psalm123

Classes have been over for a couple of weeks. What have I been doing the past week or so?  I've been listening on my mp3 player to a class I took last year!  I can't help it, it was a great class and now I can take in things I may have missed before. The instructor Fr.  Mark Hamilton was excellent. Actually, all of the priests I have had as instructors at the seminary have been exceptional. If we had guys and women (sisters) like this in our grade schools and high schools, young people would not only know their faith, they would love their faith.  They would also be more easily drawn in to the religious life as they would have role models of priests and religious sisters who love living out their vocations in the Church. Of course overall, the lay instructors at the seminary have been great as well.

Some students and faculty from school recently visited the nations largest mosque located not too far from me here in Dearborn. Taken from the Sacred Heart Major Seminary website. 

Mr. Eide Alawan answers questions about the beliefs of Islam from seminarians and faculty members at the Islamic Center of America, April 13.

Although I didn't know much about Islam before Sunday, I learned a lot in a few hours. About twenty-five seminarians, along with faculty members Sr. Mary Finn, Fr. Mark Hamilton, Fr. Eric Weber, Dr. Ronald Prowse and his wife, Cathy (and two of their friends), visited the Islamic Center of America in Dearborn, Michigan, on Sunday afternoon, April 13. Mr. Eide Alawan, outreach interfaith director, conducted the tour and was welcoming, hospitable and a wonderful host.

When we arrived at the recently completed mosque, the largest in North America, we had a short question and answer session with Mr. Alawan. The three women were asked to wrap scarves around their heads, which is a custom of modesty for women in Islam.

 

A long time employee at the Seminary I attend passed away recently. 49 years of service ! ... Wow!  From many accounts, Mr. Brown had touched the lives of many people in a positive way. I met him a couple of times when I first started taking classes last winter. Very nice guy. He was one of those people that I felt immediately comfortable around...The kind of guy you could just sit and talk to...about anything. I have a feeling many people felt the same way about him.   The following is taken from the Sacred Heart Major Seminary website.  http://www.aodonline.org/SHMS/SHMS.htm

Jerry Kent Brown - 1939-2007

Jerry Kent Brown

Retired, and beloved, plant manager Jerry Brown passed away on December 31 after a long illness. Jerry began his career at Sacred Heart in 1957 as a dishwasher, a job he planned to keep for about six months. He was promoted to cook, baker, shipper, kitchen supervisor and then plant manager, the position from which he retired in early-2007—seven rectors, four cardinals and six popes later.

Jerry was the first black man hired at the seminary, years before the civil rights movement. Later on, he and his entire family became Catholic at a moving service in the main chapel. He was named an honorary alumnus and won the Outstanding Lay Alumnus award in 1998.