From the Business Office:
KDSA
2007 as of April 30, 2008
From the Office of Vocations:
And Jesus said, “Come and See”- The Office of
Vocations is sponsoring dinner and discussion evenings throughout the diocese.
These events are open to any young man or woman, high school age and older.
The first one will be held on Sunday, May 18 at St. Bernard Parish Hall in
Benton Harbor beginning at 6:30 p.m. Program and speakers will be provided
by the Office of Vocations. Parishes willing to host a dinner are asked to
contact the Office of Vocations at (269) 349-8714 ext 242.
Discernment Retreat for Men age 18 and older - The Office
of Vocations is sponsoring a weekend of discernment in Augusta, MI, June
6-8, 2008. The
Directors of Vocations and Seminarians will help these men understand
God’s
plan for their life whether they are called to marriage, faithful single
life, or diocesan priesthood. For
more information or to register contact the Office of Vocations at msmith@dioceseofkalamazoo.org or
(269) 349-8714 ext. 242.
From the Office of Evangelization, Catechesis & Initiation:
A complete list of events and presentations can be found at dioceseofkalamazoo.org/eci
From the Office of Christian Worship:
International Eucharistic Congress 2008
Resource materials to assist parishes with Eucharistic renewal are available
from various sources. 1) The FDLC publishes a selection of bulletin inserts
on the Mass. “The Mass: Our School of Prayer” and “Liturgy
and Justice: Making the Connection” are two new publications.
Contact www.fdlc.org to view these and
other samples. 2) The International Eucharistic Congress offers
a seven part series on Eucharistic catechesis that is free. The series may
be downloaded by going to the web-site: http://www.cei2008.ca/en/parcourscatechetiquepouradultes
From the Office of Christian Service:
Operation Rice Bowl – ORB ended Easter
Sunday. Thank you to all parishes and missions that participated in ORB. Parishes
are asked to make check payable to the Diocese of Kalamazoo and send to Sister
Susan Ridley as soon as possible at Diocese of Kalamazoo, 215 N. Westnedge
Avenue Kalamazoo MI 49007.
View the May issue of the Charity
and Justice Newsletter -
There is useful information in this. Please print, copy, and share
it with appropriate people.
Diocesan Heating Assistance Collection –Thank you to
all the parishes/missions that had the collection and to all the Heating Assistance
Volunteers. 2008 DHAP report.
Rachel's Vineyard Retreat - A retreat for anyone suffering from an abortion
experience is being offered in the Grand Rapids Diocese on May 30 - June 1.
Election 2008 - Please remember that only election
materials from the Michigan Catholic Conference and the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops can be used and distributed in our missions/parishes.
Resources materials on USCCB’s “Faithful Citizenship” can
be found at www.faithfulcitizenship.org
From the Office of Marriage & Family Ministry:
DAY
OF DISCOVERY – just
a reminder that there is a one day Day of Discovery scheduled for July 12h
for couples who are unable to make an entire weekend commitment for marriage
prep.
Catholic & Single is a group being formed for singles
35 and over. At this time two different activities are being offered. The
first is a small discussion group that will meet every third Thursday beginning
May 8 from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish (will
continue 5/29, 6/19, 7/10 etc.). The second is an informal gathering
on Saturday, May 17 at the 5:00 p.m. Mass at St. Monica Parish followed by
dinner at Theo & Stacy’s on Portage Rd, Kalamazoo. All singles
(never married, divorced or widowed) who wish to celebrate and share their
singleness are invited. Please contact Lisa or Jane at (269) 349-8714
ext 228 or 113 for more information.
50th Wedding Anniversary – it’s
time to collect names of those celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary
in 2006 so they may be invited to celebrate with Bishop Murray. We
need this information no later than July 15th. Invitations
will be mailed by July 20th. more
information submit names
What have you done
for your parish families’ marriages
lately? One thing you can do is to check out the USCCB’s
new website: www.foryourmarriage.org. It
is an easy way to promote marriage in your parishes. The U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops has just announced this major effort to promote
marriage in our society and churches. Without your help we cannot get
the word out to your parishioners. Over the upcoming weeks and months,
we encourage you to continuously place announcements in your parish
bulletin. Much effort has gone into making this a very user
friendly website for all engaged and married couples. There are many
wonderful tips that can be used in homilies, pastoral care, and talks.
Family Resource –The National Association of Family Life Ministers
(NACFLM) produces for their members a periodic flyer that parishes can distribute
to parishioners to help facilitate family discussion time. English
version Spanish
version
From the Office of Hispanic Ministry:
Marriage Encounter (in Spanish) – May 17, 2008 from
10:00a.m. – 3:00p.m. Place: San Felipe de Jesus Church, 5586
117th Street, Pearl, MI. One day marriage formation. This retreat is
mandatory for couples who will be married and open to other couples who wish
to attend. The retreat is all in Spanish. This retreat does not replace
the formation provided by each parish. Topics include: Spirituality of Marriage;
administration & family budget; communication between the couple and the
family; and many other important topics. Cost is $30 per couple and
they are asked to bring a plate of food to share during lunch. registration
Migrant Ministry - For all the
volunteers of the Migrant Ministry that will be helping during the summer,
we are having a meeting on Thursday, June 5, 2008 from 7:00 – 8:30p.m.
at the Auditorium of the Lawrence Education Center of Borgess Hosptial,
1521 Gull Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048. On that day we will provide some resource
material and answer any questions that you may have. We will also
have a presentation from Father Wayne Dziekan, Director of the Secretariat
for Justice and Peace of the Diocese of Gaylord. His presentation will be, “Relationship
between the global economy and migration including the affects on migrant
workers.” invitation
and map
Quinceañera Retreat (Bilingual) – June 7,
2008 from 9:00a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Place: Immaculate Conception Church,
63559 60th Ave., Hartford, MI 49057. Bilingual Retreat for the preparation
of Quinceañeras. This retreat does not replace the formation
provided by each parish to the Quinceañeras. Topics include:
Symbols and liturgical meaning of the Sacraments; Origin of the Quinceañera
fiesta; being a youth in today’s society; challenges; being a Parent/Sponsor
in today’s society; and other important topics for the youth and adults. Cost
is $20 per Quinceañera. registration
Hispanic Men’s Retreat – Diocesan retreat for
adult Hispanic men of the Diocese of Kalamazoo to be held on Saturday, August
2 and Sunday, August 3, 2008 at Transformations Spirituality Center, Kalamazoo
Michigan. Directed by Most. Rev. Daniel Flores, Auxiliary Bishop and Director
of the Office of Hispanic Ministry of the Archdiocese of Detroit. The retreat
will begin on Saturday, August 2nd at 9:00a.m. and end on Sunday, August
3rd at 4:00p.m. Location: Transformations Spirituality Center, Kalamazoo.
The retreat will be all in Spanish. registration
Pastoral Leadership Formation in Spanish –The
Diocese of Kalamazoo in collaboration with the Diocese of Lansing, Diocese
of Ft. Wayne/South Bend and the Instituto Cultural de Liderazgo en el Medio-Oeste (ICLM)
is offering Pastoral Leadership Formation in Spanish. The duration
of this formation is of 3 years, two academic years and one of pastoral
practice with an advisor. There have been many requests for a more formal
pastoral, ecclesial and theological formation in Spanish. This is
a great opportunity and it has been accepted by the Bishop as a pre-requisite
for the Diaconate Program (similar to the English program, Discipleship
Formation).
Phase II: Communion and Mission:
Who can participate: 1.) Those that have completed Phase I and 2.)
Catechists, ushers, leaders and ministers of parish liturgy who have participated
in formation retreats or courses that are similar to the courses in phase
I. registration
Locations and dates:
Lansing (third year of formation) June 7 & 8. registration
Indiana (second year of formation) May 17 & 18,
June 14 & 15.
FROM
THE NATURAL FAMILY PLANNING OFFICE:
2008 NFP Schedule