October 2017 Volume 1, Number 1I

Parish and School Newsletter

What’s Inside

Where to Find Us

F.Y.I. Back to School

School Schedule. Meet the Staff

Respect Life Month Collaboration Corner

Ministry Spotlight Saint of the Month

A Look Back

Fr. Michael’s Message

PARISH

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SCHOOL

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Dear Parishioners and School Families, September has been a very full month at Saint Mary Parish and School. Our school opened after Labor Day with a joyous sound and energy. Our new Princi-pal, Ms.Kellie Kickham, has had a very full schedule since her arrival in July and now with all the children returning her hard work is bearing fruit. A sincere thank you to Kellie and her wonderful team of teachers and aides that share so much faith and goodness with students and parents. This week we had a wonderful “Back to School Night” with parents and teachers. It was an opportunity for me to express my appreciation to the many parents who attended and my hope that this will be a wonderful year for their chil-dren at Saint Mary School, I asked parents to spread the “Good News” of our school to others. The value of having a Catholic School in a Parish and Community can be calculated in many ways. The experience of a faith based school adds so much not only to the Parishes represented by our students from a number of surrounding towns but also to their home communities giving witness to values and goodness benefitting so many. Our Principal shared her desire that this year be one of prayer for teachers, students and families. The faculty was introduced to all parents with appreciation for all they do. The PTO was represented by their President, Michelle Nestor, giving an overview of activities and inviting parent participation. Our PTO has been of great service to the School, Students and Parents over the years, thank you. Our Parish not only celebrated the Rites of Christian Burial for a number of present and former parishioners, we also had joyous Wedding and Baptismal cele-brations as well. I had the joy of presiding at the Marriage of Mary Beth Leo & Ethan Metelanis on September 9th and Concelebrated with Glenmary Father John T. Brown at the marriage of his niece Stephanie Brown & Kevin Duffy on September 22nd. May the Lord Bless these couples and all our married couples in the Parish with His Love. Wedding celebrations can be challenging when we focus on the ex-ternals and not on the essentials. The willingness to make and keep the promises of marriage, “in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor each other for the rest of our lives” takes courage. Our Lord promises the Graces we need to keep our commitments to one another. October is traditionally a month dedicated to Our Lady and the Holy Ro-sary. October is also a month dedicated to a greater awareness of all life from Con-ception to Natural Death. May Mary’s example of love continue to be an example of unselfish love for all of us.

For up to date Parish & CCD Calendar, please access: http://www.stmary-winchester.org/upcoming-events/

Recently we have partnered with AmazonSmile which is a simple

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at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast

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D0N’T FORGET YOUR CORI FORM!

On the weekend of October 1st, staff will be available in the Gathering Room following every

Mass. Please come with your form filled out, picture identification (license, passport, etc.) and

we will verify your form. This will prevent your having to go to the rectory to get this verifica-

tion.

At the same time, take the opportunity to make sure that we have your correct email address

and/or drop off your bulb order. The staff present will be more than willing, in fact quite happy

to take that information as well.

LESSONS TO BE LEARNED

Our first edition of the monthly newsletter is history and we learned some very valuable lessons. First

and foremost, we have a lot of work to do in terms of updating our email address list. We experienced

a 21% bounce rate in spite of a concerted effort to recruit new and updated information through the

bulletin and announcements at Mass. We will continue our efforts and we thank those who responded.

We are now heading into our busiest time of the year with resumption of committee and ministry

meetings, the opening of school and CCD and Youth Ministry activities. We have chosen to include a

link to the Parish and Religious Education calendar as they seem to add entries on an “as needed” basis

and is updated on a realtime basis on the Parish Website. You can access this calendar by clicking on:

http://www.stmary-winchester.org/upcoming-events/. You may select any month by clicking on the

arrows at the top of the calendar.

F.Y.I.

Saint Mary School

Dear Parish and School Family,

We are off to a fantastic start to our school year. Our experienced teachers have been providing the students

at St. Mary’s with daily reflection on the life and teaching of Jesus as well as rigorous academic activities. To

see some of the amazing things we are doing at St. Mary’s School please check out our Facebook and Twitter

pages. We have been updating the pages daily with photos of our students and teachers in action. Please like

our photos and share them with your friends and family so that they can see all of the wonderful things that

are happening at St. Mary’s School.

https://www.facebook.com/StMarysWinchester/ or https://twitter.com/SMWinchesterMA

Blessing,

Mrs. Kickham, Principal

Sep 5—Teachers School

October Events

• Every Monday –PreK, K, 1 &

2 Gym Classes

• Every Wednesday –PreK, 3,

4 & 5 Gym Classes

• Oct 3—School Photos

• Oct 6—Tag Day

• Oct 9—Columbus Day ~ No

School

• Oct 10—Smolak Farm Field

Trip, PreK & K

• Oct 10—PTO Meeting

6:30pm

• Oct 17—School Mass

• Oct 20—Tag Day

• Oct 25—Early Release Day

(Conferences)

• Oct 26—Early Release Day

(Conferences)

• Oct 27—Early Release Day

(Conferences)

• Oct. 27—Halloween Haunt-

ed Party

• Oct 31—Halloween Parade

Each month we feature a member of our Parish and./or School Family. This month , it is our pleasure to feature our new Principal Kellie Kick-ham

How long have you worked at Saint Mary's?

65 Days

What is your job and what inspired you to choose this as a career ?

I am the very proud principal of St.

Mary’s School. Throughout my career, I

have had many inspiring mentors who

encouraged and supported me as I grew

professionally. My passion for education

and my mission to improve the student

experience led me into leadership.

Where did you go to school to learn how to do your job?

My academic back-

ground includes a

Master of Educa-

tion in Curriculum

and Instruction

from the University

of Massachusetts

Boston and Bache-

lor degree in Ele-

mentary Education

and American

Studies at Boston

College. Most re-

cently, I completed

a fellowship at the Lynch Leadership

Academy at Boston College. As you can

see, education is something I value

greatly, I am the first person in my ex-

tended family to graduate from college

and earn a graduate degree. Throughout

my teaching career I have taught a varie-

ty of grade levels at Charleston Catholic

in Charleston, South Carolina and most

recently at St. Agatha School in Milton,

Massachusetts. Last year I was the assis-

tant principal at St. Agatha's in Milton.

Do you have brothers and sisters?

I have two sister Kerrie who works in

finance in Boston and Courtney who is a

freshman at Loyola Maryland.

What was your favorite book as a child?

As a child I had two favorite bedtime

stories: Grandfather Twilight by Barbara

Berger and Patrick Wants to Ride by

Cristine Soomer.

What do you like most about working at St. Mary's?

Everything! Father Michael, the parish

staff, teachers, students, and parents

have been so welcoming. Although I

have only been here for a short time, I

already feel loved and supported by this

faith filled community.

If you could spend one hour with any-one, living or dead, who would you choose and why?

I would love to spend an hour with my

maternal grandparents (Nana and Papa)

who both passed away my freshman year

of college. I am always

talking about them and

I would love to intro-

duce them to my hus-

band Billy.

What do you think is the value of a good Catholic education?

Catholic Education

develops the whole

child academically,

socially, emotionally,

and most importantly

spiritually. A Catholic

school experience gives students oppor-

tunities to develop a relationship with

the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and engage

in service learning. At St. Mary’s our

mission is to nurture, educate, and em-

power our students to be disciples of

Jesus and citizens of the world.

Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?

Some Fun Facts:

I have two rescue dogs named Bosun

and Cassie.

I love to travel and this summer I went to

Hawaii on my honeymoon.

My sister-in-law is a professional hockey

player. She plays in the Canadian Wom-

en’s Hockey League for the Boston

Blades.

To our new art teacher Karla

Hunter. Ms. Hunter graduated from

Castleton University with a B.A. in Stu-

dio Art in May of 2015. Where she fo-

cused her studies in painting and

graphic design. She's thrilled to be a

part of the St. Mary’s community to

share her love for the arts, and help

others love it too!

How to Build a Culture of Life The Problem Watching the news and reading the headlines, we may feel helpless seeing the heartbreaking lack of respect for human life. How do we respond when our efforts seem small in the face of the culture of death?

Our Christian Identity To understand more fully how to defend and protect human life, we must first consider who we are, at the deepest level. God creates us in his image and likeness, which means we are made to be in loving relationship with him. The essence of our identity and worth, the source of our dignity, is that we are loved by God: “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of his Son.” We are called to divine intimacy, true communion with God, and we can grow in this closeness with him through daily prayer, reading the Scriptures, and frequent participation in the sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist. Our Mission as Christians The knowledge and realization of how deeply we are loved by God elicits a response of love that simultaneously draws us closer to God and, at the same time, impels us to share his love with others. Embracing a relationship with God means following in his footsteps, wherever he may call. Just as Jesus invited St. Peter and St. Andrew to become his disciples, he invites us to do the same: “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Being a disciple of Jesus naturally includes sharing the Gospel with others and inviting them into a deeper relationship

with God. As Christians, our identity and our mission are two sides of the same coin; like the apostles, we are called to be missionary disciples.

Missionary Discipleship This doesn’t necessarily mean quitting our jobs or moving to foreign countries. For most of us, our mission field is daily life: “Christ teaches us how to evangelize, how to invite people into communion with him, and how to create a culture of witness: namely, through love. A Christian life lived with charity and faith is the most effective form of evangelization.” The first step towards living this life is allowing Jesus to meet and transform us daily. If we respond to his grace, our lives will show we have something beyond what the world offers: we follow a person whose love changes our lives, so we want others to also experience his transforming love. When we live in union with God, open to his prompting, we’re more able to see the opportunities for witness and his guidance in responding to these opportunities. We may fear doing the wrong thing or saying the wrong thing, but we do not need to be afraid. Jesus promised his disciples, “I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20).

Identity Crisis As a society and as individuals, we often measure ourselves by false standards: by what and how much we do, our successes or failures, how others treat us, the degree of our pleasure or independence, etc. And when these changeable substitutes prove to be insufficient, or when we are faced with challenges and suffering, we may feel helpless, alone, or abandoned; we may be tempted to feel as though our lives have decreased value or worth. But God’s love—individual, real, unchanging—is the true source of our worth, identity, and dignity. It really is not a question of who we are, but rather whose we are. Because his love will never change, nothing can reduce our God-given dignity, and nothing can diminish the immeasurable worth of our lives.

Our Response When someone is facing great trials, we need to meet them where they are, walk with them on their journey, intercede for them, and be open to sharing Christ’s love however he directs. When a woman becomes pregnant, and her boyfriend threatens to leave if she continues the pregnancy, we need to lovingly walk with her. When family members or friends become seriously ill, we need to assure them that God still offers them something in this life, and they still have purpose. We need to consistently be with them every step of the way. Sometimes our actions speak for themselves; other times, words are needed. Whatever the situation, Jesus knows how to speak to each person’s heart; we simply need to follow where he leads. A Culture of Life This is how we answer our missionary call. This is how we build a culture of life, a culture that joyfully proclaims the truth of God’s love, purpose, and plan for each person. Changing the culture is a process of conversion that begins in our own hearts and includes a willingness to be instructed and a desire to be close to Jesus—the source of joy and love. When we encounter Christ, experience his love, and deepen our relationship with him, we become more aware of our own worth and that of others. His love for each person is cause for great joy, and growing understanding of this priceless treasure motivates us to share his love with others. Our lives are often changed by the witness of others; so too, others’ lives may be changed by our witness and authentic friendship with them. Let us go, therefore, and not be afraid. God is always with us.

Reprinted (excerpted) from Respect Life Program, copyright © 2017, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH—Where does holy water come from and what is its purpose?

"Holy water is actually just ordinary water that has been blessed and to which some salt has been added. The

salt signifies our future preservation from corruption. The purpose of holy water is to remind us of our bap-

tism. It signifies that we are worthy to enter into the presence of Christ only through the grace of baptism (CCC

1668).

If you have a question you would like answered but have been afraid to ask, this is the place to do it. We will do our best to get an

answer for you. Send your question to stmarywinchester@comcast.net.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH—Where does holy water come from and what is its purpose?

"Holy water is actually just ordinary water that has been blessed and to which some salt has been added. The

salt signifies our future preservation from corruption. The purpose of holy water is to remind us of our bap-

tism. It signifies that we are worthy to enter into the presence of Christ only through the grace of baptism (CCC

1668).

If you have a question you would like answered but have been afraid to ask, this is the place to do it. We will do our best to get an

answer for you. Send your question to stmarywinchester@comcast.net.

Collaboration Corner

Ministry Spotlight: Hospitality & Environment

The mission of the Hospitality and Environment Ministry is to provide a welcoming atmosphere for all who attend St. Mary's Parish for both religious and social events. Our religion has a rich history in the visual arts that enhances the experience within the faith community. This ministry encourages partici-pants to share in providing a pleasant, aesthetically pleasing and welcoming atmosphere within our church and parish. When we gather, the sharing of refreshments adds to the feeling of communi-ty. This ministry is open to all and family friendly and has been a wonderful way that my family, friends

and I celebrate Holidays and involve ourselves. Every flower, bow, cookie and design is done to show our love for our parish and the Catholic community. We are always looking for volunteers to come and enjoy the fun of planning, decorating and providing "goodies". You do not need to be an expert in anything - just a person who likes to mingle, talk and share of themselves. We have a lots of laughs. The time commitments are usually four hours on December 23rd or December 24th, four hours on Holy Saturday and one hour prior to additional religious or social activities. We don’t have set meetings but communicate via email before each Holiday and re-quest some feedback on color, types of plants, etc. We also work closely with the Parish Staff in provid-ing any “treats” that may be needed.

Welcome to St. Mary’s Parish Family

The latest group of 13 parishes organized into 9 collaboratives began their imple-mentation of the archdiocese's pastoral plan Disciples of Mission, June 1. The parishes and pastors participating in Phase V of Disciples of Mission are: St. Mary Parish, Ayer and St. Anthony Parish, Shirley -- Father Edward Desrosier; St. Julia Parish, Weston -- Father Mark Mahoney; St. Catherine Parish, Nor-wood -- Father Stephen Donohoe; St. Timothy Parish, Norwood -- Father Gerard Petringa; Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, Sharon -- Fa-ther Frank Daly; St. Pius V Parish and Holy Family Parish, Lynn -- Father Robert Poitras; Holy Trinity Parish, Quincy -- Father Mar-tin Dzengeleski; St. Joseph Parish, Hanson and Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Halifax -- Father Michael Hobson; St. Patrick Parish, Roxbury -- Father Jack Ahern

A preliminary list of Phase V parishes an-nounced last October had included 16 parishes organized into 10 collaboratives. Phase V is the newest phase of Disciples of Mission, the pastoral plan that was set

into motion in 2012 by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley with the goal of conserving parishes' resources to allow them to better focus on evangelization. To achieve that goal, the 288 parishes of the arch-diocese are being organized into approximately 135 collaboratives over the course of several years.

The new Phase V collaboratives join the 53 collaboratives already implementing Disciples in Mission in Phases I through IV. Although we have been meeting with St. Eulalia representatives on a regular basis and have attempted to keep you in-formed on the activities of this subcom-mittee of the Parish Pastoral Council, we feel it is worthwhile to reviews the Arch-diocesan Pastoral Plan. We start this month by a general description. What is Disciples in Mission? Disciples in Mission is the Pastoral Plan for

the Archdiocese of Boston. It was prom-ulgated by Cardinal Seán in November of 2012. It was developed from a long pro-cess of consultation and deliberation, involving many thousands of people throughout the Archdiocese. Will you summarize Disciples in Mission for me? Parish-based evangelization works, and we can train for it, but we need strong parishes in order to do so. Disciples in Mission calls every parish of the Archdio-cese of Boston to become a strong, sta-ble, intentional, and effective center of the New Evangelization. Disciples in Mis-sion is not a plan to close parishes, be-cause we believe that parishes are going to grow, not shrink, and we are going to need all of the space that we have. In order better to focus our resources on evangelization, Disciples in Mis-sion organizes the 288 parishes of the Archdiocese of Boston into approximately 135 Collaboratives.

Next month, we will discuss exactly what a collaborative is.

To access Disciples in Mission website, click on link below.

https://disciplesinmission.com/

SAINT OF THE MONTH

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI Feast Day –October 4

The man who became known as Francis of Assisi was born Giovanni di Pietro di Bernadone in Assisi, Um-bria (which is now part of Italy) around 1181 into a wealthy family. He lived a life of leisure in his youth, but he was restless, and by 1202 he had joined a militia group. After a bat-tle between soldiers from Assisi and the town of Perugia, Francis (who had taken the name “Francesco,” or “Francis” in Eng-lish, as his nickname) spent a year as a prisoner of war. He and devoted a lot of time to seeking a closer relationship with God and discovering God’s purposes for his life.

Gradually, Francis became con-vinced that God wanted him to help poor people more, so Francis began giving away his possessions to those in need, even though that made his wealthy father angry. While worshiping at a Mass in 1208, Francis heard the priest read the words of Jesus Christ giving his disciples instructions for how to minister to people.

The gospel was Matthew 10:9-10: “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts - no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff." Francis believed that those words confirmed the calling he sensed to live a simple lifestyle himself so he could best preach the Gospel to those in need.

THE FRANCISCAN ORDERS, POOR CLARES, AND SAINTHOOD Francis’ passionate worship and service to God in-spired other young men to give up their possessions and join Francis, wearing simple tunics, working with their hands to earn food to eat, and sleeping in caves or in crude huts they made out of branches. They walked to places like Assisi’s marketplace to meet people and talk with them about God’s love

and forgiveness, and they also regu-larly spent time praying. These groups of men became an official part of the Catholic Church called the Franciscan Order, which is still active serving the poor throughout the world today.

Francis had a childhood friend from Assisi named Clare who also sensed God’s call to leave her wealth behind and adopt a simple lifestyle while reaching out to help poor people. Clare, who helped care for Francis when he ill during the last years of his life, began a women’s prayer and

service group called the Poor Clares. This group also grew to become an official part of the Catholic Church that is still active worldwide today.

After Francis died in 1226, people who were with him reported seeing a large flock of larks swoop down near him and sing at the moment of his death.

Just two years later, Pope Gregory IX canonized

Francis as a saint, based on the evidence of the mira-

cles that had occurred during Francis' ministry.

(Excerpts from “The Life and Miracles of Saint Fran-

cis of Assisi” by Whitney Hopler)

Please bring your pets to Mary’s Garden (the grassy area on the Bridge Street side of the church) following the 11:30am Mass on October 8th. Father Michael will be shar-ing a special blessing in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi.