Bulletin for August 2, 2009

A woman to seek wellness following a debilitating illness, Katie to pursue good health, Christine shouldering the weight of her Dad's cancer, Jim to heal, CF to accept and follow a path to health, three people to successful in their bid to gain weight control, Ben's successful cataract operation, all those living with cancer to find peace and comfort, especially Ann, Peggy, and Kathy, Fr. Philip, Janet’s full recovery from a serious and sudden illness and for her husband, Bob with multiple illnesses, for all who mourn the loss of a loved one, for those discerning treatment options, safe travel for everyone during the summer holiday, Joyce, Joe's family and friends, and for peace around the world and those in our neighborhoods. Continued prayers for: Gary, Joe, a son, Eric, Bonnie's husband, Maddie, Nancy, Arista, Kathy's full recovery from surgery, two young people, employment for many, including Sarah, those with addictions, Grace, Paul, Tim, Richie, Eddie, James, and Mike Jr., continued participation in our Share the Bounty and eco-ministry programs. Thanksgiving for multiple answered prayers.

Prayer Line: Tracy at 508.842.2279 or Susan at 508.934.0133 or susanbk@townisp.com

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A EUCHARISTIC MINISTER?

Any one interested in becoming a Eucharistic Minister please contact Fr. Adam at the Pastoral Center, 508.845.6341 or email him at reida@stmarysparish.org.

NEW PARISHIONERS

We extend a warm welcome to the following people who joined St. Mary’s parish during the month of July:

If you are new to St. Mary’s please introduce yourselves to Fr. Mike and Fr. Adam after Mass and call the Pastoral Center during the week so that you can register in the parish

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED PARISH PAY?

As the summer weeks continue, please consider using ParishPay for your support of St. Mary Parish. More and more parishioners are finding that ParishPay is the best way to continue their support of the parish. Find out how ParishPay works by clicking here or calling the Pastoral Center. In lieu of weekly collections the ParishPay program will collect monthly contributions from your checking, savings or credit card account.

STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT
August 1/2
Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

“Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not.” (Exodus16:4) God frowns upon it when we take or keep more than we need. When the Israelites gathered more than their daily portion of manna, that which they hoarded away became wormy and rotten. In the same way, God calls us today to be content with a fair portion and to be willing to share the rest.

Items of the Month

The Items of the Month are Condiments: Ketchup, Mustard or Relish. (No glass jars, please!) We're halfway there with only 100 more to go. Thank you for your support!

JET SET

The bus for Foxwood and the Legends in Concert will be leaving St. Mary's parking lot on August 4th at 8:00 A M. Will be returning at approximately 5:30 P. M.

BAPTISM CONGRATULATIONS

Baptisms are celebrated on the first and third Sundays of the month at 12:30 pm. Please call the pastoral center to make arrangements for your child’s baptism. Parents who would like to have their first child baptized will be asked to participate in a Baptism Preparation session which are held on the second Monday of the month at 7:00 pm in the pastoral center.

With the church expansion plans in full swing, you may be wondering if and how we’re going to have a Festival this year. Actually, that thought has crossed the minds of the Festival Committee as well. But not to fear, we are hard at work, making plans and being creative. We have embraced the parish’s building theme as our own and plan to make this year’s celebration one that Builds Our Community!

So Save the Date – September 18, 19 and 20 – and be part of the St. Mary Family Festival tradition. Consider volunteering, buying a raffle ticket, or stopping by and sharing good times with family, friends and neighbors.

This year the Family Festival Committee is excited to offer Grand Raffle tickets at a reduced price of $75. Or if you would like to double your chances of winning $15,000, you can buy two tickets for $100 (when purchased together). And back by popular demand is the same fantastic second prize – four box seats to the Red Sox/Indians game on October 4th and four premium seats to the Patriots/Jets game on November 22nd!

To purchase your tickets, please click here. Tickets may also be purchased from the Raffle committee after selected Masses. Thanks for supporting St. Mary Parish and School.

We have now reached 94% of our parish goal for this year’s Partners in Charity Appeal. THANK-YOU to the many parishioners who have already contributed. If you have not yet had the opportunity to do so, please support this year’s appeal with your gift or pledge in the month of August. Every gift is important to the 29 ministries that are funded each year through Partners in Charity.

St. Mary’s Goal $175,000
Amount Raised $164,707
Number of Gifts 458

Envelopes for your gift/pledge can be found at the entrances of the church and on the window sills. You may place them in the collection basket today or mail to the pastoral center during the week. Please be sure to check with your employer about a Matching Gift and attach the form to your pledge card.

Members of Saints Francis & Therese Catholic Worker will be here on the weekend of August 22 and 23, 2009, with our homemade baked goods. The sale of our wholesome bread and muffins, made with organic ingredients, is the main source of income which supports our ministries. We shelter homeless men and women, and we work for justice and peace. There is no set price for the bread as we prefer to depend on your generosity to carry on the works of mercy.

PROMISE TO PROTECT - PLEDGE TO HEAL

If you have been abused or victimized by someone representing the Catholic Church, please believe in the possibility for hope and help and healing. We encourage you to come forward and speak with Frankie Nugent, the Victim Assistance Coordinator who is available to obtain support for your needs, to help you make a formal complaint and to arrange a personal meeting with the bishop or his representative, if you desire. The direct and confidential phone number is 508-9294363.

IGNATIAN VOLUNTEER CORPS NEEDS YOU!

Are you 50 yrs. or older, semi-retired or retired, looking to share your time, talent and life experiences with the less fortunate? If your answer is yes, maybe, the Ignatian Volunteer Corps is the answer for you. Our values are based in sharing your experiences gleaned from years of work, education and life experiences with the materially poor. If you are willing to dedicate two days a week to servicing the poor [ministered to through local Service Sites we’ve partnered with in New England] over the next year, while at the same time developing your spiritual life in the Jesuit Ignatian Spiritual “Reflective” process, then IVC could be the answer you’ve been waiting to hear about. Please call Br. Steven Jubin, New England Regional Director at (617)-699-4045 or send him an email [sjubin@ivcusa.org] or go on the IVC Web Site, to learn more about the great things IVC is doing to help the materially poor.

Brochures:

• Why Does the Church Teach That?
• How to Pray the Rosary
• How to Make a Good Confession

We ask for a donation of $3.00 per CD and $.50 per brochure. Checks can be made payable to the parish. Donations will be used towards the purchase of additional materials.

Copyright © 2009, St. Mary's Parish, Shrewsbury MA.
This page last updated on 8/1/2009.