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WHAT'S GOING ON?
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MASSES ARE ALL CANCELLED until further notice.
**Fr. Dave will be recording Mass on Sundays
CHECK THE WEBSITE ON SUNDAY BY 10 am for recorded Mass.
(Daily Mass - you can view Bishop Barron's Daily Mass below.)*PARISH OFFICE IS CLOSED. Messages will be monitored several times daily.
*ALL PARISH MEETINGS/GATHERINGS are cancelled until further notice (with the exception of our Saturday Food Pantry, Alcoholics Anonymous/Al-Anon, & Narcotics Anonymous).
LENTEN EVENTS: Cancelled*CONFESSIONS WILL BE HEARD on Friday and Saturday mornings 9:15 am to 10:15 am
*CHURCH DOORS will be open daily from 9 am to 4 pm for private prayer.
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Dear Friends,
Welcome to my very first Friday Memo to you. It hope it finds you and your family well. It is good to be able to talk with you, especially given the tough times in which we now find ourselves. As we all know, tough times can either tempt us towards sadness and surrender or impel us towards greater fortitude and faith. Let me put that in a broader context.
God does no evil; he is goodness itself and thus can be only a source of goodness. So, the question many may have is why does God allow evil to take place? Why this pandemic? Why all this isolation? Why this death? The only reason that God allows evil is because he knows he can draw good from it.
I only have to look at the Crucifix before me on my desk to be convinced of that. The Father in Heaven allowed this painful and shameful death of his Son on the Cross because he was going to draw the great good of the Resurrection from that death, not just for his Son but for all of us, "And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it," (cf. John 1:5).
And he knew that, as Jesus said, once the Son was lifted up, all would be drawn to him. The very life of the Holy Spirit given to us is the fruit of that death and resurrection. So, God is allowing these evils in our time in order to draw good from them. And the greatest good is our salvation.
If these times lead us to repent of sin, to turn to prayer, to invoke the Holy Spirit, to show charity toward one another, to be good examples to our family members and neighbors, to allow the faith in us to grow, to open our hearts to the hope which God desires to give us, then great good will be drawn from these times.
It is then pretty clear that we must desire the same goodness that God desires for us in order for that goodness to take root in and be fruitful in our lives. We know what God wants to come of all of this.
Are we ready to work with God, to desire what he desires, to open our hearts and lives to the grace he is continuously pouring out upon us, and to be the daughters and sons he has called us to be? If so, then there will be great fruit from this time. Instead of a time of darkness, it will be seen as the time in the tomb of Jesus on Holy Saturday, awaiting the bright light of Easter Resurrection. God bless all of you.
Assuring you of my prayers, I am sincerely yours in Christ,
+ Earl
Bishop of Lansing
P.S. With many of you preparing to prayerfully participate in Sunday Mass from home, click here for a list of where and how you can watch Holy Mass from across the Diocese of Lansing.
Watch: Diocese of Lansing priest Father Mark Rutherford led a Eucharistic Procession, March 21, around the entire diocese … from 10,000 feet in the air! And he did so to ask for God’s healing and protection for all below from the COVID-19 outbreak:
Watch: How do we make sense of all that is going on at present during the COVID-19 outbreak? How do we deal with an aversion to suffering and fear of death? They are just some of the questions posed to the popular Catholic columnist, Father Joe Krupp, in this Diocese of Lansing Podcast:
Bishop Boyea asks you to please support your parish:
"I know that many of you may be laid off and your sources of income may be lower. This is also true of our parishes and our diocese. If you are able to make up for what our other sisters and brothers cannot give, please, I appeal to your sacrificial generosity. This is especially true for your own parish. I have already heard from several that they are in serious straights especially as they try to pay those who work for your parish and these parish workers often receive lower wages than they could get in the public sector. So please help your parish!"
Bishop Earl Boyea, Fourth Sunday of Lent, March 22, 2020Click to Give to Your Parish 
Click for Faith Magazine 
Sent by David Kerr
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New Pastor Announced
MESSAGE FROM FR. DAVE: I am excited to announce that St. Joseph Parish will be welcoming Fr. Gary Koenigsknecht as its new pastor on Wednesday, June 24, 2020. You may know Fr. Gary as one of the twin brothers that were ordained in 2014. I remember them even making the national news. I know Fr. Gary as a faith filled, dedicated priest. He is an intelligent, solid, down to earth man who brings with him a strong work ethic that comes from growing up on a dairy farm in Fowler, MI. Fr. Gary is looking forward to getting to know everyone in St. Joseph Parish and School. Let us all keep Fr. Gary in our prayers as he prepares to join St. Joseph and all its members in a journey as joyful disciples of Jesus Christ. - Fr. Dave
Fr. Gary Koenigsknecht
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A St. Joseph Feast Day message from Fr. Dave
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Today's Readings
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Reading 1 Ez 37:12-14Responsorial Psalm Ps 130:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8.Reading 2 Rom 8:8-11Gospel Jn 11:1-45
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Where to find us
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Find a Mass wherever you Travel
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Find us on Facebook
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ChurchPOP
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Have you ever thought about creating a home alter for prayer? The home altar is a great way to create a sacred The post How to Create a Sacred Space at Home For Prayer During Coronavirus Quarantine...
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Today, Pope Francis gave an Urbi et Orbi blessing during Eucharistic adoration today in an empty St. Peter’s Square. The Vatican streamed The post Agnostic Converts On the Spot While Pope Francis...
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This is great advice! On this week’s episode of The Catholic Talk Show Ryan Scheel, Fr. Rich Pagano, and Ryan DellaCross discuss The post Watching Mass at Home? Here’s 4 Amazing Ways to Improve Your...
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Videos
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Fr. Dave's Parish Address
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Responding to Covid-19
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Bp. Barron on the Coronavirus
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trust the process
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Local Help Organizations
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Livingston County Ultrasound Initiative
Can you imagine a world without
this little angel? CLICK HERE
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Severe Weather Network
Providing shelter in the cold winter months for the homeless in our community. MORE INFO:
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Catholic Charities Substance Abuse Help
Do you or someone you know struggle with alcohol or drug abuse?
Catholic Charities can HELP!
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Hope, Help, Healing
If you have been abused or victimized by someone representing the Catholic Church...
Please believe in the possibility for hope and help and healing. We encourage you to come forward and speak out. Every diocese in the United States now has a victim assistance coordinator who is available to obtain support for your needs, to help make a formal complaint of abuse to the diocese and to arrange a personal meeting with the bishop or his representative, if you desire. The victim assistance coordinator for the Diocese of Lansing is: Cheryl Williams-Hecksel – 1.888.308.6252 or cwilliamshecksel@dioceseoflansing.org. In addition, you may also report through the law enforcement toll-free reporting hotline at (844) 324-3374 (Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm) or by email at aginvestigations@michigan.gov
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