Parishioners of SMM,
This year has been unprecedented due to Covid-19.  Many have missed opportunities to unite with friends and family and the Covid situation in not abating, we are sure to experience this through the holiday season.  One way to reconnect with your loved ones is to write them a Christmas Card, a special “Keep Christ in Christmas” Card from the Knights of Columbus.  This is a moment in our lives that we will never forget.  not only allows you to connect from the heart, but also provides invaluable resources your Knights will use to help those in need during this critical time.  This is a moment in our lives that we will never forget.  Keep it special.  Send a message and a Keep Christ in Christmas card this year.

The order must be submitted by December 4 or earlier.

Delivery / Pick up will be by appointment only.

If you have any questions, please contact John Michalewicz at
jmichalewicz@icloud.com or  770-328-7772 (text or voice mail).

To download the order form click here.

Card #1 Old Masters (12 cards w/envelopes) $11.50	Card #2 Christmas Love (15 cards) $7	Card #3 Christmas Joy (15 cards)  $8
Card #4 Peace on Earth (12 cards) $9	Card #5 Old Masters (12 cards w/envelopes) $10.50	Card #6 Saint Frances “Prayer for Peace” (15 cards) $12
Card #7 Holy Family (16 cards) $8	Card #8 Holy Family (16 cards) $8	Card #9 The Nativity (16 cards) $8.50
Card #10 Star of Bethlehem  (16 cards) $11.50	Card #11 Saint Nicholas’ Gift (15 cards) $10	Card #12 Madonna of the Chair $12 (Picture not available)
Car Magnet #13 Christ in Christmas $4 each	Car Magnet #15 Holy Family  $4 each	Yard Signs #16 Keep Christ in Christmas 24″ x 20″ Blue/Green/Red $20 each w/stand

Please mark your calendars and plan accordingly.

We will not have weekday Masses or Communions Service

Monday, November 9 – Friday, November 20, 2020.

SMM Council of Catholic Women’s
Annual Poinsettia Sale

EVEN THOUGH IT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE CHRISTMAS…
The Council of Catholic Women invite you to participate in our annual poinsettia fundraiser!  Available varieties are red, red glitter, white and pink, in either 6 ½” or 10” pots.  These are high quality plants from Coweta Greenhouses ready for pickup on December 5, 9 am – 10 am, in the church parking lot.

This year, we will not be taking orders in the narthex.

To order online, click here. 

 If you prefer a manual order form, contact Kathy Holcomb.

The last day to order is November 23.  This sale supports the charitable works and operating expenses of SMMCCW.  For more information about the sale, or to get a form, call or text Kathy Holcomb at 513.850.1888 or email kaholcomb75@gmail.com.

Thank you in advance for supporting our sale!

On the 5th Anniversary of Laudato Si’, the global Church has been invited to participate in a world day of solidarity and prayer.

2020 marks the 5th anniversary of the release of Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. A global Laudato Si’ Week will be observed May 16-24 of this year to celebrate the continuing impact and implementation of the encyclical.

To coincide with this global observance, the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Laudato Si’ Green Mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 20, at 12:00 p.m. It will be livestreamed online from the St. Dominic Chapel at the Chancery. Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv. will serve as the principal celebrant.
All are welcome to participate virtually at http://www.livestream.com/archatl.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Knowing how much Catholics everywhere are yearning to return to the Eucharist and to gather once again in our churches, we must communicate that, having struggled with our decision, we believe that we must yet maintain the current practice of sheltering in place. With input and support from the priests of both the Archdiocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Savannah, we are, for the safety of all Georgia residents, not authorizing the return to congregating at churches or making our churches available for devotions. This determination extends through the month of May. If the sheltering-in-place and social distancing guidelines are altered significantly during this time, we will reexamine the possibility of congregating at churches.

We took many factors into account in coming to this conclusion. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation has been updating data daily and providing guidance on when next steps might be safe. Their current report on Georgia indicates that waiting until June to shift social distancing strategies would be the best course of action.

Many of our priests fall into the high-risk category for this virus, as do a good number of the faithful. In addition to that, priests are reluctant to put their congregations at risk. With more than 200 churches and more than one million Catholics in the state of Georgia, in a great variety of circumstances, we are not able to offer a workable strategy that could apply throughout our diverse population.

If one church offers a unique liturgy or devotion, it might be flooded with attendees. Normally that would be a welcome response, but in the current environment this would not respect the need to remain, for safety’s sake, in place. The same is true for drive-through services and devotions. Parishes that could accommodate a drive-through service or reconciliation for their own members would not be able to safely accommodate the additional people from surrounding communities.

We will take the time from now until we do resume regular liturgies and sacraments to carefully plot the conditions–including matters of numerical management, required spacing, and sanitation–under which churches may safely return to offering regular gatherings. The dispensation from Saturday or Sunday Mass attendance is, of course, still applicable, although Catholics are expected to avail themselves of the virtual Mass each week.

Preserving the bonds of parish life is particularly important, even as we see evidence of the strengthening of family worship and devotion in our homes. Parishes are reaching out to the elderly and homebound, which we heartily endorse. Providing encouragement, especially in light of the protracted absence from normal activities, is a proper work of mercy.

Parish catechetical activities such as Parish Schools of Religion or other faith formation opportunities should be offered digitally. Both Arch/Diocesan staff and Parish staff have put together resources for both catechetical leaders and families to use, and they are updating their website resource pages almost daily.

The employees of the Chanceries will continue their working remotely and parishes are strongly encouraged to do likewise.

This is an unprecedented time in history, and we hardly imagined a time when we would have to weigh our Church’s spiritual progress against the brute necessities of general health and survival. But, we live in the reality of Easter, and even now we rejoice in the goodness of God and the saving grace of the Risen Lord. May the ever-new and ever-wondrous Paraclete, the Spirit of all truth, sustain us in hope and keep us united in the confession of our Catholic belief.

Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM, Conv.
Bishop of Savannah/Archbishop-designate of Atlanta

Bishop Joel M. Konzen, S.M.
Diocesan Administrator

Bishop Bernard Shlesinger, III
Auxiliary Bishop

From Fr. Terry:

I agree with the bishops that this is a difficult but correct decision.  We are all suffering because of the loss of Eucharist and community, but we need to be responsible and do everything we can to protect the most vulnerable among us.  Please pray that the effects of the pandemic are smaller and over quicker than predicted.  

Our parish has adapted well to physical distancing and offer many ways to stay in touch with our community even though we cannot meet in person. 

God bless you and stay safe!