St Mary Fred

Upcoming Special Collections

August 12, 2021 St Mary Fred

Special Collection | August 14-15 | Mission Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe Atchanvé, Togo, West Africa

The Mission Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Togo, West Africa, was established in July 2006, by its founding Pastor, Father William Ryan, and encompasses a large poverty-stricken rural area of more than three dozen villages, populated mainly by subsistence farmers. . It takes about 1 ½ hours to drive from one end of the parish to the other over very bad roads. There are 13 “secondary stations” in the parish – villages where a lay catechist leads the people in prayers on Sundays and offers baptismal preparation and faith formation. To go hand in hand with its evangelization efforts, the parish has undertaken development projects in its villages such as wells, the health clinic, chapels and schools. This is essential, because when the mission began there was essentially no infrastructure in place to meet the human needs of the villagers or to enable the Church to carry out its pastoral service. None of the parish’s construction projects – wells, chapels, schools and more – would be possible without financial support, but prayers and sacrifices also provide powerful help for the mission. At every Sunday Mass in Atchanvé, the special intentions of all the parish’s supporters are lifted up in prayer before the Lord. Its Pastor, Father Ryan, had served as Associate Pastor at St. Martin’s Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland, which is now the sister parish of the mission parish in Togo. Each year Fr. Ryan returns to the U.S. to give a report to St. Martin’s Church in Gaithersburg on the progress of its sister parish in Togo, and to seek help from others for the many projects of the mission. Visit their website at togomissionparish.org for more information. Father Ryan will be at here the weekend of August 14 and August 15 to speak to our parish about his mission parish, and to ask for our support. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

DIOCESAN MISSION APPEAL FOR THE DIOCESE OF ST THOMAS, VIRGIN ISLANDS, AUGUST 21 & AUGUST 22

Our Second Collection on August 21 and August 22 will support the annual Mission Cooperative Plan Appeal for our diocese. The Mission assigned to our parish this year is the Diocese of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. This appeal helps our brothers and sisters who do not have access to basic pastoral services that support and grow their faith, like Mass, the sacraments, religious education as well as basic needs — food, shelter and healthcare. Through your support, the Mission Appeal helps missions around the world form vibrant faith communities and strengthens the global Church, and your generosity is most appreciated. All donations should be made payable to St. Mary and placed in an envelope marked Mission Appeal. You may also donate online at https://arlingtonmissions.org/donate/donate-to-other-missions/ (Fund: MCP and indicate Diocese of St. Thomas under Comments).

From Our Pastor

August 7, 2021 St Mary Fred

Dear Folks,

St. Theresa of Calcutta is a saint of our times. A reminder that saints aren’t icons or stained glass but people who love the Lord. Many folks met Mother Teresa or heard her speak, but few ‘tackled’ her. Let me explain.

In the Summer of 1995 Mother came to DC to receive the profession of final vows of some of her sisters. Everyone wanted to see her. I was a seminarian at the time and I went to the Mass with a priest friend. After Mass we used our collars to work our way back into the sacristy. It was packed like sardines with clergy. Having played rugby, I was good at pushing my way through crowds, so I worked and wedged my way to a position directly behind the future saint. As she chatted with the Cardinal Archbishop, I waited patiently. Disastrously, as she finished chatting with him, she started turning and moving in a direction opposite of the path I was blocking. She was not going to see me! I seized the moment, and the Saint, firmly placing my hand on her shoulder, I made sure that she turned around to see me towering above her. Some say that I spun her around, and the priest friend who saw still teases me about tackling a Saint! Hyperbole, yes, but worth it because…

As I got her undivided attention, I said, “Mother, I am a seminarian. Please pray for me.” She was so kind, inviting me to visit her sisters in Calcutta, asking my name, and insisting that I write my name on a piece of paper so that she could remember it and pray for me.

I did deliver on that promise to visit her in India… it was one of my motives for the trip with Fr. Sunny a few years ago!
I got to offer Mass in the chapel where her tomb is, with a number of her sisters in attendance!

I hope the Lord doesn’t have to tackle you to get your attention… and I hope that we are all as serious about praying for the folks who ask for our prayers. Now that St. Theresa of Calcutta is in heaven, she is even more profoundly delivering on her promise to pray for me and you.

Pax,

Father John Mosimann

From Our Pastor

July 31, 2021 St Mary Fred

Dear Folks,

I tell folks that I have miraculous hands. Yep, because Jesus uses my hands to turn bread into Him. But that is not what I am talking about,

I am talking about the pandemic washing of my hands and rubbing them down with alcohol. My hands should be dried and cracking, but instead they are in better shape than ever! So if you ever need evidence for my canonization, check and see if this miracle holds up. (And in case you can’t tell, I am toooooootaly joking, I don’t have delusions of canonization)!

But more seriously, all this washing of hands, and how much more habitual it has become, has reminded me of a note that I put in the bulletin regarding allergies. Also some foods I have found in church brought to mind that it is important to repeat this again.

Allergies, Allergies, Allergies:

Allergies have become a very serious issue in our parish. We have parish families who can never go to events in our Parish Life Center (COVID regulations are lifting and soon we can begin again) because there are nuts around and about. Families who must bring to Mass several EpiPens for their children on the possibility that another family was feeding a toddler a PBJ sandwich. And yes, we have seen children eating PBJs and then wiping hands over pews.

I strive to make this parish as family friendly as possible. Children are the supreme gift of marriage, and the treasure of our parish. I hope you notice how welcome they are in our Masses. I understand that parenting is difficult, and that parents often resort to feeding children in Mass. However, the Church is not the place for feeding children. Know that your feeding your child peanut butter, can put the life of another child at risk who sits in that pew at a later Mass. Nuts are also similarly problematic. We cannot make the church an absolutely ‘nut free zone.’ That is impossible to guarantee. However, if we absolutely must feed while at Mass, consider doing so in the vestibule, and be considerate by avoiding more common allergens. This is a simple act of charity for your brother and sisters in Christ. Their children’s lives may depend on it.

Thank you for your kindness and understanding.

pax,

Father John Mosimann

From Our Pastor

July 24, 2021 St Mary Fred

Dear Folks,

One thing that has filled my heart with encouragement as folks have returned to the Mass in the waning pandemic is this: Singing! It has been truly heartening to hear folks sing the Gloria and the Salve Regina especially!

The prayers that we learn to sing take deep root in our souls, and thus I recalled this lovely note that I received from a parishioner who had emailed an encounter that she had in Mass. I share that with you below:

Father Mosimann,

I wanted to tell you how much I love that we sing the Salve Regina after Mass. I love that my kids and I know it by heart now.

Today, I had a new reason to love it. We were sitting behind an elderly woman and her adult son. She appeared very infirm and somewhat “not here.” He was wonderful to her, finding the music/readings for her, putting his arm around her at times, etc.

He helped her get to communion and back to her seat. Then the Salve started and all of a sudden this beautiful, clear voice rang out—she was singing! I looked up and her son was staring at her with this smiling, gaping, open mouth, just like me, I’m sure. Then her son and I had to stop singing because it’s very hard to sing the Salve Regina with a lump in your throat.

We chatted with them after Mass, the son shared that his mom had a stroke 8 years ago, and doesn’t have much short-term memory, but her long-term memory is very solid. She was telling us about being taught by the Dominican Sisters in France during her childhood and how they would always sing the Salve in school.

I love how that piece of music ties us to Catholics all over the world, but also to Catholics out of time and place and to Mary. Amazing Mass today.

– A Parish Mother

Pax,

Father Mosimann