Making Change for Life

Make a difference in the lives of mothers in our community by taking a baby bottle on Mother’s Day, May 13, filling it with your spare change (change, cash, or check) and bringing it back on Father’s Day, June 17. This simple act makes a lasting impact in the lives of women and babies by giving them an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to choose life. It may seem small, but the impact is huge.

Thank you, and may God bless you in your support of this important work that Crossroads Pregnancy Center offers to the most vulnerable members in our community. Visit www.crossroadspregnancy.org to learn more. For questions, call Mary Beth Boucher, 248-391-2767.
  

Friday, May 4, 6:00 p.m. Anyone currently volunteering in one of the many ministries at Christ the Redeemer Celebrate Cinco De Mayo With Us!   RSVP by Friday, April 27 to the parish office via: sign up sheets in the vestibule, on-line invite, Facebook or call the office, 248-391-1621.

Last summer the Archdiocese of Detroit published a revised Parish Council Handbook. One of the significant changes in this new handbook is the establishment of a Parish Finance Council, which would be a companion to the existing Parish Pastoral Council. The establishment of this new finance council grew out of the financial reorganization that has been taking place in the AOD over the past two years.

The Parish Finance Council will be responsible for the annual budget and the monthly financial reports of the parish. This responsibility that has been the work of the Stewardship Commission. The current Stewardship Commission has been transitioning this year to become the Parish Financial Council. In this new arrangement, it is the Finance Council that prepares and approves the budget. The Pastoral Council is involved in the budget process, but they no longer approve the budget.

A new Stewardship Commission must therefore be formed and its role is being redefined and focused. The new Stewardship Commission will be concerned with the promotion of Christian stewardship as a way of life. It will be working to show how living out our call to discipleship in service to the Church and her members provides a living example by which the spirit of evangelization is witnessed.

To accomplish this, the Commission will operate in these broad areas:

1. To build an awareness of the fundamental principles of Christian stewardship so that stewardship is understood as an essential element in every aspect of parish life.

2. To develop strategies that will engage the parish community as Christian stewards in cultivating financial support for the Parish Pastoral Plan or strategically identified needs and projects within the parish.

3. To assist all parishioners in discerning the unique gifts they possess and offering opportunities to use those gifts in service to the Body of Christ.

4. To cultivate parishioners’ sharing their time and talents within the parish community by working toward increasing parishioner participation and direct involvement in parish activities and throughout the larger community.

At the same time, the Commission will be responsible for ongoing stewardship activities such as the CSA campaign, the Green Committee, the Volunteer Committee and other activities not appropriate to the new Finance Council. As this will be the year to build and launch the new Commission, we seek individuals who have a desire to create a structure, consistent with Diocesan guidelines, which will extend the Parish Council's vision for parish Stewardship out to the whole parish.

Next weekend we begin the annual process of tapping parishioners for leadership in the ongoing mission and ministry of the parish. The Worship, Education, and Service commissions will be looking for 3 new members for 3-year terms. Some replacement members are also needed on a few commissions. The Activities Committee is looking for several new members, and we encourage couples to work together in this ministry. The Parish Pastoral Council will be looking for 2 at large members (6 total) and we will be looking for two new members for the 6-member Finance Council. The developing Stewardship Commission could eventually become a 9-member commission, (a rotation of 3 new members per year for a 3-year term) the same as the other commissions. Some of the Volunteer Coordinating team have agreed to continue serving on this new commission, since much of the work is already being handled by this team.

We are in need of volunteers for the Soup Kitchen and Dinner Meals! If you are interested, send me an email and I will send you an invitation to use Volunteer Spot where you can choose the dates and times available to volunteer and receive other important information.

Thanks,

Sera Bardelski

sera1@sbcglobal.net
  

All families involved in Faith Formation are reminded that our final gathering will be next Sunday. There will be a closing celebration in Church at 4:30 followed by an ice cream social in Bethany. Come and be part of the musical celebration of “Our Faith.” Come, thank the catechists, teens and many adult aides who make such a dynamic program possible.

As Director of the Office of Family Ministry, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Marilyn Lines, who coordinates this program, supplying the tireless energy it demands. Also, absolutely essential to the organization of it all is Maryalice Tomei, administrative coordinator for the Office of Family Ministry. Her work is invaluable as well. Mari Reyes has also committed her time and expertise to the musical portion of this endeavor. What a gift to so many! As a parish community, we thank them for their dedicated ministry.
   

People have been asking if we might be able to continue showing the Catholicism DVD by Robert Barron. (Those who attended the Lenten series were excited by the contents of the DVDs and want to continue the exploration to the heart of our faith.) So, we will arrange to finish the series for anyone who is interested after the Masses, beginning next Sunday, April 28/29. Episode 6 raises the question: What is the Church? Father Barron unpacks the portion of our creed that describes the Church as one, holy, catholic and apostolic. (Looking ahead, the next episode deals with the mystery of the Eucharist. This one is a “don't miss” event.) If you journeyed with us during Lent, come back...if you didn't take advantage of this challenging series, come and see. You'll be glad you did.
 

What kind of needs are present in our community? Are you a parent of a special ed child who would like to gather with others in our parish community with a similar life style? Are you a college student who might enjoy connecting with others in our parish who are of similar age? Are you perhaps recently widowed, or divorced? Are you a single parent, the parent of a teen or the parent of a newborn? Would your personal and faith journey be enriched by meeting and sharing concerns with others who are walking a similar path to your own? Are you a professional person (lawyer, doctor, teacher, architect, business manager, etc.) who would like to share the Christian journey with others in the parish with similar interests and concerns?

The Education Commission is interested and committed to helping form small faith communities within our parish. We need to hear from you. Please email your interest and information to ctrdirector@ameritech.net. We want to serve you in your faith journey.

Confirmation candidates are reminded about the Confirmation retreat on Sunday, April 29 at Echo Grove.

Also please plan on attending the teen/sponsor gathering on either Saturday, May 12 (10:00) or Monday, May 14 (7:30) for prayer, dialogue and practice for the actual ceremony.

(Christ the Redeemer, Lake Orion)

If you are in the process of learning to drive (Segment I or Segment II), or have recently received your driver’s license, we want to celebrate you! Please join us on Sunday, May 13 at 11 am Mass for a special blessing. This is something we do every year to celebrate this momentous occasion. We, as your church family, would love to celebrate this milestone with you.

I often find myself wondering how the disciples could not have recognized Jesus on the road to Emmaus. They spent so much time in his presence, how could they not have known who he was? And, where were they going – were they leaving town? Did they decide that things didn’t pan out the way they thought they should have and they quit? I find it interesting that they didn’t recognize Jesus until he ate with them. In the breaking of the bread, they found the Savior.

I find this to be true for me every Sunday. It may be a crazy week, and I may think I’m staying steady in my prayer life, but it isn’t until I come to Eucharist, that I feel reconnected. Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with someone, but you realize you’re not really paying attention? You’re there in the conversation, but part of your brain is off thinking about the weekend, home-

My favorite times with family have been spent around the kitchen table. From the time I was very young, we would just hang out there long after the meal was over, laughing, talking, and sharing. To this day, with four grown children, we still spend an hour or more at the dinner table going over the day’s

I know life gets so busy as you get older, with more responsibilities, commitments, and conflicting schedules. Try to experience family dinner as often as you can. You just might find yourself reconnecting with your family and with your Savior.

Who Do We Tithe To?
Humble Design

Humble Design, based in Birmingham, Michigan, partners with local area homeless and abuse shelters to identify families that are emerging from shelters and into low-income housing. Many of these families are victims of abuse and have left behind all personal items upon escaping and entering an emergency shelter. Most have no beds, books, toys, or furniture to call their own. Once a partnering agency makes a referral, Humble Design volunteers meet with the families to do a needs’ assessment and develop a client wish list. From there, volunteers move swiftly to: assemble the furnishings, toys, accessories, and housewares; do any minor cleaning, maintenance, repairs or painting; and officially move the families into their new housing. The end result is something like an extreme makeover on-adime. Humble Design currently has the capacity to assist up to three families per month, and all referrals must come through a partnering organization such as South Oakland Shelter, Haven in Pontiac, and Cass Services in Detroit. If you would like to make a donation or learn more about them, visit : www.humbledesign.org.
 
 
 
 
 

Members of Christ the Redeemer parish are invited to participate in the CYO Athletic Program at St. Joseph. Coaches from St. Joseph Football and Volleyball will be available after Mass on Sunday, April 29 to meet with parents and players to discuss the St. Joseph Athletic Program. For additional program information and registration details, please access the Athletics page at www.stjosephlakeorion.org.

We wish to thank all those volunteers who hosted one of our evenings of Lenten “Soup and Prayer.” These evenings were a wonderful opportunity to gather and share delicious soup, pray and give alms during this Holy Easter Season. A special thank you to all those who attended and generously gave a donation to several non-profit organizations. Those organizations who benefited were: HOPE Hospitality and Warming Center, Catholic Relief Services, Foster Care Children and Orphan Support and The Detroit City Blight Busters, (youth summer mission project).

All members of Christ the Redeemer’s Kroger Rewards Program will need to re-enroll to continue earning rewards. All participants must sign up for the program in order to earn funds for Christ the Redeemer during 2012-2013.

Even if you have signed up for Kroger Community Rewards in February or March of this year-which will earn us funds as part of the May 2011 to May 2012 program-you must re-enroll after April 1, 2012 (NO SOONER) to continue earning rewards during the coming year, May 2012-May 2013.

To re-enroll just visit www.krogercommunityrewards.com, click on “Michigan” and click on “Re-enroll” to re-register.

Non participants can join in the rewards program by going to the website listed above and clicking on “Enroll” to register for the first time.

 
How Can I Join This
Ministry?

A person must complete the training class which will be offered in the Fall. The training equips the Stephen Minister with all of the tools needed to be caring and compassionate while listening and choosing the right words and actions to help hurting individuals ease their pain. The skills learned are not only used for the ministry at Christ the Redeemer, but are valuable tools that can be used in everyday life to help those people that we all meet that are hurting and need to hear the right words to feel Christ’s healing, loving presence.

If you would like to become a Stephen Minister, or if you or someone you love is in need of a Stephen Minister, contact: Judy Bas (248)693- 3047 or Jkbas99@yahoo.com
 
 
 
 
 
 

The weekend of April 14/15 the following infants were baptized at Christ the Redeemer: Abigail Nancy, Jack Edward, and Katherine Judith triplets of Jeffrey and Megan Auerbach; Christopher Sean son of Christopher and Jamie Darrow; Stevie Brook daughter of Douglas and Heather Jones; Ava Severa daughter of Alex and Meredith Mendez; Bradley Richard son of Stephen and Lindsay Patrick; Katherine Belle daughter of Steve and Karen Schaller; Connor Joseph son of Ryan and Carol Smith; Jackson Lee son of Joshua and Jessica Strathres.

Looking for Softball Players!!!!

It's time to dust off the gloves and start swinging the bats! We are in need of more softball players, both men and especially women, to play on the Christ the Redeemer softball teams in the PAVAL league. Our season will begin in June and we play on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Notre Dame Prep High School in Pontiac. All ages 15 and up and all experience levels are welcome. Players must be registered parishioners. If interested, contact Mary Bussone-Neam at anthonynmary@aol.com or 248-393-1847.

Church World Services (CWS) is dedicated to the work of feeding the hungry by helping them become self sufficient, resettling refugees, supporting disaster relief, and advocacy. CWS is a Christian-based ecumenical organization that does it’s work locally and globally.

The Orion Oxford Crop Walk is celebrating its 30th year supporting CWS and Christ the Redeemer is joining other local churches in celebrating this milestone event. We are looking for 40 walkers, runners, strollers and supporters to help us continue successful walks. Stop by after all masses to pick up a pledge form or sign up to support one of our walkers.

Church World Service works with partners such as Catholic Relief Services and other agencies to promote their causes and help those who are in need. Your donation to the Lake Orion/Oxford CROP Walk is distributed worldwide as well as in our own community with 20% of our proceeds going to FISH and Love INC. For the past 28 years Michigan has lead the country with its participation and fundraising.

The walk takes place on May 6 with 6 or 2 mile options. Join us for a beautiful spring walk for a great cause! We look forward to seeing our old friends and new walkers!

If you want more information, please call Terry Sundt (248-391-0703) or John Jarvis (248-814-0762). Thank you.

Have you ever wanted to be able to better explain the Catholic faith or enrich your knowledge of why we believe what we believe? Sacred Heart Major Seminary is now offering a twocredit Introduction to Theology course this coming fall on-site at St. Andrew! Covering the major doctrines of the Church, the course will be held Wednesday evenings from 7:00-9:00 p.m. from September 5- December 12. The class will be taught by Msgr. Jeffrey Monforton. Credits can be applied toward catechetical certification or other pastoral programs or degrees.

For more information, contact the Admissions Office at Sacred Heart Major Seminary, 313-883-8520 or fromm.tamra@shms.edu.
 

CCRT has received a very nice lift chair which is available for someone who is in need. It serves as a recliner and has electric controls to assist those who do not have strength to rise from the chair. If interested, please contact Lew Elbert at 248-705-1238. Lew is willing to arrange delivery and asks only that a donation to CCRT be made in return.

A Worldwide Marriage Encounter Weekend will help you enjoy life with a new closeness to each other and to God. You don’t need it-you deserve a Marriage Encounter Weekend!

Upcoming weekends are:

April 27-28, Quality Inn, Troy

June 22-24, St. Paul of the Cross,

Detroit

September 14-16, Quality Inn,

Troy

For more information or to apply: www.wwme-detroit.org or Rick and Miriam Mikulak, 888-322-9963 or detwwme@gmail.com

Prayer for Earth
From and ancient Cherokee
prayer to the Great Spirit
(Earth Day, Sunday, April 22)
Great Spirit, give us hearts
to understand:
That to destroy Earth’s music
is to create confusion;
That to wreck Earth’s appearance
is to blind us to beauty;
That to pollute Earth’s fragrance
is to make a house of stench;
That as we care for Earth,
Earth will care for us.
 
Great Spirit, help us to find the
way to reconcile with Earth:
to refresh the lands,
to cleanse the waters,
to replenish the many creatures
we have destroyed,
to restore Earth’s beauty.
 
Great Spirit, forgive us,
Give Earth rest and care.
Grant us reconciliation.
Rush forth, Great Spirit,
Renew the face of Earth! Amen 

Meetings begin at Christ the Redeemer on Thursdays in the Matt 1 room. Anyone in recovery is welcome.

Questions please call the parish office.
 

First, we kept the forty days, with praying, fasting and giving alms. Then we celebrated the three days of Christ’s passion, dying and rising. Now we delight in the fifty days, with rejoicing, feasting and giving witness! The season of Easter is fifty days long. It is a time of unbridled joy, of exuberant rejoicing. The church tells us, “The fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost are celebrated in joyful exultation as one feast day, or better as one ‘great Sunday.’ These above all others are days for the singing of the Alleluia.” (General Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar, #22)

Why is Eastertime fifty days? The ancient cultures that gave us the Bible had great respect for numbers. They believed that numbers contained hints about God and the meaning of life. The number seven was thought to contain fullness: There are seven days in the week, according to God’s original way of ordering time, creating all that there is and resting. So if you multiply 7 times 7, you have “fullness times fullness.”

But wait! 727 is 49! With God, there is always more—more than we can ever imagine. So our holy season of Easter is even more than “fullness times fullness.” It’s “fullness times fullness” and then some: 727+1. That’s what love is like: more than we can ever imagine. That’s what heaven is going to be like: more than we can ever imagine.

The fifty days are days for looking for the risen Lord among us, for hearing in each other’s stories of rising from the big and small deaths, days when we experience something of Christ’s triumphs. That’s why we look to the newly baptized, robed in bright new clothes and oily with gladness: At Easter, they died and rose with Christ! Now they take their places with us. Together, like the apostles who were so full of the Spirit that people thought they were drunk, we rush about with good and giddy news: Death is not the last word! Life and love are forever! And slowly, painstakingly, we work together, together with Christ, to change this world into the world to come. Sing Alleluia!

Copyright © 1997 Archdiocese of Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 1800 North Hermitage Avenue, Chicago IL 60622-1101; 1-800-933-1800. Text by David Philippart. Art by Chuck Ludeke.

Notre Dame Prep School and Marist Academy youth summer camps provide safe, fun and skill-focused experiences for cchildren entering kindergarten through grade 12. Summer programs are offered in volleyball, soccer, baseball, football, basketball, tennis and lacrosse. Academic camps include sessions in art, creative writing, IB, math and debate.

Summer camps range from two to five and a half hours per day and offer instruction for all skill levels. All camps are run by NDP faculty members or varsity coaches.

Call 248-373-9647 or 248-373-5300 for more information or to obtain a brochure. Brochures are also on-line at www.ndpma.org.

NEW NIGHT! Wednesday, April 25, at 7:00 pm in Meeting Room 2, at St. Joseph's Church on Lapeer Road, please join us for prayer, conversation, and goodies. For more information, please contact Valerie Giggie at 248-236-0462 or VRGG@ATT.net.