St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church Newsletter — Apr/May 2023

Mass Schedule

Sunday, 7:45 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 12:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Monday, 7:00 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.

Tuesday, 7:00 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.

Wednesday, 7:00 a.m. and 5:15 p.m.

Thursday, 7:00 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.

Friday, 7:00 a.m. and 9:15 a.m.

Saturday, 9:15 a.m., 5:00 p.m. (Sunday Vigil)

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Wednesday, 12 noon to 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, 3:45-4:45 p.m.

Pro Life Holy Hour

Wednesday, 6:00 p.m.

Perpetual Adoration Chapel

Chapel is located at the corner of Monte Sano and Bellevue.

Mary Saint on the hill

catholic church

Meet Seminarian

Francisco J. Gamboa Félix Blessed by Community in Seminary and Support of Our Parish Family

Francisco J. Gamboa Félix thought about being a priest when he was a child — the youngest of four and only boy — growing up in Zacatecas, Mexico. But he didn’t take the step until he was 28, exploring lay ministry first. Francisco is a seminarian of the Diocese of Savannah and receives support from our Knights of Columbus Council through their Pancake Breakfast. He looks forward to visiting our parish soon.

Currently, Francisco is completing his studies at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla. He is in his third year and will be ordained to the diaconate this year. “God willing,” he will become a priest in 2024.

His favorite part of the seminary is how it is multicultural.

“We seminarians hail from various countries, grew up in diverse cultures, and speak different languages,” he says. “We create friendships and academic formation!”

After he graduated high school, Francisco received a bachelor’s degree in history from the Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Mexico. He went on

Francisco J. Gamboa Félix is a seminarian of the Diocese of Savannah and receives support from our Knights of Columbus council

Mothers THIS MONTH, WE REFLECT ON

Stewardship AND

We celebrate the month of Mary during May, and during this month, we also celebrate Mother’s Day. It seems fitting that we honor our mothers during May, since Mary is given to us by God as the example of true Christian motherhood.

Those who are called to be mothers have been blessed by God and called to fulfill a very important responsibility. Mothers are the vehicle through which God brings new life into this world. When we talk about Christian stewardship, we talk about sacrificially returning to God what we have been given. What can more clearly be a demonstration of complete sacrifice than the relationship between mother and child during the nine months of growth in the womb?

During these nine months, the child’s life depends on the actions of the mother as her energy and nourishment goes directly to the growing baby.

Although this relationship may change to some extent after the child is born, a mother’s sacrifice for her child is far from over after the birth. The role of the mother is critical in the child’s development —

both spiritually and physically — throughout life. Mothers provide the comfort, nurture and support necessary for their children to become productive citizens and responsible Christians.

The job of a mother is not an easy one. This is a fact that Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew very well. She worried when her young Son appeared to be lost, only to find Him later in His Father’s house. She was probably concerned as Jesus began His public ministry — not knowing what difficulties and rejections He would encounter along the way. And, Mary must have experienced great anguish as she watched her Son’s body being crucified to a cross.

May all mothers look to Mary as their model for motherhood and ask her intercession as they strive to fulfill their God-given role in their children’s lives. During the month of May, let us all take some time to express our appreciation to our mothers for allowing us to come into this world, for loving us, and for serving as an example of what it means to be a steward for life.

Ladies out to Lunch Bunch: Women of Our Parish Sharing in Community, Food and Faith

Food has a way of bringing people together. Ladies from St. Mary on the Hill have been gathering to enjoy a meal and conversation once a month for more than 25 years. From seafood to pizza, the Ladies out to Lunch Bunch brings together women of our parish seeking fellowship and a meal they don’t have to prepare.

“I enjoy being with other people,” says Kathy Bennett, one of the ministry leaders. “It’s mostly not having to cook. And I enjoy getting to know people better and better.”

The ladies gather on the second Tuesday of every month, except for April and December. Occasionally there is also a break for the summer months. The gatherings take place at local restaurants in our community, sometimes repeating the same one if there is a particular favorite.

Kathy attended the gatherings for a few years when she was asked to take over the group three years ago.

“Jane, the main person who coordinated the group, moved to North Carolina to be closer to her family during the pandemic years and she just stayed there — she asked if I wouldn’t mind coordinating,” Kathy says. “About that same time, my Co-Chair, Kathy Yawn, became involved because she had moved to the parish and wanted to meet more people. Jane asked her to help me. We both just switch off every other month — making the arrangements and taking the reservations.”

Attendance at the gatherings tends to fluctuate, with as many as 25 ladies coming to share a meal. All are welcome to attend, including newcomers to the parish.

Some of the women also attend a Bible study on the same day at a different church, so the group recently began meeting a little later in order to accommodate the conflicting schedules, moving the gathering from 11:30 a.m. to its current start time of noon.

“We try to be aware of other activities going on in town, to accommodate some of them to our lunch group,” Kathy says.

The group provides an opportunity for the women to connect and share in each other’s lives. Some of the ladies also see one another at other parish or community events.

“I enjoy the camaraderie, getting to know the ladies, the friendships that have been instituted as a result of being part of the group,” Kathy says. “I’d like to think that we’ve made that opportunity available to the parish as a whole and the small group that attends.”

Once a year, the group has a potluck in the parish hall along with a program of some kind. This past February, Fr. Solomon spoke about his family history, vocation story, and life in Nigeria.

“It was interesting to hear his history,” Kathy says.

For that gathering, the two Kathys asked all the ladies to bring a salad. Interestingly enough, there was no lettuce involved — the women brought all kinds of salads from fruit salad to bean salad to pasta salad.

“It was a lot of fun,” Kathy says. “I was really pleased with it. You never know what people are going to like but they’ll come out and try it anyway.”

Fr. Solomon presents at the annual potluck for the Ladies Out to Lunch Bunch group.

When Michael and Missy Lammers joined St. Mary’s 21 years ago, their family was at the center of their decision.

“Our oldest daughter, Emma, was a year away from kindergarten, and we knew we wanted a Catholic education for her,” Missy says. “We were parishioners at Most Holy Trinity at the time, but we knew we needed to be here. We were living the faith at home, and we wanted our children engrossed in the life of faith the eight hours a day that they were in school as well. St. Mary’s offered us that opportunity.”

The Lammers’ commitment to raising their family in the faith has remained strong over the years as they

Get to Know the Knights of Columbus

have raised seven children — the youngest of whom is currently in sixth grade at our parish school. In addition, our parish family has been greatly blessed by Michael and Missy’s commitment to live the faith. They have been an invaluable part of our parish family since they became members.

Immediately after joining St. Mary, Michael and Missy got involved in the youth group, a ministry they continue to lead today. They both are also heavily involved in numerous Bible studies and Michael participates in the Men of Prayer ministry.

“We both believe it is important to do everything we can to serve Christ and His Church,” Missy says.

Michael and Missy Lammers with six of their seven children.

Lammers Family

Family of the Month

“Being involved, living the faith at home, at our parish, and even at our jobs has been the greatest blessing of our lives.”

As you listen to Michael and Missy discuss their involvement and why they serve as much as they do, their humility radiates. It is clear they don’t do any of it for personal glory or personal gain.

In fact, they encourage all of us to find time to serve, assuring us all that we will be greatly blessed the more we do.

“God gives us all a purpose and a mission,” Missy says. “When we all use our personal talents when we all respond to God with our ‘yes,’ that is when we will set the world on fire for Him.”

Michael and Missy are incredible examples of Christian stewards. They challenge us by simply living their lives and offering themselves and their family to God, one “yes” at a time.

In an effort to acknowledge them for their constant service to their family and to the Church, the Knights of

Columbus recognized the Lammers family as the September 2022 Family of the Month. It is an honor that, while greatly deserved, Michael and Missy are humbled to accept.

“We are just open to doing what God asks of us,” Missy says. “We are like those first disciples. They were simple fishermen. We are simple people. We’re normal everyday workers. We just do our best to say ‘yes.’”

What a wonderful witness! May we all do our best to follow suit and say “yes” to the Lord every time we hear His calling.

Meet Seminarian Francisco J. Gamboa Félix

continued from front cover

to serve as a lay missionary in different parts of the United States, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland — ministering primarily to Spanish-speaking immigrants.

“These mission experiences helped me both to live out the universality of the Church and to discern my priestly vocation,” he says.

Although Francisco has found many blessings in the seminary, the biggest challenge is the daily surrender. But it also has its rewards.

“A priestly vocation is beyond our human capabilities,” he says. “We cannot do it alone. But we are not alone in this journey.”

Francisco’s sisters and parents all live in Mexico, and he most misses the food and the nice weather. He was raised Catholic and his mother’s side of the family includes several priests. She is of Lebanese, Turkish, and Syrian descent.

In his free time away from his studies at the seminary, Francisco enjoys going to the movies, walking long distances by the seminary campus, reading about history, and watching television dramas.

Francisco looks forward to visiting our parish and getting to know parishioners while sharing more about himself. He thanks everyone for their prayers and support. Be assured of his prayers for all of us!

“God gives us all a purpose and a mission. When we all use our personal talents when we all respond to God with our ‘yes,’ that is when we will set the world on fire for Him.” — Missy Lammers

“A priestly vocation is beyond our human capabilities. We cannot do it alone. But we are not alone in this journey.”

— Francisco J. Gamboa Félix

Divine Mercy Sunday and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

In the 1930s, Sr. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Most Blessed Sacrament, a Sister of Our Lady of Mercy, received a message from the Lord that she was to live her life as a model of Christ’s merciful love and spread Christ’s mercy throughout the world. She proceeded to offer up all of her personal sufferings in atonement for the sins of others. She kept a diary in which she wrote of God’s mercy, as well as about her special devotion to Mary Immaculate and to the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation, which gave her strength. Sr. Faustina’s diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul, serves as the handbook for the devotion to the Divine Mercy. In it, we read of the message of mercy that she received from Christ.

On April 30, 2000, Sr. Faustina Kowalska was canonized by Pope John Paul II. Then, on May 23, 2000, the Congregation for Divine Worship decreed that “throughout the world, the second Sunday of Easter will receive the name Divine Mercy Sunday, a perennial invitation to the Christian world to face, with confidence in divine benevolence, the difficulties and trials that humankind will experience in the years to come.”

On Divine Mercy Sunday — occurring this year on April 16 — all parishioners are encouraged to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, always remembering and practicing the essential “ABCs” of Divine Mercy:

V Ask for mercy

V Be merciful to others

V Completely trust in Jesus

How to Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet

“Chaplet” simply refers to the prayers counted on a rosary. The Lord said to St. Faustina, “You will recite this chaplet on the beads of the Rosary in the following Manner:”

Begin with:

One Our Father, one Hail Mary, and the Apostle’s Creed

“I want the whole world to know my infinite mercy. I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in my mercy” (Diary, 687).

On the “Our Father” beads, say: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

On the “Hail Mary” beads, say: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

In conclusion, three times recite these words: Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

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