Saint Joseph Catholic Church - South Bend, IN

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Thank You for Supporting the Annual Bishop's Appeal

The Annual Bishop’s Appeal is an opportunity for Catholics to help the diocese participate in the Church’s mission of bringing God’s saving hope and love to others through its many ministries and service. In this year's ABA video, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades states, “The work of a diocese is a great undertaking, especially in times of hardship. We are called to ensure that our dioceses and parishes have the resources we need to carry out our mission."

ABA funds support Catholic education, seminarian formation, priests’ retirement, evangelization ministries, communication efforts, services to the needy, and support to parishes. Parishes are given a collection goal for each year’s appeal, and any amount of money collected above the set amount is returned to the parish for its use.

In this year's letter to the faithful, Bishop Rhoades reflected, “I pray that you will be generous in supporting the Bishop’s Appeal again this year. Your support ensures that our diocese and parishes have the resources we need to carry out our mission of bearing witness to God’s love and bringing the hope of the Gospel to so many in this portion of the vineyard of the Lord.”

To donate online, visit diocesefwsb.org/ABA, and be sure to select that you are giving on behalf of St. Joseph South Bend. Checks may be made payable to Annual Bishop’s Appeal and submitted to the collection basket or to the parish office. Thank you for your generosity this year.

Weekly Adoration

We will resume Eucharistic Adoration each Thursday beginning on October 7, from 7:30am to 9:00pm. We need at least two people for every time slot to ensure that there are always people in the church throughout the vigil. To sign up for a time slot each week, please follow the links below. For more information or to sign up for a recurring weekly time slot, please email adoration@stjoeparish.com.

October 7 | October 14 | October 21 | October 28 | November 4 | November 11 | November 18

Bible Devotion Hour

Fr. Kevin hosts a weekly Bible Devotion Hour on Wednesdays from 4:00-5:00pm at the Ackles Parish Life Center. This is 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 September 29, our focus will be on chapters 7-9 of Genesis. Join us! For questions, contact Fr. Kevin at krusseau@stjoeparish.com.

Youth Group

The Saint Joseph Parish Youth Group is kicking off with meetings for games, food, and more! Youth are invited to join us weekly beginning on Tuesday, September 28, in the Basil Moreau Room (BMR) — enter through the sacristy door at the back of the church.

Middle School (6th-8th), 3:30-5:00pm
High School (9th-12th), 6:30-8:00pm

Snacks provided for middle schoolers; dinner provided for high schoolers. Yes, Youth Group will be weekly this year! A calendar will be given at the kick-off and posted on the parish website in the coming days. For any questions, please contact Mary Catherine McDonald at mmcdonald@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. Saint Joseph Church will provide seating on the north side of the church for those who wish to sit in a mask-only section.

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.