Fr. Jim Scheick and I became co-pastors of St. Gerard parish on July 1, 1973. Our seven years together were a time for me of steady growth in learning the leadership skills of pastoral ministry. Fr. Jim was a prayerful priest who was blessed with creativity in liturgy, compassionate sensitivity and administrative talents that welcomed a wide diversity of people into community. We made a great team together and collaborated closely with so many gifted lay men and women.

It was in August of 1975 that I went to Holy Redeemer College in Windsor to participate in my first Faith & Sharing Retreat. This style of retreat began with Jean Vanier, who began the L’Arche movement of homes for the physically and mentally challenged in France. In 1968, he was invited to give a priests’ retreat near Toronto. He responded by saying that he’d only give a retreat with the “whole church” present, that is, priests, sisters, married and single, those visibly challenged, young and old, etc. This type of retreat spread around the world. I was one of a committee that brought the Faith & Sharing Retreat to Detroit in August, 1976. Key leadership people right from the beginning came from St. Mary’s of Redford and St. Gerard’s parishes. It has been held each year ever since. (Note: This year’s Faith & Sharing retreat will be held at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center (Schoolcraft just east of Telegraph) from Thurs evening, Aug 5 through supper on Sunday, Aug 8^th. The animators (speakers) this year will be Fr. Paul Berg, Shirley Beaupre, and Maureen O’Reilly.)

When Fr. Jim left St. Gerard to become pastor of St. Edith’s parish in Livonia in July 1980, I was appointed pastor of St. Gerard. I carried on the fine tradition that was in place for another eight years. It was a time of a vibrant faith-community, with a strong outreach into the local community, and dynamic liturgies. During these years, I found special joy in clown ministry, at the annual family camping weekend in Brighton, MI, in nursing home visits, parish dances and a variety of prayer services. In May 1983, after completing a number of theology courses at St. John’s Seminary, a Master of Sacred Theology degree was conferred upon me by the Catholic University of America.

My appointment to St. Albert the Great parish in Dearborn Heights began July 1, 1988. It was a completely new experience, a new adventure. I welcomed being back in the Dearborn area, relatively close to where I had grown up. In my eleven years as pastor with the people of St. Albert the Great, I cherished the warmly embracing, hard-working community that continued to grow in every way. I found great joy in personally encouraging many parishioners, both those of long standing and those newcomers, to step forward to offer their time and talents in service. The annual festival was a great example of people pulling together in hard work, but also with loads of fun. The elementary school, with a reputation for fine leadership, teachers, and parent involvement was central to parish life. The Marist Sisters came from Ireland in 1956 to begin St. Albert the Great School just a year after the parish was founded. You’ll still find Sr. Ephrem in the school often to help out where needed.

It was during those eleven years that I was granted a three month sabbatical by Cardinal Maida to be a part of the INN-SPIRE program at St. Gertrude’s Monastery in Cottonwood, Idaho. From Sept 5 to Dec 5, 1996, I was blessed to join 16 other men and women. It was there that I had an in-depth experience in centering prayer and contemplation, as well as intensive journaling, and integrating ministry in leisure and prayer. The three months concluded with a 30 day retreat, my second Ignatian retreat, 25 years after my first one. Time to be grateful to such a loving God for so many blessings in priestly ministry.

What a surprise when I received a phone call from Msgr. John Zenz in March, 1999. He informed me that the Archdiocesan Priests’ Personnel Board had recommended that I become the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish, just several days after the death of Fr. James Kenneally, their pastor. After a few days of prayer for discernment and courage, I accepted the new assignment, which began Aug 2, 1999. I had arranged to spend the month of July on retreat with other priests on the grounds of St. John’s Seminary near Los Angelos, CA. This type of retreat  is called by the Jesu Caritas Priest Fellowship, a “Month of Nazareth.” For Jesus, and we, priests including myself, it was the quiet time of preparing before entering (again) into public ministry.

It’s been almost five years now since I’ve been pastor of Sacred Heart Parish. Wow! It hardly seems possible. The challenges have been many, but the rewards of shepherding such a talented, richly blessed community with people of every age have been even more multiple. There is a great deal of tradition in the 168 year history of this Catholic Community which gave birth to numerous other Catholic parishes in this area of Wayne County.

While the architecture of our Romanesque church is magnificent, now extended to our new parish hall, the real story of our faith community lies in the hearts and lives of our people, who do their best to live the Gospel values.

The staff of Sacred Heart parish is exceptionally skilled and competent. Sacred Heart Elementary School stands out for providing an excellent, catholic education in the Dearborn area. Religious education for public school students, youth ministry, adult education/formation, music ministry, out-reach service to the metropolitan area, and so much more make it a joy for me to follow in the long line of pastors of Sacred Heart Parish. I am blessed to be the pastor of such a faith-community who share their time, talent and financial resources so generously. All of us are blessed, too, to have the former pastor of Sacred Heart Parish residing and assisting in the liturgical ministry: Fr. Jack Child.

On this my 40^th Anniversary of Priestly Ministry, I thank God for such extravagantly overflowing love channeled through all the people of God with whom I have shared ministry – giving expression to the dying and rising of Jesus day-in and day-out, over the long haul – everywhere, in every heart, visible and invisible, but all according to God’s loving purposes and plan. May God continue to lead us on – into an unknown future – confident and filled with joy.

Amen! Alleluia!!