Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Dear Folks,

This past week was the first ever ‘Diocesan W eek of Service’ to highlight and encourage every parish and school in the diocese to serve our brothers and sisters in need. For our part, over 100 bags have arrived filled to the brim with Thanksgiving meal ingredients along with $25 gift cards for turkeys! The Knights of Columbus generously donated more turkeys and brand new coats for those in need! Furthermore, the whole parish/school donated 300+ coats and they are still arriving at the office! I am sure you will read about more diocesan wide events in the Catholic Herald soon!

This Veteran’s Day we hosted the 2nd Annual Mass & Luncheon for Veterans and their families. It falls on the feast of St. Martin of Tours (who was himself a Roman Soldier)! It was a lovely affair complete with music, a visit from the color guard and a lunch of pulled pork and homemade beans, with plenty of dessert! Thank you to the Morton’s, Lara Traylor and Ann Skinner and the many volunteers who generously served our seniors and veterans!

“Triumph of the Heart “

We have arranged a parish screening of the theatrical released movie: “Triumph of the Heart” which came out this fall. Come on Friday, December 5th to HCA for a parish screening at 7pm. There is more info in the bulletin here, so check that out. No tickets are being sold, but if anyone wants to contribute to offset the cost, such would not be refused! BYOP: bring your own popcorn, and snack, but please avoid Cracker Jacks and peanuts!!

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Dear Folks,

Two important diocesan initiatives for us:

1. Diocesan Week of Service begins TODAY! November 9-16th. We join the diocese in putting Love in Actionnthrough Service in Community.Rooted in the Gospel and inspired by the Spiritual and Corporal W orks of Mercy, our parish and ministriesare joining together to bring Christ to our neighbors by serving individuals and families who are most in need—spiritually, emotionally, and physically. From feeding the hungry and visiting the sick, to comforting the sorrowful and praying for the living and the dead, this week calls each of us to live our faith in concrete and compassionate ways.

See Bishop Burbidge’s’ message on our website!

You can be a part of the week of service at St. Mary’s in three ways! 1.Participate in the Coat Drive by donating a new or gently used coat (new mittens/hats too). 2. Feed the hungry and donate to our Thanksgiving Food Drive, (maroon bags are in the narthex and/or donate turkey (W al-Mart gift card) 3. Adopt-a Senior and visit those in area assisted living facilities/homes (program will be launched on 11/16).

All churches in the diocese will be praying together a special prayer after all Masses this week. The prayer is also included on page 14 of the bulletin. I invite you to also pray it as a family in your homes.

2. One of the diocesan long-term initiatives has been to explore the interest in a vocational school. This would be something distinct from the diocesan high schools. The vocational school, would be focused on preparation for work in the trades and of benefit to many young folks who are considering such as an alternative to the common college-bound path. The initial survey from the diocese regarding priorities showed that 94% of respondents enthusiastically supported this idea!

Now the diocese is looking for more input on the best location and model of a vocational program. It could be a post-secondary program, an independent school, or a vocational center of excellence. I believe that there are many families in our parish and region that could benefit from this type of opportunity. There is hope that we will have 200 respondents per parish, and remember that our parish is much bigger than your average bear!

Please consider filling out the survey for the good of our part of the diocese, and for the good of the young men and women who would ultimately benefit from a vocational education that will set them on a path of dignified and fulfilling work!

The survey is available in English or Spanish, here is the link and there is a QR code in the bulletin as well.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CTEVOTECH

pax,

Father John Mosimann

Dear Folks,

Today is the beautiful feast of All Souls, one of those rare occasions when a feast takes precedence over the celebration of Sunday. It is the day when we pray for all our loved ones who have passed away.

Sometimes folks say to me that they want a funeral to be a celebration—but I look into their eyes and see that they are not truly celebrating in their souls. Death is painful for those who remain, and the pain we feel is directly related to the love we have for the dearly departed.

There is nothing contrary to our faith in going through healthy mourning and shedding tears.

In fact, it is faith that changes everything. The Cross gives meaning to our pain and loss. No tear is wasted when it is given to Jesus. When freely offered to God, it shares in the very power of His Cross and His victory over death.

The greatest thing you can do for your loved ones is to pray for them. And there is no more perfect prayer than the Mass. In the Mass, our sufferings, sorrows, and joys are placed on the altar and united to the sacrifice of the Cross. The Mass is Jesus’ High Priestly prayer before the Father. Don’t you want Jesus Himself offering prayers for your loved one? This is what it means to have a Mass offered.

Once again this year, you will see the banner with the names of our parish brothers and sisters who passed away over the last 12 months. A candlelight Mass for this year’s faithful departed will be offered on Friday the 14th. Praying for our loved ones is a great privilege—one to which the Lord grants tremendous grace and power.

Also, please see the announcement about altar server training, which begins in 10 days. There are multiple sessions, as I want to have our new servers trained and ready for Christmas!

 

Pax,

Father John Mosimann