St Martin de Porres Church
31555 Hoover RD
Warren, MI 48093
Rev. Nicholas Zukowski, Pastor
Rev. Mr. Marion Jurewicz, Deacon
Tel: (586) 264-7515
Fax: (586) 264-4013
Formation: (586) 264-7970
E-mail: parishoffice@smdeporres.com
About St. Martin de Porres Parish
1983: Bereavement Ministry begins at St. Martin de Porres.
1984: St Stephen Ministry begins at St. Martin de Porres
1985: A temporary baptismal font was placed at the front of the church. Adult Catechumens experienced baptism by immersion at the Easter Vigil.
1987: Pope John Paul II visited the U. S. and celebrated Mass at the Pontiac
Silverdome. Four hundred twenty five people from St. Martin de Porres attend. Fr. John Hall assisted with the distribution of Holy Communion.
1990: Pope John Paul II appoints Cardinal Szoka to an administrative post in the Vatican, and appoints the Most Rev. Adam Maida, Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, WI, as the new Archbishop of Detroit.
1991: Fr. John Hall leaves St. Martin de Porres Parish after 14 years of dedicated service. Fr. Timothy Murray is appointed as our new pastor.
1994: A Parish Mission was held with Fr. Adrian Staehler, OFM Cap. as the Facilitator. The theme was “Seek the Healing Light of Christ.”
1995: Several parish projects were completed.
- Sewer areas of the parking lot were built up.
- Interior of the Action Center was painted.
- Riser platforms were installed in the choir area in the church.
- Air-conditioning was installed in the rectory.
1:30 PM – Ground was broken and blessed for St. Martin de Porres’ temporary church. The first spade was turned by Fr. Arthur Krawczak. Mr. Charles Valentine – Architect and Fr. Robert Bretz – Pastor of St. Sylvester Parish also participated in the ceremony. Parishioners were represented by 78-year-old Mr. John Rinke and 4-year-old Martin Ottolini. Mr. Harold Jalosky donated the Cross. The first sign bearing the parish name was made by Mr. Al Switalski.
Construction began on the temporary church. The plan was a prototype from the Archdiocese. General Contractor was Mr. A. J. Anderson. Ben Hoste Contracting Company began construction of the Rectory.
2008: The Warren Beautification Committee honors St. Martin de Porres with its “Marigold Award”. New tables for use in the church are purchased through donations from the following parishioners: Mrs. Dee Budny, Mrs. Ruth Ceci, Mrs. Virginia LaHaie, the Schatzel Family and the ACWC.
2009: Following the retirement of Cardinal Adam Maida, the Most Rev. Allen H. Vigneron is named Archbishop of Detroit by Pope Benedict XVI. Bishop Vigneron led the Diocese of Oakland, California since 2003.
Fr. Dan Havron, OFM, Cap., leads our Parish Mission. The theme of the Parish Mission is “Our Catholic Family: Diversity, Healing and the Eucharist”. St. Martin de Porres F.A.M. Teen Group attends a prayer vigil at an abortion clinic in Sterling Heights. St. Martin de Porres Parish has an outstanding army of pro-life parishioners.
2010: Fr. Bohdan Kosicki celebrates his 60th Anniversary of Priesthood.
Fr. John Hall succeeds Fr. Fauser as pastor.
The first meeting of the Active Christian Women’s Club is held. Their first project sponsored the “Gift Tree,” formerly the “Mitten Tree”.
2011:
St. Martin de Porres Parish began its 50th Anniversary Jubilee year celebration. The following activities during the year and their sponsoring groups were:
September – Festival of Ministries (Christian Service Commission)
October – Children presented a play enacting significant events from
the history of our parish. (Religious Formation Commission)
November – Feast of St. Martin de Porres Mass. Bishop Michael
Byrnes was the Principal Celebrant.
December – 40 Hours Devotion (Worship Commission)
2017:
The Education Commission continued to expand our knowledge of our faith. In February there was a book discussion of Our Holy Father's "Laudato Si - Care of the Common Home", guided by Sr. Noreen O'Connell and Sr. Pat Johnson. In March, the Bible Study group held an 8-week session, Unlocking the Mystery of The Bible. And in October the commission presented a DVD series and discussion, Mary, A Biblical Walk with our Mother.
2012:
St. Martin de Porres Parish continued its 50th Anniversary celebration.
January – Dinner/Dance held at American Polish Century Banquet
Center (Worship Commission)
February – Wine and Cheese Party (ACWC, Ushers, Contemporary
Choir)
March – Lent (no events)
April – Choral Concerts in the church (Music Ministries)
May – Ice Cream Social (Boy Scouts and Teens)
June – 50th Anniversary Mass
Archbishop Allen Vigneron was the Principal Celebrant. Bishop Donald Hanchon, along with several priests, concelebrated. The liturgy was greatly enhanced by the wonderful and uplifting music from all of our parish choir groups, musicians and Music Directors – Mr. John McGovern and Mr. Bruce Langlands. A special song was composed by Andrew Langlands (brother of Bruce Langlands), Bruce Langlands and John McGovern. The song was entitled “We Are Called to Be Faithful”. 32 altar servers assisted. An outdoor picnic followed on our parish grounds.
2013: After eight years as pope, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI renounces his role and enters retirement. Cardinal Jorge Maria Bergolio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina becomes the first member of the Jesuit religious community and the first (South) American to be elected pope.
St. Martin de Porres Parish participates with all the parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit in “Changing Lives Together” to restore financial stability to the diocesan loan/deposit program. 70%
of the funds raised will be used to expand our church restroom facilities and to create additional storage. Work begins on upgrading our church parking lot.
A rotating music schedule begins with our adult choir and the contemporary group enhancing our weekend liturgies. We reviewed our procedures and training for altar servers, ushers. Lectors and EMHC’s, and revised the way we distribute Communion at mass.
Two nativity sets are purchased: one for the church interior
and the other as an outdoor display located over the east side
church entrance. This is going to become a seasonal display
as an evangelization tool for drivers on Hoover. Thanks to
Rocky Mercier for building the outdoor display stable and
changing it seasonally. Eventually, the Christmas display would
become permanent.
2020:
Members from On the Rise Bakery, a rehabilitation program run by Detroit Capuchins, share their faith stories and their baked goods for their Baking Program: “Reaching Our Potential Everyday” (ROPE).
Every winter/spring, St. Martin de Porres Parish hosts the homeless for one week as part of the Warming Center of Macomb County. Up to 75 clients have received meals, lodging and even a “store” to receive various personal hygiene products. We are one of the only host churches with a chapel for the personal spiritual needs of our guests and provide a nightly prayer service.
Another “Stump the Pastor” night at the “Hug a Mug Coffee House” in our parish center hall entertained several dozens of guests.
Beware the Ides of March! In 2020, the unspeakable happens in our Church and in our world. The Coronavirus, or COVID-19, hits us with a devastating blow. Cities, churches, public institutions and stores become ghost towns overnight. Archbishop Vigneron issues a public mass ban for two months, forcing everyone to watch Mass on TV and via social media. Unprecedented isolation and loneliness claims millions of lives. Recovery would take over 15 months before life as we know it would resume.
For the first time in our history as a parish, Holy Week, the Sacred Triduum, and Easter Sunday are celebrated in the rectory without a congregation. This format will continue until May, when our public Masses resume on Pentecost Sunday. People coming up to receive Holy Communion for the first time in months have tears in their eyes and rolling down their cheeks. So do the ministers! Social distancing is still in effect, and everyone wears masks from start to finish. The congregation does not join hands for the Our Father or the Sign of Peace and the Precious Blood is not offered.
The lifting of the public mass ban allows us to gather as a worshipping community again, but only half of our regular Sunday worshippers return. Most of our folks are in the high-risk group and take advantage of the lifting of the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. This results in a reduction of parish income by 50%, and means severe cuts to the parish budget and staff salaries. Fortunately, we are not forced to lay off anybody. More and more parishioners choose online giving to support us. Our long-time Head of Maintenance, Larry Lage, semi-retires and coordinates major capital projects and computer tech support for the parish.
Particular directives for the public celebration of Mass are given to insure the health, safety and comfort of those who come to worship at St. Martin de Porres Church. We still strive to provide warm hospitality, quality preaching and quality music. Small and large group gatherings are still forbidden. We learn the mantra of “wear masks,” “wash your hands,” “keep social distance” and “sanitize the environment.” Regular meetings and parish events still do not take place. We learn a new word for remote meetings: “ZOOM!”
An outreach to our homebound and isolated parishioners begins. Members of the Active Christian Women’s Club and members of Stephen Ministry make “welfare” phone calls just to make sure our elderly folks are OK. Parishioners are encouraged to go online for additional spiritual food: formed.org/faithathome, utgdetroit@aod.org and spiritualcloseness.org.
Because of the pandemic, our parish bulletin is reduced from 12 pages to 8.
Confessions are no longer heard in the confessional (cannot sanitize properly between penitents), so Saturday afternoon confessions are heard in the parish center kitchenette and Wednesday confessions are heard in the Upper Sacristy after the evening Mass.
The pandemic forces the Archdiocese of Detroit to move quickly to study, prepare for and implement “Families of Parishes,” a process and a pilgrimage during which multiple parishes form one “Family of Parishes,” sharing staff, resources and clergy. Wave One begins the process. We are in Wave Two.
1981: The Archdiocese of Detroit asks us if we would be interested
in obtaining three large bells for the front of our church.
The bells were from St. John the Evangelist Parish in Detroit. Estimated cost for transporting and installing the bells would be approximately $16,000.00. Bishop Arthur Krawczak blessed the bells. Unfortunately, constant abuse from the elements keeps them silent.
Pope John Paul II appoints the Most Rev. Edmund C. Szoka as the new Archbishop of Detroit.
1997: Bishop Allen Vigneron celebrates our 35th Anniversary Mass and blesses the new baptismal font.
2000: Bishop Arthur Krawczak enters Eternal Life. He was the founding Pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish. Fr. Roman Pasieczny becomes the Pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish.
2002: Pope John Paul II dedicated his 25th Year as Supreme Pontiff (October 2002 – October 2003) as the Year of the Rosary. The Pope added five new mysteries to the Rosary. The new Mysteries were named “The Luminous Mysteries” or “Mysteries of Light”.
2016:
The Ushers Club raised funds for the installation of electronic sign boards in church. They also improved the signs at the church collection baskets.
Since last Pentecost, Archbishop Allen Vigneron has challenged us to “Unleash the Gospel” – to unleash the Gospel in our hearts, in our homes, in our parishes, and in our cities and towns.
As part of our Missionary outreach, in February St. Martin de Porres Parish again hosts our homeless brothers and sisters in our Warming Center, providing food, shelter, and warmth for those in need. In addition, clothing drives were held in May and September. Fr. John Baptist Panpogee visited our Parish in July as part of our Missionary Cooperation Program.
The Christian Service Commission sponsored its first July mission trip to Kentucky with ten missionaries from St. Martin’s. We coordinated with St. Michael Parish in Sterling Heights to send a total of 18 missionaries. We also learned how to say “Appalachia” the correct way – “Apple-atcha!”
Following the Archdiocese Synod which took place in 2016, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron issues his pastoral letter, "Unleash the Gospel" Another off-shoot of the Synod was to have a Festival of Ministries at St. Martin de Porres in the fall of 2017. Dozens of parish organizations, ministries and services were showcased, and 90 people filled out a stewardship commitment sheet to participate in parish ministry and service. Meetings are held to better coordinate our parish events, activities and fund-raising efforts so that our parishioners would not be overwhelmed and suffer from "donor fatigue".
1969: Cardinal Dearden calls for an Archdiocesan-wide Synod to help implement the theology, spirit, and action called forth by the Second Vatican Council in Rome. The Archdiocese of Detroit becomes the premier and pioneer diocese in the United States to implement Vatican II. St. Martin becomes one of the more forward-moving parishes in the area.
2021: Our Head of Maintenance, Larry Lage, and Director of Faith Formation Christine Cabe, retire. After six months, Larry returns as Special Projects Director and Brian Tomaszewski, who was part-time maintenance, becomes Head of Maintenance. Mark Miller, Jim Bedra and Val Cimini fill out our part-time maintenance crew. Christina Corona is hired as the new Christian Service Director, and Sandy Acord is hired as the new Director of Faith Formation. Both bring a new enthusiasm and spirit to their ministries.
Pope Francis declares a Year of St. Joseph. We add special prayers and devotions and decorate the shrine of St. Joseph in church with added care.
In spite of the aftereffects of COVID-19, we slowly begin to resume parish activities. Some preventive COVID protocols remain in effect at Mass and in the parish out of an “overabundance of caution.” “Well-being” phone calls to our homebound, shut-in and elderly parishioners continue, and Christian service outreach projects are re-created and re-imagined in order to continue to help the poor and those in need. Other long-time Christian Service activities end or are temporarily suspended because of COVID.
2022: We celebrate a full year of public Masses and a full cycle of Holy Days. We find ways to keep our Faith Formation sessions “in person.”
Pastors, staff and members from the Chancery of the Archdiocese of Detroit meet to plan our first steps as a “Family of Parishes” with St. Blasé, St. Ephrem and St. Michael Parishes, all in Sterling Heights. Wave Two begins for us on July 1, and there are many questions with no answers yet on how to proceed. We entrust this process to the Holy Spirit, to Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom and St. Martin de Porres!
Fr. Jewel Aytona from the Fathers of Mercy leads us in a parish mission in May.
Three significant anniversaries take place this year: Our “Grateful Pastor,” Fr. Nick Zukowski celebrates the 40th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. Our parish marks 60 years with an outstanding Mass and delicious banquet. The Active Christian Women’s Club marks 45 years.
The Universal Church begins a three-year process of preparation for a “Synod on Synodality” in Rome. The bishops of the United States of America enter a three-year process to educate and inspire Catholics of the reality, the importance and the reverence due the Real Presence of the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ found only in the Most Holy Eucharist. The Archdiocese of Detroit initiates a year of intensive prayer and invitation for vocations to the diocesan priesthood.
All of these great things – the good and the bad, the happy and the sad -- have happened through the blessing and grace of God, the patronage and support of St. Martin de Porres, and the prayerful and financial support of our parishioners. Thank you for being faithful, committed, responsible and generous stewards who are called to be joyful missionary disciples!
1962: In the Spring of 1962, John F. Dearden, Archbishop of Detroit, ordered a census taken of the northeast corner of Warren, Michigan, in order to determine the need for a Catholic parish in that area. This was the first step taken toward the establishment of what would be known as
St. Martin de Porres Parish
The boundaries of the newly created St. Martin de Porres Parish were drawn. Fourteen Mile Road at the North, Common Road at the South, Van Dyke at the West and Schoenherr at the East. (This property was originally known as the Warner and Lagrou Farms.) Archbishop Dearden appointed Fr. Arthur Krawczak as Pastor.
2003: The church underwent a thorough industrial cleaning. All brick surfaces were vacuumed and the ceiling was repainted. The cleaning included the pews, carpet, floors and walls.
2004: The name of the Parish Action Center changes to the Parish Center. New lettering for the Parish Center is installed. Parishioner Dan Heileman supervised the project.
- Repairs to bells in the tower
- Enhancement to the island where
the Sacred Heart statue stands
- Improvements to the sound system
- Brick pavers made available for
purchase and engraving
2005: “Year of the Eucharist” proclaimed by Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II enters Eternal Life. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger is elected Pope. He takes the name Benedict XVI.
1965: The sanctuary is remodeled to meet the requirements of the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council. The altar was brought forward and the Tabernacle was placed on a decorative pedestal against the back wall. Archbishop John Dearden approved the choice of Joseph L. St. Cyr, Architect and Associates to design the permanent church. 140 people received First Eucharist and 215 people were confirmed.
WHAT DOES AN ACTIVE AND SPIRITUALLY GROWING PARISH LOOK LIKE?
Highlights in Worship Ministry
- We provide Reverent Masses with dedicated Lectors, Ushers, Altar Servers and Choirs.
- Confession on Wednesday nights and on Saturdays afternoons.
- Monthly Eucharistic Adoration on First Fridays, and Sunday morning Adoration.
- Celebrations of Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation.
- Corporate Communion for the Active Christian Women’s Club and Knights of Columbus.
- Weekly Communion service at Autumn Woods Nursing Home.
- Parish Retreat, Advent & Lent Penance Services.
- Priesthood Sunday.
- Order of Christian Initiation of Adults preparation.
- Monday Evening Sung Vespers, Stations of the Cross on Friday afternnoons in Lent.
- Divine Mercy Devotions.
- May procession and crowning of the statue of our Blessed Mother.
- Special opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration during this National Eucharistic Revival.
From our empty plastic bottle and can recycling, we purchased many items for our church, Including vestments, altar cloths, water and wine cruets, chalice covers (palls), banners and an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.
Accomplishments in Christian Formation
We implemented the “Bring Your Parent to Class” days in our Christian Formation Program. This is an effective way to educate the students as well as their parents. The following is a list of the topics: Prayer: Stations of the Cross (Made a new booklet that relates everyday life to the Stations of the Cross). Prayed a Family Rosary. Had a Tree Trimming Service (Explaining the true meaning of the symbols of Christmas and the Jesse Tree). Teaching Adoration Service; Stump the Pastor; Divine Mercy Devotion.
We implemented the “Sharing the Good News” portion of the students’ classes. The last 10 minutes of each class, we gather as a large group, and they share a few things that they learned in each class. We also say prayers together, and then sing a praise and worship song.
We work with our Christian Service Director to incorporate some Christian Service projects for the students to do in class. We offer a Children’s Liturgy of the Word during the 11:00 a.m. Sunday Mass. We do workshops for the students and parents in the Confirmation class and in the First Eucharist class. We have a poinsettia sale every December.
The Education Commission coordinated an Advent Tea and had a speaker give a presentation. We had On the Rise Bakery come here to sell their baked goods. We facilitated the 3 seasons of the “Chosen” movie series in our parish center hall.
Our newly formed Family Ministry, a part of our “Saints among the Saints” Family of Parishes, along with our parish staff, volunteers, and K of C members for put on our recent parish events: the Sunday Family Dinner and Show, the Ladies’ Night Out, the Ladies’ High Tea, and the Men’s Pancake Breakfast. All were delightful and appreciated!
With the profit from our rummage sale, we bought new tables to replace some of the old ones that we use in the Parish Center.
Fruitfulness in Christian Service
Mercy in Action – Day of Service: (surplus of monetary donations given from holiday program)
Volunteers assembled, giving bags to all 210 senior residents at Autumn Woods Senior Facility.
Delivered 100 candy bags for children at the St. Dominic (Detroit) Outreach Halloween Party.
Wellness phone calls were made to our senior parishioners over the age of 75 years.
Thanksgiving: (parishioner donations) Volunteers assembled food boxes and handed out turkeys along with household items to over 100 families.
Christmas: (parishioner donations from the Giving Tree) Volunteers assembled food boxes, which included gift cards to over 100 families and over 75 disabled students at local schools.
Easter (church Poor Box donations) Easter baskets were assembled for 50 children from St. Dominic’s Center in Detroit. 20 families from St. Dominic’s received boxes of food along with a ham for dinner.
Compassion Pregnancy Center: (church Poor Box donations) They received baby items from their Amazon wish list and a check for other mother and baby supplies. Total amount donated by our parishioners was $3,500.
Gianna House: (from the church Poor Box donations) Donation of $1,000 to help replace water-damaged baby supplies due to frozen and burst pipes.
St. Dominic’s Outreach: (from the church Poor Box donations)
The Center received 100+ bags from a clothing drive, received a $500 donation to help repair breaks on their delivery truck, and received $500 to help support a “family fun event.”
Lent/Almsgiving Program: Donated $4,000 collected from the Holy Thursday coin cups to Vets Returning Home.
And Let’s Not Forget…
There were a few spiritual, social and service events sponsored by our Active Christian Women’s Club. Also by our local Pope Pius X Council 3848 of the Knights of Columbus, whose motto is “Charity, Unity, Fraternity and Patriotism.” They meet the first Thursday of the month. Fr. Nick celebrates ten years as pastor of our parish.
All of these great things – the good and the bad, the happy and the sad -- have happened through the blessing and grace of God, the patronage and support of St. Martin de Porres, and the prayerful and financial support of our parishioners. Thank you for being faithful, committed, responsible and generous stewards who are called to be joyful missionary disciples!
The words of Senator Ted Kennedy at the end of his presidential nomination concession speech come to mind now as we look back and as we move forward:
“For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die!”
As the next chapter of our parish history begins, we can say this with confidence:
“For all that has been, THANKS; for all that will be, YES!”
Let’s catch the Spirit! Let’s catch the Fire! Let’s catch the Power!
Let’s unleash the Gospel!
Strive, Celebrate, Serve!
Fr. Nick Zukowski, Your Grateful Pastor
Missionary work continues as SMdP hosts the Warming Center of Macomb County in February and in July with a trip to Appalachia to assist in home renovations for those in need. We were visited in April by Frank Runyeon for a 3-night Parish Mission, and in July by Rev. Emmanuel Akpobolokemi of Bomadi, Nigeria, for the annual mission appeal. The Knights of Columbus sponsored the annual Rosary Crusade. In the fall were 3-minute teaching sessions before Mass as part of Unleash the Gospel. Two Bible study sessions took place; the first was Unlocking the Mystery of the Bible, and the second was Matthew: The King and His Kingdom.
Milestones were reached: In May, Fr. Nick celebrated his 35th year of ordination, and in June we celebrated with Sr. Noreen on her 70th year as an Adrian Dominican Sister. The Active Christian Women's Club (ACWC) celebrated their 40th anniversary of service to the parish. And the parish was also represented at the joyful celebration of the Beatification of Fr. Solanus Casey in October.
Among the improvements made to the Church were new offertory collection boxes and handicap door access buttons on two of the church doors.
2015:
A Jubilee Year of Mercy is proclaimed by Pope Francis, who visits the United States in September.
We also prepare for the Archdiocesan Synod to be held in 2016. The last Synod in our Archdiocese happened in 1969. Archbishop Vigneron calls us all to a new evangelization, beginning with ourselves, and to move our parishes “from maintenance to mission.” A parish dialogue session is held, Come Encounter Christ events and the Amazing Parish Conference all serve as preparation
for the Synod. A parish mission is held in November, led by Augustinian Fr. Michael Sullivan.
Our parish web site is resurrected, and the parish bulletin is expanded. Upcoming funerals, notices and events are posted on the front page of the web site, along with a seasonal message.
The Pope St. Pius X Council of the Knights of Columbus makes progress in its growth in community outreach as well as in service to the parish. They coordinate the restoration of a set of Stations of the Cross, salvaged from the now-closed parish of St. Leonard of Port Maurice in Warren. These hang in our church near the large crucifix made by Fr. Bohdan Kosicki. The old Stations are relocated in main hallway of the Parish Center.
207 people attended a meeting held at St. Sylvester’s Social Hall. Plans for a temporary church were discussed. Fr. Krawczak’s temporary residence and office were at St. Sylvester’s Rectory. 48 men signed up as Ushers.
Fr. Krawczak celebrated the first Mass of St. Martin de Porres Parish at 8:00 AM at Pennow School. Altar Servers were: Dennis Ferrell, Daniel Higgins, Larry Latimir, David Rinke, Fred Rinke and Gary Witmer. Mr. Al Ottolini trained the Altar Servers and served as Lector at the Mass. Approximately 280 people attended the Mass. Frank Van Maele Florist donated flowers.
2019:
2019 began with several weather-related issues that impacted daily Mass, Formation classes, and a few events, but by spring the storms were behind us and our wonderful parish groups continued their ministries full-force. The year saw major renovations to the Parish Center and to the Rectory roof, thanks to a generous bequest from a long-time parishioner, Ann Raney. Work was completed over the summer and an open house held in October. We also premiered a new St. Joseph the Worker statue in our church, courtesy of the Active Christian Women’s Club.
1978: News came of the sudden death of His Holiness Pope Paul VI. The new Pontiff was elected – Pope John Paul I. After 33 brief days, death claimed the new pope and Polish Cardinal Karol Jozef Wojtyla was elected Pope. He took the name Pope John Paul II, in homage to his three immediate predecessors. At age 58, he was one of the youngest pontiffs ever chosen. For the first time in four centuries, a non-Italian had been elected as pope. (One media anchor said, the first non-Catholic!)
ST. MARTIN DE PORRES PARISH
THE FIRST 50 YEARS
AND THE NEXT FIFTY YEARS
History and Memories
2018:
In May, the MyParishApp became available to SMdP parishioners, another tool to use in support of our faith journey. Over the summer, the parish gratefully received the work of an Eagle Scout project to beautify the entrance to the Parish Center.
We bid farewell to Sr. Noreen O’Connell and Sr. Pat Johnson, with heart-felt gratitude and good wishes. They are retired at the Dominican Motherhouse in Adrian, Michigan.
2018 was a busy year for the generous and hard-working groups of St Martin de Porres Parish. No less than six song-filled nights of praise and worship, three flower sales, several card & euchre parties, and food parties and sales were among the fundraising projects by our Knights of Columbus St. Pius X Council, the Active Christian Women’s Club, Boy Scouts, Christian Service, Formation, and our music ministries. These efforts all supported our outreach to those in need.
The ACWC, K of C, Christian Services, and Christian Formation groups also collected donations throughout the year: The Baby Shower to support Compassion Pregnancy Center, Baby Bottles for Loose Change, the Holiday Giving Program, Warm Unders, Giving Tree, Clothing collections for St. Dominic, and Sleeping Mats for the Homeless.
1979: Permission is granted by Cardinal Dearden to build on to the Action Center. Plans include offices, counseling rooms, storage areas and a garage. The addition is dedicated in 1980.
The Holy Name Society met for their first Corporate Communion Mass.
Archbishop John Dearden offered the first Mass at the temporary church. 10 Monsignors, 40 priests, along with Religious Sisters from the Felician Order and Sisters of St. Francis Xavier attended. The homily was given byFr. Bernard LaBelle.
Pews, Pulpit and Baptismal Font were received from St. Juliana Parish in Detroit. Joseph Gardiner, a wood finisher, supervised a group of men who refinished and installed the pews. Gerald DeCook built kneelers for the Altar Servers and provided Poor Boxes. The beautiful Tabernacle was a gift from St. Wenceslaus Parish. Mr. Jerry Benoit encased the Tabernacle in a domed birch cabinet. The first altar was built by Ben Hoste and Charles Jarchow. The interior of the church was completed and the first
Christmas Midnight Mass is celebrated at St. Martin de Porres.
1963: St. Vincent de Paul Society was established.
Fr. Krawczak moves into the new Rectory. Parishioners were invited to an Open House. Men of the parish completed the landscaping. The sod was donated by the Leo Quip Sod Farm. The following men contributed their time and talent: George Claeys, Leonard Grzybowski, James Jenuwine and
the Rinke Family. The parking lot was completed with an entrance from Dearden Drive, the only street in Metropolitan Detroit named after an Archbishop of Detroit!
1971: We welcomed Fr. Leonard Zak as our new Pastor. Our parish started utilizing lay persons as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion at Mass.
Permission was granted by the Holy Father, Pope Paul VI. Jan Baksik is
ordained a Permanent Deacon by Bishop Walter Schoenherr at our parish.
1973: Former Pastor of St. Martin de Porres, Fr. Arthur Krawczak, is appointed an Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Fr. Arthur Fauser becomes the new Pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish.
1974: Parish Renewal Mission is led by Fr. Ryan Clancy and Fr. Emil Womack
1976: The United States of America celebrates her 200th birthday.
1977: The Crucifix and Stations of the Cross are put in place. The layout of the Stations of the Cross, along with many of the church decorations, was supervised by Mrs. Margaret Cavanaugh, local artist and parishioner.
Father Bohdan Kosicki, also a local artist and frequent weekend Mass
assistant, carved the image from a 450 pound cherry tree branch. The wood of the cross is sassafras and comes from the Capuchin Retreat House in Washington Township.
We had a delightful evening in our parish center “coffee lounge” playing “Stump the Priest” with Fr. Nick. We couldn’t stump him with our questions!
We tried the concept of “Seasonal Greeters” – parishioners who offered to serve as Mass greeters only for the Christmas and the Easter Masses. Some were successfully recruited to join the Ushers/Greeters ministry! Name Tag Sunday was also a spiritual success, as long-time and newly-arrived worshippers could put names with faces for the first time.
The Archdiocese of Detroit unveils a Revised Parish Faith Formation Curriculum Structure for the uniform education and formation of all Catholic children in Catholic Schools and after-school Religious Education/Faith Formation sessions. The curriculum, in its own definition will be “organic, systematic, comprehensive and relevant.”
Volunteers from our parish and from St. Michael Parish in Sterling Heights participate in what would become their final mission trip to the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, providing daily updates on their physical, social and spiritual activities.
Summer road construction work on Hoover Road impedes our ability to enter our church parking lots, resulting in lower church attendance.
Working with the Macomb County Inter-Faith Volunteer Caregivers, we began to explore a new transportation ministry to assist those in need of rides to church, doctor’s offices and other locations.
We also debuted a new fund-raising activity. Our take on “March Madness” was fun for participants and also of benefit to our parish’s bottom line. A lottery ticket raffle netted funds to help with our parish expenses.
The overwhelming generosity of St. Martin de Porres parishioners continues with our Holiday Giving Program, with distribution at Thanksgiving and at Christmas, following our Tree Trimming ceremony in church. Dozens of families benefit from this annual collection of food, clothing, toys and funds.
Our long-time parish Director of Music, John McGovern, semi-retires to part-time status, and we welcome Michael Adams as our new Director of Music.
Funeral services include an expanded wake service and scriptural rosary, and a participation sheet to encourage more participation at the funeral home.
We updated our Mass prayer cards with the Gloria and the Creed, and updated the contemporary songbook.
The Ushers revise their procedures. Three of the old, unused confessionals are converted into much-needed storage closets. Handrails are installed in the church sanctuary. The church restrooms are demolished and replaced with expanded, handicap-accessible and more comfortable facilities. All of these projects are financed by the generous parishioner support of the Changing Lives Together project which took place in 2013.
The Active Christian Women’s’ Club purchase funeral vestments, communion cups and a new papal flag for the church.
New doors are installed at the parish center office entrance, sidewalks leading up to the building are upgraded, and landscaping is refreshed around the buildings. The church parking lot is striped.
Mandated by the Amazing Parish Conference, we evaluate three important elements that impact our Sunday worship: the quality of our liturgical music, the quality of the means and the message delivered through the homily, and the quality of our hospitality to all who come to worship.
Our openness and hospitality have welcomed others from closed parishes. Over 300 of our households within the past three years are in transition from other parishes.
Our new “Rallying Cry” is found in a summary of our parish mission statement:
Strive, Celebrate, Serve.
We prepared a parish pictorial directory so that everyone can put names with faces. It came out in 2017, which is the 55th anniversary of the founding of our parish, and the 50th anniversary of the dedication of our church.
We are reaching out to the unchurched and the fallen-away Catholics with gifts at Christmas and Easter: Gus Lloyd’s A Minute in the Church, volumes 1 and 2, and two of Matthew Kelly’s books: “Rediscover Christ” and “Beautiful Mercy.” Gus Lloyd’s “A Minute in the Church: the Mass” is next.
We increased the number of adult education and formation opportunities with Bible study and a series on Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Our Parish Pastoral Council, Parish Finance Council and all commissions are now functioning fully and expanding in their membership and in their vision of evangelization/outreach. We added faith-sharing and ongoing formation topics at each meeting, so that it is not just about agenda items and reports.
1968: Archbishop John Dearden was the Principal Celebrant for the Dedication Mass of the permanent church. Concelebrants were: Fr. Krawczak, Msgr. Ferdinand DeCenudt, Fr. Paul Chateau, Fr. Patrick Cooney and Msgr. Francis X Canfield. Msgr. Canfield delivered the Homily. The massive granite altar in the permanent church was consecrated by Bishop Thomas Gumbleton. The relics encased in the altar stone are of St. Martin de Porres, St. Theophilus and St. Pacifica.
In honor of our 55th anniversary as a parish and the 50th anniversary of the dedication of this church building, and in honor of the 100th anniversary of the vision and appearance of Our Lady of Fatima, our church interior was enhanced with the addition of an image of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
On October 20th, Monsignor John Hall, pastor of St. Martin de Porres from 1977 to 1991, dies. He accomplished many things during what has been described as the “Golden Years” of our parish history. We gave him a good send-off with five bishops, fifty priests and a full church at his Funeral Mass.
A Families of Parishes Playbook is published and distributed. The list of all 71 Families of Parishes is released. Formation for Wave One parishes begins in January of 2021. Our Wave Two formation begins in January of 2022.
Fr. Stephen Rooney, who served here as an Associate Pastor from 1987 to 1989, dies in a tragic boating accident on the Detroit River near his downriver parish of St. Joseph in Trenton. Fr. Rooney came to us from Belfast, Ireland, and charmed us with his Irish wit and wisdom.
In the fall, our Religious Education/Faith Formation classes resume virtually, with the building still being closed to the public and catechists forced to learn how to ZOOM. Most catechists adapt, but miss the in-person contact.
2014:
Fr. Roman Pasieczny is made pastor of St. Lawrence Parish in Utica, and Fr. Nicholas Zukowski arrives as Pastor of St. Martin de Porres Parish. He expands the Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Council, establishes an Evangelization Committee, and provides greater communication, collaboration and transparency with the parish staff and parishioners. Business administration of the parish is improved.
On August 11, devastating rain in the Warren area caused massive flooding and destruction in our area. Four feet of water flooded the church basement, but the rectory basement and the parish center were spared. All creative arts supplies and decorations were lost, and all mechanical motors in the church basement had to be repaired or replaced. Insurance covered most costs.
Pastors in the Archdiocese submit their proposed parish groupings for Families of Parishes. In October, it is determined that our Family of Parishes will include St. Blasé parish, St. Ephrem Parish, St. Michael Parish, all in Sterling Heights, and us.
After 22 years of dedicated ministry and service, Renee’ Heileman retires as Christian Service Director and as our Parish Nurse. Christian Service outreach, for which we are well-noted, is severely limited by the pandemic.
Fr. Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus, is beatified.