• Rev. Patrick J. Skutch

  • Advent Blessing

  • Advent Candles

  • Advent Wreath

  • Deacon David Grauer

About Saint Mary's

St. Mary's Purpose is to pursue and recognize heaven on Earth through relationship with God and service to others and one another.

Welcome to our web site. We would be delighted to have you visit St. Mary's Episcopal Church. 

You do not need to be a member of the congregation to participate in any of our weekly acitivites or study groups on spirituality, social justice, education, health, and fellowship. If you are interested in exploring membership please contact Father Patrick Skutch at patrickskutch@stmaryspr.org or 847-823-4126.

About the Episcopal Church

The Episcopal Church is a gathering of all kinds of people who put their trust in Jesus of Nazareth as Lord and Savior, who believe that God loves all people, and who want to share God’s love, peace, and forgiveness with everyone we encounter. We want to follow Jesus and his teachings in our daily lives

Advent Begins in the Dark: A Book Study and Reflection with Father Patrick | Four Wednesdays in Advent

If God has truly come in Jesus Christ, why do things remain as they are? Why do so many terrible things happen? Where is God? 

These, priest and author Fleming Rutledge says, are Advent questions.   Advent is that season of the Church year when we are asked to reflect on what it means to live in the time between. We look with hope toward the promised victory of God over the powers of suffering and evil, while being called to steadfastly resist those powers in the present.  We look to the light while acknowledging the darkness.

Advent and Christmas Service Schedule

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2 | The First Sunday of Advent
Worship at 8 and 10am

Sunday, December 9 | Second Sunday of Advent
Worship at 8 and 10 am

Sunday, December 16 | Third Sunday of Advent
Worship at 8 and 10am

SUNDAY, December 23 | Fourth Sunday of Advent
Worship at 10am

MONDAY, December 24 | Christmas Eve

5:00pm Christmas Eve Service with the Gospel Choir
*Nursery Available (for Newborns to 5 years of age)
Nursery Available: 4:45pm to 6:00 pm

9:30pm Congregational Christmas Caroling and Prelude Music
10:00pm Christmas Eve Service with the Parish Choir

TUESDAY, December 25 | Christmas Day
10am Christmas Day Eucharist with Carols and Organ Music

WEDNESDAY, December 26 
9am Chapel Service Will Not be held

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2018  The First Sunday after Christmas Day
Worship at 8 and 10am

 

 

Christmas Flower Memorials

We enter December and await the coming of the Christ Child. The only decoration in the church is the Advent Wreath with its purple and pink candles for the four Sundays of Advent. Then, we celebrate Jesus’ birth with a beautiful array of poinsettias and wreaths. Those blooms represent memorials and thank offerings from our parishioners. If you had a memorial or thank offering last year, you should have received a letter about participating again this year. Please return your request in the envelope provided. There are also forms and envelopes in the narthex and a form is attached below. All memorials and thank offerings must be returned to the church office by SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2018 in order to guarantee publication in the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day bulletins. If you have any questions, please contact Trish Morris at (847) 698-1014.

COOKIES AND CAROLING |Sunday, December 16 at 3 PM

COOKIES AND CAROLING! Join St. Mary's for Cookies and Caroling on Sunday, December 16th at 3PM. This is for kids of all ages. We will be baking special cookies, decorating the church's Christmas tree, and going out caroling with the choir. It should be a spectacular party. Come gather in Grauer Lounge and join in the fun. For questions, email Zach at zachdyrda@stmaryspr.org

 

St. Mary's Book Discussion Group | Next Meeting January 7

The St. Mary's Book Discussion Group meets the 1st Monday of  the month from  7:00-8:30 PM in the Grauer Lounge. 

On January 7 we will be discussing  The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros,
110pgs - the story of a young girl growing up in Chicago 

You do not need to have read the book to attend.  Participants are invited to bring a snack or beverage to share.  Contact Jeanie Forrest at forrest.jean@gmail.com with any questions.

SPOTLIGHT ON......

As part of No Strangers at Home, we have installed a SPOTLIGHT board on the wall between the bell tower doors and the Grauer Lounge. We will be spotlighting different parishioners and outreach partners every few weeks so that we can all put names with faces. There will also be a little bio of each - the facts of which may or may not be the subject of a trivia game in the future! Be sure to stop and see our current SPOTLIGHT honorees: Exodus World Service. And get ready for your time in the SPOTLIGHT !

Care Corp

St. Mary's Care Corp brings dinners made by members of the church to people who are overwhelmed or stressed by any form of crisis. Families and individuals in distress are comforted when their basics needs are attended.
If you know of any one in need please feel free to reach out to St. Mary's clergy or Sandra Kreger (Care Corps coordinator).
Sandra can be reached at kregerfam@hotmail.com or 847-698-7677.