Annual Ministry Reports
as printed in the 2024 Christmas Bulletin
(personal contact info removed from website. Contact Parish Office at 810-231-9199 x200 for more info)
ACCOUNTING/BUSINESS MANAGER: It is my honor to be back to serve Holy Spirit Parish as your business manager under the leadership of Fr. Jon Perrotta. I look forward to the next calendar year and all that it will bring to us, as we finalize the current year. I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year! ~Krisztina Fleury
ALTAR SERVERS: We have a wonderful altar server ministry here at Holy Spirit open to both boys and girls of our parish, 3rd grade and older. It’s a fantastic opportunity for young people to be part of a ministry in the church and to learn more about Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. There is a training session in May/June for new servers and then practice serving during the summer months at the weekday Masses before beginning to serve on the weekends and other special Masses throughout the liturgical year. Servers are scheduled quarterly and according to your families requests. For more information please contact Sheila Kumke.
BONFIRE CATHOLIC MEN’S GROUP: Through monthly meetings, participating in prayer, praise & worship, scripture, meditation, listening to God and fellowship, men become more aware of God’s presence in their daily lives. Meetings are usually held on the last Wednesday of the month and include a delicious dinner. Contact David Struppa at 734-678-7280 or visit bonfirecatholic.com for more info. CHALLENGE: Invite at least one other man to participate. We need each other now more than ever.
BOOK & GIFT SHOP: Merry Christmas from the staff at Holy Spirit Book & Gift Shop! We are happy to welcome all with books, gifts, and cards that inspire faith for all occasions including Baptism, First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Weddings, Bereavement and more. Established in 1991 to create an opportunity for evangelization, our shop was expanded this past year to provide space to better serve our patrons.
Hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 9am-4pm, Saturday evening after the 4pm Mass, and Sunday after the 9 and 11am Masses. Anna, Roseann & myself look forward to seeing you soon! ~Shawn Spagnuolo, Manager eMail: bookshop@holyspiritrcs.org
CATHOLIC MATERIALS TO FIND ONLINE: Did you know that Holy Spirit Parish has a FORMED.org account, and IT’S FREE FOR YOU TO USE! View Catholic faith formation for all ages! Watch inspiring movies and video series, read best selling Catholic eBooks and listen to audio presentations from the Church’s most compelling speakers, all of which you can stream for free! Register or log-in at formed.org. Enter our zip (48116) and select “Holy Spirit”.
CEMETERY: Holy Spirit Parish’s Cemetery was established in 2005. It is governed by the Cemetery Board, making decisions regarding issues that may arise. We strive to maintain a religious environment by creating a peaceful and meditative atmosphere for the memorialization of the beloved dead.
Cemetery Plots: All records are digitized as well as plotted on a map for visual conception. Current plots available: approximately 95 of the 600 original plots. Interred individuals: 197 in the cemetery. The older section has been purchased fully, but some graves remain unoccupied. The cemetery is home to 46 veterans. A flag on a standard is replaced annually next to each veteran grave. The Cemetery Board is currently embarking on expansion of in-ground plots with space east of the current cemetery targeted as a Phase 2 expansion. An additional 300+ spaces are anticipated. The ambiance of larger trees located in that area would add to the peaceful atmosphere surrounding our cemetery.
Columbarium: There are 4 columbaria, each with a different saint standing protectively on top. Each holds 12 niches. Of the 48 original niches, all are purchased with 37 souls buried in the niches. Our two new columbaria, each with 32 niches (16 on each side), offer 64 additional niches. There are currently three burials in the new niches along with 5 purchased niches.
Angelus Memorial: Located at the end of the driveway separating the two sections of the Cemetery proper, the Angelus Memorial holds the remains of babies lost to miscarriage. Grieving parents are able to memorialize their infant by placing the baby’s name on a plaque. Kim and Lou DeLellis have compassionately adopted administration of this ministry, as well as providing counsel to grieving parents.
~Sue Hansen, Cemetery Office 810-231-9199 x204
COFFEE & DONUTS: Served each week after both Sunday Masses, it is a great time for fellowship and to meet other Parishioners. Volunteers are normally scheduled for one Mass per month to brew coffee, cut donuts, pour milk and clean-up the kitchen and Activity Center afterward. The K of C is scheduled to serve on the 5th Sunday of the month after the 9am Corporate Communion Mass and they periodically cook up Pancake Breakfasts in place of Coffee & Donuts. ~Chuck Dumiller & Jerry Warren
COURAGE/EnCOURAGE: Courage is an international apostolate of the Catholic Church which accompanies persons with same-sex attractions within the fullness of our Catholic faith. EnCourage is a ministry within Courage dedicated to the spiritual needs of parents, siblings, children, and other relatives and friends of persons who have same-sex attractions. Standing by the true teachings of the Roman Catholic Church, EnCourage members support one another and their loved ones through discussion, prayer and fellowship. To find out more about these apostolates and their current meetings, please contact Fr. Jonathan, 810-231-9199 x202
DEVOTION TO ST. PHILOMENA: Our parish has a devotion to this little-known saint. We have seen many an obstacle overcome in the building of our Parish and School community and have even witnessed miraculous healings from Covid-19. Read our story at holyspiritparishbrighton.org/our-patroness!
DIACONATE: Wishing you and your family a blessed Christmas season and joyous New Year. God bless. ~Dcn. Jerry & Ronnie Brennan
DINE WITH JESUS: A beautiful interactive sculpture which draws parishioners and visitors from miles around to come and have lunch on our beautiful campus. It is one of only five “Last Supper” replicas by internationally renowned artist, Timothy P. Schmalz, in the United States and is currently listed on Michigan’s Roadside America map which draws travelers from all across the United States.
DIVINE WILL PRAYER GROUP: Have you noticed the weekly inspiration at the top of page 3 of our bulletin? Our group was formed to assist the faithful in growing and learning about the Divine Will, through prayer and study of the writings of Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta, and those quotes are from her. We meet in a prayer group setting where reading and sharing in discussion is achieved in community on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays from 7:30-9pm. ~Todd Borek
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION: God’s blessings to you! As we begin the new Liturgical Year we have a great opportunity to spend some time with Jesus in the form of Eucharistic Adoration which is available every Friday! Please consider setting aside time to visit Him. The schedule is in 1 hour increments beginning at 9am and ending at 9pm although any amount of time is time well spent with our Lord. Consider setting up a rotation with family members and/or friends. Unable to commit to a schedule? Stop in for 10 minutes or however long you wish. If it has been awhile or you have never been, this is the perfect time to start anew. If you have any questions please contact me. May you have a Merry Christmas and peace throughout the New Year. ~Pat O’Brien
EXTRAORDINARY MINISTERS OF HOLY COMMUNION serve God and Holy Spirit Parish by reverently and joyfully distributing the Most Precious Body and Blood of Christ to the congregation during Mass. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion arrive 15 minutes before Mass to gather and pray with Fr. Jonathan. Schedules are made quarterly and on average, Eucharistic Ministers serve 1-2 months per quarter at a Mass time of their preference. Training is provided. If you are a Catholic in good standing, who has received the sacrament of Confirmation and regularly attends one of the weekend Masses here at Holy Spirit Parish, please consider joining this awesome and rewarding ministry. You will find the service a wonderful blessing! ~Charlette (Char) Curtis
FACILITIES: As 2024 comes to an end, we have much to be thankful for. I am personally thankful for all of the prayers as I recovered from quadruple bypass surgery. A special shoutout to Joe McGrath who covered for me over the past 3 months while I was recovering. I would like to thank Kristie Ylen as she takes such wonderful care keeping the school spic and span!! Also Ewa Kucharski, who besides helping in the office, keeps the facilities well stocked and in order. Lastly, as I have reiterated in the past, I can’t thank our St. Joseph Guild volunteers enough – for grass cutting April to October, leaf pickup in the fall and general upkeep of the church, rectory, school and grounds throughout the year. Our newest project, the Atrium for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, is coming along and should be open at the beginning of 2025. God bless and thank you!!! ~Carl Kayden, Facilities Manager
FAITH FORMATION: This has been another busy year for Faith Formation. Following many months of study, 6 people entered the Catholic Church through our OCIA program. Three of these received two of the Sacraments of Initiation (Eucharist, Confirmation) at the Easter Vigil, and three received those sacraments plus Baptism on the Feast of Christ the King, November 24. If you were here for the 11:00 Mass that day, you would have witnessed the joyful marriage of two of those people, making it four sacraments they received that day. Wow!
Six more adults are preparing to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil in April. If you know someone considering joining the Church or who would just like to learn more about the Catholic faith, have them contact me about joining our program!
Several children/youth received sacraments this year as well. There were 7 infant/child baptisms, 13 First Holy Communions, and 11 Confirmations. Thank you to our dedicated Holy Spirit School teachers and our Catechists who prepared these children for their sacraments! Last July, our VBS program was ‘Scuba’ with 80 children attending and 32 youth and adult helpers. This is always a really fun week, but it requires the help of many volunteers. If you would like to volunteer (third week of July) or help with planning, please contact me!
We have several faith formation opportunities coming in the new year, including a new session of our women’s Bible study, a speaker on gender issues and a spring retreat with the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan. I hope you can join us for one or more of these faith-building events.
I am so grateful to walk together with the good people of Holy Spirit on our pilgrimage to heaven. Feel free to contact me anytime - I would be happy to help you in any way on your personal journey toward a closer relationship with Jesus.
~Mary Anne Bastian, Director of Faith Formation
FLOWER MINISTRY: Behind-the-scenes details enhance and beautify the Church and Mass setting. This year we focused on cleanup and planting the hill area outside the back door/east window side of the church focusing on perennials and laying down mulch. This ministry is responsible for watering plants, buying and arranging seasonal flowers/plants or décor for the altar area. Average time commitment is 1-2 hours per week, more during the Easter and Christmas seasons. Can work as a team with others, alternating seasons if you wish! Please prayerfully consider joining this ministry. Contact the Parish Office for more information. 810-231-9199 x200
GUARDIANS OF GRACE MARRIAGE AND FAMILY MINISTRY: We believe marriages are meant to last! They were made by God not just to survive, but to thrive. It's our mission to provide events that will support marriages and families so they can grow and love well. There are so many tools and truths out there for us to learn! We hope we can help you discover and use them and find a richer, deeper marriage and family life. There is a great need to equip parents with the tools they need to both grow their domestic church and combat destructive culture at the same time. This is what our topic nights and mini-retreat focus on. Relationships and community building are also essential to our lives, so our goal is to offer dinners, movie nights and casual gatherings throughout the year to help you create lifelong friendships and community. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, please contact Jason or Samantha Negri. And please pray for our ministry!
HEALTH MINISTRY: The mission of the Health Ministry is to carry out the healing mission of Jesus by promoting the health and wellness of mind, body and spirit to the Holy Spirit Parish Community. This is accomplished through prayer, counsel, education, referral and service. All medical information is held in confidence. Volunteer nurses offer free blood pressure checks in the Lending Library after all Masses one weekend per month. Doctors have long called high blood pressure “the silent killer”. If left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to life-threatening medical problems such as stroke, heart attack or kidney failure. Watch the bulletin for BP Check dates and CPR/AED Classes offered here at Holy Spirit Parish. ~Nancy Wheeler
HEAVENLY GRACE PRAYER GROUP: Also called the Saturday Morning Men’s Prayer Group, we meet every Saturday at 7:30am in the Shroud of Turin Room. Our group was formed in response to a request from the Blessed Virgin Mary through the mystic, Carolyn. The messages that have been received through her are all available at www.HeavenlyGrace.org. The messages are recorded in the book ‘Return to the Father, Wisdom From God and His Saints Given to the Heavenly Grace Prayer Group’, available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/49FRoXJ.
We encourage everyone to visit this website and read or listen to the audio recordings of these amazing messages, which have in many cases been “life changing” for those who have decided to live them. We typically have a period of fellowship, followed by prayer of the Rosary which includes the offering of personal intentions before we pray. This allows us to learn about each other and carry those intentions out of the prayer group and into our daily lives. And finally, we listen to a recording of one of the purported messages from the Blessed Mother. Following the prayer group, most of us also stay for the holy sacrifice of Mass at 9:00am. Carolyn also shares her annual message from the Blessed Mother, and sometimes it is Jesus Himself, each year on October 24th at Holy Spirit Parish. Listen to this year’s inspirational message on our website under “Media”, “Homilies & Talks”. ~Todd Borek
HOME EDUCATORS: I’ve been a home educating mom for over 20 years and am happy to assist anyone who is interested in learning more about home educating or just needs to make some contacts in the area. ~Sheila Kumke
HOMEBOUND MINISTRY: The Homebound Ministry goals and objectives are to bring Holy Communion to parishioners who are homebound due to illness, age, etc. We help them stay connected to parish activities by bringing the weekly bulletin and other information about parish events. For those who have internet access we encourage use of the parish website, Facebook and Livestream. We also provide prayer cards/booklets for their use and request their prayers for the intentions of the parish, school, our country and the world. Fr. Jonathan is informed if they are in need of confession and/or anointing. A short questionnaire has been created to ensure that those we visit are properly disposed to receive the Eucharist. Thanks to a crew of faithful and reliable Eucharistic Ministers of the Holy Eucharist we were able to provide regular visits to 10 - 12 homebound parishioners during each month of 2024. Two of our homebound parishioners passed away this year and our prayers are for eternal rest and peace for their souls. Our new pastor, Fr. Jonathan Perrotta, recommissioned and blessed the Eucharistic Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC) and reviewed and updated procedures and guidelines for distribution of the Holy Eucharist at meetings held in September. Our ministry provided a raffle basket for the annual parish picnic in September. The Holy Spirit Adult Choir is planning to go Christmas caroling and visit some of our homebound people during Advent. Trusting in Our Almighty God we will continue to serve the homebound of Holy Spirit Parish during 2025! ~Marie Schlepers
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS: The Holy Spirit K of C Council 7891 supports clergy, seminarians, Holy Spirit Parish and School as well as other charities. Members attend monthly meetings, volunteer for fundraisers and gather with our families for corporate communion at the 9:00am Mass on the months which have a 5th Sunday. General membership meetings are on the 1st Wednesday of every month and officers meet on the 3rd Tuesday of every month. Activities include Parish Pancake Breakfasts, Blood Drives, Christmas Wreath Sale, Intellectually Disabled Tootsie Roll Drive, Keep Christ in Christmas poster contest, Lenten Soup Suppers, Christmas Pierogi Sales and other Parish events. Our Council received the Star Council Award for 2022-23, the highest award given to Councils for community and charity works throughout the year. If you are a man at least 18 years old and want to support Holy Spirit Parish and K of C charitable works please join us. ~Russ Villerot, gk7891@mikofc.org
LECTORS: Lectors serve God and Holy Spirit Parish by bringing the Word of God to life for the congregation. Lectors read the opening announcements before Mass and reverently proclaim the readings of the day to the congregation during Mass. Lectors arrive 15 minutes before Mass to gather and pray with Fr. Jonathan. Schedules are made quarterly and on average, a Lector will read 2-3 times per quarter at a Mass time of their preference. Training is provided. If you are a Catholic in good standing and regularly attend one of the weekend Masses here at Holy Spirit Parish, please consider joining this awesome and rewarding ministry. You will find the service a wonderful blessing! ~Charlette (Char) Curtis
LENDING LIBRARY: Merry Christmas from the Holy Spirit Lending Library! Through many wonderful donations and purchases our collection has grown to over 3,600 books, DVDs and CDs which are available for use in the library, in Church or to sign out and take home. When you come to the library, you can browse all of our categories which include Sacraments and Liturgy, Apparitions, Revelations and Miracles, Pope Biographies and Writings, Prayers and Devotions, Biography and Church History and Traditions, just to name a few.
During this Joyous Season, you might want to check out some of our Christmas selections. New additions in books include, “The Christmas Book: The History, Traditions & Customs of Everyone’s Favorite Holiday” by Francis X. Weiter and “The Secret of the Bethlehem Shepherds” by Fr. Dwight Longenecker. In DVDs you will find, “St. Nicholas: The Real Story,” “The Star of Bethlehem” and “The Chosen: A Story of the First Christmas.” Be sure to stop in the Lending Library all through the year and check out the many resources it has to offer. May God bless you all in the New Year! ~Karen Lynch
LOVING CARE MINISTRY: Loving Care is a ministry that offers love and care to Holy Spirit Church members. We give support to parishioners who recently lost a family member, have a serious health problem or are dealing with loneliness. We send holiday cards, make phone calls or home visits to parishioners who need support. Please call Lori McNutt if you would like to join our group or if you have a friend from church who needs our loving touch.
MISSIONARY: Merry Christmas and thank you for all of your love and support! This past 2+ years of serving in the Dominican Republic with Building Bridges of Hope (BBOH) has been an incredible and challenging experience. Our youth outreach program here 100% would not be possible without a large support system of people. A major part of that group are the Holy Spirit parishioners and staff. Thank you all for your generosity in so many ways!
This year we expanded our program from youth outreach in the town of El Llano (rural Dominican town about 25 minutes from the border of Haiti) to an even more rural community that sits right on the border of Haiti called Rosa la Piedra. This is the community where we have been building our permanent medical clinic. Youth outreach in this community comes in the form of catechism classes for children from age 3 until 18. Outside of youth outreach but at the same time as we started catechism, we were able to begin adult literacy classes. It has been a dream come true in many ways and expanding to this community has been such a joy! God has truly blessed these efforts and allowed our program to continue to grow. I am humbled and in awe watching it all unfold. Please pray for us and those we serve! God bless, ~Olivia Kumke, BBOH Youth Outreach Coordinator
MUSIC: Happy 2025 Holy Spirit Family! God bless all of you this Christmas Season and in the New Year!
The “Full Choir” has completely filled up the choir loft! We are excited to have new members–four teens, three new adults, and one returning adult who had to take a year off due to health issues. So we are very blessed in the adult choir area! We are also blessed by instrumentalists who volunteer their talents to add to our worship experience at Mass—Wayde, Alex, Dr. Terry, Marie Schlepers and more…The children’s choir has had a rough beginning due to two snow days! But we are excited that so many (about 10) children are coming to sing with us! The choir is planning to do some Christmas Caroling on December 19th, visiting those who are homebound and others. So…thank you Sheila Kumke for your service to our music ministry, which would not be the same without you! Not to mention Lenten soup suppers, etc. Also–we are blessed to have cantors (we need more) who offer their talents to lead our weekend and special Masses—Connie Mancini, Kathy Lemery, Jason Negri, Karoline Heldt plus–our Hillsdale College student, Madeleine Fleury! Thanks Karoline for managing the cantor schedule going on several years now!
We held our annual benefit concert for the St Vincent de Paul Society and are especially grateful to those (who wish to remain anonymous) who got flyers printed up! Also to Dr. Terry and his Four Old Men and a Babe brass quintet, Brandon Link, Marisa Bruzewski – we are thankful for their willingness to volunteer their time and talents to entertain for a good cause at no cost to Holy Spirit. We plan to do this in the fall of each year–so make sure you look for announcements– (it will NEVER take place on the all-important UofM/Michigan State game day!)
I am also blessed to be teaching music at Holy Spirit School once a week this year! I am being compensated through Brighton Shared Services at no cost to the church or school! It is a challenge, but I love the children here and look forward to the Winter Semester.
I look forward to 2025—a special year of deepening our understanding and participation in our worship–in music, silence and special worship opportunities as we work and grow together with our wonderful new priest, Fr. Jonathan. Of course, we are blessed to have our Senior priest, Fr. John Rocus, our wonderful “old” priest (older than me) who has been instrumental in establishing the St. Vincent de Paul concerts and encouraging us always to plan and conduct worship in a spirit of reverence and gratefulness to God, who has sent Jesus to be our Savior as well as his Holy Spirit
God Bless-and thanks for your support throughout the year. - Leo Lemery, Director of Liturgical Music
NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING (NFP): is a way of achieving, avoiding or spacing pregnancies in a way that respects the unitive (love-giving) and procreative (life-giving) aspects of the conjugal act. It embraces God’s design for marriage and the dignity of each human person as a great good. There are several methods available to couples. The effectiveness of modern NFP methods have come a long way from the calendar (rhythm) method of just 2 generations ago. Pope Paul VI in his encyclical, Humane Vitae, urged the scientific community to find moral and ethical methods of family planning for married couples and from this was born the methods we have today. I am trained as a FertilityCare Practitioner to teach Creighton Model FertilityCare, and I work with Groesbeck FertilityCare Center which serves our Diocese. Creighton Model has a 97% effectiveness rate to help couples avoid pregnancy and up to an 80% effectiveness rate to help couples experiencing infertility to achieve pregnancy in a way that is totally in line with Church teaching and respects the dignity of human life. This method of NFP is particularly helpful to women experiencing health issues or in coming off of a form of hormonal contraception (like the pill). I’m happy to help or connect women and couples with resources within our Diocese. www.GroesbeckFertility.com ~Karoline Heldt, RN, BSN, CFCP
PADRE PIO ‘CASA USA’ PROJECT: Our parish, along with other parishes of the Livingston County Deanery, in conjunction with Catholic Healthcare International (CHI), has been involved in preparing for both a proposed medical school, and a hospital modeled after one founded by St. Padre Pio in Italy, in 1956. This past year it was announced that CHI has entered into an agreement to purchase the Howell Trinity hospital site to be the home of both the CHI hospital and school.
As St. Pio built the first Casa on a foundation of prayer, so too does CHI. Through their Worldwide Eucharistic Adoration Program, adorers around the globe have committed to pray over 280 hours per week in front of the Blessed Sacrament in their home communities for the work of the Casa USA. Three Padre Pio Prayer groups have started in the Diocese of Lansing. A replica of the chapel where Padre Pio received his stigmata is being planned on a prayer campus in Howell. The chapel will be surrounded by miles of prayer trails, inspiration from Saints and St. Pio’s favorite image––Our Lady of Grace. We are currently providing a temporary home to some of the statues for these trails, and we were gifted the image of the mosaic of Mary, all of which currently reside in our Serenity court. To join the Adoration team and to follow this miraculous journey, go to www.CHI-USA.com
PARISH OFFICE: The Parish Office coordinates many activities that keep the Parish running. This year, along with our usual duties, we had additional challenges with Fr. John’s health situation. Between January and June we were busy scheduling outside priests to cover school and weekend Masses until the new pastor, Fr. Jonathan Perrotta, arrived on July 3. We welcomed our new pastor and worked with him to get acclimated to the area and up to speed on parish happenings, and helped coordinate his installation Mass with Bishop Boyea. Additionally, we mapped parishioners into neighborhoods for Fr. Jon’s “Real FaceTime with Fr. Jonathan” initiative so that they might attend a get together near their home. Andrea also helped with the planning of Fr. John’s 75th birthday bash, preparing a photo memory album and coordinating and presenting video greetings during the party–including a surprise, personalized message from Elizabeth Tabish who plays Mary Magdalen in The Chosen, thanks to Wendy B. Andrea also collected and compiled a book of retirement greetings from parishioners for Fr. John’s retirement party in August. This year our parish was a polling station for the presidential primary, general and presidential elections which involved coordinating facility space and door scheduling with Green Oak Township representatives. We took on a new project and retrofitted the top row of votive stands with larger 3-day votive candles. The larger candles were so popular we added a second row of 3-day candles. We continue to learn and both attended a sacramental records training class held by the Diocese, are cross-training on the donations and deposits functions, and are learning how to program our new electronic road sign. Andrea also worked with Wendy B on the new Parish Member Directory which is steadily growing each week. We continually update our parishioner records as we are billed on some services based on the number of families that are registered – keeping the numbers accurate helps keep our costs down. We also routinely review various purchasing sources to help keep costs as low as possible. We would like to thank Mike R for his devotion to Livestreaming our weekend Mass so that it is available to our homebound and out of state parishioners. Please call us at 810-231-9199 x200 if you have any questions or concerns. We are very happy to serve the Holy Spirit family in any way that we can. ~Andrea McGrath and ~Ewa Kucharski
PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL: The Parish Council is a consultative body that assists the Pastor in developing and deepening the Parish faith community. It provides the Pastor with information, recommendations and feedback in order to facilitate his decisions and acts as a point of contact to the Parish community for addressing issues attendant to the Parish. In addition, the Council sponsors the annual Parish Picnic. This past year, the Council welcomed five new members - David Fleury, Dale Mackmiller, Karen Maddick, Jerry Olinik and Michael Rzeppa. Council meetings take place at 7:00pm on the second Thursday of each month. All are welcome to attend. For more information, please contact Reg Nizol at ppc@holyspiritrcs.org. ~Reginald Nizol, Chairperson
PRAYERLINE: The Prayerline is a team of over 50 faithful people who join in prayer when someone is in need of prayers. Only one phone call is needed to the coordinator (734-347-0921) who in turn contacts all members via an email or a phone call. Prayerline members faithfully include the intention in their daily prayers. The Parish Office can also be contacted to request prayers. When calling the Parish Office you will be asked if you would like to be placed on the Sick List in the bulletin, and Fr. Jonathan and the Prayerline are notified. Names remain on the bulletin Sick List for 4 weeks unless continuing prayers are requested. Due to privacy considerations, it is required that the person being prayed for be aware of his or her name being published. The power of prayer can work miracles! ~Charlette (Char) Curtis
RESPECT LIFE: This year our country was blessed by the election of many pro-life leaders. The Respect Life Ministry has also been very blessed again in 2024. During January and February, through the Baby Bottle Drive and the generosity of our parishioners, we were able to raise over $4,250 for the Pregnancy Help Clinic in Brighton. In February, before the Saturday Mass on the 17th, Jason Negri gave a very informative talk on end of life issues from a legal and Catholic perspective.
During the Summer we hosted a booth at the Brighton Farmers Market on two Saturdays. While there we met many people and shared information about end of life issues, adoption, help for expecting moms, abortion recovery programs, and other respect for life issues. In September we hosted an event at our Serenity Court in conjunction with the National Day of Remembrance for Aborted Children. We are a small, dedicated group of parishioners trying to share the Church's teaching on the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death. If you would like to join us please contact me or drop in at one of our meetings. We meet in the School Library/Conference Room after the 9:00am Mass on the second Sunday of the month. We usually start about 10:15 (after we grab a coffee). We usually wrap up by 11:30am. If you know of any expectant mothers who need help, please have them contact the Pregnancy Help Clinic at www.pregnancyhelpclinic.com or 810-494-5433, or contact me at 810-335-4935 or jameshynes717@gmail.com. Thank you for your support and Merry Christmas from the Respect Life Group. ~Jim Hynes
SACRISTANS: We are a dedicated group of volunteers called to serve Our Lord and Fr. Jonathan in this most important role of preparing for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. It is a grace filled role and humbling to be permitted to do so. Besides the weekly Masses, there are Holy Days of Obligation, Feast Days, Funerals and other Special Events and Religious Services. We are responsible for setting up and cleaning after each Mass, care of the altar linens, candles, inventory, ordering supplies and Liturgical Seasonal changes to name a few. One of the sacristans cleans and irons the linens each week. It is a team effort and an ongoing commitment to keep our church beautiful. If you would like to get involved in this ministry, please contact me. ~Theresa (Tee) West
SCHOOL: Annual Principal Report. As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. 1 Peter: 10
Since I first started as principal in January 2023, the outpouring of Holy Spirit parishioners’ loving care and support for the students, families, teachers, and staff at Holy Spirit School has been remarkable.
Generous gifts of people’s time, talents, and treasure continue to bless our entire school community and make new learning opportunities possible. We would not be – we could not be – the faith-filled, inspired, and encouraged learning community we are without the faithful witness of God’s love and goodness through the service and loving sacrifice of others.
Some of the new opportunities made possible for students this year include:
Students in grades K-7 sang at the Eighth Grade Graduation Mass under the direction of Dr. Terry Braciszewski in June.
Mr. Leo Lemery is currently teaching Music to all K-8 students and collaborating with Dr. Terry to prepare students for the Christmas Program.
Women’s Guild crafters are leading a Knitting and Crochet Club for students in grades 3-8. Students were so excited to join, the club filled up immediately. “I love knitting,” one seventh grader remarked. The students’ first knitting project was a headband.
Holy Spirit School offered its first Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Club last spring. The STEM Club is led by parishioner and school parent Brian Schulz and will start up again this winter.
Class visits to the new school library have begun for K-2. Older students will begin their visits in the new year. Through generous donations, the library continues to grow. Debbie Gesell and Karen Lynch have taken the lead in organizing the book collection.
Catechesis of the Good Shepherd will begin in January, thanks to the diligence and hard work of the St. Joseph Guild, Joe McGrath, and Carl Kayden, in building the new Atrium.
New school security and safety measures have also been implemented and installed by members of the St. Joseph Guild. Funds for these measures were awarded to Holy Spirit School through a Michigan Department of Education grant opportunity.
For these invaluable collaborations, the support of Fr. John Rocus and now Fr. Jonathan Perrotta, increased student enrollment, and so much more, we praise and thank God for His countless blessings and look forward to growing in His grace in 2025.
~Kimberly C. Pavlock, PhD, Principal
SHROUD OF TURIN EXHIBIT: Located in our ‘Family’ room in the church, you will find a life-size photographic negative of the purported burial cloth of Christ. This replica stands encased within a frame and will clearly show the viewer the many details of the most studied artifact in human history. What is scientifically known about it points powerfully to the events of Jesus’ suffering, crucifixion and resurrection. We invite you to stop by to sit, study and meditate on this most amazing and important religious artifact.
ST. MONICA SODALITY: A monthly meeting to pray as a group for those loved ones (family/friends) who have left the Faith. St Monica, with patience and persistence of intercessory prayers, witnessed her son, St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church, return to the Faith. We meet on the fourth Monday of each month at 9:30am in the Shroud Room for just one hour. Join us and grow closer to God -- God works in His own way, and we have seen fruit from our supplications. All are welcome. Amen. For more information, please contact the Parish Office 810-231-9199 x200.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY: A Catholic lay organization inspired by Gospel values which leads women and men to join together to grow spiritually by offering person-to-person service to the needy and suffering in the tradition of its founder, Frederic Ozanam, and patron saint, Vincent dePaul. Members of the Holy Spirit Conference respond to requests for assistance from those in need in southern Livingston County by meeting with them and discussing their problems. We often provide monetary assistance to help with needs such as shelter, utilities, food or transportation and help the callers with referrals to other agencies to obtain additional needed assistance. Members typically respond to more than 500 phone calls annually, visiting about 350 households, and helping more than 1,200 individuals. During home visits we always offer to pray with them before we leave and are rarely denied. The conference coordinates the Giving Tree at Christmas and Lenten Food Drive as well as collecting household items that can be sold at the SVdP Thrift Store in Lansing. Members meet twice per month - on the evening of the second Wednesday of the month and after the 9:00am Mass on the fourth Sunday of the month. Prayer and spiritual reflection are always included. Each week, a rotating team of two members monitor calls for assistance, visit the callers and coordinate the assistance they receive. The time required depends on the number of calls. No special training is needed to join the Society; initial and continuing formation is conducted while assisting all members to grow spiritually. New members are always needed and welcome! ~Sheila Love, President, svdp@holyspiritrcs.org
SS. SIMON & JUDE HEALING MINISTRY: The Sts. Simon and Jude Healing Ministry is called upon to pray for those who suffer in body, mind and spirit. We gather for a healing Mass on the first Tuesday of every month and to administer the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick as well as to pray over those with particular individual needs. For more information, contact Pat Evon via the Parish Office 810-231-9199 x200.
TRINITY TRAIL: We have some beautiful trails on our property on which we have erected shrines to saints, and also heroes of the faith in Michigan, most recently Bishop Baraga the “Snowshoe Priest”. Prayerfully walking our Trinity Trail is a good warm weather activity, and, for all you heartier souls, in the winter as well. Take a virtual tour at holyspiritparishbrighton.org/trinity-trail
USHERS: The Usher ministry is one of the first ministries you see when you attend Mass. Ushers are a welcoming ministry, and are the first persons to greet you and be of service to all. All visitors and parishioners should feel welcomed and comfortable at our Parish. Ushers should have a kind word and smile to give to all. Ushers should be of service whether it be taking up the collection, guiding all to communion, showing visitors where the bathrooms are, or aiding the handicapped or sick. The schedule consists of 2-4 teams depending on which Mass you attend. One team per Mass is scheduled per month and then they are rotated to a different month. We have some who usher every month because we are lacking people to join our ministry. Holy Days are on a volunteer basis. We are taking this opportunity to ask for more parishioners to sign up for our ministry. Please contact Andy Patrick . Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!
WOMEN’S GUILD: The women of the Parish provide spiritual support and fellowship for Holy Spirit Church by giving our time, talents, and financial support to the various needs of the Parish through service projects and fundraisers. A few of our ministries are the pasty sale, bake sales, prayer shawls, prayer chain, homeless mats and providing hostess services for funeral luncheons. All women of the Parish are eligible to join. Annual dues are $10.00. Members receive email messages for monthly meetings and volunteer opportunities. Meetings are on the second Tuesday of the month at 9:30am for coffee and fellowship, followed by a 10:00am meeting. Please stop in and check us out. NOTE: NO meeting in JAN/FEB/JUL. Hope to see you soon. ~Mary Dwyer, President
SENIOR PRIEST: Christmas greetings everybody. JMJ
I am writing on December 18 because I was just informed of a bulletin deadline for a Christmas article. It seems a bit early, nevertheless I will try to put together a few thoughts as we approach the big day, the celebration of the birth of Christ.
Well, needless to say, my Christmas this year is going to be different. I can only imagine at this point what it might be like. But if the past few days are any indication, it will be very quiet. As of today I have only been out of the rectory for one evening in the past two weeks. Radiation Fatigue.🥴.
But I was invited to be a part of the school’s Christmas pageant. By the grace of God I was able to play my part, Adam, of the famous Adam and Eve team. It was a beautiful evening and I actually had a good time. A very special thanks to Dr. Terry and Leo, and of course, the actors for their part in bringing us this Christmas cheer. Perhaps the best Christmas pageant ever!
So as of this moment, I am hoping to be able to make another guest appearance on the altar for at least one of the Christmas Masses. But I will certainly hope to be able to move around a little bit more with a little bit more energy and a bounce in my step as I anticipate my next medical adventure in January.
Christmas cards and letters and greetings are already coming in. Thank you everybody for remembering me at this time of year in your thoughts and prayers. I am sure it has done much to sustain me. I am currently working on my annual Christmas newsletter and I hope to be able to share that with you, maybe the week after Christmas.
Best wishes and blessings everybody. I impart my priestly blessing.
+ Fr. John