St. Catherine of Siena offers many services through our Care and Support Ministry. If you are in need of these services or would like to help out in providing them, please contact ,
Irene Dunlap, Steward of Care and Support, at 978-2334. Or email at idunlap@stcatherinesiena.org.
Leanne Phelan, Care & Support Associate at 327-5165 ext 117 or email at lphelan@stcatherinesiena.org
Widows and Widowers
Our Divorce Ministry Group no longer meets monthly but mentoring and support is available. Please call Irene at 978-2334 or email Divorce Ministry at, divorceministry@stcatherinesiena.org.
Prayer Shawl Weavers
“You formed my inmost being—knit me in my mother’s womb” Psalm 139
Join us on the second and fourth Tuesday’s at 9:30 AM in the Polly Pollard Room. We gather to knit or crochet prayer shawl for others. As we ply the needles, we weave our prayers for them into the cloth so that they might know that they are surrounded by God’s love and our prayers. All are welcome. Questions? Contact Kathy Byrnes 327-8658.
Prayer Line
Mother Teresa “More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.”
If you need prayers, please contact the Prayer Line at 978-2344 or e-mail Prayers@stcatherinesiena.org
Networking
Out of work? You are not alone We share ideas for job searching and what to do in the interim. Our networking group meets on Monday’s, 7-8pm, room 6-8. Questions? Contact Doran at 375-3110
Senior Foot Care Clinic
The senior foot care clinic will meet the following months in 2011. February, April, June, August, October, and December. They meet the third Wednesday at 3:00PM in room 21. Please call the front office to verify.
Anonymous Groups
Did you know that St. Catherine’s hosts a variety of Anonymous Groups?
Gambler’s Anonymous meets Friday’s, 7:30 PM, in the Fellowship Room at the Stanley Centre.
Food Addicts Anonymous meets Tuesday’s, 6:30 PM, Rooms 6-8.
Overeaters Anonymous meets Saturday’s, 11:00 AM, Rooms 6-8.
Alcoholics Anonymous meets on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, 5:30 PM, Room 10-12, and Saturday’s at 5:00 PM, Room 10-12.
You are welcome!
Bereavement Services at our Parish
St. Catherine of Siena Church offers a variety of services to help families as they face the death of a loved one.
Funeral planning Worksheet may be picked up in the Church office, or from the Care and Support office, or in the Narthex in the large wall rack. Our packet is in the upper right hand corner of the rack.
A team of music ministers—choir, accompanist and cantors—are available to serve at the funeral liturgies. Our Music Director is Mike Kiebel, 978-2333.
It is customary with churches and synagogues that a stipend is offered to both the accompanist and cantor, an offering of $100 for the Accompanist and the Cantor.
After the funeral: A packet of Bereavement Information and services is given to each family after the funeral. This packet includes information about support groups in the area, at our parish, our annual Mass of Remembrance and other reading material that may be of comfort.
Near the feast of All Souls’, in November, St. Catherine’s hosts an Evening of Prayer and Remembrance, held for all who have lost loved ones. Those families who have a loved one from our parish who has died within the past year receive a personal invitation to this liturgy.
If you have any family members who are not parishioners to whom you would like us to send an invitation, please provide Irene with their names and addresses.
Open Arms Ministry
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their affliction. James 1:27a
Open Arms Ministry is a ministry to foster children in the state of Michigan. We promote an awareness of God’s heart for these children in the heart of all the parishioners at St. Catherine’s.
{At present, there are 19,000 children in the Foster Care system in our state alone. All of them need foster homes that are safe, loving, and faithful. There is a serious lack of foster homes for children in our community. These children stay in the foster system for an average of 48 months (four years!) before being placed in a permanent home, or, like 500 children this past year, age-out of the system and set out on their own at 18 with no family and no adult support.}
What can we do?
1.-Promote, encourage, and pray for children and workers in the Foster Care System
2.-Communicate TWO things:
To the children: You are not alone. God loves you and we love you.
To the adoptive families: You are not alone. Our parish will support you.
3.-Promote, encourage, and support forever families
For parishioners who have adopted foster children, we want to wrap our arms around them and provide them support. We offer trained parishioners who tutor, mentor, and befriend these children. We offer respite to busy parents. Our plan is to offer a Support Group for parents in these families. We would love to start a scholarship program for foster children.
4.-Support aged out children by working with the John Seita Scholars Program at WMU.
Hospital Ministry
If you or a family member are in the hospital, please contact us so that we can provide Holy Communion. We visit both Bronson and Borgess during the week and a group of volunteers visits Bronson on the weekends. If you would benefit from this ministry or if you would like to help with this ministry please contact the church office at 327-5165.
Nursing Home Ministry
Currently, we visit 6 facilities in our area to provide Communion, fellowship, and prayers to Catholics who live there. If you might have some time to share with these seniors please call Irene at 978-2334 or email, idunlap@stcatherinesiena.org.
Martha’s Table
Volunteers from the parish prepare meals as needed for those coming home from the hospital after surgery or families with new babies. Questions? Contact Irene at 978-2334 or email, idunlap@stcatherinesiena.org.