Author Archives: Tammy Houser

Resources from USCCB

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Due to the spread of COVID-19, many people have had to make significant changes in their daily routines, including suspending publicly celebrated Masses. Recognizing these changes likely leave us even more in need of God’s grace, The USCCB and other Catholic partners have generously made resources available to support prayer during these difficult days.

We invite you to visit these pages and share the resources provided to pray for each other and stay connected to our faith during this time of social distancing.

https://catholiccurrent.org/covid19/

http://www.usccb.org/about/communications/usccb-president-reflection-and-prayer-during-coronavirus.cfm

Still by Hillsong United

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We are all finding different struggles within our families and work situations.  God is bigger than all of this, and he will not let us fail.  Be faithful to God and your families.  Let’s use this time to strengthen the family unit.

Pope Francis’s Prayer to Mary during Coronavirus Pandemic:

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Pope Francis’s Prayer to Mary during Coronavirus Pandemic:
O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope.We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith.You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need.We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us:He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God.Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin. 

Fr. Todd Bulletin, March 29, 2020

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Dear Sacred Heart and St. Mary’s,

Well, some good news amidst so much upheaval.  My brother, Fr. Gary, has been named the pastor of St. Joseph Church in Howell, MI.  He will be moving there the end of June.  He is a little bummed that with everything being closed down, he hasn’t been able to visit the parish or school yet.  As pastor, his day off will also be on Monday, so I am very much looking forward to seeing him more often for days off at the farm!

It has been a blessing to have two seminarians with us: Dan LaCroix and Josh Bauer.   The seminaries are shut down because of the Coronavirus, so they are completing their studies online.  They have been very helpful in figuring out how to record our Masses and it has been good to be able to pray the Mass and breviary with them each day.  As an added bonus, since there are four of us here at the rectory, we also have a built in Euchre Game!

I have been struck by the fact that we have celebrated two major feast days during our first week of the lockdown: those of St. Joseph and Mary’s “Yes” at the Annunciation.  Both Joseph and Mary are great examples for us to emulate during a time when so many things we have taken for granted are suddenly changed and/or taken away.  Such was the nature of God’s call in both of their lives.

The angel appeared to Mary and asked her to be the mother of the Son of God.  Not understanding the totality of what that would mean, she said these beautiful words: “Let it be done to me according to your word.”  Jesus would take those words and shorten them in the Lord’s Prayer into this four-word phrase: “Thy will be done.”  Mary’s yes was a surrendered yes, open to all that God would call forth from her in the ensuing years.  I am sure that there were many elements of her life that she could never have anticipated.  Yet through it all, her foundation was that request: “Let it be done to me according to your word.”  So often my own yes to God is paired not with that phrase but instead this one: “My will be done.”  Learning to say “Yes” to God and have that yes really be free of my will is the work of a lifetime for every Christian.  Various situations are more adept at providing opportunities for practicing this.  This crisis is one of them.

When it comes to Joseph, I think one of the most beautiful aspects of his life is that we don’t have a single recorded word from him in Scripture.  That is because Joseph had the habit of being told what he needed to do and he simply did it.  At times when I do what God is asking, I might do it, but my actions are accompanied by many words both internally and externally!  Are you sure about this?  Why do I have to do this?  Why is it so hard? (The questions and grumblings can go on for a while.)  Joseph was asked to do something much harder than I have ever had to do, and he did it without a word. He moved his family to Egypt without any time of preparation, but with a healthy dose of trust that when they got there God would make a place for them.

In these times when it is easy to be marked by fear, frustration, and the temptation to rely on ourselves, let us instead lean into God. With Mary and Joseph, let us say “Yes” in a surrendered and trusting way.  Above all else: Thy will be done!

 

Mary and Joseph, pray for us!

 

SPECIAL NOTES**

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We are suspending all visits to our Homebound parishioners.

 

Mother’s & Fathers Day Spiritual Bouquets

We will still be publishing Spiritual Bouquets for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.   Please send in your intentions to the parish office, there is a $5 stipend per request.   What a beautiful way to honor your Mother, Father, Grandmother, Grandfather,  Aunt, Uncle, Godparents or Special Person in your life?

 

The South Michigan Food Bank will be providing a 10% match for all donations made to the Hudson Ministerial Association Food Bank in March & April Donations can be made online at donate.smfoodbank.org

 

Weekly tithing……  If you are unable to do Online Giving, please mail your envelope to the parish office or you may drop it off in the drop box on the rectory steps.  God bless us all during this time.

From Anne Atkin, Principal, March 29, 2020

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Dear Sacred Heart Families,

It is hard to believe it has only been two weeks since we were all in school together.

Please remember to stay safe! I am sure Sacred Heart families are doing their part to social distance at this very critical time.

I know we are all missing each other terribly! Take a moment and send me a picture of how your children are filling their days with a caption of what is taking place. Send it to my cell at 517-403-2824 and I will post it on our Facebook page.

Beginning on Monday, March 23rd, SHS will be sending a weekly newsletter to every family with encouragement from our teachers. In the newsletter, we will have lesson plans, resources, crafts, recipes, videos and ideas to inspire learning at home. Families– it would be wonderful if you could keep a log of the work that your children were able to complete. We do not have the expectation that all of the work will be done but want to give you plenty of resources so you can keep your children busy.

We will be utilizing Edmentum’s Study Island for distance learning in the near future. Study Island is free and easy to use. Better yet, it is aligned to our curriculum and standards. Teachers will be able to assign specific lessons for math, reading, science(K-6th) and social studies (for older students). The lessons are taught with videos and on- line lessons that include flashcards and worksheets. This is a way for students to spend part of the day connected to Sacred Heart curriculum and they are accountable for their lessons. You will be notified as soon as have this program ready to launch. Families are able to sign up for a free year of Study Island right now to try it out on their own. See the attachment for easy instructions.Study Island- student sign up.jpg

Thank you so much for your patience as we try to work out the details of suddenly being closed.

TUITION

We are still working on an end of the year tuition plan for K-6th grade families. We will update you as we know more about the fate of the end of the school year. If you are not able to pay your tuition now, please contact Tammy at 448-6405 and she will suspend your payment.

ENROLLMENT

Enrollment for 2020-2021 is underway! Packets can be dropped off in the drop box outside of the Church Rectory (the big house next to the Sacred Heart Church). Enrollment papers are also available at sacredhearthudson.org or contact the school if you need a hard copy.

Spots in our Preschool/ Developmental Kindergarten and Kindergarten are determined by the date which we receive enrollment papers with special consideration being given to our current families.

The same is true for 1st-6th grade but those classrooms are not as likely to reach capacity this Spring.

REPORT CARDS

Report Cards will be sent home next week. Quarter 3 officially ended today, but was abruptly ended on Friday, March 13th. The teachers made sure that the grades given reflected a fair assessment of the grades that were in the grade book at that time.

Continue to follow Sacred Heart School-Hudson on Facebook for important announcements and resources.

CONTACTS

For Billing Questions– Tammy at thouser@sacredhearthudson.org

Enrollment or school related questions– Anne aatkin@sacredhearthudson.org

 

Remind your children that they have worked on virtue every day that they have been at Sacred Heart School.   They know how to be patient, kind, courteous, industrious, courageous, and they know how to persevere. It is a great time to put all of this virtue into practice!     I continue to pray for all of you and I would love prayers for our school!

 

May God Bless You,

Anne Atkin, Principal

 

Deacon’s Corner, March 29, 2020

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With everything essentially shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it will be a while before we gather again to celebrate Mass on Sunday.   Who would have ever imagined that our Lenten sacrifice would include Mass?  So, as I considered what to write for the bulletin this week, I thought I would spend the next few weeks dusting off some of my old Deacon’s Corners which talk about what the Mass is and why we go to Mass in the first place.  Let’s begin with what Sunday is all about.  It is the Sabbath: The Lord’s Day.

There was a time when Kimberly and I had our Sunday routine down pretty good – Mass in the morning, rush home, quick lunch, do all the yard work and house projects, quit about 6pm, be too tired for dinner, call the parents and kids to see how they’re doing, then get ready for the upcoming week.  One hot Sunday afternoon, we took a break from mowing the lawn.  Across the street we noticed our neighbors.  Mom and Dad were sitting on the front porch.  He was strumming his guitar.  She was reading a book.  The kids were running around the yard playing soccer.  Then, it hit us both at the same time – why don’t we do that?  Why can’t we just relax on Sunday afternoon?  Kimberly and I walked over and talked to our neighbors, then decided to follow their example of setting Sunday aside as a day of rest.  You see, our neighbors were also our very good friends.  And still are.  They are Mormon, and take the Third Commandment quite literally.  They believe in family values and honoring the Sabbath as a solemn day of rest to thank God for their blessings.

Funny thing, so do we.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “The seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the Lord” (2168).  It goes on to say that “God entrusted the Sabbath to Israel to keep as a sign of the irrevocable covenant, and set the day apart for the praise of God and his work of creation” (2171)…“If God rested and was refreshed on the seventh day, then we, too, should rest and let others do the same…The Sabbath brings everyday work to a halt and provides a respite.  It is a day of protest against the servitude of work and the worship of money” (2172).

Sunday is a day of rest and leisure to nurture our spiritual, family, and social life.  It is a day to avoid unnecessary demands on ourselves and others.  Of course, there are always emergencies, and some people do have to work on Sunday to keep the paycheck coming.  And that’s OK.  But we must always remember, Sunday is the Lord’s Day – the Sabbath.  It is a day to attend Mass and worship our God.  A day to enjoy the world God created for us.  It is a day to do humble works of service for others, as Jesus did.

The word “Sabbath” comes from the Hebrew verb shabbat, meaning “to rest from labor”: the day of rest.  It is first used in the Bible for the seventh day of Creation when God rested (Exodus 16:23).  So, if God rested on the Sabbath, why can’t we?   That’s something to think about when life gets back to normal after the COVID-19 shutdown ends.

May you always enjoy the Sabbath, and have a blessed week!

Deacon John