As you’ve noticed from our bulletin cover we have a number of our parish youth receiving their Confirmation this Sunday afternoon at the Cathedral of St. Joseph, as well as two adults who will be Confirmed there on Tuesday evening. In our Catholic tradition, Confirmation is one of three Sacraments of Initiation, along with Baptism and Eucharist. Although in the early days of Christianity, these three Sacraments were celebrated in one event at the Easter Vigil, over time they became separated from one another for very practical reasons. Click the title to read more.

I remember as a child, my mother placing fresh flowers each day before the little statue of Mary she kept on her bedroom dresser. Whether they be forsythia, tree blossoms, irises or lily of the valley (all of which grew in our yard), Mary always had fresh flowers during the month of May. Why do we honor Mary with flowers during May? Many of our Christian customs have roots in pre-Christian celebrations. As the Christian faith was taught to peoples of different cultures, missionaries often took their local customs and connected them to Christian belief. In ancient Greece and Rome, the goddesses of fertility and blossoms were honored during the month of May as springtime brought fertility and new life. Click the title to read more.

For the past six weeks of Lent, we’ve been preparing for and building up to the celebration of the greatest event in Christianity, the celebration of Easter – when Christ defeated death by rising to new life. Whether we’ve been coming to daily Mass, praying or reading the Bible more, attending a bible study, making the Stations of the Cross, following Dynamic Catholic’s Best Lent Ever series or the daily readings from the Lenten meditation book, we’ve been highly engaged in faith activities during the Lenten Season. Even in our homes perhaps we’ve been preparing in all kinds of ways, cooking traditional Easter specialties, decorating or planting flowers, creating Easter baskets. Now that we’ve celebrated Easter Sunday, what’s next? Click the title to read more.

A Very Happy and Blessed Easter to All! Today our 40-day Lenten pilgrimage culminates in Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead. Mary Magdalene delivers the disturbing news to Peter and the beloved disciple that the body of Jesus is missing from the place where they buried him on the preceding Friday. They race to the tomb only to find the tomb open and Jesus’ body gone. The tidied burial cloths raise a suspicion that Jesus’ body was not simply moved or stolen. Rather it must mean that he had been raised as he promised: “the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes and be killed, and rise after three days” (Mk. 8:31). God’s extravagant love has rolled away the stone and emptied the tomb! The beloved disciple sees and believes! Alleluia! Click the title to read more.

Another obstacle to going to confession I often hear from people is they don’t know what to confess. Prior to the Second Vatican Council, morality seemed so black and white – we knew clearly what was and wasn’t a sin. Today however there seems difficulty discerning what is appropriate matter for confession. First, to be culpable (responsible) for a sin we must know and understand that what we have done or neglected to do is sinful. We can’t be guilty of something we are unaware is a sin. A thorough Examination of Conscience will help us to discern our sins both of commission and omission. To do this, we could start by remembering the Ten Commandments and determining if we are guilty of breaking any of these. Click the title to read more.

One of the reasons Catholics often cite for not going to confession is that it’s been so long since they last went, they’ve forgotten what to do. If this is what is keeping you from experiencing this beautiful sacrament perhaps a review of how to celebrate this sacrament might make it more approachable. First, don’t worry or be embarrassed if it has been a long time since last celebrating Reconciliation. All that matters is that you are seeking out the sacrament now. If you let the priest know it’s been a while and you are a little “rusty” he can help you with the process. Take a few minutes before confession to examine your conscience. You may use the 10 Commandments or even the Two Great Commandments (Love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself) to help you review your recent past. There are also Examinations of Conscience online or on the MyParishApp or the Confession App which can help you recall your sins.

Following the movement of the Church’s penitential practice from a more public ritual to a more private experience during the 6th -8th centuries, the theology of the Sacrament of Reconciliation continued to develop. Penitential books were composed with lists of sins and corresponding penances to be given. The practice of waiting to receive absolution until one had completed the prescribed penance gave way to receiving absolution immediately after confession and completing the penance later. St. Thomas Aquinas in the 12th Century, further defined the understanding of the sacrament by declaring that the works of the penitent (the one confessing sin) and the priest including the confession, contrition and imposition of a penance formed the “matter” of the sacrament while the words of absolution spoken by the priest was the “form” of the sacrament. The practice of confessing sins behind a screen to ensure the anonymity of the penitent came into use. Click the title to read more.

A major event in our early Church’s experience contributed to a number of changes and developments that would forever shape Church history in the West. Up until the 4th century, the practice of the Christian faith was outlawed by the Roman Empire. While many emperors were somewhat indifferent to Christianity, several would initiate fierce persecutions of Christians including men like Nero and Diocletian. With Constantine becoming Emperor around the beginning of the 4th Century, things change radically. In 313, following a vision Constantine experienced prior to a major military battle encouraging him to conquer under the signs of the cross and Christ, leading to a subsequent victory, Constantine issued his famous Edict of Milan declaring that Christianity would be accepted in the Roman Empire. Click the title to read more.

This weekend I am beginning a series on the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession). The history of the development of this Sacrament is rooted in ministry of Christ himself. Often in the Gospels, Jesus forgives the sins of public sinners (e.g. the woman caught in adultery or the woman at the well in John’s gospel) or of those who were infirm in some way (as sin was widely believed at the time to cause illness.) The religious leaders of his time often questioned him on this point, claiming that Jesus was committing blasphemy, as God alone can forgive sins. (Little did they know that Jesus WAS God!) Jesus’ response was to prove he had such authority by effecting miraculous cures. When Jesus appears to his disciples in the upper room following the resurrection, he gives this same authority to the apostles, and by extension to the Church: “whose sins you forgive are forgiven, and whose sins you retain are retained” (Jn. 20:23). Click the title to read more.

The beginning of Lent, our annual pilgrimage of 40 days of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in preparation for the celebration of Our Lord’s Passion, Death and Resurrection, begins this week. But we may have questions about how Lent came about as a season of repentance. So this week I’d like to share a little about the origins and meaning of Lent historically. Click the title to read more.

Our St. Mary’s myParish app is available for iPhone and Android. Stay connected with our Parish throughout the the week with instant notifications, parish calendar, the ability to share messages to your Facebook account. Also enjoy additional features like prayers, daily readings, helpful reminders to silence your phone before Mass or Confession, and much more. Strengthen your Parish life at St. Mary’s through this wonderful app.

On May 17, 2022, the Archdiocese is holding a Confirmation ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford for adults who need to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. This is only for Catholics who have been baptized and received their First Holy Communion and for whatever reason were never able to, or chose not to be Confirmed as a teen. If you are preparing for marriage or hope to be a baptismal godparent or sponsor in the future (for which Confirmation is required), this is the perfect time to complete your initiation as a Catholic. Fr. Stephen will be offering preparation sessions that will review some of the important teachings of our faith and provide preparation for reception of the Sacrament. If you are eligible and interested in receiving this Sacrament as an adult, please contact Fr. Stephen in the parish office to register.

Confirmation for St. Mary’s has been scheduled for May 15th, at 2:00 PM at St. Joseph's Cathedral in Hartford. Our second year students should complete the confirmation application, saint, and sponsor forms found on the website. Please contact Steve DiMotta with any questions.

Thank you for your continuous support during these challenging and difficult times. Without your generous support of St. Mary’s, we would not be able to carry out our many ministries. Through E-giving and envelope usage, our parish continues to meet the many needs that face our parish. For those who are with us at home, thank you for staying connected each week. For the parishioners who attend daily and weekly mass, we are blessed to have you in person. We pray God continues to bless the people of St. Mary’s.

We will be kicking off a 7-week book club on February 1st; Walk in Her Sandals: Experiencing Christ's Passion through the Eyes of Women by Kelly M. Walquist. We will offer Tuesdays at 7:00 pm via Zoom and Wednesdays at 8:45 am in person. Please email us if you're interested: stmarywomensguild@gmail.com

It's was our privilege to start the new year by hosting one of our Archdiocesan seminarians, Mr. Martin Chouinard, over his winter break. Although his time with us was quite brief, we thank you so much for sharing time with us and, more importantly, for answering the call of the Lord. We promise you our continued prayers and support as you continue your discernment and studies, and look forward to that day God-willing you will be ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Hartford. We also pledge our prayers for all who may be discerning a vocation to service in the Church and for an increase in vocations to priesthood, religious life, diaconate, marriage, and lay ministry in the Church.

In the event that schools are closed due to inclement weather, there will be NO 8:00 AM Mass and our office will be closed. Sunday Mass will continue as scheduled but please use your best judgement when venturing out.

Merry Christmas everyone! Christmas certainly is a beautiful time to be together with family and friends, for the exchange of gifts and “decking the halls” with festive decorations. Christmas music fills the air in stores and offices, along the sidewalks of outdoor “malls” and across the airwaves. Click the title to read more.

If you would like to schedule a Mass for 2022, please reach out to the Parish Office. The recommended offering is $10 for a weekday Mass and $25 for a weekend Mass

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent, our attention turns now to preparing for the celebration of the birth of our Lord. During the early part of Advent we focused on the Second Coming of Christ in his glory. Now in these final days of Advent we remember the account of how Jesus came into the world. The scene in this week’s Gospel follows upon Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel, who announces to her the astounding news that she will become the mother of the Son of God. Click the title to read more.