St Mary's Catholic Church

SAVE THE DATES-

Upcoming events sponsored by the Ladies of St. Mary.        February 17, 2019 4:00pm-       Chili Cook – off Benefiting the Building Fund. Details coming!!!!

Saturday, March 16th, 2019       St. Patrick’s Day Dinner after mass. Details coming SOON! 
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The Ladies of St Mary's will host a informal 'meet & greet' for Fr Thad Rudd in the Parish Hall after the Sunday morning Mass on:

    SUNDAY, JANUARY 13TH

      light refreshments will be served

Sunday, Dec 16th, 2018 is Gaudete Sunday (JOY). The Parish will be having their 'Gaudete Sunday' (Christmas Celebration) in the Parish Hall. All Are invited!!!!!!! for info, tap below:
https://stmarystoccoa.org/documents/2018/12/Gaudete%20Sunday.pdf
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Wednesday, Dec 12th is the Ladies of St Mary's Christmas Party at Betty's house. All of the woman in the Parish are welome. For info:
https://stmarystoccoa.org/documents/2018/12/Ladies%20.pdf
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CCD IS CANCELLED SUNDAY, DEC 9TH DUE TO ANTICIPATED WEATHER CONDITIONS.
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Saturday, December 8th, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a Holy Day of Obligation. Communiuon Service w/Deacon Olick @ 8:30 qm.
 

           2018 
Advent/Christmas Services

https://stmarystoccoa.org/documents/2018/12/Advent%20flyer.pdf

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THE PARADE WAS RAINED OUT

St Mary's Parish is once again sponsoring a children's float in the upcoming 2018 Toccoa Christmas Parade on: 
Saturday, December 1, 2018                                  @ 4pm. 
We need kids to ride the float and help decorating it. Copy/paste in your browser:
https://stmarystoccoa.org/documents/2018/11/parade%20flyer.pdf
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Wednesday, Nov 14th, 2018 @ 6:30pm

Please bring your non-perishable items and canned goods.  The items will be going to Toccoa Soup Kitchen.
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Lasagna Dinner after Saturday Vigil Mass, Nov 10th, 2018 @ 7:30 pm...proceeds to benifit our building fund. Please come and enjoy the fellowship...info??? click here:Lasagna Dinner   ____________________

!!!!!!!! great deal on Xmas cards!!!!!!!!

The Knights of Columbus
Starting on Sunday Oct. 7, 2018 the K of C Council will have Religious Christmas Cards on sale in the Narthex for any body in the Parish that wants to purchase them. This sale will run until all cards are sold.

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Easter Egg Hunt, Easter Sunday, after morning Mass. Details to the left column.
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Saturday, March 17th, 2018 @ 7:45 pm; The Ladies of St Mary's are sponsoring a St Patrick's'' Day Dinner in the Parish Hall; click for details:

https://stmarystoccoa.org/documents/
2018/3/St%20Pats%20Dinner.docx
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Parish Chili 'Cook-Off' Sunday, January 28th, 2018 @ 4 pm. Details are to the left under the 'Events' tab.
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Lenten Services are posted to the left under 'Parish News'. Just 'click' documents address.
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Parish Grounds Clean up Day Saturday, November 18th, 2017                 9am-1pm
(Update) Thanks to ALL who participated and worked hard. 

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Toccoa City Parade along Doyle St
     Saturday, Dec 2nd @ 4pm
St Mary's is entering a childrens' float. All children of the Parish are welcome to help decorate and ride the float along the parade route. We will decorate the float
    Saturday, Nov 25th @ 1:30 pm
in the church parking lot. Please come and help.
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Congratulations to CCD Co-Directors Ms Sharon & Ms Jessica,CCD Staff and kids.

The Ga Bulletin has an article in this weeks paper (Jan 10, 2019 pp 18) about the recent 'Thanksgiving Childrens' Mass and the food collection, which was donated to the Toccoa/Stephens Co Soup Kitchen.

Fantastic...well DONE!

https://stmarystoccoa.org/documents/2019/1/ga%20bulltin%20article.pdf

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we welcome Fr Thad Rudd, a retired priest fron the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
  Read about Fr Rudd from the bio below:

    https://georgiabulletin.org/news/2016/03/six-priests-celebrate-golden-silver-jubilees/

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Good-bye Fr O'Neal, thank-you for visiting us here at St Mary's. We pray for

for your safe journey home to St Augustine.

 
please welcome Fr. James O’Neal, a retired priest assigned to the Diocese of St Augustine, Fl., as he fills in for Fr. Sullivan for the month of December 2018. 

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___An Invitation:  
A celebration of Father Patrick McCormick’s 50 years in the priesthood will take place at Sacred Heart Church in Hartwell on Saturday, December 15th, 2018 after their 5:30 PM mass. All are welcome to attend the mass and reception afterwards! Fr. McCormick served here at      St Mary's from 1976-1986. please read his bio.


https://stmarystoccoa.org/documents/2018/12/Fr.%20McCorrick%20bio%20photo.pdf
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Did you see St Mary's in the Nov 15th, 2018 Toccoa Record newspaper? 

It was cold, dark, and soggy last night (Wednesday, 11/14/18) but St Mary’s was warm, lit up and ‘alive’ for the 6:30 pm Children’s Thanksgiving Mass.

Thank-you Fr. Sullivan for speaking to the children about the values of ‘Thanksgiving’; (even this child learned something!) LOL….

And thank-you to Ms. Sharon & Ms. Jessica for leading our children through their ‘Catholic Faith journey’. Having excellent teachers/instructors as Ms. Jenny; Ms. Ashley and Ms. Vivian is a ’joy’ for the Parish.

All this on the heels of a dinner last Saturday night sponsoring the building (fund) to provide our future generations all the necessary tools to learn about our Catholic faith helps put it ALL in a tangible perspective as to why the ‘building’ needs to move forward-without delay.

And as if watching these kids answering Fathers’ ‘test questions’ wasn’t enough, listening to the pre-k-first graders sing ‘This Little Light of Mine’ (a cappella) made me wish it was already built!

And a great response from parishioners towards the food drive; Thanks everyone. Check out the photos & program: https://stmarystoccoa.org/photoalbums
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Thank-you...Thank-you…thank-you…!!!
Nancy Barbour did a fantastic job last Saturday night furnishing a wonderfully prepared lasagna dinner with salad, bread and desserts. The Parish Hall and tables were elegantly dressed in the ‘feel’ of the fall season and Veterans Day. The lighting was dimmed providing the perfect ambience, with the soft sounds of Frank Sinatra in the background.
Fellowship, Food and Fun was had by ALL!
And thank-you to Cynthia Li, Jessica Burger and others for their kitchen help.
As you know, the proceeds went towards the building (fund). A total of $508.00 of was collected.   (check out the photos on St Mary’s website…                            https://stmarystoccoa.org/photoalbums

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Bishop Bernard E "Ned" Shlesinger visits St Mary's for Saturday, Nov 3rd and Sunday, Nov 4th, 2018 Masses. Thanks Bishop Ned for visiting us here in Toccoa, Ga. Both perfect fall chilly days filled with clean mountain air. Come back ANYTIME.

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June 7th...Happy Birthday to our Pastor,

Fr Vincent Sullivan!!!!!!!!!!
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June 1st & 2nd, The Atlanta Roman Catholic Archdiocese is hosting the 2018 Eucharistic Conference in Atlanta. To learn more about this event, please 
click the following site:   https://congress.archatl.com/
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Today, Wednesday 23rd, 2018 the St Mary's Offertory Counters conducted a short refresher course and reviewed some Archdiocesan procedures. Even Fr Sullivan attended. You don't see him in the photo's because he was the one taking the photo's! Thanks Fr V for coming. And THANKS to the Counters for all they do! 
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EASTER EGG HUNT, SUNDAY, APRIL 1st, 2018                (after Mass).               (click for details; we need your help!)
https://stmarystoccoa.org/documents/2018/3/bulletin%20insert%20Parish%20Council%20News.docx
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2018 Lenten Services   documents/2018/2/Lenten%20Service.docx
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.....this is a partial message from Fr V in Rome, Italy (2/16/18).... "I attach a pic of our group of about 34 senior priests from different parts of America on this very fine 3 month program in Rome. Here we're at the incredible Vatican Library. I'm learning lots every day as well as down-time for being just quiet and still; and lots of encouragement within the great history of Christianity...Please pass on this pic and my love to the parishioners there....Fr. Vincent". 

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The Archdiocese of Atlanta has a 'new'second Auxilary Bishop....
ST MARY'S of TOCCOA, GA., WELCOMES BISHOP-ELECT JOEL M. KONZEN!!!!!!!
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Did you read the Georgia Bulletin (January 25, 2018; pgs 10-14)? Our modest Msgr. Edward B Branch has two articles regarding the 'Msgr. Edward B Branch Young Adult Award'. Both articles are available below in the 'Ga Bulletin Articles' tab. Also, a third tab explaining the history of the 'Msgr Edward B. Branch Young Adult Award'.
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Thank you to everyone that attended the Chili Dinner/Cook-Off on Sunday, Jan 28th, 2018.  We had a great crowd, wonderful food and fantastic fellowship.  A special thank you to all our chili cooks for the delicious variety of chilis.  Ten parishioners made chili and they were all delicious!  Congratulations to Vivian Collier our Chili Cook-Off winner!  A special thank you to the members of the Ladies of St. Mary that set-up, cleaned-up, sold tickets, and brought goodies.  Also thank you to the many parishioners that brought desserts, beverages, and various items! A big thank you to Derrick for generously donating his winnings from the 50/50 Raffle back to the building fund! 

We are excited to announce that we raised $489 for the building fund! 
Check out the photos in the 'News/Events' tab above, then hit 'Photo Albums'.

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Our pastor,  Fr. Vincent Sullivan, is presently in Rome, Italy studying advanced courses with fellow priests from around the world. Fr. Sullivan will return in the month of May. In this interim, we have Monsignor Edward Branch, a retired Atlanta Archdiocesan priest...we hope you enjoy him as much as we do.
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The Atlanta Archdiocese 2016/2017 Financial Report is available:
https://archatl.com/offices/finance/annual-reports/annual-reports-archdiocese/ 
St Mary's 2016/2017 Financial Report is available:
https://archatl.com/location/saint-mary-toccoa/