Mass Reservations are available every Wednesday at 6:00 p.m until 12:00 noon on Friday.
Please click here to register.
If you prefer you can call and make a reservation on Thursday from 9:00 a.m. through 1:00 p.m. Please call 203-450-6898.
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Pastor's Message
Dear Friends,Recently the Governor issued a change in his mandate regarding Church attendance. The mandate allows 50% capacity for church services. What was not noted in the press was the following: Each church will need to maintain 6’ spacing for social distancing, mask are to be worn, and reservations will be needed for contact-tracing. We look forward to welcoming our parishioners back to church! With more people receiving the vaccine, we do have room at each one of our masses.
The Hope for the Future campaign has been of great assistance to the parish during these past months. The campaign envelope is dated February 27/28. We hope that you will join us in financially supporting the parish and build this hope for the future of Our Lady of Grace Parish. Thank you for your generosity.
Thank You – A special note of thanks to all who participated in the Ash Wednesday Collection. Your donation will care for many who are in need! May God Bless you for your generosity and concern!
Peace,
Msgr.Ryan
Mass Times & Reconciliation
SABBATH MASSES
Saturday – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday – 8:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.
Masks are required
Reservations are required. The registration forms are available at 6:00 p.m. every Wednesday on the Mass Reservation page.
The Sunday mass will be videoed. It will be available by 4:00 p.m on Saturday on the homepage of our website and on our Facebook and YouTube pages.
Returning to Weekend Mass in the Church
We want to give you some directions so we can help you assist us in meeting the challenges ahead! At this time, we are encouraging those with mobility issues to watch at home. Please park in the parking lot in the normal way! Please do not park on the street. Place your face mask on before leaving the car. Only enter and exit the church by way of the sacristy door. All other doors will be locked. You will be greeted by volunteers and asked for your reservation and you may make your donation at that time! There will not be an offertory collection during Mass. As you enter the church please use the hand washing station. An usher will direct you to your seat, families may sit together. There will be no seating in the alcoves aside the Sanctuary.
Weekday Mass Schedule
Beginning on Monday, July 20 the morning mass will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday at 9:00 am. The church will open at 8:45. Seating will be limited to the front half of the church. There will be no mass on Wednesday morning. For those who will attend morning mass you will be expected to wear a face mask and practice social distancing! You will need to sign a register with your name and phone number to record your attendance. You will also be expected to use the spray and wipes that will be provided to clean the area you used for morning mass. The cleaning of the church is im- portant to the rest of the parish so that the church will be prepared for prayer time and the scheduling of funerals. Thank you for your cooperation.
The Church will be open from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Monday – Friday for private prayer.
Please note: You may find that we will have to interrupt our daily prayer between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. This schedule will be interrupted when we have a funeral Mass being celebrated in the parish. Please watch the signboard at the door for changes in the schedule.The church will be open during Saturday Confession time. In order to make this prayer time available. We will need your assistance in cleaning your prayer space. We will provide spray and wipes for your use in cleaning the space you used during your prayer time! Thank you for your cooperation.
CONFESSIONS
Confessions during the pandemic – Confessions have been moved into the Parish Center. Confessions will be from 1:15pm – 2:15 pm All are encouraged to come and follow social distancing in the Parish Center foyer. Confessions will be in Madonna Hall! Confession will be heard until all confessions are celebrated.
Confessions are being celebrated in the Parish Center because it allows for better air filtering and social distancing. Please follow all State Mandates, and if you are feeling ill, please stay home!
HOLY DAY MASS SCHEDULE
Holy Day mass will be videoed and available on our website, Facebook and YouTube.
WEATHER POLICY
We have developed a policy that safeguards our parishioners and will allow time for our parish contractors to clear the property during storms. Weekdays: When the schools are closed or delayed or the Town or State has advised against travel, Daily Mass will be cancelled for that day. The parish will notify channel 8, channel 3 and the radio stations of the cancellation.
Weekends: When severe weather occurs during weekend Mass times, please check the local TV and Radio stations and our parish website for cancellations. It becomes very difficult to keep the sidewalks, driveways, and parking area clear if it snows during Mass time. Your safety is important to us! Any Mass intention effected by the cancellation will be said during the next week.
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults
Are you or do you know someone who is looking for personal growth in their Catholic Faith?
If you are an adult who has never been baptized
If you are an adult who has been baptized in a non-Catholic community
If you are an adult who has been baptized in the Catholic Church but never received Eucharist or Confirmation
If you are an adult interested in finding out more about the Catholic Faith, RCIA may be for you. For further information or questions you may call Linda Skowronski at 203-375-8992 or email Denise at denisebartelson@olgstratford.com
Bishop Caggiano's Corner
Welcome!
Be Still and Know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10
New to the Parish? Please Click Here to register!
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Parish Happenings
2021 Daily Lent Reflections
Matthew Kelly, Founder of Dynamic Catholic offers Lenten resources including BEST LENT EVER 2021, a totally free 3-4 minute daily video program (sent straight to your email) that will help you prepare for Easter. signup is easy on Dynamic Catholic.
Everyday on our Facebook page the daily reflection from Words for the Weary – Embracing the Lenten Season After a Challenging Pandemic Year by Ann Naffziger is posted.
We have added a Lent 2021 page on the Our Spiritual Life page. Throughout Lent we will add Lenten resources and links to other Lenten resources. You will also find Stations of the Cross videos for adults and children.
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Stations of the Cross
The Stations will be prayed each Friday at 12:30 pm. We will follow the weekday sign-in system and all State Mandates will be followed! There will also be Stations of the Cross and Children’s Stations of the Cross videos available on the website. Details to follow before Lent begins.
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Rice Bowl
HUNGERING FOR THE JOURNEY? Join our parish community—and nearly 14,000 Catholic communities across the United States—in a life-changing Lenten jour- ney with CRS Rice Bowl. Pick up your family’s rice bowl from entrance door on February 17th, and don’t forget to download the CRS Rice Bowl app! crsricebowl.org Remember, what you give up for Lent changes lives.
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Once again Knights of Columbus e will be selling 24” x 12” Palm Crosses which come in four different colors. Proceeds benefit the Msgr. Mooney Scholarship Fund.
These are made fresh a week before pickup and decorated with 60 pieces of palm, color ribbon, 2 artificial lilies, and individually bagged – your cost is only $9.50 each!
You may order online or download the order form which can be found on our website. You may also call in your order by calling it in at 203-450-6866. in your payment by Friday March 19. Please clearly mark your envelope “Palm Cross Order” and place it in the collection box or drop your order off at the Rectory or you can bring payment at time of pick-up.
Orders will be available for DRIVE BY pick up on Saturday March 27 from 10:00 am-12:00 Noon in the parking lot by the Parish Center. Just open your trunk or back door – members will load your vehicle.
ORDER EARLY – COLOR SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED. WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO SATISFY YOUR REQUEST (For questions please contact Pat O’Keefe at 203-400-8712)
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On December 8, 2020, Pope Francis announced the Year of St. Joseph. Pope Francis wanted to recognize the 150th anniversary of the Saint’s proclamation as the patron of the Universal Church. Pope Francis hopes that during this year, we will discover St. Joseph, the man who goes unnoticed as an intercessor, and a support and a guide in times of trouble. Throughout the year we will share information about the Year of St. Joseph! To begin we’ve added the Year of St. Joseph Prayer on the Our Spiritual Life page on the Prayers tab.
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CallingPost
We thank you for listening to our “CallingPost messages.” In listening to our calls, we try to keep you informed during the pandemic time! In addition to the weekly updates and reminders to make a mass reservation, during the winter months, we will send out calls to inform you of any cancellation or changes in schedule. If you are not receiving our messages please contact the parish office ( (203) 377 – 0928 Ext. 13 or email StaceyBreyan@olgstratford.com Thank you for your continuing participation and support!
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The Diocese of Bridgeport has asked us to pray for our priests. They publish a monthly list of priests to pray that month. We have added a Pray for Our Priests page to our website with the names of the priests bring prayed for during the month. Each week on our home page we will list the names of the priests to be prayed for that week. The priests we are asked to pray for this week are: Feb. 21 – Fr. Cyprian La Pastina; Feb. 22 – Fr. Lawrence Larson; Feb. 23 – Fr.. Peter Lenox; Feb. 24 – Fr. David Leopold; Feb. 25 – Fr. Joseph Lincon; Feb. 26 – Fr. Otoniel Lizcano; Feb.27 – Fr. John Paul Long
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Your Offertory Donation is Important!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued generosity and your weekly donations to Our Lady of Grace Church. Your weekly donation is the foundation of the parish so that we can maintain a good financial balance in the parish. Please continue to make your weekly donations by mail, drop box, or by electronic online giving. Second Collection: February 28, Hope for the Future,March 7, Capital Improvement
Thank You for Make-up Donations – A special note of thanks to all parishioners, for their generosity in giving your make-up envelopes. Your commitment to Our Lady of Grace Parish supports our parish and our ministry!
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Please click on “On-Line Giving Button” on our website or by clicking this link, https://www.osvhub.com/olgstratford/funds. For customer assistance please call 1-800-348-2886 choose option 1 or the Parish Office at (203) 377-0928 x13.
To insure the proper date for your donation, we will be announcing each month the second collections and their dates.The Second Collection: February 28, Hope for the Future, March 7, Capital Improvement
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Why be a Member of the Parish?
Your completion of the parish registration form enables the parish leadership to better communicate with you during this pandemic time. Many parishioners seek Mass cards, sacramental certificates, sponsor certificates. Your membership enables us to communicate in a timely manner . Please join us using the on-line registration link or contact the parish office (203) 377-0928, if you prefer NOT to register online.
2020 Mass Book
The Mass Book is available for your Mass intentions. The weekend mass donation is $20.00 and the weekday mass offering is $10.00. Masses can be said for either “living” or “deceased”. If a specific day is unavailable, please consider having a Sanctuary Lamp lit for your intentions. The stipend is $10.00 per Lamp. The office will be open on Wednesday 9:30 until noon so that you can pick up your mass cards and make your mass intentions. Please call prior to coming to the rectory on Wednesdays. A staff member will meet you in the rectory garage.
Parish Memorial Books – When you wish to remember a special someone, remember that Our Lady of Grace Parish has a Memorial Program. The purpose of the Memorial Program is to provide the funding of small projects within the parish. For example, vestments, ritual books, and other liturgical needs. This is a wonderful way to acknowledge someone living or deceased or in thanksgiving for a prayer answered. The Memorial Books are displayed in the Chapel area by the Tabernacle. For information on the OLG Memorial Program or to make a donation please call Stacey at the Parish Office (203) 377-0928 x13.