This week at Corpus Christi we will be talking about the Stations of the Cross, and how this praying the stations is an important aspect of our Catholic Identity.  Right now the speaker of the talk is TBA.  So, I'm leaving you all in suspense! Ha ha! 

priestermeister@gmail.com

 Corpus Christi Catholic Fellowship is an energetic evening aimed at exploring the faith.  Through speakers, a little praise music, skits, games, and meals we come together to encounter the Lord with other Catholic students on campus.  Come join Corpus Christi here every Thursday night at 7pm, with Mass at 8:45 pm and dinner following at 9:30 pm at Linda's house.

Stephen Durkee will be giving a talk on fasting this week: what fasting is, and how fasting can be helpful to living a Christian life; especially during Lent.

Corpus Christi Catholic Fellowship is an energetic evening aimed at exploring the faith.  Through speakers, a little praise music, skits, games, and meals we come together to encounter the Lord with other Catholic students on campus.  Come join Corpus Christi here every Thursday night at 7pm, with Mass at 8:45 pm and dinner following at 9:30 pm at Linda's house.

Let’s go beyond the basics here and go straight to the heart: what do I need to let go of in order to grow closer to God?

Please pray for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti:

Psalm 102

"O Lord, listen to my prayer and let my cry for help reach you.  Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress.  Turn your ear towards me and answer me quickly when I call...PRAYER CONTINUED HERE...

If you would like to make a donation to Catholic Relief Services for the Haitian relief efforts after their major earthquake please click here or drop off a donation at the parish office anytime.  There will be a second collection at Sunday's Mass for the relief effort.

Abortion Amendment Finds Its Way Into Reform Bill

Health Care and the "Creative Minority"

By Carl Anderson

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 9, 2009 (Zenit.org).- With an abortion-friendly political majority solidly in control of the U.S. government, an abortion-mandating health care bill seemed to many a "fait accompli." People didn't count on the power of a "creative minority."

On his recent trip to the Czech Republic, Benedict XVI called for the Church to act as a "creative minority" in the public square.

In his most recent use of this term, he said: "I would say that usually it is creative minorities who determine the future, and in this regard the Catholic Church must understand that she is a creative minority who has a heritage of values that are not things of the past, but a very lively and relevant reality. The Church must modernize, she must be present in the public debate."

On Saturday, the world saw this vision for a creative minority in action. The addition of an amendment that would ban public funding for abortion to the health care reform legislation was just such a creative presence in the public debate.

The passage of the Stupak Amendment -- named for Catholic and Knight of Columbus Representative Bart Stupak, a Democrat, and the amendment's author -- shows just how far America has come on the abortion debate.

A New York Times blog reported that some opponents had called it the most significant restriction on abortion since the Hyde Amendment. That amendment -- passed in 1976 -- banned the use of Federal funds for abortion in the United States. It was named for Catholic -- and Knight of Columbus -- Representative Henry Hyde, a Republican.

...Continue Reading Here...

What a beautiful evening for Bishop Cistone's first pastoral visit to St. Mary's!  The Operation Andrew Dinner was fantastic with twelve men from the parish participating - Jesus had Twelve as well, right?  The Bishop graciously celebrated Mass with us and then, after a rousing homily and the offering of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, spent some time with us in the parish lounge aftwards, enjoying lemonade and cookies.  Thanks so much for the visit, Bishop.  We hope to have you back soon!

We had an amazing time with the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist!!!  Srs. Philip John, Mary Gloria, Mary Judith, and Mary Rita spent most of the day with us last Thursday and it was incredible!  One of our students said that having lunch with the Sisters was like having lunch with joy -- as if joy was something tangible!!  [No kidding, that's actually what she compared it to!] 

At Corpus Christi Catholic Fellowship, Sr. Mary Rita graced us with the story of how God called her to the follow Him as a Dominican Sister.  We were blessed with wonderful discussion and illuminating comments from Srs. Philip John and Mary Gloria, and a rousing speech on evangelization from Sr. Mary Judith -- they aren't part of the Order of Preachers for nothing! 

From the sound of it we'll have a car of students from the parish heading down to a retreat that the Sisters are having in Ann Arbor this weekend, November 7th-8th!!! 

Many thanks for the Sisters for making the 2.5 hour drive from Ann Arbor!  Click here to see some pictures.

Wow...this is a four-minute video of a "Law & Order SVU" show where they take on abortion: it certainly isn't a perfect presentation, but it invites you into some of the human drama. 

Don't forget to write your representative to urge them to make sure that abortion isn't mandated as universal health care coverage and that proper conscience-clause protections are in place. 

ACTION: Contact Members through e-mail, phone calls or FAX letters.

• To send a pre-written, instant e-mail to Congress go to http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/
• Call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at: 202-224-3121, or call your Members’ local offices.
• Full contact info can be found on Members’ web sites at www.house.gov & www.senate.gov

Some quotes from the NBC video:
"I grew up thinking that Roe vs. Wade was Gospel and that a woman's privacy was inviolate. But after hearing that woman on the stand talk about her baby dying in her arms. I don't know. I don't know where my privacy ends and another being's dignity begins."

"Unfortunately, I can't leave my soul in the umbrella stand when I come to work in the morning."