Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, November 26, at 9:00 AM in the church. What a great way to start Thanksgiving Day—get the turkey in the oven and then come to church as a family to give thanks to God!
Catholic Community of St. Jude at 409 Wilson St., DeWitt, MI 48820 US - Home
WELCOME! We hope you find here valuable News and Information about our Parish.
Please take a moment to visit the EVENTS tab to the left which contains a full calendar of events this week, those coming up and a printable copy of this months calendar.
We hope you enjoy your visit and check back often to stay up to date on the life of our parish.
Articles featured this week:
Join Us for Mass on Thanksgiving Day
An Update on our Music Minister Search
Advent Giving Tree
DeWitt Community Christmas Collection
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Join Us for Mass on Thanksgiving Day
In 1623, Governor William Bradford called the Pilgrims together for a day of prayer and thanksgiving. Only three years earlier, they had left their jobs, their homes and their communities in order to escape religious persecution in England. These brave men and women had survived a treacherous ocean voyage, only to find themselves stranded in a strange new land, in a harsh climate, without adequate food or shelter. During the first winter, half of them died of sickness and starvation. Those who remained had persevered, and though they faced many challenges, they had reason to give thanks.
As Governor Bradford observed, the harvest was plentiful. In the previous winter, food had been rationed to five kernels of corn per person per day. No one would go hungry this year. Whereas the other colonies had been plagued by conflict, the Pilgrims lived at peace—with one another and the Indians. The sickness had subsided. Most importantly, the Pilgrims were experiencing the daily freedom they had longed for, the freedom to worship God without interference from the government. They had flourished and they were truly blessed.
We have much to be thankful for in our own time. We live in a fruitful land that has never experienced widespread famine or deprivation. We have food to eat and clothes to wear. Our lives are enriched by technology, information and education. And we can gather to worship God as we please—without the fear of losing our jobs, property or lives.
As a community, we will gather to give thanks to God for the bounty in our lives by celebrating together theultimate act of thanks-giving: the Eucharist (Greek for “thanks.”) Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, November 26, at 9:00 AM in the church. What a great way to start Thanksgiving Day—get the turkey in the oven and then come to church as a family to give thanks to God!
An Update on our Music Minister Search
This week, our search team, comprised of myself and members of the parish pastoral staff, as well as members of the vocal and handbell choirs, began what we hope are the final steps in evaluating the remaining two people from among four finalists for the position of parish director of music. These final steps include having each of the finalists lead a rehearsal with the vocal choir and handbell choir (if bells are a part of their experience). Finalists will also demonstrate their skills in teaching a new piece of church music to one of our parish cantors. It is our hope that this process will identify the most appropriate choice from among the four candidates and allow us to make that choice by the end of November. As we enter into this phase of evaluation, I trust that the Spirit will offer guidance for all of us, as we discern how best to use God’s gift of music to serve our parish worship.
Advent Giving Tree
Please consider taking a ornament from the Advent Giving Tree, located in the community center this weekend and the gathering space next weekend, right outside the main doors leading into the body of the church. This is one more way that our generosity can help to ensure a merry Christmas for those in our community who are in need.
The process is very simple: purchase the gift listed on the tag and place the unwrapped gift with the tag attached beneath the Giving Tree no later than Sunday, December 13. It is very important to return the gift with the tag attached to it because this year, the gifts have been identified for specific people who are assisted through the area social service agencies with which we are working for this project. Returning the gift with the tag attached to it will help us to ensure that the gift goes to the correct person.
If you’re aware of (or if you are) a parish or area family that needs some assistance for Christmas, please contact the parish offices with information about the family (especially names and ages of children). Confidentiality will be respected.
DeWitt Community Christmas Collection
Again this year, our parish community will participate in the DeWitt Community Christmas Project. This has been a whole community effort for over thirty years. As acommunity, we help to make Christmas a little bit more joyous for many families in our area. Next weekend, we will collect both canned goods and money for the Community Christmas. Please be generous so that those who are less fortunate may experience the joy of the Christmasseason. If you would like to support the monetary collection, please make use of the envelope included in your booklet. If you make use of our on-line giving system, you can make a one-time contribution to the DeWitt Community Christmas fund that is shown with the other funds available for this month. Gifts of canned goods can be placed in the baskets where our regular gifts of food for our parish food pantry are collected.
On Line Giving
The online giving program continues to grow as families discover how easy and convenient it is for making your parish contributions. The process is very flexible and allows you complete control of your contributions while providing you the ability for immediate reporting of all your parish donations.
A vision of Heaven
As Dale McKay was facing death, he spoke to writer Nancy Schertzing about his feelings and his hopes for heaven. Later, Nancy spoke with Dale's widow, Ellen, who shared the joy of their marriage and the moving experience of Dale's death. Their story is filled with love and hope that speaks to all of us.
Part 4: How to Be a Dynamic and Evangelizing Parish
Two very different parishes show what it takes to be both energetic and spiritual.