News RSS Feed

To see the children's choir singing "Jesus in the Morning," click the title above.

The Southern Burlington County, the Willingboro and Vicinity and the Greater Delaware Valley Branches of the NAACP are joining together with the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office to sponsor a virtual candlelight vigil to honor the memory of George Floyd; support equal justice and accountability for all throughout our country; and urge calm in our nation’s streets and respect for the vast majority of police officers who honorably serve their communities every day. On Monday, May 25, 2020 at approximately 8:19 p.m., Derek Chauvin placed his knee on the neck of #GEORGEFLOYD, for what would last for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Two minutes and 53 seconds of this was AFTER Mr. Floyd was non-responsive. At 8:19 p.m. on Monday, June 1, one week after the indefensible killing of George Floyd, we invite members of the public, local police departments, houses of worship and community organizations to post on their Facebook page a simple photo of a lit candle and engage in eight minutes and 46 seconds of reflection over the LIFE of George Floyd and the tragic events that have unfolded in the aftermath of his death, including the violence that has erupted out of peaceful protests, which in one instance cost Federal Protective Service Officer Dave Patrick Underwood his life, in Oakland, California. We encourage everyone to use this time to reflect on your own personal convictions, and the side of history you have been on thus far. As a community, let us take a moment to band together instead of pulling apart, and think about how we all can treat each other with more respect, dignity and humanity. No good can come from a police officer who disregards their oath to uphold the law or who stands idly by while another does so, or from people protesting for equal justice by breaking the law and resorting to unprovoked violence. We as a community and a society are better than what we have seen this week. We must chart a brighter future – together. We urge everyone to join us in this moment of reflection by posting a photo of a candle on your Facebook page, and signifying your presence by using one or all of the following hash tags: #RIPGeorgeFloyd; #peaceinourstreets; #equaljusticeforall; #humanityinpolicing; #respectgoodpolice #BurlcoVigil Emerge from this time of reflection ready to unite around humanity and pledge to join the fight against racism, injustice, and senseless violence!

The Church is closed for Private Prayer on Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6, due to maintenance.

God promises, “When you pass through the waters, I’ll be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flame scorch you.” (Isaiah 43:2) Will your unhappy marriage become happy in a heartbeat? Well not likely. Does God guarantee the absence of struggle? Not in this life. But He does pledge to reweave your pain for a higher purpose. It won’t be quick. Joseph was 17 years old when his brothers abandoned him. He was 37 when he saw them again. Another year passed before he saw his father. Sometimes God takes His time. But remember that you are a version of Joseph in your generation. His story is in the Bible for this reason: to teach us to trust God to trump evil. And what Satan intends for evil, God redeems for good. You will get through this.

The Sunday 8:00 a.m. Mass will be simulcasted here on the homepage.

Please click the title above to enjoy the Morning Broadcast video from the SML TV Crew! Happy Thursday!

Congratulations Fr. Dan on the 31st anniversary of your ordination! Thank you for your ministry. May God continue to bless you in the years to come.

St. Mary of the Lakes has started to offer a parking lot Mass every day at 9:00 a.m., which began May 18. To see photos from the First Parking Lot Mass on Monday, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

Want to help by doing more than “staying home”? Want to help your neighbors who need food? Please consider contributing to the Food Drive being conducted by the Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul. Drop off whatever you can spare at the Knight’s trailer located in the Church parking lot. The un-manned trailer is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Contact the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at: 609-953-0021. To see photos from the Knights in Action at the food trailer as well as photos of KofC Supreme filming the SML Knights and doing some interviews to promote other councils to do something similar, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

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.