As many of you heard at Mass over the weekend, Bishop Bradley has postponed the previously-scheduled Healing Mass indefinitely. Please see the linked letter from Bishop Bradley to read the text from the weekend announcement.

This past weekend, January 5-6, we officially welcomed Father Albert Kemboi to St. Catherine's parish. At the end of all the weekend Masses, we presented a video about his home country and his journey from the Lodwar Diocese in Kenya to the Diocese of Kalamazoo (thank you, Debra Smolsky Dozeman!) and held a welcome reception with cake in Marian Hall (thank you, Mary Hunt and all of the Hospitality volunteers who made this possible!). Father Albert celebrated the 4th Anniversary of his Ordination to the Priesthood in December, but we wanted to wait until after the holidays to show the video and celebrate with him! If you were unable to join us this weekend, or would like to view the video again, you can view it on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/Wchthlm2F34.

Masses for the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, a Holy Day of Obligation, will be on Monday, December 31, 2018 at 5:30 pm and Tuesday, January 1, 2019 at 9:15 am. Both Masses will be held in the main Church.

FAITH IN ALL THINGS (FIAT) WOMEN’S STUDY GROUP: Are you interested in growing in your knowledge of the Catholic faith? Do you have questions regarding Catholicism that you would like discussed but haven’t had the chance to yet? Come and discover Faith in All Things (FIAT) Women’s Study Group! Beginning January 5, 2019 at 10 am, we will explore “Evangelization and the Acts of the Apostles” by Dr. Mary Healy. This group will meet every other Saturday to discuss, to share, and to grow together as a community of faith. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Candy (269-267-9574), Carol (269-381-6270), or Jan (269-779-6700) from FIAT. God bless

Beginning January 16th, join Jay Landry for a study of Luke's Gospel entitled "Dining in the Kingdom of God: Encountering Jesus at the Table". Jay will offer both a morning session (10 am - 11:30 am) and an evening session (6:30 pm - 8:00 pm) each Wednesday through April 10th (no class on Ash Wednesday, March 6th). Childcare is available. If you would like to participate in this Bible study, please RSVP to Jay Landry (jlandry@stcatherinesiena.org or 269-978-2331) by January 11th, and let him know whether you plan to attend the morning or the evening session, and, if you need childcare, the ages of your child(ren).

It's hard to believe Christmas is only a week away! Our Christmas Mass schedule is linked to the title of this article. We hope you will consider joining us for Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day Masses this year.

As we continue our Advent journey and prepare our hearts for Christmas, the parish will offer additional reconciliation times this week. The schedule is linked to the title of this article; it is also copied below.

Please see the attached statement from the Diocese regarding Rev. Stanley Witek.

Jay Landry will offer an Advent Retreat on Saturday, December 1, 2018 from 8:30 am until 12:30 pm in Marian Hall. Jay will offer two talks and there will be time for quiet prayer. Childcare is available. Please RSVP by November 29th to Jay Landry (269-978-2331 or jlandry@stcatherinesiena.org).

Join us for Vespers on Wednesday evenings in Trinity Chapel. Vespers will be offered at 6:30 pm on November 7, November 14, November 21 (Ordinary Time), and December 5, and December 12, and at 6:00 pm on December 19 (due to the Advent Communal Reconciliation Service scheduled that evening).

Join Jay Landry on Sunday, October 28th at 12:15 pm in the Siena Conference Room (lower level) to learn more about the relationship between Mary, Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Rosary, and Social Justice. All are welcome, especially families with children. Please RSVP to Jay (269-978-2331 or jlandry@stcatherinesiena.org). Please bring a bible and a rosary (we have some if you need one).

Our annual Evening Prayer of Remembrance Service will be held on Friday, November 2 (The Feast of All Soul’s Day) at 7:00 pm in the church. All those who wish to remember their deceased family and friends are invited. During the service, you will be invited to light a candle in remembrance of your loved one. In a special way, we honor those from our parish who have died in the past year. A light reception will follow in the Narthex.

Our Pastor, Father Ken Schmidt, has just been honored as the 2018 recipient of the Western Michigan University Keystone Meritorious Achievement Award. This award is given to honor outstanding individuals who graduated from the College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University and have made significant contributions to their chosen profession. Congratulations, Father Ken! To read more, please go to: https://wmich.edu/education/alumni/awards/2018-gak-recipients#schmidt.

St. Catherine of Siena Parish will be offering GriefShare, a 13-week Scripture-based support group for those grieving the loss of someone.

Join Bishop Bradley next Sunday, September 16th, for the annual Diocesan Blue Mass at 11 am. The Blue Mass recognizes and prays for our police, fire, military and emergency medical technicians. The public is invited to participate. Following Mass, all are invited to a buffet luncheon in Marian Hall. Please bring a dish to pass. You may drop off your dish in Marian Hall prior to the 11 am Mass.

Pope Francis has released a statement in response to last week's recent widespread news coverage of clergy abuse. We have posted this letter on our website, in addition to last week's letter from our Bishop, Paul J. Bradley, and a response from our Pastor, Father Ken Schmidt. Please see the links section of our website for all three responses.

Jack Jezreel, founder of JustFaith, will speak on “Faith that Does Justice" on Wednesday, September 12, 2018, at 6:30 pm here at St. Catherine's.

We are Women Seeking a Deeper Relationship with Christ. Join us this September for “Opening Your Heart” by Lisa Brenninkmeyer. Please see the flyer for more information.

Fall session begins Saturday, September 8th at 10 am and meets every other Saturday (unless otherwise indicated). Winter session begins on Saturday, January 5th at 10 am and meets every other Saturday (unless otherwise indicated). See the full article for complete details.