This weekend we celebrate Father’s Day, a day we remember our fathers, living and deceased. Like the role of mothers, the role of fathers has changed in recent years. Fathers today are more likely than in the past to share in some of the domestic tasks that were traditionally assigned to mothers, and it is no longer unusual for father to stay at home and watch the children. The expectations placed on fathers, however, can be overwhelming. Click the title to read more.

For the past two weeks, I have been discussing my vision for St. Mary’s Parish. The central element of this vision statement is our celebration of the Eucharist. There is nothing more important than what we do on Sunday when, as a community of believers, we celebrate the Eucharist. At that moment the church comes to life at St. Mary’s in Simsbury. At that moment we assemble as a worshipping community that offers perfect praise to God the Father through his Son Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Click the title to read more.

St. Mary’s Parish extends its heartfelt thanks to this year’s Carnival Committee for all the work that they did in making this year’s carnival so successful. Please click the title to read more.

Congratulations to the raffle ticket winners! The grand Prize of $10,000 went to Camille McNicholas; The 50 Inch LCD TV went to Judith McCarthy; Michael Laurino Jr. won the Weber Gas Grill and Margaret Lindberg won the Cake of the Month from Fitzgerald's.

Please join us in congratulating the St. Mary's School graduating class of 2013, We are proud of the many accomplishments of this year's twenty-four graduates and ask God's blessings as they begin their high school journey. Click the title to read more.

Find inspiration to pray anytime, anywhere on your iPhone or iPad mobile device. You can pray the Rosary silently while reflecting on one of the Mysteries or allow the optional audio to guide you in prayer. Click the title to read more on this app.

Beginning the week of June 3, daily Mass will be celebrated Monday through Saturday at 8:00 AM.

In last week’s column, I presented a vision statement for St. Mary’s Parish. In this week’s column, I am drawing out the implications of that vision statement in more detail. In this statement, our Sunday worship stands at the center of all that we do; and all that we do flows from our life as a worshipping community. Click the title to read more.

In May 2013, St. Mary's honored Peg Donohue for her decades of service to the parish, including the last 30 years as a parish trustee. Click for more information.

St. Mary's would like to sponsor a pot for BOTS Pots. Large pots of organic vegetables are placed around downtown Hartford where those who need food can supplement their meals with fresh produce. Any amount you can donate toward this great cause would be much appreciated. Click the title to read more information on how you can help!

This weekend, we celebrate one of the most beloved days of the year, “Mother’s Day.” Although this is not a religious holiday, it is a day with deep religious significance inasmuch as it celebrates God’s gift of motherhood. Click the title to read more.

A fourth reason why the resurrection was so important to the early church can be stated in this way: In light of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, the first Christians began to understand that the resurrection of the dead, which had begun in the Messiah, was the fulfillment of Israel’s hope. Click the title to read more.

A New Book: The Sermon on the Mount: The Perfect Measure of the Christian Life (Liturgical Press, 2013, 121 pages) is the title of a new book written by Fr. Matera. It was published in March, 2013. This book is directed toward a general audience. You may obtain a hard copy at the Parish Office, ($7.00) or you may download it as an e-book on your i-Pad or kindle reader.

The response to confessions on Monday was most encouraging. On the Monday of Holy Week, Bishop Rosazza and I heard confessions for two and a half hours without a break. If you found Monday nights a convenient time for confessions, please let me know and I will set aside one Monday each month for confessions from 6:00—7:00 PM. Fr. Matera

Since more and more people have a need for a gluten free host, we will set aside a number of gluten free hosts in a separate ciborium at each Mass. If you need a gluten free host say “Gluten Free” to the Priest, Deacon, or Eucharistic Minister who is distributing Holy Communion. He or she will then get the ciborium with the Gluten Free Host, and you may take a host from the ciborium.