. Riccardo shepherds a sizable and demanding flock, he sees and treats us as individuals. He tirelessly seeks to lead us to Christ while attempting to remain unsought himself. He becomes less, so Christ can become more and he can then become everything to others. Fr. Riccardo is bold and steadfast yet meek and humble. Our Lord gave him a heart overflowing with love yet he returned it to be used as He wants. He’s like us in many ways, yet at the same time, lives a life that is very different. A spiritual father to many, yet he will never have children of his own. He carries us during our weakest moments even if he also needs to be held up. Father’s love for the Eucharist and Mass and profound reverence of the graces that flow from all the sacraments is infectious. Last but not least, he encourages us to go beyond the parish walls, put love into action and share God’s word. Simply put, Fr. Riccardo wants nothing more than to save souls. He truly lives to do Christ’s work and I’m so very thankful he’s the shepherd of our flock.

Julie Poyer

Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Plymouth

 

The priests that serve Sacred Heart Parish in Dearborn deserve recognition for their dedication to the parish and the parishioners. Fr. Ken Chase is a warm and friendly pastor who makes an effort to connect with all parish members. His ready smile is always a welcoming sign. Fr. Ken shows that he cares for the great traditions of the parish by his stewardship of the campus buildings as well as the faith of the members. He came to the parish during a difficult time and has brought the people together. His commitment to the parish and school is admirable. His homilies are meaningful and thought-provoking. Fr. John Child’s great love for Sacred Heart is evident through his many years of service to the parish. He is always ready to lend a hand wherever and whenever needed and has stood by the parish in good times and bad. He is greatly loved and the parish wouldn’t be the same without him. His contribution to the parish is beyond measure.

Anonymous

Sacred Heart Parish, Dearborn

 

Our parish priest, pastor, shepherd, is Fr. Cornelius Okeke at St. Andre Bessette Parish in Ecorse. Fr. Okeke is a blessing and is truly called by God to shepherd his people. Fr. Okeke is involved in EVERY parish function and is ALWAYS available to everyone who needs him. He continues to inspire our parish family with his life of giving and his love for us all. He knows when we need a hug or kind word. He engages all ages in the Love of God, from children to seniors and everyone in between. At our parish festival, he danced a traditional Nigerian folk dance in sincere appreciation to all who sold tickets, as well as those that were the highest sellers. His parish family looked on in awe as he once again, gave us his all! His homilies are inspired, and all who hear him come away with new insight into the readings for the day and God’s love for us. Fr. Okeke has Bible study classes to help us all enrich our faith. His days are very long with all of the pastoral duties he completes in 24 hours. Whether it is counseling, visiting the sick, attending parish group meetings or preparing for Masses, he is tending to the flock God gave him to shepherd. We are blessed to have him as our pastor, and though we have an almost two-hour round-trip drive to Mass each week, we truly can’t wait to come to St. Andre Bessette each week. Obviously God called us to this parish home and to Fr. Okeke, since we never would have found it on our own! This priest is very special and we would like him to be recognized for truly fulfilling his priestly vocation to God.

Mary and Betty Moroz

Warren

 

In recognition of our Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, who has devoted his life to his people in Michigan. Thank you for having the Holy Doors of mercy through which so many souls have found great peace this year. Thank you for leading us from repentance to transformation during the holy Year of Mercy. Our little band of souls from Henry Ford Village in Dearborn made the pilgrimage through the Holy Doors in June 2016. It was a holy experience. The Holy Spirit is truly alive and working through Archbishop Vigneron, our good shepherd.

Suzanne Mominee

Dearborn

 

On behalf of the Worship Commission at St. Hubert Church in Harrison Township, I would like to take this opportunity to express our great appreciation and gratitude for Msgr. Ricardo Bass’s leadership, guidance, support and especially his humor! For all the priests that have served us through the years and still continue to do so regardless of age and physical condition … thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of our hearts! I would like to share these additional comments from my son Adrian Berch:

“Priests are part of our families. When we first come into the world, our parents bring us to church to meet the priest and he welcomes us into the Christian family by our baptism. Throughout our young lives, we see him every Sunday teaching us how to pray and worship God the way that pleases Him most in the Mass. We grow closer to Jesus through the hands of the priest when we receive Jesus in our first Holy Communion. As we become young adults we take on the charge in our confirmation to take personal responsibility for our faith formation. This charge is asked of us by the bishop, who was first a priest. When we marry we seek the guidance of the priest and his witness before God of our martial covenant. When troubled by sin, the priest, in the person of Christ, is there to wash away our sins and reunite us to God through confession. When sick the priest is there in the hospital to give us God’s blessing and strength in the Anointing of the Sick. And finally at the end of our life it is the priest who gives us his blessing to aid us on our final journey towards our eternal reward.”

Maria Randazzo

St. Hubert Parish, Harrison Township

 

If we agree that prayer is the anchor for any priest, then Fr. John Hedges has this attribute nailed down. To observe Fr. John in his personal prayer represents a time of solace and silence in God’s presence. The constant demands of ministry and the many occasions for public prayer never cut in on his one-on-one time with God. Fr. John realizes that the most common and important prayer in the life of a priest is the Eucharist. It is here that he stands most noticeably in persona Christi, “in the person of Christ.” He embraces the human condition through his eyes of faith. He joyfully celebrates new life at baptisms and weddings. He shares the grief of those who mourn the loss of loved ones. He understands those whose faith is strong and those who live in doubt. In all the highs and lows of the Church community, he can see God’s grace at work in the world with his sights set on the Kingdom and its fullness.

Fr. John realizes that his ministry is not about stroking his own ego but about caring for the souls that are entrusted to him. He also knows how to laugh at himself and the absurdities of the world. He laughs to acknowledge this gift from God while admitting to his own human limitations. When Fr. John celebrates the Eucharist, he is prepared to give homilies rooted in wisdom, inspiration mixed with home-spun humor. Fr. John is a great homilist. This comes from the fruits of prayer, experience and a commitment to be our priest, friend and brother. Ordination was not an end, but a beginning to grow in many ways for Fr. John. He certainly has done this through many venues such as morning prayer, adoration, confession, RCIA, pilgrimages to shrines and holy places, anointing of the sick, visitation to those in need, and the list goes on. Thank you Fr. John.

Richard and Audrey Zavodsky, Ph.D.

St. Stephen Parish, New Boston

 

Truth is, without our pastor, Friar Barnabas Kiss, OFM, and his associate, Friar Angelus Ligeti, OFM, Holy Cross Hungarian Catholic Church would only be a part of Detroit history. Not only do they foster our Hungarian heritage and Catholic faith, but they also preserve our historic structure. Their business sense and common sense have kept our buildings in excellent condition in a neighborhood known more for burned-out and abandoned homes and other structures. A dwindling Hungarian population means 98 percent of our parishioners live outside the “parish” boundaries. Our friars recognize and acknowledge this with conveniently scheduled Masses and special devotions. Their care shows in many ways: bilingual liturgies, birthday and anniversary greetings, wonderful homilies, participation in southwest Detroit and Hungarian events. We constantly offer prayers of thanksgiving for the gift of having two wonderful Franciscans minister to the parishioners at Holy Cross Hungarian Church.

Mary Balaythy

Holy Cross (Hungarian) Parish, Detroit

 

Fr. Roman Pasieczny is the true definition of a shepherd. Last year, our family suffered the deaths of our two sons, our only two children. Last July, our oldest was killed in a car accident. We received the call at 2:15 Sunday morning to come to the hospital. By 3:30, Fr. Roman was there with us, and he stayed with us until he had to leave for noon Mass. In the weeks and months that followed, he visited us often. He spent a lot of time with our other son, helping him find a way to move forward with his life. Fr. Roman was simply being a friend. Later that year, on Nov. 1, we were again awoken at 2:30 Sunday morning. This time, the Michigan State Police were at my door, informing me that our other son had been struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver. Again, Fr. Roman was with us within the hour. He stayed with us, prayed with us, cried with us. He gave us permission to be confused about God’s plan, and he shared that confusion. In the months since, he has continued to minister to us, check on us, ensure we are doing OK … he has continued to be a friend. He has become part of our family. Fr. Roman Pasieczny is the shepherd of our flock. He tends us well.

Paul K. Tsatsos

St. Lawrence Parish, Utica

 

We wish to again recognize Fr. Rich Bartoszek in his role as a spiritual leader at Beaumont Hospital-Bon Secours. When Fr. Rich celebrates Mass on Sunday in the chapel, it is easy to see his passion and dedication to those he serves. He is a great homilist and engages everyone with his humor, understanding of human nature and wisdom. He is an inspiration to both of us. We are grateful for his guidance and friendship.

Pamela Zarkowski and Daniel J. Pierce

 

Fr. Leo Sabourin is pastor at St Constance Church in Taylor. He’s our own personal representative of Pope Francis, rich in mercy and channeling God’s love for us. He is the real deal. To quote novelist Thomas Hardy, Fr. Leo is “not — a spiritual technician.” We are so blessed that well past retirement age, Fr. Leo loves God and God’s people enough to continue his gentle service.

Pauline Wohlford

St. Constance Parish, Taylor

 

Most Holy Trinity Parish in Corktown has been blessed with many amazing priests throughout its 182-year history. I met Msgr. Russ Kohler about nine years ago when I attended one of his Masses with a friend. We have been coming back ever since. Msgr. Kohler truly lived the Gospel and his homilies packed a punch that always hit home. He rolled up his shirt sleeves to serve our community through his many good works. His compassion for the sick and the grief-stricken was a true gift. He prayed with me and for me during my treatment for cancer and his spiritual healing brought a sense of calm that took away all fear. He inspired me to learn more about our founding priest, Fr. Martin Kundig, who turned our church into a hospital to minister to the cholera victims in 1834. It is no coincidence that the tradition of healing continues today. Msgr. Kohler passed away on Good Friday of this year. His faithful dog, Tundra, joined him in paradise a few months later. I miss his smiling Irish eyes, his booming voice, and the spiritual guidance he provided for all of us. Thank you, Msgr. Kohler, for devoting your life to living the Gospel. You will never be forgotten.

Debra Garofalo

Most Holy Trinity Parish, Detroit