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Finals Week Prayers

4 May 2010 - 4:21pm — jpriest

St. Mary's just wanted to let all the students know that we're praying for them during this exam week.  Here's a prayer that may be of assistance as you work on your finals:  

Christ my Lord, the Giver of light and wisdom, who opened the eyes of the blind man and transformed the fishermen into wise heralds and teachers of the gospel through the coming of the Holy Spirit, shine also in my mind the light of the grace of the Holy Spirit. Grant me discernment, understanding and wisdom in learning. Enable me to complete my examinations to the best of my ability and to abound in every good work, for to You I give honor and glory. Amen. 

St. Mary's Welcomes New Catholics

12 April 2010 - 5:11pm — jpriest

On Sunday St. Mary's welcomed our beloved bishop, the Most Rev. Joseph Cistone, to our parish.  

Bishop Cistone, Successor to the Apostles, brought the apostolic ministry to St. Mary's and received these eight candidates into the Catholic Church.  The bishop then, through the laying on of hands and the anointing with Sacred Chrism, imparted the gift of the Holy Spirit to them in the Sacrament of Confirmation and also gave them their first Holy Communion.  In addition to these eight, one adult Catholic student received the Sacrament of Confirmation.    

Corpus Christi Catholic Fellowship: THIS WEEK: The Blessing of the Christian Family

26 April 2010 - 1:51pm — jpriest

 This week at CC, John and Julia Hoving will be our speakers.  

A little bit about them: 
 

John and Julia are married and have several wonderful kids.  

John is a principal at a Saginaw Catholic school.  

They both teach NFP to engaged and married couples.  

John and Julia are a wonderful witness to living out the marriage vocation.  

As you probably have guessed, they will be talking about marriage and NFP (Natural Family Planning).  We live in a world that is very resistant to the idea of abstaining from contraception.  John and Julia will give a presentation that will be informative about what NFP is, but also, the Catholic Church's teaching on Contraception and how this teaching is actually a beautiful thing.  I hope to see you all there! 

 

Spring Retreat: March 19-21st "Finding God's Will: Seeing Black and White in a World of Grays"

5 March 2010 - 5:53pm — jpriest

  Retreat opportunity coming up this month!  March 19th-21st is the weekend of the retreat, so mark your Calenders.  

This will be an excellent chance to take a break from our busy lives and evaluate where we are in our relationship with Christ.  During Lent this is a great way to discern how God is calling us to purify our relationships with him. 


Here is some more info about the retreat:

Name of retreat: Finding God's Will: Seeing Black and White in a World of Grays 

Start time: 6:30 pm in Alma, MI  [March 19]
 
End time: by noon on Sunday [March 21]
 

Cost: $25 

Held at:  The Religious Sisters of Mercy in Alma, MI

*All meals provided but please eat Dinner on Friday before arriving*

If you are interested please email Jeremy at:

Corpus Christi Tonight: The Stations of the Cross

4 March 2010 - 12:10am — jpriest

This week at Corpus Christi we will be talking about the Stations of the Cross, and how this praying the stations is an important aspect of our Catholic Identity.  Right now the speaker of the talk is TBA.  So, I'm leaving you all in suspense! Ha ha! 

 

 
ALSO!!! There is a retreat opportunity coming up this month.  March 19th-21st is the weekend of the retreat, so mark your Calenders.  This will be an excellent chance to take a break from our busy lives and evaluate where we are in our relationship with Christ.  During Lent this is a great way to discern how God is calling us to purify our relationships with him. 

Here is some more info about the retreat:

Name of retreat: Finding God's Will: Seeing Black and whit in a World of Grays 

Start time: 6:30 pm in Alma, MI  [March 19]
 
End time: by noon on Sunday [March 21]
 

Price: $25 

Held at:  The religious Sisters of Mercy in Alma, MI

    *All meals provided but please eat Dinner on Friday before arriving*

If you are interested please email Jeremy at:

 

priestermeister@gmail.com

 Corpus Christi Catholic Fellowship is an energetic evening aimed at exploring the faith.  Through speakers, a little praise music, skits, games, and meals we come together to encounter the Lord with other Catholic students on campus.  Come join Corpus Christi here every Thursday night at 7pm, with Mass at 8:45 pm and dinner following at 9:30 pm at Linda's house.

"Fasting for Dummies" - A 'How To' Guide @ Corpus Christi Catholic Fellowship

24 February 2010 - 1:56pm — jpriest

Stephen Durkee will be giving a talk on fasting this week: what fasting is, and how fasting can be helpful to living a Christian life; especially during Lent.

Corpus Christi Catholic Fellowship is an energetic evening aimed at exploring the faith.  Through speakers, a little praise music, skits, games, and meals we come together to encounter the Lord with other Catholic students on campus.  Come join Corpus Christi here every Thursday night at 7pm, with Mass at 8:45 pm and dinner following at 9:30 pm at Linda's house.

What Are You "Giving Up" For Lent?

24 February 2010 - 12:31am — jpriest

Let’s go beyond the basics here and go straight to the heart: what do I need to let go of in order to grow closer to God?

Fasting
In his Lenten Message Pope Benedict writes, “Since all of us are weighed down by sin and its consequences, fasting is proposed to us as an instrument to restore friendship with God.”
Indeed, fasting has been a part of human life from the very beginning when God told Adam, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die” (Gen. 2:16-17). So it was, writes St. Basil, that “‘fasting was ordained in Paradise’ ‘You shall not eat is a law of fasting and abstinence’” (Benedict XVI, Lenten Message).
 
 “True fasting” is oriented toward doing “the will of the Heavenly Father, who ‘sees in secret, and will reward you’ (Mt. 6:18)…The true fast is thus directed to eating the ‘true food,’ which is to do the Father’s will (cf. Jn. 4:34). If, therefore, Adam disobeyed the Lord’s command ‘of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,’ the believer, through fasting, intends to submit himself humbly to God, trusting in His goodness and mercy.”

Haitian Relief Efforts

13 January 2010 - 2:52pm — jpriest

Please pray for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti:

Psalm 102

"O Lord, listen to my prayer and let my cry for help reach you.  Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress.  Turn your ear towards me and answer me quickly when I call...PRAYER CONTINUED HERE...

If you would like to make a donation to Catholic Relief Services for the Haitian relief efforts after their major earthquake please click here or drop off a donation at the parish office anytime.  There will be a second collection at Sunday's Mass for the relief effort.

Bishop's Christmas Message

24 December 2009 - 3:58pm — jpriest

The Mustard Seed: A Creative Catholic Minority Makes Big Tree...I Mean Difference

10 November 2009 - 12:08pm — jpriest

Abortion Amendment Finds Its Way Into Reform Bill

Health Care and the "Creative Minority"

By Carl Anderson

VATICAN CITY, NOV. 9, 2009 (Zenit.org).- With an abortion-friendly political majority solidly in control of the U.S. government, an abortion-mandating health care bill seemed to many a "fait accompli." People didn't count on the power of a "creative minority."

On his recent trip to the Czech Republic, Benedict XVI called for the Church to act as a "creative minority" in the public square.

In his most recent use of this term, he said: "I would say that usually it is creative minorities who determine the future, and in this regard the Catholic Church must understand that she is a creative minority who has a heritage of values that are not things of the past, but a very lively and relevant reality. The Church must modernize, she must be present in the public debate."

On Saturday, the world saw this vision for a creative minority in action. The addition of an amendment that would ban public funding for abortion to the health care reform legislation was just such a creative presence in the public debate.

The passage of the Stupak Amendment -- named for Catholic and Knight of Columbus Representative Bart Stupak, a Democrat, and the amendment's author -- shows just how far America has come on the abortion debate.

A New York Times blog reported that some opponents had called it the most significant restriction on abortion since the Hyde Amendment. That amendment -- passed in 1976 -- banned the use of Federal funds for abortion in the United States. It was named for Catholic -- and Knight of Columbus -- Representative Henry Hyde, a Republican.

...Continue Reading Here...

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