The Spiritual Life & Worship Commission (SLAW) is composed of liaisons for all the ministries that contribute to executing meaningful liturgies at St. Mary's.

These include servers, hospitality, environment, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (EMHC), lectors, cantors, musicians and choirs, and assisting sacristans. A member at large and the Director of Liturgy & Music also are members of this commission.

The Spiritual Life & Worship Commission serves the parish community to ensure we create a prayerful, reverent, and spirit-enriched experience when Mass is celebrated. Commission members attend three to four meetings a year to establish goals and to measure progress.

For more information, please see the ministries listed below.

Eucharistic Celebrations

The Holy Sacrfice of the Mass is the heart of the parish community and the most significant act of the community, from which all other activities flow.

Please see the Mass Schedule to find out the Mass schedule, including Holy Days and other special holidays.


Non-Eucharistic Liturgies

Evening Prayer, a component of The Liturgy of the Hours is prayed at St. Mary's on Sunday afternoons in Advent and Lent. Stations of the Cross are prayed weekly during Lent. 

Baptism

Baptism is the celebration of initiation into the Body of Christ, and is the doorway into the sacramental life of the Church. Baptisms are celebrated during the second and fourth weekends of the month at all Masses, and the third Sunday of the month at 1:00 p.m.

Prerequisites for Baptism involve a Baptism Preparation class and a "Baptismal Conversation" with a parish staff member. Contact the Parish Office to register your child for Baptism during the first trimester of pregnancy.

For more information, please see the Birth and Baptism page.

Reconciliation

In John's gospel Jesus states "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (20:23)". In the sacrament of Reconciliation the priest represents Jesus as well as those whom we have sinned against and offers forgiveness on behalf of both.

Reconciliation is celebrated weekly on Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. in the Reconciliation Room, located in the southeast corner of the Church, and is also available anytime by personal arrangement with a priest.

Marriage

Matthew 19:5 states, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." Through the sacrament of marriage the couple is strengthened to live out their marriage vows, and share in the divine life of God.

At least one of the engaged must be Catholic. All couples are required to complete a marriage preparation program.

Please contact the Parish Office at least 6 months before the wedding date to reserve the Church and begin the preparation process.


Anointing of the Sick

In the letter of James we hear, "Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the priests of the Church and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord (5:14)."

Through the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, Christ assures us of his healing presence in the midst of suffering. The anointing of the sick is administered to a member of the faithful whose health is marked by illness, surgery, or old age, and can be repeated whenever the sick person again falls into a serious sickness. This sacrament should NOT be withheld until the last moments of life.

A communal celebration of the Anointing of the Sick is generally celebrated on the first Saturday of the month following the 4:00 p.m. Mass. Anointings are also done on an as-needed basis. Contact the Parish Office to set up a time with a priest.


Funerals

Our faith teaches us that death is not an end of life but a change. The funeral liturgy celebrates and gives thanks to God for our loved one's life and commends our loved one to God's merciful love.

When a loved one dies, contact the Parish Office as soon as possible. The pastoral minister or priest presiding at the funeral will arrange a meeting to prepare the liturgy.

St. Mary's encourages members to consider preplanning their funeral by meeting with the Director of Liturgy & Music to discuss possible readings and songs for the funeral. Please contact the Parish Office to set up an appointment.

*Funeral Masses are celebrated when the body or cremains are present.
*Memorial Masses celebrate the life of an individual who has died but does not have the body present in a casket or urn.