Keeping Us Connected Newsletter

September 30, 2022

For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you.

– Lev. 25:12

Dear St. Mary Friends,

Adoration Chapel open 24/7

Before getting into the substance of this newsletter, let me remind you that beginning this Saturday, October 1, the Adoration Chapel will return to its perpetual status of being open 24/7. Parishioners are encouraged to sign up for a regular weekly hour, but everyone is encouraged to stop in any day, any time. See below to sign up. Parishioners are also invited to the annual prayer for our country, Church and world on Saturday, October 15 at A.M. by the Calvary scene behind the church (the Cross on the Hill).

125th Jubilee of St. Mary Church Consecration

As you know, our original intention was to celebrate from the date of the laying of the cornerstone. That would have begun last year, but COVID surges delayed things. We simply switched gears and are now marking the anniversary from the date of the consecration of the Church in July 1897. We kicked off the year with Bishop Caggiano’s Rededication Mass this past July and will continue with events throughout the year. Along with regular events like the blessing of the creche and the Holiday Stroll, take note of a few other events.

Parish Rosary at Ballard Park – 1:15 P.M., Sunday, October 23 after the Noon Mass

October is the month of the Rosary and a parish with Mary as patron is honor bound to gather together to pray that beautiful prayer in gratitude for God’s blessings on St. Mary’s in the past and asking that we will respond to those graces more faithfully in our time. Plan on joining fellow parishioners at Ballard Park. Attendees can bring food and drink to spend some time together after the Rosary. We will also have Chez Lenard (The Hotdog Man) providing some of his culinary delights to those who choose to partake of them.

Speaker Series: “Witnesses to Faith in Christ”

A major theme throughout this 125^th celebration will be “witnesses to Faith.”

Dianne Foley - Mother of James Foley

On November 9, we will welcome Dianne Foley. Diane is the mother of James Foley. James was a journalist in the Middle East after graduation. Taken hostage by ISIS, he was released, but in his zeal for covering the situation and reporting on the truth of things, he returned and was taken hostage a second time. The ransom demands could not be met and he was beheaded in 2014. A ghoulish story you may think, but when some of his fellow hostages were released, they told the story of an incredibly faithful and prayerful young man with whom they shared captivity. Diane will tell his story and more.

Robert Royal

In December (date under negotiation), my brother, Robert Royal, will tell of the almost numberless witnesses to the faith in recent years – the martyrs of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. His book "Catholic Martyrs of the 20^th Century" was written to mark the Church’s Jubilee 2000 celebration called for by Pope St. John Paul II to enter the third Christian millennium. Bob’s publisher has asked him to revise and update his book as new martyrs and information about them have come to light. This will be an inspiring evening for all.

Sohrab Ahmari

March 29, 2023, Sohrab Ahmari will tell of his conversion to Christ and his Church. His is a fascinating account of early life in Iran, his escape out of the country and his eventual coming to America where he is drawn to the beauty of Christ, baptism, and our Catholic Faith.

So stay tuned for more on these and other events as we move through our jubilee year.