steckle.com :: my corner of the web

Many of you know that Mary was in the hospital for two weeks and is now recovering at home. I just want to take a moment to thank all of you praying for Mary and our family, we really appreciate it. Also to the countless people who have helped with food, housework, gas money, etc., we feel very blessed to have you as family and friends!

God Bless each and every one of you,
The Stecks

PS. I have setup a new email account that Mary and I both access at thestecks@gmail.com.

PSS. I thought the baptism gown worn by Mary's family for 3 generations was impressive, but check this out in the Record Eagle - Gown worn by family since 1889!

Here's an article I missed a week ago about Rev. Dan Gallagher of Traverse City. Father Gallagher completed the first year of a five-year assignment working in the office of Secretariat of State in the Vatican. His job is to help Pope Benedict stay in contact with the English-speaking world.

Fr. Gallagher's fluency in foreign languages earned him a place in the seven-member English section of the department where he, along with other priests, laity and religious women, study, read and translate information that comes to the Vatican in English.

"It is an opportunity to see the church from a bird's eye view, and I learned that there are a lot of areas of the world where Christians are suffering because of their faith," Gallagher said.

Fr. Gallagher is currently helping put information together for Pope Benedict XVI when he travels to the U.S. in April.

Read Local priest continues work for pope in the Record Eagle

We're still enjoying the Christmas season and went to mass today to celebrate the feast for Mary, the Mother of God. We had a visiting priest, Father Max Frego, who delivered a beautiful homily about Mary and the church. I just did some searching on Google for Father Max and found that he has a neat conversion story (scroll down to In secrecy no more about 2/3 of the way down the page).

The kids are excited about all the snow that is coming down today so we just might head out to build a snowman.

NEW PHOTOS

I've added 9 new photos to the new photo gallery and expect a few more shortly as we are anticipating the arrival of baby Teresa any day now.

Here's a look at the career path of a friend of mine, Casey Truelove. He is the Director of Religious Education at Lake Leelanau St. Mary. It's amazing how God works to bring people together.

Read Following His Faith in the Record Eagle

Here's a couple of Catholic blogs with some northern Michigan ties that are both well written and highly entertaining. Check them out!

Stella Maris
If you are in the Petoskey, Michigan area anytime soon, make sure you stop and visit the The Marian Center in Joy Valley. Josh and Lori Mercer have worked hard by hosting conferences, publishing a Catholic newspaper and running a Catholic bookstore. Here's what the Marian Center is all about...

The mission of the Marian Center is to spread the teachings of the Catholic Church by hosting conferences, publishing The Morning Star newspaper six times a year, operating a Catholic bookstore, and maintaining the Holy Grounds of the Marian Center in Petoskey, Michigan, with its Grotto of the Archangels, Tomb of the Unborn Child and Reliquary of the Twelve Apostles.

We were there a couple of weeks ago and enjoyed the hike through the woods with the Stations of the Cross and a stop at the Tomb of the Unborn Child. The kids had a blast looking at all the statues, especially the Grotto of the Archangels. Help Josh and Lori with their mission!

Turning Towards The Lord
Jeremy Priest is a Campus Minister in Detroit, Michigan who started his blog and named it Turning Towards the Lord because...

For a couple of reasons...1st because I know that it is only in turning toward Him that I find salvation; 2nd in order to honor His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, who has been my great teacher these past ten years and has repeatedly brought me to my knees in prayer ad orientem through his books, articles, and talks.

Jeremy has posted lots of great info on the new Latin Mass and what it all means!

April was a busy month and I just realized I never got a post in. I have been very busy at work and at home, so haven't had much chance to catch up on any of the extra stuff (like the family photo gallery).

Mary and I did get to see Scott Hahn in Traverse City last Saturday and he didn't disappoint. A great speaker and writer he really fires you up about the Catholic faith. If you get a chance to see him, don't miss it. I recently finished his book called The Lamb's Supper and we are going to try to start his Ignatius Catholic Study Bible series as well.

Uncle Doug celebrated his 52nd birthday on April 28th! He's doing well and loves the kids!

That's it for now, hope everyone is enjoying spring now that it's finally here!

Just got a call from Chris about the news that Father Joseph Fessio resigned from Ave Maria University. Of course resigned really means fired!

"I think it was a mistake to fire me," he said in a telephone interview this morning.

Father Fessio is a former student of Pope Benedict and still maintains contact with him. We heard him speak about Ave Maria last fall and he was great. He's one of the "good ones" in my opinion and I am sure he will be sorely missed at Ave Maria University.

Check out the article below for more info and comments...

Read Former Ave Maria provost: 'I think it was a mistake to fire me' at Naples Daily News

Update: Apparently he's back!

Read Father rehired after controversial firing at NBC-2.com

My friend David pointed me to an article about Cardinal Justin Rigali and his video "Living Lent: The First Sunday" that is posted on YouTube. I just love how the internet gives so many different opportunities for people to get there message out. And as a Catholic, I love seeing Cardinals, Bishops and Priests take advantage of the technology.

Read Cardinal Posts Lenten Message on YouTube at ZENIT

Lent starts tomorrow, and lots of people today are running out and getting their share of Paczki's, to get one last dessert treat before fasting begins.

We bought some from Meijer's the other day, and I have to say they were delicious! I probably won't get anymore this year, but you just never know, it's still early!

Here's how Potter's Fine Pastries in Traverse City gets ready for Fat Tuesday...

Employees will work a nearly 36-hour shift to ready for the rush.

"It just started with us maybe 10 or 12 years ago, and now it is to the point where it is the single busiest day of the year,” said Kathy Potter.

There, a paczki weighs a whopping five to six ounces, and sells for 98 cents each. The shop will make more than 12,000 in flavors including apple, black raspberry, cherry, white cream, lemon and strawberry.

Now that is awesome!

Read Paczki Power in the Record Eagle

Photo by Jayleigh's Grand Adventures

Saw this on Spirit Daily the other night. It's an article from the National Catholic Register talking about six questions that "successful dioceses all answer 'yes'" to.

Read the article and see how your diocese stacks up. The article talks about how important eucharistic adoration is to vocations, and how being invited by a priest to consider the priesthood plays a big factor as well.

Read Six habits of highly effective dioceses at Catholic Online

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has a Office for Film and Broadcasting that features movie reviews that really matter. Check it out.

The Office for Film and Broadcasting is responsible for reviewing and rating theatrical motion pictures, previewing and evaluating television programming as well as providing the Catholic public with information about the role of the entertainment and news media in influencing societal and personal values.

Although they might want to update the second paragraph on the site to mention the new "DVD" technology, as they state the "importance of the videocassette player in the American home". From what I have heard VHS is dead.

Father Donald Libby, Associate Pastor at St. Francis in Traverse City, will be giving a series of talks about True Devotion to Jesus through Mary of St. Louis de Montfort. Each Sunday in November from 2:00 to 3:00 pm you can...

come and learn why Pope John Paul II held this devotion in such high regard!

Books are available after the talks for a $3 donation.

Download/Print the Flyer

Ralph Kluk had some bowling balls, lots of room in his front yard, and what he did next you won't believe. Kluk took 20 cans of spray paint, 59 bowling balls, and some 40 feet of black piping to construct a 700 pound Rosary. Kluk is a native of Poland, and even had a pen pal relationship with Pope John Paul II.

Hey kids, this is the only time a Rosary should be on the ground!

Read Inspired design: Bowling ball artist calls rosary on lawn 'The Final Strike' in the Lansing State Journal

Photo by Erik Holladay/Associated Press

See everyone has a blog! Follow Catholic Archbishop of Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley on his latest visit to Rome. Lots of cool photos including a bunch from the Padre Pio celebration!

Visit CardinalSeansBlog.org!

Found this on the Leelanau Post. It's an article about the history of churches and religion in Leelanau County, including this about St. Mary of Lake Leelanau (our home parish)...

Holy Mass was offered up by Rev. Mrak in the home of Jacob and Margaret Schaub at the new settlement of Le Naro, later Provemont, and now Lake Leelanau. In 1864, a log structure was built by Rev. Mrak, and dedicated by Bishop Baraga. Originally, it was to be named Sts. Peter and Paul, but the promise of prayers answered changed that. Margaret Schaub, taking maple syrup and maple sugar for barter, and some other villagers made a trip by boat to Buffalo, New York to get money from friends and relatives for a statue of the Virgin Mary, a chalice, and church vestments. On the return trip, a storm came up on the Great Lakes, and the passengers prayed that if the people returned safely to their homes, they would name their new church St. Mary's. The storm subsided, and the promise was kept, calling it Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Prayer can be very powerful!

Read Religious History of Leelanau County at the Leelanau Post