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This leadership group assists the pastor with practical advice in pastoral matters. Members need to be registered parishioners who are committed to working in a team atmosphere to better serve the Parish. Term is for three years.
The Pastoral Council meets every fourth Thursday of the month. Goals & Objectives The St. Mary Parish Pastoral Council, a consultative group, will concentrate on assisting its Pastor in the development of Stewardship initiatives designed to increase Spirituality and Evangelization within the community. Parish Vision Statement
BUILDING
AND GROUNDS COMMISSION Members of this visioning committee review and discuss needs of the Parish grounds and buildings. Individuals with construction, plumbing, electrical, or any type of building and grounds maintenance expertise are needed for this advisory group. Meetings are held on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. CEMETERY
COMMISSION Located on Sycamore Road, St. Mary Catholic Cemetery is owned and operated by St. Mary Parish. Parish members with some ground maintenance experience review and discuss needs of the cemetery pertaining to maintenance, beautification, operating costs, regulations of internments, foundations, and grave purchases. Term is three years with meetings held on the third Tuesday of each month March-October at 7:00 p.m. FINANCE
COUNCIL This council is mandated by Canon Law and must be active in each parish. Members review and discuss all aspects of finances and maintenance of the Parish. Meetings are held quarterly. FUNERAL
COMMITTEE This committee is responsible for coordinating funeral luncheons when requested by the family. These luncheons are held in the Ministry Center cafeteria following the funeral Mass and burial. Volunteer parishioners bring prepared dishes and the Funeral Committee coordinates the set-up, functioning, hospitality, and clean-up of the luncheon. BLOOD
DRIVE Each summer, toward the end of July, St. Mary Parish holds its annual blood drive to help supply the local blood banks which are so vital to the support of life and good health.
Our parishioners are able to participate in spirit-filled liturgies, because members of this commission work behind the scenes to review and select appropriate liturgical materials to be used for worship services. Members are selected for a three-year term. Time commitment includes a two hour monthly meeting with some additional time needed during special celebration preparations. Active parishioners with basic knowledge of the liturgy are welcomed. LAY MINISTERS Please see our Ministries page. LITURGY PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE Members of this ministry assist in the planning and execution of themes and decorations for liturgical feasts and events. This group offers a friendly, informal environment with a flexible commitment. Meetings are monthly with additional decorating events for feast days, Christmas, and Holy Week. PRAYER WRITERS The prayer writers prepare the Prayers of the Faithful used at Sunday liturgies and feast days. Guidelines are provided. Preparation includes reviewing the Sunday readings and the writing six prayers for each week. Commitment is for the Sundays and feast days of one month in the year. NEWSLETTER
COMMITTEE The St. Mary Herald provides parishioners with articles of interest regarding the Parish and Catholic teachings. Any parishioner with an interest in reporting timely news articles, in photography, or who wishes to assist with mail preparation of the quarterly newsletter should consider this ministry. SCHOOL
COMMITTEE This advisory committee provides leadership, guidance, and practical implementation in the field of Catholic education, both religious and secular through St. Mary School. St. Mary parishioners and parents, with an interest in Catholic education, are selected through the discernment process. Meetings are monthly. The term for this committee is three years.
This annual event, held Friday-Sunday during a September weekend, is a major fundraising effort for St. Mary School and an exciting parish-wide activity. The festival is open to the public and draws many people, including parishioners, to the carnival, sound stage, ethnic and American food booths, and much more. Many volunteers are needed, in several committees, to coordinate this event. If you have good organizational skills, work well with others, and would enjoy putting together this type of event, this ministry is for you. Please click on the image above to visit the September Fest web site. WELCOMING
COMMITTEE This vital group welcomes families and individuals who have recently joined our Parish community by providing an orientation session on the third Sunday of each month. Follow up contact and scheduling of house blessings is also done. Other activities include an annual new member Mass and potluck dinner as well as displaying new member photographs in the church on an ongoing basis. The Youth Council is comprised of High School students elected by their peers who plan activities and service projects, and formulate educational, spiritual, and social events for the parish High School students. The council meets Sundays, September-May, 4-5:00 PM. See the Youth Ministry page for more information. ADORATION
OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT St. Mary offers adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on a daily basis. Stop in the Chapel any time to pray in the real presence of Jesus. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament takes place on Wednesdays following the 7:00 AM Mass and concludes with Benediction at 7:00 PM. On the First Friday of every month following the 7:00 AM Mass Adoration concludes with Benediction on the following Saturday at 7:30 AM.
Catholic Daughters is an international Catholic women's organization that follows a four-faceted program of spiritual life, charitable involvement, community service, and commitment to youth. The organization is open to any adult, Catholic woman, and meets monthly throughout the year. The Diocese of Rockford has six centers for Hispanic Ministry. One of these is based here at St. Mary Parish and serves the Hispanic population in the twelve parishes of the DeKalb Deanery. The principle activity of the center is promoting participation by Hispanics in the life of the Church. This is done through: evangelization (home visits, contacts in the work place, etc.), formation of Comunidades Eclesiales de Base (see below), providing linguistically and culturally sensitive Liturgies, and promotion of justice issues (housing, employment, education, etc.). El Centro Cuerpo de Cristo is responsible for Mass in Spanish at St. Mary Parish, DeKalb, St. Mary Parish, Sycamore, St. Patrick Parish, Rochelle, and Christ the Teacher Parish/Newman Catholic Student Center, DeKalb. Reconciliation, adult sacramental formation, posadas, quinceaneras, etc. are also among the services offered in Spanish by the center. Contact the center at (815) 758-1377 for more information.
The Knights of Columbus is a national fraternal organization whose purpose is to help men become more effective Catholics through service to the Church and community. The organization is dedicated to the Blessed Mother and is open to any Catholic man. Meetings are held monthly at the K.C. Hall on East Lincoln Hwy./Rt. 38. Various fund raisers are held throughout the year as well, such as the annual "Tootsie Roll" charity fundraiser for mentally handicapped children. Our parish consists of two
campuses. The Pine Street complex consists of one city block
of buildings with a large parking lot and a smaller lot south
of the church. The second campus is on Gurler Road where the
school is located. As parishioners, we are responsible for
maintaining parish property by being respectful and conscientious.
We have regular maintenance staff, but on occasion, volunteers
are asked to help with special projects. WOMEN AT THE WELL Contact: Tina Moore The purpose of Women at the Well is to nurture every woman in her spiritual needs. A time for women to come together to listen and share. A time for receiving insights and gaining support and encouragement from other women, a time to realize the importance of the roles of woman, wife, and mother. Women at the Well will help all women make a difference. The Women at the Well meets approximately every other month in the fall through the spring in the Ministry Center Gym. They gather for a meal, inspirational speaker, and sharing time. Upcoming Dates are: April 12, 2007 at 6:30 PM. SCOUTING Scout Leader: Deb Cohen Assistant Leader: Cheryl Guss CUB SCOUTS Boys who complete the Cub Scout program may then move on to Boy Scouts. GIRL SCOUTS
CLOTHING DRIVE FOOD PANTRY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOPE HAVEN Hope Haven is a homeless shelter located on Rushmore Drive in DeKalb and is available for those in need throughout the year. St. Mary Parish volunteers prepare and deliver the Sunday meal for the residents. HOLIDAY FOOD BASKETS The Society of St. Vincent de Paul distributes food baskets at Thanksgiving and Christmas to needy families in our parish and in our community through the Food Pantry. ST. NICHOLAS GIFT PROGRAM Note: The links on this page are provided for your convenience. Although we make every attempt to provide you with information that is appropriate for building your faith, we cannot guarantee the content of sites that are external to our own site. St. Mary Parish assumes no responsibility for, nor does it endorse the content any of the web sites. If you find objectionable material in any of the sites, or if you come across a link that is no longer working, please contact the Webmaster. This page was last modified on January 7, 2008
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(kindergarten),
Brownies (grades 1-3), Juniors (grades 4-6), Cadets (grades 7-9),
and Senior Girl Scouts. Troops meet approximately three times
a month at St. Mary School and Parish. In addition to their annual
cookie sale, the Girl Scouts have participated in: parades, camping
events, father-daughter dances, and various social gatherings
and service projects.