Festivals and family fun: Fall events coming up in the Archdiocese of Detroit

DETROIT — With summer nearly behind us, Catholics in the Archdiocese of Detroit are sending their kids off to school and entering fall, which comes not only with cozy seasonal changes, but also with parish festivals galore, feast days and celebrations for the many ministries offered throughout the archdiocese.

Here’s Detroit Catholic’s list of top events for the month of September.

St. Hubert Fall Festival (Friday, Sept. 6, to Sunday, Sept. 8)
(St. Hubert Parish, Harrison Township)

Celebrate the beginning of fall with the 38th annual festival at St. Hubert. The three-day festival will include carnival rides, live entertainment, a raffle, and a cornhole tournament inside the beer tent on Saturday afternoon, sponsored by Badges & Bags Cornhole and St. Hubert Knights of Columbus. Enjoy a fish fry on Friday evening or Polish cuisine on Saturday and Sunday.

Armbands are available for purchase in person ($20 pre-sale, $25 regular). For any questions, contact Mary Owiesny at (586) 899-4823.

St. Linus Fall Festival (Friday, Sept. 6, to Sunday, Sept. 8)
(St. Linus Parish, Dearborn Heights)

Stop by for the St. Linus Fall Festival, held annually the weekend after Labor Day. The 51st annual festival will include live entertainment, a pierogi eating contest, amusement rides and games, food booths, a book sale, raffles and more. Mass will be held at the parish on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 8:30 and 11 a.m. for the Polka Mass. All ages are welcome.

St. Joseph Parish 3rd Annual Polish Heritage Festival (Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8)
(St. Joseph Parish, South Lyon)

Celebrate Polish culture at the vibrant Polish Heritage Festival in its third year. The family-friendly event, hosted by the Father Battersby Knights of Columbus Council 7586, will include traditional Polish food, including pierogi and kielbasa, and the Polish Village, where festival-goers can purchase Polish arts and crafts. Enjoy performances from local and regional Polish folk bands and dance groups and a Polka Mass, which blends traditional Catholic liturgy with polka music. Additionally, there will be eating contests, a kids corner, a classic car show and more.

For more information contact: [email protected], (248) 446-8700

Celebration of World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly (Sunday, Sept. 8)
(Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit)

Grandparents and the elderly, along with their children and grandchildren, are invited to attend the fourth annual Mass for World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8. The Mass hosted by the Archdiocese of Detroit's Office of Family Ministry will be followed by an ice cream social in the outdoor plaza.

All are welcome to this free event to honor our elders and those who provide a “firm foundation on which new stones can rest.” RSVP online.

Nativity of the Blessed Mother (Sunday, Sept. 8)
(Solanus Casey Center/St. Bonaventure Monastery Chapel, Detroit)

Join the Capuchins for a 4 p.m. procession and recitation of the rosary in celebration of the birth of Mary, the Blessed Mother of Our Lord. Mass will take place immediately after the rosary in the Chapel of Tamil. Following Mass, the faithful are invited to participate in a potluck dinner in the Solanus Casey Center Dining Room.

RSVP via email to Brother Peter: [email protected].

Life-Giving Wounds Weekend Retreat (Friday Sept. 13, to Sunday, Sept. 15)
(St. Paul of the Cross Passionist Retreat & Conference Center, Detroit)

Life-Giving Wounds is a three-day healing retreat for adult children of divorce or separation. Participants are invited to move through the broken image of love that appeared to them in their parents’ relationship to their deepest origin and identity as God’s beloved, capable of great love. This weekend retreat, which will launch the Life-Giving Wounds ministry in the Archdiocese of Detroit, will include presentations by trained retreat leaders, guided small group discussions and journaling, prayer, and the sacraments of Eucharist and confession.

Participants must be 18 and older. Admission is $100. Register online.

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish Family Festival (Friday, Sept. 13, to Sunday, Sept. 15)
(St. Thomas the Apostle Church, Garden City)

This three-day festival, hosted by Elliot’s Amusements, will include rides, games, a craft fair, a car show, food and more. Tickets and ride armbands can be purchased online.

40th Anniversary Celebration “What We Have Seen and Heard” (Sunday, Sept. 15)
(Solanus Casey Center, Detroit)

Join Detroit Black Catholic Ministries from 2-4 p.m. as they commemorate four decades since the publication of the impactful pastoral letter, “What We Have Seen and Heard,” from the Black Bishops on Evangelization. Listen to an address by the keynote speaker, the Most Reverend Joseph N. Perry, M.Div., J.C.L., followed by a reception.

RSVP online.

112th Annual Red Mass for the Legal Community (Tuesday, September 17)
(SS. Peter & Paul Jesuit Church, Detroit)

The legal community of southeast Michigan is invited to join Detroit Mercy Law for the 112th annual Red Mass, an occasion for judges, attorneys, civic leaders, and law students of all faiths to come together and pray for blessings and strength in the coming year’s work. Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron will celebrate Mass at 11 a.m., with Fr. Joe Daoust, SJ, as homilist. The Honorable Michael J. Riordan (’90), Michigan Court of Appeals, will lead the Renewal of the Lawyer’s Oath of Commitment. A luncheon reception immediately follows the service in the atrium at Detroit Mercy Law.

RSVP online for this free event.

St. Alfred Fall Festival (Friday, Sept. 20, to Sunday, Sept. 22)
(St. Alfred’s Catholic Church, Taylor)

Join St. Alfred’s for a three-day fall festival. Enjoy food, drinks, live music, rides from Family Fun Tyme Amusements, and several raffles. Free parking is available.

St. Faustina, Blessed Solanus Casey, The Holy Souls and... You! (Saturday, Sept. 21)
(Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit)

The Archdiocese for Detroit and the Confraternity for Holy Souls present Susan Tassone, award-winning, best-selling author and regular guest on EWTN, and Dr. Michael Casey, nephew of Blessed Solanus Casey. Tassone and Dr. Casey will share important lessons from St. Faustina and Blessed Solanus Casey about preparing ourselves and our families for heaven, avoiding purgatory and praying for the conversion of souls.

Talks will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Sacred Heart Major Seminary gymnasium. Register for free online.

St. Joseph Oktoberfest (Saturday, Sept. 21, to Sunday, Sept. 22)
(St. Joseph Shrine, Detroit)

Detroit’s Catholic German community invites you to celebrate its 17th annual Oktoberfest. The festival will include fun for all ages, including a bounce house, pony rides, church tours, live music, a Steinholding contest, German cuisine and more.

Admission is free.

Women’s Silent Weekend Retreat: “Gospel Characters” (Friday, Sept. 27, to Sunday, Sept. 29)
(Capuchin Retreat Center, Detroit)

Women from across the Archdiocese of Detroit are welcome to join the Capuchins for a weekend of silent meditation and prayer. The weekend reflections will focus on the stories of different Gospel characters such as Mary of Nazareth, Blind Bartimaeus, Mary Magdalene, and more, as well as how God works in and through them.

Register online through Thursday, Sept. 26. The full registration cost is $265.

St. Hyacinth Church Banana Festival (Saturday, Sept. 28, to Sunday, Sept. 29)
(St. Hyacinth School Hall, Detroit)

Join the community at St. Hyacinth for its annual Banana Festival on Saturday, Sept. 28, from 2-7 p.m. and then on Sunday, Sept. 29, from noon to 6 pm.

Attendees can expect Polish food, banana desserts, games of chance, a raffle, a resale shoppe, and a bar room with TV.

The festival provides an opportunity for fellowship while raising proceeds for parish heating costs in the fall and winter months. Cash and check only.

15th Annual Hispanic Women’s Conference (Sunday, Sept. 29)
(Ford Community and Performing Arts Center, Dearborn)

Hispanic women are invited to attend this all-day conference, including speaker Rosalba Patricia Chavez Rivera (Paty Chavez), small groups, Eucharistic adoration and confession, and Mass celebrated by Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Arturo Cepeda.

Tickets are available for purchase online ($30).

Mass and Procession for International Day of Prayer for Migrants (Sunday, Sept. 29)
(Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Detroit)

All are invited to the 110th annual International Day of Prayer for Migrants and Refugees, celebrated at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit. This multi-cultural celebration will begin with a 2:40 p.m. procession around the cathedral led by high school leaders to celebrate diversity. In front of the cathedral, high school students will present posters about what is happening worldwide.

Mass will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will include prayers and readings in multiple languages and music performed by multiple choirs, including the African American Choir from Sacred Heart, Ugandan Choir and Drums (St. Anne) and Christo Rey Choirs (Lansing). The Mass and procession are sponsored by Strangers No Longer.