Fr. Chas Canoy, Pastor | St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church | Jackson, Michigan
Discover pastoral reflections and homilies from Fr. Chas Canoy, Pastor of St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Jackson, MI. Stay rooted in faith and parish life.
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Happy Father’s Day!
One time a little boy was asked to define Father’s Day and he said, “It’s just like Mother’s Day, only you don’t have to spend as much on the present”. We thank you Dads for your love and care, for the hardships you have gone through, for the faith you kept, for the lessons you
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Congratulations Sixth Grade!
Dear Parish Family, Congratulations to our St. John sixth grade class who celebrated their graduation last Wednesday. This class has been an example of service to our parish from the choir loft to serving at the altar. Over this year I’ve seen an amazing combination of parents, volunteers, staff and students come together to make
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Congratulations to our Grads!
Dear Parish Family, Congratulations to all our graduates! Whether they are from St. John Elementary, JCMS, Lumen Christi, or one of the public schools, I commend all our students on reaching this milestone in their lives. Many blessings upon your future! I look forward to celebrating with some of you this week at this week’s
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Source and Summit
“The Eucharist is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’ The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.” (CCC.1324) What does it mean to be the source and summit? At first, as the source the fullness of Christian
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A Powerful Pentecost
Dear Parish Family, It has been a roller coaster of emotions this past week. Presiding over the funeral of my mother Lolita, burying her remains, and grieving her loss have been tough. At the same time, God’s grace has revealed itself in powerful ways, comforting us with the great hope that we will be reunited
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Rest in Peace, Mom.
Dear Parish Family, We had a beautiful celebration of Deacon Dave Etters’ diaconal ordination last weekend. If you haven’t already, please give him your personal congratulations the next time you see him! I do have some sad news to share. My mother, Lolita Canoy, passed away earlier this week. As you read these words, I
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Pentecost Healing Service
Dear Parish Family, I am happy to announce that we have a newly ordained deacon: Rev. Mr. David Etters! Please join us in congratulating Deacon Dave (that has a nice ring to it)! There will be a reception after the 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Masses at which Deacon Dave will be serving. Both Deacon
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Our Dear Barb Dwyer is Retiring
Dear Parish Family, One of the sweetest people we know, Barb Dwyer, is unfortunately retiring from her position as Coordinator of Senior Ministry at the end of June. We can understand how her husband Moe wants to spend more time with her because we would too! She has been a mainstay for our seniors, particularly
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Dave Etters to be a Deacon on May 16!
Dear Parish Family, The Church has had a long-standing tradition of observing May as a month in which the faithful especially honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our hurting and divided world needs the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Peace. Consider praying the holy rosary with your family, even if it is just onedecade before
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Abide
Jesus said: “I am the vine and you are the branches.” Jesus clearly expresses the intimate union that must exist between Jesus and his followers under the image of vine and its branches. Father is the vinedresser and He prunes the good ones and cuts off the useless ones. He does the pruning as part
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A regular Sunday evening Mass?
Dear Parish Family, One issue that parishioners have brought up with me time and time again at the Thursday fireside chats we’ve been having is the question, “How do we attract the youth and young families to St. John Parish?” It is no secret that our parishioners have a more mature demographic profile than decades
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To be a sheepdog or a 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 every one’s case.
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The Symbolon Series Continues!
Dear Parish Family, Our faith formation is ongoing and lifelong; we are called to grow in our knowledge and love of the Lord, as our eternal destiny consists precisely in this! What we value and hold dear now in our short earthly life is indicative of how we desire to spend our eternity. The pastoral
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Happy 50 Days of Easter!
Dear Parish Family, While Lent may be 40 days, our celebration of the Easter season lasts 50 days from the first Sunday of Easter all the way to the Solemnity of Pentecost Sunday a full seven weeks later! What a Holy Week! Despite the diminished numbers due to a concurrent spring break, what a
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Christ is Risen, Alleluia!
On this Easter day, we here in Jackson proclaim with the Church all throughout the world that sin and hatred, death and division, violence and vitriol do NOT have the final say! The Easter message is that, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has conquered all of these through the eternally greater power of
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The Holiest Week of the Year!
Dear Parish Family, With today’s Passion Sunday celebration, Holy Week is upon us! I pray that it may be a moving week for each of us, one that draws us closer to the Lord that intimately knows our suffering, but also raises us up from it through the power of his Resurrection. May you enter
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Only Two Weeks Until Easter Joy!
Dear Parish Family, Already on the 5th Sunday of Lent, we only have two weeks to go before the Resurrection of Easter! The topic this week for Faith Formation Friday is a very fitting one, given what we celebrate this upcoming Holy Week, “The Paschal Mystery: The Mystery of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection.” It begins
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You Are Called. You Are Gifted.
Dear Parish Family, You were not meant to live just a humdrum life, wondering if this is all there is. You were meant to know your God-given purpose and be invigorated in fulfilling it. Did you know that? God has gifted you in unique ways by which you manifest his power and providence to this
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O Come, Let Us Worship!
Dear Parish Family, How has your Lent been thus far? Have you been able to fast from whatever gets in the way of allowing the Lord Jesus to enter more deeply into your life? It’s not too late to do so because the two biggest Lenten events we are offering at the parish are still
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Changing Dates on You!
Dear Parish Family, We did a switcheroo of the dates of two big parish events, so please note it on your calendar! “O Come, Let Us Adore Him” – now Friday, March 13 Called and Gifted Workshop – now Friday, March 20 and 21 Why the change? Pope Francis is leading a day
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7 Steps to a Life-Giving Lent!
Before Jesus’ public ministry, he went out to the desert for forty days of prayer and fasting. We periodically need to take time to shed the excess in our lives, that is, the overabundance of activity and events that so consumes our time and focus that we forget about the most important thing in this
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Faith Formation Fridays – Lent 2015
Looking for more? Check our Fr. Chas’ latest homily and bulletin column for even more Lenten offerings at St. John the Evangelist! Friday – February 20 6:30 to 8:00 PM “Faith Formation Friday” #1 THE JOURNEY OF FAITH: Trinity, Faith, and the God Who is Love Friday – February 27 6:30 to 8:00 PM “Faith
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Our Lenten Schedule
Dear Parish Family, With Lent beginning this Wednesday, I wanted to summarize the various new opportunities our parish will be offering for deeper conversion, for deepening our personal relationship with our Lord, and for discovering the giftedness that he uniquely bestows upon us to build up the kingdom of God. As an extension of our
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In Case You Missed Rallying a Corps of Disciples…
Dear Parish Family, What a great turnout for the “Rallying a Corps of Disciples for the Lord!” We had over 80 brothers and sisters in Christ come for an evening of unveiling the various new initiatives St. John Parish will be offering to its parishioners and the people of Jackson at large. The diverse opportunities