Dear Parishioners,

When our parish was named St. Mary of the Rosary well over a century ago, little did the people know then that we in the 21st century would still be praying the Rosary and hold it dear. I recently spoke to a parishioner who has taken up praying the Rosary daily. He says it has calmed him down and enhanced his spiritual life. The Rosary keeps Mary and Jesus close in a world that is so far from them and spiritual realities.

One of my favorite titles of Mary is “Mary, Queen of Peace.” She is like a good mother that surrounds us with her motherly care and comfort in the midst of so much turmoil, difficulty and anxiety the world brings. Mary did not abandon her son Jesus on the cross, she stayed with him to the end as is shown in the Calvary scene we wish to restore to our Church sanctuary. She will stay with us until the end as we pray in the second part of the Hail Mary: “… Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

October 7 is the feast of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. We want to celebrate this Feast Day and all the good things that are happening here at St. Mary of the Rosary Parish with a Feast Day Banquet on Saturday, Oct. 12. Our OCIA and Religious Ed programs are growing and we are beginning a junior high youth group. Additionally, for more than a year our Pastoral Council has been working on a five-year Pastoral Plan that focuses on growing in the areas of worship, fellowship, discipleship, service and evangelization in our parish. At the Feast Day Banquet, the Pastoral Council wishes to present this plan. Thank you to Alexis Peters, who served as chair of our parish council the past year, as the council members worked hard to develop this Pastoral Plan. Our new chair Shirley Baker will now be taking the lead as we begin to prioritize our goals and put the plan into action. Alexis is now serving as the chair of our Restoring Beauty campaign committee.

We also want to celebrate the approval of our Bishop uniting all our parishes as one parish, St. Mary of the Rosary, which will officially take place on the Feast Day, October 7. Also, with the recent approval of the Finance and Pastoral Councils, the parish is moving ahead with our Restoring Beauty project campaign and the banquet will also be a kick off to our fundraising campaign. The project goal is to be completely funded by the campaign without using parish general funds.

Please save the date for Saturday, Oct. 12 at 5 pm for St. Mary’s Feast Day Banquet as we celebrate our parish and our patron saint. More information will be coming soon. Many great things are happening here at St. Mary’s as we look forward to the future, trusting in the goodness and mercy of God under the protecting care of Our Lady of the Rosary.