By Mark Haney
The Catholic Weekly

GRAND RAPIDS — For 13 years the Grand Rapids Dominicans and a small army of dedicated volunteers have helped recent émigrés to this city battle the English language into submission.
Using part of the convent at St. Adalbert Basilica, WORD (Writing Opportunities Reading Discoveries) Project ESL (English as a Second Language) has helped 700 people through one of the few five-day-a-week programs around. Classes are offered four days a week, but each day — Monday morning, Tuesday night, Wednesday morning, Thursday night — represents a different group of people. Fridays are open days, when people can come in and practice on the program’s 10 computers.
The project began when one of the Grand Rapids Dominicans was doing home visitations with the large Hispanic population on the northwest corner of the city. She discovered the people needed more ESL classes. At the time, Grand Rapids Public Schools was offering classes, but participants had to commit to attending three out of the four days it was offered each week.
“Our people just couldn’t do that,” said Sr. Carmen Rostar, the program’s director and only paid employee, “so we established the program at the old convent at the Basilica of St. Adalbert.”
“It started being for the west side but it really is open to anyone in the city. They get put on a list and so when we get an opening we just call the next person on the list.”
The program takes on about 50 people each semester — September-December, January-May and six weeks in the summer.
While 18 is the youngest age allowed into the program, the clientele tends to be older — 18 are age 30-39, 12 are 40-49, five are 50-59 and only three are age 20-29.
“We did have a woman from Russia who was in her 80s,” Sr. Rostar said, “but now our oldest student is 60.
“They are mostly Hispanic (The largest (29) client group is from Mexico, followed by Vietnam (7), Guatemala (4) and Colombia and Spain with one each), though we do have some Vietnamese. Through the years we have had people from Africa and Russia. Right after the Bosnian War we had more Bosnians in the program.”
The sessions are one-on-one — one client to one volunteer. While the clients may not be fluent in English, the teachers do not have to know the client’s native tongue. (more…)

CONKLIN — Take three country parishes that are within a 15-mile radius with approximately 500 families. Add two grade schools with approximately 90 students, two youth ministry programs that cover five different school districts, three parish councils and two school boards. Try to run that with five Masses being said between the three parishes on the weekends as well as weekday Masses and working some time at the diocesan chancery office.
Two of the parishes had shared one priest and the other had one of its own. Due to the untimely death of one and the retirement of another it left the three parishes with temporary pastors and substitutes to fill in the for the weekend Masses and other sacramental needs
This was the challenge given to Fr. Fred Brucker when he accepted the first parish cluster in the Diocese of Grand Rapids.
The three parishes are St Francis Xavier in Conklin, St Catherine in Ravenna and St Joseph in Wright. It is forming one of the first parish clusters since the start of the diocesan program “Our Faith, Our Future.”
As Fr. Brucker once said, “Since we are the first to try this, there are no wrong ways of doing it.  If something doesn’t work we can change it.”
This is the open spirit this priest brings to the cluster of parishes as their pastor. While each parish still holds its own facilities and identity, we are learning to share now more than ever with a reduced number of Masses on weekends. (four instead of five) and the help of another substitute priest for one Mass occasionally on weekends.
Fr. Brucker has the warmth to make all feel welcome and that we are on this journey together. He has brought together three parishes to fill  the needs of the worshiping community.
You could ask him if he enjoys his new assignment and we are sure he will tell you the joys he has experienced in being pastor of three unique parishes in the short time he has been their pastor.
For the three country parishes he serves, he is our hero.
Signed “The Cluster”†

Like spring tulips, sea of colorful pinwheels covered the lawn at St. Monica School on Wednesday, Sept. 21, after students planted them with prayers for world peace. Kathy Doud/St. Monica School

KALAMAZOO — Drivers who passed St. Monica Catholic School on Wednesday, Sept. 21, were greeted by hundreds of colorful, spinning pinwheels. This art was part of a “Pinwheels for Peace” project, which was designed to celebrate the International Day of Peace, which fell this year on Sept. 21.
Each student in the school created a paper pinwheel and included on it a message of peace, along with their name.
The “Pinwheels for Peace” event began with a short prayer service, led by Principal Becky Reits. Afterwards, students fanned out on the school lawn to plant the pinwheels, in the hope they would remind passers-by to pray for peace in their hearts, homes, community and world.
“The Pinwheels for Peace” project had its beginnings in 2005 in Coconut Creek, Fla. The project has grown by leaps and bounds and this year it was expected that over 3.5 million pinwheels would be sent spinning across the globe.†

By Sr. Mary Alvesteffer
Special to The Catholic Weekly

GRAND RAPIDS — In 1921, Vanderbilt was as much forestland as furrowed fields. Its population reflected the ethnic and religious character of its neighboring city of Gaylord, predominantly Polish and Catholic. Its scenic beauty had not yet defined its commercial future as resort and sport country and the settlers were devoted to wresting a livelihood from their cleared fields.

Both Anthony and Lottie (Kujawa) Cherwinski were born, grew up and married in Vanderbilt. Like most of their neighbors, they belonged to St. Mary Parish in Gaylord and it was there that they brought their 4-day-old firstborn, Martha Anne, to be baptized on June 26, 1921.

When the future Sr. Jane Anthony Cherwinski was barely 4 years old, her parents decided to move to Saginaw County. The Cherwinskis lived in Saginaw for two years before buying a farm in nearby Maple Grove Township. Here, Martha would be joined by four brothers and one sister.  Martha was only 10 when their mother died. The little brood of six sorely missed their mother, but none so much as their father, whose own personal loss was deepened by his concern for his children. In due time, he remarried. (more…)

GRAND RAPIDS— Grand Rapids Bishop Walter A. Hurley recently made the following pastoral changes:
Fr. Edward A. Hankiewicz is appointed pastor of St. Mary Parish in Lowell while continuing as judicial vicar at the diocesan tribunal, effective Wednesday, Sept. 14. In addition to these responsibilities, it is anticipated that St. Anthony Parish in Saranac will also become Fr. Hankiewicz’s responsibility as the “Our Faith, Our Future” recommendations move towards implementation.
Fr. Aaron R. Ferris is appointed canonical administrator of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Grand Rapids, effective Sept. 14.
Fr. Eugene Okoli’s letter of resignation from his responsibilities as pastor of St. Mary Parish in Lowell was accepted by Bishop Hurley effective Thursday, June 30. Fr. Okoli has reported to the bishop of his home diocese, Bishop Paulinus E. Ezeokafor, apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Awka, Nigeria.†

BATTLE CREEK — John W. Wagner, a 1987 graduate of St. Philip Catholic Central High School, recently was promoted to colonel in the U.S Air Force. His promotion ceremony was Thursday, Sept. 1, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.. His current position is with the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a politico-military planner in the Iran Branch of Middle East Politico-Military Affairs, Strategic Plans and Policy (J-5), in Washington D.C.
Wagner graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1991. His various assignments included military launch vehicle and spacecraft test, checkout and launch of spacecraft mission operations, military warning, war games and exercises and higher headquarters staffs. He commanded the 45th Launch Support Squadron at Cape Canaveral, Fla., through 12 successful launches of upgraded intelligence, navigation, communications and warning spacecraft. He also served as the deputy commander of the 45th Launch Group.
He was first to report multiple Chinese missile launches toward Taiwan in 1996. He also served as speechwriter for AFSPC commander.
The son John and Sarah Wagner of Fair Lake is married to the former Jennifer Schmidt of Piqua, Ohio. They have two sons, Jeffrey and Jacob.
Wagner will be recognized as a distinguished alumni at St. Philip Catholic Central High School’s homecoming on Saturday, Oct. 8.

By Mark Haney
The Catholic Weekly

TRAVERSE CITY — Originally, Paul LaPorte was going to write a book about Fr. Edwin Fredericks in order to help the Fr. Fred Foundation the priest founded.
When that plan unraveled — the foundation decided the book was too complex and not in keeping with its core mission — LaPorte already was so involved in the priest’s life and legacy that he and his wife, Carol, took on the project on their own, funding the $20,000-$30,000 cost themselves, with some in-kind help donated.
“It was a horrible disappointment,” LaPorte said of the foundation’s decision. “I would rather not risk my own money, but fortunately I have been blessed to where I can stand to do that.”
The goal LaPorte began with — to write the book in order to help Fr. Frederick’s efforts in the Traverse City area — remains, Profits from the sale of “The Heart of a Priest: Fr. Fred’s Life and Ministry” will be used to, according to a press release “enhance the work and preserve the legacy of Fr. Fred.”
(more…)

Traverse City man pens book about foundation’s founder

By Mark Haney
The Catholic Weekly

TRAVERSE CITY — A motorcycle brought Paul LaPorte and Fr. Edwin Frederick together.

That fateful meeting has culminated in “The Heart of a Priest: Fr. Fred’s Life and Ministry,” a book LaPorte self-published through his company, Mission Communications. It will be officially unveiled at “An Evening With Fr. Fred” on Thursday, Sept. 22, at Milliken Auditorium on the campus of Northern Michigan College.

The two men met when the local Harley Owners Group hosted a ride to raise funds for the Fr. Fred Foundation, which Fr. Frederick started, originally to help those displaced when the Traverse City State Hospital closed but which now helps anyone in need in the four-county area. (more…)

GRAND RAPIDS — Three students from St. Thomas the Apostle School have been notified that their video book report, “Bats are Amazing,” is among the top 10 finalists in the Acer Video Book Contest “Read, Share and Win!” This a top prize in this national contest is a library makeover for the winning school.
Thomas France, Josh Steffes and Ben Line-Neumann, entered the contest as sixth graders at St. Thomas. Their video report on the book, “Amazing Bats” by Seymour Simon, is the only entry from Michigan among the top 10 finalists. Other finalists include entries from Virginia, Idaho, New Jersey, Alabama, Texas and Colorado.
St. Thomas’ entry was written and edited by three students with the help of Grand Rapids Public School’s computer/technology teacher, Sue Jazwiec, who has been incorporating new and creative uses of technology with her students at St. Thomas for years.
The winning video will be the one selected by the most viewers. The winning school will then receive a library makeover as well as a 2012 TCEA conference pass for their school. All top 10 entries may be viewed at: https://professional.us.acer.com/edu/campaign/video_book_report/. Viewers may vote once per e-mail address. The final deadline for voting is Friday, Sept. 16.
Acer hosted the contest to marry traditional reading curriculum strategies with 21st Century skills in an attempt to make book reports and reading more interactive, fun and engaging for young learners. The contest also provides an opportunity to re-think the standard book report by producing videos that creatively illustrate the students’ comprehension of the book, along with teaching collaborative and critical thinking skills.
The staff at St. Thomas is proud of the work of these three students and excited about the possibility of winning a library makeover, especially as future plans include moving the current library to a new location within the next year as enrollment continues to rise.†