Each Wednesday after the 8:30 AM Mass, parishioners are invited to gather in the rectory for bagels and coffee. At this time they visit informally with Father John and one another. This activity is meant to promote fellowship and enrich the sense of community.
St. Margaret Mary offers Bereavement Support Groups on an as needed basis to the parish members as well as anyone in the surrounding community. Currently we offer a support group. Compassionate Friends, which focuses on parents who have experienced the loss of a child. We can be of assistance in offering referrals to other groups that may better support the needs of the family looking for comfort. It is our belief that only through both mourning a loss and grieving the life changes that accompany that loss can the healing process begin. We believe in the remembering of the loved one and the supporting of those left behind. We can also offer one‑on‑one support for those not yet ready to share in a group setting. Grief is a natural part of death and cannot be put aside for another day. You will learn that you are not alone and that many others share the same difficulties you do.
The members of the Communications Committee maintain the Parish website. They issue a monthly newsletter and a calendar of parish events that are published as an insert to the bulletin. The Communications Committee serves as a consultant to help publicize activities sponsored by individual parish committees and serves as the primary source for publicity for major parish wide events.
The mission of the St. Margaret Mary Child Care Center is to provide a Christian environment where children will feel safe, comfortable, and secure away from home. This provides an opportunity for children to learn to interact and share; to respect themselves and others; to establish a good self-image; to develop mentally, emotionally, and physically; and most of all to have FUN!
Day care (licensed by the PA State Department of Public Welfare) is available for preschool and young school age children Monday - Friday, 6:30 AM - 5:30 PM all year long, with certain holiday exceptions. Drop-in day care is also available.
Diocesan approved preschool and kindergarten classes are available Monday through Friday in two sessions (9:30 AM - 12:00 PM) and (12:30 PM - 3:00 PM). For more information, please contact the St. Margaret Mary Child Care Center.
Once a month, following Sunday Mass, coffee, juice and donuts are served in the Parish Social Hall. "Donut Sundays" are announced in the church bulletin. Parish members meet to visit and welcome new parishioners.
There are people in the Parish who are in need of friendship and spiritual help when they are homebound, in hospitals, or nursing homes. Parishioners assist the Pastor by visiting them and distributing Holy Eucharist to the Homebound / Nursing Homes.
The fellowship ministry was designed to promote a sense of community among parishioners of all ages. Special activities and events provide an opportunity for parish members to relax, reflect and enjoy each other’s company forming lasting relationships. These gatherings encourage mutual sharing and support among a diverse group based on shared Catholic values. Activity details are announced in the bulletin and the calendar of events on this website.
The service of providing a luncheon in the social hall of the church for funeral attendees is offered to every member of our parish, free of charge, although donations are accepted and appreciated. Now that many families are living all over the country, it makes it exceedingly difficult to extend a family’s time together with friends and neighbors following a funeral. When a death occurs in a family, this is a perfect time for our extended parish family to help relieve some of the stress and to show our sense of caring as Jesus asks of us. This work of mercy usually consists of a few hours of time and makes us the heart and hands of the parish family.
The goal of the Health Team is to aid the pastor in visiting parishioners who are hospitalized in Sewickley Valley Hospital. A member of the health team visits the hospital each day for the purpose of providing spiritual support and prayers, as well as assessing the need for referral of the parishioner to other parish support services. Prayer cards expressing the support of the pastor and parish community are distributed during these visits.
This group provides support, be it an attentive ear, an open heart, or a helping hand, to those parishioners in need of help in such temporal areas as health services, nursing care, nursing facilities, utilities, or housing. This group also sponsors the Health Fair in the fall. Flu shots and health screenings are available to members of the community. In addition, Helping Hands provides health education on timely topics. Announcements are made in the church bulletin and local newspapers regarding the Health Fair and health education programs.
The Parish Finance Council serves as an advisory body to the pastor and the Parish Pastoral Council in the administration and stewardship of parish finances, budget, parish facilities and long-range financial development. Mandated by Canon Law, Parish Financial Councils, like Pastoral Councils are consultative bodies.
The 3 to 5 member Financial Council are appointed by the Pastor on the basis of their expertise in matters related to accounting and finance, development, budget, engineering and law.
The Finance Council and the Pastoral Council function independently but it is essential that they communicate with one another in furthering the parish mission. A member of the Finance Council attends Pastoral Council meetings to assure continued sharing of information.
The members of the St. Margaret Mary Parish Finance Council are listed in the Parish Directory on this site.
The Second Vatican Council called for the creation of Parish Pastoral Councils. In the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, #26, we read: "In dioceses, as far as possible, councils should be set up to assist the Church's apostolic work, whether in the field of evangelization and sanctification or in the fields of charity, social relations and the rest... The role of Parish Pastoral Council is, through ongoing pastoral planning, to maintain the integrity of the parish mission and the goals and objectives related to it. Within this new model, programs and events continue to take place in the parish through the efforts of many dedicated parishioners, always in the context of the parish mission and its pastoral plan."
The members of the St. Margaret Mary Parish Pastoral Council are listed in the Parish Directory on this site.
Approximately eighty members of the parish have formed a prayer line and commit to praying daily for requested intentions. Requests are kept confidential. Members are invited to gather in the church on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 PM for a formal prayer service. Please check the church bulletin to be sure there is an announcement regarding the Prayer Line. Occasionally, the date will change due to other activities in the church. If you have a prayer request for any intention or would like to join St. Margaret Mary's Prayer Line, please call one of the facilitators.
Church members provide meals to St. Margaret Mary parishioners for a limited time during periods of injury, illness, or special needs.
The role of the Social Justice Committee is to identify, investigate and respond to issues and events that compromise Catholic teaching on the role of the Church community to protect the human rights of all peoples. All parishioners are invited to participate in matters relative to the action of this committee. For additional information or to voice a concern, please contact the Social Justice Committee.
Parishioners provide an informative and welcoming visit to those who have recently joined the parish. They also deliver information packets about St. Margaret Mary Parish to new members.