WELCOME HOME!

Worship with us:

Sunday at 9:00 am in person and Live on Facebook

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Tuesday - Friday 8:30 am Morning Prayer via Zoom



Healing services are held at St. Barnabas and

St. Mary's on a rotating schedule every third Thursday.

The next service will be at St. Barnabas on April 20th at 6 pm.

Whoever is not with Christ is against him.

In Luke 11:14-23, Jesus confronts the demon because he first recognizes the demon. For Christ, the demon is not silent or invisible. After casting the demon out, however, the witnesses do not congratulate Jesus, thank him, or praise his action; rather, they ask him for a sign from heaven. They accuse him of being aligned with the devil.

This criticism is foreshadowed in Jeremiah 7:23-28, where God tells Jeremiah that when he preaches to the people, they will not listen. He tells him that when he tries to do what is right, they will turn their backs: When you call them, they will not answer you.

Isn’t this how we sometimes find the world to be? How many times have we been exasperated by evil and suffering that simply will not change, despite tragedies that occur over and over? What can we do? How many times have we tried to do good only to have our intentions turned against us?

The Gospel suggests we must first recognize evil. In some cases, it may lurk in silence, or we may have seen it so often that we have become desensitized to it. Next, as God tells Jeremiah and as Jesus himself experienced, we must accept that others may reject anything we try to do.

We must not lose heart, though, and continue our efforts to do good, to speak up and speak out. Despite the criticism of others or the apparent futility of these efforts, we must – as Jeremiah does – pray and then proceed. We must enter into a conversation with God and listen to him as to how to begin. Through God’s power, we may do much good in the world. Or, we may fail, and the hardness of heart may unfortunately persist. Yet Christ tells us we cannot be apathetic. We cannot be bystanders. The person who is not with me, he says, is against me.

May God, renew our ability to recognize evil, guide us and give us courage in how to confront it, and strengthen us to trust in him.

Someday is never part of the week!

Most people live on an eight-day week … not a seven-day week. They have Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Someday. It often seems that some of the most important things in life are reserved for Someday. Someday we will visit our sick friend. Someday we will consider what gift of time and abilities we ought to make to God’s work. Someday we will volunteer to sing in the choir, be an usher or serve on a church committee.

The grand tragedy of this way of living is that Someday is never part of any week. Someday never comes! Because Someday never comes, many of the important things in our churches never get done. The work of God must never be a Someday project. Now is the time to make your commitment to the work of Christ. What gift of time and talent will you make to see that Christ’s work is done on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday … all year long?

Some ways to support St. Mary's

• Become a member
• Volunteer
• The Sunday collection plate
• Send a check payable to St. Mary's to:

St. Mary's Church,

9425 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, NJ 08247

(Your envelope and number is not necessary, only your name.)

• Setting up a personal online banking "bill pay" option. The bank will mail the check for you to the church office.
• Online giving through our website at https://www.stmarysstoneharbor.org/

Membership at St. Mary's consists of several different groups of "members." Some are Confirmed Communicant Members or who have transferred their membership by Letter of Transfer to St. Mary's. Some are Baptized into St. Mary’s or have requested that their names be entered in the Parish Register. Others are “members” by virtue of the fact that St. Mary’s is their church—the Christian community of which they are a part and where they worship regularly. Still, others are “summer members" or friends of St. Mary's. Many are part of St. Mary’s life, worship at St. Mary’s when in town, and support St. Mary’s financially. Canonically, they are not members in the legal sense, but they are every bit as much members of our parish family as those who are official members.

Please contact the church office if you would like to receive membership forms to be added to our data base.

email: [email protected]

OR

You may sign up on our website here.

We welcome you to join us!

Happy Birthday to

Alicia Markle on March 22nd, and

Andrew Schellenger on March 23rd!

If you would like to be remembered on your birthday or anniversary, please give us your information so we may add you to our data base. Email the church office: [email protected] or call 609-368-5922

Episcopal Community Services

in Partnership with the Diocese of New Jersey

Requests the Honor of your Presence at a

Farewell Gala

In Honor Of

The Right Rev. William “Chip” Stokes

Canon Ann Notte & Canon Mary Ann Rhoads

Sunday, May 21, 2023

at 5 O’Clock in the Evening

Doubletree by Hilton

2349 Marlton Pike West

Cherry Hill, NJ

Featuring Keynote Speaker

The Most Rev. Michael Curry

Please RSVP by April 28

Purchase Tickets Here

The Branches Outreach is celebrating National Nutrition Month by having a healthy, non-perishable food drive to supply their pantry.

A list of requested donations may be found here.

Donations may be dropped off from March 1 to March 31 at The Branches Outreach Food Pantry, 1304 Rt. 47, Unit AJ, Rio Grande, NJ 08242 on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays from 9 am to 12 noon. The attached flyer gives details on location.

It’s been a very busy time at The Branches Outreach. They are feeding a lot of people because of many Code Blue days!

Branches is in need of BIG containers of soup (crockpot size) or large casseroles they can keep in the freezer - even something as simple as a large Stouffer's lasagna.  

You may bring any casseroles or soup over to The Branches at their new location - 201 Hirst Ave., Rio Grande, NJ - daily from 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM, 

If you can't get to Rio Grande, please contact Dina Ziemba 609-780-3142.

She will be happy to pick up your food and take it to The Branches.

ALSO The Branches food pantry is in need of the following: bread, hamburger, chicken, coffee, mayo, ketchup, peanut butter, salad dressing, juice, breakfast bars and spam. The Food Pantry is open M-W-F from 9-12 and is located at 1304 Rt. 47 So., Rio Grande, Unit AJ. 

Many thanks !!!

Come check out the GOLD Winner of the 2022 Best of the Jersey Shore thrift shops - St. Mary's This 'n That Thrift Shop! And remember the thrift shop when you're spring cleaning and organizing. Household items and clean usable clothing are welcome!

Store Hours: Monday - Saturday 10 am - 4 pm

Donation days: Tuesday and Thursday, 10 am - 3 pm

Location: St. Mary's This 'n That

1304 Rt. 47 So., Rio Grande, NJ 08242    609-886-7272

Follow them on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/St-Marys-This-N-That-Thrift-Shop-268676343298636/

Cape Classical Artists will sponsor a concert by Kuwento Mizik on Sunday March 19, 3:00 pm, at Cold Spring Presbyterian Church. Kuwento (Filipino for "story") Mizik (Haitian Creole for "music") fuses classical, world music and storytelling into transformative concert experiences. The concert is free, and a goodwill offering will be collected at the door.

Just a reminder - the video of the previous concert of world instruments by Jamie Orfanella is available on our YouTube channel until March 19th. Here’s an overview of what you’ll see and hear:

Japanese shakuhachi flute (first 37 minutes)

Australian didgeridoo (37:00-48:00)

A variety of world flutes (48:00-1:18)

Theremin with trumpet and didgeridoo (1:19-1:30)

You can find the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uupVQo8heoo

_______________________________________________

Cape Classical Artists Winter Concert Season continues throughout March at Cold Spring Presbyterian Church. Admission is free, and there will be free-will offering baskets at the doors. The concerts are live-streamed on our YouTube channel.

Visit our website, www.CapeClassicalArtists.com for:

• a link to our YouTube channel

• directions to the church

• a copy of the concert program

• information on becoming a sponsor for yourself or your business

__________________________________________________

2023 Winter Concert Season continues with:

Sunday, March 19, 3:00 pm

Kuwento Mizik

Baritone Jean Bernard Cerin and pianist Leena K. Kulkarni-Rankin offer a fusion of Western classical, Filipino, and Haitian music

Sunday, April 16, 3:00 pm

Music for Soprano and Piano

Soprano Judy Ann Curtis and pianist John Curtis present a program of music from Mozart to the Great American Songbook

Sunday, May 21, 3:00 pm

Beverly Trio

An exciting variety of music of oboe, viola and cello

All concerts are free of charge to the public and are produced in partnership with Cold Spring Presbyterian Church. If you would like to become a sponsor, visit our home page and click on the “Donate” button. 100% of all contributions go directly to the support of our series.

Friday, March 17th – 7 pm Stations of the Cross at St. Mary's

           followed by The 12 Steps to Holiness and Salvation Lenten

Study discussion

Sunday, March 19th - 11 am Vestry Meeting

Sunday, March 19th - 3 pm Cape Classical Artists Concert at Cold Spring

Presbyterian Church - a fusion of classical Filipino and Haitian music

12 Step Meetings in the Church Hall

Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Monday at 8:00 pm

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Tuesday at 8:00 pm

Alanon Friday at 10:00 am

1 Samuel 16:1-13

Ephesians 5:8-14

John 9:1-41

Psalm 23

Tuesday - Friday 8:30 am Morning Prayer via Zoom

Third Thursday's 6:00 pm Healing Service

alternates between St. Mary's and St. Barnabas

Sunday 9:00 AM in person (church)