This weekend is the 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. We will learn that Jesus teaches the crowds that he is the "bread of life." Learn more about the Sunday readings with reflections from Loyola Press. Please click on the article title or visit https://www.loyolapress.com/catholic-resources/liturgical-year/sunday-connection/18thsundayinordinarytimebsundayconnectionhtm/.

We are still looking for parishioners to sponsor different areas of the church’s grounds. We hope to get families, individuals, high school students (especially those who need volunteer hours), or parish groups to take care of weeding different small areas. You will be assigned one area of your choice to adopt. For instance, you could adopt an island in the parking lot, the entrance to Marian Hall, different areas of Mary’s Garden, or the gardens in front of the church. If you have an interest in adopting an area, or if you have any questions, please contact Marianne Verner at [email protected] or 978-2340. Thank you in advance for praying for this ministry and its helpers.

Please click on the article title to read more about Jenny's volunteer activities at our parish!

Please click on the article title to learn more about Vocations!

Did you sign up for Flocknote yet? Hear what Father Mark has to say about our new communication tool and read the rest of Father Mark's letter in this weekend's bulletin by clicking on the article title!

Deacon Brian Kaluzny and his wife Margaret have been members of our parish since 1992. They have three adult children: Rachel, Carolyn, and Karl. They have both been involved in numerous ministries at our parish. Margaret is a part of our choir (when it is able to sing) and other roles within our music ministry. Margaret is also a part of our Women of the Word group. The ladies in this group are seeking a deeper relationship with Christ and attend regular study groups. Deacon Brian was ordained a permanent deacon after completing a four-year program through our Diocese in September of 2017. This program also involves the wife of the candidate, if he is married. If you are interested in learning more about the Deacon program, go to the diocesan website to read up on the criteria and steps: https://www.diokzoo.org/permanent-diaconate. Deacon Brian has been committed to serving our parish for the last four years in his role as Deacon. Some of his joy jobs are assisting at Mass and presiding over burials and prayer services for the deceased at the funeral home. The deacon also instructs new parents in preparing to have their child baptized and baptizing adults. In the past, Deacon Brian has lead prayer services before adoration. He also visits the sick and distributes communion to those in assisted living, nursing homes, and homebound. Thank you for all you do for us, Deacon Brian and Margaret!

Today is our very first bi-weekly Friday Reflection! The feeding of the 5,000 may be a commonly known miracle, but have you ever thought about how you may have responded had you been present? Holding the 12 leftover baskets, the apostles must've turned to each other and to Jesus and said, "How can this be?" But that doesn't mean they didn't believe the 12 leftover baskets were full... The same thing happens at mass every day when we see the bread and wine converted to the body and blood of Christ. Just because we may ask, "How can this be?" doesn't mean the existence of Christ's presence is necessarily doubted. I invite you to join us this weekend at mass and be a participant & witness to another commonly known miracle: the transubstantiation of the Eucharist. We hope and pray to see you this weekend, and we hope you enjoy the full extent of today's reflection in today's video! https://youtu.be/HtZn3xevU6Y

The next 13-week GriefShare program will begin on Thursday, September 2, 2021, from 12:30 – 2:30 pm on Zoom. The GriefShare program is for anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one. The program offers information and support for you on the grief journey. Please feel free to invite others who have lost a loved one. Register and order the booklet online at https://www.griefshare.org/groups/136931. Cost: $20.00 for booklet.

Dear Parishioners, Happy Anniversary! Anniversaries are special times that we celebrate in life where we can look back and see what has happened over the years. As the Diocese of Kalamazoo, we are able to do that this week as we celebrate the day (July 21, 1971} that the Diocese was created 50 years ago. Compared to other dioceses across the United States and even around the world, 50 years is not very long. Our priests are going to be celebrating with Bishop Bradley at a special Mass this coming Wednesday to commemorate this day. Next weekend, there is also a Youth event on Friday night and a special family day that is going to be celebrated (the Jubilee Jamboree} on Saturday. As we celebrate this special anniversary, we thank the Lord for the special blessings that have been showered upon us over the years. Our parish is also having a special celebration this weekend to launch one of our new parish communication and education tools: Flocknote. Please join us this Sunday afternoon in the backyard area of the rectory for ice cream, fun, and games! After over a year of COVID, it will be great to come together and celebrate and have an outdoor parish event! Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark

Ruth Morris has been a member of St. Catherine’s since 1993. Since her time of enrollment, she has volunteered in many different capacities. Over the years, she has been a Eucharistic Minister, volunteer in the office, dessert maker for our funeral luncheons, nursery worker, long-time collection counter, active in WOW as a group leader, Sacristan, Lector, faith formation class teacher, wedding coordinator, and active member of our Primetimers and St. Vincent de Paul groups. It takes many bodies to help keep our parish running smoothly— May God Bless Ruth for her dedication to Him and our church.

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 July 17-25, 2021

If you ever want a quiet, shady path to walk and pray on, we have one for your use. Behind our Stanley Centre, we have a short, shady path with a few benches along the way for parishioner use. There is also a spot to honor our Blessed Mother as you head out. When you have a few minutes take a walk and look at God’s nature. Please click on the article title to see pictures of our Prayer Path.

WE LAUNCHED FLOCKNOTE THIS WEEKEND!!! What is Flocknote, and why should you care? Check out this video produced by our very own Flocknote Liaison and new Digital Engagement Specialist, Ali-Marie of My Catholic Perspective, featuring a few of the faces behind our brand-new communication platform. https://youtu.be/iMqvI2IFNKA

Dear Parishioners, This weekend, I would like to offer a few updates on things that are returning to our schedule. Since we re-opened for in-person Mass last year, we moved Daily Mass into Marian Hall so that everyone could safely distance from one another and accommodate more people for weekend Masses. Even though it is our social hall, it has served us well as a temporary chapel during this time. As things continue to re-open, and if you are planning to attend Daily Mass, we are once again back in Trinity Chapel. So what about Marian Hall? Is it time for donuts? (a frequent question around St. Catherine’s). It now appears we are much closer to starting the renovation/construction project on the kitchen. Everything takes a lot longer these days and we were definitely off to a slow start. Delays seem to be a part of the construction process, no matter when you started. By the time you are reading this, I hope work has begun. With work going on in this portion of the building, we will not be using Marian Hall for a period of time until the work is complete. Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark

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

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

As a Church, we pray for one another that the Lord continue 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 see the Mass Intentions for July 10-18, 2021.

Dear Parishioners, Where were you in 1971? Fifty years ago, our diocese was created and formed from parts of the Diocese of Lansing and Grand Rapids. In July of that year, several other dioceses were created in Michigan (Gaylord and Saginaw). All of us will be celebrating our 50th anniversaries later this month. As the diocese rolls out the plans for this anniversary celebration, we can thank God for the many blessings that the Lord has shown to the faithful of Southwestern Michigan. When our diocese was created, these were the early days after the Council of Vatican II. We were all just learning what it was like to celebrate Mass in English versus Latin. Of course, as part of these 50 years of faith, no one anticipated a shut down due to a pandemic. We see how each one of these 50 years has brought challenges and blessings. As we celebrate the 4th of July, our Independence Day, this is also the final weekend that Fr. Jeff will be on staff at St. Catherine. He will be moving to live at the Cathedral rectory and has already started his work as the Diocesan Director of Worship (the anniversary Mass will be one of his first large diocesan liturgies that he will help plan). Our prayers and thoughts are with you Fr. Jeff as you begin your new ministry. Due to the fact that there are no new priests or missionaries for the Bishop to send us at this time, no additional priests will be assigned to St. Catherine’s at this time. Happy 4th of July! 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 July 3-11, 2021