April 14, 2026
Bishop Lohse celebrates Mass with the Faithful
Bishop Lohse celebrated Mass on Divine Mercy Sunday (April 12) with the faithful at Immaculate Conception Parish, Three Rivers, in the wake of the recent tornados. Bishop Lohse will celebrate Mass at Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Union City, another community impacted by recent tornados, on April 19, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
SAVE THE DATE: The Presence Kalamazoo 2027 Retreat
The 2027 Presence Retreat for High School students will take place February 26-28, 2027, at Camp Geneva. Registration will open August 19, 2026. To learn more about what to expect during this 40-hour retreat, visit here.
Recent Job Openings within the Diocese of Kalamazoo
To learn more information about recent job openings from the Diocesan Pastoral Center, Catholic Charities Diocese of Kalamazoo and parishes throughout the diocese, please visit our website below.
Solanus Casey Pilgrimage - June 17, 2026
The Kalamazoo Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will embark on a Solanus Casey Pilgrimage to Detroit, MI, on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. This day will include Mass, a guided tour of the Solanus Casey Center (featuring the tomb of Blessed Solanus Casey, St. Bonaventure Chapel, and healing gardens), a special Blessing of the Sick (many pray to Blessed Solanus Casey for healing of cancer and other serious illnesses) and more. Inspired by the life and example of Blessed Solanus Casey, the Center serves as a place of pilgrimage, healing, reconciliation, and peace. Learn more about the Solanus Casey Center here.Tickets are $75 for the day, which includes deluxe motorcoach transportation to and from the Center, a $10 donation for the docent-led tour, a catered luncheon, and a light meal on the return bus trip. The motorcoach will pick up at and depart first from the Oakland Drive Park-N-Ride in Portage, MI at 8 am and then travel to the Columbia Avenue Park-N-Ride in Battle Creek, MI for a second pick up. The KDCCW will depart the Center around 4:30 pm and will drop off at all pickup locations on the way home.
The last day to register for this pilgrimage is Sunday, May 10, 2026. To register for the pilgrimage, visit this link. Payment is accepted via the online link or check, mailed to KDCCW Treasurer, Marianne Murray (8401 Glenwynd Dr, Kalamazoo, MI 49009). Please make checks payable to: Kalamazoo Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and provide the names of all attendees in your group.
Live Stations of the Cross brings together community
The Battle Creek Tri-Parish Community came together for a Live Stations of the Cross at St Joseph Parish this Holy Week. The Stations were read in English, Spanish, and Burmese and featured members from each community, as well as other volunteers carrying the cross with Jesus. See below for a few photos from the experience and find more photos on Facebook here.
Photography by Al Lassen
REMINDER: Annual Kentucky Derby Dinner -
May 2, 2026
The Knights of Columbus will host their Annual Kentucky Derby Dinner on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, in St. Catherine of Siena Parish's Marian Hall. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Tickets cost $50 and can be purchased after Mass on April 18/19 or online here.The feast kicks off at 5:45 p.m. with a delicious catered meal including carved roast beef and apple bourbon chicken. There will be a cash bar available, DJ and dancing, silent auction, 50/50 raffle and more race day fun. The Knights of Columbus are seeking sponsors and silent auction items. Contact Nidal Shomali at (269) 532-5522 or Joe Magalski at (989) 992-6085 if interested.
SAVE THE DATE: Euchre Tournament - June 19, 2026
St. Monica Parish's Young Adult Ministry, Third Place, will host a Euchre Tournament on Friday, June 19, 2026, from 6:30-9:30 p.m. This will be a Swiss Style Tournament with no eliminations, a cash prize and food available for purchase. Check-in will begin at 5:45 p.m. All ages are welcome to join, but parents must accompany anyone under 18 years old. Tickets cost $20 per team (2 players) and can be bought online here or with the QR code below.
SAVE THE DATE: St. Monica's Mercantile Market - August 30, 2026
St. Monica Parish's Young Adult Ministry, Third Place, will present a Mercantile Market for Catholic-made goods & antiques on Sunday, August 30, 2026, at 12 p.m. in St. Monica's Gym during their Parish Picnic. Those interested in participating with a craft-show style table are welcome to register online here. (Anyone under 18 will need parental permission to host a table, and parents will be expected to monitor anyone under 18). All vendors are required to go through Virtus background checks before being allowed to sell at the picnic. Questions can be directed to Michel Miller.
Paul J. Kim visits Hackett Catholic Prep to speak to students, staff and parishioners
Nearly 200 people from across the Diocese of Kalamazoo recently gathered at Hackett Catholic Prep for a community presentation from Paul J. Kim, who shared the heartbreaking loss of his five-year-old son Micah this past December, and in doing so offered our community a profound and beautiful witness to surrendering to God's will even in the darkest of moments. The room was still and the prayer that followed was one of those pauses everyone needed but did not know they were waiting for.Additionally, students heard a talk on chastity that left them saying "that was something we really needed to hear, I've never heard that topic presented like that before." And Hackett Catholic staff gathered for a mini retreat that challenged and inspired them to keep Christ at the center of their vocation, to strive for holiness, and to see even the most difficult students as an opportunity to be the face of Christ.
Scholarship opportunity for faith-filled college students
The Keeping the Catholic Faith Scholarship Fund, held at the Catholic Foundation of Michigan, provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors who desire to live, grow, and share their Catholic faith after high school. Thanks to the generosity of a local Kalamazoo family, the fund will provide $1,000 financial scholarship grants renewable up to four years. Applications are due Friday, May 1, 2026. To learn more and apply, please visit this website.
A refuge for youth in crisis: How one Catholic agency helps homeless and runaway youth in southwest Michigan
A recent article from Michigan Catholic Conference's FOCUS publication highlights the work done by Catholic Charities Diocese of Kalamazoo and The Ark shelter. The Ark refers to the services CCDOK offers to homeless or runaway youth and their families to provide support and stability. The program—which includes the operation of a shelter and transitional housing, as well as case managers who work with families—has been run by CCDOK in one form or another for decades. MCC will advocate for CCDOK’s Ark program during the budget process to continue these important services for youth. MCC has also supported the Ark through advocacy on legislation that would have removed barriers for shelters like the Ark that provide emergency youth services.To learn more, read the full article here, or visit the CCDOK website.
Catholic Church sees massive growth in numbers in 2026
Based on data compiled from more than 140 of the 175 U.S. dioceses (more than 80%), dioceses across the country experienced a 38% annual increase on average in individuals entering the Church through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) this Easter.This includes both catechumens (unbaptized people preparing for full initiation into the Church) and candidates (those already baptized who are entering into full communion through confirmation). To see diocese-by-diocese numbers and an interactive map from Hallow, visit this link.
This year’s expected increases in converts in the United States include regions where the Church has been growing rapidly in recent decades, such as Florida, where the Diocese of St. Petersburg is expecting an 84% jump, and Texas, where the Diocese of Austin is expecting a 53% jump.
Locally, the Diocese of Kalamazoo has also seen a noticeable increase in those joining the Church, with a 29% increase in catechumens and a 42% increase in candidates between 2025 and 2026. Additionally, the diocese has seen the total number of participants for Rite of Election more than double since 2019. See below for a graph from the latest edition of Southwest Michigan Catholic highlighting the Diocese of Kalamazoo's growth and visit this link to read the accompanying article.
National Catholic Register interviewed diocesan officials who have theorized reasons for the recent surges, including immigration, the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, who describes Church teachings with a native accent unfiltered by translation, and modern forms of outreach to non-Catholics. To learn more, read the full article by the National Catholic Register here.
