SPECIAL MASS ANNOUNCEMENTS
For the safety of all participants, effective Monday, February 7th, 2011 if Baltimore County schools open late or are closed, we will NOT have a 6:30am Mass.
Please note that St. Mark will not celebrate 5:00pm Mass on February 13 because the Sacrament of Confirmation is being conferred by Bishop Madden at 3:00pm in the Church that Sunday. Please continue to pray for our 62 Confirmation candidates who have completed over 1,000 hours of volunteer service during preparation for the Sacrament!
PASTORAL MINISTRY
Do you miss going to Mass and receiving the Eucharist? Are you recovering from surgery or a recent hospitalization? Are you temporarily or permanently homebound? Specially trained Extraordinary Ministers of the Eucharist are available to bring you Communion. Please call Beth O'Connell at 410-744-6560, ext 233 to make arrangements.
GOD’S HELPING HANDS: If you need transportation to a local scheduled medical appointment, God's Helping Hands is available. For a ride or to volunteer as a driver, please call Beth O’Connell at the parish office, 410-744-6560, ext 233.
SUMMERSTRETCH
Here are the registration materials for SummerStretch, which is a tri-parish program (St. Agnes, St. Mark & St. William of York) that combines service, fun, and prayer for those entering grades 6–9. The dates of this unique program are July 25, 27, 29, August 1 and 3; each day begins at 8:30am at St. William of York and ends at 5:00pm at St. William of York. There is a concluding celebration with a day trip to Hershey Park on Friday, August 5 (the time changes for this day only — 8:00am–8:00pm. The fee this year is $175 (if you opt out of the Hershey Park trip, that fee is reduced). Please note the registration deadline of June 1.
SummerStretch Info & Registration Form
For more information, please review the document. If you have questions, concerns, etc., please contact Wayne Hipley at St. William of York: 410-566-6152 or whipley@comcast.net.
CONFIRMATION 2011
Preparations for Confirmation 2011 have begun! If you have not yet registered for Confirmation and are in 7th grade or above, are currently attending a Catholic School or Religious Education Program, and have received the Sacraments of Baptism, 1st Eucharist and Reconciliation in the Roman Catholic Church, contact Rae Ellen Clegg as soon as possible: 410-744-6560, ext. 231 or rclegg@stmarkchurch-catonsville.org.
Be sure to check our website — www.stmarkchurch-catonsville.org/confirmation2011 — for a list of upcoming service opportunities!
ST. MARK ROAMIN’ CATHOLICS
St. Mark Roamin’ Catholics are planning the following trips and would like to remind the parish that these events are open to everyone. Early reservations are recommended. Call Carol at 410-744-7092 to reserve your space.
Feb 11: Harrington, DE to play the slots. $15 free play and a free lunch buffet. $25 due with reservation.
Mar 16: Olney Theatre Center, Olney, MD to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Includes lunch at a fine restaurant in Olney. Cost: Approx. $90, $25 due with reservation.
Apr 14: York County, PA for wine tasting and high tea. Enjoy a six-course high tea luncheon at the Front Porch Tea Room in the quaint town of Hallam, visit Moon Dancer Vineyards & Winery for a tasting at their French country chateau overlooking the Susquehanna River, and shop at the Markets at Shrewsbury. Cost: $70, $25 due with reservation.
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PRESERVING THE TRADITION, TRANSFORMING THE FUTURE:
THE REBIRTH OF CATHOLIC SCHOOLS IN THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BALTIMORE
Please take a few moments to read the Archbishop’s Letter on the Rebirth of Catholic Schools. For more information on the plan, please visit www.archbalt.org/aplacetogrow.
THE ARCHBISHOP’S ANNUAL APPEAL
WHEN I CALLED, YOU ANSWERED ME… (PSALM 138:3)
The Archbishop’s Annual Appeal is now underway. Many of our parishioners have received a mailing from Archbishop O’Brien asking that you make a pledge to the 2010 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal. The Appeal not only funds the operations of the Archdiocese, it funds services that are of great help to the ministries here at St. Mark.
Our contributions to our parish and our Archdiocese serve as a sign of gratitude not only for God’s answers to our prayers but also as a sign of our recognition that all that we are and all that we have are gifts given to us by God. Your gift will enable archdiocesan support of ministry, education, and service that touch thousands of lives not only in our Archdiocese but throughout the world.
Our parish receives 25% of each dollar contributed up to our goal of $115,300. Then, we receive 50% of the additional funds received. This year, we will commit our parish rebates to Capital Improvements in Fr. Henry Hall. Please answer the Archbishop’s request and make a generous pledge. All pledges can be billed in ten monthly installments. Thank you in advance for your support.
For more information on the 2010 Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, please visit the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s website.