A Place Where God’s Love Shines Through
July 20, 2025
“For the Son of Man came to seek out and save the lost.” -Luke 19:10
Over the past few weeks, I have written about Bishop Gruss’ pastoral call for each parish and each Catholic in the Diocese of Saginaw to answer Jesus’ invitation to be a “Diocese on Mission.” The first pillar of the bishop’s invitation is to love and support our priests in their vital and irreplaceable ministry and to pray for more men to answer the call to service of God and God’s people in the priest hood. The second pillar is to build disciples to be sent on mission. We are called to grow in our love for God and neighbor, becoming the light of Christ’s compassionate love in this world that is so darkened by selfishness, sin, division, and violence. Part of growing as missionary disciples is to actively participate in the Eucharist each weekend (and even on weekdays when possible) and to take time in our regular schedules to pray and learn more about our Catholic faith.
The third and final pillar of Bishop Gruss’ invitation to be a “Diocese on Mission” is to “Go and Retrieve the Lost Sheep.” In the not-too-distant past, a parish could be established, a church building built, and local Catholics would show up for Mass (and often school). People in need of sacraments such as Baptism, Marriage, and Anointing of the Sick would call the parish and arrangements were made to the timely reception of those sacraments. The parish would provide a key touchstone for community and support, especially in immigrant ethnic enclaves and during hard times. This is no longer the case in the Diocese of Saginaw and throughout the Northeast and industrial Midwest in general. Weekly Mass attendance has declined. Our parish weekly Mass attendance has declined significantly since the beginning of this decade. Assumption has gone from around 18 weddings per year around the turn of the century to about 3. We are not an isolated case. Mass attendance, Catholic School enrollment, Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, and Wedding numbers have dropped significantly throughout the diocese over the past decade.
I share this not to spread a message of doom and gloom, but so that we realistically see the situation in which we are called to serve as missionary disciples. I am filled with the joy of the Gospel, a belief in Resurrection, a God who can find a way out of no way (see Isaiah 43:19 and Ezekiel 37), and—in this Jubilee Year especially—hope. God has put each one of us here at Assumption Parish in Larkin in the Diocese of Saginaw, at this time, to be part of God’s redeeming plan. There are many factors and causes to our current situation, but I share Bishop Gruss’ conviction that each one of us is not here by chance, that “we were born for this!” God is still alive and at work in our world and in the hearts of women and men. God still loves each person unconditionally and desires a deep friendship with each woman and man, boy and girl. It is our baptismal privilege to share in God’s mission. I cannot state our unique missionary call in our time and place any better than Pope Francis did in his letter The Joy of the Gospel: “Today, as the Church seeks to experience a pro found missionary renewal, there is a kind of preaching which falls to each one of us as a daily responsibility . . . in this preaching, which is always respectful and gentle, the first step is personal dialogue.” Evangelization begins with listening to people and caring for people who are often lonely and hurting. “Only afterward is it possible to bring up God’s word, perhaps reading a Bible verse or relating a story, but always keeping in mind the fundamental message: the personal love of God who became man, who gave himself up for us, who is living and who offers us his salvation and friendship . . . we should not think, however, that the Gospel message must always be communicated by fixed formulations learned by heart or by specific words which express an absolutely invariable content.” Our mission work must be an authentically human sharing of hearts and lives. It’s not about being an expert theologian, but about sharing your love for Jesus, how Jesus—his message, grace, and personal love—has transformed your life, and how you want that transformation and fulfillment for your family members, friends, and neighbors.
The biggest obstacle that we must face is our own discomfort. Catholics are not used to seeing themselves as missionary disciples. We’ve made an 11th Commandment out of the maxim, “it’s never polite to talk about religion” with friends, family, and neighbors. But we are not called to proselytize as if we have all the answers. We are called to share a prayer with someone who is hurting, comfort the grieving, serve those in need, and to not be afraid to let “your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) Those who have been fully initiated into the Catholic Church has received the Holy Spirit’s Gift of Fortitude so that we can move beyond our fears and boldly proclaim the saving death and resurrection of Christ, our hope in times of woundedness and confusion.
Being a missionary disciple begins with prayer. It continues with care and listening, followed by humble service and charity and a willingness to share the good things that God has done in your life. Personally, being a part of God’s work here at Assumption: its prayerful worship and liturgy, its opportunities for spiritual enrichment through Bible study, book studies, screenings of The Chosen, small groups, its community events like PolishFest, Mardi Gras, and this Tuesday’s Neighboring Night, and its generous charitable and Christian Service ministries such as Food Truck Day, our Community Garden, serving at Open Door, and financially assisting various worthwhile causes throughout the year, has been such a blessing for me and our family. Assumption Parish is a special place where God’s love shines through! If you are convinced of this also, ask yourself why anyone would not want to be an active member of our faith community and offer the invitation to someone you know who needs to connect with the communion with God and neighbor in love that this parish offers!
You were made for this time and place! May God use you to show others how much God loves them and seeks an intimate friendship with them in the heart of our community!