Shipwrecked and Rescued by Jesus has 150 campers this week! This “Totally Catholic” VBS program is from from July 30 through August 3 at the SML School. Children aged 4 (as of May 1) to those starting 5th grade in September are joining us on this exciting adventure!
Last night was the last pickup basketball games of the summer at the St. Mary of the Lakes School since the gym floor is being refurbished. The games will continue in September at the St. Mary of the Lakes School gym on Monday & Wednesday nights!
As an appreciation for their service to our parish, altar servers attended an outing to Breakwater Beach Water Park and Casino Pier in Seaside Heights on Wednesday. To see more photos from the Altar Server Trip, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.
Fr. Dan was awarded Knight of the Month for June, 2018, by Knights of Columbus Council 6520 Grand Knight Mickey Zawatcki after Sunday’s 9 a.m. Mass. Congratulations Fr. Dan !
Become a sponsor on this year’s 2018-19 bulletin. Promote your business and support your church by sponsoring an ad in the St. Mary of the Lakes Church weekly bulletin. New ads start running on 8/26, so call now to reserve a space. Call or email Mike Jurosky at 717-648-5996 / mjurosky@diocesan.com for details.
The College Adult Ministry discussing “Life of the Beloved” by Henri Nouwen. The College Adult Ministry meets weekly for faith sharing, fellowship and community. For more information, please contact Sarah Stearn at Sarahstearn24@gmail.com
Steve Vasturia, a SMLS graduate who started four years at the University of Notre Dame and played professionally in Germany last year, returned to the Ron Murphy Gym where he played hoops to run his inaugural basketball camp for boys and girls this past week.
VIRTUS is a national program designed to assist adults in recognizing inappropriate behavior towards children. The Diocese of Trenton requires any adult who may come in contact with children to attend a 2 1/2–hour VIRTUS session. Therefore, anyone who wishes to volunteer at SML School or PREP and has not previously attended a session must do so. Sessions throughout the Diocese are listed on the website virtusonline.org. On Monday, July 16, a session will be offered at St. Mary of the Lakes School in the Parish Meeting Room (at the back of the School) at 6:30 p.m. To attend, you must pre-register at virtusonline.org. Space is limited, so please register as soon as possible. Questions should be emailed to lxerri@smlparish.org.
Father Dan sent an email to his brother priests in mid-June, asking them to make one-to-one asks to high school aged young men who have expressed an interest in priesthood or who they thought might have an interest in a priestly vocation, to join Father Dan, Father Roy and Bill Clingerman, a seminarian spending his summer at St. Mary of the Lakes, for a day in New York City. Father Dan and his lively brood in tow left St. Mary of the Lakes last Thursday morning. As God’s timing would have it, they arrived at St. Patrick Cathedral a few minutes prior to noon, giving them time to settle in for Mass. After Mass and a group shot at the side altar, there was time to tour the Cathedral before heading to Carmine’s for a late afternoon dinner. Bill Clingerman, who has accepted the call and is studying for the Diocese of Trenton at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD had this to say. "It was a blessing to make this pilgrimage with Father Dan, Father Roy, Father Colavito and the young men considering the vocation to the Priesthood. We prayed together at Mass, enjoyed good food and fellowship, and contemplated the beauty of St. Patrick Cathedral. I encouraged the young men of the group to continue to pray, to be open to God's will for them, to pray for one another, and, most of all, to spend time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.” The next outing for priest hopefuls is slated for Thursday, October 18, a parish bus trip to Emmitsburg, MD, home of the Basilica of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and Mount St. Mary Seminary (Father Dan’s alma mater). Father Dan will be glad to reserve as many seats as needed for any young man interested in the priesthood, to spend a beautiful day enjoying the scenic autumn view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, praying, and letting possible seeds to be planted and watered. Again any young man interested should email Father Dan at father_dan@smlparish.org. To read the Trenton Monitor story on the trip to New York, please click HERE
SUNSCREEN: A LITTLE DAB WON’T DO YOU Summer vacation season is about to shift into high gear, with more people spending time outdoors, whether it’s at the beach or a backyard barbeque. EVERYBODY - and we mean everybody - needs sunscreen. If you go out in the sun without sunscreen, you’re putting yourself at risk for a skin cancer. There is no such thing as a healthy tan. There are some benefits to exposure to sunlight. Sunlight helps the cells in skin to make vitamin D. But too much sun can cause damage, and with each tan or sunburn, you are adding another layer of damage. Wrinkles, “age” spots and skin cancer can occur. Records show that over five million Americans are treated for skin cancer each year, and melanoma kills nearly 9,000 people annually. Using a broad spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor of at least 30 protects against ultraviolet A and B sun rays. Reapply sunscreen every two hours for maximum protection, more often if you are swimming or sweating heavily. Also suggested is wearing a shirt, sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat, especially during the hours when the sun is strongest. If you do get sunburned, apply aloe or over-the-counter creams and take medication for pain if needed. If you have severe sunburn and develop fever, chills or muscle aches, contact a physician immediately.
After the 9:00 a.m. Mass Sunday, the Knights raised an American flag in honor of Past Grand Knight George Finan III.To see more photos from this special event, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.