Thanks to everyone who came out to see us at the Unity Tent during Lakeview’s Summerfest. We had a great time giving out snow cones and once again, people enjoyed our cake walk! Thanks to all the volunteers who contributed baked goods, volunteered their time, or simply stopped by to say hello!
Category: Announcements
We would like to congratulate our newest confirmand, Billy Cole. He, sponsored by Deacon Rick Dubridge, celebrated the sacrament at St. Andrew Cathedral with Bishop David Walkowiak presiding, on Pentecost Sunday. May you embrace the gifts of the Holy Spirit that have been sealed in you!
We are saddened to announce the passing of parishioner Pat Brown. Visitation will take place at the Heckman Funeral Home in Howard City on Friday, June 7th. Visitation will be from 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm. The funeral Mass will be said at 11:00 am on Saturday, June 8th at Christ the King church. There is visitation at the church for one hour prior to the funeral Mass. A luncheon will be served at Fellowship Hall following the funeral. Private committal with the family will take place on Monday at Chapel Hill Memorial Garden in Kentwood, MI. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
We are saddened to announce the passing of parishioner Don Bowen. The funeral Mass will be said at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 25th at Christ the King church. A luncheon will be served at Fellowship Hall following the funeral. Please see his obituary in the River Valley paper, The Pioneer, or at the Heckman Funeral Home website. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
We are saddened to announce the passing of parishioner Tom Boss. There will be a visitation at Heckman Funeral Home in Howard City on Wednesday, May 8, from 7:00- 9:00 pm. There will also be visitation for one hour prior to the funeral Mass at Christ the King church. The funeral Mass will be said at 11:00 am on Thursday, May 9th. A luncheon will be served at Fellowship Hall following the funeral. Following the luncheon, there will be committal Amble Cemetery.
We are saddened to announce the passing of parishioner Peggy Dubridge. There will be a visitation at Christ the King Church in Howard City on Monday, May 6, from 10:00- 11:00 am. The funeral Mass will be said at 11:00 am. A luncheon will be served at Fellowship Hall following the funeral. Following the luncheon, there will be a private committal with the family at St. Apollonia Cemetery.
We we’re contacted by someone on behalf of the Village of Morley who is looking for a good picture of the old St. Apollonia Church. Morley will be celebrating their sesquicentennial this next summer and is putting together a town history. If you have anything of benefit, especially regarding the mission church of St. Apollonia that used to be in Morley, could you please share it with Terry Stilson at the Village of Morley or to us and we will pass it on? Thank you!
Does anyone know how to write and apply for grants? There are likely many opportunities for us to receive grant money if we knew where to look. Please notify the parish office if this is something you can do, or if you can help us find someone who has the time and talent of finding the appropriate grants for our specific needs and then applying for them. Thank you!
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Administrative Committee Statement on Sex Abuse Scandals; Committee Releases Actions to be Taken Within Its Authority
September 19, 2018
WASHINGTON–The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Administrative Committee has issued the following statement today in response to the recent sex abuse scandals. In the statement, the bishops say they pledge to “heal and protect with every bit of the strength God provides us.”
Turning to the Lord
“When each of us was ordained as a bishop, we were told:
‘Keep watch over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has appointed you to shepherd the Church of God.’
We, the Administrative Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, assembled last week in Washington at this time of shame and sorrow. Some bishops, by their actions or their failures to act, have caused great harm to both individuals and the Church as a whole. They have used their authority and power to manipulate and sexually abuse others. They have allowed the fear of scandal to replace genuine concern and care for those who have been victimized by abusers. For this, we again ask forgiveness from both the Lord and those who have been harmed. Turning to the Lord for strength, we must and will do better.
The Administrative Committee took the following actions within its authority:
1. Approved the establishment of a third-party reporting system that will receive confidentially, by phone and online, complaints of sexual abuse of minors by a bishop and sexual harassment of or sexual misconduct with adults by a bishop and will direct those complaints to the appropriate ecclesiastical authority and, as required by applicable law, to civil authorities.
2. Instructed the USCCB Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance to develop proposals for policies addressing restrictions on bishops who were removed or resigned because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors or sexual harassment of or misconduct with adults, including seminarians and priests.
3. Initiated the process of developing a Code of Conduct for bishops regarding the sexual abuse of a minor; sexual harassment of or sexual misconduct with an adult; or negligence in the exercise of his office related to such cases.
4. Supported a full investigation into the situation surrounding Archbishop McCarrick, including his alleged assaults on minors, priests, and seminarians, as well any responses made to those allegations. Such an investigation should rely upon lay experts in relevant fields, such as law enforcement and social services.
This is only a beginning. Consultation with a broad range of concerned parents, experts, and other laity along with clergy and religious will yield additional, specific measures to be taken to repair the scandal and restore justice. We humbly welcome and are grateful for the assistance of the whole people of God in holding us accountable.
As these initiatives get underway, the Administrative Committee invites each of our brother bishops to join us in acts of prayer and penance. This is a time of deep examination of conscience for each bishop. We cannot content ourselves that our response to sexual assault within the Church has been sufficient. Scripture must be our guide forward, “be doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22).
In all of this, we do not want anyone – ourselves included – to lose sight of those who have suffered from those who have acted or failed to act as the Gospel demanded. For survivors of sexual abuse, these days may re-open deep wounds. Support is available from the Church and within the community. Victims Assistance Coordinators are available in every diocese to help you find resources. We are grateful to hundreds of dedicated people who, since the adoption of the 2002 Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, have been working with the Church to support survivors and prevent future abuse.
To anyone who has been abused, never hesitate to also contact local law enforcement. If you don’t feel comfortable for any reason with the Church providing help, your diocese can connect you with appropriate community services. With compassion and without judgement, the bishops of the United States pledge to heal and protect with every bit of the strength God provides us.
Acting in communion with the Holy Father, with whom we once again renew our love, obedience, and loyalty, we make our own the prayer of Pope Francis in his August 20 letter to the people of God, “May the Holy Spirit grant us the grace of conversion and the interior anointing needed to express before these crimes of abuse our compunction and our resolve courageously to combat them.”