St. Mary's Parish
A Beautiful Place to Pray
401.253.3300
admin@stmarybristolri.org
401.253.3300
admin@stmarybristolri.org
Click here to download a printable copy 
The best way to read the Ministry Handbook, is to download the book from the link provided. Of course, you can also pick one up inside the church when you come to Mass. Listed below is a brief sample of the book's contents.
Saint Mary’s Catholic Parish Mission Statement Following the example of our Patrons, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we are dedicated to prayer, community and education. Our goal as disciples is to continue the work of Jesus in our neighborhood. We invite and welcome all to journey with us as members of God’s Holy Family.
We Will Strive To… Be a more welcoming community of faith-filled people committed to knowing, loving and serving all God’s people. Support and strengthen the elements of parish life: worship, lay leadership, education, shared ministry, community service, evangelization, and social activities. Continue to offer additional ways parishioners might gather for liturgical services and adult education to encourage the deepening of our Catholic faith. Seek and develop an active, vital lay leadership to advocate our parish Mission and Vision within the various ministries. Enhance the education of our youth and guide their moral, spiritual and social growth by providing them with the example and means to be involved in the parish community. Be a more informed parish community by making use of current technology and the more traditional ways to communicate at all levels of parish life. Saint Mary’s Catholic Parish invites all its parishioners to participate in this Vision through the stewardship of their Time, Talent and Treasure.
Welcome Letter from Our Pastor, Father Barry
June 2014
Dear Friends in Christ,
Welcome to St. Mary’s Parish!
I am extremely grateful that you have decided to be part of this blessed, vibrant and dynamic Catholic community.
When I was assigned as Pastor to St. Mary’s in 1997 I knew that it was a very special place but I didn’t really know just how special. Over the years we have worked together to ensure that everyone who enters our church immediately realizes that “St. Mary’s Parish in Bristol is really something special.”
We have repaired our roof, our stained glass windows and our exterior. We have enhanced the beauty of our interior to a point where many call it ‘one of the most beautiful in the Diocese’. We added air conditioning, repaired the organ pipes and purchased a state of the art organ. We remodeled our church hall to accommodate our thriving CCD program and created a space where we can meet socially as a parish on a more regular basis. We have a Music Ministry that is the envy of the entire Diocese. In addition to all of this we continue to oversee the Catholic community on Prudence Island and their house of worship, Our Lady of Prudence Chapel that has also seen many capital improvements over the last couple of years. For all of this, and more, I am eternally grateful.
St. Mary’s continues to be an extremely active and involved parish both internally and in terms of our outreach to those in need.
This new St. Mary’s Ministry Handbook will make it easier for all of our parishioners to find a Ministry that suits their interests, talents and time limitations. I knew that we were an incredibly blessed and active parish but it wasn’t until I actually reviewed the depth and variety of our many Ministries that I realized it was time to create this Handbook.
You will find this Handbook very easy to use as an ongoing reference guide. We have included contact information, which will be updated as necessary, for each Ministry.
We also intend to hold a Ministry Fair from time to time in order to make it easier for you to learn more about each Ministry.
My thanks to the Parish Council for spearheading this important project. I know that we will all benefit a great deal from having this information so readily available.
Thanks for all that each of you do to help make St. Mary’s Parish such a very special place.
With gratitude,
Reverend Barry J. Gamache, Pastor
Letter from Parish Council
June 2014
Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Mary’s,
If you are reading this letter you are already aware of how much St. Mary’s Church in Bristol, RI has to offer and hopefully you have taken the time to become a registered member of our parish community.
As Bishop Tobin once noted so correctly; “St. Mary’s Church is one of the most physically beautiful churches in the entire Diocese of Providence”.
Couple that with our wonderful Pastor, our incomparable music ministry, the ongoing improvements to our physical plant, the quality of our Deacon and staff and the always welcoming arms of our community it is easy to see why our parish is thriving.
There is so much good going on at St. Mary’s that the Parish Council felt it important to make it easy for each and every parishioner to learn about and find a way to become more involved in a complete and easy to follow manner.
As you will see from this new Ministry Handbook the opportunities to get more involved are almost endless. There truly is something for everyone. Many of these ministries have come about as the result of a suggestion or someone’s experience at another parish. If you have a suggestion please speak up.
The important thing is to get involved in something besides attending Mass on Sunday. It is a wonderful way to make new friends, grow spiritually, experience the satisfaction of ‘giving back’ and exposing yourself to something new.
A great deal of time and effort has gone into developing this Ministry Handbook. Hold onto it and it will serve as an all-inclusive resource guide to what is offered at St. Mary’s.
The enclosed slip sheet will be updated as needed so that you will always have current contact information.
We hope that you enjoy this Handbook as much as we enjoyed preparing it for you.
Sincerely,
St. Mary’s Parish Council
Letter from Stewardship Council
June 2014
Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Mary’s,
This guide contains a listing of the Ministries and Organizations of Saint Mary’s. You will also find a brief outline which depicts the basic structure of the individual groups. Hopefully you will find this helpful as you give each of the ministries your prayerful consideration.
If you identify a ministry that interests you but fear that your schedule might not allow you to participate, please do not rule it out before speaking with someone directly related to the group. Many groups would be overjoyed with your interest and will attempt to work with you and accommodate your schedule.
As a stewardship parish we are committed to support our parishioners in their effort to give of their time and talent. Together we will strengthen our personal relationship with God by doing his work side by side, as he would have wanted.
Annually the Parish Stewardship Council hosts a Time and Talent Ministry Fair. All are welcome to come, meet and learn more about these opportunities. You may also contact any of the organizations directly throughout the year. A list of the contact information for our Ministries and Organizations is available on a separate sheet in this Ministry Handbook. It can also be found on the St. Mary’s Parish web site.
Respectfully,
St. Mary’s Stewardship Council
Saint Mary’s Parish Directory
Saint Mary’s Catholic Parish and Rectory
330 Wood St. • Bristol, RI 02809
FaceBook: www.facebook.com/StMaryBristol
Pastor: Reverend Barry J. Gamache
Assisting Clergy: Reverend John Wydeven
Deacons: Reverend Mr. Paul Bisbano and Reverend Mr. Bernard G. Theroux
Sexton: To Be Determined
Administrative Assistant and /Business Manager: Mr. David E. Barboza
Gr. 1-3; Gr. 4-6; Gr. 7-8; Gr. 9-10 (Confirmation Preparation)
Refer to Parish Ministry Contact List for specific names and contact information or this ministry.
SCHEDULES:
Mass Saturday: 4:00 PM (Sunday Vigil)
Sundays: 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30 AM
Monday - Friday
Morning Prayer: 7:45 AM
Morning Mass: 8:00 AM
Morning Rosary: 8:30 AM (Immediately after Mass)
Holy Day Mass Schedule: check Sunday Bulletin, visit Parish Website, FaceBook, or call Parish Office (401) 253-3300
Adoration: Wednesdays: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Reconciliation: Saturdays 3:30 PM or by appointment.
Baptism: The Sacrament of Baptism is conducted at the convenience of the family following the 4:00 PM or 11:30 AM Masses. Arrangements must be made in advance for required instruction. Godparents must present Sponsors Certificates from their respective parish.
Matrimony:
Couples should contact the office at least one year in advance. Be sure you have a confirmed date at the church before making any other arrangements.
There are many ministries and organizations in St. Mary's Parish. The follow is a list of all we offer in our parish. The actual handbook has a great deal of information on each. Feel free to download the handbook from the link provided on this page.
The Ministries and Organizations
Faith Formation
Scripture Study
Liturgical Ministries
Ministers of Hospitality
Social Outreach and Pastoral Care
Catholic Diocese of Providence, Rhode Island
Bishop: The Most Reverend Thomas Joseph Tobin
Location: 1 Cathedral Square • Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 278-4500
Website: www.dioceseofprovidence.org
Diocesan Newspaper: Rhode Island Catholic