From the Bulletin:

It's getting to be that time of year again. We especially want this year to be a great success. Let us make it a truly special Feast for Our Lady. Let us put all our heart and soul in it. After all this is Our Tradition, something good to look forward to. Let us work together for Our Lady and Our Church! We all know the deal. We need everyone involved.

• Chicken BBQ tickets will be on sale after each mass.

• 50/50 raffle tickets will also be on sale after each mass. Both BBQ and raffle tickets may be purchased at the rectory.

• We will need baked goods, soda, and water -- name brands only. Look for volunteer sign-up sheets in church.

• Donations for Chinese Auction: Anything you can offer will be appreciated, including money for others to purchase auction items. See Joann Betz or call the rectory to participate. (You can also contact info@savestmarys.net for any of these.)
  

• Feast Talent Show will be August 16th. For sign-ups, please call the rectory or Mrs. Wilson: 609-774-1559. All musicians are required to bring their own instruments and sound equipment.

• We are also hoping for help to organize things like horseshoe tournaments, sack races, and corn or pie eating contests.

Not yet set in stone: By the way, it looks like we may have some awesome professional bands playing this year, from classic rock to bluegrass, including a surprise guest. We also hope to have two local wineries participating and a beer garden in additional to our normal activities. We will be selling tickets for the wine tasting and wine by the glass. Please make plans to come out, to help out, and make this feast the best one ever.

Like many Catholic churches, St. Mary's has an annual feast for the Assumption of Our Lady. But the feast at St. Mary's is the church's very special feast and it actually predates the church itself. Below is the information about this year's feast:

Quote:

Hundreds of parishioners from the Church of the Assumption gathered at the church Wednesday night to let Bishop Joseph A. Galante know that they opposed what one church member called "this half-baked idea of merger."

(Click here to read Press article in its entirety)

Aaahh, it's a beautiful thing, isn't it? And that's just the start. The article is very favorable to our cause, in my opinion! Thank you, Press of Atlantic City and Trudi Gilfillian! (I just called Trudi, the journalist who wrote the piece, and left her a message thanking her for the article. You can call her or email her to thank her. Here's her email address: TGilfillian@pressofac.com )

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Editorial follows:

Bishop Galante has attempted to assuage people's anxiety by saying their churches will remain "worship sites." As we know, people aren't buying it. As we know from Joanna's recent piece here on savestmarys.net, "worship sites" are just one short step away from closure. By lowering the status of a church to a "worship site," this allows Galante to swoop in and close the church at his whim, as if it was a gym, hall, or some other makeshift-type, temporary location and not a house of God. Yes, a church is a house of God! Fred Spiewak at last night's meeting put it best when he said, "This is God's house. Let us live here with God as we've done all these years." Amen and Amen to that!

So the question remains, "How do we strengthen the church?" as Bishop Galante himself asked last night. He claims that strengthening the Church is his only true interest. Well I can guarantee you this, Bishop Galante. The best way to strengthen the Church is by reliance on the Almighty, not by sociological experiments, as the pope has said. Bishop, you say we cannot plan for miracles--only for "reality." But the thing is this, Bishop: Each and every act of God, however commonplace, is a miracle. Anyone who has kids or works with kids, particularly ones with disabilities like one of my own, knows that firsthand. I pray each day for the vocations of my children, whatever they may be.

Those who see with the Eye of Faith recognize that new vocations to the priesthood abound. They just aren't coming here to this diocese at the moment, and I can certainly see why. Who would want to come into this mess? Young priestly vocations are flocking to the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and other good, orthodox diocese and orders. But as a source has shared with me, Bishop Galante won't allow the Fraternity into our diocese.

Bishop Galante, we live in God's time, and that is real. God's reality is the only reality that matters. If you don't believe that, how are you supposed to lead us as a diocese, as a people of faith?  Life is full of miracles--each and every faithful parish in the diocese is a miracle in itself because it reflects the commitment and faithfulness of the people to God Almighty. Having the strength, courage, and conviction to heed the Word of God in today's heathenish culture is indeed a miracle. But if we close our eyes to the miracles of life, we miss them. Bishop Galante, open your eyes!

Dear Bishop Galante, please know that despite and even because of our differences, we continue to pray and fast for you. Because I am a Christian and I believe it is fruitful to unify oneself with Christ's own holy sacrifice, I myself fast most days for this intention: that you do the holy Will of God and not your own. I pray that we all do His will. Amen.