Epiphany – July 3, 2024
Fr. Alex Kratz from St. Joseph Chapel & Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is Parish of the Week. Bishop Francis Kalabat talks about St. Thomas.
Segment 1
Fr. Alex Kratz from St. Joseph Chapel & Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is Parish of the Week.
Father Alex Kratz, OFM, is a Franciscan friar living at St. Benedict the Black Friary (on the grounds of Ss. Peter & Paul Parish [Westside] in the Archdiocese of Detroit). Fr. Alex served for almost 4 years as Associate Pastor at St. Michael’s in Southfield. He has served on the Archdiocesan Evangelization Team from 2006-2009 and 2012-2014. As the Spiritual Director of Terra Sancta Ministries, he oversees St. Joseph Chapel and the Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pontiac where the ministry is headquartered. Father assists St. Colette Parish in Livonia on weekends. Fr. Alex enjoys reading about history and spirituality and watching World Cup soccer and Notre Dame football.
Visit St. Joseph Chapel & Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary here: Terra Sancta Ministries
Segment 2
Bishop Francis Kalabat talks about St. Thomas.
Bishop Francis Kalabat was born in Kuwait in 1970 but as an Iraqi citizen. He left Kuwait and immigrated to the United States in 1979. He graduated from El Cajon Valley High School in 1988. He applied for St. Francis Seminary in San Diego after graduation and entered in 1989. The seminary was affiliated with the University of San Diego. He graduated from both in May 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in religious studies and a minor in philosophy. He continued his study at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Michigan, and entered in August 1992. He graduated from the seminary with a master’s degree in theology with an emphasis on Church History in April of 1995. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 4, 1995, by His Excellency Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim at Mother of God Church and was assigned to serve in that church. In March 2001, he was assigned as a St. Thomas Chaldean Catholic Church administrator. Then after six months, he was appointed as its pastor. He was appointed as the second bishop of St. Thomas the Apostle Diocese on May 3, 2014, and was ordained at the Cathedral on June 14, 2014.
