St. Mary Magdalen Offers New Contemporary Worship Service

Though it’s located in Brighton Township, St. Mary Magdalen Parish is a place of worship for many people in the Hartland and Brighton communities — so it is the focus of today’s Hartland Stories of Faith.

The church recently began Ichthus, a half-hour contemporary service that takes place starting at 10:30 a.m. in the north room of the church.

Leader Alan Pittel said this new experience tries to offer something the other services don't have. They end just in time to be able to attend 11 a.m. Mass.

Ichthus is described in the literature available at the service as incorporating "contemporary music, engaging stories and lasting friendships." Everyone is welcome to attend.

Each session includes a speaker: past speakers have included Kym Sulkowski, St. Mary Magdalen member and Brighton resident who shared her story of breaking the abuse cycle. I attended this session and was quite impressed with the quality of her message.

Sulkowski regularly tells groups about her life and how God aided her in overcoming the cycle of abuse to assist other people in shedding themselves of the guilt and shame associated with abuse.

She believes God’s love draws people out of their dark places.

“People want to be healthier; they don’t want to live in darkness. And they have a high need to be needed. They want to know love.”

Sulkowski also wants people to know this with all their hearts: “Every moment’s important and everyone matters to God. There isn’t a soul out there that doesn’t matter to God,” she said.

Upcoming guest speakers include:

• On Sunday, St. Mary Magdalen's Deacon Dave Scharf, who grew up a Catholic, was stationed with the Navy in Seattle and had a career at Chrysler.
• Madelyn Gostomski, a later convert to Catholicism, whose late husband had a part in her conversion, tells how she's journeyed through life's trials to find unshakable faith Aug. 28.
• On Sept. 4, hear the story of Tim Carpenter, now a faith formation teacher, who became fired up for his faith in college: a journey that led him from Grand Rapids to the University of Steubenville.

Magdalen’s Kitchen Collects Food for the Needy

St. Mary Magdalen also serves those in need, a including year-round food collection and distribution program. Food is put in a large cart every weekend in the gathering space. After 11 a.m. Mass, it’s delivered to local and Detroit-area food banks.

Scharf said some of that food collected as well as donations the church receives from Panera Bread in Brighton also support Magdalen’s Kitchen, a meal church members serve to those in need at 6 p.m. Mondays. Panera’s donations also go to a few nearby organizations, such as the Milford Senior Center.

According to an article in last week’s bulletin, volunteers are needed for Magdalen’s Kitchen Mondays in September and Oct. 3, 10 and 17, including three cooks, seven setup/server/cleanup people, and four sub positions for each of these Mondays.

Those interested in helping should complete a slip of paper noting the date and task signed up for on the sign-up sheet, which is available before and after each Mass at the charity and justice table and is organized by date. First come/first served. (Note: You’ll only get one reminder call).

Volunteers must be middle school age or older and accompanied by an adult to fill a server/dishwasher position or 18 years or older to fill a cook position.

For more information about Ichthus, call 248-714-5544; to learn more about Magdalen’s Kitchen or other programs at St. Mary Magdalen, call the church at 810-229-8624.