St. Mary’s Knights of Columbus Council 8396 is sponsoring a Valentines Day Dinner/Dance at the Elks Lodge in Athens. Everyone is invited, see the flyer below for details. Contact Bill Risko at (423) 715-4310 for additional information. I hope to see you there!
Fr. Eloy Romero-Rojas from Cross International was our visiting priest this weekend. Father Eloy gave a thought-provoking homily on how fortunate we are in here in the United States compared to those people who live in other countries around the world. Listen to the gospel reading and Fr. Eloy’s homily using the audio player below:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
You can learn more about C.I. and make a donation from their information website. Click this link and you’ll be taken directly to their donation page.
The Cross International Alliance is currently composed of two closely associated ministry partners – Cross International and Cross International Catholic Outreach. Cross International is an interdenominational organization. Cross International Catholic Outreach was founded and structured specifically to link Catholics and Catholic parishes in the United States with Christian ministries in developing countries.
These two organizations provide aid to poor families regardless of the recipient’s religious beliefs, however, both are also able to accept restricted contributions from contributors who would like their particular gifts to go to the work of a specific denomination (a Catholic orphanage, a Baptist-run feeding program, etc.)
Thanks to Lew Talmadge we have these photos from St. Mary’s Christmas party. Unfortunately Christine and I were unable to attend as we were on our way to the Philippines for Christmas, but Lew did a great job filling in as the official photographer.
View and Download Photos
Our photos are organized in sets. After opening a set, clicking the photo of your choice displays a larger image. Click the “Actions” drop down menu directly above the image then select “View all sizes.” Now you can choose the photo size you’d like and click the download link to transfer it to your computer.
Once again our community has demonstrated its generosity and brightened the day of some of the needy families in our community. Under the direction of Jim Barrett, Social Action Chair for our parish council, St. Mary Parish provided 16 Thanksgiving baskets to families in need, comprising 39 adults and 20 children. On this year’s effort, Jim had [...]
Another delicious Thanksgiving luncheon for the seniors of the parish was held on Thursday, November 17th. Approximately 60 people attended the luncheon as well as several volunteers who donated and cooked the food, set up the narthex and provided a wonderful meal for our seniors. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of [...]
This article was submitted by parishioner and webmaster, Scott Maentz. It is taken from his personal blog, bigbaldguy.com. Today we celebrated the Solemnity of Christ the King. On our way to Mass, Christine and I confirmed our intention to begin a new ministry that we’ve been talking about for a few years now. We decided that [...]
I fondly remember Paul Paulli as a very kind man who was always busy preparing for liturgy when Christine and I joined St. Mary’s a few years ago. At the time he was responsible for worship and spiritual life at the parish. Paul always had a smile for me, regardless of how busy he was. [...]
Update: Photo slideshow from Trunk or Treat 2011: Saturday, October 29th at 6:00 pm St Mary’s will be hosting it’s 2nd Annual TRUNK OR TREAT! Trunk or Treat is a safe alternative to traditional, door-to-door trick-or-treating. Come join us & decorate the trunk of your car or truck in any theme that tickles your fancy. [...]
The weather couldn’t have been better, the food was amazing, the entertainment was awesome, and the Chinese auction was a huge success. In short, the Fall Festival was an OUTSTANDING SUCCESS! I shot nearly 300 photos on Saturday, plus a few additional shots from the pumpkin carving on Sunday. Without any further ado, here’s the [...]
Yesterday was a very special day in the life of St. Mary’s parish community. We had the distinct privilege of a visit from both Cardinal Justin Rigali and Bishop Richard Stika. Ours was the first parish in the diocese Cardinal Rigali has visited since his recent move to Knoxville. Mass was celebrated at 5:00pm yesterday with Bishop [...]
Years ago, St. Mary’s Catholic Church was well known throughout the area for its amazing Fall Festival. While we haven’t hosted the event in quite some time, we’re bringing it back this year and we’re inviting the entire Athens community to join us! Our Christian, family-oriented atmosphere offers a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon filled with food, [...]
Angela has the double distinction of founding the first teaching congregation of women in the Church and what is now called a “secular institute” of religious women. […]