Dear brothers and sisters,

In the past we have held an All Parish Meeting where the Annual Parish Report was shared and discussed with parishioners at an open meeting. Since my time here, those meetings have unfortunately been poorly attended.

This year, with the consultation of the Finance Council and Parish Trustees, we decided to change it to a Town Hall Potluck, to provide a more casual venue for our families to come together for a meal and share with you all the things that have taken place this past year, what is currently going on, and to discuss our future.

Just as a family should come together regularly for meals and conversation with one another, so the same is true for us. It is important for our parish families to know what is going on in the life of our parish: our church and our school, so that we can continue to grow together.

Through our different means of communication, we have tried to share with our parishioners and our broader community about our various activities and events that take place here in our home. I know that depending on the season, there can seem to be a lot of things going on and because of that, we can become a little weary of the announcements… but what a gift to know that life is taking place! At the same time though, I am aware that there are some families who are not aware of some of the things that are and have taken place or may not understand why we do the things we do.

Our Parish Town Hall this Tuesday, November 14th at 6:00pm in Kenney Hall, is the opportunity we have created for our parish family to come together, to enjoy a meal prepared by different families in our parish, and to share with each other about our parish family life. After dinner, we’ll have childcare available in the gym so that children can play together during the presentation part of the evening.

I strongly encourage all of you to try and attend this so that we can continue to grow together as Christ’s family, strengthening our relationship not only with Jesus, but also, with one another. I hope to see many of you there!

Here is the link again for our Parish Town Hall: presentationofmary.org/potluck

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us!

-Fr Peter

We want to let everyone in the parish know that all ages are warmly invited to join our choir! Weekly rehearsals will be 90 minutes (6:30 - 8pm) and you can invite your friends and neighbors to come join us as well. We pray and sing together as a (growing) family, and like any family we want to include multiple age groups and generations. For now, rehearsals will be on Thursday nights at 6:30. The choir will sing for one weekend Mass (Sunday or Saturday) normally on the 3rd weekend of each month, from September through May, and also for special liturgies including Holy Week and Christmas. Each weekly rehearsal also includes vocal training and techniques. Only requirements to join: be able to read music to some degree of proficiency, carry a tune, match pitch - and truly love to "sing your prayer," from the heart! If you have any questions or ideas, please contact Donna at 408-406-6240 or by email at dstoering@presentationofmary.org.

Advent Days of Prayer provide you with an opportunity to enter into a time of holy prayer, reflection, and action. Give yourself the gift of some reflective time during this holy Advent season. Participants need only bring any reading material that they would like to have with them. Lunch will be provided by the Retreat Center. There will be input by the presenter, a guided prayer experience, and ample free time for personal prayer and reflection. There will be an opportunity for Confession, as well as Stations of the Cross and the Liturgy of the Day. These day retreats are not sequential; one may attend all of these days or the day that best fits into one’s schedule. The three dates for these retreat days will be November 29 , December 6, and December 13, from 9:00am - 2:30pm. For more information and to register, visit the link below.

TONIGHT is the Men's Club Mini-Cad Raffle & Social! If you purchased raffle tickets, the drawing will be this evening, November 11th, at 7:00 pm in Kenney Hall. The social will begin after the 5:00 Mass, so even if you don't have raffle tickets, join us for the evening! The social will have buffet style appetizers for $10 per person, as well as Bingo. Winners are not required to be present, and those attending the social are not required to have purchased raffle tickets. This event is a great opportunity to spend some time with our parish family, while supporting the Church and School!

The Parish Town Hall Potluck will be this Tuesday, Nov. 14th at 6:00pm in Kenney Hall. Learn all about this past year at Presentation of Mary as well as exciting new things to look forward to in the coming year! Let us know what you're bringing at the link below!

Sign up for the next 55 Club Luncheon! It will take place November 21 at Blessed Sacrament at 12:30 pm. The meal will be turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, veggies, cranberry sauce, and a roll with butter. The dessert will be pumpkin pie with Cool Whip. We’ll have Deacon Mike Powers as the speaker. Call Teri Garrity to register at 651-303-2145.

Our next NextLevel event for high school youth will be serving at Feed my Starving Children on November 28. Follow the link below to register!

On Saturday, December 2, from 8:00am-1:00pm in Kenney Hall, Presentation of Mary and the American Red Cross are hosting a blood drive. Please join our mission and schedule an appointment today at www.redcrossblood.org or all Barb Swanson at 651-395 -0453. Appointments only. No walk-ins.

Every Third Saturday Drive for Veterans

We are now collecting items for Veterans with Every Third Saturday, a veteran support organization in the area. We will have boxes in two of the entrances to collect needed items for their ministry from November 4th-19th. Some of their most needed items are listed below!

The Respect Life Committee is sponsoring a baby drive for Options for Women East Life Care Center. From December 2 through January 7, we will collect baby items for moms in need and their infants newborn to size 2T. We prefer that all donations be new, but we do accept gently-used clothing. Items can be placed in the creche in the Kennard Street entrance. You may also call the office if you need to drop items off outside of church times.

We will be hosting a Volleyball Clinic for children in grades 2-8 on Sunday, November 12 from 2-3:30pm. This is a great chance for kids to learn about the game and/or strengthen their skills. Participants do not need to be students at Presentation, all are welcome!

All are invited to attend our Mass of Gratitude on Friday, November 17th at 8:45am. Join us in celebration of the Mass as we give thanks for all those that support Presentation of Mary School.

Join us for one or both of our information nights to learn about the great programming and curriculum that Presentation of Mary School & Discovery Center has to offer families! Middle School Info Night: Thursday, November 30th at 6:30pm. Preschool & Kindergarten Info Night: Thursday, December 7th at 6:30pm. Register for one or both events below!

The Presentation of Mary Discovery Center is currently hosting a great referral incentive. Current families are eligible to receive a referral gift for the successful referral of a new family to Presentation of Mary’s Discovery Center Preschool! There is a $150 Target Gift Card for the referral of a part-time toddler or preschooler, and a $250 Target Gift Card for the referral of a full-time toddler or preschooler! Visit presentationofmaryschool.org/preschool/ to learn more about our Discovery Center.

Great Scott! The 2024 Presentation of Mary Catholic School Gala is coming back to Presentation on Saturday, April 13, 2024! We need you to take action now, so you don’t get left behind! 

April may feel a long way off, but the planning and preparations for our Panther Pride Gala are well underway already! Please make sure you've read all of the information on the Gala web page to understand all the ways you can Raise Your Hand to ensure the success of our biggest fundraiser! Donate a theme basket, wine, beer, or spirits, become a sponsor, get a Gala t-shirt, or even join the planning committee! If you have any questions, contact the school office at 651-777-5877.

Our Christmas Tree Lighting this year will be Sunday, December 3rd at 6:30 pm. Join us on Kennard Street in front of school to light our Christmas tree and then head into Kenney Hall for cookies, cocoa, and a visit from St. Nick!

The date for the Presentation School Christmas Concert has been changed to Friday, December15th at 6:30pm in the church. All are welcome to come hear our wonderful students perform!

Do you know someone in need of prayers? Contact Kay at the Parish Office at 651-842-6022 so they can be added to our Prayer Line.

You can also contact her if you are interested in joining the Prayer Line!

Protection of Youth: All employees, and volunteers who interact with minors, are required to complete and maintain safe environment credentials (E3) through the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. To ensure successful completion of these requirements or if you have any questions regarding our safe environment practices or would like more information on what is needed to volunteer, please contact our Safe Environment Coordinator: Kay Mottaz @ 651-842-6022 or email kmottaz@presentationofmary.org.

To learn more about reporting suspected abuse, please also visit: www.safe-environment.archspm.org/report-abuse/Report.