Pastor’s Corner — July 13th, 2025
Bishop Carl Mengeling (RIP)
As you probably know Bishop Carl Mengeling died last week and the funeral is tomorrow (I’m writing this on Wednesday). I had the opportunity to visit him just a day and half before he died and offer him the Apostolic Pardon.
It was moving for me to say goodbye to him. Bishop was a giant spiritual father in my life. He was the bishop of my youth, the one who confirmed me, and the one who accepted me into seminary. He was a true joyful shepherd who loved Jesus. He took me under his wing in a special way and offered me to stay with him on a little retreat time the days before my ordination.
I’ll never forget an experience of him as a teenager–one of the first times I met him. (It could have been my confirmation). He walked up to me and said to me with enthusiasm, “You’re going to be a priest!” I never even seriously thought of being a priest until I was in college, so I kind of shrugged it off. But looking back on this moment before I was ordained a priest, I asked him later if he said that kind of thing to other guys. He didn’t even really remember saying it. That spontaneous thing he said was likely him responding to a prophetic insight the Holy Spirit gave him (a charism).
As we bury him tomorrow, I remember his joy, humor, intelligence, and unmistakable sincere love for God. I’m deeply thankful that God gave him to me, and to the whole Diocese, a spiritual father. May he rest in peace.
Parish Project Updates: From Ryan Nardozzi, Director of Operations
Parking Lot Development Project
We are in the final stages of completing our new parking lot. Currently, we are waiting for a small area to settle. Once that is done, we will be able to lay the asphalt. After paving, the only remaining tasks will be line painting and landscaping, which includes planting a row of trees along the railroad tracks and a fence around the drainage pond.
PLC Parking Lot Replacement
Starting next week (July 14), we will begin pulverizing the existing lot and performing fine grading. If the ground is firm enough, paving will take place the week of July 21. However, due to recent rain and current pavement conditions, additional drying time may be necessary.
PLC Classroom Bathrooms
We have begun a modest renovation of the PLC classroom restrooms, similar to the recent updates made to the church restrooms. This includes lighting, countertops, paint, faucets, etc. Our goal is to complete this work by the end of August.
Church Restrooms
The men’s restroom renovation is now complete. We are currently finishing the women’s restroom, including painting the tile and installing new flooring for a refreshed look. While we initially aimed to incorporate the existing pink tile, feedback led us to update both the flooring and wall tile for a more cohesive appearance.
New Part-Time Parish Front Office Secretary Position
As we grow as a parish and better align responsibilities with giftings, we are now looking to hire a part time front office secretary position to add to our current staff. Details of the position and the offer can be found on the Diocesan website. The person in this role will play a key role in welcoming and receiving parishioners and guests as well as assisting in some ways with administrative support for our operations. If you know someone who loves the Church, is detail-oriented, loves people, and wants to help make disciples of Jesus here at St. Pat’s, please encourage them to apply.
New Catholic Biblical School of Michigan Offering: Table After Mass
Many parishioners have gone through the courses offered by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, which helps Catholics understand the Bible and encounter Jesus in the Scriptures without the pressure of grades or tests. Essentially, it is an adult faith formation ministry with live, expert teachers.
As we finish classes at St Pat’s, a new weekly course is launching at St. Joseph in Howell on Tuesday nights this September. This offering is for everyone, whether you’ve hardly ever picked up the Bible, or you’ve been in bible studies for years. This is ideal for those who want to understand the Bible and how God God speaks into our lives through his Word.
They have a table in the back after each Mass with brochures for more information. Feel free to go to their website www.cbsmich.org for more information.
New IRS Rules: Churches Can Now Endorse Political Candidates
You may have seen the news this week that, for the first time in 70 years, the IRS rules allow churches to endorse political candidates. This could get ugly. I believe it is totally unwise for churches to endorse candidates for the simple fact that promoting the common good through politics is primarily the domain of the laity. Our role as clergy is to teach clearly the principles of Catholic social teaching (morality on how to promote and protect the common good) to the lay faithful who are to apply these principles to their own lives in various ways. Thankfully, the position of the United States Bishops (including our bishop) remains clear: Catholic parishes or entities will not endorse candidates for office or get involved in partisan politics.
Xavier Randolph: May He Rest in Peace
This morning, I sent an email to the parish about the sudden passing of Deacon Peter Randolph’s 18 year-old brother Xavier. Please keep Xavier, Deacon Peter, and the Randolph family in prayer. If you didn’t get this email, please make sure you’re signed up.
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias