Dear Parishioners, We are turning the corner of our Advent journey, as this Sunday is referred to as Gaudete Sunday. This Sunday of joy is represented by the rose candle lit on the Advent wreath, joy that our Lord and Savior is coming. The Lord is near. Turn to the Lord for the comfort you may seek. May we be dedicated in our daily prayers for an end to the pandemic. May the Lord strengthen all caregivers, heal the sick, guide researchers, and lift up those who are burdened in any way.
Thank you! Thank you!- St. Mary's participation in the Greg Gannon Food Drive on December 5th resulted in 11,683 cans to eight different worthy local food charities: Rockville FISH, Nourish Now, Interfaith Works, St. Martin's Food Pantry, Gaithersburg HELP, Germantown HELP, Manna Food, and the The Lord's Table Soup Kitchen.
Christmas Mass Schedule: St. Mary's Christmas Mass schedule is as follows: Christmas Eve: 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm, and Midnight. Christmas Day: 7:30 am, 9:30 am and 11:30 am. You must register ahead of time to attend.
Registration is now openHERE.
VIRTUAL ADVENT GIVING TREE: Each year, the Parish helps 10 specific charities by collecting and distributing Gift Cards of $25-$50, We ask that those who wish to participate this year deposit the Gift Cards in the Poor Boxes at Masses on the weekends of December 11-12 and 19-20. Monetary donations to purchase gift cards can also be made by check payable to St. Mary’s, with “Gift Cards” noted in the ledger portion, and either placed in the Poor Boxes or sent to the Rectory. All cards will be distributed to the charities before Christmas. Volunteers are needed to make this much-needed project work. Contact Joe Quirk at [email protected] or 301-424-7751.
Confessionswill be offeredSaturday, December 12, 1 pm(2 priests) and Wednesday, December 16, 5 pm(2 priests) in the Main Church. Throughout the Advent season, there will be two priests available on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Evening confessions will be available on Monday, December 21 and Tuesday, December 22 from 7:00-8:30 pm.
Parish Online Rosary- Beginning on Sunday, December 13 at 12:30pm, the parish community is invited to pray the rosary every 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. The link is available HERE.
You can also join by phone at 1-301-715-8592. When calling in you will enter the meeting code 815 1590 4769 and the password 20852.
CCD Advent Schedule - This Advent, we will be offering additional activities for CCD families to celebrate the season together! These will include extra Confession times for CCD families and weeks when online classes will be offered for parents to participate in with their children. For Confessions, social distancing will be maintained through face coverings, and lines forming outside of the school. Please see below for the schedule for your child's class and contact
[email protected] with any questions.
December 12th, 10:30-11:30- First Reconciliation for Sacramental Preparation (3rd-4th grade) and St. Mary's School 2nd Grade in the Main Church.
December 13th, 10:00-11:15- 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th, and High School- Parents Join Classes
December 13th, 11:30-12:45- 3rd, 5th, 6th Grade Confessions
December 20th, 10:00-11:15- 4th, 7th, High School Confessions
Youth Group Adore & S'more, December 13th, 7-8:30 pm, St. Mary's Chapel and Our Lady's Circle - All teens are invited to join the Youth Group as we celebrate Advent with Adoration in the Chapel before s'mores, games, and discussion by the fire pits outside. Social distancing will be maintained through face coverings, physical distancing, and other protocols. Please RSVP to
[email protected] so we can provide sufficient set-up and materials for all attendees.
Advent Evening of Reflection, Tuesday, December 15, 7-8 pm, (Virtually)- St. Mary's Minister of Religious Education, Thomas Patchan, will be leading a reflection on celebrating Advent with the Holy Family and all parishioners are welcome to join! The meeting can be joined
HERE with the password, 20852.
St. Mary's School Virtual Open House is Thursday, December 17 from 10:00-11:00 am. This session is for families considering St. Mary's School for Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade in the 2021-2022 school year. Please contact the school for more information at [email protected].
Family Christmas Movie Night, Sunday, December 20, 6:00-6:30 pm, (Virtually). All families are invited to tune in virtually to watch
A Charlie Brown's Christmas together! The movie can be joined
HERE
with the password 20852. All participating children must be accompanied by an adult.
Pre-recorded Sunday Massis available on Saturdays at 5:00 pm on our parish's Facebook page, (@stmarysrockville), Twitter feed, (@stmaryrockville) and YouTube channel. When participating in the Mass, remember to fast as you would do when attending church in person and pray a spiritual communion prayer as Father Fields is receiving Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the liturgy.
The Knights of Columbus, Montgomery Council 2323 is hosting a drop off donation campaign to benefit the lives of newborns and their families through The Shady Grove Pregnancy Center. The Knights will be available to accept your baby supplies on Saturdays, December 12, and 19 from Noon to 4 pm at Father Cuddy Hall 17001 Overhill Rd., Derwood, MD. Suggested donations are winter clothing sizes 9 to 18 months, powered milk based and soy based baby formula. (Enfamil with iron or Isomil with iron 12.9 oz. can with a one year expiration date), diapers sizes 4, 5, or 6, baby wipes or lotions. For a full list or to offer a monetary donation for the effort go to the Knights of Columbus website
HERE. The Knights hope you can help them spread joy to families in need as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior.
St. Mary's School Gala-Ready to get a jump on that online Christmas shopping? Want to help St. Mary's School at the same time? Well, here's your chance to do both, without even leaving your house!
This year so many traditions have taken on new forms and greater meaning, and the Gala is no different. While we can't come together in person for a celebration of all that is wonderful about St. Mary's, we can still come together in our hearts and warm wishes to support the school we love so much. This year's Gala theme is "All In This Together." It will be an online auction and raffle, and there are so many ways you, your friends and your family can help out and enjoy this beloved event.
The Gala committee has generated a Wish List to help us create amazing and unique baskets for our silent auction, which will be open for just four days, between February 3 - 6, 2021. While you're online doing your own Christmas shopping this season, you can log on to Amazon Smile and purchase items from the Gala Wish List to help complete wonderful baskets. Just click-click-click, and the items will be shipped directly to the school with a note that they came from you. It couldn't be easier to support the Gala, and you don't even have to step outside or fiddle with wrapping paper.
Grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, and anyone else who wants to support our school can help with just a few clicks. This is an especially good opportunity for folks who live far away and don't always get to see the difference their donations make. When the Gala arrives, they can log onto Bidpal and see their generosity in action, and even bid on items online from home! Plus, Amazon Smile donates a portion of every purchase back to St. Mary's. So it's a win-win-win.
Since we can't gather in person, the online auction and raffle are more important than ever to our fundraising efforts for the school.But that has its advantages, too: since you are saving money on Gala tickets and evening gowns, you have more available to indulge yourself at the auction!
This year, to encourage out-of-town participation, we will be offering limited shipping on some items (out-of-area only) so be sure to check it out when you're feasting your eyes on the incredible packages we will have to offer. Please share the Amazon Wish List with friends and family near and far.
Take advantage of this opportunity to donate to the Gala without having to deal with parking problems or shipping hassles. Just click HERE and have some fun!
Mark your calendars for the first week of February; you don't want to miss any of the action!
Thank you for supporting the St. Mary's Gala. Now, more than ever, your generosity and fellowship will make all the difference!