St. Lucy 

Catholic Church

Saint Lucy,
whose beautiful name signifies LIGHT,
by the light of faith
which God bestowed upon you
increase and preserve His light
in my soul
so that I may avoid evil,
be zealous in the performance
of good works
and abhor nothing so much
as the blindness and the darkness
of evil and sin.
 
Obtain for me,
by your intercession with God
perfect vision for my bodily eyes
and the grace to use them
for God’s greater honor and glory
and the salvation of souls.
 
Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr,
hear my prayers
and obtain my petitions. 
Amen.

by Fr. Jim

The summer after seventh grade.  As junior high kids, we began exploring the world in new and different ways — new schools, new interests, riding our bikes and turning around in St. Lucy’s parking lot in my case.  Aretha Franklin’s ‘Respect’ was the #1 song on Billboard’s Top 100 as the summer began.  ‘Windy’ by the Association was the #1 song for the week ending July 22, 1967 — an omen maybe of the winds of change already afoot, perhaps, that exploded and bubbled over following a raid of an after hours bar early on a hot July Sunday morning.

Those of us now in our late 50s and older certainly recall the week of uprising in the City of Detroit that summer (this week).  Stories are being covered by all the media, including our own Michigan Catholic, remembering those days from a number of perspectives.
     
Bishop Hanchon recalls the (re)painting of the statue of the Sacred Heart in front of the seminary that happened ‘mysteriously’ during those days, the seminary just a few blocks from 12th and Clairmont, and his personal commitment to serve the city as a priest.  He was a seminarian at the time. 

Others recall incidents of the extended violence, stories of looting and police brutality, as well as comfort and care by neighbors throughout the city.  Much of it will be remembered in the exclusive television premiere of 12th and Clairmont this Sunday evening on Channel 7.  The broadcast will also include a live Town Hall looking back and looking forward.

Although we lived in the suburbs, my closest friend’s family had a police radio in their den, and I can remember his mom writing down nearly every call that came in during those five days of civil disturbance.  Both of us spent most of those days listening with her since we were ‘encouraged’ to stay inside or close by our homes during the unrest.  I do remember one evening, later in the week, driving with his parents into the city, all of us curious to see what was truly happening, probably, and verifying some of the police and fire calls we had heard.  Well into the city, and nearly downtown, we were stopped by the National Guard, reminded of the curfew, and told to head back home.  While the city seemed quiet early that evening, the unrest continued for a few more days.

In the end, following 159 riots throughout the country, the ‘long hot summer’ of 1967 noted 76 dead—43 died in Detroit—more than 2,100 injured across the country, and some 11,000 arrested.  Cities like Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Birmingham, Alabama; Chicago, New York, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Rochester, New York; Tampa, Florida; and Newark were changed forever.  The scale of what happened in Detroit has only been surpassed by the unrest in Los Angeles 25 years later. 
 
Even before the rioting ceased, President Johnson established the Kerner Commission.  He charged the eleven-member group to investigate three basic questions about the riots:  What happened?  Why did it happen?  What can be done to prevent it from happening again?  Nine months later, just after the report was released, rioting and unrest broke out in nearly 100 cities following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  President Johnson ignored and rejected most of the commission’s recommendations.

In reflecting back, and looking again at the popular music of that summer, it’s eerie to note that the Doors’ ‘Light My Fire’ became the #1 song  in the country the week following  what happened here in Detroit. 

Now 50 years later, as neighborhoods continue to evolve and change, the Church must continue to proclaim and live the Gospel, to reach out to those in need, to be a place of invitation, welcome, security and safety amidst an even more diverse population.  Still striving to be formed into a band of joyful missionary disciples, we are still challenged to pray:

Lord Jesus Christ, who reached across the ethnic boundaries between Samaritan, Roman and Jew, who offered fresh sight to the blind and freedom to captives, help us to break down the barriers in our community.  Enable us to see the reality of racism and bigotry, and free us to challenge and uproot it from ourselves, our society, and our world.
 
Interestingly, the #1 song on Billboard’s 100 just a month later, in mid-August, was the Beatles’ All You Need is Love.  Unfortunately, it remained #1 for just a single week.

O loving and gracious God, Father of all, you bless your people in every time and season and
provide for their needs through your providential care.
Your Church is continually in need of priests, sisters and brothers to offer themselves in the service
of the gospel by lives of dedicated love.
Open the hearts of your sons and daughters to listen to your call in their lives.
Give them the gift of understanding to discern your invitation to serve you and your  Church.
Give them the gift of courage to follow your call.
May they have the spirit of young Samuel who found fulfillment in his life when he said to you,
"Speak Lord, for your servant is listening."
We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer. Amen.