Dear Parishioners, Sixty years ago in 1966, a group of Catholics who lived in Portage began the Catholic parish of St. Catherine of Siena. Like many things in the Portage area, it started out small. Originally, they met for Mass at Portage Central, while the convent (now the rectory) and the original part of the church were being built. As we celebrate sixty years, we see how much our parish has grown into the largest parish, not only in Kalamazoo, but in the entire diocese. We can thank the Lord for the many blessings that He has showered upon our Catholic community for all those years.
All this comes to mind as we celebrate the Feast of St. Catherine of Siena on Wednesday, April 29th. In fact, our student and adult confirmations are this Wednesday evening at the Cathedral. As we celebrate this anniversary, it’s a chance for us to reflect a bit on the life of St. Catherine so that we don’t forget the influence that this Saint had on the universal Church.
Born in Siena, Italy in 1347, in her early life Catherine was drawn to a life of prayer. Her first vision of Christ occurred at age six. At the age of fifteen, she joined the Dominican Tertiaries and wore the Dominican habit. Her concerns included the reform of the Church, and she sought the return of the residence of the Pope from France back to Rome. She attracted many men and women to this following, and Catherine would travel to many parts of Italy. Many letters were written to bishops to encourage the Pope and also urge the reform of the clergy. Catherine cared for the sick and victims of the plague. She moved to Rome in her last years of life to continue to pray and encourage the Holy Father to return to Rome for the good of the Church. Catherine was a mystic and she had many visions and revelations. The stigmata appeared on her body only after her death. She wrote nearly 400 letters and prayers and left us her Dialogue of Divine Providence (a spiritual conversion between the soul and God). St. Catherine accomplished much during her thirty-three years of life.
In many dioceses in the United States, and around the world, one will find many parishes named after St. Catherine of Siena. Through the life and example of holiness that St. Catherine gave to the Church, may we be encouraged to live our life as individuals and as a parish community to the fullest. St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us!