St. Mary Church

First Saturday (Fatima) Devotions are held at St. Mary’s on the first Saturday of every month at 9:00 AM. 

For many, the mere thought of leaving the comforts of home early on a Saturday morning to pray the Rosary seems unthinkable.  Yet, they come!  What draws them?  Quite simply, because the Blessed Virgin asked them to and, like all loving children, they know Mother knows best.  So enjoy your wake-up cup of coffee, grab your Rosary, and come join us as we show devotion to our heavenly Mother in prayer and petition.   

~ MENDING HEARTS ONE STITCH AT A TIME ~

St. Mary’s Holy Sews makes and donates infant burial layettes to hospitals at absolutely no charge so they are readily available when parents experience the death of their baby due to a miscarriage. Seeing their baby dressed with dignity assures parents that others share their sorrow and care about what they are going through.

Volunteers work together at St. Mary’s and from home on the many tasks necessary to complete each layette.  New volunteers are always welcome – both sewists and non-sewists - no experience needed.  Leave a voice message for Mary Laden at (607) 433-2067 to learn more.

To help support us, mail checks payable to HOLY SEWS, INC. to St. Mary’s Church, 39 Walnut St., Oneonta, NY 13820.  Please mark the envelope: ATTN: HOLY SEWS.

The role of the Catholic Spiritual Director is to assist an individual on their personal path of spiritual growth.  A spiritual director listens and offers insight to assist an individual to discern the unique way God is calling them to live a life of faith in Jesus Christ and to recognize the promptings and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

For the full NYTimes article CLICK HERE

We offer links below to people seeking such spiritual companionship and discernment.

Spiritual Director, Cindy Korb:  Website: www.cindykorb.com; Email: listeningpresence518@gmail.com; Phone: 607-267-0539

Spiritual Director, Diane DeDominicis:  Email: Diane@smcconeonta.org or pondsideretrievers@gmail.com

Spiritual Director, Deacon Paul Cerosaletti:  Email:  deaconpaul@smcconeonta.org

The Consultation Center of the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese offers information about spiritual direction on their website which includes a listing of trained spiritual directors.

Website: www.consultationcenteralbany.org 

CONSOLE ONE ANOTHER

We feel the pangs of grief and loss throughout our lives...the ministry of the community helps make it easier to bear.  Are you grieving the loss of a beloved person, job, situation or pet?  Has some significant loss or change in your life left you bereaved, in despair or with anxiety?  YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

A vital Work of Mercy in the Church is to comfort the sorrowful and emotionally support those who suffer the pain of loss.  Will you choose to meet and share the abundant life of God with others?  Join us at St. Mary's to share stories and companionship aimed at healing our own wounds and reaching out to help others who are grieving.

Meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month at 10:00 AM in the rectory.

Please call Mel at 607-432-3920, ext. 202 or email mel@smcconeonta.org for more information.

"When I sat with my anger long enough, she told me her name was grief."

You can make a difference. Oneonta much closer to being able to welcome one or more refugee families. This support must be done via Sponsorship, we therefore need to raise at least $3,000 to $7,000 per family. No donation is too small!  If you know of other people who wish to donate, please encourage them to do so soon.

Donations can be made by checks mailed to the Foundation of Otsego County, P.O. Box 55, Springfield Center, N.Y. 13468. You need to indicate that the donation is for the "Refugee Resettlement Coalition"

Moving Forward: Walking with Moms in Need in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany

The Supreme Court ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization is not the end goal for the Catholic Church — it is a call to continuing action.  We must walk with pregnant women in need, building a culture of life that helps them as they journey through pregnancy and into parenthood. 

To that extent, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany is asking each of its parishes to join a nationwide effort called Walking with Moms in Need.  Parishes are being asked to identify resources in their community that already exist, identify needs that are not yet being met, and to take steps to bridge those gaps.  The goal is to create a process that enables Catholic parishes and communities to “walk in the shoes” of these moms in need.  We don’t point them in the direction of help, we journey with them.

The initiative is a response to Pope Francis’ challenge to go to the margins, to be present, and to make a difference.  Each parish has gifts to offer, God-given gifts, but they are not for us to hang onto.  Those gifts are to be shared and, by the grace of God, used to help meet the needs in our communities. 

OTHER RESOURCES:

• Catholic Women’s Health Resource: rcda.org/life/adoption-pregnancy-womens-health-resources
• Catholic Charities Get Help: ccrcda.org/get_help
• Find a Crisis Pregnancy Center:  https://resources.care-net.org/find-a-pregnancy-center

The Daily Examen is an Ignatian technique of prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience. To explore this form of prayer CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE

Connect with us on Facebook by clicking the link below

For over five years, St. Mary’s Parish through its Peace and Justice Ministries has sponsored children to attend school in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala.  Currently we have eight students who have received enough scholarship assistance from us to attend school from 7^th grade through graduation.  Many of the children are native Mayan and come from very poor family situations and this education provides an opportunity for them to have a better future.

One year of schooling costs $250.00, six years $1500.00.  Might you consider sponsoring a child?  Any amount that you may be able to give will be combined with funds from the Peace and Justice Ministry to provide scholarship support. Student needs are greater than ever at this time as a result of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.

If you wish to contribute to the scholarship program, please write a check to St. Mary’s Church and note on the memo line that the check is for scholarships.  The check can be dropped off at the Rectory.  Questions?  Call Marjorie Pietraface at 607-432-1385.

5 Tips for Prayer CLICK HERE

Pray Constantly CLICK HERE

Why does it seem that sometimes God does not answer our prayers CLICK HERE

On Fighting Distraction in prayer CLICK HERE

On Perseverance, it is necessary for prayer CLICK HERE

On Discernment CLICK HERE

Prayer can be a Struggle CLICK HERE

Meditation is for Everyone CLICK HERE

Want a Better Prayer Life? Be Honest. CLICK HERE

Drug Addicts Anonymous - Drogadictos Anonimos is a non-profit association that offers all of its services free of charge. Our mission is to help people with problems of addiction to recover, regardless of their legal, or economic status or ethnicity. Primarily, its focus is on people who cannot receive help because of their legal situation and do not have the resources to solicit help in places that require payment.

The biggest impact is not only in helping people to liberate themselves from the slavery of drugs, we want to help them change their lives. We help them reintegrate back into society with a way of being, thinking, and acting.  We ask the community for their support with your monetary donations or help us out with one of our fundraising T-shirts. It’s all possible with the great support of the community as together we strive toward success.

For information on Grupo "Unidad" in Jeffersonville, New York and other houses, go to www.daamerica.org or CLICK HERE

Pass this information to people you know who maybe seeking help from drug addiction 1.845.482.2486.