Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Prep | St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church | Jackson, Michigan
Discover faith resources and sacramental prep reflections from Angel Koerkel at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Jackson, MI.
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We Say Welcome! | Bulletin Article March 12, 2026
If you’ve been at 10am Mass during Lent, you’ve been a part of the rites and blessings that those going through OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) are experiencing. Maybe you’ve wondered what this OCIA thing is all about. If you haven’t been at 10am Mass, you’ve probably seen pictures in our bulletins/media announcing
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May the Peace of Christ Disturb You, from the Desk of Angel Koerkel
Welcome, friends, to the Second Sunday of Advent, 2025. The theme of the second Sunday is “Peace” and this year we find this day falling between two great celebrations: the Feast of St. Nicholas (December 6) and the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8). Of course, each of these has loads to talk about,
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Who is Catechetical Sunday for?
Who is Catechetical Sunday for? Catechetical Sunday is recognized on the 3rd Sunday of September; this year that means today, September 21, 2025, but what is it and who is it for? Generally speaking, Catechetical Sunday observes and celebrates the catechists of our Church – those that teach and hand on the faith. It’s a
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation – 4/13/25
Journey Into Holy Week Hosanna to the Lord! Happy Palm Sunday, my friends! As we are joyfully waving our palms and praising the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem, we also look to the days ahead this Holy Week; and so, I invite you to take a little journey into the upcoming Holy Triduum. Remember, “triduum”
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation – 3/16/25
3:16-ish Since this article is being published in our March 16 bulletin, I thought I’d share something kind of interesting (at least it is to me) about the Bible. Many years ago, I noticed that a lot of the verses revealing something key about who God is can be found at/around chapter three, verse sixteen-ish.
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation – 11/10/24
RECONCILIATION – A REFRESHER Our students preparing to celebrate their First Reconciliations have been learning about the sacrament, what it is, and how to do it. Keep them in your prayers as they open their hearts to Jesus in this way. For the rest of us, with Advent just around the corner, this seems like
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Sacramental Prep Coordinator – 10/6/24
Confirmation Two weeks from today, October 20, Bishop Boyea will celebrate our annual Jackson Region Confirmation Mass at Our Lady of Fatima. Included in this Mass are candidates from all of the Jackson area parishes and this year we anticipate more than 100 young people, 17 of them from St. John the Evangelist, will receive
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, 7/21/24
Go Deeper, Grow Closer Before reading on, I ask you to please pray this prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, you give us your flesh and blood for the life of the world, and you desire that all people come to the Supper of the Sacrifice of the Lamb. Renew in your Church the truth, beauty, and
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Prep – 4/14/24
When God Shows Himself When I first started going to Bible study, probably around 2008, I literally knew nothing about the Scriptures, God’s love letter to me. Okay, maybe not “nothing”. I knew that there were four Gospels and could name them; I knew there’s an Old and a New Testament; and I could name
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Sacramental Prep Coordinator – 12/17/23
The Stations of Advent If you’re anything like me, by now – the 3rd Sunday of Advent – you’re tired of trying to come up with the “perfect” gift ideas, tired of the running around & busyness, and especially tired of hearing the same five Christmas songs on endless repeat. Yet, today, this Gaudete Sunday,
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Sacramental Prep Coordinator, 9/17/23
The Sacraments of Initiation While there are seven sacraments in the Church, the three that are the “Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist – lay the foundations of every Christian life,” (CCC 1212, emphasis original*) and usually at this time of the year we begin to get a lot of inquiries from parents
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Prep
“With great power comes great responsibility.” Those words, spoken by the fictional Uncle Ben to his nephew, Peter Parker (aka: Spiderman), might be from a comic book, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t true and worth serious consideration. As Catholic Americans, we belong to two of the most powerful institutions on the face of the
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Prep, 2/19/23
Getting From Point A to Point B Although it may be hard to believe, we are about to enter into an incredible journey together. This week we will celebrate Ash Wednesday, aka: point A, and begin our travels through Lent toward our destination, point B, the holiest season of the year: the Triduum. The word
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation – 12/11/22
Today we celebrate the GAUDETE of Advent! In lighting the third candle, the rose-colored one, we are filled with the JOYful realization that our wait is almost over. Anticipation is an exciting part of any journey. It allows us to reflect on what (WHO) we are anticipating and gives us the great grace of time
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Prep, 10/2/22
Have you ever been so busy you can’t even think straight? I don’t know what to write here. I’m tasked with writing a bulletin article this week, but like many of you, I’ve been very busy lately with lots of other “stuff” and have put it off until this moment. Now I sit here, in
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Prep, 7/24/22
If you’re a parent, or if you’ve ever had a parent, then I’m sure that you are at least somewhat familiar with the concept of ‘house rules’. These are the things that we, as parents, decide to enforce within our homes for the safety and well-being of our children as individuals, but also for the
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation
Happy Mother’s Day and Happy Good Shepherd Sunday! Moms (including stepmoms, Godmothers, care-givers, aunts who are like second moms, and all the other possible mom-like roles out there), what do you have in common with a shepherd, particularly a shepherd of the middle east, a couple of millennia ago? You might, understandably, think, “Not a
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation
Lent is just around the corner. Usually, at this time of the year, we hear (or ask) the question, “What are you giving up for Lent?” a lot….and that’s a valid question; it should spark us to reflection and prayer on where God is calling me to go deeper into relationship with Him and how
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation
Clearly, we don’t have the space here to go into all of the nuances and connections between the story of the creation of woman and Jesus’ teaching on divorce mentioned in today’s reading, but we can take an overview look at some of the highlights. The first, and probably foundational piece to understand, is the
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation
Happy St. Valentine’s Day! Happy World Marriage Day! And Happy Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time! If you’re married, you’ve probably been spending a lot of time together at home over this past year. My husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary back in August in the midst of the pandemic. It wasn’t quite how
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From the Desk of Angel Koerkel, Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation
My dad is an atheist and my mom was a fallen-away Catholic. Sadly, the early part of my story is not as unusual as I used to think. My mom had me Baptized when I was a toddler because that’s what you do with children and she had been Baptized in the Catholic Church. We
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Angle Koerkel – Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation
My dad is an atheist and my mom was a fallen-away Catholic. Sadly, the early part of my story is not as unusual as I used to think. My mom had me Baptized when I was a toddler because that’s what you do with children and she had been Baptized in the Catholic Church. We
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Kerygma Encounter Retreat!
The diocese will be hosting the Kerygma Encounter Retreat at Our Lady of Fatima on August 17 with our very own Todd Gale (Director of Faith Formation) and Angel Koerkel (Coordinator of Sacramental Preparation) presenting and as a St. John parishioner, you are offered a special discount (see the registration page for fee information)! This