Fall 2020-Spring 2021 Newsletter a Word from Our Fearless Leaders

Fall 2020-Spring 2021 Newsletter A Word from our Fearless Leaders

Alumni and Supporters of Saint Mary University!

First - I want to introduce myself. I’m Fr. Andy Booms - the pastor! Fr. Marc, who is my vicar dedicates most of his time to Saint Mary University and together it has been an honor to serve the students, faculty, staff and community at Saint Mary University Par- ish since last July. Both Fr. Marc and I reside at Saint Brigid of Kildare in Midland. I’m also happy to say that next year our team remains stable!

I pray that this newsletter finds you well, healthy and close to the Lord! It’s been a year (or year and half)! The CoVid-19 pandemic had some direct impact on life here at Saint Mary University. In March 2020 after the students were sent home the parish closed, and all staff were laid off. In July Fr. Marc started to prepare for reopening, and by August 1 we were once again ready to welcome worshipers back to the parish. CoVid made for a slow start to the year, but by the 2nd semester we had made many improvements for students and our worshiping community. There was new furnishings, game room, kitchen upgrades, security cameras, 24 hour key fob access, sound upgrades, a “new” piano and even lighting enhancements. By the end of spring semester students were once again gathering for study, prayer and nourishment in the lounge!

This summer we have one big project - the roof! It’s been talked about for years, but the $60,000 investment must be made this year. If all goes well it will be complete before Fall life returns. We will need your help to replenish the meager savings the parish had. We know that the rectory roof will soon need attention too, and one never knows what other improvements will be needed. You can make a contribution https://stmarycmu.org/donate choose “replacing the roof” or a general contribution.

Summer will pass more quickly than any of us care to acknowledge, but we serve the Lord and he provides the rest and inspiration to pass on the invitation to come and follow. Thank you for your concern, support and prayers for the future work at St. Mary University Parish.

Peace and Blessings, Fr. Andy Booms

I have experienced so many blessings here at St. Mary Parish over the past year. COVID acted as a speed bump or rather a brick wall. The parish had to shut down for a time until last July. COVID has challenged myself and the overall church, but it also gave St. Mary a unique opportunity. It provided the space to identify some projects and work towards accomplishing important goals. Even though service and community looked different than years past, people still encountered the Lord through sacrament and fellowship. We had to take a slow approach in regards to big events and large crowds. I know that frustrated some people who wanted to see things return to normal quickly. The slow growth gave me the opportunity to really invest in the students and experience the joy of this parish. Looking forward to fall 2021 I am hopeful to resume many of the programs and events St. Mary has held in the past. The Lord is alive and moving very strongly here at Central Michigan Uni- versity.

We were able to purchase new furniture for the student center and new kitchen appliances. The microwave and stove look amazing and they have already been used many times. The reclining chairs are extremely comfortable and feel heavenly. I have taken good naps in them when the lounge is empty. Central Catholic has held over twenty events this semester and provided ample opportunities for students to encounter Jesus Christ. We hope to only increase the frequency of these events moving forward depending upon the recommendations given in the fall.

The students have been extraordinarily generous and welcoming to me this year. I continually encounter our loving God in them by their words and actions. I am inspired to be the best person and the best priest I can be for them. The non-student members of our community are equally kind. My time here has been a blessing so far and I look forward to what we can do together. Please continue to pray for the parish, myself, Fr. Andy the pastor and our staff.

God bless you,

Fr. Marc Hopps

Parochial Vicar at St. Mary Parish Meet the Staff

Fr. Marc Hopps | [email protected] I was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 2019. I became the parochial vicar/associate pastor at St. Mary University Parish on July 1, 2020. I am so very blessed with the opportunity to work with college students and this en- tire amazing community here at St. Mary University Parish. God is alive and active in this parish. I look forward to connecting with the community through prayer, sacrament and fellowship.

Fr. Andy Booms | [email protected] Fr. Andy Booms became the pastor of Saint Mary July 1, 2020 with the help of Fr. Marc Hopps. He is also the pastor of Saint Brigid in Midland and has been there since 2017. He is happy to be serving Midland’s oldest Catholic parish and school. Ordained June 8, 2007 he is now a middle aged priest in years of service and age he was 44 on June 24. He serves as the vocation director for the Diocese of Sagi- naw, and is looking forward to years of building on the strengths of the Saint Brigid community. In his down time he gardens, bikes and cross-country skies. He looks forward to continue nurturing the St. Mary and CMU community for years to come with the continued help of Fr. Marc.

Laura Sira | [email protected] Mrs. Sira works full time at St. Brigid of Kildare Catholic Church in Midland, where she has several responsibilities, one part of that is being at St. Marys on Tuesdays to provide support to Father Marc. She completes parish office tasks, handles phone calls, maints sacramental documents, orders supplies, does some light church cleaning and organizing, and of course, what she is known best for, being present, keeping the snacks supplied, and preparing meals for the students every other Tuesday. When she is not at work, she enjoys reading, baking, spending time with her four grown sons and their significant others and bicycling or kayaking with her husband Craig.

Emily Finley | [email protected] Emily is a part-time administrative assistant at St. Mary and also serves as our communications director. Throughout the week, she provides more open hour times for students to utilize the lounge and study spaces as well as keeping the social media and website updated. Outside of being a student and working at the church, Emily loves to grab coffee with friends and go on adventures in the great outdoors. What’s New?

This past year, we have been blessed to have added many new items to the student lounge. We have new and improved furniture for students to enjoy during their time studying or hanging out with others. We also have converted the old office space into a game room which now includes an air hockey and pool/ table tennis table. This room has been enjoyed by many after mass and for Central Catholic events and tournaments. In addition to the new furniture, we have more snack and beverage options available for students! We would like to extend an extra Thank you to the Jay and Diane Hughes for making a financial contribution for pur- chasing new furniture for the student lounge. We would also like to thank the Beal City basketball team and the Boge Family for their efforts in helping to move furniture in the church and moving in and setting up the pool table for our students. We have a few updates in the church as well. A new updated sound system was added in the fall along with new lights that are all the same throughout the church. In addition to the tangible changes made, we have also introduced Flock- note! For those of you who don’t know what this is, it is a free tool used for churches that allow staff to send out text and email reminders to the parish about events. It is an easy to use tool, and it has been helpful in keeping the parish up-to- date very easily during the spring semester. This July, the church will be getting a new roof! We have been in need of a new roof for several years now, and the plans are underway; however, this is a great financial investment. If you would like to donate to our roof restoration, please visit the “Donate” page on our website, or scan the QR Code below to be taken to our online offering site. When making a contribution for the roof, please select “Replacing the Roof” under “Fund”. Thank you to those who have already made a contribution. We are grateful for your generous giving!

Donate Today!

We remain optimistic for the fall! We are hoping to once again host the Koinonia retreats for students in the fall and spring semesters, and we plan to restore other in-person events, such as fall kick off and welcome week events for students! Central Catholic Fall Events This past year, Central Catholic was able to host 12 fall events. Corpus Christi was held online. Fortunately, many events were able to be held in person. The annual UP camping trip was held along with a praise and worship night and many game and trivia nights in the lounge.

Left: Students attended the annual UP Camping trip over Labor Day weekend. Below: Central Catholic hosted the annual Catholics VS Lutherans capture the flag night after mass. They got us this year, but we will be back for the victory next fall!

Above: Many students gathered at Deerfield Park in the fall for a bonfire and praise and worship! Right: Students enjoyed the Halloween party hosted at Island Park where teams competed in a variety of chal- lenges, games, and fellowship with one another. Central Catholic Spring Events In the spring, Central Catholic was able to host many more events than in the fall. Five bible studies were able to meet throughout the semester, and a total of 22 events were planned and hosted. In February, students were able to meet and join together for the virtual seek conference in the fall. Multiple game nights and tournaments were held along with several service events, such as Valentine’s Day card making, canned food drive and blood drives.

Students attended the annual Seek conference online this year! We were fortunate enough to have a wonderful group come together for 3 days in the lounge and chapel to attend the event!

Left: Students enjoy the spring weather to take part in the cornhole tournament! Many stayed after- wards in the lounge to play board games. Below: Students joined together for a chilly spring hike at Chipp-a-Waters Park! Senior Spotlights

Morgan Collins Major: Fashion Design Minor: Visual Merchandising and Art Delaney Schoenbine Favorite Part of the St. Mary Community: “I really loved Major: Psychology and Neuroscience attending the events that Central Catholic would hold, especially Favorite Part of the St. Mary Community: “My the Sunday Suppers held after Mass. For about a year and a half I favorite part about the St. Mary community was was able to help with some of the Central Catholic committees how easily it became my home on campus! I love and I had many great experiences while doing so. One memory being surrounded and supported by such wonderful sticks out when I helped to put on a Halloween party at St. people.” Mary's. We got pizza, watched a movie and had a costume con-

test. It was so much fun! I will definitely miss memories like that after I graduate.”

Alexander Dixon Major: Accounting and Information Systems Favorite Part of the St. Mary Community: “Morning rosary and breakfast with the St. Michael's household was a part of the week I always looked forward to. I enjoyed fostering a community of faith and fellowship with an amazing group of men. Also, giving the Christian Living witness on CMK 17 was a fulfilling experience. Everything from writing the witness, preparing for CMK, and facil- itating discussions helped me reignite my faith and share it with my Mathieu Mondro brothers and sisters in Christ.” Major: Meteorology Minor: Mathematics and Broadcast and Cine- matic Arts Favorite Part of the St. Mary Community: “The fellowship, lunches, and activities with others.”

Robby Powers Major: Secondary Instrumental Music Education Minor: Trumpet Performance Favorite Part of the St. Mary Community: “I always loved the kind-hearted spirit. Everyone at St. Mary's was always so Kenzie Leeseberg kind and loving and neighborly. I really enjoyed being part of the music there too.” On May 2nd, 2021, a graduation mass was celebrated at St. Mary. A small group of our graduates attended and refreshments were provided after mass for all. We look forward to seeing all the amazing things our graduates continue to do! Each of them have been a blessing to our parish community during their time here at Central.

Summer Mass Times Total Sunday Mass Collection Wednesday 4:30 PM from August 1st to June 1st Sunday 5:00 PM $9,849.42 ***Confessions are heard one hour prior to Collections help keep our parish nice and provide the start of mass!*** resources to students and parishioners. Consider donating today using the QR Code below or by vis- iting the “Donate” page on our Website! Stay Up-to-Date with Us!

stmarycmu.org

@St. Mary University Parish at CMU

@stmarycmu Music Director Needed! We are still looking for a Catholic music min- ster to serve our parish! If you know anyone [email protected] who is interested or would like additional information, please contact Fr. Marc @ [email protected]