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St. Mary Catholic Church
Parish Organizations

Adult Education - The goal of parish adult education is to present challenging programs in scripture, sacraments, Catholic doctrine and the family that intensify our personal relationships with Jesus. For suggestions or questions about periodic or ongoing adult education programs, contact Fr. Tom at 656-4857.

Bible Study/Catholic Scripture Study (CSS) - Enrich your faith journey! Would you like to learn more about the Catholic Faith? Read the Bible and see what it means to you as a Catholic Christian? CSS is for you! Catholic Scripture Study is an Adult Bible Study at St. Mary's. We meet on Tuesday mornings and new members are always welcome. We meet in the Smart Art Room from 9:00am-10:30am. Enrich your spiritual journey with a weekly Bible study that incorporates God's word with contemporary thought and fellowship. The purpose of CSS is to "Grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and evermore!" (II Peter 3:18). For more information, check out the CSS webpage or call Laura at (618) 288-0590.
Building & Grounds Committee - St. Mary's Building and Grounds Committee takes care of the church and school campus. Check out their webpage to find out what they are up to and ways you can help.
Children's Liturgy - Also called "share the word" at other parishes, the Children's Liturgy takes the 4 through 12-year-old children out of mass during the readings. They are read the same readings, yet in words they understand. The children then discuss the readings and what they understand the meaning of the readings are to them. The children re-enter church after the gifts are collected. (The children give their gifts in a collection during their program.)

Want to help? We can always use volunteer leaders for Children's Liturgy. Many people think that you must be a theologian to read the readings and guide the children in discussion. That simply is not true. If you can read aloud and enjoy children, you can help with the Children's Liturgy program. Each parent who helps is given a book with the readings and the publisher of the book kindly supplies you with suggestions for discussion. You may find that you actually understand the readings better and be inspired by the statements from the children. It is amazing to hear them talk about helping others and being good people. The leaders get a spiritual benefit as well as the children.

What do the children get out of Children's Liturgy? Your child will actually understand the reading and understand what it may mean to them in their daily life. Ask your child what the readings were about after church, they may surprise you with what they heard. They get to participate in the mass and talk about what the readings mean to them. They often get to offer petitions and prayers for their families, friends, and even pets. The kids love to give specific petitions. Children are also selected to bring up the gifts at mass and pass out special bulletins at the end of mass.

For more information or to volunteer to help out, contact Chris Rimkus @ 692-6096.

Cub Scouts - Our youngest active boy scouts, Cub Scout Pack #72 has membership from grades 1 through 5. For more information, contact Tom Ware at 288-7351 or check them out at www.pack72.com.
Daughters of Isabella - The D of I is an organization of Catholic women whose purpose is to support, empower and educate all Catholic women in spirituality, leadership and service. Membership is open to practicing Catholics over the age of sixteen. Business meetings are held on the first Monday of the month. Social meetings are held the third Monday of the month. New members are welcome. For more information, contact Bunny Beausang at 656-4604.
Girl Scouts - Our active Junior Girl Scout Troops #519, #646, #713, #1060 and Brownie Troops #39, #193 and #1613 meet throughout the school year. For more information, contact Sue Zimitsch at 655-1352.
Knights of Columbus - K of C Council #1143, located on Marine Road is the local organization of the larger affiliation for Catholic men who are 18 and older. The Knights are dedicated to Christian leadership, fraternity, and charity. Meetings are held at the hall on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month. For more information, please call the Knights of Columbus Hall at 656-4985 or visit their website at www.kofc1143.com.

Ladies' Guild - All ladies in the parish are invited to attend monthly meetings (see Calendar). The Ladies' Guild is an organization for all women of the parish. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00pm in the cafeteria. They provide services such as: Funeral Lunches and receptions after First Reconciliation, Confirmation, and the Easter Vigil to celebrate the initiation of new Catholics. The ladies also give groceries at Thanksgiving and Christmas to a needy family of the parish. The Ladies' Guild welcomes all ladies and any suggestions that would benefit the St. Mary's parish family. To request funeral luncheon, contact Helen Daniel at 656-6720 or the church office at 656-4857. For information about the Ladies' Guild, contact Kay Maynard at 288-2867.

St. Mary's Moms' Ministry - All mothers in the parish are invited to join St. Mary's Moms' Ministry. The group meets regularly to socialize and pray together. We discuss and share advice with each other concerning issues that are important to us as Catholic moms. Moms also have opportunities to participate in charitable service and fundraising activities. Contact Jill, our Coordinator, for more information.

Parent/Teacher Club - St. Mary's School parents and teachers meet during the school year to organize fundraisers to help with school needs. For more information, visit the PTC website...
Right-to-Life - Supporting the sacredness of life from the moment of conception until natural death, the Right-to-Life group is open to all. For more information, contact the church office at 656-4857.
School Board - Called by the parish to serve as consultant to the pastor in establishing the policy relative to the school and to advise the Principal in the implementation of the policy, the Board considers all aspects of the educational programs of the school, such as the class size, departmentalization, admissions policy, tuition, and athletic policies. For more information, visit the School Board website...
Social Committee - This group is responsible for promoting a spirit of fellowship by planning social events for the parish. For more information, contact Kim Fremont at 692-0005.
St. Vincent DePaul Society - This society is a local branch of the larger St. Vincent DePaul Society. They offer emergency services and they conduct programs to assist the poor. The Society meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month at St. Boniface. For assistance, call 1-800-775-0712, Ext. 7777.
Welcoming Committee - Organized to welcome new families into our parish, this committee contributes to the fellowship of St. Mary's. For more information, contact Chris Rimkus at 692-6096.
Adult Women's Bible Study - Interested in deepening your faith journey? Have you wanted to gain more from Scripture reading but sometimes feel lost? If so, this Bible study is for you! Our Women's Bible Study Group is meeting on Tuesday mornings. If you are interested, please call Leslie Matuella at 692-3998.
Youth Group - This group gives the youth of our parish the opportunity to join together in fun, parish service projects, and time to reflect on their part of the religious family at St. Mary's. Open to grades 7 through 12. For more information, contact Patty Wiemers at 692-0405 or check out their webpage.
For comments, questions, and/or corrections to this website, contact the webmaster, Diane.
1802 Madison Avenue • Edwardsville, IL 62025 • 618-656-4857 • fax 618-656-1715
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