Dear Parishioners, As we continue in this special year of prayer for the Spiritual Renewal of the Priests in the Diocese of Kalamazoo, and as we ask for an increase of Vocations to the Priesthood, please know that your prayers for all of your priests at St. Catherine’s are greatly appreciated. I look back 30 years to the time I was finishing seminary and preparing for my priesthood ordination. If I remember correctly, there was at least an additional 20 priests working in our diocese at that time. Quite a few of those have gone to their eternal reward and we all know that numbers in the seminary do not match the numbers of priests who have reached retirement age or like pastor Fr. Farrell, worked up until the end. Remembering the good work and ministry that Fr. Farrell did, over the past few months I have “inherited” several of the things that he used to do. From time to time, I am doing some paperwork “checking” at the Diocesan Tribunal to make sure all necessary steps have been taken in particular annulment cases. More recently, Bishop Bradley named me to be the Director of the Diocesan Office of the Propagation of the Faith. Of course, this is addition to all the things I currently do for the diocese and as your pastor. It’s a daily reminder to me that we need to keep praying for vocations!
Next weekend, the Church will be celebrating World Mission Sunday. As the Director of the Propagation of the Faith, I need to help remind everyone of the missionary aspect of the Church and how we can support missionaries who are working around the world. I’ll write some more about that next weekend. In the meantime, keep me in your prayers as I begin this additional ministry for the Diocese. Thanks for reading! Fr. Mark