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The 37th Annual St. Mary of the Lakes Annual Fashion Show was held last Sunday at Luciens Manor in Berlin. To see more photos from the St. Mary of the Lakes Fashion Show, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

Religious leaders loved to make theater out of their prayers. The show nauseated Jesus. In Matthew 6:6 He said, “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who cannot be seen. Your Father can see what is done in secret, and He will reward you.” The words surely stunned Jesus’ audience. The people were simple farmers and stonemasons. They couldn’t enter the temple. But they could enter their closets. The point? He’s low on fancy, high on accessibility. You need not woo him with location or wow him with eloquence. It’s the power of a simple prayer. Every day for four weeks, pray four minutes…a simple prayer. Then, get ready to connect with God like never before.

To join the Young Adult Ministry please contact the parish office at Frontdesk@smlparish.org. To see more photos from the Young Adult Ministry Meeting on Thursday night, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

The Diocese of Trenton requires anyone over the age of 18 who participates in a Parish ministry to attend a VIRTUS training session every four years to safeguard children and vulnerable adults. Note that this is a change from the previous VIRTUS requirement. What this means is that every adult who currently volunteers for SML Church, School, or PREP and has not previously attended a VIRTUS session, or who has not taken a refresher course within the past four years, must attend a class as soon as possible. VIRTUS Training Sessions are offered at parishes throughout the Diocese. St. Mary of the Lakes will offer a session on Monday, 11/25 at 1:00 p.m. in the PCR. This is a good opportunity for any adults planning to volunteer over the upcoming Advent/Christmas season to attend.  Pre-registration is mandatory at virtusonline.org. Space is limited, so please register as soon as possible. Email questions to frontdesk@smlparish.org.

At each weekend Masses in November, parishioners are asked to make a name tag and wear it to Mass, so they can be “Called by Name.” (Isaiah 43:1) Fathers Dan and Roy try their best to learn the names of parishioners. One way Father Dan cheats is when he sees two parishioners having a conversation, he waits until the conversation ends, then asks the parishioner whose name he knows, the name of the parishioner whose name he doesn't know. Many times, the answer is, “I don’t know. I see (him/her) at church all the time and I don’t know their name.” So Called by Name in November will be a big help to those, who, like Father Dan, are visual learners. Your participation will be appreciated !

Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the material preparation for the Christmas season. Come to our Advent Taize Prayer Service on Monday, December 2, at 7:00 p.m. in the SMLS Chapel on 196 Route 70. Taize prayer was founded in Taize, France by a group of consecrated men and is based on meditation and chants made up of a few words, repeated again and again, making possible a prayer that is meditative and accessible to everyone who takes part. Bring your friends and family and join Sr. Judy and Sr. Regina as they lead us in prayer to reorient our Christmas preparations to include the peace our minds and hearts need as we prepare for the coming of Jesus.

The Marriage Ministry will be holding their next meeting on Monday, November 11, at 7 p.m. in the Parish Office Conference Room.

Father Dan will continue to offer an Adult Scripture Study on Mondays, 11/11 and 11/18 from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the School Auditorium (or the Emmaus Center after it is completed!). This course was written using Benedict XVI’s Jesus of Nazareth and will cover: the Baptism of Jesus, the Temptation in the Desert, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the Sermon on the Mount, the Our Father and the Disciples. BYOB (bring your own Bible). If you need a Bible, New American Bibles will be sold for $6.00 at the class. Please sign the roster at the Parking Lot Entrance, or call the Parish Office at 609/654-8208 x110 to register.

"Stop listening to the voice that rips you down. Jesus has a new name for you." To hear Chris Stefanick's Real Life Minute, please click on the title above.

Vocations: What is God calling me to do with my life? Should I join a religious order? Get married? Become a priest? Stay single but live my vocation in the secular world? Click on the Vocations title above to see Paul J. Kim share his experience of discerning God’s will for his life.

St. Mary of the Lakes is eager to reinstate Children’s Church during the “Liturgy of the Word” at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday Mass. We took a break as the Emmaus Center and Parish Offices were under renovation; however, we once again have a place to meet with our young parishioners, so we are ready for a fresh approach! Children’s Church, an integral component of our religious education program for many years, is for preschoolers and kindergartners. Children’s Church will be held on Sundays when a Children’s Mass is not offered. Parents will bring their preschoolers and kindergarteners to the Parish Office before Mass begins. The children will sing, play, and pray as they learn about God in a developmentally appropriate way. After approximately 20 minutes, they will join their families in the Church. Registration is required, although there is not a fee, and parents are not committed to bringing their children every week (although we are sure they will want to go). We will be recruiting adults to facilitate Children’s Church. Parents are also encouraged to take a week. Once we know how many adults would like to participate, we can set a schedule. If you are interested in participating, please sign up at the parking lot entrance or contact the PREP Office.

Congratulations St. Mary of the Lakes! A heartfelt congratulations to Linda Xerri our YES Youth Minister who spearheaded the creation of another first place award winning float in this year's Medford Vincentown Rotary Halloween Parade! Our float was judged in the Church/Religious Category! Job well done Linda!! Our parish community, extends a heartfelt thank you to the teen YES members and the following adults who worked tirelessly over the past six weeks to design, build, paint, and decorate the Stairway to Heaven: Scott Andryca, Joseph Badame, Frank Babinchock, Debbie Cancelliere, Cecelia Ceretti, Alka Gomez, Jim & Wendy Gibson, Tim Lotierzo, Nancy Mitchell, and Sam Xerri. And we especially thank Clyde Lattimer & Sons for the use of their trailer; Scott Roe for driving us down Main Street and all those who donated candy! Our float was a real crowd pleaser and allowed us to evangelize the good news of Jesus … down Main Street! Thank you to all who helped to make this year’s float another huge success! To see more photos from St. Mary of the Lakes "Stairway to Heaven" float in the Medford Halloween Parade on Saturday night, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

Harpa Dei sang at Mass on Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings last week. The choir's four siblings, who were born in Germany and grew up in Ecuador, have as their spiritual foundation the long formation they have received in a religious community of Catholics. Since 2011, as part of a peace initiative, the siblings have been called to evangelization through Sacred Music. Harpa Dei tries to collect the most beautiful songs from different traditions, in order to glorify God. Their mission has taken them to many countries in the world, including Mexico, Israel, Germany, Russia, Ecuador, Lithuania, the United States and now Medford. Read more about Harpa Dei by clicking on the title above. To see more photos of Harpa Dei singing at SML, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

The Rosary Rally to Pray for World Peace and Conversion of Hearts was Saturday in front of St. Mary of the Lake Church. Fatima Prayer rallies were scheduled for thousands of cities all over the world on October 12. The Messages shared by our Blessed Mother at Fatima in 1917 involve the salvation of souls, peace in the world and, if the requests of Our Lady of Fatima are not carried out; “the consequences are annihilation of nations and the enslavement of all mankind under militant atheists of Russia.” These messages are more relevant than ever today. To see more photos from Our Lady of Fatima Rosary Rally, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

Pilgrims Mass at St. Francis in Santiago … to see more photos from Fr. Dan and St. Mary of the Lakes parishioners during their Pilgrimage to Fatima and the Camino De Santiago this week, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

To see more photos from Fr. Dan and St. Mary of the Lakes parishioners during their Pilgrimage to Fatima and the Camino De Santiago this week, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

Today's Mass at Santuario de Apariciones in Spain ... to see more photos from Fr. Dan and St. Mary of the Lakes parishioners during their Pilgrimage to Fatima and the Camino De Santiago this week, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

At the Cathedral of Braga ... to see more photos from Fr. Dan and St. Mary of the Lakes parishioners during their Pilgrimage to Fatima and the Camino De Santiago this week, please go to www.smlparish.org and the News/Events tab on the home page and click on Photo Album.

To see more photos from Fr. Dan and St. Mary of the Lakes parishioners during their Pilgrimage to Fatima and the Camino De Santiago this week, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.

In honor of the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, there was a blessing of the animals on Saturday morning by Fr. Roy in the church parking lot. To see more photos from the Pet Blessing, please go to the News/Events tab above and click on Photo Album.