Halloween in the Neighborhood

Seminary opens doors to thousands of neighborhood children in secure trick-or-treat environment.

If you had driven past the Chicago Boulevard entrance of the seminary this Halloween, you would have noticed an unusual site: hundreds of delighted, costumed children lining the circular driveway and entrance stair, with the line sometimes extending beyond the gates out onto the sidewalk. Each Halloween for four decades, Sacred Heart has opened its doors to neighborhood children to provide a safe and fun-filled Halloween experience. Halloween in the Neighborhood is a great opportunity for the seminary community to serve the community that surrounds us.

The seminary solicits donations of candy, hot chocolate and cookies from benefactors and parishes around the Archdiocese of Detroit and beyond to distribute to young visitor—sometimes as many as two thousandwho come through our doors from 5:00 until 8:00 pm. Hundreds of pounds of candy are needed to make this a joyful evening.

Seminarians organize the event each year as part of their pastoral formation, decorating the entrance vestibule with spooky scenery and dressing in wacky costumes. Seminarians and faculty alike put on their best costumes and serve hot chocolate, candy, a cookie or a donut to each princess, ninja, pirate, Iron Man, and every other character in between. We know that for some families, the candy is a distant second compared to the joy of being surrounded by such a fantastic scene filled with caring faces.

But Halloween at Sacred Heart goes beyond candy and costumes; it is about reaching out to our neighbors and seeing Jesus in each one of them. Each child who comes through Sacred Heart's doors leaves with something sweet but also with a prayer card with an image of the well-known Black Jesus statue of the Sacred Heart blessing the corner of Chicago Boulevard and Linwood Avenue. Additionally, seminarians who are also transitional deacons mingle with guests outside, asking them if they would like to be prayed for as they leave.

Often, though, it is us who are evangelized by our neighbors, says seminarian Adam Nowak. One great thing about the city of Detroit is that its people are full of faith. Their love for the Lord and their desire to know Him is an inspiration to all.