St. Joseph Catholic ParisH

We continue to look forward to our annual parish picnic, which is only two weeks away (October 8)!  Once again, the mass and picnic will be celebrated “under the tent” at our south church.  Remember that the mass schedule is altered that Sunday.  We will celebrate the 8:00 AM Mass at our downtown church as usual.  The 9:00 AM mass at south is moved to 10:00 AM.  There will be no 10:00 AM or 12:00 PM mass downtown.  The picnic begins right after the 10:00 AM mass.  I am delighted to say that Bishop Lohse will be the principal celebrant for the mass!
 
We are excited that the picnic will include food, games, bingo, music, and a ministry fair where people can learn more about what our parish has to offer.  While there is no cost for the picnic, we would welcome any donations that parishioners might make to help defer the expenses.  Those donations could be dropped in the collection basket (marked Picnic Donation), brought to the parish office, or mailed to us.  Many thanks, and we hope everyone will attend.  It was a great success last year, and we are sure to have a great event this year, too.

 Click here for St. JOSEPH'S Photography Sessions 

St. Joseph's Code: mi1681   
Password: photos 

Both the code and password are case-sensitive. 

Photography Dates:
October 3rd—6th, & 17th— 20th
2:00 pm-8:30 pm

October 7th & 21st
10:00 am-4:00 pm
 
All photos will be taken in the Rose Center.
 
If you have any questions, please call the Parish Office.

If you have signed up for a session, we thank you and we will email you a reminder as the date nears, if you provided us an email address when you signed up.
 

220 Church Street
St. Joseph, MI. 49085
Phone: 269-983-1575
Fax: 169-983-7798
Email: [email protected]

Normal Office hours: 
Monday-Thursday: 8:00 am to
3:30 pm
Fridays: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm

The office is closed on holidays and Holy Days of Obligation. If our Parish School is closed due to weather, the Parish Office will be closed.  Daily Masses will take place.

For parish staff and their contact information click here.

Click here for Mass and Confession times. 

Please call 269-985-7331 and leave your name and phone number. The phone is always monitored and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Please do not leave an emergency message on the Parish Office phone because that line is not monitored after business hours or when the office is closed. 

MCC Calls on House and Senate Members to Oppose Deregulation of Abortion Industry

Michigan Catholic Conference is calling on the consciences of members of the House of Representatives and state Senate to oppose appalling legislation passed by the House Health Policy Committee this morning that overturns widely-supported limitations on abortion and policies that require accountability and transparency over Michigan abortion facilities.

A package of bills operating under the name Reproductive Health Act (RHA) would legalize third trimester partial-birth abortions in Michigan, deregulate abortion clinics by ending state-required inspection and licensure standards, and remove a Right to Know informed consent for women prior to an abortion, among other provisions.

“The bills that emerged from committee are likely the most extreme policies passed in the recent history of the Legislature due to their blatant prioritization of the abortion industry over women’s health and safety,” said Rebecca Mastee, J.D., policy advocate for Michigan Catholic Conference.

“The majority of Michiganders support and expect longstanding regulations and limitations on abortion to remain in place, limits that were legal under Roe v. Wade. All human life, including the life of a woman seeking an abortion, has inherent value and is worthy of legal protection. We call on members of the Michigan Legislature to turn to their consciences and oppose the Reproductive Health Act.”

Bills passed by the committee today that are part of the RHA package would repeal numerous protections currently in place related to abortion limitations, which MCC says will result in:

• Minimal to no transparency or accountability for abortion clinics due to a proposed removal of clinic reporting requirements, including for instances of complications that occur during an abortion.
• More women having an abortion they do not want due to a proposed repeal of a screening for coercion prior to an abortion.
• More aborted children discarded in public waste containers due to a proposed repeal of requirements to dispose of fetal remains safely and humanely.

Polling data from Marketing Resource Group, commissioned by Michigan Catholic Conference in March 2023, found that 90 percent of the public support licensing and inspecting abortion clinics, and nearly two-thirds of those surveyed, 63 percent, support a Right to Know period before an abortion takes place.  The poll also revealed that 97 percent of “pro-choice” respondents support clinic regulations while 65 percent are in favor of the 24-hour Right to Know policy.

"The Reproductive Health Act would advance an unregulated abortion environment in Michigan, prioritizing the financial, political and business interests of the abortion industry over the health and safety of women in this state,” Mastee said.

The Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA) is a faith journey by which adults prepare to become Catholic or current Catholics complete their initiation into the Catholic Church.  The Sacraments of Initiation into the Church are Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Communion.  OCIA is a process of discerning one’s readiness for entering into these Sacraments.

OCIA is for those who have never been baptized, those baptized in another Christian faith who seek to join the Catholic Church, and those baptized as Catholic but who have not completed Confirmation or their first Holy Communion.  OCIA aims at deepening one’s knowledge of Jesus Christ through Scripture and prayer, learning what the Church teaches about God and living as a Catholic, and being part of a Parish community.  OCIA involves attendance at scheduled sessions. 

For more information, please contact Linda and Matt Derby at [email protected].

Please fill out the OCIA form online by clicking here. 
 

Our new ministries booklet highlights existing opportunities to get involved in our parish. Please click here for St. Joseph's Ministries.

Dear Our Lady of the Lake community:

Today I am making a special announcement regarding the future of our school.  (Please click the link below).  Beginning a project such as this demonstrates our commitment to growing and strengthening our school now and in the years ahead.  The study is fully funded by an anonymous donor who is not from the St. Joseph area but is passionate about Catholic School education and wanted to find a way to help us in our many fresh endeavors.

Please read the letter carefully.  As the letter says, we look forward to the opportunities the OLL, parish, and collaborative communities will have to provide ideas and input on this exciting step forward.

Sincerely, 
Fr. John D. Fleckenstein
Canonical Pastor

A letter regarding the future of our school

St. Joseph Parish is very happy to announce the appointment of Dr. Mark R. Wells, currently Director of Music at St. Philip Church, Battle Creek, to the same position at St. Joseph’s. Dr. Wells’ appointment is effective January 25, 2024, upon the retirement of current Director of Music, Greg Zyjewski.

A native of Kentucky, Dr. Wells received his musical education from the University of Louisville School of Music, studying both piano and organ. While in Louisville, he participated as a chorus member of the Louisville Bach Society and his first church position as organist/choirmaster position at a local Episcopal church. He earned his Doctoral of Musical Arts degree at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. During that time, he was the church organist in several different churches in the Cincinnati area.

In 1996, Dr. Wells moved to the Battle Creek area accepting a position as Associate Director of the Battle Creek Boy Choir. Wells then added additional duties as Associate Director of the Battle Creek Girls’ Choir and accompanist with the Community Chorus. He also became Keyboardist with the Battle Creek Symphony in 2000. He has served as an adjunct instructor of Music in Music Theory, Piano, and Voice (tenor) at Kellogg Community College. Dr. Wells has been a part of the Battle Creek music community for more than two decades. Currently, he is the Director of Music of St. Philip Catholic Church in Battle Creek, Michigan.

He was the founder (1999) and director of the chamber vocal ensemble, Ars Voce, whose achievements include concerts sung to audiences at the Stratford Festival of Canada, and in England at the Royal Northern College of Music and the cathedrals of Chester and Winchester. A conductor, tenor soloist, organist, pianist, and teacher, he regularly performs throughout the state of Michigan and beyond. He has also served as Dean of the Southwest Michigan Chapter of the American Guild of Organists.

In addition to Mark’s duties as an organist and as a pianist, Mark has been heard as a tenor soloist with recent Music Center opera productions. He recently appeared as a priest in this season’s performance of The Magic Flute. He appeared last fall in the Michigan Bach Collegium’s performance of the Bach Magnificat.

We are delighted to welcome Dr. Wells to our parish and look forward to his arrival in late January 2024.