April 28, 2026
REMINDER: Ordination to the Diaconate -
May 16, 2026
Mr. Hector Albeiro Saldarriaga Cadavid will be ordained to the Diaconate on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 10 a.m. at St. Augustine Cathedral. All are welcome to attend. Please note that there are sections of reserved seating in the Cathedral for clergy and family only. Remaining open seating is available on a first-arrival basis. The ordination Mass will also be available to watch via the diocesan livestream, accessible here.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
During these remaining days of Child Abuse Prevention Month we recognize the diligence of all our parish Safe Environment Coordinators. Since 2003 more than 19,000 volunteers, clergy and employees of parishes, Catholic schools and Catholic institutions (CCDOK) have undergone background checks and safe environment training.In September 2025 the Diocese announced the release of its newly revised “Policy for the Protection of Children and Youth” which included enhanced screening processes, rules for events and activities involving minors and clear articulation of mandatory reporting procedures. Click here to read/download the Policy Booklet.
Visit our website below for more information.
2026 Senior Capstone Project Finalists
On Tuesday, April 21, 2026, six seniors from the Catholic high schools within the Diocese of Kalamazoo (St. Philip Catholic Central, Battle Creek; Hackett Catholic Prep, Kalamazoo; & Our Lady of the Lake Catholic High School, St. Joseph) presented their Senior Capstone Projects to a panel of judges at the Diocesan Pastoral Center. The students' projects received a cumulative score based on their written essay, oral presentation, and questions from the panel of judges. The finalists were awarded scholarships of $500 each, with the top three places receiving scholarships of $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000 respectively. Please join us in congratulating all of the finalists on a job well done.First Place
Student: Billy Boston
School: Our Lady of the Lake High School
Topic: Embryonic Stem Cell Research and the Dignity of the Human Person
Second Place
Student: Mark Sundberg
School: Hackett Catholic Prep
Topic: Israel’s War in Palestine
Third Place
Student: Elizabeth Hwte
School: St. Philip Catholic Central
Topic: The Real Presence of the Holy Eucharist
2026 Finalists (Listed in alphabetical order)
Student: Tyler Beach
School: Hackett Catholic Prep
Topic: The Gambling Industry: Greed in Place of Human Dignity
Student: Elle Redinger
School: Hackett Catholic Prep
Topic: Political Violence: When Does Human Conflict Go Too Far?
Student: Paige Zeigler
School: Hackett Catholic Prep
Topic: Our Reflections: Vanity and How It Distorts the Human Person
REMINDER: Scholarship Opportunity for Faith-Filled College Students - May 1 Deadline
The Keeping the Catholic Faith Scholarship Fund held at the Catholic Foundation of Michigan provides scholarships to graduating 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 May 1, 2026. To learn more and apply, please visit this link.
New Summer Course: Forming and Equipping Laity for Evangelization - May 11 - June 24, 2026
Sacred Heart Major Seminary is offering a two-credit summer course exploring the Church’s mandate for laypeople to evangelize the world for Jesus Christ. Taught by Dr. Janet Diaz, director of pastoral formation at Holy Family Catholic Church, the course covers principles and practices for forming and equipping the laity to engage in relational evangelization.This hybrid course combines online learning with in-person class sessions from May 11, 2026, through June 24, 2026. Fill out the form here to request more information, or visit Sacred Heart Major Seminary's website to learn more.
2026 Home Heating Assistance Program Recap
The 2026 Home Heating Season concluded in March 2026 (completing its 44th year) and assisted 297 households with over $80,000 in emergency utility assistance across the diocese. The program is integral in helping struggling households in our community defray heating expenses and obtain heating resources to stay warm throughout the winter season.Thank you to the entire Diocese of Kalamazoo for your contribution to this fund during the Second Collection in November. Catholic Charities Diocese of Kalamazoo (CCDOK) would especially like to recognize all of the wonderful partner agencies they work with including various chapters of Saint Vincent De Paul groups and local partner organizations like Salvation Army, Christian Neighbors, People Helping People, Catholic Community Center, and Integrated Services of Kalamazoo.
To learn more about the Home Heating Assistance Program, visit here.
Disaster Relief Funding
Catholic Charities Diocese of Kalamazoo is partnering with Catholic Charities USA to help provide funding for those in our community in need of disaster relief aid. If you or someone you know has suffered loss from recent natural disasters, please reach out today via phone (269) 381-9800 or email (info@ccdok.org).If you would like to donate to this important cause, please visit theCCDOK website here and choose "Disaster Relief". CCDOK also welcomes material donations, dropped off at any of their locations. To view a list of "most needed items", please visit this link.
Ordination Class of 2026 Survey Results Released in Conjunction with World Day of Prayer for Vocations
In conjunction with the World Day of Prayer for Vocations (April 26), the USCCB’s Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations released the Ordination Class of 2026 Study conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University. According to this survey, four in five ordinands reported regular participation in Eucharistic adoration before entering the seminary. The full CARA report and profiles of the Ordination Class of 2026 may be found here.In his message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Leo XIV extended an invitation to all, not just clergy and those in religious life, to commit to creating conditions that allow the gift of vocations to be embraced, nourished, protected and accompanied, so that it may bear abundant fruit.
This year’s CARA report was sent out to the 428 men scheduled to be ordained this year. 334 completed the survey for an overall response rate of 78%. These ordinands represent 110 U.S. dioceses and eparchies and 34 distinct religious institutes.
A few of the major findings of the report are:
- In regard to prayer practices before entering the seminary, ordinands participated in Eucharistic Adoration (81%) on a regular basis, praying the Rosary (79%), participated in a prayer/Bible group (52%), and prayed Lectio Divina (48%).
- Most of the ordinands received formation at a seminary in the Midwest (35%), in the Northeast (28%), South (19%), West (14%), and abroad (5%).
- Nine in ten responding ordinands (92%) reported being encouraged to consider the priesthood by someone in their life, most frequently by a parish priest (70%), friend (49%), or parishioner (44%).
- Hispanics/Latinos constituted 17% of the responding ordinands. They represented 14% of ordinands in religious institutes and 18% of ordinands to the diocesan priesthood.
- Most respondents (93%) were baptized Catholic as an infant and raised primarily by their biological parents (97%) and a married couple living together (88%).
