In this All Souls Day reflection, Christine Sellnow shares a deeply personal story of loss, grief, and God's comfort. After the sudden passing of her brother-in-law Danny, Christine found herself overwhelmed by sorrow while serving as a Catholic missionary in Romania. Through a providential encounter with fellow missionaries at a post office, she experienced God’s presence in a profound and unexpected way. Drawing from St. Paul’s words, “Hope does not disappoint,” Christine reminds us that God doesn’t just meet us at the end of our journey—He walks with us through every moment of pain and healing.

This episode is a powerful testament to how God proves his love for us in the quiet, ordinary moments, especially when we need him most.

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Christine grew up in farm country in Croswell, MI, but her family moved to Midland in 2001 and became active members at Assumption BVM Parish. She earned her bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Notre Dame, with plans on becoming a human rights lawyer. After graduation, Christine spent 14 months in Romania as a Catholic missionary through Con-solatio, and learned first-hand that changing hearts is more transformational in the lives of individuals than changing laws. She has been working in ministry ever since. This is her 8th year serving as the Coordinator of Middle School Youth Ministry at Blessed Sacrament, and she loves finding creative ways to help the students grow in relationship with Jesus Christ. She and her husband, Kevin, have been married for 8 years, and they have two young daughters.

In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode, Vicki Briggs revisits the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector from Luke’s Gospel—not with childhood simplicity, but with the complexity of adult faith. What begins as a familiar call to humility unfolds into a layered reflection on prayer, gratitude, spiritual discipline, and self-righteousness. Through honest questions and spiritual wrestling, she explores how discomfort with scripture can be a gift—an invitation to grow, to love more deeply, and to rely more fully on God’s grace. Join Vicki as she unpacks how this parable challenges us to move beyond rule-following into authentic relationship with God and others.

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Vicki grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas. She attended Catholic schools before moving to Austin to earn a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas. After graduating, she moved to Houston to work for Exxon Refining at Baytown. There she met Mike Briggs, a native of Midland. Mike returned to Midland to work for Dow Corning, and Vicki followed shortly thereafter. They were married here at Blessed Sacrament and have three children and eight grandchildren. Mike and Vicki lead a Small Faith Group and enjoy being active in our Midland community.

In this heartwarming and humorous episode, Christy Granda shares her journey from after-school yoga sessions to office-wide Planksgiving challenges—and how these physical feats mirror the spiritual strength found in community. Through laughter, sore muscles, and shared motivation, Christy draws a powerful parallel between her coworkers’ support and the biblical story of Moses, Aaron, and Hur during the battle against Amalek. Whether you're holding a plank or holding up a friend, this episode reminds us that we’re not meant to go it alone.

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Christy was born and raised in Bay City. She met her husband on a blind date and they worked briefly together at Dow when she was a co-op and he was a contractor. Soon after that their work paths diverged as she finished her degree in Elementary Special Education and he continued as a graphic designer. She worked as a Special Education teacher for 32 years before retiring and immediately jumped into her new role as Adult Faith Formation Coordinator. When asked about the differences between working with adults and children she might reply "so far, nobody has tried to kick, bite or scream at me." She and her husband have two adult children and have been members of Blessed Sacrament for the past 20 plus years.

When Corinne Cathcart and her husband left Ohio for Midland, she wondered if they would ever find the kind of parish family they had always known. Feeling like an outsider brought new perspective to the Gospel story of the lepers—outcasts in their time, yet embraced by Jesus who tears down every barrier. In this episode of Voices, Corinne shares how her journey from Buckeye country to Blessed Sacrament became a reminder that in Christ, no one is an outsider. We are all children of God, called to welcome and include one another.

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Corinne was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, but has been a member of the Blessed Sacrament community for 14 years. She earned a bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University, where she met her husband of over 25 years, and a Master's in Education from the University of Cincinnati. She was a second grade Catholic school teacher in Cincinnati before moving here when her husband started working for Dow Chemical. She loves working with the littles of the Blessed Sacrament family as the Children's Faith Formation Coordinator. When she's not at work, you'll find her with her nose in a book or learning something new!

In this episode of Voices, Kristyn Russell explores how a simple observation from a two-year-old can reshape how we see Jesus, faith, and what it means to live humbly. Through a story about babysitting, a playground, and a child’s longing to hug Jesus on the cross, she reminds us that true faith isn’t about degrees or self-righteousness—it’s about love, presence, and walking alongside Christ. Drawing from Luke’s Gospel, this reflection challenges us to let go of superiority and embrace the simple, mustard-seed faith that welcomes the poor, the lonely, and the outcast. Who in your life needs a “hug” this week?

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Kristyn is a Midland native who attended St. Brigid Catholic School before heading to Jefferson and Dow High School. She holds a Master’s degree in Theology from Villanova University and in Strategic Communication from Michigan State University. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Theology with a minor in Communication from Aquinas College. When she’s not at work, she’s usually with her dog, Caspian, kayaking a new river, hiking through the woods, or sitting by a campfire reading a book.

Kristyn Russell is joined by Leona Jones, operations manager of Little Books, and Fr. Rob Howe to share stories and talk about the legacy of Bishop Ken Untener.

Resources Discussed:

Little Books

Hello My Name is Ken...

The Practical Prophet

Preaching Better

Kristyn Russell is joined by college students, Hannah (The College of Wooster), John (Calvin University), and Collin (University of Michigan) for a synod listening session. What do these young adults desire in their Church? This podcast follows the same structure that our listening sessions at the parish will follow. You can RSVP for a listening session here.

All three young adults were active participants in youth ministry at Blessed Sacrament. They attended NCYC, participated on the Outreach Team, and were members of the Youth 2 Youth retreat team.

Collin mentions a video that he did for the Diocese of Saginaw. You can find that here.

Hannah was a guest on the podcast back in December. If you missed her episode, you can find it here.

Happy New Year folks! We're back with a brand new episode of the BSPC podcast. On this episode Kristyn Russell is joined by Fr. Rob Howe to talk about the synod: what is it? Why is it important? And why should you participate?

This is our moment Church! Let's make sure your voice is heard!

For more information about the synod:

Blessed Sacrament Synod Information

Diocese of Saginaw

Pope Francis on the Synod