March 2 Stations of the Cross 4 Day of Eucharist Adoration; Praise & Worship with Benediction 11 Pancake Breakfast Soup Supper 16 Stations of the Cross 18 Blood Drive Parable Project: Take 2 24 Communal Penance 28 Book Club April 21/22 Hospitality Weekend 25 Book Club 26 LG Salad Luncheon 29 Soup Bowl Painting May 6 Pancake Breakfast 19/20 Pentecost Hospitality Weekend 30 Book Club June 2 Golf outing July 14 Rummage Sale 28 “Christmas in July” Concert & Pig Roast

Save the Date! September 16 Parish Picnic

Hearts and Ashes

Lent began on February 14. This conjunction of Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day was a good opportunity to consider love. God’s love is shown in a willingness to become human, endure earthly life, be rejected, suffer and die for us. Our love for God is expressed in our worship and service, but especially in our efforts for self and societal improvement. We don’t wear ashes as a sign of our holiness, but as a reminder to ourselves (and the people we encounter that day) that we publicly admit we have work to do as disciples of Jesus Christ.

The resurrection of Jesus is our motivation throughout Lent. We are motivated and energized to work hard to become better because we want to rise to new life with Christ. It’ll be a new life if we follow through on our Lenten sacrifices and it’ll be improved if we stick with our commitment to love more deeply, fully and completely. I’ve got my own stuff to work on, so I’m walking with you on the journey.

When you come to church throughout this season, you’ll be faced with a cross of ashes circumscribed by a large heart. This is our symbol for a Lent that started on the day we celebrate love. We are sinners, but we are loved. We love imperfectly, but we are working to improve. May your Lent be successful and may your heart swell with the knowledge that you have prepared well to rise with Christ on Easter.

All the Lord’s best,

Rev. Dr. William J. Promesso Pastor 734-283-1366 x111 wpromesso@stcyprian.com

St. Cyprian Church

Late Winter / Early Spring 2018

Fr. Bill

Wo

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ip &

Mu

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Min

istr

ies

After finally getting through the Christmas season, I can’t believe how I have been a part of this wonderful parish for 7 months already! Time flies when you are having fun!

Here is a little update on the Music & Worship side of the Parish.

The Liturgical Choir has been going strong and still welcoming new members, which is such a great feeling. Having so many wonderful voices to assist with the liturgy is a tremendous help and spiritually uplifting. I hope more of you join this wonderful group of people. There is no musical background needed, just a love of singing — and a sense of humor helps!

Along with the choir, our Instrumentalists Ministry has grown and added a nice dynamic effect to the music at Mass. Anyone who plays an instrument and has the ability to read music may join this wonderful ministry! We are always looking for more people to share their gifts and talents. I would like to get more instrumentalists to help accompany at the 5pm Mass, so if you or someone you know is interested please contact me for more information.

The Hand Bell Choir had a delayed start. We are now working on rehearsals and making music ring! The goal is to have them play and accompany at Easter Sunday Mass and a few of the weekend Masses up to Pentecost. Next year we plan to start our rehearsals in the fall as usual.

Also, our Cantor Ministry has grown! We have gained a few new cantors to help assist with singing and leading our congregation in song at all weekend Liturgies. This is a big help. Although this requires a little more musical

background and rehearsal, this is another great way to serve the parish community.

Hymns, Homilies & Hospitality is a simple way to describe the Worship Commission. The Worship department oversees a lot of what goes on in the church, including: art & environment, music, lectors, ushers, greeters and all other liturgical ministries of the parish. This is a wonderful, vibrant group of people. They enjoy sharing new thoughts and ideas on how to enhance our weekend liturgies and place of worship! We meet on Tuesdays, about 6 times a year. This is a great way to get involved and help your parish grow! We are always looking for additional members to join this team.

Aside from all the details about Music & Worship, we have improved many different things throughout the parish this year! Here are a few of the things you may have missed…

First, our church PA system had a blown amplifier that left 3 or 4 of the ceiling speakers unpowered, with no sound. With some research and a little bit of time, the maintenance staff and I worked together to order and install a new amplifier, which saved the parish a lot of money because we didn’t have to contract out to a company. Now, all the speakers work in the church!

Second, the PA system in the social hall was very outdated and needed to be replaced. With more research and help from a church volunteer, Bill Eluskie, we took care of ordering and installation of the new PA system in the social hall. I would like to thank the St. Cyprian Ladies Guild and the Riverview Knights of Columbus who helped pay for the Social Hall PA system. This was a tremendous help!

Mason Koch Director of Worship & Music 734-283-1366 x120 mkoch@stcyprian.com

Mason

Sacred Triduum The three days of the passion, death, and

resurrection of Jesus Christ as counted from

sunset to sunset.

Holy Thursday, March 29 Mass of the Lord’s Supper

7:00 pm

Reception of Holy Oils Washing of Feet & Eucharistic Feast

followed by Adoration until

Night Prayer at 10:00 pm

Good Friday, March 30 The Passion and Death of Christ

1:00 pm

The Passion according to John

Veneration of the Cross

Holy Communion

Holy Saturday, March 31 Blessing of Easter Foods

11:00 am in church

The Easter Vigil Liturgy

8:30 pm

Light & Word Initiation & Eucharist

Easter Sunday, April 1 The Resurrection of the Lord

9:00 am & 11:00 am

Finally, the Church music area had a very bare and empty corner. It was pretty much used for storage — storage that everyone could see. Along with the dream that Fr. Bill had about possibly putting a pipe organ façade there one day, I quickly went to work on drafts and sketches. With a little bit of planning and help from some friends and church volunteers we developed a functional storage space and decorative pipe organ façade that now fills the corner and enhances our Worship Space! I’d like to especially thank Jeff Evans, Bill Eluskie, Aaron Kalanecki, Carl Baltesiewich and Gary Ennis. This dream would not have come to reality without their help! Thank you for everything!

See you in church!

Save the Date! Christmas in July Summer Concert & Pig Roast

Saturday, July 28 6:00-10:00pm

At Market Center Park

Featuring

And the holiday music of

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Ch

risti

an

Se

rvic

e &

Ou

tre

ach

Min

istr

ies

Kim

Lent is a time of reflection, repentance, and renewal. I cannot help but think of Jesus' Great Commandment, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind... You shall love your neighbor as yourself." It really is so simple yet so complex. Jesus, help us to live Your words. May we enter into the deeper meaning of our faith; to experience an ongoing process to change us from within making us more like You. We need You, Christ, for You forgive our sins and change us. May You use us to make the world a better place that seeks to live for You every day. One of the most beautiful things is when you see God through the people around you. I have seen that through YOU. There were 470+ gifts distributed and 10 families adopted from our Giving Tree this past Christmas. I am so thankful for the many smiling faces that came to help and for your generosity that you continue to show. It is so wonderful to be a part of a parish where parishioners come to you and ask, "Where can I help?" You show up and you give with your hearts and with your resources. It brings me to tears. I tear up because of you more than you know. You are amazing! Also, 130 Thanksgiving turkey dinners and 127 Christmas ham dinners were given to our pantry clients. Creative Montessori (our resident preschool) adopted 2 families which provided them with a hot Thanksgiving meal. January was designated Sanctity of Life month. We had 40 luminaries distributed to light in support of the Sanctity of Life. We participated in the 9 Days for Life novena led

by the USCCB with prayers and activities. We gathered on February 13th to make care cards to be sent to those in need of comfort. With creativity and busy hands 200 cards were made. At the Soup Supper on March 11th we will be asking for signatures for the Offering of Letters. Our Spring American Red Cross Blood Drive will take place on March 18th from 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Please come and donate the gift of life; the need is great. We will be asking for donations of pork roasts for an Easter meal for our pantry clients. Thank you for your continued support of our Parish Pantry. Your donations are needed! Thank you to ALL of the volunteers who keep our ministries going: Christian Service Commission, Welcome Committee, weekly Pantry, monthly USDA, Communion to the Homebound, Crafters, All Saints Soup Kitchen, Blood Pressure Screening, Pantry Garden, Recycling, and those who volunteer their time and talents at our Christian Service events. You all have busy schedules with many responsibilities, yet you give of your time and talents to support our parish. Thank you so much!!! "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindnesses. Kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile." —Mother Teresa

Kim Switzer Director of Christian Service & Outreach Ministries 734-283-1366 x114

Rite

of C

hris

tian

Initia

tion

for A

du

lts (R

CIA

)

Denise

Denise Gorski RCIA Coordinator

734-283-1366 x112 dgorski@stcyprian.com

The RCIA program continues to flourish here at

St. Cyprian, as God blesses and guides us each

step of the way. The invitation that God

extends to each of His son’s and daughter’s is

one that contains great promise of abundant

life, that can only be fulfilled in communion

with the community and through the

sacramental life of the Church. Currently, our

two Candidates have been recognized by the

Church in the Rite of Election and joyfully

continue to pray, study and remain open to

God’s initiatives in their lives. They are

recognizing God’s presence actively at work as

God continues to reveal His plans of love and

goodness for them. The Holy Spirit is bestowing

graces at each moment of their journey and

prepares them in anticipation of the joyous day

of Easter Vigil.

Many other seekers have stepped forward in

response to God’s invitation in their lives and

will be entering into the RCIA journey this

coming September. Are you sensing that God is

inviting you to enter into full communion with

the Church through the Sacraments of Baptism,

Eucharist and Confirmation? If you are already

Baptized and haven’t continued in your faith

formation journey, perhaps now is the time to

take the next steps of receiving the Sacraments

of Eucharist and Confirmation? Do you yearn to

experience the abundant life of God that flows

with joy, peace and the power of the Holy

Spirit? If so, I invite you to come and discover

what the RCIA program can offer you, in order

to help you discover a depth of life that only

God can freely give you. It is a journey that you

will not make alone, but along with our loving

parish community and with a caring and

supportive Sponsor. Only God can transform

our lives—enter in relationship with Him more

fully and experience abundant life!

What is RCIA?

The Holy Spirit draws all people toward Jesus Christ and his Church. Whether you already

have a relationship with Christ and you are seeking his fullness or you really do not come

from a religious background, the Church welcomes all people. The method by which people

are welcomed is called RCIA, which stands for the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. It is a

time to ask questions. It is a rite or ritual that welcomes all persons who wish to know more

about Jesus Christ and His Church. Modeled after how the Early Christians brought people into

the faith, RCIA offers those discerning the Catholic faith a season of consecutive courses and

liturgies that slowly draw the person into a fuller and deeper understanding of the mysteries

of the Christian life. -© St. Peter’s List, 2017

If you are interested in joining this RCIA journey or are seeking to discover more about

the abundant life God has instore for you, I would be glad to meet with you!

Re

lig

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on

This year has been filled with a lot of activity inside and out of the parish building. My family and I truly enjoyed the sun and fun on the St. Cyprian

Cruise. This was my first cruise with the parish and I am already looking forward to the next. It was so cool being there with

my extended church family. One of the highlights was having mass on the ship, I have never experienced that before. Religious Formation: Thank you to ALL the volunteers that help make our formation and sacrament programs so great. We could not do any of this without your time, talent and faith. God Bless you all. The Middle School Saturday morning classes started Feb 25 and will run for 3 consecutive Saturdays. The last Monday Session will begin on March 12 at 6:15pm. Please check your schedule. There will be two more masses for the Religious Formation Students and families on March 19 and April 30. The students will meet in the

classrooms at 6:15pm and mass will begin at 6:30pm. All are welcome to attend. Registration for the fall will begin in Mid-April and Formation classes will end on April 30. First Reconciliation/Eucharist: The First Communicants will have their retreat on March 20. They will be making bread and working in different centers that review all the learning that they have had since September. They will be receiving the Eucharist for the first time on April 15 during the 11 o’clock mass. Please keep them in your prayers. Confirmation: Twenty-seven teens were prepared for Confirmation, and 26 were confirmed on February 10 with Bishop Battersby presiding. One of the teens will be confirmed during the Easter Vigil Mass on March 31. Please keep all of them in your prayers. The Introduction to Confirmation meeting for those students who have completed their 8th year of formation will be sometime in May. Please watch the Connection and your mail for an invitation to this meeting. Children’s Liturgy of the Word (CLOW): The CLOW will also end in April. Thank you to all of the catechists who have helped with this program. We have veterans and some newcomers. This is a great program and we are blessed to have your help.

Stacey Sutowski-Shurtz Director of Elementary Catechesis & Youth Ministry 734-283-1366 x118 sshurtz@stcyprian.com

2018 Confirmation

Yo

uth

& Y

ou

ng

Ad

ult M

inis

tries

Youth Ministry: Four teens and I attended the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis in November. It was a wonderful and spiritual event. All of us left that conference knowing ourselves, others and especially God, more deeply. The teens were in awe of all the people that came together to worship and share their faith. God and His people are everywhere and this was very apparent to them.

We are getting excited as World Youth Day is approaching. January 2019 is still a few months away, but as we know, time goes by so fast. Keep your eye on the Connection for opportunities to help the pilgrims make this trip a reality. Thank you to all of you who have been donating your bottles and cans; we have returned almost $700. Please keep them coming. And a big thank you to the St. Cyprian Crafters who raised $366 from raffling a beautiful afghan. Our Youth Group is hoping to attend a Lenten Retreat at Subiaco during March. We will also be returning to the CYO Camp in Port Sanilac at the end of April for the Annual Camp Clean up. Family Faith Committee: The Soup Bowl Painting Dinner is rescheduled for April 29 at 4-6pm. The cost of a bowl, mug or plate to paint will be $12 each. Come and join us for a fun evening and dinner. Keep an eye on the Connection to find out more details. Also, if you have ideas or would like to join this committee please contact me at 734-283-1366 x118 or sshurtz@stcyprian.com Book Club: The Book Club meets the last Wednesday of the month at 7pm. We meet September

through May. The books we are reading will be advertised in the bulletin and on the parish website www.stcyprian.com on the Current Events page. You can read all the books or only the ones you want. This group is open to new people every month. We read all genres and many different authors. The discussions are lively and very eye opening. If you love to read, this is the club for you. As you can see we have a lot going on at St. Cyprian. I would love to see you at many of the upcoming events. Please keep all of our youth and catechists in your prayers. May God Bless You Today and Always! Peace,

Stacey

Denise Traeder Director of Finance & Administration 734-283-1366 x113 dtraeder@stcyprian.com

Denise

Follow Fr. Bill on

Twitter:

RevDrWJP

St. Cyprian Church

Listen to or download podcasts of Fr. Bill’s homilies on the Media tab at stcyprian.com

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Given to St. Cyprian @ January 31, 2018

$638,354

How that was used:

ADMINISTRATION: $207,800

WORSHIP & MUSIC: $49,483

CHRISTIAN SERVICE: $19,623

RELIGIOUS FORMATION: $39,135

DIOCESAN/VICARIATE SUBSIDIES: $27,261

CAPITAL EXPENDITURES: $13,938

PLANT & MAINTENANCE: $88,047

Net Operating Income

* Includes $100,000 estate gift

The parish currently has a net gain of $193,066, with a checking account balance of $108,357 and a savings account balance in the Loan Deposit Program (LDP) of $382,038. All departments are at or below budget, with the exception of Capital Expenditures (see below). The large gain showing is a direct result of a $100,000 estate gift received in December 2017, which was designated a CSA donation. The CSA Excess Refund is recorded on the Income/Expense Statement, per AOD financial reporting requirements. Lease income is also included in the Income/Expense Statement, although we choose to not include it as money available for operations. We do this so as not to become dependent on this income to cover our bills; instead, we use it for “extras”. A more realistic net operating gain (excluding LDP accounts and lease income) was $76,101.

The Christmas collection was the second best in the 24 years I have been here: $91,589 to date (compared to the budget of $72,000). Between our Sunday Stewardship and this collection, parish finances are very stable at this time.

Capital expenditures are over budget; these are projects that have been undertaken using lease income rather than regular operating income. These projects include: new blinds for offices/classrooms ($2,626); appliances for the rectory ($1,740); exterior church repairs ($5,200); and new drum set ($2,240).

We are currently looking for a new tenant for the renovated rectory. If you know of anyone who may be interested in leasing the property, please direct them to me or Fr. Bill.