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We are still in the Christmas season of giving and receiving gifts - all done in imitation of our God who gave His Son, Jesus, to the world. There are so many different cultural traditions and customs surrounding this season, but “gifts” seem to be the common denominator in every land. Last Sunday on the Feast of the Holy Family I shared an ancient Jewish folktale and was asked to share it again with you in my January blog.

We extend our thanks to Yli & Marilyn Vallejo for coordinating our second SIMBANG GABI Mass at St. Mary's last Saturday afternoon. This Filipino Christmas tradition celebrates the nine days of waiting for the coming of Christmas with the "Misa de Gallo"- Mass of the Rooster each morning at 4:00 am. Thank you to our Filipino parishioners and their friends who provided the music and prepared and cooked for the reception following the Mass. We will look forward to celebrating this Mass again next year.

Last weekend we had our annual  Blessing of the Outdoor Nativity a St. Mary's tradition that started 13 years ago.   In the Fall of 2003, Fr. Dennis O'Brien came up with the idea for the outdoor nativity and coordinated purchasing the set and building the stable.   Through generous donations from several parishioners, it didn't take long for our nativity set to be complete!  Each statue was purchased by individuals or families in memory of a loved one.    A plaque with each donors name is in the Church.

THANK YOU to all the parishioners who supported our Giving Tree this year. We were able to fulfill exact Christmas gift wishes for 600 children! Your thoughtfulness will allow each child to experience the joy of Christmas through the receipt of these special presents. All gifts will be delivered to St. Anne’s Human Services and Catholic Charities today. A special thanks to Maryanne Damico who coordinates this for our parish every year as part of our Outreach Ministry.

Children and parents share the special meaning of Christmas while participating in the pageant each year. Family involvement is needed as we bring the Christmas story to life during Mass on Christmas Eve. Join us for rehearsal on Monday, December 17 and Thursday, December 20 at 6:30 in the church. Costumes will be provided. Contact Jamie Horvath at 719-322-3532 if you would like to participate. There will be sign-up sheets in the sacristy.

Nearly 200 Saint Mary Parish families, friends and neighbors of all ages gathered in the Parish Hall for a wonderful evening of Christmas carols, storytelling and community. This Saint Mary tradition is a wonderful way for all of us to slow down during Advent and prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus.

Given the continuing questions about sexual abuse of minors by members of the Church and issues which arose before and during the November meeting in Baltimore of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, we sat down with Bishop Robert J. McManus, Bishop of Worcester, to ask what is happening in the Diocese of Worcester. His responses are endorsed by the Diocesan Review Committee, members’ names are listed at the end of this interview.

"Please silence your cellphones" we are often told before the beginning of a concert, play, movie or lecture. We know the reason why - so that we will not disturb people around us. But we also silence these necessary how-did-we-ever-live-without-them devices so that we ourselves will not be disturbed and so we can focus our attention on what is happening before us.

This coming weekend we begin a new liturgical year, the first Sunday of Advent! Just as Jesus' parents, Mary and Joseph, patiently and joyfully awaited the birth of their baby boy thousands of years ago, we are a people waiting in joyful anticipation for the arrival of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Listed below are a few ways to help us prepare our hearts as we wait, to make ready and to receive Jesus this Christmas.

Wishing you and your families a very happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day. We began our Thanksgiving Day at St. Mary's by giving God thanks around the Table of the Eucharist and received again the gift of God’s love and abundant blessings. Thank you to all who brought a bag of nonperishable food with you to Mass.

This past summer, St. Mary parishioners Nancy Hughes, Jack Collins, and Cecile and Jerry Cote participated in a humanitarian trip to Uganda where they delivered feminine hygiene kits. The kits were then distributed to girls through the program Raising Up Hope for Uganda (RUHU.). Read more in this article from the Community Advocate Newspaper.

St. Mary’s Parish held its third Light of the World Retreat November 9 - 12 . A sincere THANKS to the Light of the World team who led the retreat and many others who helped out over the weekend.

A Vatican-requested delay in adopting practices that are expected to boost accountability among U.S. bishops in their response to clergy sex abuse will not be voted on during the bishops' fall general assembly going on now. “I was disappointed, but not surprised,” Bishop McManus said Monday. “The laity are looking for the bishops to be held to the same accountability as the priests.

In early November as we celebrate the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls and turn back our clocks, we mark the transition into a new season of the year. It is November and Thanksgiving is just two weeks away. The shorter days and longer nights are with us again.  

Twenty-two years ago the Diocese of Worcester established a covenant with the Diocese of Les Cayes in Haiti. A relationship of friendship, prayer and support began, especially between “twinning” parishes in both dioceses which helped to enrich the lives and faith of people in the U.S. and Haiti. The original covenant would “encourage the faithful of each Diocese to visit each other whenever possible and offer their gifts, talents, service and love to one another.”

Training dates for new Lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and Altar Servers have been scheduled for November. Eucharistic Ministers—Wednesday, November 7 at 7:00 pm in the church, Altar Servers—Friday, November 9 at 4:00 pm in the church and Lectors—Wednesday, November 28 at 7:00 pm in the church

Kindergarten and first-grade student in the Households of Faith program helped Mr Estaphan plant bulbs in the little flower patch before Mary's statue last week. Their curriculum includes learning about Creation and care of it. It was a great tie-in with our Blessed Mother whom we honor during the month of October. The 3rd and 4th graders came along to say a decade of the rosary and all received a blessing from Fr. Javier. More photos are included in this article.

Last weekend we held our annual Blessing of Animals for the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and ecology.   This St. Mary tradition included prayer and the blessing of the animals. To see more pictures, check out the  photo album on the website

Got a light? That used to be the question smokers would ask long ago when they needed help to light a cigarette. Got “the” Light? That might be the question we could ask one another these days in our parish.

The installation of the new console and electronic system for our church organ was completed over the past few weeks. In addition, the pipes were all cleaned and re-voiced and some new ones were added. Now that our adult choir is back in the loft we will bless the new Organ Console during the 11:00 am Mass on Sunday, October 21st.