All Things from Nothing
MOSAIC, Summer 2007

  

Very Rev. Msgr. Jeffrey M. Monforton

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). Appropriately, the Summer 2007 edition of the Mosaic, whose theme is "Design, Evolution and Revelation," follows the previous Mosaic that focuses on the One who created this world and who dwells among us. We are capable of salvation only through the One who created everything.

As the latest Mosaic delves into the themes of creation and design, we pay tribute to a good and faithful priest who assisted a number of good shepherds of the Archdiocese of Detroit in its continued faith growth: Most Reverend Walter Joseph Schoenherr. Bishop Schoenherr, who passed away on April 27, was a devoted servant who consistently gave his time to God in prayer and to God's children in his daily service. The bishop is an excellent example for those men aspiring to become priests, for he was firmly grounded in the faith and celebrated a special devotion to the very first Christian, Mary, the Mother of our Lord.

Bishop Schoenherr always articulated a sense of wonder in his presence. This same wonder or awe is experienced by each one of us when we reflect or meditate on the vast and immense nature of creation. In his apostolic letter, On Keeping the Lord's Day Holy (Dies Domini, no. 9), Pope John Paul II underscored the "poetic style of the Genesis story" as the story communicated the wonderment of a people before the immensity of creation's magnitude. This resulted in the adoration of the God who "brought all things into being from nothing." The Genesis story can be described as "a hymn to the goodness of creation, all fashioned by the mighty and merciful hand of God." 

As fellow Christians, we integrate what we comprehend through the tools of empirical science with what we learn through the eyes of faith. Pope John Paul II's encyclical On the Relationship Between Faith and Reason (Fides et Ratio, no. 4) states that we human beings find ourselves in awe as we engage in relationship with a world we did not create, yet this world is the very stage upon which we engage in our self-realization.

Sacred Heart Major Seminary continues to explore our Catholic faith within the hallowed walls of this institution. As the seminary student population continues to grow, both faculty and staff should match the student growth at scale. I am pleased to announce that this coming academic year will find us with a Vice President of Development and External Affairs, as well as new faculty (both full-and part-time) and additional staff members. We are blessed with significant growth this past academic year, and it is my full intention for us to continue the academic excellence and integrity that defines Sacred Heart.

As we continue to make inquiry into the vastness of God's gift of this world as revealed through his Logos, Jesus Christ, may we keep our eyes ever fixed on the Christian faith we embrace. I remain,

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Very Rev. Msgr. Jeffrey M. Monforton
Rector/President