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Attention High School Juniors and Seniors. Even though you are confirmed, the church still needs you! Young people can make a huge difference in a faith community, and our confirmation students need good role models, which means we need you.  Click the title to read more about this great opportunity!

If you have recently moved to the Simsbury-Granby area and are new to St. Mary's, please register with us so that we can better serve you. You can register by visiting or calling the Parish Office at (860) 658-7627 during business hours (8:30 AM - 2:00 PM, Monday - Thursday). We look forward to having you be a part of our faith community.

It is time for our annual Mum sale. Place your orders by September 11th and we will have the mums at St. Mary’s School for Pickup in the Parish Center on September 18th from 2 to 4 pm or after masses the weekend of September 19th and 20th. Order forms are in the Magowan Center by TV.

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.

Average attendance at Mass on Saturday and Sunday has been about 200, with approximately 50 people at each Mass. There is no need to sign up to attend Mass.

In light of continued uncertainty regarding the extent and duration of the coronavirus in the state of Connecticut and throughout the Archdiocese of Hartford, Archbishop Blair has now extended this dispensation from the Sunday obligation through Saturday, November 28, 2020, which is the last day of the current liturgical year.

This year out of an abundance of caution and to ensure we keep with guidelines set by the CDC, state, and the local health department, the Religious Education team has decided to offer classes using a hybrid model.  What this means is that the majority of classes will take place virtually, however, there will be some events that will take place in person.  Those in person events will have reduced numbers, face coverings, and social distancing. More information will be communicated to all registered families.

In February 2020, Father Matera nominated Joanne Russell to receive the Archdiocesan St. Joseph Medal of Appreciation. Today we celebrated our co-worker but more importantly our friend, Joanne Russell. Congratulations on receiving The St. Joseph Medal. Your talents, your kindness, and support that you share with The Parish of St. Mary's encompasses all that this Medal represents.

Open to those students being confirmed this fall. Since many of the confirmation students have not seen one another since March, we decided to have a Social Distance Picnic. At Trinita Retreat Center, on 8/28, 5-8PM. RSVP to youth ministry required.

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.