St. Elizabeth Parish & St Dominic Oratory - Tecumseh & Clinton, MI

06/11/2026

06/11/2026

Feast of St. Barnabas, June 11 – by Bishop Earl Boyea

Joseph, a Jew from the Island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, was living in Jerusalem probably with his sister Mary and his nephew John Mark. He must have heard Peter preaching on the feast day of Pentecost because he soon came to believe that Jesus, the crucified one, was the long-awaited Messiah.
This Joseph then sold some of his property and very generously gave the proceeds to the apostles for the care of the followers of Jesus. Perhaps that is why the apostles called him, “Barnabas,” or “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36). The Greek word for this encouragement is paraklesis. So, Barnabas was a paraclete, an encourager.
At the Last Supper, Jesus was aware of how desolate his apostles would be the next day, the day of His crucifixion and death. So, Jesus four times promises to send them the Paraclete (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). This term, paraclete, is often interpreted in a legal sense to mean that the Holy Spirit will be our lawyer. But that is too narrow of an understanding. Rather, this Holy Paraclete is someone Who walks with us and encourages us.
Perhaps, we can look at how Barnabas was a paraclete to the early Church, to his nephew, and even to St. Paul, to understand more clearly how the Holy Spirit is the Paraclete to all of us.
Let’s start with Paul. Paul has changed from arresting and imprisoning followers of Jesus, even helping with the ex*****on of Stephen, to being now a follower of Jesus himself. After this change, which took place while he was on his way to Damascus in Syria in order to arrest more Christians, Paul returned to Jerusalem a different man. Nonetheless, he scared all the Jewish-Christians in the city and caused a lot of turmoil, because they didn’t believe that he had really changed. But Barnabas defended Paul and walked with him during his brief stay in the Holy City.
Besides being generous in support of the Church in Jerusalem, Barnabas, 10 years later, was sent to get first-hand knowledge of the growing community of Jewish and Gentile Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:22). He was delighted with what he saw and so he encouraged them, we are told, “for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” (Acts11:24). Seeing great needs for these new Christians, Barnabas then went next door to Tarsus, Paul’s hometown, where Paul had been side-lined for these past 10 years, and brought Paul to Antioch to use his great talents to build up the faithful.
Finally, Barnabas and Paul were sent by the Church in Antioch on a great missionary journey to Cyprus, Barnabas’ home, and then on to southern Turkey. Barnabas’ nephew John Mark accompanied them, but bailed for some reason when they got to Turkey (Acts 13:13). Paul did not like this abandonment. So, when they were later ready to revisit the churches that they had established in Turkey, Barnabas wanted to give his nephew a second chance, but Paul said no way, and so they split up, Barnabas taking John Mark back to Cyprus (Acts 15:36-39).
Barnabas is a model for us on how to be a paraclete to others: to be a companion, an encourager, a supporter, a second-chancer to all we meet.

His Excellency Earl Boyea is the bishop of the Diocese of Lansing and a nationally respected Catholic leader known for his teaching on evangelization, Eucharistic devotion, and faithful Catholic discipleship.

06/11/2026

Consider gifting the special woman in your life a ticket to this year's Michigan Catholic Women's Conference! https://mcwc.ticketspice.com/2026-mcw

06/10/2026

Do you think you have a calling to serve as a Priest of Jesus Christ, and you are discerning if this is God's path for you? We invite you to participate in a special discernment opportunity.

Join us and Bishop Boyea on Sunday, August 16, 2026, for an informative talk on discerning the priesthood and what seminary formation is about, followed by a Q & A session with priests and seminarians and a BBQ dinner. Check-in will start at 4:00 PM at St. Francis Retreat Center, and dismissal will be at 6:30 pm.

Cost: Free

If you are under 18 years of age, a permission/health form must be submitted to your parish.

If you have any questions or want to make an appointment to discuss your discernment, please contact Fr. Mike Cassar, Director of Seminarians at [email protected] or his office at 517-342-2507. Or check out our website www.lansingpriest.org, which answers some frequently asked questions.

06/09/2026

Join us on the Road to Emmaus!

Do you feel a pull on your heart to know God more deeply? Do you long for the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Eucharist and Confirmation? Start your journey now - join us on the Road to Emmaus!

Please contact the Parish Secretary (Stacey Knepper at 517-423-2447 or [email protected]) or Faith Formation Director (Heather Marsh at 517-507-0110 or [email protected]) to let us know you are interested in OCIA.

We meet each Sunday in between the Masses (~9:30 - 10:30 AM) to talk about the readings and enjoy light refreshments and fellowship.

If you are interested in learning more, we want to walk with you until formal OCIA classes begin in the fall. These weekly get-togethers are a chance to ask questions in a no-pressure environment, pray with the Scriptures, and see how others are living out their faith on a daily basis, whether they are single, married, have no kids, little kids, or empty nests.

God loves you and is seeking after you. If you feel Him knocking on your heart, open the door. You aren't alone, and we can't wait to journey with you.

06/08/2026

God’s greatest blessing usually come through those around us. Our Parish is so blessed by the Bauer family, especially for raising the young man who was ordained a priest this last weekend: Fr. Josh Bauer!

06/08/2026

St. Elizabeth has fully trained Stephen Ministers that can provide confidential, one-to-one care to anyone experiencing things like:

Grieving the death of a loved one
Hospitalized or recovering from hospitalization
Lonely or discouraged
Coping with a terminal illness or caring for a family member with a terminal illness
Unemployed or in a job crisis
Disabled or caring for an ill or disabled family member
Moving or relocating
New to the parish or the community
Anticipating the birth or adoption of a child
Homebound or institutionalized
Transitioning into retirement
Dealing with the crisis of ageing
Facing a life transition
Experiencing a spiritual crisis
Victim of a disaster or accident

Visit https://stelizabethstdominic.org/stephen-ministry to learn more.

The Stephen Ministry logo, with the broken person behind the cross and the whole person in front of the cross, symbolizes that we are all broken people and that it is only through the cross of Jesus that we are made whole. Stephen Ministers will help guide a person on the journey from brokenness to....

06/07/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online for Fr. Josh's first Mass! We cannot keep a recording of the Mass published indefinitely due to music licensing restrictions, but please send us an email at [email protected], and we can provide a copy for your personal collection.

06/07/2026

Check out what is new this week on formed at https://watch.formed.org/this-week-on-formed!

06/07/2026

How grateful and thankful are we to have participated in Fr. Josh’s first Mass since his Ordination to the priesthood yesterday!