Saint Joseph Catholic Church - South Bend, IN

Happening now at Saint Joseph...

New Parishioner Brunch

New to St. Joe? Join us for a welcome brunch in the parish gym on Sunday, September 8, following the 10:00am Mass! Enjoy yummy food, meet the pastoral staff and learn of upcoming events of the parish and school. RSVP here! For any questions, contact Tim Cleaver at tcleaver@stjoeparish.com.

Volunteers needed for setup, clean up, and providing food for this event. Thank you for helping with this welcome ministry!

Church Directory Photography

Say cheese! Photography sessions for our new Saint Joseph Church directory are underway! A lot has changed since our last directory in 2018 – families have grown in number, children have grown up, and new members have joined our parish. It’s time to capture and celebrate these changes with our parish family! Every photographed household will receive a complimentary 8x10 portrait and directory. Additional portraits will be available for purchase. Sign up for a one-hour appointment at ucdir.com and use church code: in1939 and password: photos.

Remaining appointments are September 10-14 and October 1-2. Weekdays sessions take place 2:00-8:30pm and Saturdays are 10:00-4:00pm. Photos will be taken in the Ackles Parish Center (711 E. Colfax Ave.). Park on the east side and enter through sliding door #5.

"Walk with One" Campaign

We are all called to evangelize, and thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are well-equipped for this mission. It may not mean spreading the Gospel in a foreign land or going door-to-door with the Good News—and it may require overcoming some fears—but the Lord is asking each of us to step out of our comfort zone and evangelize one-on-one.

There is someone in your life right now whom Jesus longs to call to himself. He wants to spark a relationship with them and bless them with his sacraments. In this Year of Mission, Catholics across the U.S. are saying “yes” to a special form of heart-to-heart accompaniment called the Walk With One initiative. This is your opportunity to be God’s instrument in the life of another person. Imagine how our families, neighborhoods, and country will be transformed if every active Catholic answers this call!

Find out more information here.

"For the Kids" Golf Benefit

The 30th Annual "For the Kids" Golf Benefit will take place Friday, October 11, 10am-2pm, at Elbel Golf Course. The benefit supports the SJGS Excellence Fund, which provides tuition assistance and other essential needs to support the mission of Saint Joseph Grade School. Come join the fun with other parishioners and supporters of our parish school!

Register and view more information about how you, your family, or your business can support the benefit at stjoeparish.com/forthekids.

Altar Server Training

Fr. Matt will lead Altar Server training for all new Altar Servers (5th grade and older) on Monday, September 23, and Wednesday, September 25, from 3:00-4:30pm, as well as Sunday, September 29, from 11:00am-12:30pm. Servers must attend one session. Please sign up here. Contact Fr. Matt or Theresa Slott with questions.

Loving God, we know that there are many ways to serve You and Your people. We ask for Your Holy Spirit to come upon [name of child] to help him/her discern the ministry of altar server. If it be for Your glory, dispose his/her mind and heart to this important ministry and use his/her gifts to help the Saint Joseph community pray the Mass well. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Children's Faith Formation Registration

Online registration is open for the 2024-25 1st through 7th grade Children's Faith Formation program. Classes are scheduled to begin on Sunday, September 15, and will meet in the Ackles Parish Center. We will meet weekly on Sundays from 11:15am to 12:30pm from September to May. For more information, contact Sean Driscoll at sdriscoll@stjoeparish.com.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd: All children ages 3 through Kindergarten are invited to participate in our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program, a Montessori-based approach to the religious formation of young children. We will be offering two sessions this year – one on Monday mornings 9:30-10:45am and one on Monday afternoons 3:45-5:00pm. Register your children here. Sessions will begin Monday, September 9, and will meet weekly until mid-May.

Share the Gift of Faith with Our Children

Our Children's Faith Formation program is currently in need of a few co-catechists and assistants (full time and substitutes) to aid in the intellectual and spiritual formation of our children. Classes are held on Sunday mornings (11:15am - 12:30pm) for children in grades 1 through 7, beginning Sunday, September 15. Prior experience in the classroom is not necessarily needed (though it certainly doesn't hurt, either); this is a beautiful opportunity to share your love of Christ with our children and grow in faith alongside them! The catechist assistant is a great opportunity particularly for high school students (especially those in need of service hours). If you are interested in serving our parish community through this ministry, please fill out our online interest form. For questions, please contact Sean Driscoll at sdriscoll@stjoeparish.com.

OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults - formerly known as RCIA)

Are you or someone you know curious about the Catholic faith, or desiring to grow in knowledge of and relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church? Are you looking to complete your sacramental initiation? Please fill out the interest form here. We will also have a "come and see" evening on Thursday, September 12, in the Basil Moreau Room (BMR) in the basement of the church. Contact Sean Driscoll at sdriscoll@stjoeparish.com to learn more about growing in the gift of faith and exploring fuller and deeper belonging in God's family. **We are also always ready to welcome new members of our Christian community who are desiring to share their faith and accompany others along this journey to join our OCIA team. Please contact Sean if you are interested in learning more, or fill out this interest form.**

Cultivate Come & See Evening
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 18, 6-8pm! Saint Joseph parishioners are invited to Cultivate Food Rescue to learn more about their mission to feed the hungry in our community. Meet the Cultivate staff, tour the buildings, and help pack food! All those interested are asked to preregister here.

Eucharistic Adoration

Thank you to everyone who has been committed to making the beautiful ministry of Eucharistic Adoration available in the church on Thursdays from 7:30am - 9:00pm.

As we now journey together through this Year of Eucharistic Mission, we are called to renew our mission to carry the Presence of Christ forth into our families, our community, and our world. We find the strength to do this in the beautiful gift of the Eucharist, and so now more than ever we invite you to consider entering into the ministry of serving as an Adoration Apostle for this academic year. The signup may be found here: St. Joe Adoration Apostle. We encourage everyone to prayerfully discern being an Apostle for one of our 30- or 60-minute time blocks, but if you would like to just be on our substitute list then please complete this substitute form. If you have any questions or concerns, please email adoration@stjoeparish.com.