As a young bride, Amy Huntington Cupp always knew she wanted a strong faith practice to be at the center of her family. Little did she know then that twenty years after her own conversion to Catholicism not only would she witness her mom, Mary, joining the Church but she’d also be her sponsor. And while their faith journeys had them arriving at the same destination, their journey getting there was markedly different.

At first glance, Shannon and Sam Sheets are similar to many other millennial couples as they juggle the demands of two jobs outside the home — Sam as an engineer and Shannon as an educator — along with the needs of their two children, 10-month-old Liam and 2-year-old Everly. In this day and age when statistics show that millennials (people born between 1981-1995) are leaving the Church and are the fasting growing group of “nones” those that choose no religious affiliation (Pew Research Center, pewforum.org), the Sheets’ are bucking that trend. For filing up the slots in their Google calendar are faith-centered activities and volunteer work.

“HEY ED!” “OH — HI FATHER CHRIS.” Students at St. Joseph Elementary School love to shout out to their pastor, Father Chris Ankley, as he walks the halls, but who is this “Ed”? Why, it’s his beloved companion, a nine-year-old Cockapoo. Father Chris, who was a practicing veterinarian for more than a decade before entering the seminary, doesn’t mind taking second billing to his popular canine, who he named after one of his favorite former patients. The kids obviously love both pooch and priest.

On Sept. 14, 2018, Bishop Paul J. Bradley announced the release of “A Plan to Protect” for the Diocese of Kalamazoo, calling for expanded measures within the Church to safeguard all its people. In addition to the expanded plan of action, Bishop Bradley celebrated three Masses of reparation and healing around the diocese in Kalamazoo, Battle Creek and St. Joseph. After each of those Masses, Bishop Bradley hosted a pastoral discussion, fielding questions and comments from participants.