For information about any of St. Mary’s ministries please contact us.

• Acolytes
  Acolytes vest (put on robes), light the candles on the altar, lead the procession into the church at the beginning of the service, and assist the clergy in preparing the altar for communion. At the end of the service, acolytes lead the procession out of the church and extinguish the candles.
• Altar Guild
  The Altar Guild prepares all things necessary for the conduct and celebration of public worship. This includes Sunday morning and Saturday evening liturgies, regular mid-week services, funerals, weddings, special services such as Christmas Eve and Day services, and the liturgies of Holy Week and Easter. The preparations are done reverently and prayerfully so that all services may proceed in order and beauty to the glory of God in Jesus Christ. Altar Guild members work alone or in pairs to set up, wash, and put away the Eucharistic service set; they change the linens and colors on the altar and elsewhere in the church to reflect the seasons of the Church year.
• Eucharistic Ministers
  Eucharistic Ministers are specially trained and licensed to serve communion wine during public liturgies. They vest prior to the service, process in, and serve consecrated wine at the altar during communion.
• Flower Guild
  The beauty of nature helps us sing God’s praises and to rejoice in the splendor of God’s creation while we worship. Volunteers are assigned to arrange flowers for weekend services and other special services during the year. Training sessions are available.
• Lectors and Intercessors
  • Lectors are responsible for reading the lessons in worship services. Responsibilities include attending a training session and reading the assigned lessons during the week to become familiar with the text. By taking this role seriously and performing professionally, lectors proclaim God’s word to the faithful such that they might hear it and be changed.
  • Intercessors lead the Prayers of the People. The act of prayer, especially in communal form, is the bedrock of our identity as Christians.
• Healing Prayers Ministry
  During the 10 a.m. service, the Lady Chapel is be open for healing prayers during communion. A prayer minister will be available to offer quiet, confidential prayers for healing and wholeness for yourself or others.
• Ushers & Greeters
  Ushers provide a ministry of hospitality and assistance to all worshippers, giving extra attention and help to visitors or those with special needs. Hospitality is paramount in our Christian faith, where to welcome strangers and regulars alike is akin to welcoming Jesus himself into our midst. Duties include distributing worship bulletins to those entering the church, collecting the offering, and guiding worshippers to communion.

Hospitality is an integral part of the Mission of St. Mary’s. Hosting fellowship hour after the 10 a.m. service is a great way to meet others. As host, you and a companion provide store-bought or homemade finger food. Our sexton makes the coffee, sets up and cleans up. There is a sign-up sheet on the sunroom bulletin board and online via our e-newsletter.

Parishioners at the 8 a.m. service hold a monthly coffee hour following the service on the 1st Sunday of each month. There is a potluck meal after the 5pm service on the 3rd Saturday of each month and a reception with light refreshments following the 5pm Saturday Taizé  service, which is the 1st Saturday each month.

The Welcome Ministry welcomes new individuals, couples or families interested in the activities of our parish. Our mission is reaching out to new attendees from all three of our services and then following up with personal calls and/or meetups. Members of the ministry meet bi-monthly. Several newcomer receptions are hosted in parishioners’ homes and at church throughout the year. Volunteers assist this ministry by hosting events in their homes, and helping at parish events, such as the Summer Cookout, Homecoming Weekend and holiday gatherings. Contact: Maggie Lubov at maggielubov@gmail.com

Buildings & Grounds Committee

The Buildings & Grounds Committee ensures that the physical spaces of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church are safe, beautiful, functional, and welcoming to all. This team oversees the maintenance, repair, and improvement of our buildings, grounds, and equipment, helping to create an environment where ministry and community can thrive.

Members of the ministry work with the rector, parish staff, and contractors to:

• Monitor and plan for regular maintenance and upkeep
• Organize seasonal workdays and parish-wide cleanups
• Evaluate repair needs and improvement projects
• Support sustainability and energy efficiency goals
• Help prioritize capital projects and budgeting for the future

Whether you’re handy with tools, have an eye for landscaping, or simply want to help care for our sacred space, there’s a place for you on this vital ministry team.

At St. Mary’s we have been blessed by God-for our grounds, for the vision of Rev. Nicholson, and by the labor of many caring and knowledgeable volunteers through the decades. The Garden Ministry’s mission is to maintain and improve upon this vision, as well as to offer others the chance to see God’s glory in the natural world.

There is a committee meeting once a month followed by a monthly workday in the garden, as the seasons require. New volunteers are encouraged to participate in the garden workdays when possible. The ministry benefits from new members with a variety of skills – no previous gardening knowledge or experience is required.

St. Mary’s Choir 
The Choir at St. Mary’s celebrates the joy of making music together in God. We gather each week and share our voices for the 10 a.m. Sunday service. The overall goal of the choir is to glorify God through music that inspires and uplifts us, helping to bring our parish family closer together. Rehearsals are Wednesdays from 6:15 – 7:30 pm and Sundays at 9:15am.

St. Mary’s Organ
The organ at St. Mary’s was built in 1986 by the firm of Karl Wilhelm, Inc., Mont St. Hilaire, Québec, Canada as their Opus 109 (Wilhelm’s first organ in Massachusetts). The organ consists of 20-stops and 23-ranks of pipes…a total of 1,184 pipes…played via mechanical key and stop-action from an attached keydesk of 2 manuals / 56-notes and a flat pedalboard of 30-notes. The natural keys with their bone facings and the sharps of rosewood, together with the drawknobs of rosewood, provide a contrast to the stained and oiled oak of the case. The casework is made of white oak joined by rabbeting or tongue-and-groove methods. There are no nails or screws to join the case together, nor any metal framework or supports for the organ case. The carved pipeshades recall with their design the carvings of the earlier reredos behind the previous altar. Metal pipework is made of varying percentages of tin and lead, while wooden pipework is made of white oak. On-site final tonal regulation was accomplished by Martin Pasi and Karl Wilhelm. The organ received its dedicatory recital by Wolfgang Rübsam on 25 February 1987. In 2002, the organ was rededicated to the glory of God and named in honor of the Rev. David E. Allen on the occasion of his retirement as Rector (1979-2002).