Funeral Meals
Ministry Contact: Lennie Reinhardt (812-952-2800) - Meal Prepartion
Mary Smith (812-952-2800) - Dessert Donations
St. Mary Church is pleased to offer the Funeral Meal ministry for those who experience the death of a loved one. Following each funeral Mass in our parish, family and friends of the deceased are invited to the Parish Life Center cafeteria for a meal and fellowship, provided at no charge to the family. Volunteers are needed to help prepare the meal or to donate desserts. The ministry is a gift to the bereaved, allowing them time to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones and friends.
2018 2019 2020 Meal Preparation volunteers: 14 15 15 Dessert donation volunteers 109 127 128
Marriage Sponsor Couples
Ministry Contact: Fr. Kyle Rodden (812-952-2853)
In order to support and prepare couples for the sacrament of marriage, sponsor couples help engaged couples explore their relationship strengths and areas requiring further work. The goal of the relationship is to encourage the engaged couple to communicate about and, if necessary, make changes on important relationship issues. Sponsor couples utilize their own experience and life lessons as mentors to the engaged couple.
2018 2019 2020 Sponsor Couples 3 3 3
Men’s Lenten Breakfast
Ministry Contact: Jerry Reinhardt (812-952-2800)
Men from churches in Franklin Township gather each week during Lent to spiritually focus on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This breakfast series is for men and their sons, so that they may fellowship with other men seeking a closer relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Each week includes breakfast and a guest witness speaker. Please consult the bulletin for the schedule of dates, times and locations.
2018 2019 2020 Breakfast preparation/hosts 16 15 16 Participants 50 45 40
Parish Picnic
Ministry Contact: Barry Geswein (812-952-2853)
Each year, the parish picnic serves as the premier fellowship and fundraising event in our parish community. The picnic takes place on the second Sunday of August, and all parish families are expected to participate. Details and specific volunteer roles are announced in the summer months leading up to the picnic. Our parish has continued to serve our local community for 176 years. In 2019 we used four self-serve lanes in the dining room and detention center. Due to the pandemic, our 2020 Picnic was cancelled. Our goal next year is to increase our marketing to expand our visibility to the greater market area. We are grateful to have been blessed with beautiful weather the last three years. Your continued support and participation made the 95th anniversary of our first picnic an excellent learning year.
2018 2019 2020 Volunteers (all parish familes) 449 442 443 Meals served 3,616 3,614 2,929 Quilts offered 30 30 27 Funds raised $50,412 $54,286 $49,247
Quilters
Ministry Contact: Martha Schmelz (812-952-2853)
The quilting group meets every Wednesday in the Parish Life Center at 8:00 am in Room 101. The quilts produced are raffled at our annual parish picnic. The quilters bring their lunch, but participants come and go as their schedules permit. Some men and women work from home. (Cross stitch quilt tops, embroidered or cross stitch blocks are available to be worked at home.) Non-quilters are encouraged to come and learn. Someone is always glad to teach.
2018 2019 2020 Participants 17 17 17
St. Anne’s Altar Society
Ministry Contact: Lori Ott (812-736-0600)
We welcome all women of the parish, 18 and older, to join the Altar Society. Our purpose is to support the parish, parish families and the community. We support the needs of the church building (decorating, vestments, linens, furniture and the cleaning of the church). This year we purchased new urns for the grotto. We also served meals for the Roots training and snacks for the Mission. We furnished and served meals to the workers setting up for Heritage and served the chicken dumpling dinner on Saturday.
A few of our yearly donations go to Mass of the Air, Relay for Life, St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities and the Lanesville Fire Dept. This year we also made a donation to the restoration of the Church windows and the Angel tree.
2018 2019 2020 Members 50 50 47 $2,374 $1,068 $1,792 Purchases for St. Mary Church $1,520 $4,756 $128 Visits to shut-ins 2 2 1
Welcoming Committee
Ministry Contact: Virginia Hublar (812-989-2072)
Dawn Hublar (812-989-2074)
A subcommittee of St. Anne’s Altar Society, the Welcoming Committee, reaches out to newly registered members of our parish community. The Committee assembles welcome baskets for new members, containing inspirational materials and parish ministry information. Inspirational cards are mailed out to new members each month for their first year at St. Mary.
2018 2019 2020 Participants 13 13 8 Welcome baskets distributed 8 6 7
Widows, Widowers, and Seniors Singles
Ministry Contact: Clara Foushee (812-952-2332)
Susan Wohlfarth H (812-366-8122)
C (502-645-8018)
We are a social group that meets almost every month to share food and fun with those who have experienced loss in their lives or are single. We all benefit by supporting and encouraging each other. We are always open to new members and to bringing a guest at any time. The core gatherings enjoy pitch-in lunch (every meeting!), guest speakers, and planning for special outings or interest groups. We learn something NEW from one another every time we meet and have great food to share! The gifts that each member bring have enhanced our lives!
2018 2019 2020 Regular meeting participants 20 17 16 Special event participants 20 11 15