Welcome to Our Lady of Grace Parish
a merged parish of St. Agnes-Sanford, St. Anne-Edenville & St. Philip Neri-Coleman
Office: 2500 N. West River Rd. + Sanford, MI 48657 + 989-687-5657
Welcome
Welcome! Whether you are a visitor or new to our parish, interested in becoming Catholic, seeking to return to the practice of your faith, or an active member of our parish, we are pleased that you have come to our website and we will do all that we can to assist you.
If you cannot find the information that you are seeking on this website, please call our parish office at 989-687-5657 during office hours, Mon-Fri from 8:00am-4:30pm, or email us at marcia.kosnik@ourladyofgracemi.org and we will make every effort to help you
Please join us on the weekend for Mass. We would love to meet you in person.
God bless you! We hope to see you soon!
Online Giving is a web-based offertory solution that allows parishioners and visitors the opportunity to make donations, payments and pledges electronically from any location at any time.
New Office Hours
Monday-Thursday: 9:00am-2:00pm
Friday: 9:00am-12:00pm
Christ's Mission Appeal 2020
Christ’s Mission Appeal (formally CSA) gives Catholics in the Diocese of Saginaw an opportunity to offer thanksgiving to God for His indescribable gifts. Your generosity to this appeal allows for the continuation and expansion of a wide variety of ministries to the faithful, while engaging in the work of evangelization.Dear Parishioner, our CMA campaign goal last year was $89,900 and we exceeded our goal resulting in the excess coming back to our parish. Thank you all for your generosity. This year’s goal is $82,210. Even though this goal is less than last year we have fewer envelope holders such that we need 5% more on each individual contribution, to make our goal.
The mechanics of giving to the campaign are many for your convenience; you may pledge any amount and spread the payment out from December to August. You may check a box on the pledge card for reminders to be sent to you, you may pay by cash, check or by credit card. There is an online giving mechanism by going to the diocese website at www.saginaw.org/appeal. All of the pledge envelopes may be mailed with postage or dropped in the offertory collection box at the back of church.
Another option not in the literature or on the pledge card is used by tax savvy donors is to donate appreciated stock from your brokerage account to the diocese account and thereby avoiding as much as 20% of the capital gains tax that may apply to your situation. If interested the good people at Raymond James handle the Diocese Brokerage transfer account. Making Qualified Charitable Distributions is another way of saving taxes for those with Standard IRA accounts making yearly Required Minimum Distributions. You may want to discuss these options with your financial adviser or tax accountant in advance. In either case be sure to inform the diocese that your contribution and pledge is credited to Our Lady of Grace Parish.
The contact information for the Raymond James contact is Ellen V. Martz, at Raymond James, email: ellen.martz@raymondjames.com, phone (989) 790-1130 Thank youJim Weisbrodt, Our Lady of Grace Finance Council.
Sharing Tree—Sanford Location
Once again our Parish has been invited to provide Christmas assistance for the less fortunate in Midland County through the Sharing Tree. This year there will be one tree in the main vestibule at St. Agnes. All gifts need to be returned to the tree by Sunday November 29.
Questions? Contact: Bonnie Pytlak at 989-689-0016
Holy Days and Christmas Mass Schedule
Immaculate Conception - Tuesday, December 8
9:00am and 7:00pm at St. Agnes
Christmas Eve - Thursday, December 24
2:30pm Carols at St. Agnes
3:00pm Mass
5:30pm Carols at St. Agnes
6:00pm Mass
Christmas Day - Friday, December 25
8:30am at St. Agnes
11:00am at St. Anne
Holy Mary Mother of God
Thursday, December 31 - 5:00pm at St. Agnes
Friday, January 1 – 9:00am at St. Agnes
Tickets for Christmas Mass
Due to limited seating we will be issuing tickets for the Christmas Masses.This is a first come first serve basis.
Each person in your group will need a ticket to enter the church.Do not call the office, you will need to see Kathy Ranck personally to get your tickets. She is available at daily Mass and all weekend Masses.Tickets will be available starting November 24th until they are gone.
Little Blue Book of Advent Reflections
The Advent Books are here. Please pick up a copy for yourself and any loved one who is not able to be with us but would like one.
Did you know? Little Books can be ordered directly from the website at littlebooks.org. They are available in paper and ebook formats. You can also get all the seasonal books on the Little Books app available for iOS and Android devices. To learn more about the app, go to littlebooks.org/app
Coping with Grief During the Holidays
Click the button below for helpful ways to deal with grief during the holidays
Would you like to help those in need in Sanford & Gladwin County?
By purchasing gift cards at Walmart & Meijer, a family can buy presents for their children, put fuel in their vehicle and/or buy groceries.
Our local families in need have begun calling in to request assistance for Christmas. Please help make a child’s Christmas a happy one by purchasing the prepaid cards in any denomination.
Cards can be dropped off at the parish office. Thank You!
Registration for K-12 Faith Formation has started
With our current need to social distance and protect the health of the vulnerable among us, this new year of Faith Formation will look different for at least the first few months.
Please register your Kindergarten through 12th Grade students for Faith Formation with the link below. Laura will reach out to you to make arrangements to get your student's new materials to you and help with setting up their virtual class.
Questions or concerns? Contact Laura at 687-5657 ext. 2 or laura.scheibert@ourladyofgracemi.org
Starting Sunday October 4, the Sunday Obligation will be reinstated meaning that all baptized Catholics are obligated to keep holy the Lord's Day by either attending Mass, if not compromised or taking care of one who is compromised, or by participating in a televised Mass and making a spiritual communion, etc. Please read Bishop Gruss' most recent letters to the faithful of the Diocese of Saginaw.
Masses have resumed at Our Lady of Grace
Bishop Gruss stated, "We believe that the spiritual life of people is an essential element to life, and therefore, it is time to begin to gradually open this part of society for the communal celebration of the Holy Eucharist,” To read the entire message, click HERE
Therefore, Masses have resumed at Our Lady of Grace with some restrictions. Please note that while Mass is limited to 25% capacity, the Saturday evening Mass will be held at St. Agnes in Sanford. A Mass will be offered at St. Anne on Wednesdays at noon. The schedule is as follows:
Tuesday - Friday Mass at 9:00am @ St. Agnes
Saturday Mass at 5:00pm @ St. Agnes
Sunday Mass at 8:30am and 11:00am @ St. Agnes
Wednesday Mass at 12:00noon @ St. Anne
Confessions will be held on Saturdays from 3:00pm-4:00pm @St. Agnes
We are asking that everyone please be patient with us as we navigate through these next few weeks. Many of these decisions are out of our control.
As much as we want to gather everyone together for the celebration of Mass, we also have a duty to protect the life of our parishioners. With that said, to maintain the social distancing guidelines, the church can only hold 25% capacity which for us is about 125 people.
The guidelines are as follows
Attendance is on a first come first serve basis. Once we reach 125 people, you will be asked to attend a different Mass.
Doors will open at 8:00am and 10:30am on Sunday to allow for disinfection of pews.
Please enter through the main vestibule (2nd door from West River Rd)
Face masks must be worn for everyone over the age of 2. If you forget a mask, one will be provided.
People will have to sit 6 feet apart with the exception of families.
Communion from the Cup is temporarily suspended. We ask that when receiving communion, you consider receiving in your hands.
Please keep in mind that all of these changes are temporary.
Sign up for weekly digital bulletins
Do you want to stay informed on what is happening in our Parish? Sign up for a weekly digital bulletin. Sign-up is free! When searching for the bulletin, type Our Lady of Grace, Sanford 48657
Pope Francis' prayer to Our Blessed Mother
O Mary, you shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope.We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick. At the foot of the Cross you participated in Jesus’ pain, with steadfast faith. You, Salvation of the Roman People, know what we need. We are certain that you will provide, so that, as you did at Cana of Galilee, joy and feasting might return after this moment of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the Father’s will and to do what Jesus tells us:He who took our sufferings upon Himself, and bore our sorrows to bring us, through the Cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.We seek refuge under your protection, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our pleas – we who are put to the test – and deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Let the Church always be a place of Mercy and Hope,
where everyone is Welcomed, Loved and Forgiven.
- Pope Francis