Scammers Pose As Priests

Have you received text messages, emails, or messages through Facebook Messenger from someone claiming to be Father Mark? The messages are usually brief and say something like “Can we talk in your spare time?” or “I’m in a meeting and can’t talk, but need your help and it’s urgent.” It is not until you respond that there are questions asking for money or gift cards indicating it is an emergency.

Don’t give. It’s not Fr. Mark. It’s a scam.

Many parishioners of the Diocese of Grand Rapids have been targeted by these fraudsters and it’s not just happening in West Michigan. The Diocese of Austin, Texas; the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and the Archdiocese of Miami, Florida and others also have reported the scams.

Don’t fall for it! Here is what to know and do:

  1. Check the email address it is being sent from. If it is not “mpeacock@hsparish.org” then it is not from Fr. Mark. (for example, they often come from an email like “fatherr773@gmail.com and pmailoffice04@gmail.com)
  2. Know that Fr. Mark will never make requests like that via email or text message and instantly demand money or gift cards.

If you ever have any questions or concerns, or want to check before responding, you are always welcome to forward the emails to our office staff or call us to confirm the validity of the message.

Synod Reports – Interim Phase

Thank you for your support of the interim phase of the Synod on Synodality. In the past few years, Pope Francis has initiated the Synod on Synodality to see and know how we are carrying out our lives as faithful followers of Jesus Christ.

This interim phase helps bridge the gap between the first session of the Ordinary General Assembly held in October 2023 and the second session which will occur in October 2024.

Bishop Daniel Flores, chair of the USCCB’s Committee on Doctrine, asked each bishop to organize 2-3 listening sessions in his diocese during this interim phase focusing on two “guiding questions.”

The Diocese of Grand Rapids hosted three listening sessions in March – at Cathedral Square Center, at St. Patrick – St. Anthony Parish, Grand Haven, and the Catholic Newman Center in Big Rapids.

Summaries of those meetings were analyzed and synthesized into a report that was submitted to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The diocesan report and the report for Region VI (Michigan and Ohio) are now available for reading, by clicking on the links above and below this paragraph.

Let us pray that the pope’s invitation to all Catholics for synodality – that is, listening to and hearing one another is recognized.

Prayer for Vocations

2025 will mark the first year since 2014 that we will not have any ordinations to the priesthood in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. The Gospel of Matthew reminds us that “the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest”
(Mt 9:37-38). We must intentionally and repeatedly ask the Lord to send more laborers for the harvest in the Diocese of Grand Rapids.

For this reason, Bishop Walkowiak has launched a vocations prayer initiative across the diocese. This prayer asks the Lord to bless the Diocese of Grand Rapids with more vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life. 

Prayer cards will be made available in the Narthex soon for you to take the prayer home with you. In the meantime, we will pray it together before the close of each Mass as a parish family.

Epiphany Home Blessing

The Epiphany Blessing is a Catholic Tradition to bless our homes. Catholics bless their homes by writing the letters C, M, and B and the numbers of the year at the top of their doors. The letters stand for the names of the three Magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. They also represent the Latin blessing Christus mansionem benedicat, which means, “May Christ bless this house.”

Click here for a printable version without the background image.

Advent Giving Tree Success

Each Advent, we hang gift tags on the trees in the back of church with different requests, such as “2 Bath Towels” or “1 Laundry Basket.” While the list has usually been quite similar, this year’s tags also included toilet paper, paper towel, and feminine products for women. We partnered with Catholic Charities West Michigan this year.

We are incredibly appreciative of a parish who stepped up once again to provide for the needs in our community! Thank you to all those who made donations for the items listed on the gift tags, as well as all of the monetary donations towards God’s Kitchen and in the form of Meijer gift cards, which totaled $2,875.00.

Catholic Charities West Michigan was so grateful for the donations and the need to bring one of their big trucks in order to fit everything in one load! Thank you, Holy Spirit for truly living out our mission to Love God…Serve Others…Grow Disciples!

Our Guide Book & Directory is Here!

Look in your mailbox for our new Guide Book & Directory. It should be arriving in the coming week.

The many advertisers included helped provide this service to our parish at no cost. We encourage you to think of them in the future as your needs arise. If you are interested in advertising next year, contact amandavogt@guidebookpublishing.com for more information.

Please familiarize yourself with the ministries and organizations at our church located in the front of the book. An electronic PDF version of the Guide Section of the book is available for downloading to our computer, smart phone, or tablet at your convenience.

To download the Online Guide Section:

  1. Visit www.guidebookpublishing.com/congregations/online-guide-sections
  2. Click on our state followed by our city
  3. Click on VIEW GUIDE to download the book

Update Your Information

If your information is incorrect or out of date in the Guide Book & Directory, please update it here so we can update our database and ensure changes will be made to next year’s directory.

Master Plan Update

September 9, 2023

Progressive AE has finished compiling all information and feedback they gathered from their time on campus and the various staff, ministries, and parish-wide town hall. They have presented a campus-wide master plan to the Building Steering Committee, which identifies potential spaces, not design or layout.

This weekend’s bulletin includes an insert with a drawing of the long range vision plan, as well as an explanation of what a long range vision plan is, what the guiding principles are, and what the next steps are.

The Steering Committee will be in the Narthex after all Masses on the weekend of September 16 and 17 to answer questions with much larger displays that more clearly label the vision for our campus. Consider stopping by next weekend and taking a look!

The next step will be for the feasibility study to begin. This process will take some time, as well as many sacrifices from our community as we look at how we can generously support this vision over the coming years to make it a reality. We look forward to this journey with you!


July 26, 2023

Progressive AE is collecting questionnaires from all departments, staff, and ministries and are now interviewing them. At the end of July/beginning of August, they will study our existing facilities and document our current campus. Over several weeks they will process the
collected data and implement that knowledge into design concepts. This process should take until the end of August; at that time we will present the study’s conclusions and the official master plan.


Letter from Fr. Mark Peacock

Dear Holy Spirit Community,

It is with great encouragement from many parishioners as well as approval from the Pastoral Council, Finance Council and Board of Education that I formed a Building Steering Committee to assess the needs of our campus and develop a master plan. Because of Holy Spirit’s great growth and ministry development, it is time we take a look at how we can better support the needs of every member of our community. I am excited to see what the future holds!

Highlights:
  • Our Parish has grown by over 200 parishioners in the past year. Expansion of assess like the Multipurpose Room will allow for a more vibrant and connected community.
  • Our Child Development Center is an excellent self-sustaining asset that can be expanded to provide infant care to further support our young families.
  • As the Parish flourishes, our staff continues to grow to serve you and lacks adequate space for meetings, small groups, conferences, etc.
  • Our enrollment in the school is the highest it has been in 10 years and is expected to continue to increase. (We already have 320 students enrolled for next school year and anticipate another 10-15 students to enroll by fall. Currently, our school building can only house 390 students.)
Considerations:
  • Our growing ministries continue to exaggerate the lack of space, especially with the potential of adding a Youth Minister in the future.
  • No major construction or renovation project has been conducted in 30 years.
  • Current ministries such as funeral services, Knights of Columbus breakfasts, special events, coffee & donuts, etc. are underserved by the current facilities.
  • Wayfinding has always been a struggle for Holy Spirit. This coupled with an ever-growing concern for community safety calls for a review of the circulation and access control of the entire campus.
Solution:
  • Through the interviewing process with multiple architectural firms, it became clear to the committee that now is the time to define a Master Plan for the future of our community and its campus.
  • Progressive AE has been selected to lead a holistic investigation of the Parish to clearly outline our needs and from there will design a phased Master Plan that will prioritize and sequence our needs.
What to expect:
  • Over the next few weeks, Progressive AE will orchestrate a series of workshops, a parish wide town hall meeting, and surveys to hear your (the community’s) opinions.
  • They will then assess the data that they collect while investigating our current facilities to provide a complete picture of the Parish’s current state.
  • After the 10-week process, Progressive AE will present a Master Plan Package to the Steering Committee and Parish demonstrating their proposed solutions to our needs.
  • Although this plan may change over time, it is intended to guide the Parish as we continue to grow in our mission.

Blessings,
Fr. Mark Peacock
Pastor

Michigan March for Life Bus Trip

Grand Rapids Right to Life invites you to be a part of the Michigan March for Life on November 8, 2023!

The Michigan March for Life is an excellent opportunity for advocates for life of all ages and political persuasions from across the state to join with one voice on behalf of the defenseless. A strong showing of support on the first anniversary of the devastating passage of pro-abortion Proposal 3 sends a powerful message to elected officials, the citizens of Michigan, and the nation at large.
Come and peacefully advocate for the protection of all human life from conception to natural death.

Grand Rapids Right to Life

For more details about the day’s schedule of events, visit https://www.grrtl.org/events/.

Grand Rapids Right to Life has organized a bus trip, with the following details:

  • $25 per person
  • Bus trip includes return transportation from Grand Rapids to Lansing
  • Departure locations will be confirmed based on registrations
  • Make check payable to Grand Rapids Right to Life
  • Payment and registration form are due by October 16, 2023
  • Payment is non-refundable as bus rentals are based on registration commitments

The registration form can be found below, with information on where to remit payment to. Download option available as well!

Garden Angels- Volunteers Welcome!

The Garden Angels began their work on the parish grounds on Wednesday, May 17th. The group will continue to meet weekly at 9:00 am. It’s never too late to join!

Luncheons will continue weekly through October after the work is done. (Everyone is asked to bring a dish to pass if you wish. They usually have a lot of food, so no worries if you don’t or cannot bring a dish.)

What to Bring

Please bring your own tools, gloves, rakes, shovels and cutters (if you have them) and put your name on your tools!

Men and women are welcome; many dirty hands make for light work! If you have any questions, please call Rosemary Cheslock at (616) 485-1184.