St. Joseph Catholic Church
936 Lake Street, Kalamazoo Michigan 49001
(269) 343-6256
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Note: Click on "Outreach Activities" above for information about Fr. Dominic's Ministries.
Coffee, juice, warm conversation and some of the tastiest donuts in southwest Michigan provide a great setting for fellowship after the 8:45 AM Mass. This "power" breakfast happens in the Bennett Gym on most Sundays, September to May. Contact:
Justice for Immigrants This is the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Campaign for Immigration Reform. A group of parishioners meets regularly for the purpose of: More information about the Justice for Immigrants Campaign can be found on www.justiceforimmigrants.org. Meetings are held the 2nd Tuesday of the month from September through May at 7:00 PM in the St. Joseph Room (Rectory Basement). Contact:
Lenten Fish Fry You are bound to make new friends and rub elbows with some movers and shakers at St. Joseph Fish Fry. Fish and chips, macaroni and cheese, hot and cold beverages, and great desserts are served the first 6 Fridays of Lent. Contact:
Men's Fellowship Group Through Sacred Scripture, prayer, and discussion, the men of this group help each other become the men Jesus wants them to be. Meetings are held each Saturday, 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM in the St. Joseph Room. All men 17 years or older are welcome. Contact:
Parish Bazaar The Parish Bazaar has been held for over 30 years. On the first weekend of November, craft items and baked goods made by parishioners are sold in a Christmas holiday atmosphere. There are raffles of crafts, coffee and homemade donuts made by the parish donut crew, and items from various vendors. Contact: Fr. Dominic Ministries Outreach to the Poor in Kenya, Africa Father Dominic becomes Bishop Dominic
Many years ago, there was a parishioner at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kalamazoo who decided to sponsor a seminarian in Kenya, Africa. That seminarian was Dominic Kimengich, who was ordained a priest in 1986. In 1996, Fr. Dominic traveled to Kalamazoo to meet his sponsor, Mary Agnes McGrail. Their friendship grew into an enduring mother-son relationship. It was during this visit that he met Msgr. Mike Hazard and they became fast friends. Since then, he has visited Kalamazoo several times and has become a cherished friend to many parishioners at St. Joseph Church and others in the Kalamazoo Diocese. When Fr. Dominic first came to us, he was the rector at St. Joseph Junior Seminary, a Catholic secondary school for boys in Molo, Kenya. The mission of the school is to educate young men and form them with Christian values and virtues. In 2001 he was appointed Vicar General of the Diocese of Nakuru, located in the Rift Valley province of Kenya. From 2006 through 2008 he served as Rector of St. Matthias Mulumba Major Seminary in Tindinyo, overseeing the formation of 170 seminarians. He then served at the Kenya Catholic Secretariat in Nairobi, serving the entire Church in Kenya in Canonical issues by offering legal/canonical advise to the bishops, clergy, laity and religious. Most recently, prior to his appointment as auxiliary bishop, he has been Judge of the Diocesan Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Nakuru. He is also responsible for sourcing money for the Canon Law Office and ensuring the establishment of functional tribunals in the country.
About one-third of the 30 million people in Kenya are Catholic. The Catholic Church there is growing at a phenomenal rate and enjoys a good reputation for her stand against injustice, human rights abuses and corruption. Amid the acute poverty, ignorance and the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the Church in Kenya has taken as her obligation the eradication of poverty, the establishment of schools to fight illiteracy, and the establishment of a healthcare system to eradicate diseases and combat life-threatening maladies. The Church in Kenya lacks the resources to achieve her mission and vision of evangelization and eradication of human suffering. For this reason, they continually appeal to all friends of good will to assist them in any way they can. With prayers and donations, both large and small, we are answering Christ’s invitation to help.
One of the best ways of bringing hope to Kenya is to educate the country’s youth and provide them with a good moral foundation. In sponsoring Fr. Dominic so many years ago, Mary Agnes McGrail cast the first pebble creating continuous RIPPLES OF HOPE reaching across the globe to help Christ’s sisters and brothers who are suffering. Inspired by her example, several parishioners at St. Joseph Church and elsewhere now sponsor the secondary education of some of Kenya’s neediest students. Bishop Dominic Kimengich will continue to administer the "Ripples of Hope" outreach program of St. Joseph Church, dedicated to the education of some of the poorest children in Kenya, who otherwise would not be able to attend school. How You Can Help There are ways you can help with the education of Kenya’s youth and the formation of seminarians preparing to be priests. If you decide to help in these efforts, please print a copy of the Appeal Response Form (see below) and mail it to St. Joseph Church with your check. If you decide to sponsor a secondary school student or seminarian, you will become a member of Imani Katika Matendo (Kiswahili for “Faith in Action”) and receive periodic “RIPPLES OF HOPE” newsletters with information about students and seminarians in the program. Members occasionally meet to share their experience as sponsors. Assist or Sponsor the Education of Needy Students The government in Kenya offers free primary schooling (Grades K-8), but students must pay to attend secondary school (high school). Many parents cannot afford to pay school fees and still take care of their family’s basic needs. You can help by contributing to the education of needy students or by sponsoring the education of a boy or girl. Full sponsorship at $650 per year will assure students of their tuition fees, boarding fees, food, uniform, stationary, etc., for the whole year. Sponsorship at any level is welcome. If you wish to correspond with your student, Fr. Dominic will select someone especially for you. This has been very rewarding for both students and sponsors. Several sponsors have continued to support their students through college. If you are interested in sponsorship and would like copies of the newsletters or to view a video featuring some of the sponsored students, they are available upon request from the St. Joseph Church Rectory.
Assist or Sponsor the Education of Major Seminarians These seminarians have answered the call to the priesthood and are undergoing formation at a major seminary. The whole period of formation takes eight years. It costs $1,000 per year to educate and support a seminarian. The Vatican currently gives seminaries a subsidy of $600 per year per student. Rectors are expected to find money to make up the difference in the cost to educate, feed and clothe them, and take care of their medical needs. This has not been easy. You can help by contributing to the seminary or by sponsoring a seminarian. Full sponsorship is $400 per year, but sponsorship and contributions at any level are appreciated. If you wish to correspond with a seminarian, Fr. Dominic will select one especially for you. How Your Contributions Will be Used 100% of the contributions are wired to Fr. Dominic on a quarterly basis and used as designated by the donors. Unrestricted donations are used at Fr. Dominic's discretion where most needed and may be used to support his current apostolate. St. Joseph Church absorbs all fundraising and administrative costs. Appeal Response Form (for printing)
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