In the vestibule of our church we have three different media racks:
- The first contains a collection of Catholic books and small booklets of spiritual interest which are made available for purchase using the envelope provided.
- The second media rack displays a variety of captivating audio CDs from the Augustine Institute. Funds from the sale of these CDs support the Knights of Columbus pro-life campaign.
- The third rack is for pamphlets covering an assortment of topics such as prayer, vocations, and religious education. Materials on this pamphlet rack are offered free of charge to parishioners and visitors to the church.
You are invited to browse the books, CDs, and pamphlets before or after Mass, when looking for a Catholic gift, or for your own use. Donate your gently used Catholic books for the book rack by bringing them to the Parish Office. Suggest a title if you have Catholic favorites.
If you are interested in more involvement in the Book Rack ministry, we invite you to join our small group of volunteers who shop for materials from Pauline Books & Media and from select online sites. Please contact Ann Mika via email for more information.
Members of the Collection Processing Group sort and count the regular collections and second collections from the Sunday Masses and funds from the the Poor Box, candle donations and the Book Rack. Most work is completed Sunday morning, beginning after the 7:30 AM Mass.
Counters hold a sacred trust to ensure the security of each donation made to the parish and the integrity of the deposit made to the bank. If you would like to join us, please contact Virginia Farrier via email for more information or to join this ministry.
Resting on the principals of charity, unity, and fraternity, the Knights of Columbus were formed to render financial aid to members of the Catholic Church and their families. Mutual aid and assistance are offered to sick, disabled, and needy members and their families. Social and intellectual fellowship is promoted among members and their families through educational, charitable, religious, social welfare, war relief, and public relief works.
The Knights of Columbus has grown from several members in one council to 15,342 councils and 1.9 million members throughout the United States, Canada, the Philippines, Mexico, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, Cuba, Guatemala, Guam, Saipan, Lithuania, Ukraine, and South Korea.
Our local council–founded in 1986–at St. Lawrence Catholic Church is Council #9407. All Catholic men 18 years and older who are in Communion with the Holy See are invited to join.
Here at St. Lawrence, the Knights organize and run many activities, including the Parish Family Breakfast held on the first Sunday of every month (except in July and August), the annual Parish Picnic, the summer cook-outs, the Easter Egg Hunt, the Living Rosary, parish dinners, the ushers program, KOVAR (collection for those with intellectual disabilities), the annual Senior’s Christmas Luncheon, a wreath laying ceremony at the Memorial for the Unborn in the Church garden, and much more! WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH THE ACTIVITIES!
All of the good works we do are informed by our four core principles:
- Charity
Our Catholic faith teaches us to “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” Knights recognize that our mission, and our faith in God, compels us to action. There is no better way to experience love and compassion than by helping those in need, a call we answer every day. - Unity
None of us is as good as all of us. Members of the Knights of Columbus all know that–together–we can accomplish far more than any of us could individually. - Fraternity
The Knights were founded, in large part, to provide assistance to the widows and children left behind when the family breadwinner died. The Order’s top-rated insurance program continues to do this today, as do individual Knights, who last year gave more than 10 million hours of their time nationally. - Patriotism
Members of the Knights of Columbus are patriotic citizens. We are proud of our devotion to God and country, and believe in standing up for both.
If you are interested in becoming a Knight, please visit the Council #9407 website or contact the Grand Knight. He will provide you with further details regarding the process for joining us, as well as information about our various activities and charitable works.
St. Lawrence welcomes all males grade 5 and older and who have received the Sacraments of Confession and First Holy Communion to train for and serve as a Knight of the Altar. These boys serve Our Lord at the altar and assist the priests at weekly Masses, Funerals, Weddings, Feast days and various special liturgical events throughout the year. Special training is provided before a boy begins serving at the altar.
The Need for Servers
When vocations were abundant in the early 20th century, most men who entered the priesthood had been altar servers at the Traditional Latin Mass in their youth. It was a sacred privilege and honor. In 1905, speaking to altar servers, the Archbishop of Westminster, Bernard Cardinal Griffen said, “To serve at the altar…is, next to the priesthood, the highest privilege which a human can enjoy.”
Traditionally, altar boys have been recruited, trained, and nurtured in their faith by the priests of the parish who prepared the boys to serve at the altar. Boys saw and felt the holiness, reverence, dedication, and humility of their clerical mentors and many received their priestly vocation as a result. We are blessed to have equally good and holy priests in our parish today, yet the Church in our diocese and throughout the world is faced with a serious shortage of priests.
Serving at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with a holy priest will help foster an increase in vocations. We invite young men and boys to consider becoming altar servers and to speak with our Pastor about it. Parents are encouraged to discuss the benefits with their sons and prayerfully to encourage them to consider this great service to the Church.
Benefits of Becoming an Altar Server
In addition to a possible vocation, there are many benefits to becoming an altar server. The altar server is given a divine privilege, one above all earthly honors, in being permitted to serve within the sanctuary at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. The sacred duties of the altar server requires of him the greatest reverence in the sanctuary, the deepest attention to his duties, and the most zealous preparation for all his liturgical actions. He must always strive to conduct himself worthily in this position, a position to which even the angels of heaven cannot aspire. Serving in this capacity and in this manner, he
- edifies the congregation which looks to him as an example of the proper disposition for assisting at Mass,
- develops a strong devotion to Our Lord, the Mass and the Holy Eucharist and
- becomes well disciplined with a strong sense of responsibility.
If you are interested in having your son become a server, please contact Matt Chapman via email.
The Legion of Mary is one of the largest apostolic organizations of lay people in the Catholic Church, with well over 3 million active members in almost every country of the world. The Legion has been active in the United States since 1931, has been approved by the last 6 Popes, and was endorsed by the Second Vatican Council. The main purpose of the Legion of Mary is the glory of God through the holiness of its members developed by prayer and active apostolic work.
Members become instruments of the Holy Spirit through a balanced program of prayer and service. Works done by members include door-to-door evangelization, new parishioner visitation, visitation of the sick or aged, shut-ins and the bereaved, religious education, home enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and meeting the other spiritual needs of the parish community. Legionaries are under the guidance of a Spiritual Director named by the Pastor.
Active members meet each week for an hour and a half. Working in pairs, members perform two hours of assigned work each week under the guidance of the Spiritual Director. Auxiliary Members support the work of the active members by praying daily the Holy Rosary and the Legion prayers.
Please come visit us to see if this is what Our Lady may be calling you to do for Her and Her Son. The St. Lawrence Legion of Mary–Our Lady of Mercy Praesidium—meets each Tuesday evening at 7:30 PM in Hammond Hall.
For more general information about the Legion of Mary, please contact the Parish Office.
The men of St. Lawrence parish go on retreat each year during Lent at Loyola Retreat House in Southern Maryland, just south of La Plata, MD, about a one- hour drive from the parish. St Lawrence men have been attending retreats at Loyola since it was opened in 1958.
The retreat is held in silence and is based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola and includes generous amounts of time for prayer, personal reflection, and the cultivation of a deep relationship with God. Each year the retreat focuses on a different theme. It begins Friday evening with the Sacrament of Penance and closes with Holy Mass on Sunday.
Each retreatant is free to structure the weekend to suit his own personal needs. Everyone has a private room with a half bath. Loyola is situated on a bluff overlooking the Potomac River and is surrounded by 235 acres of rolling woodland. The retreat house itself is air-conditioned, with 2 Chapels, comfortable lounges and sitting rooms. There is also a small fitness room, bookstore, and hiking trails. There are two outdoor Stations of the Cross pathways for prayer on the property. Internet access is available in the main retreat house.
Take some time to “Come Away and Rest Awhile” and spend some prime time with God during the Lenten season to prepare wonderfully for the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus on Easter Sunday.
Loyola also provides weekends for women’s retreats, and women are strongly encouraged to attend, even though there is not presently an organized group of women from St Lawrence that attends on a regular basis. For more information on this weekend experience or Retreat dates and opportunities please contact Mark Krause at 703-971-4378 or via email.
One of the ministries of the Council of Catholic Women is to make Rosaries for the missions, military, and parishioners. Members meet on the first Tuesday of the month in Hammond Hall at 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. We will teach how to make a Rosary if you don’t know how, and we provide the materials.
If you have any questions or would like to join us at 703-971-4378 or via email.
The Apostolate of Our Lady of Fatima is a Church approved Catholic Lay Association, more than 50 years old, founded to spread the message of Our Lady of Fatima. For more information, please visit the Apostolate’s website here.
The St Lawrence Fatima Prayer Cell meets on Wednesday mornings after the 9:00 a.m. Mass. If you would like more information, or are interested in joining us, please contact the Parish Office.