The entire Christian life springs forth as a new life in Christ through Baptism.”  CCC  1254

If You Are An Adult Seeking Baptism

Please contact the Religious Ed. Office by calling 810-659-2501.

If You Are A Parent Seeking Baptism For Your Child:

Please contact the Religious Ed. Office by email or by calling 810-659-8556 to schedule Baptism Preparation Class and to schedule your child’s baptism.

Holy Eucharist

Examination of Conscience

Before celebrating the Sacrament of Confession, one should prepare themselves with an examination of conscience.  This is a “prayerful self-reflection on our words and deeds in the light of the Gospel to determine how we may have sinned against God”  (The Catechism of the Catholic Church, Glossary).

You can view examples here of Examinations of Conscience that can aid you as you prepare for the Sacrament.

Examination of Conscience for Adults

Examination of Conscience for Children (based on Our Father)

Examination of Conscience for Teens

First Confession

Children who are ages Kindergarten thru Second Grade and who have a disposition and desire for the sacrament may prepare to celebrate the Sacrament of Confession for the first time.  Formation  along with preparation for First Eucharist.  For more information, please contact Hannah Turchi, our Director of Discipleship, in the Religious Education Office at 810-659-8556.

If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world on fire.  Let the truth be your delight….proclaim it….but with a certain congeniality.  -St. Catherine of Siena

Youth Confirmation

Students are confirmed in the spring of their eighth-grade year. Preparation for Confirmation starts in seventh grade. Candidates’ parents receive a booklet in the Fall of their child’s 7th-grade year containing information explaining the requirements and process of preparation for this sacrament.  For more information, please see confirmation-preparation or contact the Religious Education office at 810-659-8556.

Adult Confirmation

For a number of reasons, many adults have not completed the initiation process, though they may be active within the parish community. Adult Catholics who have not celebrated the sacrament of Confirmation are encouraged to participate in a three-week preparation process designed to prepare them for this final sacrament of initiation. To register or find out more about the Adult Confirmation process, please call the Religious Ed. Office at (810) 659-8556.

The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is for those who are dying, as well as those who are gravely ill or about to undergo a serious surgical procedure.  This sacrament offers prayers for recovery and raises up and strengthens the soul of the sick person.

Please call the Parish Office at 810-659-2501 or click here to email us if someone is ill or hospitalized and would like to be anointed.  Please do not wait until the last minute to call for Anointing of the Sick!

This Sacrament is to be conferred on a person when:

• Gravely ill
• Before a serious surgical procedure
• For an elderly person who has become notably weakened (even though no serious illness is present)
• A child if they have sufficient use of reason to be strengthened by this sacrament.

Congratulations!

If you would like to get married at St. Robert Bellarmine, you are invited to call Bonnie Mattar in the parish office at 810-659-2501, to schedule an appointment to begin marriage preparation.

If you have experienced the death of a loved one, we, the pastoral staff at St. Robert Bellarmine would like to express our sincere sympathies to you and your family! Our Catholic faith teaches us, through the resurrection of Jesus, to mourn with great hope. Still, grieving the death of a loved one is a traumatic experience that takes time and must be fully processed. When we grieve, no one can understand the depth of our loss, but please know that you are not alone. We are here to help you prepare for the next few days leading up to the funeral liturgy, as well as support you as your mourn in the weeks and months ahead.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

If you are looking ahead and would like to plan your own funeral Mass, please let us know! Our St. Robert staff will help you as you select the readings and music for your funeral Mass.

To make funeral arrangements, please contact the Parish Office at (810) 659-2501.

“The vocation is truly a treasure that God places in the hearts of some men, chosen by Him and called to follow Him in this special state of life. This treasure, that must be discovered and brought to light, is not made to ‘enrich’ someone alone.” – Pope Francis

Another way in which we live out our baptismal call to holiness is by our state in life.  We may actively seek to build up God’s Kingdom in the world as a layperson, either single or married.  Or we may be called to dedicate our lives to Christ as clergy (deacons, priests or bishops of either diocesan ministry or religious orders) or consecrated men or women (monks, contemplatives, consecrated virgins, hermits, or members of secular institutes).  A helpful visual image of the array of possible vocations can be found at the Vocation Tree website.

Discerning your vocation requires prayer, attentive listening to your holy desires, and willingness to listen to the wisdom of those who know you well. So here are a few web resources to consider:

Married Life:

• USCCB on the vocation of marriage
• USCCB on the vocation discernment resources
• For Your Marriage – resources, and support for Catholic dating, marriage, and parenting.
• Diocese of Lansing Vocation’s Page – There are some excellent resources here for married, consecrated or ordained life: lists of the men’s and women’s religious communities within our diocese (with web links), information on the permanent diaconate, priesthood discernment questions, vocations stories, and information on the seminaries used by the Lansing Diocese, etc.
• Catholic Religious Vocation Network – The “Vocation Match” tool is fun to try!
• A Guide to Religious Ministries for Catholic Men and Women – Search an index of religious communities, prayer centers, and retreat houses across America.

Consecrated Life:

• US Association of Consecrated Virgins – The Lansing Diocese has a significant number of women who live in the world as consecrated virgins.  Learn more about this ancient order of the church and how it is lived today.
• US Conference of Secular Institutes – There is more to religious life than just being a monk or a nun behind closed doors.  The Catholic Church in America has seen a rise in secular institutes where people can live a life consecrated to God and still be active in public life, working in the world so as to shine the Light of Christ to all in need.
• Lay Religious Life / About Third Orders – There is a way as a layperson to share in the benefits of a religious order’s spirituality without having to enter fully into religious life.  Third Orders are lay associations of the faithful that support a specific religious order and its spirituality.

Priestly Vocations:

• Diocese of Lansing Resources   
• The Melchizekek Project