Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church

Every Feast of the Assumption I share with you a story of my grandmother visiting and how when she left I got up in gratitude to say goodbye. It deeply resonates with me why we must come to Mass to bid farewell to Our Lady as she is assumed into heaven.

Today, I want to share another childhood memory. I grew up living in a court, and the unwritten law of the land was that you didn’t park in front of your neighbor’s house. Maybe it is this way everywhere, but, I do recall how annoyed I was when folks parked in front of our house. Sometimes it seemed intentional, like when there was a spot open in front of their own house. I had to learn to ‘offer it up,’ as we all learn to deal with being human and annoying one another.

Ok, now St. Mary’s. We are surrounded on three sides by residential neighborhood, and as good neighbors, we must be aware that our parking needs can and sometimes do annoy our neighbors. If you worry that you can’t go to the store on weekends because there will be no parking near your home…. yeah…. that is difficult.

There are times when our parking spills out into the neighborhood,
and becomes a pain point for our neighbors. As pastor I have tried to address that, in part, by adding an evening Mass or two at Holy Cross on Ash Wednesday, one of our most congested days. Last Christmas and several Easters have been at the Expo Center.

Additionally, sometimes we are so full of the Holy Spirit at the end of the Mass that we want to fly…. and we fly out of the parking lot with the speed of the eagles. Our haste does not mean that we can drive through residential side-streets in a manner that is not safe.

What can we all do?

1. Please use the parking lot as much as possible. We did have the town add a number of spots along Williams Street in front of the church, and those are prime spots that don’t impact our neighbors. But too many folks park along other residential streets when there are still plenty of parking spaces in the lot (obviously b/c it allows for a quicker departure and not having to deal with the lot).

2. When you exit onto Stafford Avenue, remember that you are in a residential neighborhood with children at play.

Let’s be good neighbors, as charity begins with the Lord, and continues as we exit the parking lot and into all of our daily lives.

pax,

Fr. John Mosimann

Adult Education Bible Studies for the Fall

August 13, 2021 St Mary Fred

It’s time to study the Bible with other adult parishioners. Class sizes will be limited. Please pay for the class when you sign-up at the Parish Office. All study materials will be distributed at the first class. Classes will be held in the Courtyard Meeting Room at St. Mary’s and at Holy Cross Academy. PLEASE REGISTER BY AUGUST 23.

James: Pearls for Wise Living: Jeff Cavins; Mondays; beginning Monday Sept. 13, 2021: 9:45 am; Location at St. Mary’s Courtyard Room (11 sessions)

In James: Pearls for Wise Living, Jeff Cavins shows how the teachings of James speak to those of us who feel torn between the competing demands of this world and our faith. Meant to help a fledgling Church live out its faith in the face of persecution and a worldview opposed to the gospel, the book of James will help you discover wisdom you can apply to the present. The cost of materials is between $25-$30. Class size limited to 30 people max.

The Bible Timeline: Jeff Cavins; Wednesday or Thursday; beginning Sept. 15 or 16, 2021; 9:45 am; Location at St. Mary’s Courtyard Room (24 sessions)

The Bible Timeline divides the Bible into twelve color-coded time periods that make it easier to follow its narrative thread. Using a unique color- coded chart, you will learn the major people, places, and events of the Bible and discover how they all come together to reveal the remarkable story of our faith. The cost of materials is between $35-$40. Class size limited to 30 people max.

Revelation: The Kingdom Yet to Come: Jeff Cavins; Wednesday Night; beginning Sept. 15, 2021; 6:30 PM at HOLY CROSS ACADEMY

You will learn what all the mysterious figures and images of Revelation represent, as well as what will happen during the Second Coming of Christ, what has already happened, and what is happening now in salvation history.
The cost of materials is between $25-$30. Class size limited to 25 people max.

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