{"id":4173,"date":"2026-07-02T23:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-07-03T04:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stkateridearborn.org\/?post_type=post_documents&p=4173"},"modified":"2026-06-27T23:50:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T04:50:32","slug":"july-5-2026-fourteenth-sunday-in-ordinary-time","status":"publish","type":"post_documents","link":"https:\/\/stkateridearborn.org\/index.php\/document\/july-5-2026-fourteenth-sunday-in-ordinary-time\/","title":{"rendered":"July 5, 2026 – Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (WELCOME FR. CRAIG!!)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Between the Hearts with Fr. Craig<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dear parishioners of Sacred Heart and St. Kateri,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m so happy to finally get started on this new journey with you now that my assignment has officially begun. You have been, and will continue to be, in my daily prayers. I believe a pastor\u2019s prayers for his people are the foundation for everything that takes place in the parish and help guide him in serving the people entrusted to his care. Please know that you are always welcomed to ask me for specific prayers as I will never be too busy to make time to pray.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have named my bulletin article \u201cBetween the Hearts\u201d due to my love and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our hearts should be between those most loving Hearts as they protect, guide, and bring mercy to us. Being at a parish named Sacred Heart lends itself well to this, but also in a real way, we can look at the heart of St. Kateri as a model of the Immaculate Heart. St. Kateri is known for her purity and love just like Our Lady. So, the play on words works well with our situation of being two parishes with one pastor. I pray that our parishes can be two hearts that beat as one in all that we do together. It is my intention to serve you both with a hundred percent of my attention and care. Each parish has its distinct needs, but there are certainly similarities as well. I\u2019m going to be present as much as possible, and together we will figure out what that entails and how it will look. I will be writing only one bulletin article for both parishes so that the same message will be communicated each week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m happy to share more about myself and I look forward to getting to know all of you. For now, I\u2019ll give you a brief overview of myself. I was born on Dec. 22nd, 1977, which makes me 48 years old. I don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m pushing 50, but it seems to be coming my way anyway. I grew up on the east side in Sterling Heights. Both in high school and college, I studied art. I did a few semesters at the College of Creative Studies in graphic design, but switched majors to fine art and attended Wayne State University. Go Tartars! (There was no such thing as a Wayne State Warrior back then.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before graduating, I started to work at a fine art gallery and remained there a few years afterward. I applied to graduate school for a Master of Fine Art but was not accepted to any of the places that I applied to. From there, I quit my job at the gallery and got serious doing full time art in a flat in Hamtramck. However, while I spent many quiet hours making a new body of art to apply to different schools, I was also spending a lot of time praying and reading good books. That\u2019s when I felt God was calling me to enter seminary. I actually learned I was accepted to Sacred Heart Major Seminary at my first solo art exhibition! I received my Master of Divinity and STB (a degree given by Rome in Sacred Theology) and was ordained on May 22nd, 2010. That is the feast of St. Rita, the patron saint of hopeless causes, which felt very fitting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first assignment was as an associate pastor at Guardian Angels in Clawson, then as an associate pastor at St. Fabian in Farmington Hills. From there, I became the pastor at St. Ephrem in Sterling Heights, only four miles from where I grew up. When my dad retired, he would help a lot around the parish, so much so that we nicknamed him \u201cpart-time.\u201d There were a lot of blessings during that time, especially being so close to my parents, and continuing my education as well. While there, I earned a Doctorate in Ministry from Duke University. So, when anyone asks if I\u2019m a Michigan or Michigan State fan, the answer is, \u201cGo Duke!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My last assignment was Director of Priestly Vocations. Basically, I was the recruiter for guys discerning priesthood. I\u2019m not new to the Dearborn area as I was a priest in residence at Divine Child Parish. At the time, it simply seemed like a good place to live, but now I can see God\u2019s hand in that decision, as it has allowed me to become familiar with the area and the people I am now called to serve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I said at the beginning, I\u2019m very happy and excited to be with you on this journey. We know change is upon us, and it will continue to change with the restructuring, but I truly believe God has a plan. Let\u2019s together listen to the Wisdom of the Holy Spirit as we place ourselves, \u201cBetween the Hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Christ,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fr. Craig<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n