Beaver Island Michigan

Holy Cross will celebrate Mass on Christmas Eve at 700pm. And on Christmas day Mass will be celebrated at 900am.

The Beaver Island Christian Church will have it's Christmas Eve service at 530pm.

December 8 is the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Mass will be celebrated at 900am on Monday morning.

Thanksgiving day Mass at Holy Cross will be celebrated at 830am. Followed by the Beaver Island Community Thanksgiving Day Service at The Beaver Island Christian Church at 1000am. The traditional Beaver Island Thanksgiving dinner will be served at Gregg Fellowship Hall at 600pm. Ya'll come, ya hear

Mass Intentions November 9, 2014 â?? December 25, 2014

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November:

Sunday November 9: 930am +Randall Jones, and the intentions of the parish

Thursday November 13: 900am +Anna Marie Ricksgers

Sunday November 16: 930am The Joy of Helen Pike & Uncle Lawrence McDonough (Celebrating Aunt Helenâ??s 97th & Uncle Lawrenceâ??s 100th Birthdays). And the intentions of the parish

Tuesday November 18: 900am +James White

Thursday November 20: 900am +Audrey Gatliff Smallwood

Sunday November 23: 930am +T. Janet Oâ??Donnell, and the intentions of the parish

Tuesday November 25: 900am +Francis â??Budâ?￾ Left

Thursday November 27 (Thanksgiving Day): 900am +Bill Cashman

Sunday November 30 (First Sunday of Advent): 930am +Francis â??Budâ?￾ left, and the intentions of the parish

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December:

Tuesday December 2: 900am +Marie Johnson

Thursday December 4: 900am + T. Janet Oâ??Donnell

Sunday December 7: 930am +Patrick Doherty (Father Jimâ??s Dad), Birthday of Rosemary Doherty Ahern (Father Jimâ??s Sister). And the intentions of the parish

Tuesday December 9: 900am +Charlotte & Robert McDonough

Thursday December 11: 900am +Catherine Gatliff

Sunday December 14: 930am +Claire Gleason (Mother in-law of Ron Wojan and his wifeâ??s Pattiâ??s mom)

Tuesday December 16: 900am +Gary Morse (Founder of The Villages in Florida)

Thursday December 18: 900am +Carol LaFreniere

Sunday December 21: 930am +Vera Wojan, and the deceased of the Wojan Families. And the intentions of the parish

Tuesday December 23: 900am Deceased of the John Kenwabakise Families, especially young Patrick and Rachael the parents of baby +Trinity Grace

Thursday December 25: 930am Christmas Morning the intentions are for the parish and all Christmas Masses that will be announced.

â??Mass Mobsâ?? Aim To Keep Pews Full At Old Churches
In Detroit, a group of Catholics borrowed the idea of flash mobs for â??Mass mobsâ?￾ to help revitalize urban churches.
Every month a group called Detroit Mass Mobs picks a church, spreads the word on Facebook or other social media- and just like that, the church fills up with the buzz and the energy that it once had. St. Florian Catholic church is an eight-story, magnificent red brick building with priceless stained glass rose windows and vaulted granite columns that was built in 1908 by the Polish families who flocked here to work for Dodge, Ford, and Packard. It seats 1500 people, but normally only about 200 people attend noon Mass. On a recent Sunday, Thom Mann, an organizer with Detroit Mass Mob whoâ??s not a regular at St. Florian, had to get here early because, he says, â??thereâ??ll be standing room only.â?￾
â??People are upset that the churches are closing, but the simple reason is, people donâ??t go,â?￾ Mann says. â??When you have a church that seats 1500 people, and thereâ??s 100 people there or less, how are they going to keep them open?â?￾
The Detroit Mass Mob started earlier this year after Mann saw an article about a similar effort in Buffalo. The first event in Detroit was in April and drew 150 people. The Detroit Free Press ran an article right before the second event. â??And it doubled our attendance. We filled that church at 400.â?￾ Mann says. Nine-hundred came to the third Mass. And they started looking for bigger churches. At the recent Mass mob at St. Florian, 2000 people showed up.
â??Iâ??ve always wanted to see the insides of a lot of these places,â?￾ says Thom Kinney. Itâ??s his fifth Mass mob event. Kinney says there is something special about coming to Mass with so many other people. â??To be in attendance when itâ??s full, as opposed to just being sparse. Thereâ??s an electricity thatâ??s amazing,â?￾ he says.
â?? National Public Radio, (NPR) Morning Edition
Our little church of the Holy Cross might not seem, at first, to be likened to the magnificence of Detroitâ??s St. Florianâ??s... (which by the way, the larger Muslim community there have been eyeing/itching to take it over and transform it into a Mosque).... but likewise, not so much our Catholic visitors to the Island thank God!, but our own Catholic Islanders, summer and winter, are choosing to remain away from praying and worshipping together as a Catholic community here on The Beaver. Are we are losing sight of the Gift we have been given by the Lord Himself in His Presence in His Word and His presence in The Breaking of Bread. In this regard, St. Augustine addressed this in his encouragement to his first century Christian community; it is equally applies to us: â??Receive the Body of Christ.... Become who you are, the Body of Christ.â?￾
The reason might very well be, that we are losing sight of the precious Gift and the very need for the Eucharist. For whatever reason our Christian, Catholic community of Beaver Island summer and winter are choosing to stay away for whatever un-founded reasons.
Our little Island called The Beaver, as well as our historic Church of The Holy Cross nestled here in Lake Michigan, may seem small to outsiders, but to us Islanders, it rings with the magnificence of the largest of islands and Cathedrals. Yet, our doors, could likewise find themselves locked tight, should our Island Catholic community simply stay away. As in Detroit we also have Facebook, Beaver Island News on the net streaming events, The Beaver Beacon, The Northern Islander, our Beaver Island Forum and the fledgling radio station WVBI (100.1 FM). These social platforms, which are in place for us to use here on The Beaver, could be great helps for us and all our Christian church communities to fill up our pews for prayer together. It may very well take also the hands-on gift of goodwill from all of us to help each other to physically get to our places of worship. Holy Cross has had a very real taste of suffering when our numbers were way down missing the spark of the Spiritâ??s energy that the strength of numbers would surely bring. May we not miss this opportunity!
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Our Island Food Pantry/Our Island Treasures Resale Shop
Many of our Islanders have already left for the warmer winter shores... please be mindful of our â??Food Pantryâ?￾ housed in the Gregg Community Centre, and our Island Treasures Resale Shop. These are beautiful and necessary gifts for our Island Community....Please help keep their coffers filled.
â?￾For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was Thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothingâ?￾... (Matthew 25:35).

Charity is at the center of Christian discipleship. These words of Jesus reach into deep into the fabric of our minds and hearts. The release of love and compassion, to paraphrase, Pope Francis...â?￾is where we can recognize Christ because He smells like the beloved sheep He accompanies, and invites us to do the same.â?￾
This is the meaning of Godâ??s preferential love for the poor, for the stranger, and alien.
The preferential option for the poor may tell us nothing about the poor, or about the alien, (who are sinners like the rest of us), but it tells us a lot about God- or, at least about the God whom we worship. And it tells us a lot about ourselves, we who ourselves are but strangers and aliens â??on the road.â?￾

God Bless and Peace,-
Father Jim

October 4th 2014, was the last of the Saturday Vigil Masses at 430pm. The 930am Sunday Mass will be continuing throughout the rest of the Fall and the Winter for this year.

â??A servant of Godâ??
Spirit of legendary Bishop Baraga present throughout Gaylord Bishop Raicaâ??s installation Mass

Gaylord â?? Steven J. Raicaâ??s ordination as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord included a lot of smiles and laughter. Lansing bishop Earl A. Boyea, for whom the new bishop served as chancellor, offered some in his homily. â??On this day, August 28, 153 years ago in 1861, after a two day canoe journey of 11 hours each day, Bishop (Fredreric) Baraga arrived with his five Indian at Eagletown from Little Traverse and wrote: â??after an unpleasant journey, rowing continuously, I arrived...sick,â??â?￾ â??Bishop Raica, he was only two years older than you. Practically every summer this bishop of Sault Ste. Marie, this venerable Servant of God, made a long pastoral visit to the northern Lower Peninsula at the request of Bishop Peter Paul Lefevre in Detroit. When not in a canoe, he was on a horse or on his feet, feet that 31 years earlier he had described as â??very sore and badâ?? and as possible disqualifiers for his going to America as a missionary.â?￾
â??Some 30 years earlier, Bishop Baraga had his first posting in the Arbre Croche area, which included care of Beaver Island, Manistique, and Cheyboygan, at that time on Burt Lake. During his first winter there in early 1833, he noted how cold it was, requiring his constant breath in order to melt the wine in the chalice so as to consecrate it and again in order to consume the Precious Blood of our Savior,â?￾ â??And he was happy.â?￾
â??Bishop Boyea, what can I say?â?￾ Bishop Raica, 61, said drawing laughs. â??Your homily today regarding the vocation of a bishop so aptly and succinctly illustrated the whole mission of a Servant of God, Bishop Frederic Baraga, in our area, in the Upper Peninsula, in circumstances that inspire us today to look for every opportunity to do something more. His whole ministry here was, in a real sense, to proclaim Christ in the periphery that Pope Francis so clearly speaks of today. He was a pioneer of the spirit needed in every age, to share good news, and we pray for his beatification and, God willing, his eventual canonization. His spirit filled ministry inspired me to fulfill my new responsibilities and bring forth the work begun by our ancestors when they couldnâ??t contain their enthusiasm about the man who left them astonished and amazed. May this good news of Christ our Savior and redeemer, reside and resound here in Upper Lower Michigan.â?￾
As he embarked on his new role, the bishop also asked the faithful for time. â??I ask for your patience as I learn from the landscape of this beautiful, dynamic diocese,â?￾ he said. â??Never would I have imagined I would spend my final years of priestly ministry in the Diocese of Gaylord. Never would I have imagined the experiences I have had in priestly ministry that prepared me for this mission and this providential moment. These blessings and often unexpected challenges enabled me to see that Christ loves us. â??To fall in love with God is the greatest of all romances. To seek him, the greatest adventure. To find Him, the greatest human achievement. Our challenge today, like Bishop Baraga, seems to me, is to bring Christ to the peripheries of our lives. To be sure, none of this would ever be possible unless this destiny, this hope, this love, had not reached out to us. We were and are immensely loved by Christ. Having encountered Christ in the lived abundance of life, we have all been called.â?￾

The Motto of His Excellency The Most Reverend Steven J. Raica: Sursum Corda (Lamentations 3:41)
Translates to â??Let Us Lift Up Our Hearts to The Lord.â?￾ And has been used in the Holy Mass liturgy at the beginning of the preface before the Canon since at least from the year 215 A.D.

-Excerpted from Mark Haneyâ??s Catholic Weekly Article

Holy Cross Catholic Church Mass Intention Schedule for September to October 2014

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September 2014: Saturday September 13, 430pm T Janet Oâ??Donnell.
Sunday September 14, 930am Francis â??Budâ?￾ Left.
Tuesday September 16, 900am John Stephens.
Thursday September 18, 900am Marie Johnson.
Saturday September 20, 430pm John LaFreniere.
Sunday September 21, 930am Carol LaFreniere.
Tuesday September 23, 900am William â??Billâ?￾ Cashman.
Thursday September 25, 900am Audrey Gatliff Smallwood.
Saturday September 27, 430pm Genie Vreeland.
Sunday September 28, 930am T. Janet Oâ??Donnell.
Tuesday September 30, 900am Jackie Howard.

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October 2014: Thursday October 2, 900am Barbara Nackerman Huston.
First Saturday October 4, 430pm James R. White.
Sunday October 5, 930am Audrey Gatliff Smallwood.
Tuesday October 7, 900am Edward Lovely.
Thursday October 9, 900am Peggy Banghart.
Saturday October 11, 430pm Anna Marie Ricksgers.
Sunday October 12, 930am Francis â??Budâ?￾ Left.
Tuesday October 14, 900am Claire Cull.
Thursday October 16, 900am Catherine â??Georgieâ?￾ Gatliff.
Saturday October 18, 430pm Anna Burnell Burke.
Sunday October 19, 930am Mary Antrim Bonner.
Tuesday October 21, 900am John Stephens.
Thursday October 23, 900am Edward Lovely.
Saturday October 25, 430pm T. Janet Oâ??Donnell.
Sunday October 26, 930am Carol LaFreniere.
Tuesday October 28, 900am Ann Kurth.
Thursday October 30, 900am Randall Jones.

CMU will have it's annual "closing party" on September 6th starting at 530 with cocktail hour and dinner at 6.

Volleyball,

Horeseshoes

Pig Roast

All are invited for this event so they can show their appreciation to the community and their support.

Open Road Ministry will be at Holy Cross Catholic church August 11-13 and will be conducting 3 1 hour talks that will be after Mass. And repeated again at 630pm. With drawings for CD's, books, & DVD's of the Ministry. This is conducted by Fr. Tom Allender, S.J. and Donald Fisher. (Firefighter &a...

Father Jim would like to remind everyone who hasn't picked up their Church envelopes to please do so. All have been labeled and in most cases all have the same numbers as last time.

Holy Cross Catholic Church Mass Schedule July Mass intentions, and times: Saturday July 26 430pm T. Janet Oâ??Donnell by Skip McDonough Sunday July 27 800am Patrick McCauley by Francis McCafferty Family, and Bob & Kathleen Christie 930am Anna Marie Ricksgers by Judith and Pat Hayden Tuesday July...

The family of Teresa â??Janetâ?￾ Oâ??Donnell would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to those who comforted us in our time of deep sorrow. We are overwhelmed and touched with the many expressions of sympathy and support. We especially thank our friends and family for your presence, cards, memorials, food, visits, emails, hugs, transportation, and prayers. Who knew that a simple, humble daughter of an ice harvester could touch so many lives?

Special thanks to God our Father for giving us Mom, to Reverend Jim Doherty for his spiritual guidance, the many Island friends who provided a great luncheon, and the Holy Cross Alter Society and Rural Health staff for serving it just right!

God bless each of you for your love, friendship, and kindness shown to our family.