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In this final of three in our series on the sacraments, we look deeper at the two sacraments at the Service of Communion. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states: Two other sacraments, Holy Orders and Matrimony, are directed towards the salvation of others; if they contribute as well to personal salvation, it is through service to others that they do so. They confer a particular mission in the Church and serve to build up the People of God. (CCC 1534)

St. Catherine of Siena, whose feast we celebrate this month during the Easter season, is one of four women recognized as a Doctor of the Church. She based her teaching about the spiritual life on love, and she knew God’s love for her. In her book, The Dialogue, she has God call her “Dearest Daughter.” She based her teaching on growth in the spiritual life and on the quality of one’s personal love, specifically, whether that love is selfish or unselfish. Because Catherine learned from the Scriptures and sermons, not from academic study, she was keenly aware of the commandment to love God and to love neighbor and of the teaching in 1 John: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 Jn 4:20)

Continue your Easter joy through the season of Eastertide (which continues until Pentecost on May 19) which contains a host of feasts, solemnities and other celebrations.

The Advent Season calls us to continue “waiting in joyful hope” for all that God intends to do for us, and the Christmas Season urges us to be filled with Joy as we celebrate Jesus’ Birth, God with us forever. Even in the face of the tremendous disappointment that many of us experienced in the recent mid-term elections when the prolife agenda seemed to be overtaken by a more radical pro-abortion mentality, we must heed St. Paul’s advice: “Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, and persevere in prayer.” (Rom.12:12) As we approach the joyous celebration of Christmas, when Jesus came into the world as we all did, we need to keep in mind that throughout his earthly ministry Jesus said, “Do not be afraid!” Jesus has won the ultimate battle over sin and death. Jesus has defeated the binding power of the Evil One. Jesus has promised us that He has “built His Church upon Rock, and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18) That is the reason why we can rejoice in hope. As followers of Christ, we know the end of the story — God’s ways will ultimately prevail, and so we endure in these current afflictions. Jesus has shown us the power of prayer in His own life, and He has urged us to pray always; therefore, even now, we must persevere in prayer.

Liz Ryan is one of those people who lights up a room with her ever-present smile and endless positivity. So much so that her exuberance makes some people suspicious. “What is it that you do that makes you happy all the time,” is a question Liz says she gets asked a lot. Her response? “It’s God. Not a big secret — knowing his joy is my joy.”

The Catholic faith has been an important aspect of the life of southwest Michigan for a long time — from Chief Pokagon walking to Detroit to beg for the spiritual needs of the region and requesting a priest to be stationed here, to Msgr. O’Brien establishing Borgess Hospital and bringing the Sisters of St. Joseph to the region. Every day and age has had its own challenges and needs. The Church consistently desires to meet those needs. Today is no different.

Hundreds of households in our nine-county diocesan area face difficult decisions between having heat and paying for other necessities like food or medicine each winter. From its inception in the early 1980s until now, the Home Heating Assistance Program has given more than $2.2 million and aided more than 13,000 families in our diocese to make that decision a little easier.

When we hear the word “renewal,” the first thoughts we have may be of mundane tasks like renewing our license plates or our library cards. Or we may think about renewal as in going on a vacation and taking a break from our everyday tasks, chores and work. However, when we speak of spiritual renewal, it’s a more complex, deeper process, one where we strengthen our relationship and undergo a conversion of heart. Many beautiful renewal occasions happen within our faith lives. We renew our baptismal promises at Easter Mass. Our 50th anniversary couples renew their sacred wedding vows and their sacramental commitment to each other at our annual diocesan Mass. As priests, we renew our priestly promises at the annual Chrism Mass and at Ordination Masses.

Dear Father: I have major surgery coming up and my friend suggested I get anointed by our pastor. I thought that that sacrament was used only when one is about to pass away?

“It's so awesome — can we tell people about this?!" That was Heather Hicks’ question after learning about the online faith formation courses offered through the diocese’s Institute of Missionary Discipleship (IMD). The newly appointed Director of Religious Education for St. Cyril Parish, Nashville, was embarking on completing her catechist certification and was enthralled with the online courses, which are offered through a partnership with Franciscan University of Steubenville.

The daily life of a priest may surprise you. If you’re Father José Haro, activities can range from celebrating Mass to unclogging a toilet to even contending with a wild turkey. In this diocesan “Year of Priestly Spiritual Renewal and Prayer for Vocations,” I caught up with Father José, the pastor of St. Mary Parish, Kalamazoo, and Director of Vocations for the Diocese to get a better glimpse into a day in the life of a priest.

This year’s two distinguished honorees of the Bishop Paul V. Donovan Founder’s Society Award for Outstanding service are Msgr. Michael Hazard, Vicar General and hospital chaplain, and Margaret Mary (Peggy) Gallagher, retired religious education director of St. Joseph Parish, St. Joseph. Honorees are chosen who exemplify tireless service in the name of Jesus and who reflect a love for God through service to the Catholic Church and the members of the Body of Christ. The 2022 recipients were honored during the Feast of St. Augustine Mass on Aug. 28, 2022, at St. Augustine Cathedral, Kalamazoo.

Diocese of Kalamazoo Patron Saint