St. Mary Roman Catholic Church at 210 West Main Street, Manchester, MI 48158 US - In the Parish: News and Events

News in the Parish
May 18-26, 2013

You are invited to: The Apostolate of Hope
The Apostolate of Hope will meet next Sun, May 26 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm in Fr. Fisher Hall, and you are invited to attend. The topic will be an Open Forum on the Catholic Church in light of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Apostolate of Hope is a lay group of parishioners of St. Mary’s who are “on fire” with the Catholic faith and want to spread the “Good News.” Come and see – but be careful you don’t get “burned”!! This is the last meeting before the summer. Hope to see you there.

Vacation Bible School Registration
Have you signed up yet for Vacation Bible School (VBS)? Registration forms are in the vestibule. We will be participating with Emanuel, Manchester Methodist, and Sharon United Methodist churches for this year’s VBS for grades preschool-6th grade to be held June 17-20 from 6:15–8:30 pm at the Manchester United Methodist Church. This year’s theme is “Everywhere Fun Fair.” There is no cost to participate. Return forms to the box labeled “VBS” in the vestibule. Volunteers are still needed. If you would like to help or have any questions, please call Teri Aiuto at (734) 428-7002.

Attention All Bakers!
     The Altar Society Bake Sales at the Manchester Farmers Market will be starting this week. Our first bake sale of the season will be held this Thurs, May 23. As always, we are asking for help from our parishioners to donate their delicious bake goods for the sale. This year the location will be the same, but the hours are different: from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
     There are sign-up sheets in the church entrance this weekend. You can drop off your items on Wed, May 22 between 10:30 am and 3:00 pm in the Father Fisher Hall kitchen, or bring them to the Market after 4:00 pm Thursday. We are hoping to have a lot of treats to sell. If there are any questions, please call Inge (734-944-0219) or Kathy (734-428-7013). Thank You.

A thank you note…”
“Dear Parish family of St. Mary’s,
     “My heart was truly touched by all if the wonderful birthday wishes I received. Thank you all so very much. I want you all to know St. Mary’s is always in my prayers. God bless you all for your kindness.     —Mary Krzyzaniak”

The Holy Rosary during the Month of May
     Throughout the month of May, our parish family will have the opportunity to pray the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary thirty minutes prior to each of the weekend Masses.
     May is the month traditionally devoted to the holy Mother of God. I invite and encourage all the members of St. Mary Church to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary by participating in this great devotion. Please mark your calendar and join your parish family for the praying of the Most Holy Rosary. This year our Rosary intention will be:
     That the religious liberty guaranteed to the Church as well as the individual right
of conscience will be  honored and respected in our country.     —Fr. Tim

The blessings of our parish
If you attend Mass here at St. Mary’s, it is important that you register with the parish. It is part of our Catholic life to be connected to a parish. Just give the parish office a call; registration can be done on the phone. Registering means that your family’s sacramental history is in the care of a priest, and that the parish is able to serve those who are attending. Please don’t neglect this important step. Call the parish office at 428-8811.

Check it out!
Did you know that Fr. Tim’s homilies are available online? Also usher, lector, EMHC and altar server schedules, times of special parish events, recent bulletins and newsletters – and more? Check it out. stmarymanchester.catholicweb.com

“The “Poor Box”
Perhaps you’ve noticed it: the little wooden box on the wall above the holy water font in the main vestibule. “Poor Box” it says on it. Each week, the coins and dollars dropped in this box are collected and put in a special fund. The priest then has available to him discretionary funds to use at any moment to help someone in the parish experiencing an emergency, unexpected crisis, or serious need. This has been a great blessing to a number of people. Thanks to those, young and old, who have dropped coins in the Poor Box. While the amounts are typically humble each week, occasionally there is great generosity. Thanks be to God! Sometimes our eyes become so accustomed to something that they no longer see it. But take a look. The simple wooden box is there. And what you put in it may be an answer to someone else’s prayer!

Baptism preparation classes
A reminder that if you are expecting a baby, you can arrange to attend the Baptism Preparation Class anytime before the baby is born. You will most likely find this easier than after the little one is born, and it will also mean everything will be ready for a baptism as soon as possible after birth! Please call the parish office to make arrangements. Note: All parents must take the class to be updated in their preparation.

Collection Counter Needed
A mega “Thank You!” to Wilma Lentz for the many years of faithful service she has given the parish in helping to count the weekly collections. She has asked to retire from this responsibility, and we have regretfully said “yes”— but with enormous appreciation for all she has given. Now we are looking for another individual who might be willing to help once every five weeks to count the Sunday collection. If you think you might be able to serve in this way, please call the parish office at 428-8811. And thanks again to our great friend Wilma Lentz!

Mass intentions & Sanctuary Lamps
Our parish Mass book is filling up quickly. To have a Mass offered for a loved one is a great blessing, and many are anxious to take part in this. But please remember that if the Mass is already “taken” for the date you want, you can request a Sanctuary Lamp.
You recall the Sanctuary Lamps are the special candles which burn in every Roman Catholic Church to remind us of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, present in the Tabernacle on the Altar. Here at St. Mary Roman Catholic Church we add our prayer intentions to the light of the candle and bring them to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The prayer intentions for the Sanctuary Lamps are for one week, from Saturday to Saturday. They are published in the bulletin as well as on the card in the main vestibule to encourage all who come to pray to remember and pray for this special intention. Cards to send are also available.
Like a Mass intention, you can contact the parish office to schedule a Sanctuary Lamp prayer intention. The customary donation is $12.

Attention all boys ages 10-18
I am in need of more altar servers to assist at Holy Mass. Serving at the altar allows you to be as close as possible to the mystery of the Mass and to assist your pastor as he stands in the person of Christ and brings forth the great miracle of the holy Eucharist. If you are interested, please contact the parish office. I will personally train you for this ministry. The training takes about an hour. Mrs. Marja Warner is in charge of the scheduling, and she will work with your parents to see what Masses you would be available to serve. I ask that all the boys of the parish seriously consider the call of your pastor to consider becoming an altar server. Thank you. —Fr. Tim

Can you be a sub for Eucharistic Adoration?
During First Friday Exposition and Adoration, there must be two adorers present at every moment of the 23-hours. Right now all the commitments are made, but there is always a need for substitutes. Can you offer your name as a sub? If so, please call Pete Nashif (428-1836) or the parish office.

If you shop at Meijers.
Please consider getting a “Meijer Guest Card” and designating our parish # 670279 to receive a donation from Meijers worth ½-1% of your monthly purchase totals made by cash, debit card, or Meijer credit card (MasterCard or store-card). This is a simple way to make have Meijers designate funds for St. Mary’s when they are donating to community organizations. To enroll, either get an application from Meijer stores or go online at www.meijer.com/rewards.