Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As you have likely heard by now, Fr. Francisco has received a new assignment from our Bishop. Effective Dec 15, Fr. Francisco will be the new pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Greenwood. This is what every priest prepares for, so we are immensely happy for Father. At the same time, we are, of course, sad to see him move on.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

First, please note that there will be no 5:00pm Sunday Mass today (Nov. 20), due to the Eucharistic Procession, so please plan accordingly.
Below, please find a summary of our recent Strategic Plan initiative by Parish Council chair, Liz Stewart. God bless! – Father Wilson

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Your Parish Council worked on facilitating a Strategic Plan for the Parish for almost a year. We are now at the most exciting stage – Implementation. Let’s look at how we got here and where we are going.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

November is Black Catholic History Month. “The presence and contributions of African Catholics range from the earliest centuries of the Catholic Church to the present. … Let Catholics from all the nations of the world rejoice in the Gospel and the gifts presented by members of every race who bear the name of Catholic.” (from an article by Fr. Raymond Petrucci) Let us help each other as brothers and sisters in one faith to create a glimpse of heaven, the “great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and language. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb” (Rev. 7:9).

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

November is a busy month! Here are several updates for you:

More and more hearing aids today are equipped with Bluetooth technology, allowing users to control their hearing aids even through an app on their phone. We are in the process of installing the necessary devices which will allow those with this technology to stream audio directly through our church’s sound system. Once installed, we will offer training sessions and other information on how to connect wirelessly through your smartphone. Stay tuned for more information very soon. As you hopefully know, since the 1950s, St. Mary’s has owned Calvary Cemetery at 1255 University Lane here in Aiken. I wanted to make you aware of some improvements happening there. First, we have installed new, concrete curbing throughout the main drive of the cemetery. Also, we are preparing to open up more of the usable land we have, which will make the area even more beautiful. Finally, in December, a columbarium for cremated remains will be added.