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ATHENS: Paul’s Dangerous Journey to Share the Truth! Saint Mary’s Church Vacation Bible School - 2019 Date: Monday, June 24th - Thursday, June 27th Time: 8:45 - 12:15 PM Description: At Athens VBS, God’s Word comes alive through engaging interaction with Bible history where children will meet Paul and hear how, despite hardships along the way, Paul and his friends left a life of privilege and power all to spread the life-changing truth of God’s love...Paul will inspire kids to share the truth of God’s immeasurable love today!  Each day, campers will participate in celebration with our live worship band, visit the Marketplace to use their crafting skills, hear about Paul's life and times, and enjoy outdoor games and a snack! Sign up TODAY! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Registration will be open for campers until Friday, May 24th. Please visit our Vacation Bible School webpage at: https://stmarysimsbury.org/vbs to sign up! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Archbishop Blair will be joining us on Sunday, June 2, to dedicate our Parish Connection Project! We will dedicate our new facilities and rededicate ourselves in commitment to Christ and the gospel.  Our new building which houses our Parish Offices as well as the music, art, and library rooms will be dedicated as Magowan Center, in honor Kathleen Magowan who left a generous bequest to St. Mary's. The lower church is now home to our Religious Education Office, our Parish Library and our large meeting room. It will be dedicated at the Forcucci Faith Formation Center in honor of Anna Forcucci who also left a generous bequest to our parish.

Second Grade Religious Education students celebrated their First Communion on Saturday, May 4th. Our "Little Lambs" were lovingly supported by their families and parish community as they gathered around the table of our Lord. May you always know the peace of Jesus, the light of his love, and the joy of his life within you!

Thanks to all the parishioners and members of the community who donated to Granny’s Attic. Again, this year we received many valuable treasures that were placed in a special area. The donations received brought in $21,190.00 to date. We have two trailer loads that will be going to auction in the next week. A huge THANK YOU to RICK and CAROLE WAGNER for the use of Wagner Showroom. It was so nice to have a secure, dry location again for Granny’s Attic. Special thanks goes to all the new volunteers who worked this year and all the dedicated volunteers who return year after year for this special fundraiser. A special thank you to all the volunteers who picked up unwanted treasures and brought them to other charities. Thanks again for all your support! Ann O’Donnell, Stephanie McIntyre and Jane Stevenson

Cooking and serving meals for the homeless allows our teens experience true gratitude. They are always amazed by the sincerity shown through each interaction as we serve the meal we have carefully prepared. If your son or daughter has never participated in this mission, please click the title for more information. The Calcutta Project open to students in grades 7 - 12. It is an outreach effort of IGNITE Youth Ministry that was named for Mother Teresa of Calcutta who inspires us to serve.

Our annual St. Patrick's Dinner is Saturday, March 16th (6 pm). Come for the delicious Corned Beef & Cabbage, Potatoes, Carrots, Irish Soda Bread, Dessert and Beverage ... and stay for the Entertainment! Tickets for our annual dinner will be sold after Mass on March 2nd & 3rd and March 9th & 10th. Tickets are also available at the Parish Office after March 4th. Adults - $17; Children 12 and under- $7. RSVP no later than March 11th. Get your tickets early, this is a popular event. No tickets will be sold at the door. Hosted by the Knights of Columbus & St Mary’s Women’s Guild. For additional info, call (860-651-4027) or (860-658-7627).

Do you attend the 5:00 PM Saturday service and like to sing? The casual choir sings the Mass music with the leadership of a cantor. The choir does not have a formal rehearsal while offering the experience of sharing the joy of singing with a group. Join us when you can by the organ when you attend the Saturday 5:00 PM Mass. No prior choir experience required, all abilities are welcome!

Please click the title to see the press release regarding clerical sexual abuse of minors. All information referenced is also available on Promise.ArchdioceseofHartford.org.  

The Women's Guild membership drive for 2019 has started. If you were a member in 2018, you will receive a membership form in the mail. If you would like to join the Women's Guild please contact Ann Mikkleson for more information (mika716@comcast.net). The membership form can also be found on our webpage. Click the title for the link.

IGNITE Youth Ministry will take its seventh annual trip to UMass-Lowell for this Catholic Youth Conference. All students currently in grades 8 - 12 are invited to join our group! This conference weekend has been a life-changing experience for so many of our teens. For travel information or to place a deposit, click the title.

Please do not park in the parking lot directly across the street from the Church on Massaco. It is a private lot and the owners often need it for work on the weekends. Please respect their wishes. Town Hall parking is available for over flow. Our parking lot will soon be open, and we will have more than adequate parking for all.

Congratulations to Father Matera who was one of nine priests in the Archdiocese of Hartford named "Monsignor". This title of Monsignor was granted by Pope Francis at the request of Archbishop Blair. The parishioners of St. Mary's would like to extend heartfelt congratulations to Monsignor Matera for his leadership and unending support of our parish. We feel blessed to have him as our pastor. Click the TITLE to read more.

This one-to-one lay ministry is named for Stephen, one of seven called by the church to assist the apostles in caring for others (Acts 6 and 7). Stephen ministry is listening, caring for others in Jesus' name. If you want to learn more about this ministry, email StephenMinistry@stmarysimsbury.org or call (860)658-7627.

"Advent is a time to welcome the Lord who comes to meet us, the time to look ahead, and to prepare ourselves for Christ's return." (Dec 2) "Advent is a time for renewing the faith, for purifying it, so that it can be more authentic." (Dec 3) "This Advent, make yourself small, make yourself humble, make yourself a servant of others, and the Lord will give you the ability to understand how to make peace." (Dec 4) "The beginning of faith is feeling the need for salvation: this is the way that prepares us to meet Jesus." (Dec 5) To view more quotes, click the title.

On Monday, October 1st, the U.S. Department of Education designated Saint Mary’s School as a Blue Ribbon School. We are proud of the accomplishments of the St. Mary’s School faculty and staff, and especially of its beloved principal, Mrs. Margaret Williamson, who has brought our school to a new level of excellence. St. Mary’s School is one of just five schools in Connecticut -- and the ONLY non-public school in New England! -- to be named a Blue Ribbon School this year. Well Done!

Are you (or someone you know) in the market for quality office space? Our parish offices will relocate once our Campus Connection building is complete, meaning our current office building at 3 Massaco is on the market. Contact Sam at Berkshire Hathaway (call/text) for more information: 860-803-9760

Join our parish and school communities in leaving a legacy by sponsoring a brick! Families are invited to create their own personalized brick with an uplifting message, a memorial to a loved one, commemoration of a momentous occasion or a recognition of a family name. By sponsoring a brick for our exciting Campus Connection project, your brick will be placed in the circular pathway surrounding our beloved St. Mary statue within the new Courtyard. Click on the title for information on how to personalize your brick.

Stephen Ministry is looking for new leadership. If you enjoy people, learning, and serving others please consider becoming a part of this ministry. This is an established program of one to one caring at St. Mary's Parish. All training is provided. Call 860-658-7627, ext 114.

When crossing from the Town Parking Lot to the Church, please do not jay walk. Use the crosswalk at the Post Office or at Massaco Street. Also, please do not park in the fire lanes around the church. Thank-you for everyone's continued support and cooperation.

On Sundays when Religious Education is in session, Parking Ambassadors (wearing yellow vests) will be available to direct traffic in North Parking Lot.  Parents of Grades 1-3 are asked to park and walk your child to St. Francis Garden Door.  Parents of Grades 4-6 will be directed to drop-off at North School Entrance then circle back out exiting onto Hopmeadow Street at the light.  To ease backups, we encourage right hand turns exiting onto Hopmeadow Street.  Click the title for more information.