New baptisms!

Congratulations to Amber Gray and her daughter Sophia Gray, who were baptized at the 8am Mass on Saturday. The congregation had the opportunity to renew their baptismal promises in the process. It was a great morning!

Big weekend ahead for R.C.I.A.!

At the next 10:30 Sunday Mass (23rd), the current R.C.I.A. community will participate in the Rite of Welcoming, otherwise know as the "Rite of Acceptance."

This is a big step for them. Most participants began inquiring into the Church in August and are now ready to declare their intention to continue in the R.C.I.A process before the congregation. A change of identity takes place during this ritual: those previously known as "inquirers" become catechumens (if seeking baptism) or candidates for full communion (if they are already baptized). Through our prayers, the parish will consecrate them for their ongoing journey to Easter. 

Please keep them in your prayers!

Those seeking baptism and initiation into the Church:

Julia Bond
Jordan Didier
Judy Nail

Baptized Christians seeking full communion with the Church:

Eric Danklefsen
Drew Fenton
Elizabeth (Liz) Krenz
Ashley Prentice
Joshua Prentice
Lyndell Summitt
Ann Stoeppelwerth
Jennifer Zuyus

Baptized Catholics seeking Confirmation and first Eucharist:

Erica Prizel
Michael Trysnicky

Welcome Home!

At the 8 a.m. Sunday Mass, three R.C.I.A. candidates were received into full communion with the Catholic Church. They have been preparing for the sacraments since last Easter. Congratulations to Kraston Colby, Erin Ta, and Devin Schnake! For more information about R.C.I.A., go here.

Fr. Todd anoints with the Sacred Chrism Oil for the Rite of Confirmation.

From left to right: Kristin Karlin (sponsor), Erin Ta, Devin Schnake, Mark Sadler (sponsor), Kraston Colby, Mike Haugh (sponsor)

RCIA visits Catholic Charities - Report

Last night, St. Mary's RCIA group visited Catholic Charities. They learned about the many ways that Catholic Charities assists the local community. They also organized socks and underwear in the warehouse. Visit their website to find information on how you can help with the mission of Catholic Charities.

Theology Uncorked 11/20 - How to get more out of Mass

Our topic this month is "How to get more out of Mass" presented by Fr. Brian O'Brien. We will also have a wine presentation and discussion on pairings.


Mingling at 6:45 p.m.
Program starts at 7:00 p.m. sharp
Beckerle Hall
Ages 21 and over welcome.

You're welcome and encouraged to bring your own wine glass.

Do you want to know more about Catholic Charities?

The St. Mary's RCIA community is visiting Catholic Charities for a tour this Tuesday (11th) at 6:30 p.m. If you would like to have a better idea of the many services provided by Catholic Charities in our community, your welcome to join us for the tour. To join us, and for more information, call the office and speak with Brian Desmarais.

What's going on in RCIA?

Yesterday evening, Charles Beard presented to our RCIA community on how Catholics approach the Bible. Come join us on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. Its a great way to meet our inquirers and get a refresher on the Catholic Faith at the same time! Go here for a schedule of topics.

The Rite of Welcoming, the first official step in the RCIA process, will be celebrated at the 10:30 Mass on Nov. 23rd. This is when the parish officially recognizes and pray for our catechumens and candidates on their journey into full communion with the Church.

New RCIA Inquiry Meeting on 9/18

Are you...

• Interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith?
• An adult who wants to be baptized?
• A baptized adult who wants to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church?
• A baptized adult Catholic that desires the sacrament of First Eucharist and/or Confirmation?

If the answer is yes to any of those questions, then the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is for you!


Attend our next inquiry meeting on:

Thursday, September 19th, 7 p.m. in the Cafeteria

For more information about the RCIA process, go here.

Do you want to become Catholic?

Are you...

• Interested in learning more about the Catholic Faith?
• An adult who wants to be baptized?
• A baptized adult who wants to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church?
• A baptized adult Catholic that desires the sacrament of First Eucharist and/or Confirmation?

If the answer is yes to any of those questions, then the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults is for you!


Attend our next inquiry meeting on:

Thursday, August 28th 7 p.m. in Beckerle Hall

For more information about the RCIA process, go here.

Learn More About Stewardship

Do you come to Mass on Sundays, but wonder at how to become more involved at the Church of Saint Mary?

Join us for a cookout and presentation on Stewardship on June 5th!

Cookout will start at 6:30. We will meet in Beckerle Hall.

Talk on Stewardship will be at 7:00, followed by brief presentations from some of our ministry leaders.

This is a RCIA event, but all parishioners are welcome!

For more information, email: bdesmarais@churchofsaintmary.com

RCIA visits Catholic Charities Campus

St. Mary's RCIA class took a field trip to the Catholic Charities campus on Tuesday, Feb. 7th. First on the agenda for the evening was the grouping and categorization of socks in the distribution center. 

Once we were finished, Catholic Charities Volunteer Coordinator John O'Neill gave a tour of the facilities. We were introduced to the wide variety of services offered, including free counseling, adoption services, food and clothing distribution, and immigration services. John explained that Catholic Charities doesn't just give things away, no questions asked, but tries to form a lasting relationship with the people they serve. 

We looked in on a few learning centers helping adults earn their GEDs. There was the Madonna House, a safe haven for pregnant woman who have no where else to turn for support. One of the candidates, Chad Briggs, noted how peaceful the campus grounds were. 

We finished our evening in the beautiful chapel, listening to John speak of the principles inherent to Catholic teaching that fuel the work done at Catholic Charities. In particular, he emphasized the God given dignity of every human being, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, legal or economic status.

If you would like to volunteer some of your time at Catholic Charities, email John O'Neill.

What's the Deal with the Upcoming Changes in the Mass?

What's the Deal with the Upcoming Changes in the Mass?

This is a common question that has been raised both in Saint Mary's RCIA and in the broader parish. There seems to be a bit of anxiety about November 27th, when the new missal will be implemented in churches throughout the United States. There is plenty of information out there about all of the specific changes, but I thought it might be helpful for some to give a simple and concise overview of what is changing and why.

At the Second Vatican Council, held from 1963 – 1965, the Bishop’s of the Catholic Church called for a more active participation of the faithful in the Mass. One way to do this, they suggested, was to translate the prayers of the Mass into the native languages of the people. Soon after the close of the council, committees were put in charge of translating the Latin text of the Mass into the local tongues. The committee in charge of translating the Mass into English translated the Latin according to the principle of “dynamic equivalence." Dynamic equivalence means that you don’t translate a text word for word, but look for a more natural rendering of the words.

In recent years, the Bishops have decided that while this strategy of dynamic equivalency has its merits, important theological and scriptural points were lost when we moved further away from the Latin words. In addition, much of the rest of the Catholic world has translations that are more closely tied to the Latin. They decided to re- translate the text of the Mass by principle called “formal equivalence,” a strategy that sticks with the most literal rendering of each word that is possible.

For example, at the beginning of the Nicene Creed, we currently say “I believe in God…maker of heaven and earth of all things seen and unseen.” The new translation will instead read “visible and invisible.” While there is nothing wrong, per se, with the former translation, it could lead to the impression that all things created can be seen. Visible and invisible sticks to the Latin "visibilium et invisibiliun" and conveys that there are created realities, such as angels, that are invisible by nature.

Is this the kind of change that will create confusion and chaos? Hardly. It is true that things will sound a bit different. We will need a response card to follow along with for a few months. But these changes are nothing that a little practice and repetition won’t solve over time. Perhaps it will be good for us to be a bit out of our comfort zone for a change…giving us a chance to experience the Mass in a new light.

If you would like more information about the upcoming Mass changes, please visit the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s website at: http://usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/roman-missal/index.cfm.

Brian Desmarais is our Assistant Director of

Faith Formation. If you'd like to ask him a

question, please email him here.

Rite of Acceptance is this weekend

The Rite of Acceptance will take place on November 22nd at the 10:30 Mass.

This signifies the end of the period of inquiry, also known as the precatechumenate. For the first time, those in the RCIA will gather as a group and celebrate the Liturgy of the Word with the parish community. They and their sponsors will answer questions concerning their readiness to continue moving forward with their studies, all with the hope that they will be one with us at the Easter Vigil.

We ask your prayers for them in the days and weeks ahead.

*I (Ashley!) went through the Rite of Christian Adult Initiation last year, and I cannot tell you what it meant to me to know that the whole church was praying for us. I was overwhelmed by the time and effort the Church put into my journey- it was a huge commitment for my sponsor, but she made it seem like nothing but joy to her. It was a wonderful path to walk.