Explore the latest bulletin articles from St. John the Evangelist Catholic Parish in Jackson, MI—featuring weekly reflections, pastoral insights, faith formation, community updates, and spiritual inspiration for parishioners
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Live with the Spirit of God
We celebrate the feast of Pentecost. It was the second of three great Jewish Feasts. For the Jews it was a day of thanksgiving for the completion of the harvest. However, on this day a great transformation took place in the small group of disciples. Holy Spirit descended upon them like tongues of fire, and…
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As they were looking on, He was lifted up
Ascension of Jesus is a mystery This Sunday we celebrate the feast of the Ascension of the Lord. Jesus led the disciples as far as the outskirts of Bethany, which is less than two miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18); raising His hands He blessed them and “as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and…
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Our 10 Stephen Ministers Are Ready to Go!
Dear Parish Family, Are you or someone you know in our community going through a tough time? Maybe he or she has lost a loved one or having trouble coping with one who is terminal. Maybe he or she is suffering through the pain of divorce or loss of employment or home. Or maybe he…
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“I in you and you in Me”
Jesus alerts his disciples to his imminent departure, his ascension into heaven. He doesn’t say Adieu (farewell) but “bye”(Hasta la luego) in order to meet them again. “I am going away, but I shall return.” God keeps his promise to be with us always. John’s Gospel has a series of discourses where Jesus is saying goodbye to his disciples. …
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Calling for Care Recievers for Stephen Ministry
“Take care of my sheep” (John 21,16). We are called, by our Baptism, to care for one another. As we journey through life, there are ups and downs, a normal rhythm of grace and being our human self. Our parish is blessed to have the beginnings of Stephen Ministry, a distinctly Christian ministry. Ten of…
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The Catholic Hospitality Training Institute
Dear Parish Family, Our Catholic faith is not just about encountering Christ in the sacraments, but also about encountering Christ in one another. That is what it means for us to live the Church’s identity as the “Body of Christ.” Do we and the visitors of our parish recognize Jesus in us, the members of…
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“Joy of love” (Amoris Laetita)
Last week, Pope Francis published Amoris Laetita, a letter to families around the world, encouraging them to experience the “joy of love,” and to live as active, faithful, and generous disciples of Jesus Christ. In 2013, Pope Francis called for two meetings of bishops from around the world—an Extraordinary and Ordinary Synod—as forums for discussion and discernment…
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Fr. Kurian Moving to Adrian
Dear Parish Family, The diocese just announced that our dear Fr. Kurian will become the Administrator at St. Joseph in Adrian as of July 1. As many of you know, Fr. Kurian is part of the religious order, Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (M.S.F.S.), and was planning on returning to his home province of…
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To be a sheepdog or shepherd
How often we hear the sad news of young people risking their lives, attempting suicide, getting duped to the drug abusers, or alcohol abusers’ groups. Home schooled as well as church schooled or public schooled, all are easily drawn away from the morally upright behaviors. The symptoms are very identical in everyone’s case. Both teenage…
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Dcn. Brian Lenz Coming to St. John!
Dear Parish Family, As you may know, July to June is the fiscal year for the Diocese of Lansing and also the time when any new priest assignments take effect. Those are often made known in the month of April. I am very pleased to announce that Deacon Brian Lenz, who will be ordained to…
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Do You Really Love Jesus?
If your spouse asks you the question, “do you really love me?” What will you reply? Instantly you will answer non categorically that you do. But if again asked you a second time what will go through your mind? And if again repeated for a third time the question, surely you will begin to doubt…
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Happy Easter!
Dear Parish Family, HAPPY EASTER to you and yours! This Divine Mercy Sunday is the last day of the “Easter Octave,” which is eight straight days of solemnities to celebrate the kickoff of the Easter season. We had a beautiful Easter Triduum that saw 25 people receive at least one of the sacraments of initiation…
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His mercy endures forever.
Pope John Paul II established the Sunday after Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday. The Divine Mercy, of course, is the unconditional love of God seen from the point of view of the sinner. It is the fidelity of the love of God. Divine Mercy Sunday can be seen as the convergence of all the mysteries…
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Happy Easter
EASTER; every year is an invitation for us to rise from our periodical decay and death to taste the transformed grandeur of the immortal human nature. Exult. We begin the Easter celebration with the singing of the exultet. The lit paschal candle reminds us of Christ’s presence amidst us. All years, seasons and times belong…
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Happy Easter
Dear Parishioners & Guests, The great celebration of Holy Week and the Easter Triduum often brings visitors to our parish. If you are one of them, I extend to you a warm welcome on behalf of all the parishioners of St. John, “the Mother Church of Jackson.” For over 150 years, the steeples of this church…
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Holy Week Begins!
Dear Parish Family, Today, “Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord,” begins the holiest week of the year! Do you observe it as such, or is it about the same as every other week? If it is, it’s not too late to make this year’s different. Carve out the time necessary to enter into…
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God holds nothing back
Palm Sunday is also known as Passion Sunday. With Palm Sunday we begin the Holy Week and Jesus’ final agonizing journey to the cross. The word passion comes from a Latin word meaning “to suffer,” and we meditatively go with the sufferings of Jesus. In the first part of the liturgy we commemorate the triumphal…
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Serving at the Lord’s Altar
Dear Parish Family, You will notice something a little bit different with our altar servers. Do you remember when Mark Martin, our seminarian intern, was here last year before he went into his first year of sem-inary? A number of you commented how good he was in helping the other younger servers in guiding them…
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