Saint Joseph Catholic Church - South Bend, IN

Happening now at Saint Joseph...

Parish Picnic!

The Saint Joseph Parish Picnic returns on Saturday, August 21, from 5:00-8:00pm. Please note the Saturday Vigil Mass will move to 4:00pm that evening. Admission to the picnic is just $5 per person or $25 for families of five or more. The focus of this year’s picnic is to simply gather again as a parish community around food, faith, and one another. The picnic will feature a variety of games for children. Dinner served from 5:00-6:30pm includes burgers and dogs prepared by our parish grillmasters, as well as a variety of sides and fixin's! Once again, our parishioner friends from Corby's Irish Pub will be on hand with a cash bar. Purchase admission online now!

For questions, please contact Fr. Matt Fase, C.S.C., at mfase@stjoeparish.com.

Bible Devotion Hour

Beginning in July, Fr. Kevin will be hosting a weekly Bible Devotion Hour on Wednesdays from 4:00-5:00pm at the Ackles Parish Life Center. This will not be a "Bible study" or lecture, but rather a shared reflection from participants about what struck them as they read from Scripture the previous week. Keeping a journal to make notes as you read may be helpful. All are welcome, and weekly attendance is not required.

On August 4, our focus will be on chapters 13-15 of Matthew's Gospel. Join us! For questions, contact Fr. Kevin at krusseau@stjoeparish.com.

Children's Adoration

Beginning August 7, Adoration for children will take place on the first Saturday of the month in the Reservation Chapel behind the altar in our church. Fr. Matt will speak to the children about Adoration and lead the benediction at the end. There will be coloring available, and Annie Tarr will lead families in singing and praying a decade of the Rosary. Adoration will be from 10:00-11:00am but feel free to come anytime, leave anytime! Let the little ones, noises and all, come to Jesus!

CCD Assistants Needed

Our Children's Catechetical Development (CCD) program is currently in need of several assistants (at most grade levels) to aid in the faith formation of our children. Classes are held on Sunday mornings for children in grades pre-K through 7th grade. Prior experience in the classroom is absolutely not needed; this is a beautiful opportunity to simply share your love of Christ with our children and grow in faith alongside them! This is a great opportunity for high school students as well. If you are interested in serving our parish community, or would more info about this ministry, please contact Sean Driscoll at sdriscoll@stjoeparish.com.

Mass Information

Please see a statement from the Indiana bishops regarding the impending restoration of the Sunday & Holy Day Mass obligation. Except for the unique situations as described in the statement, those who are otherwise healthy are obliged to return to Sunday Mass beginning the weekend of June 12-13, 2021.

In addition, new liturgy directives from the diocese indicate that face coverings are now optional at public liturgies (health authorities recommend that unvaccinated individuals still wear masks) and strict social distancing is no longer required in churches. For the time being, a section of the north side of our church will continue to be set aside with socially distanced seating in order to accommodate those who would be more comfortable with that arrangement.

Please note that anyone (whether vaccinated or not) that is ill should still remain home. For those unable to attend in person, the 5:00pm Saturday Vigil Mass will continue to be broadcast live and on demand on our parish YouTube channel and Facebook page each week.

Flowers for St. Joseph

During the Year of St. Joseph, we have moved our statue of St. Joseph forward to a more prominent location in the front corner of the church. There are votive candles, a kneeler, and prayer cards available to invite moments of prayer. Members of the parish are invited to bring in flowers to place by the statue. Sign up here to bring in flowers. Contact Theresa Slott at tslott@stjoeparish.com with any questions.