Dear Parishioners, St. Mary's continues its obligation to follow the COVID-19 emergency orders and directives issued by the Montgomery County Board of Health, the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), and the Archdiocese of Washington; including active orders requiring face masks indoors and social distancing. Both Montgomery County and MDH announced benchmarks for the next rounds of easing restrictions; based on how many people have been fully vaccinated. As more folks are fully vaccinated and restrictions on religious facilities are lifted, know that St. Mary's will follow the course most expeditiously.
Eucharistic Holy Hour Series-Join fellow parishioners for the third of four Eucharistic Holy Hours this May as part of the series "Moving Forward to the Light of Christ". This Monday, May 17th's Holy Hour begins at 7 PMin the Main Church. The Holy Hour will include exposition, brief reading from Sacred Scripture, homily, silent time with the Lord, and benediction. The intention of this Monday's Holy Hour is for accountability and transparency in our civil and ecclesiastical leaders. These holy hours are in-person only.
As we continue to invite parishioners to return to in-person Masses, we share this affirming note from Joe Quirk, Parish Pastoral Council Chairperson and Social Concerns Chair. The note is included in this email with his permission:
"St. Mary’s has strictly observed all safety protocols of the Archdiocese and governmental authorities for in-person worship throughout the pandemic. Our parish is ready for your joyful return to Mass and the Sacraments." Joe Quirk
We look forward to seeing more parishioners return to our safe, orderly, and prayerful in-person Masses.
Parish Online Rosary Prayer, Every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the Month, 12:30 pm:Our next community rosary prayer will be Sunday, May 23rd. To join us in prayer to our Blessed Mother this Mother's Day, please follow the meeting link,
HERE, and password, 20852, or call in by phone at
1-301-715-8592 and enter the meeting ID, 815 1590 4769, and password when prompted. We look forward to praying the Glorious Mysteries with you this Easter season!
Youth Group Cook-out and Welcome for 8th Grade, Rescheduled to Sunday, May 23rd, 5-8 pm, St. Mary's Church and Outside the Parish Hall:All current 8th-12th grade teens are invited to St. Mary's for a cook-out and celebration of our 8th graders' Confirmation! Teens will attend the 5 pm Mass together before meeting for socially distant dinner, games, and discussion in the parking lot outside the Parish Hall. Please RSVP or ask any questions at
[email protected] so we can provide enough food for all attendees.
The electronic version of the parish bulletin was not received from the printer this week. We hope to post this bulletin on our website on Monday, May 17.
Confessions are Saturdays from 1:00-2:00 pm and Wednesdays from 5:00 to 6:00 pm. Or call the rectory office during business hours 9 am to 5 pm to request to make an appointment.