General

Are overnight accommodations available?
YES. Click here to see nearby hotels and inns recommended by MSU.

Should our parish have T-shirts made?
Yes! Many parishes are designing their own t-shirts with their own designated color and also placing the official “Made for Happiness” logo on it somewhere.

Can I attend just part of the Assembly?
We hope all Assembly goers will be able to join us for the full day, but welcome you to attend as much of the Assembly as your schedule permits.

Why are all parish Masses cancelled on Saturday?
Bishop Boyea wants to celebrate the vigil Mass with as many priests, deacons and laity as possible. Therefore, in order to enable everyone as much as possible to celebrate this momentous event with us he requested that all Saturday vigil Masses in the diocese be canceled on September 22nd.

Will the Assembly be recorded for future viewing?
Yes. Each of the speaker’s talks and the All-Diocesan Mass (which will air the next day in place of the regularly scheduled outreach Mass) will be recorded. Parts of the Eucharistic Procession will also be recorded.

Why is the diocese hosting the Assembly?
The Made for Happiness Diocesan Assembly is the fruit of Bishop Boyea’s Pastoral Letter, “Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord” which he issued in 2012. The letter consists of three main parts, “The Household of Faith”, “The Lost Sheep”, and the “Court of the Gentiles”. After a year of prayer which ended in 2013, Bishop Boyea announced that he would host gatherings every two years beginning in 2014, respective to each part of his pastoral letter.

• In 2014 he gathered nearly all of the “ministry class” (850 people) of the Diocese of Lansing to address the task of renewal in our parishes.
• In 2016 he gathered with just over 4% (2000 people) of our church-going Catholics in the diocese who self-identify as having a desire to help fallen away Catholics return to the Church.
• On September 22, 2018 we will gather with 25% (15,000 people) of the diocese’s church-going Catholics for an historic and defining moment in our diocese to be inspired and equipped to live and spread the Faith with new vigor in the world.