Bulletin for October 25, 2009

God’s blessings on Father Mike, Father Adam, Father Leo, and all priests on this Priesthood Sunday, Debbie and Marie both battling breast cancer for healing and peace; Nancy/Mom to receive miraculous healing and be restored to full health as soon as possible; Janey that she does fine during her aggressive treatment and is cancer free again; Beth to receive the help she needs and to choose wellness; for everyone with addictions to regain health; a smooth transition to a new living situation for B.; the Williams family, in turmoil, to put their children first; and for peace around the world and in our own community and for everyone working for it. Continued prayers for: J. to accept the help he needs; Irene undergoing treatment; D.; Joanne for accurate diagnosis and proper treatment for lung cancer; a young man for healing of a rare skin cancer; Eric; Richie; Shannon's and Molly's pregnancies; Amy; Linda; Brenda; Tom M.; Peggy; A.; Ben; Kathy; Abigail; Moe; and Jackie. Thanksgiving for: Lynne's encouraging diagnosis; Dick's weight gain; and many answered prayers.

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

STEWARDSHIP AT ST. MARY’S PARISH

This weekend as we continue to focus on STEWARDSHIP at St. Mary’s as a “way of life”, we celebrate the many ministries that are active in our parish community. BUILDING UP, REACHING OUT – My Faith, My Community and Me is the theme of this year’s MINISTRY FAIR. We invite everyone to come to the parish hall between 8:30 am – 1:00 pm for some refreshments and an opportunity to talk with representatives from the various ministries in our parish. See how St. Mary’s Stewards are living a life of gratitude by sharing their talents and time. This weekend we praise and thank God for the countless gifts and talents he has bestowed upon the members of our faith community. We pray that we may continue to share our gifts with others as an act of thanksgiving to the God who gave them to us.

WHAT IS STEWARDSHIP?

• Stewardship is having the wisdom to understand that everything we have is a gift from God of which we are to be the absolute best caretakers.
• Stewardship is a way of life, honoring God in everything we do with all His gifts. Living life God-centered rather than self-centered.
• Stewardship is having the heart to give back out of love a portion of every gift that has been entrusted to us by God.
• Stewardship is living life with the understanding that someday God will ask each and every one of us what we did with all of His varied gifts.
• Stewardship is a life long faith journey that brings us every closer to Jesus Christ; following the path he so perfectly laid out for us through his life example.

Our parish is on a faith journey to make stewardship a way of life. We invite you to join with us on our journey. It will change your life forever.

STEWARDS ARE GOD’S SHINING STARS
Stars of Saint Mary’s lighting our world

SHINING STARS is an opportunity for parishioners to recognize other parishioners for their stewardship actions and deeds. It is a way to say “thanks” or acknowledge a parish member for living the life of stewardship. Thank-you to those who have submitted the name of a “shining star” at St. Mary’s. Today we announce October’s shining star

JOHN CONCORDIA

John and his late wife, Joan, have been pillars of St. Mary’s Church. John has been a member of St. Mary’s for many years. He has been a lector and Eucharistic Minister for over 40 years. He has been a Co-Chair and worker for the Bishop’s Fund for 25 years. He taught a science class at St. Mary’s and has visited many homebound parishioners bringing them the Eucharist after attending morning Mass. John has been most generous to St. Mary’s throughout the years in so many ways. A strong commitment to our faith is the foundation of his family’s life. John’s brother has been a Dominican priest for over 50 years and his son, Stephen, is a Benedictine priest.

VISITATION HOUSE BOTTLE DRIVE

THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

To Jane Erickson for the beautiful job in putting last year’s First Communion love letters to Jesus in a beautiful booklet for the children. You are a gem! Thank you! Sue Landry

ST. MARY’S HEALTH MINISTRY RECIEVES GRANTS

Congratulations to our Parish Nurse, Vi Jefferson, and all who volunteer in our parish health ministries. Two grants were recently awarded to our parish health ministry for our ongoing bereavement ministry programs - $300 from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and $1,000 from the St. Vincent Community Healthcare Fund which was presented to our parish by Bishop McManus at the annual White Mass.

On June 2, 2010 we will be traveling to the Providence Performing Arts Center to see the JERSEY BOYS, broadways hottest show. The cost for this performance will be $99 (so save your nickels and dimes). Reservations should be made as soon as possible. Money will be collected by April 2, 2010.

Fran 508.842.8567 or Evelyn 508.845.3511 or 508.826.7439.

Items of the Month: Coffee, Tea, or Cocoa

Thank you for helping us collect over 60 containers of cocoa, coffee, and tea! We will continue to collect these warm fall beverages all month. Your support benefits local Shrewsbury families who receive monthly food bags from St. Anne's Food Pantry.

ADOPTIVE PARENTS MEETING - Our topic for the Thursday, October 29 meeting of St. Mary’s Adoptive Parents, pre-Adoptive Parents, and Foster Care Providers will be “How to Talk about Adoption.” (Facilitator: Santie) All are welcome. O’Connell Pastoral Center - 7:00 - 9:00 pm. RSVP Donna 508.842.2529

Mass of Remembrance & Breakfast
Saturday, November 7, 2009 ~ 8:30 a.m.

In November, we set aside time to remember our brothers and sisters who have been called home to Christ. A memorial book will be placed on the altar, and parishioners are invited to write the names of their loved ones in it so that we can remember them at Mass throughout the month.

On Saturday, November 7th, the parish will also celebrate a special Mass of Remembrance at 8:30 a.m. The names of parishioners who have died this past year will be read and a candle will be lit in their memories. The names and candles will remain on the altar for the remainder of the month.

Immediately following Mass, the parish will host a breakfast in the parish hall. All are invited. RSVP to the Pastoral Center at 508.845.6341 by Monday, November 2nd if you plan on attending the breakfast.

The workshops are open to anyone already in a ministry or anyone who wishes to become a Lector or Eucharistic Minister. There will be sign-up sheets available in the church.

Come harvest the fullness of your faith!
Women’s Cursillo Weekend - November 19 – 22 at Oakhurst Retreat Center

The Cursillo is a unique experience for each person. The love of the Triune God and His Mother are for all, for you. What you experience on the weekend will be yours. What you do on the weekend is to enjoy and learn. Various talks given by Clergy and lay people, daily Mass, adoration reconciliation, great food, music and song. A true rejuvenating rest in the Lord! Come garner the fullness of your faith. For registration and further course information contact: Louise Garone 508 845 7463

ECO-JUSTICE MINISTRY

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes a year, save more than $600 million in energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars. (Source: resourcefulschools.org and the National Recycling Coalition).

An ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. (www.energystar.gov)

ANNA MARIA COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION presents its 33rd Annual Arts and Crafts Fair on Saturday, November 7th from 10am to 4 pm and Sunday, November 8th from 10 am to 3 pm. The Fair will take place at Anna Maria College Sunset Lane, Paxton, MA in the Fuller Activities Center. Donation - $2 which will benefit Alumni Scholarship.

SHREWSBURY HIGH SCHOOL PARENTAL TALK

Parenting Expert Joani Geltman, MSW will speak on “Adolescent Psychology – The Parent Version” on Thursday, October 29 at 7:00 pm at the Shrewsbury High School Auditorium. The target audience is middle school and high school parents. The event is being sponsored by the Shrewsbury High School Parent Forum and the Shrewsbury Middle Schools PTO and is free and open to the public. http://www.joanigeltman.com/

Please join us as this expert in child development and parent-teen relationships covers topics such as:

• Learning how to set appropriate limits so your teen will want to follow them.
• Developing effective tools for identifying and dealing with your teen’s experimentation with sex, drugs, and alcohol.
• Separating high expectations from unrealistic expectations and their respective consequences for your teen’s emotional well-being.

This year we would like to enhance our bake sale area where the proceeds go directly for the purchase of food for our food pantry. Monthly we distribute to more than 178 registered Shrewsbury residents. We are reaching out to our area churches and asking if parishioners would consider baking or purchasing an item for us. Please call JoAnn Keegan at 508.799.4169.

S.T.O.P
Students Together Opposing Prejudice

S.T.O.P. is a local education initiative begun in 1991 by three different Faith Organizations in Sudbury. S.T.O.P. is coming to the area and is being sponsored by Shrewsbury’s St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Wellspring United Methodist Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, St. Nicholas Romanian Orthodox Christian Church, Westborough’s Congregation B’nai Shalom, and the Islamic Center of Wayland.

The program is a seven-week curriculum aimed at middle school students. The weekly 1 ½ hour sessions are rotated among the participating houses of worship from mid-January to early March.

The goal is to begin with some students who are concerned about issues of tolerance and prejudice, open their eyes to the many forms of bigotry and racism, and give them strategies to confront racism when they encounter it.

The participants learn that racial unity comes through recognition of the value of individuals and the celebration of every person’s uniqueness. They also learn to appreciate that every community is enriched by its diversity.

We’re looking for interested seventh, eighth, or ninth graders, as well as older high school students with insights. Parents are also welcome. Please contact Mary Cote (cotem@stmarysparish.org) for more information.

Copyright © 2009, St. Mary's Parish, Shrewsbury MA.
This page last updated on 10/24/2009.