Latest news with #CongregationShaareyZedek
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Asper donates $3M for Shaarey Zedek upgrades
Gail Asper has announced a $3-million donation to the capital campaign for Congregation Shaarey Zedek, which she likened to Grand Central Station for Winnipeg's Jewish community. Asper said in her remarks at a ceremony where she announced the gift that the decision to support the synagogue 'was the easiest and fastest to make' because generations of her family have benefited from its services. 'If we have benefited so much from something, we have a responsibility to be there for it,' she said, adding her family wanted to do its 'fair share' to support the synagogue. The Asper Foundation is giving $2 million, and the Gail Asper Family Foundation is giving $1 million. The campaign to renovate the synagogue will cost nearly $18 million. The Jewish community has raised $8.4 million, including the donation from the Aspers. Another $3 million was from the synagogue's reserve fund, while the Manitoba government is contributing another $3 million. About $3.8 million must be raised. The donation will enable Shaarey Zedek to 'meet the needs of a changing congregation,' Asper said, adding she is 'confident it will be able to do so for generations to come.' Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Shaarey Zedek executive director Rena Secter Elbaze said the donation will enable the 'beloved building to be transformed' for the community. Congregation Shaarey Zedek was closed from 2022 until last fall for the renovation project, which included floor-to-ceiling windows in the auditorium, pews and carpeting in the sanctuary, modern conference rooms, accessible and gender-neutral washrooms, a child-care centre and upgrades to the audio-visual system. Asbestos was removed, and security features were enhanced, including the addition of shatter-proof windows, 32 CCTV cameras and a pass card-entry system. Secter Elbaze said the building is a 'welcoming space' for all and is used by non-Jewish groups as well. faith@ John LonghurstFaith reporter John Longhurst has been writing for Winnipeg's faith pages since 2003. He also writes for Religion News Service in the U.S., and blogs about the media, marketing and communications at Making the News. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
New Detroit archbishop becomes head of archdiocese: I see 'Christ in you'
Holding a tall shepherd's staff in his left hand, Archbishop of Detroit Allen Vigneron stood in front of Bishop Edward Weisenburger in the sanctuary of the seat of the Catholic Church in Detroit. Weisenburger grasped the staff with his right hand and then sat down into a chair with a high back known as a cathedra. With that symoblic move, the 64-year-old priest became the new Catholic archbishop of Detroit as the crowd of nearly 900 people applauded inside the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, the smell of incense in the air. The scene inside the house of worship on Woodward Avenue featured ceremonies that Catholics have held for centuries, filled with detailed rituals that symbolized the transfer of power and authority among the leaders of the largest religious group in metro Detroit. Weisenburger now leads more than 900,000 Catholics in a six-county region that has seen membership declines, but still has a committed faithful dedicated to ensuring the Church has a vital presence in Detroit. During his homily, Weisenburger spoke about the importance of love, describing the dialogue between Christ and Peter. "Jesus, three times, asked Peter, three times: 'Do you love me? Do you love me? Do you love me?' " Weisenburger said in his 20-minute remarks that described different translations of the word love, such as "agape" and "philos." "I find myself standing before you today and seeing Christ in you," he said. "I feel as though I owe you my response, no less than Peter. I, too, am a sinner with plenty of failings, foolish mistakes and errors in my history, no less than Peter ... my love for Jesus is probably still a little imperfect, but if we are to begin a new twist or turn in this journey of discipleship together, then I invite you to come along with me, and I will promise to come along with you." Weisenburger, who has been outspoken in support of immigrants during his time as bishop in southern Arizona, avoided political and social issues in his remarks, but suggested that love and compassion will be a central part of his mission in Michigan. "The great question: 'Do you love me?' " he said. "Perhaps the only question in the end that really matters, and the ... response in our lives will make all the difference. May the best of answers well up from within us with a powerful affirmative: Yes, Lord, you know that I love you and I will feed your sheep." New archbishop of Detroit: We have to 'see Christ' in immigrants The event included Catholic leaders from across Michigan and the U.S, as well as Protestant, Orthodox Christian, and Jewish leaders, including Rabbi Joseph Krakoff, the former religious leader at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, the largest Conservative synagogue in Michigan. Weisenburger greeted them as they walked onto the sanctuary, briefly conversing with them and others during the two-hour ceremony called the Mass of Installation. Two speakers gave brief remarks in Spanish. Weisenburger began his homily by praising Pope Francis, who selected him last month to lead the Detroit archdiocese and was hospitalized recently. "His prophetic and profoundly loving witness to Jesus Christ and his gospel inspires me daily," Weisenburger said of Pope Francis. "I have found that committed Catholics, people of other faiths and people of no faith, look at him and almost universally conclude he's the real thing. ... His personal witness of what a disciple can be, has moved the hearts and minds of millions around the world. I'm so delighted his health is improving, and I pray that his voice and witness will continue to bless our world for many years to come." Michael Hovey, the former coordinator for ecumenical and interfaith relations for the Detroit archdiocese, was moved by Weisenburger's remarks. "He brought tears to my eyes," Hovey told the Free Press after the Mass. "It was so profound, and yet he said it so simply. He said it in words that we can understand. I think he's going to be really wonderful for the diocese." Vigneron, 76, who received sustained applause when Weisenburger praised his work, now has the title of archbishop emeritus and will live at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit. Vigneron "was a good person to work with, but he's very different," Hovey said. "He's an academic. It's very intellectual, and that's fine. There are gifts with that. But I think our new Archbishop is going to have such an open heart that it's going to be wonderful for people. I think people are going to fall in love with him." Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@ or X @nwarikoo. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Edward Weisenburger, new archbishop of Detroit, assumes power in Mass
