Oktoberfest 2010 - Sunday September 26

Day two begins!

The bounce, is in 'da HOUSE!

Religious keepsakes and sacramentals are offered for sale...

At 1:30, the German Youth Dancers from the Carpathia Club arrived and put on one heck of a show...

These dancers were one of the highlights of the event for sure..

Meanwhile the crowd became larger and larger as the Choral Fest drew near...

Traditional German folk music was played by Herb Langegger...

Herb and his friend Tony also won "the Blog's" best dressed award...

At 3:00 sharp the Choral Concert began.  Here is the event program...

Oktoberfest 2010 - Choral Concert Program

After the Concert, the winning raffle tickets were drawn by St. Joseph's pastor Father Czarnota.  This years prizes included dinner for two at any restaurant in southeast Michigan, an autographed Gordie Howe hockey stick and two autographed baseballs, one from Miguel Cabrarra and one from Justin Verlander! 

And finally the 2010 Oktoberfest ended with a trip back in time with the 1950's and 1960's cover band the Lira's!

And there it is, the 2010 Oktoberfest.  A great many thanks to all the hard work, countless hours of planning, preparation and execution by all the parish volunteers who made this event happen.  It was a great event because of all of you. 

We pray through all our labors, we can continue the tradition, at our little slice of heaven on Jay Street.  St. Joseph....pray for us!

"Ite ad Joseph!"

Oktoberfest 2010 - Saturday September 25

At 4:00 pm, the event kicked off with an unreal performance by the Notre Dame Prep Jazz Band...

The played Jazz standards...

Sang a few Sinatra songs...

They made their patron Our Lady and of course St. Joseph proud...

Next up, Sean Day provided a church tour and history...

From its founding as a simple wood church...

To its present glory....

The night ended with performances by two bands.  First by the Brazilian and American Jazz bank Brazil and Beyond... 

All the while things were hopping in the hall...

And at the bar...

The final performance for the night was by the 1930's era Gypsy-Jazz band Royal Garden Trio...

These guys were flat out amazing...

And so the first night of this years' Oktoberfest ended as it began...

"Ite ad Joseph!"

Preparation for Oktoberfest 2010 - Saturday September 25

It's finally here! Oktoberfest 2010!  Here are the pre-event pictures from Saturday.

The hall is decorated and ready...

The kegs are tapped...

The food line is ready for patrons...

Buns await their mate...

Dessert has been sliced and presented....

And of course, the sausage is on the grill....

....tended to by true grill masters....

...and without a doubt, it just wouldn't be Oktoberfest without....

NACHOS!

With all the planning and preparation complete...it's showtime!

"Ite ad Joseph!"



Oktoberfest story on WXYZ TV Channel 7

Here is a cool story on Oktoberfest that ran today on WXYZ TV channel 7!  Check it out!


"Ite ad Joseph!"

Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist

This Tuesday September 21st is the Feast of St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist. Here is a quick biography on this Saint from Saints.SQPN:

Son of Alphaeus, he lived at Capenaum on Lake Genesareth. He was a Roman tax collector, a position equated with collaboration with the enemy by those from whom he collected taxes. Jesus’ contemporaries were surprised to see the Christ with a traitor, but Jesus explained that he had come “not to call the just, but sinners.”

Matthew’s Gospel is given pride of place in the canon of the New Testament, and was written to convince Jewish readers that their anticipated Messiah had come in the person of Jesus. He preached among the Jews for 15 years; his audiences may have included the Jewish enclave in Ethiopia, and places in the East.

Here is an excerpt from St. Bede the Venerable on St. Matthew: 

“Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him: Follow me.” Jesus saw Matthew, not merely in the usual sense, but more significantly with his merciful understanding of men.” He saw the tax collector and, because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him, he said to him: “Follow me.” This following meant imitating the pattern of his life - not just walking after him. Saint John tells us: “Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” “And he rose and followed him.” There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him. Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps. In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift." 

St. Joseph's St. Matthew statue is the first statue on the right side of the sanctuary by the presidential chair.  Here are a couple of photo's:

St. Matthew is often portrayed holding a pen or as a winged man.

 

After the Wednesday Mass, our relic of St. Matthew will be venerated after Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

"Ite ad Joseph!"

Oktoberfest meeting on September 2, 2010

Here are the meeting notes from the Oktoberfest meeting on September 2nd.  The final Oktoberfest meeting will be held September 20th at 7:00pm in the parish hall!
9_02_2010 Oktoberfest Meeting Notes

"Ite ad Joseph!"

St. Joseph's Church

Here are a number of photo's taken September 2nd before the Oktoberfest meeting; enjoy!

"Ite ad Joseph!"

Oktoberfest meeting on September 2, 2010

This evening the steering committee for this years' Oktoberfest met to finalize the plans for the event.  Here's the meetings agenda:

"Ite ad Joseph!"