Dear Friends and Parishioners of St. Mary's,

This week marks the 25th Anniversary of Barb Bishop's ordination to the diaconate. Barb was ordained in the Diocese of Chicago by Bishop Frank Griswold on December 7th, 1991 at St. James Cathedral. For the past 25 years Barb has faithfully carried out her ministry here at St. Mary's. This Sunday you are cordially invited to stop in and see Barb any time from 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at her home. She would love to see people, so feel free to stop in and say hello and share with her a word of thanks or a memory of her time here at St. Mary's. We ask that you keep your visit short. If you cannot visit please consider a phone call to her this coming week.   I am extremely grateful for Barb's friendship to me and all of the help and support she has given me these past two years that I have been at St. Mary's.   Thank you and Congratulations Dn. Barb Bishop.

 

Please prayerfully consider making a pledge to St. Mary's for 2017. Many of you have turned in your pledge and we are very grateful.   Our main source of income is the pledges that all of us make to St. Mary's each year. Please know that I have made a pledge to give back 10% of my salary to the parish as I faithfully do every year. Eileen has made a separate pledge of her own, as both of us feel so strongly that St. Mary's has the ability to change lives and that we are a blessing to so many people throughout Crystal Lake and beyond. I invite you to join me and to as be generous as you are able. In this season of Advent as we prepare for the birth of Christ let us continue to make Christ visible to others.

 

Blessings,

Fran+

Mark your Calendars for Saturday, January 21st, from 5:00-7:00 p.m. for our "Community Meal Fundraiser".  This dinner is a fund raiser for our monthly free community meal, which will begin on February 18th, and be held each month on the third Saturday of the month from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Tickets to our fund raiser dinner are $25.00 a person, or $60.00 for a family.   All proceeds will go toward the community meal. We will be selling tickets starting the middle of December. The fund raiser will also give us chance to have a "dress rehearsal" of our actual monthly meal, so that we can have a practice run through of cooking and serving for the large crowds that will be with us.  So please buy a ticket and bring family, friends and neighbors and join the fun.

 

During the season of Advent, families or individuals are invited to light the candles on the Advent Wreath . It is a very special moment to bring the light into church at the beginning of the service , and then light the Advent candle(s).  W e encourage interested households to sign up for a particular Sunday; the sign-up sheet  is available on a Narthex table.