Saint John Vianney parish begins an eleven week series showing the Catholicism Project with Father Robert Barron. The series begins on Wednesday, January 4 and continues every week from 6:30 until 8:00pm.
Epiphany Service & Concert at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish
Sun, 1/8
Epiphany Service & Concert at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish 156 Valley Ave, SW Grand Rapids. Please join us for this special event which is a sing-along with both Polish & English text provided. Scripture, appropriate for the season will be read between carols sung by our choir under the direction of Dr. Bernard Stanko. The evening concludes with refreshments in the Church Friendship Hall afterwards. The event is open to the public but free will offerings will be accepted. For more information, call the parish office at 616-459-8362.
“’And When I Left, My Heart Wept for Both of Them’: Reflections on Eleven Years of Living on the Seam Between Jerusalem and Bethlehem”
Thu, 1/12
For eleven years, Michael McGarry, Paulist priest and now president of the Paulist Fathers, was the director of the Tantur Ecumenical Institute, located between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. In his presentation, Fr. McGarry will reflect on his experience of the Second Intifada and how various efforts at peacemaking which took place at Tantur led him to provocative conclusions about how Americans — Christian and Jewish — might effectively approach this intractable situation.
Does Knowledge Make us Wise: “The Thing from Another World”
Tue, 1/17
Tuesday, January 17 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
It is very easy, in this day and age, to confuse knowledge and wisdom, with potentially disastrous results. Using “The Thing from Another World” a 1951 science fiction film based on the 1938 novella "Who Goes There?" by John W. Campbell (writing under the pseudonym of "Don A. Stuart"), Fr. Tavella will explore the difference between knowledge and wisdom and the importance of their interaction. In the first session of this two part series, after a brief introduction, participants will watch the movie. The following week we will discuss the implications for our world today. And remember, as Ned Scott, the reporter, says “Watch the Skies” In 2001, the film was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
360 Division Ave. S., Ste. 2A, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Thursday, January 19 - 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Thursdays, January 19, 26 and February 2, 7:00 – 8:45pm Eastern Christians are not Protestants; most of them are not Catholics. Who are they and where do they come from? Jan 18/19: The Ancient Churches of the Middle East Conflict at the early Church Councils, especially Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451). The Coptic Churches of Egypt and Ethiopia. The Armenians. The Nestorians, Assyrians and Chaldeans. The Maronites. The St Thomas Christians of India. Jan 25/26: How Catholics and Orthodox got Separated The many centuries when being Orthodox and Catholic was the same. Cultural differences between western Latin and eastern Greek Christians. The five patriarchs. Rise of the papacy; Caesaro-Papism at Constantinople. Temporary separations and reconciliations. Iconoclasm. The formal separation of 1054. Feb 1/2: Orthodoxy since the Separation Decline of the Byzantine Empire. Conversion of the Balkan Slavs. Rise of the Russian Empire. The Orthodox Church under the Ottoman Turks. Uniate movements in the Ukraine and the Middle East; The Melkites. The Soviet empire and its aftermath.
Dr. Eleonore Stump on "The Problem of Suffering: A Thomistic Approach"
Fri, 1/27
Aquinas College St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Studies Speaker Series presents Dr. Eleonore Stump on "The Problem of Suffering: A Thomistic Approach"
January 27, 2012 at 12:15 pm Wege Ballroom. For more information call (616) 632-8900.
2700 Baldwin St., Jenison, MI 49428
Saturday, January 28 - 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM
The Crossroads Parishes present "The ABCs of Catechesis" with keynote speaker Father Phil Shangraw Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 at Holy Redeemer Parish in Jenison. Seeking paths to an adult understanding of our Catholic Faith "CROSSROADS" is the title used by five Catholic parishes to refer to their shared efforst to provide opportunities for Adult Formation in the Southwest region of metropolitan Grand Rapids. The CROSSROADS consortium consists of St. Pius X Parish in Granville, Holy Redeemer Parish in Jenison, Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Wyoming, and St. Sebastian Parish in Byron Center.
Catholic Schools Fair, Office of Catholic Schools, Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI
Sat, 1/28
360 Division Ave. S., Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Saturday, January 28 - 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Sponsored by the diocesan office of Catholic schools. Learn about the value of Catholic school education in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Find out about Catholic schools in your area and meet and talk with representatives from our 27 elementary and four high schools.
What: Marriage Enrichment Retreat
Where: St Jude Parish - the Brophy Center
When: Feb 4 - 9am - 5pm (with Mass at 4pm)
Led by: Sisters from the Franciscan Life Center in Lowell as well as
other professionals
Topics: Theology of the Body, Faith in Marriage, Marriage Throughout
the Years, and others.
There is no cost to anyonoe, but a free will offering is suggested.
Lunch is also included.
This is open to married as well as engaged couples.
To register or obtain more information, please contact Sue Wuorinen at
363-6885 ext 1166
Youth Ministry Training Series, Aquinas College, Grand Rapids
Sat, 2/4
1607 Robinson Rd, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
Saturday, February 4 - 9:00 AM to Sunday, February 5 - 4:00 PM
Aquinas College Jarecki-Lacks Center, Room 215 1607 Robinson Rd Grand Rapids MI 49506 Presenter is Deborah McDonald, Archdiocese of Washington PASTORAL CARE explores the principles and methods of caring for young people from various cultures and their families. The course develops an understanding of the breadth and depth of pastoral care. This includes exploration of family systems, adolescent development and the role that cultural identity plays in the development of adolescents. The goal is two-fold: (a) to promote healthy adolescent development from a pastoral care perspective, and (b) to develop preventative interventions for families with adolescents. Coming Up: Prayer & Worship 4/14-15/2012 Single Course - Individual - $185, Single Course - Team (5) - $350 All 4 Courses - Individual - $740, All 4 Courses - Team (5) - $1400
