As a Church, we pray for one another that the Lord continues to bless, guide, strengthen, and console us. One incredibly beautiful and ancient way we can pray for someone is to have a Mass offered for that person. It is a holy and devout practice to have Masses offered for a loved one, living or deceased. Masses may be offered on any day, but many offer them on a birthday, anniversary, or for a special need. To learn more about Mass Intentions, or to schedule a Mass Intention online, visit our website at https://stcatherinesiena.org/massintentions. Please click on the article title to view the Mass Intentions for May 1-May 9, 2021.

Everyone with God in heaven is a saint, but how does the Church determine who is a saint? The process of canonization, or the formal process for sainthood, evolved over the centuries and gradually became more stringent and comprehensive. Here’s a quick overview: Stage I: After at least five years following a person’s death, a “petitioner” can ask a bishop to open an investigation for the deceased person’s candidacy for sainthood. The bishop does some investigating and consults with the Holy See, the Church’s governing body at the Vatican. If the Holy See approves, the “cause” will advance and the person will be called a Servant of God. A tribunal will begin an investigation into the life of the person. The results are voted on by a panel, then a group of cardinals or bishops, and then the pope. The pope may then declare the person Venerable. Stage II: A person remains Venerable unless a miracle is attributed to them after their death. Scientific and theological tribunals investigate the event. If the investigation finds supernatural causes for the miracle attributed to the Venerable person, the pope may beatify the person and they are now called Blessed. Martyrs do not require a miracle to become Blessed, since the graces for martyrdom are considered miraculous themselves!   Stage III: If a second miracle is attributed to the Blessed person, another investigation occurs like the first miracle. The pope may now choose to Canonize the person, which infallibly recognizes them as a Saint of the universal Church. Did you know there are 11 American Saints, 2 Blesseds, and 14 Venerables? For more information about the process of becoming a Saint and a list of the 11 American Saints, 2 Blesseds, and 14 Venerables, please visit https://www.usccb.org/offices/public-affairs/saints or click on the article title.

St. Vincent de Paul is no longer collecting receipts from D & W for the SpartanNash "Direct Your Dollars" program. Thank you to everyone who has submitted their receipts in the past. We encourage everyone to donate these receipts to St. Augustine Cathedral School in Kalamazoo (https://csgk.org/st-augustine-welcome) instead. For more information about the SpartanNash Direct Your Dollars program, please visit: https://www.spartannash.com/corp-responsibility/social-responsibility/direct-your-dollars/ or click on the article title.

Marriage is a place of refuge in a world filled with all kinds of emptiness. The Church looks to marriage as the fundamental unit of our Church, calling the family the domestic church. We regard marriage as a sacrament. We would like to recognize our Parishioners who are about to celebrate an upcoming Milestone Anniversary (10, 25, 50, or 75 years). In a time where many couples struggle to make it through marriage, we want to celebrate those with success stories! We have a list in our Parish data system, but we don’t want to miss anyone. Let our Front Office know at [email protected] or 327-5165 if you have a Milestone Anniversary you would like featured in an upcoming bulletin and on our website/Facebook. Thank you!

Dear Parishioners, We celebrate this 4th Sunday of Easter, or as it is often referred to, Good Shepherd Sunday. Even though I spent a total of 10 years as pastor in two of our rural counties along the Michigan/Indiana border, I don’t profess a great knowledge of sheep or raising sheep. But I did see plenty of sheep in the show barns at the county fairs! But that’s the end of my expertise. The Gospel reminds us how important it is for us to hear and to follow the voice of the only Shepherd we should listen to: Our Lord Jesus. For the sheep know the voice of their shepherd and will follow the shepherd wherever he goes. The Universal Church also celebrates and sets aside this weekend as the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. As the disciples were called by Jesus to follow Him, over three years, they learned the ups and downs of being disciples. But they were also called to be the first priests and Bishops of the Church. Every year during Holy Week, at the Diocesan Chrism Mass with the Bishop, all of your priests renew their commitment to their call to the priesthood and service to the Church. This annual renew of commitment is always very meaningful as we remember why Christ chose us to spread the Gospel. As I complete 28 years of the priesthood, I know that I’m not the young priest that I used to be. Perhaps that is why I always pray for vocations, as I know how the preaching of the Gospel never stops, nor do the celebration of the Sacraments. All of this may be a little more challenging during a pandemic, yet God never stops calling men to the priesthood or to the religious life. I ask that you make this part of your prayers this weekend on Good Shepherd Sunday. I also ask for your prayers and support as we are also in the first weeks of our Bishop’s Annual Appeal 2021. By now, I hope you have received your information packet and individual pledge card in the mail. If not, please feel free to go to the Diocesan website (http://www.diokzoo.org) and click on the Bishop’s Annual Appeal tab to donate. This annual appeal supports our seminarians and helps to educate them as they continue their journey to ordination and priesthood. I hope everyone can prayerfully consider supporting the work of the Church in this way. If you have already given, I thank you for your support! Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark

As a Church, we pray for one another that the Lord continues to bless, guide, strengthen, and console us. One incredibly beautiful and ancient way we can pray for someone is to have a Mass offered for that person. It is a holy and devout practice to have Masses offered for a loved one, living or deceased. Masses may be offered on any day, but many offer them on a birthday, anniversary, or for a special need. To learn more about Mass Intentions, or to schedule a Mass Intention online, visit our website at https://stcatherinesiena.org/massintentions. Please click on the article title to view the Mass Intentions for April 24-May 2, 2021.

During this National Volunteer Appreciation Week, we wanted to take a few minutes to recognize some of the many, many volunteers who serve our parish. It has been a busy month at St. Catherine’s, and without our volunteers, we truly could not do everything we do. Please continue to check our bulletin, our website, and our Facebook page for more spotlights on the many, many volunteers who selflessly give their time, talent, and treasure to our parish every single day. Please click on the article title to see the full article and pictures of some of our fantastic volunteers!

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) states, “A genuflection, made by bending the right knee to the ground, signifies adoration, and therefore it is reserved for the Most Blessed Sacrament.” This is a gesture directed towards God who is present in the Holy Eucharist. It’s customary to genuflect on one knee with your right hand whenever you pass before the tabernacle, before entering the church, or before sitting down at Mass. It’s a small gesture of adoration for the One who is present there. For more information, please click on the article title to view a video about Genuflection by Father Mike Schmitz.

Consider supporting your parish by purchasing a lasting and permanent dedication to a loved one or yourself. By acquiring your own brick, you will be placing a lasting memory around the fountain at our entrance of St. Catherine of Siena Church. Contact our Front Office at [email protected] or call 327-5165 for more information.

Dear Parishioners, It has been so nice these past few weeks to see many faces in church that I haven’t seen in a long time. Glad to see that more and more are able to receive the vaccine. Even in this most unusual time, our parish depends heavily on volunteers! From the ladies who put up and took down all the Lent and Easter decorations/flowers, the ushers who seat you at weekend Masses, those who assist with the counting of the collections, our sacristans who help us set up for Mass or others who help with the outdoor work around our campus—I am extremely grateful to all our volunteers! I want to thank our staff also who worked hard these past few weeks to make sure that everything was ready for Easter. It makes my work as pastor so much easier. Spring is here and it’s time for me once again to announce the Bishop’s Annual Appeal (BAA). Yes, BAA 2021 has started. Our goal is pretty much the same as it has been in years past. However, we have returned to the “normal” format that, as a parish, we need to make the entire goal before we see a refund back to the parish. Last year’s special BAA campaign was a one-time campaign that was meant to help out the parishes during the time of pandemic and the loss of financial support during uncertain times (after we reached half of our goal, the rest came back to the parish). I do appreciate all who contributed to BAA 2020 during these difficult times as we were able to benefit greatly from this arrangement. As we once again seek to support the works of the greater Church, I prayerfully ask you to consider a pledge to the Bishop’s Appeal 2021. Your pledge supports the work of the Church throughout our diocese and not just at the parish level. Please watch your mailbox for your personalized pledge card and additional information on this annual appeal. Thank you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark

“When the Sacred Scriptures are read in the Church, God himself speaks to his people, and Christ, present in his word, proclaims the Gospel. Therefore, the readings from the Word of God are to be listened to reverently by everyone, for they are an element of the greatest importance in the Liturgy. Although in the readings from Sacred Scripture the Word of God is addressed to all people of whatever era and is understandable to them, a fuller understanding and a greater efficaciousness of the word is nevertheless fostered by a living commentary on the word, that is, by the Homily, as part of the liturgical action. “ (General Instruction of the Roman Missal [GIRM], no. 29) Lectors proclaim the Word of God at Mass and other liturgical services. Lectors prepare by understanding what they will proclaim, by prayer, and by practicing. Please prayerfully consider joining our Lectors Ministry as your schedule allows. If you are interested in becoming a Lector, please contact Alana Murray at [email protected].

As we continue to welcome everyone back to in-person Masses, we need more Ushers and Sacristans to help us with all Masses. We are so appreciative of all of the Sacristans and Ushers who have continued to serve the parish week after week during these challenging times! We literally couldn't do it without you! (Our Priests have had to Usher or serve as Sacristan several Sundays to help out, often times before the Mass they are presiding!) If you are able to help on a weekend or two a month, please contact our Front Office at [email protected] or call 327-5165. Thank you for considering helping us!

We wish to extend a warm welcome to our Parish family to those baptized in the month of March. Welcome, and Congratulations! Please click on the article title to see the list of March Baptisms.

Dear Parishioners, On April 22, 2001, the Universal Church officially began celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday. This year is the 20th Anniversary of this celebration. In every age of the Church, God shows His love. Almost 100 years ago, the Lord revealed Himself in the figure of the Divine Mercy for the Church and the world to contemplate. This was right before the start of World War II and the many crimes that were committed against human life. God saw the choices that the world and society were making. He knew we needed to see His constant love revealed to us in His Divine Mercy. The Divine Mercy chaplet has become a popular devotion prayed each day, especially at the 3:00 pm hour, so that we can be reminded of the love of the Lord and the need that each one of us has to be forgiven for our sinfulness. In the weeks after Easter, this is when we normally begin to talk about the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. As you read this, you may have a puzzled look on your face. Didn’t we just have a special edition of the Bishop’s Appeal a few months ago? Yes, we did! Last year was an exceptional year in all ways, including when the Bishop’s Appeal started and ended. I am extremely grateful for the support that was given to this and the fact that we did receive money back to help the parish at a time when we really needed it. However, this year we will be back to the normal format and our goal will be very similar to what it has been in the past. As we prepare to officially begin this, I ask all of you to prayerfully think about how you can support the work of the Church once again, in the midst of trying times, so that the good works of the Church can continue. More information about this will be arriving over the next few weeks. Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark

We would like to extend a warm St. Catherine's welcome to our newest member for the month of March 2021. We're glad you're part of our St. Catherine's Family. Please click on the article title to see the March 2021 new members.

As a Church, we pray for one another that the Lord continues to bless, guide, strengthen, and console us. One incredibly beautiful and ancient way we can pray for someone is to have a Mass offered for that person. It is a holy and devout practice to have Masses offered for a loved one, living or deceased. Masses may be offered on any day, but many offer them on a birthday, anniversary, or for a special need. To learn more about Mass Intentions, or to schedule a Mass Intention online, visit our website at https://stcatherinesiena.org/massintentions. Please click on the article title to view the Mass Intentions for April 10-18, 2021.

Thank you to all who helped us with Holy Week and Easter Masses, and all the details in between that make our Easter Season a success. We appreciate all you do for us!

Thanks to our Knights of Columbus, we are able to offer MagnifiKids for children at Mass every weekend. They are available in the vestibule of the church by our bulletins. Grab one before Mass or on your way out. We usually have quite a few left at the end of the weekend. If you know of any organizations that would like previous week s’ MagnifiKids, please let us know!

Alleluia! He Is Risen! A message from Father Mark on this Easter Sunday: Dear Parishioners, In the weeks leading up to Easter, we have been waiting for this day. During Lent, we had the opportunity to reflect on what Christ did for us and how each day we can become more like Him. Now that Easter is finally here, we rejoice for He has risen from the dead and has shown us a new way of life! I always take a few minutes each time I celebrate Easter to pray for all my family members and friends who have gone before me in faith. For it is my hope, and all our hopes, that we will be able to join our loved ones once again in the promise of the Resurrection. As we look forward to the promise of the Resurrection, may you and your families enjoy this blessed day of rejoicing. A special thank you to all our volunteers and staff who make everything possible each weekend and throughout Holy Week. It takes a lot of extra work these days, during the pandemic, to make everything possible and for those who walk through our doors to remain safe. Thank you for all you do. If you hear a little noise coming out of the Marian Hall Kitchen, we have been able to move forward with some of the first steps of the renovation project that was started a few years ago. Permits were issued by the city and the Diocese gave permission for us to proceed. Money was collected a few years back and has been set aside for this project. We are starting with the ventilation system over the stove as it needs a major upgrade to bring it up to code. More to come on this project as we move forward with the other stages. Thanks for reading! Happy Easter! Fr. Mark