Calling all grandparents: current, future, adopted, and spiritual! The relationship between a grandparent and grandchild is a precious and impactful one. A Grand(parent) Connection is a ministry aimed at helping grandparents build that relationship on a firm faith foundation. Come listen, share, and pray on 3rd Mondays, 7-8 pm in the Parish Library. Tonights Speaker is Jenny Muller, speaking on a topic TBD
NEW MEN'S FAITH FORMATION SERIES STARTS JAN. 7
Men of St. Maria Goretti: Be inspired by one of America’s future saints! Servant of God Fr. Emil Kapaun was an ordinary man who became an extraordinary priest and Army chaplain, inspiring the men he served on battlefields and in an enemy prison camp. Join us and explore the virtues that made Fr. Kapaun such an inspiration, as told by the men he served with. The Holy Name Society will host the seven-week "Kapaun’s Men Virtue Series" starting Tuesday, Jan. 7. Come for one, some, or all sessions. We will meet at 6 a.m. each Tuesday from Jan. 7 through Feb. 18 in the parish narthex. Enter Door #5 off the South parking lot, near the food pantry. Come for fellowship, great coffee, and grow in your faith! Contact Nathaniel O’Dell for more at [email protected]. Today's topic: Faith
Tired of all the demands tugging at you? Do you feel like you could use some space to just get away? Come to our campus for a peaceful day of prayer. Enjoy the beautiful grounds, visit the shrines, read in one of our cozy gathering spaces, make the Way of the Cross, spend time in prayer in the St. Joseph Chapel. This unstructured retreat is anchored with five opportunities for activity. You may participate in as few or as many as you wish. (Times are approximate.)
9 am Arrival Welcome
9:30 am Sacrament of Reconciliation
11:45 am Mass
12:30 pm Lunch
2:30 pm Daytime Prayer & Dismissal
Spiritual services provided by Fr. David Huemmer, Chaplain at the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center
9 am to 3 pm ET, Tuesday, January 14, 2025 at the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center in Tipton, IN. Cost: $25, includes Keltie & Co. Catering lunch. Please let us know of any dietary restrictions.
Carpenter’s Shop gifts will be open at the end of the retreat.
Participants: Minimum 5/Maximum 25
Register HERE before January 10th.
The parables of Jesus are designed to shake us up, to shock, confront, provoke, and indict us. Each parable works differently, and each must be studied separately to determine its significance, how it functions, and how it calls its readers to respond. Explore a variety of parables in this new Threshold Bible Study offering—each empowering us to think, teach, and act like Jesus did, to accept his new vision of the world, and to participate wholeheartedly in the new life he offers. We meet every Tuesday morning, 9-10:30am, and Wednesday evening, 7-8:30pm, beginning January 14 & 15. The study’s fee is $10 per person. To register, visit smgonline.org/bible-study. For more information, contact Kate LaPaglia, [email protected].
The St. Monica Prayer Ministry lifts up in prayer those who have distanced themselves from or left the Catholic faith. The group meets on the third Tuesday of every month in classroom #124 of the school (entrance #4 far West side of the South lot) now known as the Our Lady of Good Counsel Chapel to pray Way of the Cross: For Loved Ones Who Have Left the Faith. Join us every 3rd Tuesday, 7-8:30pm. If you have questions, contact Deb Grisham, 317-690-1597. The St. Monica Prayer Ministry invites you to submit the first name(s) of those you would like to lift in prayer for a return to the Catholic faith. There is a prayer intention box on the Respect Life table in the church narthex. Individuals submitted will be prayed for by ministry members.
Blessed Among Women is an opportunity for women of St. Maria Goretti and the surrounding area to gather to grow together in our common faith. The widely acclaimed Abiding Together podcast presented by Sr. Miriam James Heidland, Michelle Benzinger, and Heather Khym will provide the foundation for our reflection and casual conversation.
There is no charge, no homework, and no special expertise needed to participate. You need not commit to all sessions—just come when you can!
Winter dates: January 22- February 26 from 1-2:30 pm in the Youth Room in the basement of the church.
If you have questions, please contact Vicki Stauffacher ([email protected]) or Deb Krupowicz ([email protected]).
To register: smgonline.org/blessed
The parables of Jesus are designed to shake us up, to shock, confront, provoke, and indict us. Each parable works differently, and each must be studied separately to determine its significance, how it functions, and how it calls its readers to respond. Explore a variety of parables in this new Threshold Bible Study offering—each empowering us to think, teach, and act like Jesus did, to accept his new vision of the world, and to participate wholeheartedly in the new life he offers. We meet every Tuesday morning, 9-10:30am, and Wednesday evening, 7-8:30pm, beginning January 14 & 15. The study’s fee is $10 per person. To register, visit smgonline.org/bible-study. For more information, contact Kate LaPaglia, [email protected].
St. Maria Goretti School will host a Winter Open House on Friday, January 24th at 9 am. Join us in the school Narthex for a tour of our Blue Ribbon of Excellence School. Email Alli Bell at [email protected] with questions.
SMG Pastoral Council warmly invites all parish adults to join us for Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner on Saturday, January 25, 5:45pm (after the 4:30pm Mass) until 10pm. This popular tradition helps our very large parish feel a bit smaller by bringing parishioners together in the casual atmosphere of one another’s homes. The only agenda item is friendly fellowship! Whether you are new to SMG or you have been here for many years, your participation in this evening will help our parish continue to be a place that builds and celebrates God’s Kingdom together by getting to know one another better.
The evening will begin with all guests gathering in the Parish Hall at 5:45pm to enjoy appetizers provided by those whose last names start with A-L. At that time, dinner destinations will be distributed. Small groups of parishioners will go to host homes for dinner and fellowship. Around 9pm, everyone is invited back to the Parish Hall for dessert, contributed by those whose last names end with M-Z.
Tickets are $15/person. Hosts do not purchase tickets; they will be provided the dinner menu, recipes, and necessary groceries. And their hospitality is greatly appreciated!
Please register to host or attend by using the link, smgonline.org/dinner, CLICKING HERE or by scanning the QR code in the bulletin. For more info, contact Shari McGrath, sharimcgrath@ yahoo.com or 317-294-8741.
Registration closes January 19.
Are you a divorced Catholic thinking about getting an annulment and have no idea how to get
started? Have you started the process but are feeling overwhelmed and or have questions?
We can help! St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church will be hosting informal annulment sessions
every couple of months for Catholics whose divorce is complete and final. There will be
parishioners who have gone through the annulment process who will share their stories and
help answer your questions. No registration is necessary.
Here is the schedule for upcoming meetings:
- Sun Jan 26 th A priest from the tribunal will speak in the Youth Ministry Center at St. Louis
De Montfort Church in Fishers at 6:30 pm.
- Tues Mar 25 th in the SMG Parish Narthex (Door #5) 6:00 to 8:00 pm
There is a light at the end of your annulment pathway!
NEW MEN'S FAITH FORMATION SERIES STARTS JAN. 7
Men of St. Maria Goretti: Be inspired by one of America’s future saints! Servant of God Fr. Emil Kapaun was an ordinary man who became an extraordinary priest and Army chaplain, inspiring the men he served on battlefields and in an enemy prison camp. Join us and explore the virtues that made Fr. Kapaun such an inspiration, as told by the men he served with. The Holy Name Society will host the seven-week "Kapaun’s Men Virtue Series" starting Tuesday, Jan. 7. Come for one, some, or all sessions. We will meet at 6 a.m. each Tuesday from Jan. 7 through Feb. 18 in the parish narthex. Enter Door #5 off the South parking lot, near the food pantry. Come for fellowship, great coffee, and grow in your faith! Contact Nathaniel O’Dell for more at [email protected]. Today's topic: Hope
The parables of Jesus are designed to shake us up, to shock, confront, provoke, and indict us. Each parable works differently, and each must be studied separately to determine its significance, how it functions, and how it calls its readers to respond. Explore a variety of parables in this new Threshold Bible Study offering—each empowering us to think, teach, and act like Jesus did, to accept his new vision of the world, and to participate wholeheartedly in the new life he offers. We meet every Tuesday morning, 9-10:30am, and Wednesday evening, 7-8:30pm, beginning January 14 & 15. The study’s fee is $10 per person. To register, visit smgonline.org/bible-study. For more information, contact Kate LaPaglia, [email protected].
Explore how praying Psalms of Hope will help us become ‘Pilgrims of Hope’ during the Jubilee Year of 2025. This retreat begins with Morning Prayer and ends with Adoration, Daytime Prayer and Benediction. In between, guests will enjoy two conferences. The first, an overview of the psalms, and the second, exploring a collection of psalms of hope to pray in adoration. Mass, lunch and time for personal reflection will round out the day.
9 am – Welcome in Chapel
9:10 am – Morning Prayer in chapel
9:40 am - Conference 1 – Overview of the Psalms
10:30 am – Break
10:45 am – Conference 2 – Psalms of Hope
11:45 am – Mass
12:30 pm – Lunch
1:30 pm – Adoration
2:30 pm – Daytime Prayer/Benediction
3 pm – End of Day – Carpenter's Shop open
Led by Fr. David Huemmer, Chaplain, and Deacon Marty Stout at the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center
9 am to 3 pm, Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at the St. Joseph Retreat & Conference Center in Tipton, IN.
Cost: $35, includes Keltie & Co. Catering lunch. Please let us know of any dietary restrictions.
Carpenter’s Shop gifts will be open at the end of the retreat.
Participants: Minimum 5
Sign up HERE by January 24th.
Blessed Among Women is an opportunity for women of St. Maria Goretti and the surrounding area to gather to grow together in our common faith. The widely acclaimed Abiding Together podcast presented by Sr. Miriam James Heidland, Michelle Benzinger, and Heather Khym will provide the foundation for our reflection and casual conversation.
There is no charge, no homework, and no special expertise needed to participate. You need not commit to all sessions—just come when you can!
Winter dates: January 22- February 26 from 1-2:30 pm in the Youth Room in the basement of the church.
If you have questions, please contact Vicki Stauffacher ([email protected]) or Deb Krupowicz ([email protected]).
To register: smgonline.org/blessed
Encounter Jesus nights are an opportunity to come worship our Eucharistic Jesus. Each month, this hour brings our parish community together to encounter Jesus through Exposition, Benediction, intermittent worship songs, and a worship aid to help you through the hour with prayer, scripture reflection, and discernment.
The parables of Jesus are designed to shake us up, to shock, confront, provoke, and indict us. Each parable works differently, and each must be studied separately to determine its significance, how it functions, and how it calls its readers to respond. Explore a variety of parables in this new Threshold Bible Study offering—each empowering us to think, teach, and act like Jesus did, to accept his new vision of the world, and to participate wholeheartedly in the new life he offers. We meet every Tuesday morning, 9-10:30am, and Wednesday evening, 7-8:30pm, beginning January 14 & 15. The study’s fee is $10 per person. To register, visit smgonline.org/bible-study. For more information, contact Kate LaPaglia, [email protected].
All women of the parish are invited to join us to study Fr. Jacques Philippe’s Time for God. We will meet in the church nursery (off of the church narthex) during the school year months from 9-10:30am one Thursday a month. Save the upcoming meeting dates: Jan 30, Feb 27, March 20, April 24, and May 22. Any moms attending are welcome to bring their children along as well. For details, call or text Annmarie Schwarz, 765-490-3639.
A Youth Group for all 3rd and 4th grade SMG parishioners: Fun, faith-filled experiences and activities (games, songs, crafts, stories and snack) in a casual youth group environment. Tonight's Topic: Advent: Prayer & Discernment