Bishop Bradley has written a letter to the faithful on the importance of our Faith as the guide to forming our conscience, especially in light of the upcoming election. You may find his letter and other resources on faithful citizenship at diokzoo.org/2020-elections.
As Catholics, we have a long tradition of engagement in the political process as a means of putting our faith into action. We are called to bring the best of ourselves and our faith to the public square—and yet today, many shy away from such involvement because our national and local conversations are filled with vitriol and harsh language, often directed at people themselves. When personal attacks replace honest debate, no one wins. This kind of attack, no matter the reason, only serves to further divide our communities. As Catholics, we must model a better way. We invite you to join the Civilize It campaign by taking the pledge below as a way to promote civility, love our neighbors, and build community. Civilize It is about making room in your heart for those with whom you disagree. We are called to recognize that each one of us is a beloved child of God and to respond in love to that reality. Civilize It is a non-partisan call to focus on the dignity of all people, even when we disagree, and to put faith in action by bearing witness to a better way forward. For more information or to take the pledge as an individual, family, or community. Anyone and everyone can commit together to honoring human dignity through civil conversation, please see the following: Diocese of Kalamazoo's website at https:// diokzoo.org/2020-elections or The Unites States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website at www.usccb.org/offices/justice-peace-humandevelopment/forming-consciences-faithful-citizenship
October is Respect Life Month in the U.S. Catholic Church and kicks off a year-long observance to help Catholics understand, value and become engaged with building a culture that cherishes every human life. This year’s theme is “Live the Gospel of Life” in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Pope St. John Paul II’s powerful encyclical, Evangelium Vitae. Learn more about upholding the sanctity of every human life at respectlife.org/respect-life-month.
On October 18th Bishop Bradley will cele- brate his 75th birthday. As a gift for Bishop Bradley, our hope is to gather many pray- ers and devotional acts into a spiritual bou- quet as a way to express our love and grati- tude for his ministry as shepherd of our diocese. Please contact your parish office or go to diokzoo.org/spiritualbouquet to submit your prayers and acts of devotion by Wednesday, October 14.
We as parishioners have partnered with the Catholic Charities to deliver groceries to people in need. If you know someone who requires help, please call 269-910-3578. We continue to seek volunteers to stage the food for the delivery on Thursdays, and are seeking volunteers to make deliveries. Please contact Joe Leahy jpleahy@yahoo.com/269-208-4197 or Martha Thieneman mthienem@mac.com/269-208-6451.
We are offering digital Small Groups for prayer, discussion, daily reflections, and livestreamed events. For more information or to get involved email Chad at 4Churchesym@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. All social media accounts are under 4ChurchesYM.
Now is the time to send Christmas Cards to our sponsored friends. Unbound suggests that cards be sent by mid-October so our sponsored friends will receive them in time for Christmas. Note: You can purchase Global Forever stamps for $1.20 from the post office. Also note that due to the Covid-19 pandemic you should consider sending sponsored friends an E-Letter. Please contact Eric Baker at ericjbaker1958@gmail.com, if you have any questions. Please see the following for more information: https://blog.unbound.org/tag/eletter/ https://www.unbound.org/Sponsor/HowItWorks/LetterWriting
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. To learn more about the Catholic response, visit the U.S. Bishop’s website at usccb.org/topics/marriage-and- family-life-ministries/domestic-violence. If you, a family member or friend needs help now, contact the National Domestic Vio- lence Hotline, 800‐799‐7233 (24hours); 800‐787‐3224 (TTY), www.thehotline.org. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
The Elementary Mass will now be on Tuesdays at 9:30 am. Middle/High School Masses will be on Wednesdays at 9:25 am. Due to the current requirements for social distancing and as we do all we can to ensure the safety of our students and staff, these Masses will no longer be open to the public. We will still take intentions for the Masses.
The Chapel is hoping to open soon for a limited time, as we restart this opportunity for our parishioners. We have sign-up sheets at both locations for you. Please us know when you can take your turn spending time with our Lord. The plan is to have the Chapel open from 8:30 am on Tuesdays through 6:00 pm on Wednesdays, and then expand the time, as we have the adorers to cover. Please sign-up at Church or call the Parish Office, or email us to let us know when your availability.
We are in need of volunteers to help with the usher's duties and light cleaning of the Church after each Mass. These ministries do not take a lot of time, but are a very valuable service! If you are interested in helping, please call the Parish Office at 269-983- 1575 or email us at sjcath1@att.net.
Our parish serves lunch at the Soup Kitchen on the Second Tuesday of each month. We have 4 wonderful teams who take turns during the year to assist the leaders with this process. Out current leaders, Ed and Diane Phillips, are looking to retire and would like to help the next leaders take over this rewarding ministry. Prior to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the teams cooked a standard set of meals including hot dogs (summer), sloppy joes (Fall/Winter), chips, and a dessert. Currently they are providing bagged lunches to the Soup Kitchen and the employees hand the lunches out to the clients. For more involved details please call the Parish Office. The transition would like to happen in the near future.
All animals are welcome to come accompanied by their owners to be blessed by Father Tom on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. We are celebrating this tradition at our South Location. This location will allow for more room for social distancing for all involved, including the animals. All animals will receive a St. Francis medal and certificate, along with their blessing.
The Parish Office will be closed in observance of Labor Day. The office will reopen Tuesday, September 8th. If there is a Sacramental Emergency only during this time, please call the emergency phone number at 269-983-1575 ext. 8. Please leave a message and someone will get back to you. Have a Safe & Enjoy Our Labor Day Weekend!
Lake Michigan Catholic Schools, is looking for substitute teachers for both the elementary, middle, and high school levels. For more details, duties, and expectations, please see the LMC’s website at www.lmclakers.org, or contact the school directly at 269-983-2511. Send resume and credentials to: jsarno@lmclakers.org. Please note that if school is mandated to return to a virtual setting, the substitute should be prepared and competent to teach off-site. Training is available for long-term substitutes.
We are hoping the Adoration Chapel will open soon on a limited basis for our parishioners. We have sign-up sheets at both locations, this will allow us to know when you will be spending time with our Lord. The plan is to have the Chapel open from 8:30 am, on Tuesdays through 6:00 pm on Wednesdays, and to expand the time as we have the adorers to cover. Please use sign-up sheets, email, or call the parish office to volunteer.
We are in need of volunteers to help with the usher's duties and light cleaning of the Church after each Mass. These ministries do not take a lot of time, but are a very valuable service! If you are interested in helping, please call the parish office at 269-983-1575 or email us at sjcath1@att.net.
The group will begin meeting on September 9th, in person outside at our South location, while social distancing, or via Zoom depending on our situation and the guidelines set by our Diocese. Prior to that meeting, further details will be found here or via your email address. The group will be studying the book, The Eucharist—A Bible Study Guide For Catholics, by Fr. Mitch Pacwa.
The Elementary School Mass will now be on Tuesdays at 9:30 am. The date and time for the MS/HS Mass have not been finalized. Masses at the school will not begin during the first week of school. This will allow the students will be able to get back into their routines. Due to the current requirements for social distancing and as we do all we can to ensure the safety of our students, and staff, these Masses are no longer be open to the public. We will still take intentions for them, so that the students can join their prayers, with your prayers. Thank you for you understanding during this time!