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Father Stephen Sledesky is our new pastor as of July 1st, following the retirement of Fr. Matera. "I could not be more delighted with this choice. Fr. Sledesky is a young, dynamic priest with strong pastoral experience. Ordained 28 years, he has been the pastor of a very large parish, St. George in Guilford, for the past six years. There he has done outstanding pastoral work. St. Mary’s is fortunate to have such a talented and seasoned pastor who will lead this faith community in the years ahead, and I am sincerely grateful for his appointment." - Father Matera

Season Two of "The Chosen" was released Easter 2021 part of it will include our own Jeff Ryan. Jeff thanks everyone for the prayers and well wishes for his journey and thankful for the opportunity to have represented our parish community on this adventure. Click the title to read more information.

We will be collecting once again this weekend (Sun, May 23 prior to noon) in the Magowan Center. Items needed: non-perishable food including canned tuna, meat and vegetables, pasta, peanut butter, coffee, sanitizing supplies, personal hygiene items and paper products. Thank you for your generosity during this critical time of need!

Vacation Bible School returns this summer! Registration is open for Wilderness Escape (June 21-24; 8:30 am - noon). Click for more information. Adult and teen volunteers needed! Contact Kathy Piggott at reled1-6@stmarysimsbury.org to volunteer.

Congratulations to those in our parish who received the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation this spring. May God continue to bless you and your families!

The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal provides help to those in need! Together, we can and do make a profound difference in the lives of many individuals and families, in a way that exceeds anything we could hope to achieve on our own. Please consider supporting this important initiative. Every gift makes a difference. Organizations such as ARC of the Farmington Valley, ABC Program and Simsbury Food Closet right here in our own town received funding from the Appeal’s Vicariate Outreach Program which serves our local neighbors. Donate directly from the link found above

A Lenten message from our Adult Enrichment Committee: "We miss you and worshiping together as we did in past times. As the Season of Lent is upon us, we hope to help strengthen the bond that we share despite social distancing due to the pandemic. We make a special request and encourage you to pray each day this Lent for our parish family. Think of it as “socially distanced but EVER CONNECTED partners in prayer”, lifting each other up. Remember the faces of those in our community… those who sat beside you at Mass or at a past Church picnic or Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. Those you worked with at the annual carnival, tag sale, on a committee or at a soup kitchen. Remember your brothers and sisters in Christ with an Our Father, Hail Mary, decade of the Rosary or even a full Rosary. In doing so, it can only help to keep us in each other’s thoughts and hearts during this Lenten journey and through these challenging times in our world. We look forward to seeing everyone again soon and to being alongside you in worshiping our Lord for His many blessings!"

Fr. Matera is presenting a four-part Lenten series on the Passion narratives found in Mark and John (the Gospels we will hear during Holy Week). These weekly discussions will take place on the Thursdays during Lent (2/25, 3/4, 3/11 and 3/18) at 7 pm. They are held in the main church for those who can attend in-person and will be livestreamed for those who wish to join remotely.

Be a part of this three-night parish retreat entitled Exile and Return: Our Life In Christ After The Pandemic. It will draw upon the example of Israel's exile in Babylon to make sense of what has happened to us, and what we must do when the pandemic ends. This event will be held in the main church for those wishing to attend in person and it will be livestreamed for those wishing to take part virtually.

Lent invites us to a time of quiet, peaceful reflection and transformation, following the last days of Jesus' life. Enter into a time of quiet, scripture and musical prayer reflection. (Our musicians will provide music, however due to pandemic protocols, we will refrain from congregational singing in the church). While we welcome attendance in the church, this service will be livestreamed for those joining virtually.

On March 13, 2020, every Catholic in the Archdiocese of Hartford was dispensed from the obligation of attending Sunday Mass by Archbishop Leonard P. Blair due to the potential danger of the coronavirus pandemic. In May, the dispensation was extended through Labor Day and then in August, the dispensation was again extended through the end of the church's liturgical year (November 28), and then extended once again until Ash Wednesday of 2021. Now, in light of the continued circumstances within the Archdiocese of Hartford and the state of Connecticut, Archbishop Blair has now extended the dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation for all the Faithful of the Archdiocese of Hartford up to and including Sunday, May 23, which is Pentecost Sunday. The Archdiocese continues to monitor the severity of the situation surrounding the pandemic and will provide updates regarding decisions reached for the archdiocese as they are made.

Thank-you for everyone's generosity this year! Even in the midst of a pandemic, we have been able to help many home bound parishioners as well as residents at Governors House and Virginia Connolly, shelter families and Simsbury Social services.

If you are attending Mass by yourself, it would be helpful if you would sit at the center of the pew, when possible. This will make room for others to sit in the pew. Thank-you.

The Donor Recognition Board for our Parish Connection Project has been installed. You will find it in the corridor of the Magowan Center, which connects the church and school. It lists the names of all who so generously contributed to our Parish Connection Project. Thank you!

A great deal of maintenance work has been done and is being done on our Church Campus. The bell tower on the rectory side of the church has been repaired, and we are now in the process of painting the exterior of all the stained glass windows. Repair work has been done in the North Parking Lot and we are in the process of trimming many trees throughout the campus.

In October the Archdiocese requires us to count the number of parishioners who attended Mass. Our count shows that 312 parishioners attended Mass. This is a lower number compared to past years because of the pandemic. Many people, however, join us in prayer through Live Streaming every weekend.

For the next few weeks our piano will be undergoing a tune up! Tony Hulme, our piano tuner, is graciously donating his services for repair work to the piano in honor of Ethel Melanson. Mrs. Melanson was the benefactor who made the purchase of the piano possible many years ago. We look forward to hearing our beautiful Steinway piano again in a few weeks!

If you would like to have prayers said for a family member or a friend, please submit their names to the Parish Office via email at parishoffice@stmarysimsbury.org.

People often ask, “What is a Stephen Minister?” One way to put it is that Stephen Ministers are the ‘after people’. They are there after the phone call you hoped you’d never get. After the funeral, when everyone has left. After the pink slip with your final paycheck. Are you experiencing something like this? Call the office (860) 658-7627 or Stephen Minister coordinator, Mary Ann Pappano at (860) 658-7532 to inquire about the ministry.

The Archdiocese of Hartford will participate in the 40 Days for Life International Campaign from September 23-November 1. The mission is to concentrate the church’s witness, ministry, and outreach for the defense of all human life. Click the title for more information and to read a letter from the Archbishop.