Pastor’s Corner — April 6th, 2025
A Note from Martin Doman, Band Leader for 11:30am Mass
Here is some bittersweet news to share from Martin Doman who is the band leader for the 11:30am Mass on Sundays.
Dear fellow parishioners at St. Patrick,
It is with a heavy heart but also one full of trust in the Lord that I announce that I will be moving on from St. Patrick to accept a campus and youth ministry position in Ave Maria, Florida this coming July. The Lord is calling me, and he has made it clear that I must go. I have really loved the times that we have spent together worshipping the Lord with His amazing gift of music. Although I have spent years leading worship and sung for thousands and even a papal visit, I have cherished these moments of prayer that I have shared with you at St Patrick’s even more so. God has truly blessed us! Thank you for trusting me and singing these songs of prayer that I have led. We have shared so many beautiful times together, and it has been an honor to experience those moments with you.
I am fully aware that this announcement will bring some sorrow, but our 11:30 group is going to stay together and continue to sing the same songs with you each week as you lift your praises to our loving and gentle God who knows our deepest needs and who is worthy to be trusted with the most important decisions of our life. I am not leaving until June, but I will miss singing with you when the time comes to go.
Please know that I believe St. Patrick’s to be the best parish I have ever known, and also know that the Lord will continue to bless your musical worship at 11:30 in new and even more powerful ways. I am so grateful for all of your love and support.
We have no plans to change the style of music for the 11:30am Mass and I’m grateful for all of the gifted people who are interested in keeping it going. While it’s sad for us to lose Martin, I’m confident the Lord has great things in store for him and his wife Charlene in this next season of their lives.
Deacon Josh Luttig’s Ordination
As promised in his homily from last weekend, here is Deacon Josh’s priesthood ordination information.
Ordination Mass | Saturday, June 14th at 10:30am at St Thomas Aquinas in East Lansing
First Mass | Saturday June 14th at 4:30pm at Most Holy Trinity in Fowler
Mass of Thanksgiving | June 29th 11:30am St Patrick’s in Brighton
As you might imagine, I’m not too happy he’s not being assigned here as a third priest here, but I knew the chances were quite slim in the first place. St Andrew’s in Saline will be so blessed to have him as their new Parochial Vicar. (If you weren’t here last weekend, he announced this in his homily)
Deacon Josh’s last weekend with us is going to be Easter weekend. Please pray for him. Fr Joshua and I are blessed to see him often as he is joining our priestly fraternity, which will have closer to fourteen Lansing priests this summer.
New Art in Cry Room: The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb
Some of you may have noticed the rather stunning piece of art in the cry room recently. This scene is directly out of the Ghent Altarpiece (also called The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb), which is one of the greatest masterpieces ever created. In fact, this 15th century work of art is the second most viewed piece of art in the world behind the Mona Lisa.
The work of art in the cry room is a reprint of just the central panel, which is one of twelve interior panels. This central panel depicts the adoration of the Lamb of God.
From a website:
This panel of the altarpiece depicts different groups of people emerging towards the Lamb to worship him. In the center is the Lamb standing on the altar offering his blood as it pours out into the chalice. Meanwhile, the angels surround the altar, some of them carrying the instruments of the passion to remind the viewer what he suffered for us. In front of the altar there are two angels offering incense. In a line straight down the middle, our eyes follow the path from the Holy Spirit at the top of the piece to the Lamb in the center, and the water fountain near the bottom. The fountain represents the living water of Baptism. The octagonal shape of the fountain is the traditional shape of a baptismal font. Notice the water spigot and a path for the water to flow right out of the frame. This life giving water is meant for the viewer.
The theme of this image is very Eucharistic. The Lamb on the altar reminds us of the Old Testament slaughtering of the unblemished lamb in the temple as an offering to atone for sins. Jesus Christ is the unblemished lamb who offered himself as a sacrifice wherein he gives us his Body and Blood. We enter into this mystery through the life giving waters of Baptism.”
Your servant in the Lord,
Fr. Mathias