Pastor’s Corner — January 11th, 2026
New Year’s Advice for Using our Devices
Last weekend in my homily I preached about how constant awareness of the darkness around us in the world can overwhelm us and prevent us from bringing light into the darkness. For many people, including myself, it’s a temptation to be addicted to using our phones. In a related topic, Msgr Charles Pope has some practical recommendations for new year’s resolutions on our phone use in his article New Year’s Suggestions Regarding your “Device.”* Here are some of them from the article:
1. Be less anxious or angry if someone doesn’t text or email you back right away. Remember, he or she might be busy.
2. Don’t feel the need to apologize so much for not getting back to someone right away. Nearly instant access to people is a fairly new concept; not so long ago, we managed to survive just fine without it.
3. Turn off some or all of the sounds that signal a new text, e-mail, or the availability of some other information. Do this permanently if possible, or at least with enough frequency that you can break the obsession with always knowing what is going on.
4. Check for text and email messages a reasonable number of times each day, but not when you are in meetings, in conversations with others, at lunch with friends, etc.
5. Take out those earbuds as often as you can and just walk the old-fashioned way: greet people, make eye contact, give some indication to people you pass by that you care that they exist, rediscover background noises or the sounds of nature, maybe even enjoy a little silence.
6. Designate an occasional day when you completely unplug from your device and just “chill.”
7. Make use of the “do not disturb” feature on your device. Most devices allow you to specify a limited set of people/circumstances under which the device will alert you to incoming calls or notifications. Carefully consider who belongs on the list and let the rest of the messages wait.
Presentation on Infertility on February 19th at St Pats
I’m proud to announce that our parish will host an upcoming talk given by Dr. Chambers on Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FABMs) for family planning and the broader field of restorative reproductive medicine. The presentation will introduce how understanding a woman’s natural cycle can support responsible family planning while remaining fully aligned with Catholic teaching on the dignity of marriage and human life.
Attendees will learn how fertility awareness can be used not only to achieve or avoid pregnancy, but also to identify and treat underlying reproductive health concerns-such as irregular cycles, painful periods, hormonal imbalances, and infertility-by addressing root causes rather than suppressing symptoms.
This free talk on February 19th at 7pm at in O’Kelly Hall will offer a hopeful, science-based approach that works with the body as God designed it and empowers couples with knowledge and confidence. This Catholic talk is filled with hope for those struggling to conceive, so please share this with women who are trying to conceive.
Evening for Catholic Health Care Workers: February 25th
If you’re a Catholic health care worker, you might want to go to the following event. The Diocese of Lansing is hosting an evening, Life to the Last Breath: Christian Ethics for the Healthcare Worker on Wednesday February 25th at 7pm in Ann Arbor. From the Diocese:
In a culture that often measures human worth by independence and productivity, the Christian vision of medicine calls us to see every person as created in the image of God and deserving of compassionate care. Join us for an evening with Dr. Kristin Collier and Dr. Charles Camosy as they explore what it means to practice medicine faithfully in a time of moral and spiritual challenge.
Dr. Kristin Collier, a practicing physician and nationally recognized voice on faith and medicine, will open the evening. Dr. Charles Camosy, author of Living and Dying Well: A Christian Plan for Resisting Physician-Assisted Killing, will address the growing acceptance of physician-assisted suicide and offer a Christian response.
This event is open to the public and especially relevant for physicians, nurses, and all healthcare professionals. Together, we’ll reflect on how to live and serve well—to the very last breath. Registration is only $20. Click here for more information and for registration.
Last Chance to Complete your Discipleship and Small Group Survey
Thank you to everyone who completed our 2025 Discipleship and Small Group Survey so far. For any of you who regularly attend St. Pat’s, but were not present for the conclusion of our Advent homily series, “Following Jesus Intentionally,” I encourage you to watch my homily on the difference between spiritual seeking and intentional discipleship and complete this short survey by January 14th.
RESTORED this Saturday, January 10 at 7:30pm
I would like to encourage you to come and worship the Lord this upcoming Saturday, January 10 at our monthly Restored beginning at 7:30pm in the Church. Restored is an evening of prayer where we adore Jesus in Blessed Sacrament and sing worship music led by local musicians that takes place on the second Saturday of each month. The evening concludes around 8:15pm with light refreshments and socializing.
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias