News RSS Feed

Sitting across from bespectacled Josh Ingraham, it’s hard to imagine that he was once “quite a handful,” as he calls it. The earnest young man, a junior this year at St. Philip Catholic Central, seems more interested in discussing his latest adventure camping trip than in causing trouble. But it was his troublemaking, he says, that got him kicked out of two public schools before second grade — a series of events that led his mom, Renee, to enroll him at St. Joseph Elementary School in Battle Creek.

This October, the legendary coach Lou Holtz will come to Kalamazoo for an evening of inspiration and words of wisdom. Southwest Michigan Catholic spoke with Holtz who shared an interesting tie to Kalamazoo and insight into how his Catholic faith has been at the center of his life.

It might have been helping out at the Tootsie Roll Drive or delivering baskets to the homebound. Whatever the reason, it was Brother Fred Cabras’ love of service, cultivated from the time he was a young boy tagging along with his parents, that eventually drew him to consider joining the Capuchins.

On April 17, I attended a lecture at Notre Dame University presented by Mary Meg McCarthy. She is the director of the National Immigration Justice Center and a strong human rights advocate for immigrants. I was inspired by her talk and commitment. I spoke with her after about how I might see for myself the reality of the crisis at the border. She gave me a connection with Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Laredo, Texas.

“Stewardship is perhaps one of the most misunderstood words in the Church today,” said Tom Dowdall, director of stewardship and development for the diocese. “Some people think it is all about giving money. Others think it means only time, talent and treasure. Some wonder if it is just another word for fundraising. In reality, stewardship is the word that describes our entire relationship with God.”

Celebrating a new school year with catholic schools

What does it take to be declared a saint in the Catholic Church? What’s the difference between Venerable and Blessed? We’re breaking down the process and highlighting some holy Michiganders.

Bishop Bradley is inviting all the faithful throughout the Diocese of Kalamazoo to attend the historic Eucharistic Congress, the first one the diocese has convened. The day-long event, entitled “Ignite the Faith” is designed to engage, inspire and activate participants’ call to be missionary disciples.

Q: Dear Father John: I recently went to a wedding and my non-Catholic friend asked me why we worship statues? What do I tell him?

One of my husband Tony’s most endearing qualities is his timely sense of humor. He always has a fun comment or crazy joke up his sleeve, which inevitably makes me laugh so hard that I cry. When we were first courting and starting to get to know each other we found out we had many things in common. We both grew up in Catholic homes and discovered the most important thing we have in common is our Catholic faith.

En estos días de regreso a la escuela, cuando las nuevas clases y tareas están en la mente de todos los estudiantes, me pregunto qué deberíamos tener como tarea nosotros los cristianos católicos que estamos llamados a ser discípulos/alumnos de Jesús. Jesús dio algunas instrucciones bastante claras: “Vayan, pues, y hagan discípulos de todas las naciones, bautizándolos en el nombre del Padre y del Hijo y del Espíritu Santo, enseñándoles a guardar todo lo que les he mandado; y ¡recuerden (he aquí)! Yo estoy con ustedes todos los días, hasta el fin del mundo”. (Mt 28:19-21)

In these back to school days, when new classes and assignments are on the minds of all students, I wonder what we, as Catholic Christians called to be Jesus’ disciples/students, should have as our homework. Jesus gave some pretty clear instructions: “Go out to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teach them to carry out everything I have commanded you; and know that I am with you always, even until the end of the ages.” (Mt 28:20)

I was newly married, hanging out with my in-laws, when the conversation turned to recipes. My retired father-in-law was detailing his expertise in the area of stuffed peppers and told me I should try to make them. I quickly declined, telling him, “I don’t know how to cook.”

Gracias al esfuerzo, amor y dedicación de muchas personas que fueron pioneros en la Diócesis de Kalamazoo, tenemos al Ministerio Hispano. En el momento actual, año 2019, el Ministerio Hispano forma parte del Secretariado para la Vida Parroquial y Liderazgo Laical (Secretariat for Parish Life and Lay Leadership) y tiene por nombre el Ministerio Hispano. El equipo del Ministerio Hispano lo conforman M. Verónica Rodríguez, Directora Asociada del Secretariado para la Vida Parroquial y Liderazgo Laical, Hermana Maryud Cortes-Restrepo, Directora Asociada del Secretariado para la Vida Parroquial y Liderazgo Laical, Dra. Angélica Valdés, Coordinadora del Instituto San Agustín, y María Trumm, Asistente del Ministerio Hispano.

Hispanic Ministry exists today thanks to the efforts, love and dedication of many people who were pioneers in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. The Hispanic Ministry forms part of the Secretariat for Parish Life & Lay Leadership. M. Veronica Rodriguez, Associate Director, Sister Maryud\ Cortes-Restrepo, Associate Director, Dr. Angelica Valdes, Coordinator of St. Augustine Institute, and Maria Trumm, Support Specialist, make up the Hispanic Ministry team.

A citizen’s initiative petition drive to prohibit the dismemberment abortion procedure in Michigan began this summer. Dismemberment abortion is a particularly gruesome procedure which involves tearing a live baby apart limb by limb inside the womb and individually removing each of its body parts. This petition drive, operating under a committee named Michigan Values Life, is organized by Right to Life of Michigan and is supported by the Michigan Catholic Conference (MCC). Bishop Bradley asked all pastors to choose a parish representative to assist with the petition and in gathering parishioners’ signatures.

Before anyone calls them “Father,” priests are brothers, cousins, friends, sometimes even uncles or godfathers. But always, their first title is: son.

Have you ever found yourself longing for the community and support of life in a religious order but know life as a priest, sister or brother is not what you are called to?

Each year, Caring Network, a program of Catholic Charities Diocese of Kalamazoo (CCDOK), provides services for more than 350 pregnant and parenting women and families with needs ranging from parenting classes to clothing, diapers and baby equipment.

IT’S A LONG-AWAITED WARM DAY and Jesús Hernández, like many twenty-somethings, is hanging out with his friends. On this particular Sunday afternoon, Jesús, his brother Oscar and a friend, Alex, are commiserating about Michigan State University’s loss in the Final Four while they swap light-hearted quips about a host of things from girlfriends to wardrobe choices. They’re soon joined by another person who they greet with big smiles.