The Race is on for auction tickets–do you have yours yet? Go to our auction website sacredheartauction.com to browse the list of live auction items and get those last minute tickets.  Silent auction items will be up and ready to bid on by Monday, October 9th! Hope you’re ready for an amazing evening!

This is a night you will NOT want to miss. The annual Parish and Academy Auction date is Friday, October 13, 2023. Doors open at 6pm at the Goei Center with a strolling dinner, a robust silent auction, and Heart-to-Heart tables that benefit specific needs within the parish and academy. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and while we do need to raise funds, our bigger initiative is to build relationships! So, ladies, start making your hats now and plan for an evening of fun and friendly competition.

Can’t make it to the auction and still want to show your support? Make a donation on the website or contact Amber Hiske at ahiske@shgr.org and she will let you know where your donation is needed.

The sanctuary will be closed from November 6 to December 24. During this time low Mass (no music or incense) will be celebrated in Cebelak Hall. We will be adding extra Masses to accommodate everyone.  The Mass schedule will be as follows:

Weekdays:  8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Saturday:  7:45 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Sunday:  7:45 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. (Latin) and 5:00 p.m. (Latin)

Please note that Cebelak Hall holds a maximum of 400 people standing and many fewer seated.  The two main Masses (9:30 and 11:30) will be very crowded. If you normally attend either of those Masses, please consider attending either the 5pm Mass on Saturday or the 7:45am or 5pm Mass on Sunday.

Due to overcrowding, there will be no confessions during the 9:30 and 11:30 Masses. Confession will be offered at the regularly scheduled times of Friday 3-4pm and Saturday 3-4:30pm. Sunday confessions will be offered during the 7:45am and 5pm Masses if a priest is available.

Venerate the relic of St. Jude at its ONLY Grand Rapids stop!

The arm of St. Jude the Apostle is currently on pilgrimage around the United States – the first time it has left Italy. The faithful of the Diocese of Grand Rapids will have an opportunity to venerate and pray with the relic at its West Michigan stop:

• Date: Oct. 9
• Location: Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 151 Garfield Ave. SW, Grand Rapids, 49504
• Time:
  • Veneration Begins: 1 p.m.
  • Mass in honor of Saint Jude: 7 p.m.
  • Veneration Ends: 10 p.m.

The Relic will be in the main sanctuary of the Church. All the faithful (other than those who are handicapped) should enter through the main front doors. Handicap accessibility is through the Park Street side entrance to the Church. 

The holy cards, medals, etc. provided by the Vatican will be located in the Parish Hall (Church basement). Handicapped faithful should enter through the Park St. side entrance and take the elevator down.  

Parking is limited so it will be expected that people park on side streets around the Church. Handicapped faithful can be dropped off and assisted at the Park Street side entrance.

For the full tour schedule of the Midwest, including a handful of stops in the Diocese of Lansing, see: Tour Schedule.

Would you be willing to pray for one hour to end abortion?
40 Days for Life is a pro-life effort that consists of 40 days of praying, fasting, and holding a peaceful vigil in front of an abortion facility. The fall campaign will take place from September 27th through November 5th, from 7am-7pm.

IMPORTANT LOCATION CHANGE: Due to the closing of Heritage Women’s Clinic, we will now hold our vigil in front of Planned Parenthood at 425 Cherry Street SE in Grand Rapids. This facility provides the abortion pill and refers for abortions. Sacred Heart has adopted Wednesday, September 27th to pray at the peaceful vigil. At least two individuals are needed for each hour of the vigil. Please sign up following Mass or by following the instructions below.

1. Visit www.40daysforlife.com/GrandRapids.
2. Click “Log In / Sign Up” box.
3. Click “Sign Up for Vigil Hours” box.
4. Click on the day you want to pray at the peaceful vigil.
5. Click on the hour you want to pray.
6. Click “Submit Hours” box. All done!

A reminder will be sent to you via e-mail before your prayer time. Thank you for praying to end abortion in our city.

Please take a moment and check out the local businesses you can support in this directory in the event that you will need them someday! There are several categories; gifts, goods, services, health, technology, and more! Thank you to our community for their help in putting this together. You can refer to the parish website to find the directory or click SH Catholic Business Directory.

This Friday, September 29, Sacred Heart will celebrate a High Mass for the Feast of St. Michael at 7pm. The choir Gaudete Grand Rapids will be singing works by Palestrina, Viadana, and Jacob Handl, as well as the liturgical premiere of an Ave Verum by American composer Andrew Bolden. Come and celebrate heaven’s greatest warrior and his conquering of the devil!

All Saints’ Eve Mass & Celebration is coming up on Tuesday, October 31st and we need volunteers and candy to make this fun event happen! Mark your calendars and RSVP NOW!

• CANDY DONATIONS NEEDED!  Please drop off candy ASAP by Oct. 30. Just place it in the boxes in the back of the church OR drop it off at the parish office. Thank you!
• VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Please contact the parish office, or follow this link to the Sign-Up Genius and let us know you can help! We need several volunteers to make this happen…thank you! 
• RSVP FOR THE CELEBRATION!!! Please help us with planning by completing this RSVP FORM as soon as possible. Thank you!

Please join us for our next Authenticum Series lecture titled, “FOOD FOR BEASTS AND CONSUMED BY FIRE:The Eucharistic Existence of St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Polycarp of Smyrna” led by Father Justin Kizewski, Director of Intellectual Formation for St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5
Sacred Heart Cebelak Hall
151 Garfield Ave. SW Grand Rapids

Wine & Cheese Social 6:30pm
LECTURE BEGINS: 7:00PM

FATHER JUSTIN KIZEWSKI, MS, MA, PHL, STD, ordained in 2008, is a priest from the
Diocese of La Crosse. He is the Director of Intellectual Formation at St. Francis de Sales Seminary
in Milwaukee and adjunct professor of theology at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology.
Previously he was a pastor of two parishes in Chippewa Falls, WI. His graduate studies were done in
health care bioethics, philosophy, and theology. He has previously taught for Christendom College,
Saint Paul Seminary, and the Gregorian University.

Authenticum Flyer

Do you experience fear and doubt that you will make it to heaven? Do you sometimes feel close to God and then another moment feel He is far away? Do you feel inspired to do good while in prayer and then become sad that once again you have failed? Are you discouraged when you look back since your conversion and see very little pro- gress? All of these agitating feelings and thoughts are part of the interior struggles of the spiritual life that can debilitate our movement toward God. However, St. Ignatius of Loyola, in his 14 Rules of Spiritual Discernment, has formulated a way to clearly discern the way to God instead of following our changing emotions and erratic way of thinking. Being unaware of the movements of the spirit make us easily susceptible to its harmful deceptions. In this book study you will learn to become spiritually aware, understand the good and bad spirits at work, and then take action to either reject or accept the spiritual movements of the heart.

When: Wednesdays at 8:45-10:15am, October 4—December 20 Where: Cebelak Hall in the parish basement for first meeting. Register by emailing Mary Tober: marymiryung@gmail.com Cost: ~ $15 for the book