Thank you to Hayden Carter from Troop 175 who designed and built Hayden’s Haven. This new play area is located at St. Mary’s School for our Kindergarten Class. It is an area that provides a safe and welcoming area for our young students. It will be enjoyed and loved by many. Great job!! Many thanks for all who supported this project.
Thank you to Matt Savage from Troop 175 who designed, built and installed our new outdoor crèche as his Eagle Project. Great job Matt and a special thanks to all who supported your project.
Please consider including St. Mary's in your will and estate planning. Our legal name is: St. Mary's Church Corporation of Simsbury. Contact Father Stephen for more information.
Fr. Dennis Vincenzo is a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford for more than 30 years. He grew up in the South End of Hartford, attending St. Augustine Parish and School, and St. Thomas Seminary High School. Father Dennis received his bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in Hartford where he met and became good friends with Fr. Stephen, and continued on to St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore for his theological studies. Click the title to read more.
After discussion with our Liturgy Committee and staff, we would like to start a new tradition for our children at Mass here at St. Mary’s. Beginning at the Parish Thanksgiving Mass this coming Tuesday evening, and continuing every Sunday at every Mass, we will provide an opportunity for the children of our parish to make an offering of a non-perishable food item which will go to one of the local food pantries we regularly support (Simsbury Food Closet and Hartford Food Pantries). Click the title to read more.
All children in grades 2-6 are invited to sign in the Children's Christmas Choir. Rehearsals are every Thursday evening, from 6-7 PM in the church. New members are welcome! Children will be singing at our 4:00 PM Christmas Eve Mass! Contact Amyjean Silling at [email protected] for more information, schedule, and to REGISTER! Parents are asked to remain during rehearsals.
Following the Great Amen, which concludes the Eucharistic Prayer portion of the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we now move into the Communion Rite. Gathered around the table of the Lord whereupon Christ is truly present in the Eucharistic elements, we stand and join our voices (sung or spoken) in the prayer that Jesus himself taught us, the Our Father. This prayer has been part of the Mass since around the 4th century. It serves as an appropriate preparation to receive the Eucharist since the Our Father includes a petition to give us “our daily bread” which can be understood in part to be a reference to the Bread of Life, the Body of Christ we are preparing to receive. Click the title to read more.
“What can we do to pray for a loved one, living or deceased, or how can we do something to honor or memorialize them?” This is a common question, especially after the death of a loved one. To have a Mass or several Masses offered for a person who is deceased is an ancient and commendable practice. A Mass is offered to pray for a person that he/she may be at peace in heaven. Since each Mass is of infinite value, requesting one or several Masses is of tremendous benefit for the person prayed for as well as for the family, knowing that their intention is joined with the prayer of the Church. Click the title to read more.
KC Council 2758 is offering post secondary education scholarships. These scholarships are intended for students and families who have demonstrated an active commitment to the Church. Students can obtain an application form and a list of criteria for the scholarship at the St. Mary’s office. The applications are due June 30th, 2022.
We have begun the process of searching for a new Youth Minister. A group of parents and teens have been meeting to brainstorm ideas on how we can shape our youth ministry program going forward. This group will assist Father Stephen in putting together a job description that will be used to search for candidates.
Know God’s Word . . . Know God’s LOVE! The Archdiocese of Hartford has Bible studies for adult learners. The Biblical School is now enrolling virtual and in-person classes! Find out more at www.CatholicEdAOHCT.org, or contact us: [email protected]
As you’ve noticed from our bulletin cover we have a number of our parish youth receiving their Confirmation this Sunday afternoon at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, as well as two adults who will be Confirmed there on Tuesday evening. In our Catholic tradition, Confirmation is one of three Sacraments of Initiation, along with Baptism and Eucharist. Although in the early days of Christianity, these three Sacraments were celebrated in one event at the Easter Vigil, over time they became separated from one another for very practical reasons. Click the title to read more.
I remember as a child, my mother placing fresh flowers each day before the little statue of Mary she kept on her bedroom dresser. Whether they be forsythia, tree blossoms, irises or lily of the valley (all of which grew in our yard), Mary always had fresh flowers during the month of May. Why do we honor Mary with flowers during May? Many of our Christian customs have roots in pre-Christian celebrations. As the Christian faith was taught to peoples of different cultures, missionaries often took their local customs and connected them to Christian belief. In ancient Greece and Rome, the goddesses of fertility and blossoms were honored during the month of May as springtime brought fertility and new life. Click the title to read more.
For the past six weeks of Lent, we’ve been preparing for and building up to the celebration of the greatest event in Christianity, the celebration of Easter – when Christ defeated death by rising to new life. Whether we’ve been coming to daily Mass, praying or reading the Bible more, attending a bible study, making the Stations of the Cross, following Dynamic Catholic’s Best Lent Ever series or the daily readings from the Lenten meditation book, we’ve been highly engaged in faith activities during the Lenten Season. Even in our homes perhaps we’ve been preparing in all kinds of ways, cooking traditional Easter specialties, decorating or planting flowers, creating Easter baskets. Now that we’ve celebrated Easter Sunday, what’s next? Click the title to read more.
A Very Happy and Blessed Easter to All! Today our 40-day Lenten pilgrimage culminates in Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead. Mary Magdalene delivers the disturbing news to Peter and the beloved disciple that the body of Jesus is missing from the place where they buried him on the preceding Friday. They race to the tomb only to find the tomb open and Jesus’ body gone. The tidied burial cloths raise a suspicion that Jesus’ body was not simply moved or stolen. Rather it must mean that he had been raised as he promised: “the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed, and rise after three days” (Mk. 8:31). God’s extravagant love has rolled away the stone and emptied the tomb! The beloved disciple sees and believes! Alleluia! Click the title to read more.
Another obstacle to going to confession I often hear from people is they don’t know what to confess. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, morality seemed so black and white – we knew clearly what was and wasn’t a sin. Today however there seems difficulty discerning what is appropriate matter for confession. First, to be culpable (responsible) for a sin we must know and understand that what we have done or neglected to do is sinful. We can’t be guilty of something we are unaware is a sin. A thorough Examination of Conscience will help us to discern our sins both of commission and omission. To do this, we could start by remembering the Ten Commandments and determining if we are guilty of breaking any of these. Click the title to read more.
One of the reasons Catholics often cite for not going to confession is that it’s been so long since they last went, they’ve forgotten what to do. If this is what is keeping you from experiencing this beautiful sacrament perhaps a review of how to celebrate this sacrament might make it more approachable. First, don’t worry or be embarrassed if it has been a long time since last celebrating Reconciliation. All that matters is that you are seeking out the sacrament now. If you let the priest know it’s been a while and you are a little “rusty” he can help you with the process. Take a few minutes before confession to examine your conscience. You may use the 10 Commandments or even the Two Great Commandments (Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself) to help you review your recent past. There are also Examinations of Conscience online or on the MyParishApp or the Confession App which can help you recall your sins.