Our Mission
St. Mary’s Parish is a spiritual family united in faith by Christ Jesus, empowered by the love of God and committed to serve all with the help of the Holy Spirit.
We are a friendly and inclusive Roman Catholic community that warmly welcomes people of every race, language and way of life to celebrate with us at the Eucharistic Table.
Through the intercession of Mary, our patron and model, we strive to be faithful disciples of her Son by living and sharing the gospel message with joy.
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to get directions to St. Mary's Southside - Elmira, NY
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Parish Festival
2009 PARISH FESTIVAL
July 17th and 18th
We had a GREAT TIME!!
Photo moments from the 2009 Parish Festival click here
Thank you for another successful Festival!
Thanks to everyone who made the
Second Annual St. Mary's Golf Tournament
a success!
The Tournament was held on Saturday, August 22, 2009
at Tomasso's Golf Course
CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT YEAR'S TOURNAMENT!!
- Religious Education
- RCIA (click to go to RCIA)
Religious Education
St. Mary's Religious Education programs consist of two groups:
Grades 1 through 5 -and- Grades 6, 7, and 8.
Classes for Grades 1 through 5 are held Sunday mornings from 9:00 - 10:15 am, using a lectionary curriculum, along with Catholic Identity. We follow the school calendar.
Classes for Grades 6, 7, and 8 meet for two hours once a month, usually on a Sunday from 10:30 am - 12:30 pm and follow a youth ministry model incorporating education, spiritual, social and service components. We follow the school calendar.
The Sacramental Programs are also under the direction of the Religious Education Office. We have restored the order of sacraments, so any child who presents themselves for First Eucharist will also receive their Confirmation. This is usually in the 2nd grade.
First Penance is celebrated at the 4th grade level, or sooner per parent request.
If a parent presents a child for Baptism at the age of 7 or above we offer the RCIC process. This process is a weekly program that is lectionary based. (Click the RCIA button to read more about this process.)
For all our programs, parents must be registered in our parish. All students who wish to participate in CYO programs must attend Religious Education or attend Catholic School.
We prepare and celebrate the Sacrament of Penance, Eucharist and Confirmation each school year under the direction of the Religious Education Office. Sacraments are celebrated according to readiness of the student. One of the criteria for readiness is that the child complete one year of Religious Education classes BEFORE preparation begins.
If you have any questions concerning our Religious Education program at St. Mary's feel free to contact the Religious Education Office at 734-5220.
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a carefully designed process for persons:
- Never baptized
- Baptized in another faith but interested in Catholicism
- Baptized Catholic but not presently involved in Church life
- Baptized Catholic but not confirmed or had little religious instruction
RCIA begins in September and will conclude with the welcoming of our new Catholic members at Easter Vigil.
If you or someone you know may be interested in learning more about the Catholic religion you may contact the rectory or David Biviano, RCIA coordinator at 733-5254 for information.
We also invite any children (first grade and up) who may wish to be received into the Catholic Church to inquire about the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC), which is offered here at St. Mary's. Parents should contact Donna Bennett at 734-5220.
Youth Group - Grades 9 through 12
MISSION STATEMENT
To bring God's light to others through our words and our actions,
To encourage participation in Parish life and to display Christian behavior through community service.
Every High School student is welcome to join St. Mary's Youth Group - check us out! If you are interested in joining or would like to know more there are a few options for you. You can email Anne at AnneBeebe@stny.rr.com or Burt at Burt@Beebe1.com. You can also call or text 481-3787. Whatever works for you, works for us!
NEXT MEETING: Sunday, January 31st after 10:30 Mass in the Marian Center
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- "Soup-er" Bowl Collection after all the Masses the weekend of January 30th/31st, to benefit the Community Kitchen.
- Chocolate Roses will be sold before and after Masses the weekends of February 6th/7th and 13th/14th. A choice of colors for just $1 a rose.
YOUTH GROUP IS NOW ON FACEBOOK...CLICK HERE! 
You can view our entries without joining Facebook!
- Parish Council (click)
- Music Ministry (click)
- Parish Life (click)
- Social Ministry
Social Ministry
The mission of the Social Ministry Committee is to be of service to the parish and the community in two equally important ways, works of Charity and Justice.
Our charitable works provide direct service to those in need. They include our weekly food collection, our Christmas basket program, our work at the community kitchen, the Lenten coin box collection, providing luncheons for grieving families following funerals, and assisting with monetary aid for utility bills, rent, and prescriptions.
We also work on Justice issues in an attempt to remove the root causes of injustice in our government structures.
Our goal is to educate our parish in basic Catholic social teaching and to provide avenues to use this education to improve the lives of those who live in poverty. They include organizing letter writing, postcard and petition signings, and phone calls to elected officials in order to bring about social reform.
Our committee always welcomes new members and invites anyone interested in any part of our work to join us. If you'd like to join please contact Fr. Jeff Tunnicliff at jtunnicliff@dor.org or call (607) 734-6254.
Children's Choir - Sings the first Sunday of each month at 10:30 am Mass from October through June. Meets for practice at 9:40 am in church on the Sunday we sing. All children Grades K through 6 are welcome.
Youth Choir - Sings the third Saturday of each month at 4:30 pm Mass from September tthrough June. Meets for practice from 6:00 - 7:00 pm on the Wednesday prior to day we sing. Age focus of this choir is Junior High (Middle School) through High School. We would like to expand this choir; new members are welcome. Instrumentalists are also welcome.
Folk Group - leads the congregation in singing contemporary-style music based on the readings of the day, and incorporates both guitar and piano in its accompaniment. They sing at the 4:30 pm Saturday Mass year round, except when the Youth Choir is there (third Saturday of each month). Rehearsals are each Tuesday throughout the year at 7:00 pm in the Rectory. The Folk Group Director is Paul Holland who can be reached at 732-4885 or wally52@stny.rr.com. New members 9th Grade through Adult are always welcome.
Parish Choir - Sings at the 10:30 am Mass on Sunday from mid-September through June and on special occasions such as the Memorial Mass, Christmas, Holy Week, Easter, Confirmation, and a special Christmas Concert to be offered in December. Practices are on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 pm in Church. Sometimes an alternate evening is offered for those who cannot make Tuesday rehearsals. New members are always a welcome addition. NOW is the time to join. Just drop in at 10:30 am mass or Tuesday night rehearsal. Or call the office and leave your name.
Resurrection Choir - Sings for all funerals based on availability of its members. There is no practice. Come to sing when you can for scheduled funerals. Call the office and leave your name if you are interested. New members are welcome!
Bell Choir - Plays for various masses and occasions as scheduled, and will be part of the Christmas Concert. This group meets on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 - 7:00 pm in the rectory. A learning experience and LOADS of fun. It helps if you read music. Please call the office and leave your name. New members are welcome!
Instrumentalists - are used at masses when available, especially around the holiday seasons and special occasions. If you play a musical instrument and would be willing to play regularly or on a special occasion, please contact Mary at the office. Practice will be scheduled as needed.
The Parish Pastoral Council (the Council) is a community of faith which serves the parish in a ministry of leadership. It consists of people who are committed to the life of the parish.This body seeks to build, strengthen, and nourish faith. It serves as a model of Christian community and leadership to the rest of the parish family, empowering its members and the members of the parish community to contribute to and to take ownership of the life of the parish.
The Council conducts its ministry by:
- assessing and studying parish needs
- communicating with all members of the parish
- actively involving in the decision-making process all those who will be affected by an action
- reaching consensus through open discussion, and then advising and endorsing policy decisions regarding the faith community
Council Meetings are held at 7:00 pm in the Rectory. All meetings are open to Parish Members, please call Rectory for appointment.
Meeting Minutes for:
- November 2009
(under construction)
The Smile Train is chugging along strong. As of January 24, 2010 (Week 70):
$17,369.90 has been donated, THAT'S 69 SURGERIES!!
Our two-year church project chosen is...SMILE TRAIN, an organization that arranges cleft lip and palate surgeries for those in poor developed countries who could not afford the $250 for the surgery. Their mission also includes training doctors and medical professionals. Just like our last project all we ask from our parishioners is to drop change in the collection banks, which are wooden trains that were made by Steve Milford, and can be found at all the entrances. Imagine, your change and make a change in someone's smile! Our two-year goal is 100 surgeries, or $25,000. Please help us reach our goal by dropping your coins or bills into the Smile Trains before leaving church every Sunday.
This year Smile Train will operate on its 500,000th patient. Having trouble visualizing that?
- If they all held hands, they would form a human chain that would be longer than 400 MILES.
- If they all lived together in one city, they would comprise a city bigger than BOSTON.
- If they all stood on each other's shoulders, they would stand taller than 1650 EMPIRE STATE BUILDINGS.
- If they all sat in football stadiums, they would fill every stadium used for Super Bowls over the past 11 YEARS.
Can you imagine what life would be like if you could never smile? If you could never speak or eat properly? If you could never play with other children? If you could never go to school or hold a job?
This nightmare is what life is like for millions of children with cleft lip and cleft palate. From the day they are born until the day they die, children with clefts face incredible hardship and heartache. Other children tease and torment them. Society shuns them. And sometimes even their own families abandon them. but it doesn't have to be this way.
The good news is that every child suffering with a cleft can be helped. All it takes is a little surgery that lasts as little as 45 minutes and costs as little as $250. That is what Smile Train does.
Check out their website for more information regarding their organization. www.SmileTrain.org.
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