September 2013

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Christ is in our midst!

I want to welcome everyone back from vacation and I hope it was a restful and exciting summer. We are back to our regular schedule of services, Sunday School will begin shortly with our "new" superintendent, Barbara Shoop, and a fresh crop of teachers ready to educate our children, Bob Kowalik's Catechism Class will start up soon, and life at St. Mary's (which never seems to slow down anymore) will rev up again for another liturgical cycle beginning on Sept. 1.

Among the events scheduled for this month, I want to draw special attention to the Marriage Seminar which will be led by His Grace Bishop JOHN on Friday night, Sept. 13 right after the Evening Liturgy for the Feast ofthe Cross which begins at 6:30 at St. Mary's and continues at the New England Chancery in Westborough on Saturday, Sept. 14 the next morning from I0 am to 3:30 pm. Bishop JOHN will be drawing from Fr. Alexander Schmemann's unpublished notes on the Sacrament of Marriage. Everyone is welcome: married couples, engaged couples, dating couples, singles, young and old. The cost is $25. Food and refreshments will be provided at both sessions. This is a wonderful opportunity and I hope many of you will take advantage of it. You can sign up for the event on our website (stmaryorthodoxchurch.org).

Also, please take note that the committees involved in preparing for the Archdiocese Convention in 2015 are organizing now and will begin meeting very soon. If you are not already signed up for one of them, please talk to Mary Winstanley O'Connor, Ray Sayeg our co-chairs or me about how you would like to serve. Needless to say, it will be necessary for the entire community to participate in this undertaking. We need your help.

Finally, may God bless our new Liturgical Year. Have you found your special ministry at the parish yet? There are many ways to serve. The Parish Council, Women's Club, SOYO, the Fellowship of St. John the Divine, the Order of St. Ignatius, the Sunday School, choir, and chanters provide some great opportunities. Have you officially joined the parish and filled out an information form and pledge card? This is very important. So many people attend regularly that are not yet "members" of our community. We want to encourage everyone to join. Let's make this year the best ever at St. Mary's!

+Fr. Antony