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.

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.

Join the Best Advent Ever a free email program from Dynamic Catholic that will help you slow down and focus on what matters most during the busy holiday season. Each day of Advent, you’ll receive an email with short inspirational videos from Allen Hunt, Matthew Kelly, and the Dynamic Catholic team, practical tips for your everyday life and real-life stories to encourage you in your faith journey.

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 video series will put you in the frame of mind to see Advent through Mary's eyes as you wait with her for the birth of her son, Jesus. In this first video, there is a beautiful reflection on Mary and Joseph's journey to Bethlehem.  If you click the video in this article, it will start at the beginning of the reflection.  It's a beautiful way to spend 8 minutes of time in prayer!

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.

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.”

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