Epiphany

Fr. Anthony Strouse attended Lansing Catholic High School before entering St. John Vianney College Seminary in St. Paul, MN. He continued his path to the priesthood at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit and was ordained in 2010. Following ordination, he also completed a Master of Arts in Liturgy degree through the Liturgical Institute at the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He is a member of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Dominic, and a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. Fr. Anthony has served in many capacities for the Diocese of Lansing over the past 15 years.

From 2014-2019, Flint Michigan faced a public health emergency due to contaminated water, followed by the Covid pandemic. How does a city recover from losses of this magnitude? Under the leadership of Bishop Earl Boyea, the Catholic Community of Flint was formed in order to “Connect, Collaborate and Communicate” between different entities in Flint.

In 2021, Fr. Anthony was installed as the pastor of St. Matthew, which includes a Latin Mass Community. In 2023 he was appointed the Dean for the Deanery of Flint, which includes ten churches in Genessee County. St. Matthew parish is a thriving community; it has had the highest percentage rise in attendance over the past 5 years in the diocese of Lansing. St. Matthew parish was founded in 1911 and originally staffed by priests from Detroit and then the Augustinian Order until 2016, when the Diocese of Lansing took over. In 1999, Fr. Robert Prevost (now Pope Leo XIV) visited St. Matthew and celebrated a baptism there.

Article from March 2024: Meet the Catholic Man Walking Across America to Pray for the Country with No Money - Just a Backpack!

August 2024: Backpacker Joe completes his cross country trip

Joseph Domina

“…It is evident that women are still being called to serve and continue to make valuable contributions to communities worldwide. Today, we can find sisters working as probation officers, in domestic abuse shelters, involved in low-income housing projects, and are even serving at the forefront of environmental conservation. In this PBS film, award-winning producer/director Keith Famie and his team at Visionalist Entertainment Productions, will venture beyond the convent door to gain a deeper understanding of the lives of religious sisters. These remarkable women selflessly choose to dedicate their lives to God and the betterment of humanity, often facing misconceptions and misunderstandings along the way. Click here for more!

This is how you can watch The Calling film: https://thecalling.vhx.tv

Here is the trailer for Laid to Resthttps://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1162613546?fl=pl&fe=vl

Keith Famie is the Producer/Director of “The Calling.” He hosted his own Food Network series, "Keith Famie's Adventures," traveling the world documenting cooking styles from the plains of Africa to monk monasteries of Taiwan, to the lifestyle of Key West. In 2004, the Adventure Chef embarked on a new journey - documentary filmmaking. "I didn't want to be the 'Adventure Chef' guy anymore. I wanted to help people tell their stories."

Since that life-changing decision, Famie has been awarded twelve Michigan Emmys and been nominated several other times for his rich, human-interest storytelling, from ethnic documentaries to military tribute films. He and his team at Visionalist Entertainment Productions create informative, entertaining films that touch a wide audience.

John Hale is the President of Corporate Travel. John is a graduate of The University of Michigan and The University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and served as Judicial Clerk to the Michigan Supreme Court before practicing law with Bodman LLP and the Ford Motor Company. John began his career with Corporate Travel in 2000.

This year’s Pray40 journey is inspired by The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky and the Parable of the Prodigal Son, inviting Catholics to return home to God through daily prayer and reflection.

Alex Jones is the CEO & Co-Founder of Hallow, a Catholic app for prayer, meditation, music, bible, and sleep. Hallow has over one billion minutes prayed, 18 million downloads, 500 million prayers prayed, 200,000 five-star reviews, and is the #1 Catholic app in the world. Over Lent, Hallow became the #1 app in the app store.Alex was raised a Catholic but fell away from his faith at a young age. He became fascinated with secular meditation but kept feeling like he was being pulled towards something spiritual. He began asking around and discovered the deeply contemplative and meditative tradition within the Catholic faith. Through it, God changed his life, brought him back to the faith, and inspired the idea behind Hallow.

TOM HORNACEK was a lukewarm Catholic, then his favorite sports talk radio station in Saginaw, Michigan was purchased by Ave Maria Radio, and God went to work. Listening to great Catholic teaching, unexpected suffering, along with lots of God’s mercy, Tom went from lukewarm Catholic to intentional disciple. Tom now serves as the Community Outreach Director at Ave Maria Radio and membership drive host. Tom is also a member of Encounter Ministries prayer teams and Live Free prayer teams.

“Each year, the Augustine Institute offers a contemplative resource on Formed to guide Catholics through one of the Church’s most sacred liturgical seasons. This year, we are delighted to present The Heart of Prayer as our Lenten offering,” said Dr. Scott Hefelfinger, Director of Content Development at the Augustine Institute. “What makes this series truly special is Bishop Andrew Cozzens’ approachable and relatable style, which brings timeless spiritual practices to life in a way that feels personal for every viewer.”

Drawing from Scripture and the saints, Bishop Cozzens offers guidance that is both practical and down-to-earth, inviting viewers to explore the foundations of prayer, surrender their hearts to God, awaken the spiritual senses and imagination, grow in simplicity and awareness, and deepen their prayer even through suffering. Each session provides tools and reflections to help Catholics enter more fully into a life of prayer during Lent and carry that growth forward throughout the year.

Dr. Scott Hefelfinger is a professor at the Augustine Institute and the Director of Content Development. He teaches in the areas of moral theology, marriage and family, and prayer. After studying music as an undergraduate, he then went on to do graduate work in theology, receiving a doctorate from the University of Notre Dame. Combining his academic training and his experience with art, traveling missionary work, and the richness of family life, Dr. Hefelfinger helps to guide the development of the Augustine Institute’s multimedia content across various platforms, including Formed, the Amen app, podcasts, and more.

Fr. Frankie Cicero is the Parochial Administrator of St. Timothy Catholic Church in Mesa, Arizona and he has a powerful story to share!

Fr. Frankie shares his story here and here.

From here:

Based in Cardiff Gate Business Park and established 10 years ago, Infiniti Healthcare was founded by Consultant UroGynaecologist and Fertility Specialist Mr Kiron Bhal and Consultant Gynaecologist and Menopause Specialist, Mrs Nadia Hikary-Bhal, to create a women’s health clinic offering a wide range of treatments using ground-breaking technology.

They wanted to create a space where women could feel heard and supported in an environment that didn’t have a traditional cold and clinical feel.

The clinic, one of the longest-standing dedicated women’s health clinics in Wales, offers specialist consultations for menopause, pelvic health problems including prolapse and incontinence, childbirth trauma, cosmetic surgery, infertility, early pregnancy reassurance, heavy periods, fibroids, endometriosis and ovarian cancer screening.

A decade later the clinic has expanded and offers new technology and treatments.

Bishop Joseph L. Coffey is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic church, serving as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA since 2019. He previously served as a chaplain in the US Navy Chaplain Corps in the United States, Japan and Afghanistan.