May has traditionally been observed as a month dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It is also the month in which we celebrate our earthly mothers. Mother’s Day provides a beautiful opportunity to pray for all mothers, including those facing an unexpected pregnancy. However, it can be a difficult holiday for many, including those struggling with infertility, those who have lost children, and those who have lost their own mothers. Respect Life Ministry is helping us celebrate mothers in a special way this weekend. Tomorrow, Sunday, May 9th, is Mother's Day. After the 11 am Mass, weather permitting, we will gather outside in the Mary Garden for a special prayer led by Father Ben. Flowers will be available (donations accepted but not required) before and after Mass for family members to write a prayer intention on a slip of paper and offer it to Our Lady. Parishioners are encouraged to come early to get flowers and intentions completed before Mass and to practice safe social distancing. We will leave this offering for the week to serve as a visual reminder of the powerful intercession and love of Mary, Our Mother. Please join us for this event and special time of prayer to celebrate our mothers and our Blessed Mother, Mary.

Come join members of the Diocesan Spanish and English Cursillo Movements on Sunday, August 15, at 2:00 pm, when Most Rev. Bishop Paul J. Bradley will celebrate Mass for the Intention of the Cursillo Movement in the Diocese of Kalamazoo at St. Augustine Cathedral. It is a celebration of Cursillo, an opportunity for those interested to learn more about the Cursillo Movement, and for Cursillistas of all ages to reconnect with the movement in our Diocese. All are welcome. This Mass will fulfill the Sunday obligation. More details to be provided as the date approaches. Want to know more about the Cursillo Movement in the Diocese of Kalamazoo? Please click on the article title. To read a recent article from Southwest Michigan Catholic about the Cursillo Movement in the Diocese of Kalamazoo, please visit https://swmcatholic.org/news/cursillo.

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 8-May 16, 2021.

Pray the Rosary In-Person with our Knights of Columbus every Saturday at 3:30 pm in the Church, prior to the 4:00 pm Mass. Join our Knights of Columbus in the church for this prayer led by one of the knights. When you come in, be sure to tell the ushers that you are there for the rosary so they will seat you with the group praying the rosary. If you are unable to make praying the rosary in person, our Knights of Columbus group also offers an online rosary via Zoom on Sundays at 9:00 am. To join, go to http://bit.ly/KOCRosary to get to Zoom. Meeting ID: 931 1348 9747 Password: 157576 Note - the Zoom software/application is free. If you have any questions about the rosary meetings, please contact the Front Office at 327-5165 or frontdesk@stcatherinesiena.org.

Persons with Disabilities are invited to a virtual gathering sponsored by the Diocese of Kalamazoo on Sunday, May 16th, from 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm. The focus is to build fellowship and have fun. We’ll spend some time getting to know each other and catching up, have a brief reflection on Sunday’s scripture passage, and end with prayer. To learn more or to register go to https://www.diokzoo.org/personswithdisabilities or contact Lisa Irwin at 269-903-0177 or lirwin@diokzoo.org by May 13th. Zoom link will be sent to those who register.

Respect Life Ministry is pleased to announce the USCCB's Walking with Moms in Need initiative to help support local pregnant women or new moms in need. Please review their attached flyer for more information on donating to the Caring Network and Alternatives this month. For more information on the Walking with moms in need program, please visit https://www.walkingwithmoms.com/. To learn more about our Respect Life Ministry, please visit their page on our website: https://stcatherinesiena.org/respectlifeministry.

If you use ACH, Vanco, or bank checks to donate to the parish, and do not wish to receive “special envelopes” please contact Marianne in our Front Office (mverner@stcatherinesiena.org or 978-2340) and she will take you off the list to receive the envelopes. Thank you for helping us stay “green!” Interested in learning more about the many ways you can donate to the parish electronically or automatically? Please check out the giving page of our website for details on online giving, text-to-give, ACH, and more: https://stcatherinesiena.org/give.

As spring arrives and our plants and gardens start to grow again, we are planning for our next grounds clean-up on Saturday, May 15th, from 9 am until 12 pm. Bring your rake, shovel, garden gloves, trimmers, etc., and some ice-cold water to drink. If you have time to help with the grounds clean-up, please reach out to Marianne at mverner@stcatherinesiena.org or call 327-5165. If you are a Knight of Columbus, you can contact Joe Magalski at jmagalski@gmail.com with questions. Thank you for helping us keep our parish grounds looking fantastic! Also, we are 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 weed and care for different small areas around the church grounds. Right now, we are specifically looking for someone to "adopt" both sides of the main doors to Marian Hall, the area around the handicap entrance on the West side of the church, and the small landscape island between the small handicap parking lot on the West side of the church building and the West driveway. If you have an interest in adopting an area or just assisting us on our next spring clean-up on Saturday, May 15, we would love to have you. If you have any questions, please contact Marianne Verner at mverner@stcatherinesiena.org or 978-2340. Thank you in advance for praying for this ministry and its helpers.

Since 2000, our parish has been supporting our sister parish in El Sitio, El Salvador. Our mission is to foster a deeper understanding, solidarity, and community with our Sister Parish to improve the health of the villagers, the education of their youth, and the economic sustainability of their community. Today the village is made up of about sixty families, consisting of less than 300 residents. El Sitio is a farming village and the food grown on their land provides for their livelihood. Many farming and daily living activities are performed without the modern conveniences we are fortunate to have. Despite the physical poverty, there is a richness of spirit and love among the people who hope for a better tomorrow. We encourage you to learn more about the many ways we are supporting our sister parish on our section of the website: https://stcatherinesiena.org/el-sitio-el-salvador-our-sister-parish. If you have any questions about the ministry, or would like to join in the cause, please contact Avril Leach at 269-998-5978.

May has traditionally been observed as a month dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It is also the month in which we celebrate our earthly mothers. Mother’s Day provides a beautiful opportunity to pray for all mothers, including those facing an unexpected pregnancy. However, it can be a difficult holiday for many, including those struggling with infertility, those who have lost children, and those who have lost their own mothers. Respect Life Ministry is helping us celebrate Mothers next weekend in a special way on Mother’s Day, May 9, after the 11:00 am Mass. Weather permitting, we will gather outside around Mary Garden for a special prayer led by Father Ben. Flowers will be available (donations accepted but not required) before and after Mass for family members to write a prayer intention on a slip of paper and offer it to Our Lady. Parishioners are encouraged to come early to get flowers and intentions completed before Mass to practice safe social distancing. We will leave this offering for the week to serve as a visual reminder of the powerful intercession and love of Mary, Our Mother. Please join us for this event and special time of prayer to celebrate our mothers and our Blessed Mother, Mary.

GriefShare is a 13 week program for grieving people that helps one cope with the jagged journey of grief.The weekly sessions address different grief-related topics and include a video, group discussion and a workbook with additional materials. We meet virtually on Zoom on Thursdays from 12:30 - 2:30 pm. The next session of GriefShare begins this Thursday, May 6th. The cost is $20 for the workbook. To register go to: https://www.griefshare.org/groups/132507. Then click on the “Register for this group” box in the top right corner of the page to sign up. When you sign up, you will be offered the opportunity to purchase the book online or you may purchase it from St Catherine by contacting Paula White. If you have questions, please contact Paula White, 269 330 3762 or pwhitentc@mac.com.

Dear Parishioners, It’s 1st Communion time! This will be our second season of celebrating the Sacraments during pandemic times. Similar to what we did last year, that means that we will have to limit the number of guests at each 1st Communion celebration and spread out our students and their families over several Masses and several weeks. Of course, our students learned in a virtual format this year. Starting this weekend, we will have 1st Communions celebrated at both the 4:00 pm Saturday evening Mass and the 5:00 pm Sunday night Mass for the next several weekends (no 1st Communions have been scheduled for Memorial Day weekend). We will also be live streaming these Masses so that family members who are some distance away may participate in these 1st Communion celebrations. Please be aware of this when you are planning what Mass you attend and keep these students in your prayers as they prepare for their special day! We are now several weeks into our 2021 Bishop’s Appeal. Hopefully everyone has received their personalized pledge card and packet from the Diocese. The format for the Bishop’s Appeal is back to the normal time of the year and goals. Please help support our seminarians, our Catholic Charities and other ministries that this appeal sponsors each year. I ask each and every family to prayerfully consider a pledge to the Bishop’s Appeal. Your donation will make a difference. A special thank you to those who have already pledged and helped us begin this campaign. One final note, thank you all for your continued support of our St. Catherine’s Staff and many volunteers who truly work hard each week to make sure that everyone stays safe during this pandemic. We will continue to do as we have done with requiring masks, cleaning and sanitizing, and doing our best to maintain social distancing at Masses. We are glad that you are able to join us in person for Mass and look forward to the day when this pandemic passes us by. Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark

Please join the Respect Life Ministry team for LIFE CHAIN, which is a one-hour peaceful, prayerful, public witness for life. LIFE CHAIN is a call to the Church to stand before God on behalf of the children affected by legalized abortion. We pray for God to change hearts and ask for his healing for all of North America. It will be held on Sunday, May 2, from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm. The Kalamazoo / Portage LIFE CHAIN takes place along South Westnedge and has 26 churches that participate. St. Catherine's has been participating for a number of years and we are assigned to the same location as in the past; the west side of Westnedge between Milham and Southland Drive. No sign-up is required. For questions, please contact our Respect Life Ministry team via email at respectlife@stcatherinesiena.org, or by calling Joe Magalski at 989-992-6085. For those of you that have joined the Flocknote Respect Life Ministry group, just click the Blue Reply button in the email if you have questions.

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.

Today, Friday, April 30, 2021, beginning at 10:55 am, we will stream the Mass of Christian Burial for Cecile "CeCe" McGuinness live on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stcatherinesiena/), on our website (https://www.stcatherinesiena.org/funeralmasses), and on our YouTube channel (https://bit.ly/stcatherinesienaYouTube). The Funerall Mass will be recorded and the video will be available to view in all three locations following the Mass. You can find CeCe's obituary here: https://joldersma-klein.com/obituaries-archive/cecile-mcguinness/1513/. Please continue to keep CeCe, her family, her friends, and all who loved her in your thoughts and prayers!

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of our Patron Saint, St. Catherine of Siena. In honor of this day, Father Jeff has prepared a special video about The Life of St. Catherine of Siena. To watch this video, please click on the article title, visit our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/FrJeffStCatherine, or go to the "Clergy Videos" page of our website (https://stcatherinesiena.org/videos). Interested in more information about St. Catherine of Siena? The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has prepared a flyer about St. Catherine of Siena. You can view that flyer here: http://bit.ly/StCatherineofSienaUSCCB. Here are a couple of additional videos about St. Catherine of Siena you might watch: St. Catherine of Siena from Benedict Press (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQGmFo5epi8) and St. Catherine episode of 'My Catholic Family' from EWTN (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSVrh5FZ_a4).

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.

Thank you to all the parents and students who have persevered in learning our Children’s Faith Formation program virtually this year. We are so proud of all of you! Just a reminder, this Friday, April 30th, is the last day Karen will accept overdue homework assignments. It’s important for children who are in sacramental prep to complete their homework on time. If targets are not met, a child may need to repeat the preparation next year. If you have any questions, please contact Karen anytime at kgalloway@stcatherinesiena.org. We are also happy to announce we will have 50 children receiving their First Communion at the Saturday 4:00 pm and Sunday 5:00 pm Masses throughout the month of May. All First Communion Masses will be live-streamed on our website (https://www.stcatherinesiena.org/mass), our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stcatherinesiena/), and our YouTube channel (https://bit.ly/stcatherinesienaYouTube). Please pray for these children as they receive this most holy sacrament. Congratulations to all!

St. Vincent de Paul Society’s Thrift Store (513 Eleanor Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007; phone: 269-388-4544) is reopening on Tuesday, May 4. The store will be open every Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. They are prepared to follow safety procedures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 by requiring masks and limiting the number of shoppers in the store at one time. Many thanks to everyone who donated clothing and household goods while they were closed this past year. They will begin accepting donated items again in June. Please feel free to call Nancy Cretsinger at (269) 254-8175 with any questions.