March 25, 2024

Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Grand Rapids, MI will host a year-long choral festival called Palestrina 500, celebrating the quincentennial birthday of the great Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94). This anniversary provides our parish a lens through which we can promote the good, true, and beautiful to our greater community.

1 Year. 12 Monthly Events. Each event contains:

a Choral Meditation • Solemn Mass • Reception Afterwards

HOPE COLLEGE CHAPEL CHOIR

Missa Brevis

Annunciation

5:30 PM Choral Meditation

7:00 PM Solemn Mass

8:30 PM Reception
Help us fund Palestrina 500: https://palestrina500.org

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Palestrina 500 is proud to partner with Blue Lake Public Radio for this year-long music festival.

Sacred Heart will host a year-long choral festival called Palestrina 500, celebrating the quincentennial birthday of the great Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525-94). This anniversary provides our parish a lens through which we can promote the good, true, and beautiful to our greater community. There will be monthly events starting December 2024 and ending December 2025 each with a Choral Meditation, Solemn Mass, and Reception.

We have decided that moving forward we would have one sign up per monthly event. Thank you for donating your time. The full list of dates is below.  If you are able to sign up for all events, let us know and we will sign you up.  Mike Tober dre@shgr.org or Laureen Fish lfish@shgr.org

If you would like to help out at our February event, please sign up HERE. If you are able to sign up for all dates, let us know and we will sign you up.

Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Friday, April 25, 2025
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Friday, June 27, 2025
Wednesday, July 16, 2025
Friday, August 15, 2025
Monday, September 15, 2025
Tuesday, October 7, 2025
Monday, November 2, 2025
Monday, December 8, 2025

Any questions or to sign up, please reach out to Mike Tober dre@shgr.org or Laureen Fish lfish@shgr.org. 

Descriptions for the various volunteer positions can be found here. 

Looking for a fun, free, family-friendly way to celebrate Mardi Gras? Come to the St. Kateri FNE Cake Carnival on Saturday, March 1 in Cebelak Hall!

What’s on the Menu?

• Activities for All Ages: Lent and Mardi Gras themed crafts and games, along with cupcake decorating and a cake walk
• Cake Baking Contest: Taste and vote for your favorite cakes in two categories: gluten and gluten-free! Sampling is free, and you vote by donation—bring your sweet tooth and your spare change! Proceeds support our parish’s St. Kateri FNE scouting group for girls.Event Details:

• Doors Open: 3 PM
• Cake Winners Announced: 4:15 PM
• Free Entry: No cost to join the fun! RSVP appreciated but not required: https://forms.gle/jPy69yFK3BDVGims8
• Think You Bake the Best Cake? Enter the Cake Contest!
  • Enter your cake in our friendly competition for a chance to win in one of two categories: Gluten or Gluten-Free
  • Bring your cake to Cebelak Hall on Saturday, March 1, from 11-11:30 AM to be prepped for sampling.
  • Party guests will vote for their favorites with donations—no limit on how much or how little!
  • Winners in each category will be announced at the close of voting during the Cake Carnival Mardi Gras party in Cebelak Hall.
  • Contact Katie Lyon (katie.lyon@outlook.com) with questions.Whether you come to sample cakes, enjoy the activities, or just soak in the Mardi Gras atmosphere, there’s something for everyone! Bring the whole family and make some delicious memories. See you at the Cake Carnival!

Sacred Heart is moving to Flocknote! In an effort to streamline our subscription accounts, communication process and minimize our fees, Sacred Heart is moving to a NEW church software. As we finalize the update feature(hopefully available next week), we wanted to let you know that this is forthcoming. An app is available, with a white sheep, or access through a browser. Over time, this will replace Remind, Sign up Genius, paper registrations, and our giving platform. Questions, please email Laureen Fish at lfish@shgr.org.

The Commitment of Fidelity is Sacred Heart’s model of giving.

~ At the most basic level, the Commitment of Fidelity is a question: How do you feel called to serve God and your neighbor through the work of Sacred Heart?

~The CoF model is designed to grow and sustain our truly Christian community in a spirit consistent with the life of our unique parish. 

~The model hinges upon the individual responsibility of parishioners, parish families, and friends as we prayerfully take spiritual inventory, appraise gifts, and examine our commitment to God’s Church and each other.

How does CoF work?

Every year, Sacred Heart Parish calls everyone in the community to assess the gifts that God has given them and to respond to His generosity by com- mitting some of those gifts back to His Church.

•  For a designated series of weeks each year, parishioners are encour- aged to undergo the process of personal examination together, and after this period of holistic and prayerful discernment, to submit to the Parish what they are planning to commit in fidelity to aid in its work for the year.
• CoF postcards for submission of your commitments will be available after Masses during Commitment of Fidelity weeks and all year round in the parish office.
• While the “Commitment of Fidelity” is a name for the scheduled peri- od of discernment and the subsequent giving, it is also the relationship we hope to foster between the Parish and its community — a partner- ship of mutual, intentional commitment and loving sacrifice.
• The CoF model encourages the community to be continually mindful of how we praise and thank our Lord all year round. Through this spir- it of gratitude, we are best able to humbly discern His will for our lives and the role we are each to play in His Church.What do commitments of fidelity look like?
  ~ Prayers
  ~ Volunteer hours
  ~ Skilled work
  ~ Financial assistance

What has Happened, What is Happening and What is Coming

What has Happened

Summer 2024- Strategic Planning Process
Fall 2024- Strategic intent Map Presented to the Parish
October 2024- Donor Sponsored Feasibility Study
November 2024- Commitment of Fidelity Parishioner Audit December 2024- “Welcoming” Sermons, Palestrina 500 begins January 2025- Liturgy Cards in pews, Music Primer in the Bulletin

What is Happening

February 2025- Annual Fund Begins
March 2025- Academy starts Strategic Planning Process

What is Coming

March 2025- New Streamlined Commitment of Fidelity process April 2025- First window restored
April 2025- Diocesan Pastoral Plan presented to the Parish Council

Tables and seats are now on sale for the Annual Men’s Wild Game Dinner. Tables are $250.00 and seat 10 participants. Or a single seat is $25. Tables and single seats are limited and sell fast! Sponsor a table and invite your friends, family, co-workers, or someone who has been away from the church for a while. Contact Michael Tober at dre@shgr.org to purchase a table. The Men’s Wild Game Dinner is on Saturday, February 22 from 6pm-9pm in the Sacred Heart Gym.

If you are interested in helping volunteer for this event on Friday, Feb. 21 or Saturday, Feb. 22, please contact Elizabeth Bianchi at ebianchi@shgr.org

Give thanks for the great blessing of your spouse by committing to attend a Worldwide Marriage Encounter experience! Upcoming experiences will be held Feb. 28-Mar. 2 at the Center for Ministry in Saginaw; and Apr. 4-6 at St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt. Apply today at wwme.org or contact Amy & Joe Kopacz at 517-667-0433 for more information.

Discernment is a time of obtaining spiritual guidance and understanding. If you are considering the priesthood, the Diocese of Grand Rapids invites you to meet each month with other young men in high school and college to gather and discern God’s will for your life. Feel free to just show up or email to let us know you are coming at preynolds@grdiocese.org. You may also contact the Director of Priestly Vocations Fr. Rob Mulderink at frrob@lukespot.com if you have questions.

Discernment Meeting Dates

St. Luke University Parish 10144 42nd Ave. Georgetown Twp. MI 49428 12:30-1:30 p.m.

2025 dates: February 16, March 23, and May 4