Max and Frieda are in their early 90s and have been members of St. Catherine’s parish since it was established on Hampton Oaks Street with Fr. James Schmidt (no relation to Fr. Ken). Max retired 30 years ago from Frito Lay and has since been one of our resident carpenters. Throughout the years, he has made a number of pieces for the parish including the Altar table front and ambo front for Trinity Chapel, the credence tables/cabinets for the Blessed Sacrament Chapel, the base for and railing around the John the Baptist statue in the Narthex, the Welcome Desk in the Narthex, the base for the Holy Family statue inside the front of the Church, as well as the wall ornaments that display the crosses for parishioners who have died over the past year. The smaller crosses displayed on those larger crosses are handmade by Frieda. In addition, Frieda knits and sews for the parish Giving Tree. Max and Freida have made numerous other wood items for the church, chapel, and Marian Hall - some of them from the previous pews that were in our old church. They have also assisted with Thanksgiving baskets and many bulk mailings. May God continues to bless this beautiful couple (who will be married 68 years this September!) and continue to bless what they do for our parish and their fellow parishioners. Thank you, Max and Freida! To see pictures of some of the items Max and Freida have created, please click on the article title.

As we continue to welcome everyone back to in-person Masses, we still need more Ushers and Sacristans to help us with Masses! 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. Training is provided. Thank you for your consideration!

Have you ever prayed the Rosary? Many people, both Catholic and non-Catholic, see the Rosary as a boring repetition, which is understandable on the surface. But the Rosary is so much more! Please click on the article title for more information about the Rosary.

Bishop Bradley has written a Letter to the Faithful on the Eucharist. To read this letter, please click on the article title or visit https://bit.ly/BPJBEucharistJune2021. Bishop Bradley also released a video message to the Faithful this past Monday. In his message, Bishop clarified information on the recent USCCB General Spring Assembly meeting and offers encouragement for all to actively engage in the participation of our Faith. You can find this video here: https://youtu.be/XzT9XFKnG7M.

Dear Parishioners, It seems like the days of summer always go faster than those in the winter. Here we are, a month past Memorial Day, and at the final weekend of June. Next weekend will of course be a holiday weekend, the 4th of July. This last week of June is also the final week that Fr. Jeff will be living here at St. Catherine’s. Even though he doesn’t officially begin his new ministry as Director of the Office of Worship for the diocese until next week, he has already been planning the upcoming celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Diocese in July (watch for more information on this in the coming weeks). Fr. Jeff will be moving to the Cathedral rectory next week and will continue to be the Hackett Chaplain for the next school year. Please keep Fr. Jeff in your prayers as he begins his new ministry. Due to the upcoming holiday weekend and all the difficulties of gathering in these times, if you want to send or drop off a personal card for Fr. Jeff, we will make sure that he receives it. Just a reminder that at this time, the Bishop does not have another priest to take Fr. Jeff’s place here at St. Catherine’s. This final week of June also wraps up our fiscal year at St. Catherine’s. Thank you for all your support during this year of the Pandemic to both the Parish and the Bishop’s Annual Appeal. Over the next few weeks, we will be working on our year-end reports to turn into the Diocese, and then we will plan to give our annual financial update to the parish community. 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 June 26-July 4, 2021

Please take a moment to congratulate our clergy over the next week as they celebrate the anniversaries of their Ordination to the Priesthood. Today, June 24th, Father Jeff celebrates 4 years as a Priest. On Saturday, June 28th, Father Mark celebrates 28 years in the Priesthood. On Monday, June 28th, Father Bill celebrates his 18th Ordination Anniversary. And, on Tuesday, June 29th, Father Ben celebrates 8 years since his Ordination. Congratulations, Father Jeff, Father Mark, Father Bill, and Father Ben!

Catherine Taylor has been a part of our parish family since 1972. Catherine has been ministering to the people of the parish and the surrounding area for almost 50 years. Throughout her time at St. Catherine’s, she has held many volunteer roles from serving others in hospice, hug therapy, children’s events and helping senior citizens. She has been a volunteer in the following roles here at St. Catherine’s: Sacristan, Lector, Eucharistic Minister for Mass, assisting in spiritual development, Arts & Environment, volunteer at our Blood Drives, and after more than 20 years, Catherine recently resigned as a volunteer in our Funeral Ministry. Catherine shared with us that she had once heard that everyone needs a standing ovation at least once in their life. And we agree: Please join us in giving Catherine a standing ovation through prayer, personal congratulations to Catherine, and wishes that God will continue to bless her in this life and the next. Thank you, Catherine!

Have you ever wanted to know more about the Twelve Apostles? Click on the article title to read an article from uCatholic with the meaning behind each of the Twelve Apostles' names, how they died, and where their remains can be found today!

We at St. Catherine’s rely so much on our dedicated volunteers to help us keep this parish running smoothly. We would like to recognize Donna Buehrle for her dedication to several ministries in our church, including the Linen Guild, Prayerline, Hospitality Committee, Funeral Lunches, and also for serving as a Sacristan. Donna and her husband, Richard, have been members of St. Catherine’s since 2002. We appreciate all the time she has donated to help the parish run smoothly. Thank you, Donna!

Dear Parishioners, Father’s Day weekend has snuck up on me again. For some reason, it’s always easier to remember Mother’s Day versus Father’s Day. But I know that Fathers still like to be recognized for what they do. My father and I always got along pretty well. In fact, those who remember meeting him or working with him know that we had the same hair style. He was a man of few words, but that always made me listen even more closely to what he had to say. For all our fathers and grandfathers, living and dead, let us pray for them! As you remember your own fathers this weekend, remember to pray for your spiritual fathers as well. We always appreciate all the prayers that are offered for us! Please keep our 2021 Confirmation class in your prayers. Our youth will be going to the Cathedral for Confirmation this next Saturday morning. Happy Father’s Day! 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 June 19-27, 2021.

Carrie Prendergast and her husband Michael joined our parish in 2014 after they moved here from Gaylord. They have two grown children and three grandchildren. During her time here at the parish, Carrie has been involved in several different ministries including Eucharistic Minister, Sacristan, and homebound minister. If that wasn’t enough, she started helping with our funeral lunches preparing a dish to drop off for the luncheon. She is currently active in Women of the Word and our Art & Environment Ministry. This past year, Carrie began assisting our former liaison for the Funeral Ministry. When Catherine Taylor stepped down from this role, Carrie graciously took over. These days you will find her doing everything necessary to have a funeral ready on the designated day. If we have a larger funeral, Carrie will work with an assistant, sometimes even up to three assistants. If you have a compassionate heart and a desire to help at our parish on occasion for a few hours at a time in our Funeral Ministry, we could use you. Please contact Marianne Verner for more information at [email protected]. Thank you for your help, Carrie!

Now that summer is here, kids are done with school, vacations are coming up, and other events or activities have started, let our online giving or ACH program allow you to have one less thing to worry about this summer. With everything else going on in your busy life, setting up a recurring donation may mean one less thing to think about. Your generosity keeps us going!  Learn more at http://www.stcatherinesiena.org/give or contact Linda Reaume at [email protected].

Beginning today, Monday, June 14, our Front Office will now be open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am until 12:00 pm. We’re very excited to see everyone back at church and to be able to offer extended hours during the week to accommodate the needs of our parish. If you need to come in at a different time, please contact our Front Office for an appointment. Please contact us with any questions at [email protected] or 327-5165.

Dear Parishioners, It’s summer! (Almost). Even though it’s officially a week before Summer begins, and especially since Memorial Day was a few weeks ago, we all consider this to be summer. Even though it’s summer, our staff has been thinking about the programming that we are going to do in the Fall. Since things change pretty quickly (as far as protocols and such), this has been challenging for everyone and is often a moving target! But please be assured that we have not forgotten about the activities and programs that were part of the parish life before COVID-19. As soon as we have these plans in place, we will let you know what our fall programming will look like. As the bulletin goes to press, it looks like we may have a familiar face around St. Catherine’s in the next few weeks. Fr. Peter Gregor was unable to join us last summer, or even during his Christmas break, due to travel restrictions. If all goes well, we are hoping to see him later this week. He certainly missed seeing everyone. Keep him in prayer that his flights and journey to Portage goes well. And finally, I am sad to report that Fr. Jeff will soon be leaving St. Catherine’s. Bishop Bradley has appointed Fr. Jeff as his Master of Ceremonies (for the times that the Bishop is at Mass and diocesan liturgies), and Director of Worship for the Diocese of Kalamazoo. He will also continue to serve as Hackett’s chaplain, as well as working at the Marriage Tribunal at the Diocese. Since a lot of his ministry is now based at the Diocese, the Bishop will be moving Fr. Jeff to live, in residence, at the Cathedral Rectory downtown. Fr Jeff will begin these new assignments on July 5. Our thoughts and prayers are with Fr. Jeff as he prepares to begin this new assignment. Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark

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

We wish to extend a warm welcome to our Parish family to those baptized in the month of May 2021. Welcome, and Congratulations! Please click on the article title to see the complete list of those baptized in May 2021.

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 June 12-20, 2021.

Did You Know? A Lectionary provides the readings and the responsorial psalm assigned for each Mass of the year (Sundays, weekdays, and special occasions). The readings are divided by the day or the theme (baptism, marriage, vocations, etc.) rather than according to the books of the Bible. Introductions and conclusions have also been added to each reading. Not all of the Bible is included in the Lectionary. Individual readings in the Lectionary are called pericopes, from a Greek word meaning a "section" or "cutting." Because the Mass readings are only portions of a book or chapter, introductory phrases, called incipits, are often added to begin the Lectionary reading, for example, "In those days," "Jesus said to his disciples," etc. For more information about the Lectionary, please visit the USCCB website - https://www.usccb.org/faq/questions-about-lectionary (or click on the article title).