Dear Parishioners,On Sunday, we will celebrate The Solemnity of All Saints at all of our Sunday Masses. The Entrance Antiphon for the day is so appropriate:
Let us all rejoice in the Lord, as we celebrate the feast day in honor of all the Saints, at whose festival the Angels rejoice and praise the Son of God.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states
through the intercession of the saints: Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness....CCC956
Ask your favorite saints for their prayerful intercession to help you guide your daily path. May they help you to become a saint. If you don't have a favorite saint, pray to the Holy Spirit to bring a saint's intercession to you.
Confessionswill be offered Saturday, October 31, 1 pm (2 priests) and Wednesday, November 4, 5 pm (1 priest) in the Main Church.
Mass of Remembrance-As you may know, the month of November is dedicated to All Souls in Purgatory. It is a time to remember our loved ones who have passed away. Traditionally at St. Mary's, we would invite the families of those who have lost a loved one and had their funeral at St. Mary's to a memorial Mass on All Souls Day, November 2. Sadly, this cannot occur this year in person. Msgr. Amey has pre-recorded a Mass of Remembrance for the recently departed souls. It will be sent to the family members contact and available for all who would like to participate in the Mass on St. Mary's YouTube Channel. The Mass will be posted on November 2, 2020 by 12:00 pm. The November 1st bulletin acknowledges the names of the recently deceased from this past year is found
HERE.
Visiting a Cemetery for All Souls: This week, we encourage everyone to visit our parish cemetery on Baltimore Road to pray for the departed souls. A plenary indulgence is granted to the souls in purgatory when the faithful devoutly visit a cemetery and pray for the departed on any and each day from Sunday, November 1 to Sunday, November 8. For those not comfortable with traveling, you may join Fr. Fields in a pre-recorded liturgy for Visiting a Cemetery
HERE.
Our active Baltimore Road Cemetery is under the care of Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Washington; specifically the cemetery managers of Gate of Heaven Cemetery. For more information and prices regarding our active parish cemetery, call (301) 871-6500 or visit
HERE.
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.
It is not too late to join our CCD Classes!Religious education classes are now meeting by Zoom video calls for children from 1st grade - High School, including for our 2 year Sacrament preparation programs. All students in 1st grade and older are invited to our First Communion preparation classes, and all students from 7th grade through high school are invited to our Confirmation preparation classes. First Reconciliation will be in December; students receiving First Reconciliation this year must join classes by November 7th to allow time for their preparation for the Sacrament. Students must be registered HERE to receive their class's meeting link by e-mail. For textbook pick up or any questions, please email [email protected] or call 301-762-8750.
St. Mary's Online Youth Group, Sunday, November 8, at 7 pm: All high school students are invited to join us as our online small group meets by Zoom video call! We hope your teens can join us as we share a Bible Study on Jesus' suffering on the Cross for our salvation, and play the popular game, Among Us, as a community! For the meeting link and permission form, please e-mail [email protected]. Parents are requested to give their interest for potential youth group activities in our online parent survey HERE. Youth group will meet online every other Sunday at 7 pm, also meeting on November 22nd.
Save the Date! - St. Mary's School is hosting a Virtual Open House on Thursday, November 12, 2020, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. This session is for families considering St. Mary's School for the Pre-Kindergarten through 8th Grade in the 2021-22 school year.
Please contact the school for information.
If you are considering Catholic School for your student next Fall, now is also the time to apply for financial aid. The Archdiocese of Washington is accepting applications for Financial Aid for the 2021-22 School Year. Applications are now being accepted for students who may enter Catholic School in the Fall. Please see the Archdiocese website for information: https://adwcatholicschools.org/tuition-assistance/
This is the last weekend to support St. Mary’s Troop 472 Cubs, Boys and Girls Scout with Popcorn Sales!-Due to COVID-19, the scouts were unable to do their yearly church sale but you can still support Troop 472 by ordering Popcorn, Candy, Coffee and more and having it all delivered directly to your door! You can also make an American Heroes donation online! Click here https://www.trails-end.com/store/scout/UWIFPEX5?share=0DRLCQXO to place an order with FREE SHIPPING. If you have any questions, please contact Trisha at [email protected]. Sales will closeNovember 1. Thank you for supporting St. Mary’s Scouts!
The Gabriel Project Cluster of Montgomery County is an all- volunteer nonprofit organization that assists low-income pregnant women and their children. During the pandemic and economic crisis, the need for the Gabriel Project’s services has grown tremendously while typical sources of support are greatly reduced. You can help provide critically needed material resources by purchasing essential items like baby gear, diapers, and clothing through the Gabriel Project’s Amazon Charity List. For more information about the Gabriel Project and to support our efforts, please visit the website
at www.gpmoco.org and scroll down to the Gabriel Project’s Amazon Charity List link. Thank you for your generous support!