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Missionaries of Hope Among All Peoples Pope Leo XIV in his video message for World Mission Day 2025 said, “I urge every Catholic parish in the world to take part in World Mission Sunday. Your prayers, your support will help spread the Gospel, provide for pastoral and catechetical programs, help to build new churches, and care for the health and educational needs of our brothers and sisters in mission territories – Help me help the…

St. John XXIII: A Life of Thanksgiving Dear Parish Family, This Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 17:11–19) tells the story of the ten lepers healed by Jesus but only one of them, a Samaritan, comes back to give thanks. Jesus notices this and asks, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?” Gratitude, it seems, is not only good manners, it’s an act of faith. The one who returned didn’t just say thank…

Together we are stronger. Together, we are on mission. Together, we are one heart and mind in Christ Jesus. At the end of St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus extends to his disciples and us the Great Commission. In other words, he sends us on mission to proclaim the living Gospel–each one of us. One of the ways we do this is by being united across the Diocese of Saginaw in support of Christ’s Mission Appeal. Our…

Seeing Lazarus Today Dear friends, This Sunday’s Gospel tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man lived in comfort and abundance, while poor Lazarus lay at his gate—hungry, in pain, and unseen. In the end, their roles are reversed, and the rich man finally notices the one he had ignored. Hearing this story, I can’t help but think of the blessings we enjoy—our food, health, and safety—and how easy it can…

Letting Go of Candy, Reaching for God Dear Beloved Parishioners, This past Sunday, something unexpected and beautiful happened at Sacred Heart Church in Merrill during Communion, something that moved me so deeply I knew I had to share it with you. As the line for Holy Communion moved forward, a young father came walking up with his little boy—maybe 2½ or 3 years old. The child was clutching three candies in his tiny hands, his…

The Exaltation of the Cross & Saint Carlo Acutis God’s Influencer for All Generations Dear Parish Family, On September 7, 2025, the Church joyfully canonized Saint Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager and the first millennial saint. Known affectionately as “God’s Influencer,” Carlo lived a short but deeply impactful life, marked by a profound devotion to the Holy Eucharist and a love for using modern technology to evangelize. As we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation…

Counting the Cost: The True Price of Discipleship This Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 14:25–33) presents us with one of the most demanding teachings Jesus ever gave. As great crowds followed Him – perhaps hoping for healing, miracles, or comforting words – Jesus instead turned to them with a challenge: “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.”…

22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Luke 14:1, 7–14 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, In this Sunday’s Gospel, we find Jesus dining at the house of a Pharisee, where He observes the guests scrambling or looking for places of honor at the table. As He so often does, Jesus takes a common situation and reveals a deeper spiritual truth: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will…