February 2026
Dear Friends,
February in Michigan often meets us with quiet endurance: short days, cold air, and a landscape that seems to be waiting. It is also the start of Lent, a sacred season that invites us into that same posture of attentiveness: slowing down, returning our hearts to Christ, and trusting that faithful effort bears fruit in God’s time. At the Catholic Information Center, this season mirrors the work you make possible: formation that often happens beneath the surface yet shapes the Church for years to come.
Because of your ongoing support, we were able to gather on January 14 for the first annual Vibrant Parish Summit, a joyful celebration honoring participants from both our English and Spanish speaking Leadership Formation Institute cohorts who completed the program in 2025. The Summit was not only a recognition of completion, but a powerful witness to what happens when formation is rooted in missionary discipleship.
During the Summit, participants shared about the parish projects they are now implementing – initiatives shaped during their time in the Institute and carried back into their communities. These projects respond to real pastoral needs: strengthening parish hospitality, partnering with parents and accompanying families, fostering personal connection in community, and meeting spiritual hungers. Their stories made visible what your partnership helps cultivate – leaders who are equipped, confident, and committed to making a difference for good in the lives of others. You can find out more about the parish projects in our annual report, now posted at www.grcic.org.
Your impact continues as a new Leadership Formation Institute cohort begins on February 4. These new participants have said yes to intentional growth and discernment, entering a formation experience designed to strengthen the Church from the inside out and bottom up.
This is how CIC’s mission advances: one leader, one parish, one community at a time. Every session, retreat, presentation, and conversation happens because you believe formation matters and choose to invest in it through prayer, participation, and financial gifts.
Thank you. As Lent invites deeper conversion, may you take heart in knowing that your generosity is quietly shaping a more vibrant Church where Christ’s merciful face is made visible to all.
With gratitude and hope,
Mark Mann
Director of Programs and Institutes
Events & Programs
Finding Inner Peace in a Noisy World: The Power of Silence
February 15, 22 or March 10
Attend onsite
In the sacred season of Lent, we are invited to slow down and listen – not just to words, but to the silence where God speaks most clearly. It is where the soul finds rest, where prayer deepens, and where we reconnect with God.
Presented by Mark Mann, ofs, director of programs and institutes for the Catholic Information Center.
Locations and times vary, please visit grcic.org for more information.
Busy Person’s Lenten Retreat: Rooting in the Holy
Thursdays, March 5, 12, 19
6:30 – 8:30 pm
Attend online
Our busy world is constantly testing us, drawing us away from the oasis of God’s love and our true identity. Eventually, we find our spirits feeling muddled, tired, and disoriented. We find it harder and harder to make decisions, let alone discern with wisdom the way of the Lord in our lives!
But God has not left us without resource. Lent invites us to step back, breathe deeply, and return to the source of our identity.
We invite you to “come away for a while” (Mk 6:31) – away from the busy and join Jesus in the desert where he roots into his relationship with the Father. That desert clarity is at the heart of Lent–and at the heart of what this retreat offers you.
If you’ve been curious about spiritual direction, this retreat is a gentle and meaningful way to experience it.
Become a Monthly Donor
Your generous and regular contributions help ensure a vibrant and enduring future for the Paulist ministry at the CIC. All donations, no matter the size, make a significant impact.
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