God's Kitchen
Altercare -- Catholic Worship
Brown Bag Food Drive
Funeral Lunch Program
Good Samaritan Fund
Liturgical Music Ministry
Baptism Preparation
Annulment Assistance
Giving the deceased a proper burial is one of the core values of our Catholic faith. In the language of the Church, this is one of the seven corporeal works of mercy (feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead). Besides the primary aspect of this work – which is the liturgy of the Church (Vigil for the Deceased, Funeral Mass, and Committal Service), our parish enhances this ritual with a Funeral Luncheon.
A Funeral Luncheon truly is an act of Christian charity. When the family is overcome with grief and sadness over the loss of their loved one, the Church comforts them first and foremost with prayers: in prayers the family members, together with the community of faith, place their loved one in the merciful hands of the God of life and resurrection; in prayers the family members express their pain of loss to the Compassionate Almighty Father. In addition to the prayers, the Funeral Luncheon affords the family an opportunity to gather with all the guests to celebrate the life of their loved one in light of the hope that prayers and liturgy of the Church bring about. The Funeral Luncheon also fills a very practical need: The family has been busy and thus needs some good nutritious food to strengthen their body. The people that travel from afar to be with the family needs a simple but healthy meal before they will be on the road again. The Funeral Luncheon truly is an act of kindness, the very thing that Jesus asks us to do for one another.
This ministry is going well in our parish, but always needs more help and volunteers. Currently, this ministry is headed by the Parish Council of Catholic Women. We are grateful for their commitment. We are always in need of people to do the cooking, preparation and cleaning. We encourage all parishioners to think of this worthy ministry and consider offering your time and talent for this worthy cause. Please give the parish a call (231 796 5202) or email (bmorawa@stmarybr.org) if you are interested. Your call or email will be forwarded to the appropriate person to follow up with your interests. In addition, we are very proud of the fact that our kitchen in the Parish Center has FDA approval; you will also be informed about the guidelines to keep up the high standard of quality that has been given to our kitchen.
Again, thank you for helping us to carry out a corporeal work of mercy — burying the dead, with love, faith, hope, and with all the dignity that he/she deserves as adopted sons and daughters of God through baptism.