Today we celebrate universally as a Church, Corpus Christi, the source and the summit of who we are as Catholics. It is also the feast day of your Mother Church. At Blessed Sacrament Cathedral, we begin with the Eucharist and then allow it to feed our mission. We will be processing up and down Woodward Avenue with the Lord to witness that He is our purpose. On Pentecost, when the Lord Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit upon the church, He reminded us in the gospel, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” When this happened, everything changed, and people’s lives were changed for the better. If what you are experiencing at Mass or in your spiritual life is too ordinary and rote, then this is your opportunity. Jesus made it clear; we are on mission. What could that mean specifically for you? Let’s look at what is happening.
Until two weeks ago, we had not celebrated a priestly ordination in two years! The archbishop asked us to pray a specific prayer for priestly vocations begging the Father to send more individuals to say yes to their vocation. At the Cathedral, we prayed that prayer at every weekend and weekday Mass for an entire 365 days. Now that we celebrated an ordination, we no longer will “officially” pray that prayer at Mass. But maybe the Holy Spirit is asking you to shift to praying for that same thing in your daily personal prayer. Maybe the Holy Spirit wants you to talk to someone about serving in the Church. Maybe he wants you to enrich your vocation by getting involved in a new way. Remember Jesus made it clear; we are on mission.
I don’t know if you heard about the changes that are happening with some of the priests in our Family of Parishes (named Resurget Cineribus). Beginning July 1, Fr. Mario Amore will be taking on a new role in the Curia, the working offices in the Church. While he will continue serving St. Aloysius Parish, he will also oversee the Department of Evangelization and Missionary Discipleship. I will continue to serve as Rector of the Cathedral but will take over as Moderator of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, St. Aloysius Parish, and St. Mary Parish (Greektown). We have a missionary strategic plan set up for our group of parishes. If you don’t know what that plan is, ask. Share your talents and get involved! Remember Jesus made it clear; we are on mission.
Did you notice a lot of activity directly across from the Cathedral? Construction workers have been preparing the land to begin construction on a four-story apartment building. It will feature 53 two-bedroom units and approximately 6,000 square feet of commercial retail space. This affordable housing will contain space for community programs, classes, and other vital neighborhood services. Never done before, the “Cathedral Apartments” will be owned by a new joint venture entity established in partnership between MHT Housing Inc. (the largest developer of affordable housing in our state) and the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. This was all inspired to Unleash the Gospel. A couple days ago, Mayor Duggan and other dignitaries witnessed Archbishop Vigneron blessing the project and encouraging our mission. Occupancy is to begin in the fall of 2024. What could that mean specifically for you? What does the rest of the Cathedral’s Master Plan include? Pray to those original disciples who received the Holy Spirit. Everything changed for them, and their lives were transformed for the better. They began to fulfill their purpose. Share your talents and get involved. Remember Jesus made it clear; we are on mission. He said, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”
God Bless,
Fr. J.J.