Dear Friends in Christ,

We want to welcome you to Sacred Heart Catholic Community. All of us, whether secretary, maintenance supervisor, pastoral associate or pastor, are happy that you have decided to make this parish — your parish.

Inside these pages, besides our Mission Statement, you will find a brief description of the various segments that make up the parish life and times at Sacred Heart. Like a good recipe book, these descriptions are simply summaries of the ingredients. They are not the "finished dish." Hopefully you will discover that in this instance the whole is not the sum of its parts. Sacred Heart is more than just the organizations that are described herein. We are the Sacrament of Christ's Presence at the Junction of Utica Road and Gratiot.

It is our hope that you will make yourself at home in our parish community. The first aspect of parish membership is a simple one — Registration. On the practical level, this is one of the most important. Registering establishes a relationship between the person or family and the parish itself. One cannot really consider him/herself a member of a parish if they have not registered as one. One can be "in" a Parish without registering, but not really associated as a member "of" a Parish. There is a big difference in these two relationships.

Registration, then is the first important step of being a parish member. It is the starting point of a relationship. It is the declaration that one "belongs." There is no substitute for this simple, but very important action.

It is very important to remember that, at the bottom line, we must recognize things for what they are. Membership is a two-way street. It both declares a relationship of belonging and expresses a willingness to share in the responsibilities of those who belong. These pages have been designed to give you an overview of our parish in hopes that you will find herein not only a description of our faith community but an invitation to be an active part of the parish.

Most of all we want to invite you to worship with us each Sunday as we offer through, with and in Jesus his Liturgy to his Father — to our Father. At the Eucharistic banquet each weekend we most truly become the Body of Christ. It is at the altar of the Eucharist that we are nourished to return to the daily life of Sacred Heart. Again, welcome to Sacred Heart Catholic Community!

Sincerely in Christ,