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May is a month that the church dedicates to Mary and we honor her each year by crowning the statue that sits outside our church and school with flowers. This year, given the circumstances, our May Crowning took on a virtual form, with students from St. Mary's School and First Communion families from our St. Mary's Religious Education program combining to honor Mary as the Queen of Heaven. Click to the video

In light of the request to maintain physical distancing, it will be necessary to postpone our Granny's Attic Thrift Sale and the prerequisite donation drop off timetables. We hope that you are able to hold on to your donation items until a new date can be set for this important fundraiser. For those of you who have kindly volunteered to help, we thank you and hope to see you soon!! Please keep watch for more information. Stay safe and God Bless! Your Granny's Attic team, Peg, Ann, Jane and Stephanie.

We will install plaques with names of all who donated toward the Campus Connection project. There are lists in the Reception area for parishioners to review and initial that your information is correct. The lists will be available through Sunday, March 8th.

There are so many ways to be a part of the community at St. Mary's! Consider the 9:30 Music Group. This ensemble plays a variety of music for the liturgy from Classical pieces to Praise and Worship style music. Our regular rehearsal time is 8:30 Sunday mornings in the Magowan Center Music Room.  We also rehearse every other Tuesday night from 7 - 8:15 for those who are able to attend. Singers from 7th grade to adult are welcome to join us. Please contact Patty Lepak at lepakfamily@gmail.com for more information. We would love to have you join us!

The Adult Enrichment / Spiritual Development Committee invites you to be awakened by THE MASS narrated by Bishop Robert Barron. The full schedule for viewing this series on Sundays after the 9:30 AM Mass in the Magowan Center is: February 23 (Part 3); March 1 (Parts 4,5); March 15 (Part 6). The entire series will be shown again on the following Tuesday evenings in the Forcucci Faith Formation Center from 6:45 - 8:00 PM: February 11, 25; March 3, 24.

Have you ever thought about becoming an altar server? Then please join us for our 2020 training. The 3-part session will be held from 4-5pm on the following Tuesday, March 17th, 24th, and 31st. All boys and girls in the 4th grade or above are welcome to attend. Please contact our altar server coordinator, Sheila Garilli,at ServerLeader@StMarySimsbury.org to sign up for the class.

The Women’s Guild is open to all women of the parish and has adopted the theme of “Women Helping Women”. The Guild focuses on social, spiritual and community service activities throughout the year. From Trivia Night fun to Walking With Purpose personal scripture study to delivering Easter food baskets to those in need, there is something for everyone. Dues are $20, or $10 for those 65 and older, and help defray the cost of events and activities. Questions? Contact Noreen Kuziak, Membership Co-Chair at nkuziak@comcast.net.

Now that our construction project is complete, St. Mary’s will install plaques with names of all who donated toward this successful project. These plaques will be located along the corridor wall between the Magowan Center and St. Mary’s School. These plaques will include (1) all donor names in alphabetical order, (2) donations made in Memory of parishioners and (3) donations made in Honor of parishioners. In an effort to verify that all donor names are listed correctly, the lists will be placed in the Reception area for parishioners to review and verify information. Please stop by and initial that your information is correct. The list will be available during the month of February.

Students who were not able to make the first year Confirmation Retreat should contact Steve DiMotta regarding information on how to attend a make-up retreat.

At our latest Women's Guild gathering we made Psalm 23 Bracelets. Some of the most poetic, comforting words in the Bible can be found in the Book of Psalms and the most familiar is Psalm 23. The image of a gentle shepherd, green pastures, still waters, we yearn for such peace and reassurance. If you are looking to be inspired, it doesn’t get any better than this. Different colored beads are strung together to make a bracelet, with each bead representing an image from the verses.

Thank you to everyone who has hosted coffee and fellowship after the 8:00 and 9:30 AM Masses. We are looking for more people to help host the coffee on Sunday morning. We have excellent instructions and it is a great way to meet new people. If you would like to host, please call the parish office (860) 658-7627.

We had a great time with messy game night. Thanks to all who came and played! The world can sometimes be a messy place, but it helps to know that God walks with us, even through that mess.

If you are an E-giver and your funds were being withdrawn from a Simsbury Bank account you will need to update your account information in our WeShare e-giving system. Now that Liberty Bank has purchased Simsbury Bank, parishioners will need to update their routing numbers so their donations are uninterrupted. E-giving transactions are still being honored during the transition but the correct routing number for Liberty Bank (211170282) will need to be updated. Please contact Joanne Dunn, our Finance Manager, if you need help making this change.

Stephen Ministers are ready to listen, care, and pray. Please contact the coordinator to arrange a time to learn about this ministry at St. Mary’s. Questions may be directed to Mary Ann Pappano at (860) 658-7532 or St. Mary’s office at (860) 658-7627. All conversations remain confidential.

There are so many ways to be a part of the community at St. Mary's! Consider the 9:30 Music Group. This ensemble plays a variety of music for the liturgy from classical pieces to Praise and Worship style music. Our regular rehearsal time is 8:30 Sunday mornings in the new music room. We also rehearse every other Tuesday night from 7 - 8:15 for those who are able to attend. Singers from 7th grade to adult are welcome to join us. Please contact Patty Lepak at lepakfamily@gmail.com for more information. We would love to have you join us!

The Women's Guild Service Committee is excited to have a full slate of activities planned for the year. Watch the bulletin for details on the following events: Giving Tree/Stocking Collection (December 1-14), Santa's Workshop & Breakfast (December 14), Easter Basket Collection (March 22-29) and Father's Day Bake Sale (June 20-21). All members of the parish are invited to join us for these events!

We invite you to pray for the 16 people who are committed to the coursework to become Stephen Ministers. Please ask God to bless them as they prepare, study and learn. They will rely on your prayers!

Thank you to all who attended and to those who helped at the Parish Family Picnic last Sunday. It was a huge success, with a wonderful turnout of over 180 people and ideal weather! Special thanks to Kane’s Market for grilling the hamburgers and hot dogs, the Picnic Committee for organizing the day, and all who helped with set up, serving, and clean up. Our volunteers are a valuable and integral part of the parish - you are always welcome here, and we could definitely use more help! Thanks also to everyone who brought the delicious side dishes and desserts to share! It was a great way to bring summer to an end with friends!

I would like to have coffee available for parishioners after the 8:30 and 9:30 Sunday Masses in our new vestibule area, but I need volunteers to help set it up and oversee it. I am looking for parishioners who have not been actively involved in the parish but now would like to be. If you can help, please contact the Office (860) 658-7627. Father Matera

Simsbury Community TV is featuring a program this month on our parish and school, focusing on the completion of our new facility. The program airs during the month of September on Tuesdays (2:30 pm & 9:30 pm) and Thursdays (9:30 am) or simply click on the title to watch the program now.