Tomorrow, July 1, is First Wednesday. We will have St. Joseph Devotions after Mass. Since it is the feastday of St. Junipero Serra, during Mass we will honor our saint of the day. He is a fellow Franciscan and “Father of the California Missions” who was canonized by Pope Francis HERE in the United States in 2015.
This Friday, July 3, is First Friday. We will celebrate St. Thomas the Apostle and honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
This Saturday, July 4, is not only First Saturday but also, of course Independence Day and the 250th Anniversary of the Founding of our Country. (On July 2, 1776, our Founding Fathers of the Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence from Great Britain, and on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted.) Please remember we have a 9:00 am Mass on First Saturdays (and only on First Saturdays) in addition to our normal Noon Mass. At each Mass a Rosary and the 15 minutes of reflection on the Mysteries of the Rosary will follow. At the Noon Mass we also have Exposition after Mass and conclude with Benediction. We will CLOSE AFTER BENEDICTION so people can join family and friends to celebrate Independence Day.
I will be leading a pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel only) from October 12-22. There is still space left. There is nothing like walking in the footsteps of Jesus in HIS land, having Mass in the Holy Places, reading the Bible where its events happened, and visiting almost all the places of the 20 Mysteries of the Rosary. To prepare, we will hold another mandatory Pilgrimage Orientation Meeting at St. Joseph Chapel (400 South Blvd. West, Pontiac, MI 48341) on Saturday, July 11, from 2:00-4:00 pm. (This is only being offered for those who didn’t attend the first Orientation Meeting on June 21.) The pilgrimage is filling up fast. To register, please bring a current passport—valid at least 3 months after our return—and a means of payment. We will meet in the lower level. Please enter through the front iron doors of the chapel. “Come and see!” (John 1:46)
To communicate with me, please email me directly at my NEW EMAIL abunacalcio1982@gmail.com or call/text me at (313) 727-9784. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
In Jesus, Mary & Joseph,
Fr. Alex Kratz, OFM
Spiritual Director of Terra Sancta Ministries