St. Francis de Sales Parish

The Feast before The Fast
 
When: Tuesday February 21, 2012 from 6:00-8:00 PM
            Hotdogs and Sloppy Joes 6:00-6:30
            Games begin at 6:30!!!
Where: Lower Level of St. Francis de Sales Church
Who: Children preschool through 5th grade and parents
What: Games, Prizes, Masks, Music, Door prizes every 15 minutes and a Parade.  Concluded by the burning of the palms     
    Cost: Free (Donations appreciated)
Come and join the fun!!

St. Francis, in conjunction with the Diocese of Grand Rapids and The Grand Rapids Chapter of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, Presents composer, preacher, song leader extrodinare, John Bell. This will be a NOT TO BE MISSED event!

Information on John can be found here

To listen to the sound files contained on this page you need to have flash player installed. If you need to install flash player, go to www.adobe.com then come back and listen!

Download the Complete Program by clicking here

1. When Music Wakes My Sleeping Heart - AZMON - Delores Dufner

Confession times regularly are at  4 pm on Saturday.

The Baptism Preparation Session is a one-evening session from 5:45 - 8:30 p.m.  It includes discussions of Catholic parenting and the Rite of Baptism. Resources on a variety of issues relating to Baptism and parenting are available.
This session is usually held on the first Tuesday of each month in church. Childcare is available.  No advance registration is needed for this session.
If a morning session is needed because of evening work schedules, this can be arranged by calling the Faith Formation Office.

2012:  February  7, March 6, April 3, May 1.

Each week, we invite adults and children to reflect on a Question of the Week which relates to the Sunday readings.    We will publish the question in the bulletin and on the powerpoint in the gathering space after Mass.  They are always available at  http://www.faithfirst.com/question_week.html.

Further information and reflection on the readings is available at http://liturgy.slu.edu/.

St. Francis de Sales Music Ministry

Cookbooks will be for sale at the church office.   Cost is $20.

Makes a great gift!

CSA Catholic Services Appeal 

We have now received 410 pledges for the 2011 CSA, putting our pledge total at $119,694 which is $6,310 over this year’s goal.  Though our participation rate (about 34%) shows room for improvement, our pledge total is amazing.  Thank you to all who have contributed to  this  campaign.   Now  we need to concentrate on ensuring  that pledges are fulfilled.  According to an August 31 report from the diocese, our CSA payments total $71,571, leaving $48,124 still to be collected.

The Covenant Program, a daylong retreat has been designed to provide this common experience.  In addition, it will clarify expectations of membership at St. Francis. 
Although certain groups of parishioners are required to attend as part of their sacramental or Quinceañera preparation, all new parishioners are encouraged to attend.  It is our hope that over time, this program will reach all parishioners.  
The Covenant Program is designed to be a “one-time experience”.  Therefore, when parents have attended in preparation for marriage, they do not need to attend again in preparation for their first child’s Baptism.   Or after they have attended for their first child’s First Communion, they do not need to attend again for younger children.

Please contact the church before January 20, 2012 (392-6700).  Quinceaneras are held 5 times each year at 2:00 p.m.

Talking with your children have you neglected to raise the call to Church ministry?  The process of answering God's call begins in childhood. Throughout adolescence and adulthood, the attitudes assumed in childhood begin to influence the course of one's life.   A vocation or a talent will not grow unless it is nurtured in childhood and adolescence by a parent.   Often children talk about what they want to be "when they grow up":  doctors, lawyers, athletes, nurses, movie stars teachers, carpenters.  They talk about these roles, but do they ever talk about being a priest, sister or brother?  You are the hand of God--encourage your children to consider Church ministry.

Dear Parishioners:

The first steps of our diocesan planning process are well under way.  We are one of the first three deaneries that have been chosen to initiate this process.  Last week there was a meeting of our deanery (which roughly consists of Ottawa County) held at St. Mary’s, Marne.  The Meitler Consultants presented to representatives of our parishes and schools the preliminary results of the initial meetings of pastors, principals and parish leaders.  They also have collected some data about the area parishes and schools.  We had the opportunity to discuss some trends and their implications for our parish life.

Welcome to St. Francis de Sales parish's new website!

This site will enable us to communicate more effectively, as well as respond to your needs in a speedier and more organized way. Please bear with us as we complete our work on the site.

Please create an account using the options on the left side of the page below the 'upcoming events' block - if you are verified as a registered parishioner, or a member of specific parish groups where special web pages have been setup, you will see additional menus and options within 72 hours of your registration.