The Nazareth Association Community Service Committee has launched an oral history project and is calling upon former alumni, students and friends for submissions and interviews. According to Darlene Mosher and Janice Candela, co-chairs of "The Nazareth Story-Preserving our Past for the Future" the project is designed to preserve the Nazareth history for future generations and to acknowledge the contribution of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the schools associated with Nazareth in Kalamazoo.


"This project is intended to present the stories and experiences of alumni that reflect their love and appreciation for the Sisters who were responsible for their intellectual and spiritual growth as well as a sense of commitment to community service," said Mosher.       The oral history project includes a collection of interviews with alumni, faculty and friends of Nazareth Academy, Barbour Hall, Nazareth College and St. Camillus/Borgess School of Nursing for a documentary entitled, "The Nazareth Story - The Educational Ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph - a documentery on its Foundation and Growth (1895-present)." Interviews began taping during the association's Spirit Day this past September with more than 35 completed. The documentary is expected to be complete by next summer. The entire exhibit of memorabilia will be housed in the Nazareth History Room located at the Nazareth Mother House on Gull Road, in Kalamazoo.
           Sister Marilyn Sullivan, curator of the Nazareth History Room, serves as resource person on the project. Robert Horton is donating his time as videographer. Additional help has been provided by Western Michigan University history students and Ashley Emerson, a graduate student. Anyone with Nazareth-related memorabilia or who is interested in being interviewed or volunteering on the project may contact co-chairs Darlene Mosher, (269) 544-7775 or Janice Candela, (269) 375-0273 by December 12.

From the very beginning, in 1982, the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo has been a supporter of the Food Bank of South Central Michigan (FBSCM) and its hunger-relief network. In fact, thanks to the effort of Pat Hirzel the Diocese made one of two initial grants that allowed foodbanking to become a reality in southcentral Michigan.
      “We will always be especially grateful to the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo because they had the faith in us and were willing to put their support towards a new way of helping get food to households in need,” said Bob Randels, Food Bank executive director. “They remain a classic example of venture philanthropic efforts.”
      Throughout the years, the Diocese has continued to support the Food Bank, with local Operation Rice Bowl grants towards two capital campaigns to secure a new distribution center in Battle Creek and expand it as hunger-relief efforts grew – from serving a core group of some 30 Battle Creek-based agencies, to its present total of 275 agencies in eight counties. The Food Bank’s service area includes Barry, Branch, Calhoun, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lenawee and St Joseph Counties.
      Along the way, the Diocese has provided from local Operation Rice Bowl funds support for the Kids’ Café, Food Bank’s Fresh Food Initiative - getting fresh produce to households in need, much needed equipment upgrades (new semi tractor and truck), purchase of a forklift, and helping to fund two hunger studies which helped the Food Bank refine and strengthen its hunger-relief efforts while determining the extent of hunger in southcentral Michigan. The Diocese also helped provide funding for an interfaith celebration of National Hunger Awareness Day.
      The Diocese’s support has been crucial in helping the Food Bank grow as an effective, efficient, compassionate servant to hunger relief organizations that provide food to over 92,000 individuals a year. In 2006 alone, the Food Bank distributed 5 million lbs. of food.  Since its beginning the Food Bank has distributed 85 million lbs. of food.
      “It’s been a pleasure to watch the Food Bank develop to the point where it is today.  As FBSCM celebrates it 25th Anniversary the Diocese wishes It continued growth and success,” said Sister Susan Ridley.
      “What’s nice about our relationship with the Diocese is that foodbanking is very much grounded in the tradition of looking out for our neighbors.  Any growth over the past 25 years of our history has been directly tied to that mandate,” said Randels.  For more information on FBSCM visit www.foodbankofscm.org.

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The Feast of the Immaculate Conception Holy Day of Obligation, December 8

On December 8th the Church celebrates the Feast of the Immaculate Conception which is designated as one of the six Holy Days of Obligation observed in the United States. This holy day is often mistaken to refer to the conception of Jesus without the role of a human father. Immaculate Conception refers to Mary's state of sinlessness from her first moment of existence.
      Mary, whose conception was brought about the normal way, was conceived without original sin or its stain - that's what "immaculate" means: without stain. The essence of original sin consists in the deprivation of sanctifying grace, and its stain is a corrupt nature. Mary was preserved from these defects by God's grace; from the first instant of her existence she was in the state of sanctifying grace and was free from the corrupt nature original sin brings.
      The angel Gabriel said, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you" (Luke 1:28). The phrase "full of grace" is a translation of the Greek word kecharitomene. It therefore expresses a characteristic quality of Mary. Kecharitomene is a perfect passive participle of charitoo, meaning "to fill or endow with grace." Since this term is in the perfect tense, it indicates that Mary was graced in the past but with continuing effects in the present. So, the grace Mary enjoyed was not a result of the angel's visit. In fact, Catholics hold, it extended over the whole of her life, from conception onward. She was in a state of sanctifying grace from the first moment of her existence.
      The feast of the Immaculate Conception was adopted in 1854 with these words by Pope Piux IX. "The most holy Virgin Mary was, in the first moment of her conception, by a unique gift of grace and privilege of almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of mankind, preserved free from all stain of original sin."
      This means that since the first moment of her human existence the mother of Jesus was preserved from the common defect of estrangement from God, which humanity in general inherits through the sin of Adam. Her freedom from sin was an unmerited gift of God or special grace, and an exception to the law, or privilege, which no other created person has received. (source: www.Catholicculture.org)

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The meaning behind the custom of lighting the Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath is part of long-standing Catholic tradition, however, the actual origins are uncertain. There is evidence of pre-Christian Germanic peoples using wreathes with lit candles during the cold and dark December days as a sign of hope in the future warm and extended-sunlight days of Spring. By the Middle Ages, the Christians adapted this tradition and used Advent wreathes as part of their spiritual preparation for Christmas. By 1600, both Catholics and Lutherans had more formal practices surrounding the Advent wreath.
      Traditionally the wreathe is a circle, which has no beginning or end symbolizing how our lives, here and now, participate in the eternity of God’s plan of salvation. The wreathe is made of fresh plant material to show how Christ came to give us new life through His passion, death, and resurrection. The progression of lighting candles shows an increasing readiness to meet our Lord.
      The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent. One tradition follows that each week represents one thousand years, to sum to the 4,000 years from Adam and Eve until the Birth of the Savior. Three candles are purple and one is rose. The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit on the third Sunday, Gaudete Sunday, when the priest also wears rose vestments at Mass; Gaudete Sunday is the Sunday of rejoicing, because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint of Advent, when their preparation is now half over and they are close to Christmas. The progressive lighting of the candles symbolizes the expectation and hope surrounding our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of His second coming to judge the living and the dead. The light again signifies Christ, the Light of the world. In family practice, the Advent wreath is most appropriately lit at dinner time after the blessing of the food