Vacation Bible School 2020 has fallen victim to the pandemic. We have made the very difficult decision to cancel for this year. We all really look forward to VBS each summer; it is a labor of love involving an army of volunteers of all ages who devote a great deal of time to make this a truly wonderful experience for the children of our Parish. Hopefully, we can resume this much-loved program in 2021.

How do you “shelter in place” if there is no shelter? St. Mary of the Lakes continues to shelter homeless families through our Interfaith Hospitality Network even though our church hosts are currently closed. We are housing families in local motels and providing funds for their lodging, food and supplies. At this time, we are asking our parishioners to assist us in this effort by using the link found by clicking the above title or go to the digital bulletin for making a donation to the program. Thank you so much for your on-going generosity in support of this program. Your gift is truly appreciated. 

You can request an announced Mass to be said for a living or deceased family member, friend or loved one by calling the parish office from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. We will be happy to mail the Mass Card for you. Please have the address for the family available when calling. The suggested offerings are: Mass cards for the living: $10.00, Announced Mass cards for the deceased: $15.00 and Perpetual Mass cards: $20.00.

Just a friendly reminder to please use the Parish Office Drop Box next to the Rectory front door (pictured) for drop offs. Thank you !

Today, Governor Murphy announced that all public and private schools in New Jersey will be closed for the remainder of the academic year and remote instruction will continue. The SMLS staff is working on plans to safely and properly honor our graduates and also hold new/remote versions of some end of year activities to keep traditions and fun in place for the students.

To see a short video hello from Canine Greeter Finn with Pat Browne, please click the above title.

Thank you to A Rose in December for donating the beautiful flower arrangement for our Easter Sunday Mass.

Do you need prayer for yourself or a loved one? Can you help us by praying for others? Please call 609-953-8670 or email: cometome@smlparish.org

St Mary of the Lakes School may be physically closed, but we have not skipped a beat! Our teachers have been facilitating remote learning since March 16 and are using various online platforms such as Google Classroom, Zoom, ScreenCastify, and Class Dojo. Our maintenance staff has been working tirelessly to keep our school campus sanitized and spotless and getting it ready for when we are authorized to return. We are in constant communication with our families utilizing mass email, social media, individual teacher web pages, and Honeywell Instant Alert. Our enrollment for the 20-21 school year is open. Please contact: Admissions@smlschool.org. All of our registration forms are available on by clicking the title SMLS Updates above. We look forward to when we can all be together again!

The recent conference call to discuss the impact of the pandemic on Catholic schools included Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, Michael Barber, and Archbishop José Gomez. Click the TITLE above to read the article in the Catholic Word Report.

To pray the April 19, 2020 Divine Mercy Chaplet simulcasted at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, please click the title above.

In today's new norm, trying to get basic needs - bread, eggs, jelly, cereal, canned vegetables, spaghetti sauce - have become a major problem for families. For the food pantry at St. Vincent dePaul it is no different. At a time of heightened need, our ability to obtain these staple items has been compromised. Ron Murphy of Murphy's Markets reached out to SVdP asking what we needed. In two days, he delivered supplies which we were not able to obtain since the virus crisis began. Thank you Ron for helping us in our mission to feed the needy and food insecure.

St. Vincent de Paul in Medford is open on Wednesday and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. Please go to the pantry door in the back. Your generosity enables St. Vincent to help men, women, and children with financial assistance for housing, auto insurance, utilities, health care, and other expenses. If you or someone you know needs assistance, call SVdP at 609/953-0021.

To see the April 12, 2020 Easter Sunday Resurrection of the Lord Mass on video, please click on the title above or go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp9LJKjXfKM&feature=youtu.be

To see a video by the SML Choir singing for Easter, please click the title above.

To watch the 7:00 p.m. Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday on video, please click the title above or go to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ6LFAHNo4s&feature=youtu.be

The clergy, religious and lay faithful of the Diocese of Trenton are invited to safely display a lighted candle in the window of their homes, like those electric candles used at Christmas, around sunset (7:32 pm) on Holy Saturday evening, as a symbol of our unity with Catholics throughout the world, while Paschal Candles are being lit at Easter Vigils. This symbol will be for us in the Diocese of Trenton “A Light in the Darkness,” the darkness that has been the COVID -19 Pandemic. The following prayer from the Easter Vigil may be said as candles are lighted: “May the light of Christ rising in glory dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds.”

To watch Sight and Sound’s JESUS production on Saturday, April 11 at 1 p.m. on the Trinity Broadcast Network (TBN) click the title above or go to: https://watch.tbn.org/sight-sound-theatres-presents-jesus

The Easter Vigil will be simulcasted at 7:00 p.m. on the SML YouTube channel: www.youtube.com (search SML Parish) and available at smlparish.org

• A day of Fasting and Abstinence – one full meal; 2 smaller meals that do not equal a full meal; no meat • Wear red, the liturgical color of the day • Between 12:00 – 3:00 p.m. – the three hours Jesus was on the cross – Try to do quiet activities: observe a period of silence; pray; read and reflect on the Scripture readings for today; share a small meal of bread and water. (Submitted by the Bell Family) • Pray the Stations of the Cross, or the Sorrowful Mysteries on the Rosary; • 3:00 p.m. : Watch the live-stream of Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion on SML’s YouTube channel www.youtube.com SML Parish ; • Make Hot Cross Buns • Start the Divine Mercy Chaplet https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet , usually prayed at 3:00 p.m. each day but today, maybe pray it at 7:00 p.m. in lieu of the Stations of the Cross.