Attention Youth! Do you have plans for this weekend? Join us on Saturday, October 9 from 12:30 - 4:45 pm for a Movie Retreat at the Stanley Centre. We're also meeting for Youth Group on Sunday, October 10 at 3:30 pm OR 6:15 pm. RSVP to Phil at pdezern@stcatherinesiena.org today!

Do you have a knack for decorating? Or maybe you just love Halloween? Sign up today for our annual Trunk or Treat event on Saturday, October 23 for a chance to win one of three cash prizes ($25 for top three trunks!)!

Have you signed up for next weekend's Youth Faith Formation (YFF) sessions? The Movie Retreat for Grades 6-12 takes place on Saturday, October 9th, from 12:30 pm - 4:45 pm in the Stanley Centre. YFF will meet for activities on Sunday, October 10th, from 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm OR from 6:15 pm - 7:30 pm in the Stanley Centre. Pre-registration is required for all YFF activities. For more information, or to reserve your spot on October 9th or 10th, please contact Phil Dezern (pdezern@stcatherinesiena.org or 616-633-0994).

It's not too late to register for the Diocese of Kalamazoo's "Encountering Christ: Joyfully Unleashing Your Gifts" Stewardship retreat! Join Jay Landry and Father Ken Schmidt at St. Augustine Cathedral for a day of prayer and reflection designed to help you encounter Christ more deeply while encouraging the joy of generous giving next Saturday, October 9th, from 8 am until 4 pm. All are welcome! For more information, or to register, please click on the article title or visit https://diokzoo.org/stewardship-and-development.

Come make a difference and join our local LIFE CHAIN today, Sunday, October 3, from 2:30 to 3:30 pm to pray for the end of legalized abortion and the end of innocent unborn lives. The Portage/Kalamazoo LIFE CHAIN takes place along S. Westnedge, and St Catherine's location is on the southwest corner of Milham and S. Westnedge. For questions, email respectlife@stcatherinesiena.org or call Joe Magalski at (989) 992-6085.

Dear Parishioners, How did we already start the month of October? It's been a busy September as we have welcomed back a number of groups along with in-person Faith Formation classes. I am looking forward to a little cooler weather, especially on Saturday mornings, as we continue to have confessions in the parking lot from 11:00 am—12:00 pm. Every week I hope to have more news to share with you about the renovation and construction project going on in the Marian Hall and the kitchen. And with each week, we come a little closer to finishing (but not yet). Please see the posters of photos of our updates in the Narthex when you come to Mass. We will do our best to keep them updated. This month of October also begins our second full month of the Jubilee Year of the Holy Spirit. More than anything else, this Jubilee Year gives us each a special opportunity to pray, both individually, and as a family, to ask the Holy Spirit to guide us and help us to grow in our faith. The Holy Spirit has certainly made an impact on my life as a priest. Are you ready for the Holy Spirit to make an impact on your life of faith? Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark

The famous Tootsie Roll Drive is finally back! Please see one of the Knights of Columbus (Council 6908) after Mass next weekend, October 9 and 10, to make a donation and receive a mouth-watering tootsie roll. Not only will you be getting a piece of one of the world's greatest candies, but your donations will also go to the Michigan Citizens with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities.

Everything dies in the fall... Are you ready to die with it? Click on the article title to view this week's video.

This Sunday’s Gospel reading is very familiar, often heard at weddings. It forms the basic doctrine of the Church regarding the sanctity of marriage as one of the seven Sacraments. The Pharisees try to trap Jesus with a question as to the legality of divorce. The Pharisees, who revered Moses as the central figure of the Israelite community, knew that Moses had permitted divorce. They were trying to see if Jesus confirmed this or refuted it. Jesus refers to the book of Genesis on how the Creator had made the union of man and wife. He avoids the trap the Pharisees had set by neither denying the question nor making an excuse. Rather, Jesus tells them Moses only permitted divorce “because of the hardness of your hearts.” Jesus makes it clear that this concession was made as an act of mercy and forgiveness. In today’s culture, this same complex and even volatile question continues to elicit many diverse views. In his 2016 document entitled “Amoris Laetitia” (The Joy of Love - you can read the entire document here: https://www.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20160319_amoris-laetitia_en.pdf), Pope Francis addresses this question. He unequivocally affirms the sanctity of marriage as part of Holy Scripture and Church Tradition. He upholds the sacramental ideal of marriage as what God meant it to be. Yet he also describes how we are not perfect human beings and the ideal may not always be achievable. He gives us the following as guidelines in our view of this difficult topic. “There are two ways of thinking which recur throughout the Church’s history: casting off and reinstating. The Church’s way, from the time of the Council of Jerusalem, has always been the way of Jesus, the way of mercy and reinstatement…the way of the Church is not to condemn anyone forever; it is to pour out the balm of God’s mercy on all those who ask for it with a sincere heart.” Jesus showed love and compassion to all human beings he encountered no matter their troubles or flaws. Pope Francis asks the same of us. May we welcome those in broken relationships to our faith community without judgement. To learn more about this Sunday's readings, please click on the article title.