Pastors' Messages
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My Dear Parishioners and Friends in Christ,
Pastor of St. Michael's Catholic ChurchA Message from Father Courtright
As your pastor, I am filled with immense hope and excitement for the future of Catholic education in our beloved Grand Forks community. For generations, our Catholic schools have been a cornerstone of faith formation and academic excellence, shaping young hearts and minds in the light of Christ.
Today, we stand on the cusp of an extraordinary new chapter with the establishment of the All Saints Catholic Schools Network and the eagerly anticipated St. Carlo Acutis Middle School. This dedicated middle school is not merely a building; it is a vital commitment to nurturing our adolescents during their most formative years. It will be a place where faith is deepened, intellect is ignited, and young disciples, inspired by the modern witness of St. Carlo Acutis, are empowered to become confident, compassionate leaders for our Church and world.
Investing in this new school is an investment in the very soul of our community and the enduring legacy of our Catholic faith. It is an opportunity to provide a seamless, Christ-centered journey for our children, ensuring they receive the very best in both spiritual and academic formation.
I wholeheartedly encourage you to prayerfully consider how you can support the IGNITE THE MISSION Capital Campaign for the St. Carlo Acutis Middle School. Your generosity will build more than walls; it will build lives dedicated to Christ.
With grateful prayers for you and your families,
Father Raymond Courtright
Pastor, St. Michael's Catholic Church
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Pastor of Holy Family Catholic ChurchA Message from Father Gerlach
To my fellow parishioners at Holy Family Church of Grand Forks:
As I begin my time ministering with and for you here at Holy Family, I am arriving at a time of new opportunities for Catholic School education here in Grand Forks.
We will continue to have our two elementary schools of Holy Family-St. Mary’s and St. Michael’s, but will be working more closely together as part of the All Saints Catholic Schools Network. The newest part of the opportunity is the St. Carlo Acutis Middle School, which will begin operation with sixth grade in the 2025-2026 school year.
As we move forward with adding middle school grades and building a new
building over the next few years, this opportunity will also require financial
resources. I invite you to prayerfully consider how you can support the Ignite the
Mission Capital Campaign for the St. Carlo Acutis Middle School. I also
encourage you to pray for the success of the campaign, as well as for the faculty
and staff of all three of our schools and their students.
In Christ’s Peace,
Fr. Bill Gerlach
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Pastor of St. Mary's Catholic ChurchA Message from Father Gross
Greetings and Peace in the Lord Jesus!
In my years in the priesthood, I have had a close and personal vantage point of the important work done in our Catholic schools. These marvelous institutions are extensions of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They instill virtue and discipline, while compassionately caring for every aspect of the children in their care in ways that no public school can. Catholic schools are places of joyful discovery, both of the sanctity of human life and God’s personal call to holiness.
We in Grand Forks are embarking on a new era in Catholic education. We have formed the All Saints Catholic Schools Network as a means of more stably sustaining St. Michael’s and Holy Family/St. Mary’s Elementary Schools in their mission. Also, we are launching St. Carlo Acutis Middle School, building up to serve grades 6-8 by the fall of 2027 in a facility on the campus of St. Michael’s Church.
Two other cities in the Diocese of Fargo, Jamestown and Devils Lake, have recently expanded their Catholic schools' enrollments to 8th grade. The pastors and staff of those schools recognized the difficult time of transition in a middle school student’s life, and they wanted to provide the nurturing and stability that a Catholic school environment brings. For us, too, this endeavor will serve our families who want the blessings of Catholic education to continue for their own children and to persevere for future generations. But it is only possible with your generosity.
We appreciate whatever sacrificial gift you can make toward our goal of a new Catholic middle school for Grand Forks. Please feel free to reach out to Sara Dudley or any of us Pastors for more information. Thank you for your willingness to partner with us in the critical work of forming Christian disciples in the 21st century. St. Carlo Acutis, pray for us!
Father James Gross
St. Mary’s Church of Grand Forks
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