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

Other than sharing in Holy Communion together at Mass, perhaps the next best way to show our connection with one another is through regular and constant prayer for each other. For some of us, knowing that another is lifting us up in prayer is “the wind beneath our wings.” It sustains us in moments of trial and distress, and it raises us up in moments of joy and appreciation. We unite the sufferings of the sick with that of the Crucified Christ, and in faithful friendship we stand near them by the cross they carry.

One way we remember to pray for each other is our parish prayer list. The list appears every week in the parish bulletin. In order to keep our prayer list updated and accurate, the following guidelines are in place:

Only a family member or the person requesting prayers may put a name on the list. This is due to privacy issues. There have been complaints in the past from people who were put on the list by well-meaning friends, but the person on the list did not want their name published. Information about the sick person should be reported to the parish office and put on the log kept at the front desk of the parish office. The person requesting prayers will be asked to keep the office informed of the progress of the sick person.

​1. A person should be put on the list if there is an acute illness. This means that the person is in the hospital for surgery, trauma, illness or he/she has taken a turn for the worse with a chronic illness and it may be life-threatening.

2. Names will be put in the church bulletin for one month unless the church is notified that the person is still acutely ill.

3. If the sick person gets better or if he/she passes away during the month of publication, please advise the parish office of this.

4. All elderly persons, persons living in nursing homes and those living with chronic health conditions are included in the general statement at the bottom of the sick list in the church bulletin.

​​Couples seeking to marry in the Catholic Church should be working
on their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ and with His Church.
They also must be free to marry in the Roman Catholic Church. Any and
all prior marriages need to be reviewed and church annulments obtained
as needed. No wedding date can be set without the necessary annulment(s).
Weddings in the Roman Catholic Church are between one man and one
woman, in keeping with our sacred traditions.

The couple should have some connection with St. Martin de Porres Parish. This is done by being registered at the parish, attending Mass regularly, and using church support envelopes as a sign of their Christian stewardship. They also support the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Detroit, the larger Church and secular charities. Couples also should continue their faith formation by attending the necessary sacramental preparation classes provided by the parish, as well as other adult faith formation opportunities. Couples should offer their gift of time and talent to the community, and cultivate an attitude of gratitude in the larger community.

Most importantly, the witness of their daily lives must be in line with the teachings of the Gospel and the practices of the Roman Catholic Church. This is called living out the Gospel.

The couple completes a compatibility survey and discusses the results with the priest or deacon. The couple then attends a one-day marriage preparation seminar at a nearby parish. The couple is directly involved in planning the ceremony. They select the appropriate readings, prayers and music, and fill out the service selection sheet. Then they discuss the selection sheet with the parish Director of Music Ministries and the priest or deacon officiating at the ceremony. Additional cultural or ethnic wedding traditions may be allowed if appropriate.

The wedding rehearsal usually takes place on a Thursday evening. The wedding ceremony may take place either on a Friday or Saturday. Friday weddings should start at 4, 5 or 6 PM; Saturday weddings may be scheduled at 1:00 PM due to possible Saturday funerals at 11:00 AM and Confessions at 3:00 PM. Earlier weddings on Fridays or later weddings on Saturday are not allowed. Both the clergy and a lay coordinator are present for both the rehearsal and the ceremony.

​If both the bride and the groom are Roman Catholics, a wedding or Nuptial Mass is expected. If one is Roman Catholic and the other is baptized in another Christian denomination, a Nuptial Mass may be allowed, but a Nuptial Service is encouraged. Both are identical, with the exception that Mass has the offertory, consecration and communion rite, but the Nuptial Service does not. Both have the processions in and out, and both have the Liturgy of the Word. The Nuptial Mass lasts about an hour; the Nuptial Service is about forty-five minutes long. If the couple is a Roman Catholic and an unbaptized person, the Nuptial Service is the only option.

​A binder containing additional information will be given to the couple at the time of their first meeting with the priest or deacon. This binder contains appropriate music suggestions and some practical logistics regarding other details of the wedding ceremony. What is appropriate for a church wedding ceremony and what is not is also addressed. A free-will offering for the parish and for the officiating clergy is always appreciated. The fee for the musician(s) should be set up with the Director of Music Ministries directly.

The Rite of Baptism of Children clearly states that parents are or should be the first and best teachers in the ways of faith for their children. Parents asking for Baptism for their child should be working on their own personal relationship with Jesus Christ and with His Church.

This is done by being registered at the parish, attending Mass regularly, and using church support envelopes as a sign of their Christian stewardship.

PARISH INFORMATION AND GUIDELINES REGARDING THE SACRAMENTS AND FUNERAL SERVICES (The Guidelines were approved by the Parish Pastoral Council in April, 2015)

Did you know that the word vocation is related to the term “vocal cords” and means “a calling”? More precisely it means spending your life doing what your innermost heart feels called to do. To follow a vocation means living your own unique life. That’s of course what all of us would like to accomplish, but how shall we do it?
​
If we ask people who are doing what they really love to do, “How did you get to where you are?” we find that many of them started by asking themselves some basic questions: 1. What would I really like to do? 2. What am I good at doing or learning? 3. What opportunity is life offering me, right now, for doing what makes me come joyfully alive? Thus they started with themselves, with their own gifts and preferences.

At the heart of the church is vocation. The earliest idea of what is today called “church” starts with the Greek word ekklesia, which is only found twice in the gospels, both times in Matthew, and means those who have been “called out.” Jesus “calls out” all who follow him to share in his ministry in different ways.

 Before Jesus even preached, healed someone, or performed a miracle, he called people to follow him. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, after his baptism and temptation in the wilderness, the first thing he did was to call two sets of brothers. He asks Simon and Andrew and then James and John to follow him (Mark 1:16-20). And that is the church in its simplest terms: the followers of Jesus Christ.

—Excerpted from the Vision Vocation Guide 2015

To learn more visit:   ​A Guide To ​Religious Ministries for Catholic Men and Women

Priestly Vocations:

The Church and the world need priests, and we all play a role in helping God provide those priests for his people. Find resources and information on how you can help support the mission of priestly vocations in the Archdiocese of Detroit at Detroit Priestly Vocations 

Once a month, there will be 2-minute videos from Fr. Craig Giera, Director of Priestly Vocations, on topics related to discernment and a vocation to the priesthood. These videos will be posted on our social media and YouTube channels. Subscribe below for the latest video. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DetroitPriestlyVocations 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/detroitpriestlyvocations/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MenOfTheHearts 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcizopjS5H4Wak1M3wV41QQ 

They should also continue their faith formation by attending the necessary sacramental preparation classes provided by the parish, as well as other adult faith formation opportunities. They should offer their gift of time and talent to the community, and cultivate an attitude of gratitude in the larger community.
​

Most importantly, the witness of their daily lives must be in line with the teachings of the Gospel and the practices of the Roman Catholic Church. This is called living out the Gospel.
​
Only one sponsor is needed for Baptism. If there is only one sponsor, they may be male or female, but must be fully initiated in the Catholic Church (received Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion). They should be practicing Catholics and of good moral character. If there are two sponsors, one must be male and one must be female, since they will represent the entire Church community, which is both male and female. One of the two sponsors must be a fully initiated Catholic. The other sponsor must be baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity. They will be listed in the baptismal record as a “Christian Witness” and not as a godparent.

Non-Christians are not allowed to be sponsors at a Catholic Baptism.

Proxy Godparents/Christian Witnesses are allowed only in extreme situations.

Parents and Godparents/Christian Witnesses are expected to attend the pre-baptism formation class which usually takes place the third Saturday of the month at 1:00 p.m. in the Parish Center Teen Room. We ask that the babies and any other children stay at home.

​The baptismal ceremony takes place in church and usually is scheduled for the first Sunday every other month at 12:30 PM. Baptisms take place during Sunday Mass only on special occasions. Baptism is administered by pouring water over the head of the child, who is fully dressed. Flash photography is not allowed during the baptism ceremony. Photos may be taken after the conclusion of the ceremony.

Baptism

Funerals

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The Christian response to physical, mental, emotional or spiritual illness are faith, hope and love. In faith, we unite our sufferings with the suffering of Christ on the Cross. With hope, we pray for healing and strength for our souls. In love, we reach out to others in need and learn that we are never alone in our human suffering.

Please phone the parish office to arrange a visit for an anointing at home, at the hospital or at the nursing care facility. Be sure to notify us sooner than later. Sooner allows Father to visit in a timely way; later may be too late when Father is not available.

If you yourself are anticipating surgery, or have been diagnosed with a chronic or terminal illness, Father is available after Mass to anoint you and to offer you the encouragement of the Church.
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​Please let us know afterward how things went and how things are. Bless you!

Reconciliation Services are held weekly:
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Wednesdays at 7:45 PM at St. Martin de Porres in the church sacristy 
Saturdays at 3:00 PM at St. Martin de Porres in the parish center kitchenette

​Or call the Parish Office for an  appointment

Both sacraments are administered in the Second Year of Christian Formation. First Reconciliation takes place in the spring a couple of weeks before First Eucharist. Students are expected to be enrolled in and attend First Level and Second Level Christian Formation (1st and 2nd Grade classes). See the student handbook, or phone the Religious Education/Christian Formation office at 586-264-7970 for more information.

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Students are at a crossroads when they enter middle school: too old to be considered children and too young to be considered adults! The confirmation preparation program respects this stage of a student’s development as he or she begins to make personal life-choices and faith-choices, and confirms what was given at their baptism. Students preparing for confirmation must be enrolled in and attend the Seventh Level and Eighth Level (7th and 8th Grade classes). Confirmation takes place in late fall/early winter of the Ninth Level (9th Grade). See the student handbook, or phone the Religious Education/Christian Formation office at 586-264-7970 for more information.

St. Martin de Porres - Sacraments and Parish Services

Please click this link to view Funeral Information

A sad reality of life is the breakdown of marriages. Engaged couples are invited during the marriage preparation process to ask themselves if God is calling them to the sacrament of Marriage, and to ask themselves if God is calling them to become married to their intended fiancé. Unfortunately, most couples do not understand what a sacramental marriage is, and some are blinded by emotion to the point that they cannot see any red flags of warning.

If such a marriage takes place, it is doomed from the start. Jesus Christ and His Church uphold the sanctity of truly sacramental marriages and do not sanction or endorse bad marriages.

The three-fold goals of a truly sacramental marriage are: life-long fidelity, the building up of the community between husband and wife, and welcoming children.

The annulment process is one of investigation and healing. Because Catholics are bound by Church law to be married in the Catholic Church, regardless of the religious status of their fiancé, if the marriage takes place outside the location of a Catholic church and without the presence of a Catholic bishop, priest or deacon to receive the marriage vows of the couple, there is a lack of the “form” of the sacrament, and the union is sacramentally invalid. This is easy to prove. The Lack of Form Nullity is easy to apply for and to obtain, usually within a month.

If the marriage in question took place within the laws and parameters of the Catholic Church, and all the proper procedures were followed, the marriage should be one that is faithful, life-long and open to the transmission of new life. If that marriage ends in separation and divorce, the Church is obligated to find out why. This kind of annulment investigation is called a “formal case” and usually takes twelve to eighteen months to obtain. The ex-spouses and five witnesses who knew the couple before, during and after the wedding day offer their testimony. At the end of the process, the annulment is granted, granted with a restriction, or denied.

Regardless of whether the annulment is Lack of Form or a Formal Case, the marriage did exist. Any children of that union were, are and will always be considered legitimate offspring. The divorced person’s status in the Church does not change. They are still allowed to come to the sacraments, especially Eucharist and Reconciliation, unless they choose to re-marry someone else without the Catholic Church’s involvement. In that case, one is asked to refrain from coming to the sacraments until the annulment process is begun.

To begin the annulment process, please phone the parish office and make an appointment to see Father or his delegate. There is healing and hope at the end of the road!