Dear Friends,
This week finds at the midpoint of August. The summer is passing quickly and we are beginning to turn our thoughts to the fall season ahead. Schools will open in two weeks and the pace of normal life will resume. I would like to call your attention to sev- eral upcoming events here in the parish.
This Thursday, August 15, is the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a holy day of obligation. On this day we celebrate the dogma of our faith that holds that the Blessed Virgin Mary, owing to her unique and graced status as the Mother of God, at the end of her earthly life was assumed, body and soul, into heaven. Her body did not undergo the corruption of the grave, and as such she was the first to share in the fruits of the redemption wrought by her Son. Masses will be celebrated at St. Mary’s on Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM, and on Thursday morning at 7:00 and 9:00 AM. Masses at St. Agnes will be celebrated on Thursday morning at 9:00 AM and Thursday evening at 5:30 PM.
With the coming of the fall season, the annual St. Mary School Carnival will be held on the weekend of September 2022. In conjunction with the carnival, the traditional raffle will take place. This year, the grand prize is a Chevrolet Trax. Tickets are $5.00 each and are available after Masses on the weekend and the rectory on Gulf Street. The drawing takes place at the end of the carnival on Sunday afternoon.
Next Saturday, August 17, is the annual Mil- ford Oyster Festival, and with that, there will be hoards of visitors in town. The traffic in our area of town, particularly here on Gulf Street, could prove to be a nightmare. While we will still have the 4:30 PM Mass at St. Mary’s, it is suggested that many who go to that Mass consider going to the 5:30 PM Mass at St. Agnes. It should prove to be far easier and more expeditious getting in and out of there on Saturday.
As regards the Oyster Festival, the Santa Maria Council of the Knights of Columbus will be offering parking here on the grounds of St. Mary’s for $5.00 per car. This is an important fund raiser for the council and if you are going to the festival we urge your sup- port of it.
We have received word that the Sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated here on Saturday, September 28. There will be two ceremonies, both outside of Mass, and the sacrament will be conferred by Msgr. Joseph Donnelly, the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Southbury and the episcopal vicar for the western portion of the Archdiocese, representing the Archbishop.
Finally, this is the final weekend we will have Sean Yates, our seminarian, with us. He must report to Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit on Tuesday, August 20. He will be leaving here on August 15. We have
enjoyed having him with us and we hope that his time with us has been beneficial to him. It certainly was for us. We wish him well in his studies for the priest- hood and as soon as we have an address for him we will publish it in the bulletin.
Have a good week!
