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.
Office is closed until further notice
While there is a Stay at Home order, our office is to be closed. If you have an emergency (i.e., funeral needed), please call the parish office and select the Rectory option to reach Fr. Dan Fox. Call (989) 687-5657 #5 for the Rectory.
Masses to resume Wednesday May 27
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 will resume at Our Lady of Grace starting Wednesday May 27 with some restrictions. Please note that while the M-30 bridge is out, 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 starting June 3
Confessions will be held on Saturdays from 3:00pm-4:30pm @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 will be distributed at the end of Mass, after which everyone is asked to exit the church. This will allow us time to disinfect the church prior to the next Mass.
- 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.
Bishop Gruss grants dispensation through Aug. 30
The dispensation from the Sunday obligation to attend Mass is granted to all the faithful through Sunday, August 30, 2020.
Bishop Gruss has asked that everyone use their own discretion when attending Mass. Anyone with a compromised health condition and/or caring for the sick in any way, are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and should stay home.
Although all the faithful are dispensed from their Sunday obligation to attend Mass, they are strongly encouraged to participate in a live-streamed or televised Mass and make a spiritual communion. It is important to keep holy the Lord’s Day in some intentional way – spending time in prayer, reading the Sacred Scriptures, meditating on the Lord’s suffering, death and resurrection, or participating a spiritual or corporal work of mercy.
Pope Francis encourages all to pray the rosary and asks for two additional prayers to be added during the month of May
"The month of May is approaching, a time when the People of God express with particular intensity their love and devotion for the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is traditional in this month to pray the Rosary.... I want to encourage everyone to rediscover the beauty of praying the Rosary at home in the month of May.... I am also providing two prayers to Our Lady that you can recite at the end of the Rosary, and that I myself will pray in the month of May, in spiritual union with all of you. I include them with this letter so that they are available to everyone." - Pope Francis
It’s been a crazy few weeks. There’s a lot up in the air, and we’re not sure when we’ll start gathering at the church again – but that doesn’t mean youth nights have to stop…
Thousands of teenagers from across the country are gathering on Sunday nights for the BIGGEST YOUTH NIGHT EVER. It’s called ProjectYM Live and each week it’ll feature some of the biggest speakers and worship leaders in the Catholic youth ministry world.
It's like NCYC Live on your device!
Our parish is signed up to participate – all your teenager has to do is head to PROJECTYM.COM/WATCH this Sunday at 8pm.
Two quick notes:
- The broadcast starts at 8pm EST, but plan to have your student log in a few minutes early to make sure they’re on when it starts.
- They can access the event on any device with a web browser – but the faster the connection, the better.
If you have any questions please contact Laura at laura.scheibert@ourladyofgracemi.org
Ps. Though this event is geared at teenagers, you are invited to watch along with them!
How to Talk to Children and Teens about COVID-19
Below is a link to a resourse for parents and teachers from 23rd Publications on how to talk to children and teens about COVID - 19
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