Epiphany

Great literature is for all ages – so is great theatre. We inspire children to read by bringing literature to life through our unique and fun readers theatre style. Live theatre provokes the imagination, a key ingredient to being a good reader. Children listen to our stories with their hearts, howl from their guts and participate creatively with their hands and minds. Perfect for school assemblies, family events, libraries and a wonderful way to celebrate the joy of reading!

The Magic Carpet Theatre is a lot of news to catch us up on, including performing at the National Council of Catholic Women Conference in Grand Rapids, shows at the Cathedral, and the Good News Cruise.

Catherine Zardus (Founder and Artistic Director of Magic Carpet Theatre) has produced, directed, and performed with MCT for over thirty years, which has reached over 250,000 people and traveled all over Michigan and from Alaska to Florida. In 2008, she founded the Drama Ministry, producing three original shows that promote the Gospel: The Parable Project, The Parable Project: Take Two, and At His Feet, Women in Scripture (along with an original CD). She studied theatre at Eastern Michigan and earned her MFA in Acting from Wayne State’s Hilberry Repertory Theatre, where she performed in scores of plays and was nominated twice for Best Supporting Actress in Detroit. She has performed in numerous regional theatres across the country and directed The Living Stations at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Magic Carpet Theatre - Drama Ministry

Update from Stephen: Since our conversation on Epiphany, the program has continued to grow significantly. As of today, 112 students have registered for the Fall 2026 program before classes have even begun.

The Fall Launch Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Ambassador Rooms of the Oakland Center at Oakland University.

This fall, we are expanding the free Chaldean language instruction and introducing Chaldean Medical Terminology and Healthcare Conversation, with Arabic included as additional support. The healthcare component is intended to help address communication barriers and misunderstandings that can arise in hospitals and clinics and to help future healthcare professionals communicate more effectively with Chaldean- and Arabic-speaking patients and families.

The program has also experienced a tremendous response online. Throughout the summer, I have been publishing short Chaldean language lessons on TikTok and Instagram, and several are now reaching tens of thousands of views. For example, the Colors in Chaldean lesson has reached approximately 87,000 views and continues to grow.

It has been especially encouraging to see younger Chaldeans, families, and people from different places engaging with the lessons and expressing an interest in learning the language.

The Chaldean Language Workshop, founded by OU Graduate Student Stephen Hannawi, currently meets twice a week on campus and invites participants to come learn about the Chaldean alphabet, grammar, and pronunciation in an engaging and academic setting.“I founded the CLW to preserve and revive one of the world’s oldest and most influential languages — the Chaldean language — which once served as the language of Babylonian science and later became the language of the Word of God in early Christianity,” said Hannawi, who is pursuing a master’s degree in artificial intelligence at OU.

Stephen Hannawi is the Founder & President of the Chaldean Language Program at Oakland University. His interests include law, technology and linguistics. He began reading and writing Chaldean at 8 years old, a foundation that deeply influenced his lifelong commitment to cultural and linguistic preservation.

Oakland University News: OU graduate student establishes Chaldean Language Workshop

The Catholic Biblical School Ministry is a lay apostolate, officially entrusted by ordained clergy with the specific ministry of biblical faith formation. They offer video lectures for groups, fully-online classes for individuals, curriculum guides, community support, and more.

Colleen Vermeulen is an Instructor & the Director of Mission at the Catholic Biblical School Ministry. Her personal motivation for teaching is to connect people to the Scriptures so that they can listen and respond to God’s Word. When people encounter God in the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit takes care of the rest! Colleen seeks to help her students dig into the real-life history of the New Testament in order to ground their faith and give them credibility when sharing the Bible with others.

The United Saints of America? The “big S” saints — those raised to the altar by the Catholic Church — have traversed our land, sea to shining sea, from St. Isaac Jogues in the East to St. Junípero Serra in the West. To mark our nation’s 250th birthday, join veteran journalist and passionate storyteller Peggy Stanton on a tour of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, under the guidance of our patroness, the Blessed Mother, in search of the famous and not-so-famous shrines, those least recognized but with wonderful, intriguing back stories.

Peggy Stanton is also the author of “From the White House to the White Cross.” She’s a Dame of the Order of Malta. Peggy was ABC News’ first female Washington correspondent. She has hosted programs on Ave Maria Radio including Power from the Pews. Her first book was “The Daniel Dilemma: The Moral Man in the Public Arena.”

“As the number of people entering the Catholic Church continues to increase annually, Ascension has announced the upcoming summer 2026 launch of Invited: Your Journey into the Catholic Church. This dynamic, multimedia Order of Christian Initiation (OCIA) program is designed to accompany those preparing to enter the Catholic Church with clarity, reverence, and pastoral care and equip parishes to more confidently form those preparing for full initiation into the Church.”

From working in youth ministry to traveling the world, Michael Gormley, or “Gomer” as he’s been known since high school, has been preaching the Gospel to pew-sitting and lapsed Catholics alike.

Gomer holds three degrees from the Franciscan University of Steubenville: Philosophy BA, Theology BA, and Theology and Christian Ministry MA, and has worked in parish and youth ministry for decades. Traveling widely to give retreats, parish missions, youth conferences, and evangelization training all around the country, Gomer’s main concern is building community and bringing Catholics into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through repentance and encountering God in Scripture.

Outside of Ascension, Gomer works as a Mission Evangelist for That Man Is You!, a men’s apostolate for Paradisus Dei. He is also the founder and creative director of Lay Evangelist.

Click here for FAITH, the official magazine of the Diocese of Lansing. Founded 26 years ago, FAITH is delivered nine times a year to over 60,000 homes across the diocese. Until becoming Editor of FAITH, Mary Gates was a theology teacher at Lansing Catholic High School, a post she held for more than 20 years. Over the past decade, Mary has also written for various Catholic publications, including FAITH. Most importantly, she is married with six children.

Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa or Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of Charity and a Catholic saint. Today marks what would been her 116th birthday. Sept 4th, next week, will mark 10 years since her Canonization.

Linda Schaefer is an author, photographer, and former CNN photojournalist whose work has taken her around the world. Her life changed after meeting Mother Teresa in Atlanta in 1995 and accepting her invitation to “come and see,” which led Linda to Calcutta and began a relationship with the Missionaries of Charity spanning three decades. Her newly released memoir, Interior Life of a Wandering Soul, traces a deeply personal journey through faith, loss, travel, service, and a lifelong search for meaning.

Click here to check out another book by Linda, “Come and See”: A photojournalist’s journey into the world of Mother Teresa.”

Linda’s website can be found here - https://www.lindaschaeferportfolio.com

St. Hubert Catholic Church is located in Harrison Township.

Amanda Anderson is the Publicity Chair for the St. Hubert Fall Festival. This year it is coming up September 11-13. She says…

· When I first stepped into the role, one of my goals was to expand the festival’s reach beyond our parish and build stronger connections throughout the surrounding community. During my first year as chair, we were able to triple our community outreach and sponsorship involvement, an accomplishment I am especially proud of.

· What makes the St. Hubert Fall Festival so special to me is that it is about much more than putting on a successful event. It is about faith, fellowship, family, and community. Seeing our volunteers, parishioners, sponsors, local businesses, and families come together each year is incredibly rewarding.

Julie Carver is the President & CEO of Mercy High School in Farmington Hills.

Julie brings a distinguished record of leadership in Catholic education and mission-driven organizations, with a proven ability to guide schools through growth, innovation, and sustainability. Most recently, she served as Founding Executive Director, successfully launching a public charter high school from the ground up and providing leadership across operations, fundraising, enrollment, staffing, and long-term planning.

Her career also includes service as President of Ursuline High School, Associate Superintendent for the Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, and executive roles across nonprofit organizations. Julie has demonstrated exceptional strength in strategic planning, board governance, and advancement, consistently building meaningful relationships with students, families, faculty, donors, and community partners. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she is widely respected for advancing mission-centered schools.

Julie also brings a deep commitment to Catholic education and empowerment of young women. Having previously served within a Mercy school community, she brings a meaningful connection to the charism and values that define Mercy education.

Anna Bulszewicz is the President of Regina High School in Warren. She joins Vanessa to share the story of the school, recognize the milestone and highlight the exciting things ahead.

Regina welcomes new president, vice president

Celebrating 70 Years!