From the Rector

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

On July 31st the Church honored St. Ignatius of Loyola. He was born to a noble Basque family in 1491 and spent his youth and early adulthood as "a man given over to the vanities of the world [who] took special delight in the exercise of arms with a great and vain desire of winning glory." After sustaining a severe wound at the battle of Pamplona in 1521, Ignatius was carried home on a litter (a distance of 63 miles) to recover. He had access to two books: the Bible and the Lives of the Saints. During this time of convalescence, he experienced a conversion of life, and yearned to devote the remainder of his life to God's service.

His notes from that time eventually became his Spiritual Exercises, a work that continues to inspire the faithful to this day. At age 37 he began his university studies in theology at the University of Paris in preparation for the priesthood. While there, he shared his Exercises with others, and in 1534, he and six others took vows to live lives of poverty and service to the poor. The Society of Jesus (aka the Jesuits) was born.

The Society was officially recognized in 1540 and continues its mission of service and education throughout the world to this day. According to the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, there are 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States and some 189 Jesuit institutions of higher learning throughout the world.

St. Ignatius died on July 31, 1556. May we, inspired by him, seek God in all things.

Blessings,
Father Rick

Outreach Update

Update on Tuxedo Summer Camp Sponsorships

The camp is on full swing [literally] and thanks to St Mary’s donations 21 children are enjoying it who otherwise would not have been able to attend. Thank you. At a time long gone it was free and the cost was paid by the town, but now it is a part of the town budget that must pay for itself! In 2023 we supported 21 children to camp at a cost of $16,000.00. [When we are supporting multiple families at one time, we aim with our budgets to raise specific donations to balance the expenses for that project.] This year we are again sponsoring 21 children from Kindergarten through Grade 9 to attend. Sports, games and crafts are on the program for four mornings, and every afternoon the children are bused to the Wee Wah Beach Club in Tuxedo Park where a beach, playground, water fun and swimming are available and well supervised. Every Friday, buses transport the campers to special places. The first Friday was the White Castle Fun Centre to be followed in the next weeks by Bounce, Splashdown, Bowling, Rock Climbing and Boulders Baseball. We have multiple notes of thanks from parents who would never be able to afford the cost of these visits or the camp. Fees for the camp are $700.00 for the first child in the family and $600.00 for any siblings. To attend all the Friday trips, which are pro-rated and charged separately, comes to a total of $178.00 per child.

This year we have 13 children @ $700.00; 8 @ $600.00; 21 @$ 178.00. Our total bill is$17,638.00. which we pay directly to the Tuxedo Recreation Department. We ask the parents to pay St Mary’s Outreach $200.00 for the first child and $100.00 for each sibling. This has been done; $3,100.00. So, St Mary’s total responsibility for the 21 ‘happy campers’ is $14,538.00 At the time of writing, we have $11,248.00 in donations. Thank you to all who donated. We would still be very grateful for any further donations to help us meet the cost.

Sincerely,

Sue Heywood and the Outreach Committee.

Coffee Hour

We are in need of volunteers to host Coffee Hour at St. Mary’s! Hospitality is at the heart of Christian practice and we at St. Mary's have long taken this to heart. It’s really easy — the church provides the coffee, tea, sweeteners, and all the serving stuff — you bring milk (or cream) & some food items! Everything is typically wrapped up before noon. Coffee hour can be as simple or as over the top as you would like to make it. As long as the essentials are there (gather as a community, break bread together, go forth strengthened), that’s what matters. So don’t stress about it, but feel free to express your creativity.

If you are interested in hosting please use the sign up board in Bentley Hall or call the church office at 351-5122.

Community Notices