The Sharing Plate

Hey parish family! Did you know that there’s a Sharing Plate with yummy treats being passed around the parish? Sign up to join in the fun! Enjoy the treats that you receive and then fill up the plate with your family favorites and pass it on to another parish family!

The plate has already started to pass around and will continue through May. Want to join in the fun?

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: Sign up below!

Step 2: You’ll be contacted by a parish family to set up your plate delivery. This would be a good time to make sure the family is aware of any food allergies that you or a member of your family has.

Step 3: Receive the plate and enjoy the treats on it. This is also a great time to take pictures to share with us on Facebook and to add your name and story to the blessing book that came with the plate.

Step 4: Contact the next person on the list that came with the plate to set up your drop-off. Please try to set up a delivery for the next family within 5 days of receiving the plate.

Step 5: Fill up the plate with your family’s favorite treats and pass it on!

Have questions? Please call the Faith Formation office at 835-6777 (extension 236).

Sign-up:

Charitable Giving Strategies

As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace. Whoever preaches, let it be with the words of God; whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and dominion forever and ever. -1 Peter 4:10-11

How many of you know that at age 70 ½ an individual can use a strategy that can save themselves taxes on charitable giving if using a Traditional IRA?  There has been a recent change to the tax laws known as Secure Act 2.0 that lifted the age from 70 ½ to age 73 for required minimum distributions (RMD) from Traditional IRA’s and could provide additional benefits to you and your charitable giving.

Please join parishioner, Kevin Spencer, certified financial planner, and a local attorney, as they present the strategies that lie in Secure Act 2.0 which was approved late last year. The Secure Act added a key alternative that could benefit you by providing tax relief on distributions from qualified accounts while you are alive, and the church when you are gone.

Topics include:

  • Qualified Charitable Distributions
  • RMDs
  • Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts

We will gather for coffee in the Social Hall on Saturday, March 11at 8:30 am with the presentation starting at 9:00 am. We hope you can join us to look at stewardship with a true tax advantage. Please register below or by calling the Parish Center.

Other Resources

SECURE 2.0 Act: What individuals need to know

Building Community Partnerships

Blessed Sacrament Welcomes Arnold Center & Midland County ESA

Blessed Sacrament Parish is excited to announce two new partnerships with local community organizations! In late 2021, a team of parishioners was tasked to review the leasing options of the south wing of the parish center, formerly the school wing. The group provided a list of organizations that aligned with the parish’s mission and served the greater Midland community.  

In early January, two non-profits began their leases with us. The Arnold Center will use two rooms to conduct their adult community living training and art class. The Midland County ESA will use a room for temporary office space for program coordinators as their main building on Jefferson Ave undergoes a multi-year renovation. 

We are excited to welcome the Arnold Center and the Midland County ESA to the space and look forward to helping them continue their mission of serving our Midland Community. 

Logos for Arnold Center Inc and Midland County ESA

Fr. Rob’s Message

The Mass with Bishop Ken Untener

These recordings are from a presentation given at a local parish in January 2001. The audio has been edited in order to enhance the quality, but there are some sections that could not be recovered. Particularly, in the Question & Answer section.

We hope you enjoy this presentation and come away appreciating Mass and participating more fully.

Small Faith Groups

Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own. The question, therefore, is not ‘How can we make community?’ but, ‘How can we develop and nurture giving hearts?’”
~ Henri Nouwen

Blessed Sacrament Parish Community is excited to continue our small faith groups initiative! Keep reading to learn more about the small group initiative and why you should be a part of it! It is our hope that our parish community will continue to grow in faith, discipleship, and fellowship through these small faith groups!

If you are part of an existing group, please check with your leader for meeting times and dates because some have changed.  If you are interested in joining or starting a small faith group, please contact Christy Granda. 

WHAT IS A SMALL FAITH GROUP

Generally, it is a group of 5-10 people who gather weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly for 60-90 minutes for fellowship, prayer, and discussion. These groups can meet at any place where community, conversation, confidentiality, and connection can happen. Though the composition and topic can be different for each group, the goals are the same for ALL groups; to make friends and make a difference while growing as disciples of Jesus.

WHY SMALL FAITH GROUPS

Jesus didn’t journey through this life alone. In fact, he called a group of twelve to follow him and companion with him. The group ate, prayed, and celebrated together. When times were difficult, they supported one other and strengthened each other’s faith. We were created from a community of love to be a community of love, and Jesus modeled that for us.

Small communities are powerful vehicles for adult faith formation, providing opportunities for learning, prayer, mutual support, and the shared experience of Christian living and service to Church and society.

Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, USCCB, 106

WHY SMALL FAITH GROUPS AT BLESSED SACRAMENT

At a parish as large as Blessed Sacrament, it’s easy to feel like you are just a number, just another person sitting in a pew. We realize that it’s often difficult to take the first step necessary to engage in all of the available ministry and faith formation opportunities. Small Faith Groups provide that first step and offer an immediate sense of belonging and a connection point to the larger parish.

WHO ARE SMALL FAITH GROUPS FOR

EVERYONE and ANYONE! Small Faith Groups are built around what people already have in common:

  1. Life Ages and Stages: young professionals, young families, empty nesters, singles, retired folks, married couples…
  2. Demographics: just men or women, mixed groups of men and women
  3. Areas of Interest: Scripture Study, Book Club, Papal Letters, Theology, God in Nature, Ministry Groups, Christian Music, Service, and Video Series on a whole range of topics

State of the Parish 2022

In response to the synod listening sessions, Blessed Sacrament has produced its first-ever State of the Parish 2022 video. In this video, you will hear from members of staff as they explain where their departments and programs are heading for this year.

If you have questions about anything in the State of the Parish video, please feel free to reach out to any of the staff members. You may also learn more about these programs on the website.

Parish Community Weekend Success

The Blessed Sacrament Outdoor Mass and Parish Picnic was a huge success!!  Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed the festivities.  A lot of hard work and dedication went into planning this wonderful event.  We could not have a Picnic like this with the help and support of many people.

A BIG thank you to…

  • The Knights of Columbus for all your hard work and help with setting up, grilling the meat, serving drinks, and clean up.
  • The Ladies of Blessed Sacrament for taking care of all the food – set up, serving, clean up.
  • Cottage Creamery, Dave & Patti Kepler, for the Ice Cream.
  • the Ladies of parish that made and donated cookies for the picnic.
  • Pam Gandy for ordering and delivering the Adult Beverages.
  • Tim Pajk for the music and singing.

Our golf outing on Sunday had 27 teams compete to take first place at Currie West. We could not have asked for better weather or a better group of people!

Congratulations to our top 3 teams!

  1. Gregg Franjione, Kurt Silvis, Jesse Franjione, and Joe Kreusch
  2. Dan Toland, Hugh Taylor, Rob Rhead, Leonard Kowalski
  3. Wayne Turmell, Denise Turmell, Brett Turmell, Seth Guigar

Our winners on the hole contests:

  • Joe Kreusch (Men’s Closest to the Pin)
  • Annette Clark (Women’s Closest to the Pin)
  • Seth Guigar (Men’s Longest Drive)
  • Madison Hert (Women’s Longest Drive

We are already looking forward to next year! Thank you to everyone who came out to worship, play, and spend time together!

Gun Violence is a Pro-Life Issue

Gun violence in the United States is absolutely a pro-life issue.

As Catholics, we believe that “Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end. God alone is the Lord of life from its beginning until its end: no one can under any circumstance claim for himself the right directly to destroy an innocent human being” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2258). Gun violence is claiming the lives of innocent human beings and it is our duty to uphold the sacred dignity of each human life.

We also believe “The production and the sale of arms affect the common good of nations and of the international community. Hence public authorities have the right and duty to regulate them. The short-term pursuit of private or collective interests cannot legitimate undertakings that promote violence and conflict among nations and compromise the international juridical order” (CCC, 2316, emphasis added).

As faithful Catholics, we are called to stand up for the common good of our nation. We are called to stand up for the lives of the innocent. We are called to defend life at all stages, in all circumstances. We are called to use our voices to speak up for life.

We are called to be PRO-life without exception, without hesitation.

Please join us in standing up for life and protecting all lives against gun violence in our country.

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