The parish offices will be moving down to the Emmaus Center and Parish Staff computer access will be minimum on August 3.

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.

Check out the new website by Bishop Robert Barron and Word On Fire as they debunk the myth that the Church is anti-science! www.reasonfaithscience.com

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.

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.

A special thank you to the Carnival Clean-Up Crews on Sunday !

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.

On Friday morning, the final day, YES Habitat for Humanity team clearing a field to ready it for a new home. To see more photos from the “Seek, Serve, Love” Mission Trip, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

SMLCCS Alumni and YES high school members on Habitat for Humanity 2018 Trip: Matt Mitchell (2015), Amanda McNally (2016) and Dan McGovern (2016) ! To see more photos from the “Seek, Serve, Love” Mission Trip, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

YES Habitat for Humanity 2018 “Seek, Serve, Love” Mission Trip has continued to work on a home in Newark this week while taking time to visit the Statue of Liberty and the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the fifth-largest cathedral in North America and the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. To see more photos from the “Seek, Serve, Love” Mission Trip, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

All families currently registered in the Parish Religious Education Program (PREP) should have received forms in the mail for 2018-2019. Please update these forms and return them, with payment, to the PREP Office as soon as possible. For those families new to PREP, registration forms are located on the Parish Website under the Faith Formation tab. Volunteers are needed as Catechists and classroom assistants, as well as for babysitting, hall monitoring, and clerical duties. We offer support and training. No experience necessary - just a love of children and a desire to share your faith. Contact the PREP Office if you are interested in volunteering. A few openings remain for Shipwrecked: Saved by Jesus, (see below) this year’s Vacation Bible School, July 30 through August 3. Check the Website for details and registration forms. Summer PREP office hours begin July 2 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The YES Habitat for Humanity 2018 began working on a home in Newark, N.J. on Monday afternoon. To see more photos from the “Seek, Serve, Love” Mission Trip, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

The YES Habitat for Humanity 2018 prayer service with Fr. Dan before leaving Monday afternoon to work this week. The “Seek, Serve, Love” Mission Trip will build a home in Newark, N.J. To see more photos from the prayer service and YES embarking to Newark, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

Our parish will be implementing a Family Faith Formation Program, slated to begin in the Fall 2019. This program will be a supplement to our already existing Parish Religious Education program (P.R.E.P.) for families with children in grades 1-8. We are looking for a few families who might be interested in joining the formation team to evaluate curriculum; set schedules and provide input into what families feel is important to help nourish and strengthen their family faith journey. If interested in joining this ministry, please contact Christine Brandt at cbrandt@smlparish.org.

The Parish-Chartered Cub Scout Pack 108 celebrated Scout Sunday at the 10:30 a.m. Mass Sunday.  Several Cub Scouts received special awards for following the Cub Scout promise and fulfilling their duty to God.  Pack 108 encouraged all other local Boys Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Daisies to wear their uniforms to the Mass and many celebrated Scout Sunday with them.  All Scouts who joined the celebration in their Class A Uniforms received a special 75th Anniversary SML Scout Sunday patch.  

Sisters of Our Lady of Usambara is a growing congregation of African nuns over 600, whose work is caring for the needs of the poorest and most deprived people in the northeastern region of Tanzania. Rt. Rev. Bishop Eugene Arthurs founded the congregation in collaboration with Precious Blood Sisters CPS to address the needs of the local church within the diocese. To date the Sisters have expanded services outside of the diocese. Their areas of ministries include teaching religious education to young people; providing services to the poor and the sick, and educating young women in schools and colleges. Sister Servatrix will be speaking at all of the Masses at SML parish the weekend of July 14 and 15.

Altar servers please save this date, Wed., 7/25, for the Altar Server Trip to Seaside Height's Breakwater Beach and Casino Pier. The rain date is Thursday. 7/26. Please return permission slips to envelope located on sacristy bulletin board or parish office. Deadline to RSVP is 7/18

At each Father’s Day Mass, Fr. Dan presented each dad with a Post-It Pad as a gift. He also added great levity to the Masses by tossing orange DISCIPLE T-shirts into the pews and offering blue DAD T-shirts to winners of many humorous categories. To see more photos from Father's Day, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

Work started on Friday to replace the roof on the St. Mary of the Lakes School gym. The floor of The Ron Murphy Gymnasium will be replaced in August.

The Kindergarten had graduation ceremonies in the auditorium at the school on Thursday with Fr. Dan. To see more photos from the Kindergarten Graduation, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.