In March, Fr. James Lothamer, pastor of St. Agnes Parish in Fowlerville, made public his plans for his retirement from active ministry. The decision was accepted by Bishop Earl Boyea of the Lansing Diocese. Lothamer will be replaced on July 1 by Fr. Robert McGraw, currently pastor of Queen of the Miraculous Medal parish in Jackson. McGraw leaves a parish of 2000 families with a school of 500 students. “Although St. Agnes is a much smaller parish,” said Lothamer, “I think our new pastor will be pleasantly surprised at how active the parish is.”

Lothamer came to St. Agnes in August of 2003 from St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park, California, where he had been associate director of an international sabbatical program for Catholic priests. He was born and raised in Coldwater, Michigan to John and Helen Lothamer. His seminary studies were completed at St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Plymouth, Michigan, from which he was ordained for the Diocese of Lansing in 1968.

After seminary studies, Lothamer went on to earn a doctorate in theology from the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto and then taught and worked as an administrator at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, for almost thirty years. In 1994 he left the position of Director of Recruitment for the Provincial Administration of the Society of St. Sulpice, which operates both St. Mary’s and St. Patrick’s Seminaries, to become pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Adrian, Michigan. While there he led the parish in the renovation of its historic 120 year-old church. From St. Joseph’s he returned to academic work for three years and then came to St. Agnes.

While at St. Agnes, parishioners have seen an expansion of both their staff and the number of ministries and programs sponsored by the parish. In addition, in January 2009 the parish completed a new Parish Life Center, with banquet and recreational facilities, meeting rooms and youth ministry room. “What I’m most happy about,” says the retiring pastor, “is how St. Agnes has been able to reach out to the larger community not only to serve the needs of people in the community but also to make our facilities available to various community organizations.

Lothamer will begin his retirement with a six-month sabbatical in eastern France. Following that, he plans on assisting various parishes with liturgy and educational programs. A parish celebration and farewell is planned for Saturday evening, June 19.

Choices Alternative Education graduated 13 students for the 2009-10 school year. Pictured from left to right (front row)- Tiffani Bach, David Mason, Rachel Hornback, Tyler Mack, and Jacob Beaune. (Back Row)- William Richards, Johnathon Moore, Class Representative Chelsea Cooke, Victoria Goodwin, Robert Blanton. Not pictured - (Kyle Elliott, Justin Dennis, and Gary Slanker).A big congratulations to our Class of 2010!

BOY SCOUT BOTTLE DRIVE PLANNED SATURDAY, JUNE 19TH

On June 19^th Boy Scout Troop 323 will be collecting returnable bottles and cans to help buy new equipment and fund our outings. We will be at the Fowlerville Wal-mart from 11:00am until 4:00pm if you want to drop off your returnables there.

We will also be going from door to door asking for bottle and can donations in the Fowlerville and Webberville area during the same time period. We will cover as much of the area as we can with the manpower we have. If you wish to call to arrange a pick-up please call Jeff at (517) 614-3549 or Don at (517) 974-4151.

Thank you to all who have made donations in the past and made our bottle drives successful.

By Steve Horton

This Sunday (June 6), barring an unforeseen mishap, I’ll again be kneeling at the side of an aisle, camera in hand, waiting for the opening notes of “Pomp and Circumstance”. Then in pairs or as triplets, the soon-to-be graduates of the current senior class at Fowlerville High will begin walking from the back entrance of the gym to their seats in front. Assembled there to observe them (besides yours truly) and to share this landmark occasion will be parents, siblings, grandparents, and special friends.

The graduating classes in recent years have ranged between 150 to 200 students—smaller than our neighboring schools in Howell and Pinckney—but large enough in numbers that it takes awhile for each of them to stroll briskly past me. I haven’t room in the newspaper for all of these deserving students, so the pictures I take are spur of the moment decisions.

Fowlerville High School held graduation excersises on Sunday, June 6, with 180 members of the Class of 2010 receiving their diplomas.

Class President Kevin Baker gave the 'welcome' address and also offered the Salutatorian speech. Scott Parker gave the Valedictorian address.

Rachael Ferraiuolo, Angela Stiers & Brittany Blausey play their final piece with the band

Megan Tomlin & Angela Stiers

Austin Burry & Antoni Pizzoli

“A Simple Lifestyle with Nelva Jean Lampart”

Hello everybody, it’s that time, all is well here and loving life.

Don’t you find it rather phenomenal how a simple life style is to focus on the now instead of later on. You and I both know it begins with awareness and practice! How else could the oil and the wine bring healing to the wounded soul? You can enjoy where you’re at right now in your life.

A simple lifestyle is to be you, and in the now, not striving to be someone you’re not, and hanging onto feelings of needing to be the savior of family, friends, neighbors, or anyone else for that matter. What a gift to simply live in the quiet of your soul, and become focused. It’s like living in a state of peace, and to know you’re covered by the blood of Yeshua Hamishia. We all need a peace that passes’ our understanding, and only God can give.

The Capital Area District Library’s Board of Trustees approved a plan to place a renewal of the library’s operating millage on the August 2010 ballot. This millage is not a new tax or a tax increase, but a renewal of the existing 4-year 1.56 mills, which expired on December 31, 2009.

Operation and maintenance of the CADL system are 85% - 90% funded by citizens’ tax dollars through millages. Due to falling property values, tax revenues have already significantly decreased, actually making the renewal of the CADL millage a decrease instead of a straight renewal. Rather than ask for additional funds, CADL is working to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars by maximizing the use of every penny. Administration has already significantly reduced the 2009 and 2010 budgets without resorting to drastic reduction of services. When taxpayers must live on less, so must CADL.

'Fowlerville News Online.com' is published by Steve & Dawn Horton of H&H Publications. They also publish the 'Fowlerville News & Views', a weekly newspaper covering the greater Fowlerville-Webberville area of western Livingston and eastern Ingham Counties.

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