Dear Villagers,

Hope you are all doing well! We had a very successful Art Fair Parking Fundraiser this past week, bringing in just over $3000 to support Village events this year. Praise God for his goodness! We had lots of fun playing board games, mafia, and just catching up. Thank you to all who helped support our Village!

Coming up Saturday, August 7th is the Village Retreat for Incoming Freshmen! Invitations have already gone out to well over a hundred St Thomas teens who will be the Class of 2014. As in past years, we need your help to welcome the new class and share survival tips for freshman year! Last year nearly 40 teens helped plan and attended this event. Our incoming freshmen are a diverse bunch, and we need teens from every nearby school to help welcome them in. To join our team, RSVP to me as soon as you can.

We will have three planning meetings- please attend each of these:

Thursday, 7/29 from 4-6pm

Monday, 8/2 from 4-6pm

Thursday, 8/5 from 4-6pm

Hope to see you all this Thursday, July 29th!!

Dear Villagers,

We had a great Barbecue Bash this past weekend! There were just over 30 of us, and some great rounds of Hide and Seek Tag and Dodgeball. We grilled up some juicy hamburgers and hotdogs, and had flavor-changing gum for dessert!

The only sad thing is that the Barbecue means our Sunday night Village meetings are finished until the Fall. :( However, there will be loads of other exciting events going on throughout the summer.

Here are some things to get geeked for this summer:

* Dead Theologians Society is Continuing through summer on Thursdays from 7-8pm!
o We'll be back on starting Thursday, June 10th!
o Join us before and afterward for social time, including ice cream at Stucci's and other fun adventures...


* The Parish Hall is an African Safari for Vacation Bible School this June 21-June 25th!
o Join us to hangout with friends and teach the little ones about God's love
o Sign-up to Volunteer by returning the attached form!
o Can't help the week of VBS? Email back to help with decorations and snacks the week before.


* Steubenville Youth Conference is taking 14 of us on a roadtrip to Ohio July 9th- July 11th!
o Get excited for Mafia on the road, incredible speakers, and powerful Eucharistic Adoration


* Our Art Fair Parking Fundraiser is on July 21st- July 24th!
o Who knew you could keep the Village going financially by playing games, directing cars, and eating junk food?!


* Our Retreat for Incoming Freshmen is on for Saturday, August 7th!
o Join the planning team in July to help tailor school-specific survival tips for next year's freshmen class!

Village News: Barbecue Time!

Dear Villagers,

We had an awesome round of Pop, Pop, Vinegar at Village last night. Four people drink, and one of them gets vinegar instead of Pop- everyone tries to figure out which one is actually drinking vinegar! Many honorable mentions, but I think consensus was with Nora of Huron High- who had a crazy awesome poker face!!

There was sweet dialogue as we answered the remaining questions from Villagers together- Why do some prayers go unanswered- How do you explain mortal & venial sins to a non-Catholic- How can I know who's talking, Satan or God? Awesome dialogue!

The highlight of the meeting was Eucharistic Adoration, and our Surprise Birthday Party for Father Bill! He was *so* surprised. Thank you to Annemarie for all of your help planning this!

Come out this Sunday from 4-7pm for our end of year Barbecue Bash here at St Thomas! We'll celebrate the coming of summer with dodgeball in the gym, hide and seek tag through the whole building, and great food. St Thomas is providing hamburgers, hotdogs, and tableware. Girls, please bring a side to share- and Guys, please bring a dessert to share. The barbecue will be loads of fun!

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"In Him a new age has dawned, the long reign of sin is ended, a broken world has been renewed, and man is once again made whole." -Eucharistic Prayer, Preface of Easter IV
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St Thomas Bulletin, Sunday 5/16
Click here to read the full St Thomas Church Bulletin from this past weekend.

No DTS this Thursday

Due to a time conflict, there will be no Dead Theologians Society meeting this Thursday or next Thursday. The Dead Theologians Society is a national movement to incorporate the lives of the Saints into the prayer life of the Church– that we would answer the call to live as they did.

* 7-8pm: gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (Elizabeth St door is always open)
* 8-8:30pm: snacks in the Parish Offices


Barbecue Bash This Sunday, 5/23 from 4-7pm

Join us here at St Thomas as we celebrate the end of our regular Sunday night meetings, and the coming of summer! We’ll bust out some dodgeball in the gym, hide and seek tag through the whole building, and grill out on the patio. Hot dogs & hamburgers will be provided.


Guys: please bring a dessert to share

Girls: please bring a side to share


Your Question of the Week: Are angels made in the image and likeness of God?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.” Man occupies a unique place in creation: (I) he is “in the image of God”; (II) in his own nature he unites the spiritual and material worlds; (III) he is created “male and female”; (IV) God established him in his friendship (CCC 355). So humanity does have a special place in the order of creation!

Disfigured by sin and death, man remains “in the image of God,” in the image of the Son, but is deprived “of the glory of God,” of his “likeness.” The promise made to Abraham inaugurates the economy of salvation, at the culmination of which the Son himself will assume that “image” and restore it in the Father’s “likeness” by giving it again its Glory, the Spirit who is “the giver of life” (CCC 705).



So man was definitely made in the image and likeness of God. Since the fall of Adam and Eve we are still born in the image of God but we have lost the likeness (See Catechism #705, 1700-1707).



Let’s talk about angels! The Old Testament theology included the belief in angels: the name applied to certain spiritual beings or intelligences of heavenly residence, employed by God as the ministers of His will. The Catechism does not speak specifically of angels and God’s image and likeness. However, the Catechism does note that among visible creatures only man is "able to know and love his creator," and "the only creature on earth that God has willed for its own sake" (Catechism, no. 356).



Angels are pure immortal spirits, of an incommunicable and immaterial substance, created by God, having the vital operations of intellection and volition. They have an intellect and a will; which is to say, they know and they love. Being intellectual creatures of incommunicable substance, angels are, therefore, persons. St Boetius defined person as a complete, individual, and incommunicable substance of a rational or intellectual nature, totally subsisting in itself.



The term image is reserved for the resemblance between God and man as being-intellect-will. Likeness refers to the possibility of friendship in Christ. The angels are included in both of these categories, so yes- angels are made in the image and likeness of God!

Sunday, Adoration Night!

Dear Villagers,

We had a great time serving at the Detroit Rescue Mission Soup Kitchen this past Saturday. Although we got lost along the way, we had quite an adventure following 3 different GPS units, which often disagreed. Thank God, we made it at all!

The men who came for lunch were so friendly, and it was a powerful experience to be able to minister to Christ in the poor. We stopped at Wendy's for lunch on the way home to wrap up our adventure in Detroit! Thank you to the Rose family for helping drive us all out there. Don't miss the attached pics.

Come to Village this Sunday for our last regular Village meeting of the year, an Adoration night! Some beloved past games will make their appearance! Also, we've got 3-4 remaining questions from Villagers that need answers, so we'll gather into small groups to find answers together. Father Bill is joining us for our last Adoration night of the year, and afterward we'll have social time with pizza and a surprise party! ;)
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Barbara Conlon Shares on St Basil @ DTS this Thursday, 7-8pm

Come out this week to hear Parishioner Barb Conlon share on this holy man! The Dead Theologians Society is a national movement to incorporate the lives of the Saints into the prayer life of the Church– that we would answer the call to live as they did.

* 7-8pm: gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (Elizabeth St door is always open)
* 8-8:30pm: snacks in the Parish Offices



Eucharistic Adoration Night This Sunday, 5/16 from 5-6:30pm
God sends you daily bread to deal with every problem and trial! This week we’ll come together to ask God for the strength to finish out the school year strong! We’ll have pizza and social hangout afterward, with a surprise birthday party for someone we all love. :)


Your Question of the Week: How do I turn someone down?
Over the years we will all have to deal with the uncomfortable moment where we are asked out by someone we know we aren't interested in. When we become aware that someone we don't like is in to us, here are some things we tend to do in response.

1. Avoid the person altogether, surely their affection will dwindle...
2. Deny they like you, surely this will make them stop...
3. Be rude to them, surely they will get the hint...
4. Tell a friend to tell them that you don't like them...
5. Lie through your teeth about your availability or interest in dating...

Go ahead, identify the few approaches you tend to gravitate towards. Now I'll tell you why none of these are very helpful.

First, avoiding someone can be difficult, and you may miss out on some awesome social events. Also, it's sad that unwanted affection has to lead to the end of even a friendship, right? Second, denial. This one is fools gold, it never works. Ignoring problems just gives them time to fester and get bigger.

Third, being rude. So sad that this is often our go-to solution for these situations. There is no need to be unkind to others- as Catholics we are called to honor the opposite sex! Once again, how sad that unwanted affection has to lead to the end of a friendship, right?

Fourth, telling a friend to tell them. This has first grade written all over it! If you aren't ready to communicate face-to-face, maybe you aren't ready to date! No need to let this become an awkward situation with tons of people involved.

Fifth, lying! It's sad that people fall into these "white lies" because they are so terrified of dealing with conflict head-on. Just because you're getting some unwanted affection doesn't mean you have to sin, right?

So please avoid the above mentioned solutions, they all stink!! If someone likes you and you aren't interested, save everyone the awkwardness and ruptured friendships by addressing it head-on. Take the person aside, and as charitably as possible express that you aren't interested in them in that way, although you think they're a great guy/girl. Doing this charitably and one-on-one will show the other person that you respect them enough to address the situation privately and with dignity.

One last sentiment. I love facebook, texting, email, and telephones. However- addressing something like this really should be done in person. Challenge yourself to deal with this situation in person! Trust me, learning to resolve conflict is an invaluable tool!

Serving @ the Soup Kitchen!

Dear Villagers,

We had a glorious Condiment Fight Club last night at our regular Village meeting! Villagers went head-to-head with ketchup, thousand island, and steak sauce to compete for the crown of victory. In the end, after valiant efforts from all, Annemarie Johnson emerged victorious! Her barrel of "Condiment X" (a mixture of teriyaki sauce, grape jelly, ketchup, and salad dressing) was equally frightening to all. She was awarded the crown of victory and $15 to Coldstone Creamery!

Our Bishops have told us that "a basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor, our faith recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt 25:31-46) and instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first." It is our responsibility as Catholics to consider the needs of the poor and reach out with Christ's compassion!

This Saturday, 5/8 The Village has been invited to serve lunch at the Detroit Rescue Mission Soup Kitchen- where for over 100 years they have been providing hope to disadvantaged and homeless men, women and children.

Won't you come out this Saturday from 10:30am-2pm to provide lunch to nearly 150 people? Of all the great things to do on a Saturday- doesn't this top them all? Let's come together this Saturday to answer Jesus' call to feed His sheep! (John 21:17)


RSVP to Serve @ the DRM Soup Kitchen, Saturday 5/8
To ensure we have enough parent drivers, you must RSVP by this Wednesday 5/5 to bspizarny@sta2.org. Volunteer drivers are needed to transport our group to Detroit. We’re leaving St Thomas this Saturday at 10:30am, serving until 1pm, and arriving back at St Thomas by 2pm. The Detroit Rescue Mission has been sharing the Gospel by providing hope to the hopeless, abused, disadvantaged and homeless men, women and children for over 100 years.

St Bridget of Sweden @ Dead Theologians Society this Thursday, 7-8pm
Come out this week to hear Parishioner Terry Fremuth share on Saint Bridgette of Sweden, who he describes as a powerhouse of prayer! The Dead Theologians Society is a national movement to incorporate the lives of the Saints into the prayer life of the Church– that we would answer the call to live as they did.
* 7-8pm: gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (Elizabeth St door is always open)
* 8-8:30pm: snacks in the Parish Offices


No Regular Village Meeting this Sunday, 5/9- Happy Mother's Day!
Be sure to thank your Mothers for all the sacrifices they make for you! Join us in two weeks on Sunday 5/16 for a solid Eucharistic Adoration night, and a surprise birthday party for someone we all love. :)

Your Question of the Week: What do you do when you’re dating out of your faith?
First of all, it certainly is not wrong to date non-Catholics! That said, there are a few things to keep in mind. Ever notice how you pick up mannerisms of your friends? They say, ‘bad company corrupts good morals’. We become like the people we hang out with! If you date someone who doesn’t know or love God, you may find yourself praying less, and talking about your faith less. How might these small trends be exacerbated over a lifetime of marriage?

The goal of dating is to discern the vocation of marriage and who you are called to marry. The goal of marriage is to become holy and help your spouse get to heaven! It’s important to check whether or not you and your significant other have these same goals, even if you’re both “Catholic.”

Many Catholics are happily married to spouses who don’t share their beliefs. However, if your Catholic faith is an important part of your life, dating/marrying someone who doesn’t share your faith can be difficult. The Catechism warns us that mixed marriages can be difficult when it comes to raising children, Sunday morning, and even sexual morality (Catechism 1635). These things may seem really far away, but if you date and fall in love with someone without consideration for their religious beliefs, you may be opening up a whole bucket of heartbreak for yourself down the road!

If you do date someone of a different faith, keep in mind that you must accept that person as they are today- whether or not they may one day become Catholic. You cannot date a potential future version of someone- you can only date the reality of who they are today. While interfaith dating might lend itself to some great interfaith dialogues, it’s unfair to both of you if your future relationship hinges on someone converting.

Years ago I dated a man who wasn’t Catholic. After countless dialogues and books, we realized neither of us would compromise our beliefs, and there was no future for us in marriage. I sure wish we’d thought of some of these things beforehand, it might have saved us both a bit of heartache! :(

The Condiment Fight Club

Dear Villagers,

Hope this finds you well. We had a great time last night at Village- we had a great time discussing Batman, Metropolitan Orlando, and Mountain Dew! Father Bill joined us for a time of Eucharistic Adoration, and we ate tons of pizza afterward. :)

Join everyone at Village this Sunday from 5-6:30pm for the Top Ten Prayer Tips- ten practical ways to improve your prayer life.

Following the Top Ten Prayer Tips will be a much beloved staple of Village life: The Condiment Fight Club!!! This Sunday come on out for the third annual Condiment Fight Club at Village. To compete in this epic one-on-one tournament, bring your own condiment and wear grubby clothes. No mustard allowed- it stains! Even if you aren’t a gladiator, come as you are to watch one of the messiest, most exciting tournaments ever!


St Gertrude @ Dead Theologians Society this Thursday, 7-8pm
This Thursday we'll discover the virtuous life of Saint Gertrude the Great, religious sister and mystic! The Dead Theologians Society is a national movement to incorporate the lives of the Saints into the prayer life of the Church– that we would answer the call to live as they did.

* 7-8pm: gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (Elizabeth St door is always open)
* 8-8:30pm: snacks in the Parish Offices


Fundraiser Night @ Big Boy this Wednesday from 5-9pm for St Vincent de Paul
Eat dinner at Big Boy this Wednesday night and 10% of all proceeds along with 100% of the tips will go to support the St Vincent de Paul Thrift Store! Come and hangout with other parishioners and families and interact with loads of "Celebrity Waiters" like Father Selvam, Father Bill, Deacon Warren, Deacon Jim, Beth Spizarny, and more!

Prayer & the Condiment Fight Club This Sunday, 5-6:30pm
Come on out this Sunday for the Top Ten Prayer Tips, followed by the third annual Condiment Fight Club! If you wish to be a Competitor in this epic one-on-one tournament, bring your own condiment and wear grubby clothes. No mustard is allowed, it stains! Even if you aren’t interested in becoming a Gladiator, come as you are to watch one of the most exciting tournaments of our time! The winner of each round is the person who gets the other person on the front and on the back with their condiment, first! Chat with older Villagers and Volunteers to get the low-down on strategies before the big night! :)

Serving @ the Detroit Rescue Mission Soup Kitchen, Saturday 5/8
In two weeks we’ll be joining our Christian brothers and sisters to serve lunch to 100-150 people in need! We’re leaving St Thomas at 10:30am, serving until 1pm, and back at St Thomas by 2pm. Volunteer drivers are needed to transport our group to Detroit. To ensure we have enough parent drivers, you must RSVP by Wednesday 5/5 to bspizarny@sta2.org. The Detroit Rescue Mission has been sharing the Gospel by providing hope to the hopeless, abused, disadvantaged and homeless men, women and children for over 100 years.


Your Question of the Week: Is using illegal drugs a mortal sin for a Catholic?

First, let’s discuss what might be behind a question like this...perhaps someone has offered you drugs...perhaps you’re simply wondering what the Church’s position is...perhaps you’re wondering how much you can get away with as far as your relationship with God is concerned. It’s kind of sad that so often we reduce our relationship with God to a game of how much we can get away with without getting burned.



Mortal sin destroys the grace of God in our heart– destroying our relationship with God and (if unrepented) depriving us of eternal life with God in heaven. If you really knew deep in your heart the reality of Hell and Heaven, would you continue to commit mortal sins? Would you do anything even remotely close to being a mortal sin?



There are three conditions for a sin to be a mortal sin- it must be grave matter, committed with full knowledge, and committed with full consent. (Catechism #1857) Without knowing whether or not the person had full knowledge or committed the act with full consent, the only condition we can address properly here is whether or not using illegal drugs is grave matter.



According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The use of drugs inflicts very grave damage on human health and life. Their use, except on strictly therapeutic grounds, is a grave offense.” (#2291) So yes, using illegal drugs is grave matter! If committed with full knowledge and full consent, it would constitute a mortal sin.



When comparing actions of non-Catholics and Catholics- the gravity of sins remains the same for both groups. The only condition that might vary is that non-Catholics may not be equipped with full knowledge that what they are doing is sinful.


Part 2: What would the Church teach about marijuana if it was legal?

Great question. Let’s unpack some of the reasons it is wrong to use marijuana right now: it’s illegal, it can be highly addictive, it can be a gate-way drug leading to more serious drug use, it often leads to loss of interest in everything (studies, relationships, sports, etc), and generally speaking parents forbid using marijuana. In addition, the Catholic Church is very clear in paragraph #2291 that drug use outside of medicinal purposes is morally wrong and Pope John Paul II campaigned for the illegalization of marijuana.



So even if marijuana was legal, wouldn’t we still be left with all the other bad stuff? Marijuana might not be the worst drug out there but there are some seriously bad things that come with drug use of any kind. Pray to St Joseph for strength!!

Eucharistic Adoration!

Dear Villagers,

Hope all is well with you! We had a great time last night with Mark and Sarah and Matt and Louise. They played the Newlywed Game and we all got to laugh together about the ridiculous questions! After racing each other down a cluttered hallway in a relay of sorts, we got to hear the 2 couples advice for Dating Well. Since we typically focus on what *not* to do in dating relationships, we were excited to finally showcase how to have healthy-fun-holy relationships!

Join us this Sunday for games, our monthly night of Eucharistic Adoration and pizza! Now that we're (mostly) all squared away on dating relationships- the topic you've requested for this Sunday is "Improving Relationships with Family & Friends." So come on out for some great dialogue and discussion!

See below for more on:

Your Question of the Week: How can I share my faith with my Muslim friends?
This Thursday: Our Guest Speaker shares on St Maximilian Kolbe at Dead Theologians!
This Sunday: Eucharistic Adoration Night!

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The Village News 4/18

This Wed, 4/21 is Parish Life Night come on out for a great meal!

This Thurs, 4/22 Beth Ann Smith shares on St Maximilian Kolbe @ Dead Theologians
Come out this week to hear Parishioner Beth Ann Smith share on the virtuous life of Saint Maximilian Kolbe, hero of the Nazi Concentration Camps. The Dead Theologians Society is a national movement to incorporate the lives of the Saints into the prayer life of the Church– that we would answer the call to live as they did!
6:30pm: socializing in the Parish Offices
7-8pm: gather in the Church choir loft for prayer with the Saints! (Elizabeth St door is always open)
8-8:30pm: snacks in the Parish Offices


This Friday, 4/23 is a regular Grown-Up Soda Meeting. Volunteers, are we thinking Bubble?


This Sunday’s Village: Eucharistic Adoration Night
J R R Tolkien once said, "Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament...There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth.” The Village has a special devotion to the Eucharist– and we have a time of Eucharistic Adoration once each month! Don’t miss the social time with pizza afterward!


Contact Youth Minister Beth Spizarny at bspizarny@sta2.org or 734-545-0827.


Your Question of the Week: How can I share my faith with my Muslim friends?
The basic method is the same as sharing the gospel with any of your friends. The content of the gospel is the same for everyone: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (John 3:16–17).

Tell your Muslim friends that God loves them and that, as a result, he sent his Son, Jesus, to make atonement for their sins so that they could spend eternity with God in heaven. Love is a keynote of Christianity that Islam lacks. In the words of one Muslim convert to Christianity, "Christianity is a religion of love; Islam is a religion of fear." Muslims do not have the kind of loving, intimate relationship with God that Christians do. Show that to them, talk about it—about how much you love God and want them to share in the feeling of God’s love, and that will help show them the light of the gospel.

Muslims are people of the Qur’an, much as Evangelical Christians are people of the Bible. Because the Qur’an is the basis of Islam, including its philosophy, we could discuss with them how the Qur’an came to be the basis. They believe that an angel gave the book to Mohammed while he was alone in the desert, who then dictated it to a secretary. They claim that they know the Qur’an is the word of God because people remembered it perfectly, it has been unchanged for so many years, and it uplifts their spirits when they read it. The Qur’an itself says that miracles are not necessary to prove a divine connection. We might discuss with Muslims that the Dead Sea Scrolls show that the Old Testament has been unchanged for more years than has the Qur’an

Discussing differences of faith must be done in the spirit of love, even if the questions are sharp or probing. In evangelization, we must always be "speaking the truth in love" (Eph. 4:15). Be sensitive to Muslim’s needs. Muslims are not allowed to eat pork or drink alcoholic beverages; and during the holy month of Ramadan (which often falls in August/September) they abstain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset.

Many Catholics believe and pray that the conversion of Muslims will come through the Blessed Mother. The Qur’an has an entire chapter praising her. The Muslims hold her in great esteem as the mother of Jesus, but they have no devotion to her and no commemorations of her. In fact, Muslims have no devotion to anyone other than Allah. Intercessory prayers to the Blessed Mother are our best avenue. Our discussions may provide a seed.

Visit www.catholic.com, talk with Beth, or borrow Peaceable Witness Among Muslims from Beth’s library to learn more.