Have you downloaded our new St. Mary Swormville app yet?
Turn your dinner into dollars for St. Mary’s by ordering from Pesci’s ONLINE at https://www.toasttab.com/pescis-pizza-8065-main-st/v3/ for pick-up or delivery through March 18, 2023.
Pesci’s will donate 20% of your online order total (including eGift Cards!) back to St. Mary School HSA. This promotion is not valid for in-store or orders by phone. Send eGift cards to family and friends too! Put St. Mary’s in the message. Order as many times as you like during the promotion!!! Please share with family, friends, and neighbors. AT CHECKOUT ENTER PROMO CODE: SMSHSA
The St. Mary’s Forever Young Group will be meeting on Wednesday, March 15 at 7pm in the Parish Center. Historian Greg Kinal will share his collection of award winning photographs. All senior parishioners are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served. A paper or soap product donation for the parish food pantry is greatly appreciated. Questions? Call Pat at 716-335-847
TUITION ASSISTANCE for Private Grammar Schools Now Available. The BISON Children Scholarship Fund provides tuition assistance to economically eligible children in grades K-8. New families can now apply for scholarships for the 2023-24 school year. To start the process, families can complete a pre-application form online at http://bisonfund.com/our-scholarships. If selected in our lottery drawing, the scholarships can be used at any private grammar school in WNY. The deadline to apply is March 15. The average scholarship is $1,560 and the maximum award is $2,500. For more information, contact Cindy at 716-854-0869, ext. 1 or cmcdonald@bisonfund.com.
Children of St. Mary's Parish turned in their First Eucharist preparation workbooks at this weekend's Masses and received a blessing. Next, they will have a Eucharistic Spirit Day to prepare for receipt of the First Holy Communion.
Bishop Mike has given commutation from the practice of abstaining from meat on Friday, March 17th for St. Patrick's Day. Use this link to read his full letter: https://5il.co/1qicj
Come and spend some time in the Holy Presence of Jesus. Exposition and Reconciliation will continue until 7 pm Mass tonight.
Be reconciled!
Attention, Christ Renews Alumni:
If you haven’t been receiving Email updates about the Christ Renews Retreats and you would like to be added to the Christ Renews Welcome email list – Send a message to:
ChristRenewsWelcome@gmail.com
We will be happy to add you to the list.
There is room for a few more women who would like to renew their faith life at the Women's Christ Renews Welcome Retreat next weekend (March 11-12). Register by this Tuesday, 3/7 with this form: https://form.jotform.com/230405968498065
As we begin our Lenten journey, please read and consider this message from Bishop Michael Fisher: https://5il.co/1pnnr
During Lent, St. Mary's Church will have wooden blocks available in both the church and chapel on which you are invited to write an intention, concern, or simply a name and then place it in the framed cross. We need Jesus, we cannot do it on our own. Let Jesus help you to bear your cross.
In observance of Presidents' Day, the parish office will be closed on Monday, February 20. Please pray for our leaders.
This week, the February 22 Wednesday Evening Rosary will be prayed at 6:30 PM (instead of the usual 7 PM), in the church, because there is a 7 PM Ash Wednesday Mass. All are welcome to both.
Our parish website has a fresh new look! All are invited to take a look around.
We are blessed to have such wonderful role models for our students; specifically Fr. Luke and Fr. Bryan, who spoke at the opening of our 2023 Career Fair. They each shared about their path to the priesthood, and how important it is to listen to God's call in our lives.
A prayer for vocations:
God our Father, we thank you for calling men and women to serve in your Son's Kingdom as priests, deacons, and consecrated persons. Send your Holy Spirit to help others to respond generously and courageously to your call. May our community of faith support vocations of sacrificial love in our youth and young adults.
