Welcome To
St. Mary's Parish
263 Hamilton Street
Southbridge MA
01550-1876
(508) 764-3226
Our parish has a rich and varied liturgical and sacramental
life. The schedule for Eucharistic celebrations is included on
the home page. The following is a list of other sacramental
celebrations and information pertaining to them:
Sacrament of Reconciliation: More familiarly
known as confession, a priest is available every Saturday from 3:00
to 3:30 PM in the Reconciliation Room in the church.
Individual confession is also available during the week by
appointment at the rectory. Seasonal communal celebrations are
held a couple of weeks before Christmas and the Wednesday of Holy
Week. Around the time of these communal celebrations there are
additional times for individual confessions when a priest is
available in the church.
Christian Initiation: This involves those
sacraments that initiate a person into belonging to the Catholic
Church and sharing the fullness of our sacramental life. There
are different processes for infants and for children and adults over
the age of five (5) years. for infants: For
centuries the Church has encouraged the practice of the baptism of
infants. To assist parents in realizing this, there is a
required baptismal instruction that is provided by Deacon Olson.
Please contact the parish office to set up a time for the deacon to
visit your home and explain the specifics regarding baptism.
There is a group class once a month on a Sunday afternoon to which
parents and local godparents are expected to attend. Parents
are not required to be married by the Church to request baptism, but
they must promise to do all they can to raise their child in the
life and practice of the Catholic Church. Godparents must be
Christian and already baptized; at least one must be a confirmed
Catholic and they should be chosen for their faith and Christian
example. The choice of godparents is for life, once the
baptism is celebrated, godparents can not be changed, ever. for
adults: Recently the Church has reinvigorated
the practice of the catechumenate for anyone above the age of reason
(5 or older) when approaching the Church for initiation. This
could include someone coming from another Christian tradition, an
adult who has never been baptized, or an individual who was baptized
as an infant, but never learned more about his or her Catholic
faith. The Church presents a series of rites and phases known
as the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults as a tool to
assist one in being initiated into the Catholic Church. There
is a team of parishioners who meet on Sunday mornings to assist
those interested in being formed as Catholics. Baptism of
adults is restricted to the Easter Vigil. For more information,
contact the parish office. Marriage: It is
truly a blessing when a couple determines that their love is a gift
of God and they desire to commit themselves to each other for
life. Diocesan policy requires a notice of at least one year
prior to a desired date of marriage in order to complete the
necessary preparation work. There are a series of couples that
assist our parish working in a Couple to Couple relationship sharing
the lessons of their own marriage and guiding couples embarking on
this exciting and fulfilling journey of life - marriage. If
there is a previous marriage (Catholic, or non-Catholic), there are
a variety of legal issues before one can be determined to be free to
marry in the Church, it is best to contact the office at your
earliest convenience, and before any date is set. At the
present rate, annulments require almost fourteen months of process
time before receiving a freedom to marry. No date can be set
before the annulment decision is given. Pastoral Care of the
Sick: The attending of those who are seriously ill,
and administering the sacraments of the Church is an important part
of parish life. Ministers from the parish try to visit our
local hospital, Harrington Memorial Hospital, each Sunday, Tuesday
and Friday. Other hospitals do not notify us of
admissions. When being admitted, please identify yourself as a
parishioner of Saint Mary, and notify the rectory, we will do our
best to assist you. Those with serious illness are also
entitled to receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the
Sick. Previously understood as the last rites, this sacrament
is no longer reserved for those with immanent death, but for all
afflicted of body, mind, or soul, who are in need of the Lord's
healing graces. Confirmation: This sacrament
of Initiation is regularly scheduled with one of our bishops on
Ascension Thursday. There is a formation program for high
school students that begins in September. Please contact the
parish office. Adults interested in being confirmed, various
classes and celebrations are held throughout the year, depending
upon need and request. Please contact the parish office. Orders:
The need for men who are willing to dedicate their lives to the
ministry and mission of the Church is ongoing. Those
discerning a call to serve as deacons or priests are asked to
contact our pastor for more information on the resources available. home
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