Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Lenten Small Groups: Prayer, Finding Intimacy with God

Whereas Lenten Friends is no longer producing the small group programs in which we have participated in the past, this year we will use a program offered through FORMED, an on-line resource already available to St. Mary’s.  The program is entitled:  Prayer, Finding Intimacy with God.

Though prayer is one of the essentials of a thriving faith, we often feel as if we’re talking to ourselves—or, worse, as if we’re talking to no one at all. How can something so vital to the Faith be so elusive? Now, with the clear teaching and artistry of the Augustine Institute’s Lectio series, Dr. Tim Gray masterfully uses the discipline of Lectio Divina to show you how to make prayer an effective effort of love and intimacy. In six video sessions, Prayer: Finding Intimacy with God captures the secret to opening our hearts and minds to Scripture as the means to hear from God and then respond in conversation, basking in his presence and resolving to live in and through his love.

Host Registration is now OPEN! We are welcoming prior and new hosts who would like to gather a small group of colleagues, friends or family members to meet, discuss and share the reflections on this year’s Lenten Small Group Program.  There will be two ways to sign up: go to www.signupgenius.com  or call the Parish Office. We will invite people to become involved as hosts and gather their own groups through the end of January. We will begin inviting individuals to sign up beginning February 5 for those who are interested but have not connected with a group.

Participation is FREE, but requires registration in FORMED to access materials:

1. Go to formed.org   2. Click register   3. Enter parish code:  F6F228

On Friday, February 9, 2018 at 8:00 p.m., Concerts at St. Mary will present soprano Aani Bourassa in a concert of repertoire for soprano, orchestra and organ.  Ms. Bourassa will be joined by some Fredericksburg’s finest instrumentalist and Baltimore based organist Alec Davis, all under the direction of St. Mary’s Director of Music and Organist David Uschold.

Praised for her “brilliant, yet sparkling high notes” (Burlington Hawkeye), American soprano Aani Bourassa is indeed a versatile actress of emotional depth whose repertoire encompasses Johann Sebastian Bach, Handel, Mozart, opera, French art song, lieder and oratorio.  Some notable roles include Fiordiligi in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Juliette in Charles Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette and Lydia in Second Nature by Matthew Aucoin.  Ms. Bourassa is also equally prevalent in the concert and sacred music scenes.  She has performed solos in works such as Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, Bach’s Magnificat and So-drumming by Steve Reich.  This summer, Bourassa will return for her fourth season as Artist in Residence at the Ad Astra Music Festival in Kansas.  While in residence, she will perform the part of Peitho in the festival’s production of Here Be Sirens by Kate Soper and one of the soprano parts in an exciting one-on-a-part performance of Matthäus-Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach.  Ms. Bourassa performs regularly with Songs by Heart, a foundation that seeks to enhance the life of the memory impaired through music therapy.  Aani Bourassa is a champion of new and undiscovered music, and is currently involved in a collaborative project with pianist Samuel Gingher to rediscover and record the vocal works of composer Carl Czerny.  In addition to her busy performance career, Ms. Bourassa hold the position of producer and project manager for the recording label Acis Productions.

The Friday evening’s program, which is themed in the anticipation of Lent, will include performances of Purcell’s An Evening Hymn, aria How Beautiful Are Thy Feet from Handel’s Messiah and two works of Johann Sebastian Bach:  Fantasia and Fugue in c minor, S. 537, performed by organist David Uschold, and Cantata 199: Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut for soprano, orchestra and organ.  Admission to the concert is free and a free-will offering will be taken to support future Concerts at St. Mary productions.  Following the concert there will be a reception in the church’s Parish Life Center where there will be an opportunity to meet the performers and share fellowship with others.

The parish offices will be closed Monday, January 15, in observance of Martin Luther King Day.