March 24, 2020
Dear Friends and Supporters of Catholic Schools,

As I shared in my letter to you yesterday, all 87 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit have responded heroically to the challenges of COVID-19. Now, I am asking for you to take less than two minutes to help us with an important issue facing the Catholic Schools of Detroit and the United States.  We urgently need your help, as this issue will be decided in the next few hours.

The US Senate is currently considering a COVID-19 relief package that includes aid to K-12 schools. Currently, there is language in the legislation allowing non-public schools (including Detroit's 87 Catholic schools) to receive significant financial relief so they may continue to weather COVID-19. However, it appears that some are attempting to remove this language.

Please use the Council for American Private Education's Legislative Action Center to quickly and easily contact your senators to make sure that Catholic schools are not excluded from Congress' COVID-19 relief package. Again, this will take less than two minutes of your time and you’ll be able to make your voice heard.

I also encourage you to speak with your family and friends about supporting this initiative.

Thank you for your help and assistance in supporting our Catholic schools!

Kevin D. Kijewski, J.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Dear St. John parishioners,

Your physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being are paramount to us now more than ever. We know that the changes brought by Governor Whitmer’s stay-at-home order can bring unique challenges and fears, and it is our goal to adapt and serve you to the best of our ability during this time.

• Currently, the parish office is closed to visitors, but it will be staffed for phone calls Monday- Friday, from 10:00am-2:00pm.
• Masses, while not open to the public, will continue to be celebrated privately by Fr. Robert and Fr. Ryan and live streamed on our Facebook page daily at 8:20am, on Saturday at 5:00pm, and on Sundays at 10:00am. Replays will be added to the St. John Online page on our website for those who do not use Facebook.
• The church will be locked during Mass times; however, it will be open for private prayer Monday-Friday from 9:00am-6:00pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am-4:00pm.
• Confessions will continue on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:00am-11:00am and 4:00pm-6:00pm and Saturdays from 3:00-4:00pm.
• Out of an abundance of concern for your health, and in cooperation with the stay-at-home order, we not not be offering Eucharistic Adoration. Please see our St. John Online page for a link to EWTN’s Adoration live stream. We look forward to the time when we can adore Jesus together again!
• If you have online access, do check out our St. John Online page, where we have compiled our videos, devotions, and activities to keep us connected while we are at home.
• We continue to reach out to our elder and homebound members to provide grocery and prescription delivery services. 

We know that this is a financially difficult time for many, as it is for our parish and diocese. For those who are able, please continue to send in your weekly contributions through the mail or online via the Online Giving button on the top of this page. Our parish operations and staffing depend on you, and we very much appreciate your generosity!

As the COVID-19 situation evolves, we will keep you updated on our parish operations and sacraments. Please check here for updated information and also via email and app messages. If needed, we may also mail information to you. You can reach us during office hours at (810) 629-2251 or via email. Please do contact us with your needs!

Fr. Ryan and I are not on vacation. We are here to serve you in any way we can. We will continue to pray for you and know you are praying for us.

Never forget that God loves you!
Fr. Robert, Fr. Ryan and all our staff

Prayer and Fasting are certainly two of our Lenten practices which are being used a great deal these days.  We are praying for our sick and elderly, for those caring for them, for our first responders, for our families and friends.  We are fasting not only from the ordinary Lenten things as we do every Lent, but now also from the Mass and the Eucharist. The third leg of Lenten good works is alms-giving.  

I know that many of you may be facing financial difficulty. This is also true of our parishes and our diocese.  If you are able to make up for what our other sisters and brothers cannot give, please, I appeal to your sacrificial generosity.  This is especially true for your own parish.  I have already heard from several that they are in serious straights especially as they try to pay those who work for your parish; and these parish workers often receive lower wages than they could get in the public sector.  So please help your parish, either by on-line giving or by sending a check in the mail. You can go to www.SupportYourChurch.comand find your parish listed there. 

I also ask you to be generous with DSA this year.  It looks like we will have a spike in the number of seminarians.   Thanks be to God!  But their education and formation is expensive and DSA helps to cover some of that.  Also please be faithful to your Witness to Hope pledges, if you can.  We are at a point in the campaign where the majority of funds now return to the parishes for parish projects. For these you can go to www.dioceseoflansing.org.  

So, my sisters and brothers, keep praying and fasting and alms-giving.  And remember, “Happy the one who trusts in the Lord”(Proverbs 16:20).