Church of St. Mary

Please see our Christmas Mass Schedule. All Masses (except for one 4pm Mass) will be in the auditorium.

Tomorrow at 7pm (St. Mary, East Islip or on Facebook), please join us for an evening of prayer and reflection with Fr. Alfred.

My dear friends, By this time, many will have met me at Mass or in the office. I am Father Anthony Iaconis, your new pastor. I arrived on July 1st along with Fr. John Crozier, a newly ordained priest for our diocese. Our parish said good-bye to Fr. Jamie and welcomed Fr. Charles Gnanapragasam. Poor Fr. Alfred’s head is still spinning with all these new guys around. Anyway, I have some good news and bad news for our parish. The good news is that Father Don is officially re...tired on November 1st. The bad news is that he will be leaving us at the end of November. I arrived at St. Peter’s in 2007 while Fr. Peterson was pastor here at St. Mary’s, so I have seen the many great things and challenges Fr. Don has done and addressed since arriving in 2008. It has only been in the last few years that I have gotten to know Fr. Don better. Often when a new pastor comes in, the former pastor has moved on to a new assignment or new residence. Having Fr. Don around for the transition has been a great help. He has helped me to know parishioners and the administrative workings of the parish. He has celebrated weekday and Sunday Masses, and sadly he has presided over the funerals of a few prominent parishioners in the last few months. I am grateful to Fr. Don for the excellent staff he has formed over the years. I have had the chance to meet our Parish Trustees and the Parish Finance Council, and in a few weeks, I hope to meet the Parish Pastoral Council. Together with the Pastoral Staff, Trustees, Finance Committee, Pastoral Council, and parishioners, we are well prepared to continue to in our parish motto, Sharing the Gospel with others. Priests never really retire. We retire from administrative obligations, but we never retire from ministry. I am sure wherever Fr. Don is, he will continue to bring God’s grace and peace to those he meets each day. Many will want to thank Fr. Don for his ministry and wish him well in his retirement. Usually, we would have a grand party for such an occasion, but COVID has dampened many celebrations since March. Therefore, we will have to put a party off for another time. Fr. Don is okay with the delay. Should you wish to leave him a card or note for him, the Rectory office will be sure he gets them. Fr. Don, On behalf of the entire St. Mary’s parish family, we thank you for bringing Christ to us in the Eucharist and other sacraments, for your pastoral presence, for leading our parish these past twelve years, and for your friendship. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother, Mary, we pray God will grant blessings for your dedicated and faithful service to his people, an increase in health, and many years of happiness in your retirement. Fraternally, Anthony. God love you, Fr. Anthony PS: Don’t forget to Vote. Voting is a moral responsibility for Catholic.

SAINT OF THE DAY St. John of the Cross (15421591) was born to a poor family in Old Castile, Spain. His father married below his rank and was disinherited as a result. After his father's early death, John was raised in poverty by his mother. He studied and served at a local hospital while committing himself to severe penances. Uncertain of his life's direction, he was told in prayer that he should enter religious life in order to bring reform. John joined the ancient Carmeli...te Order and received permission to observe their original rule of life, quickly earning a reputation for his humility, obedience, and religious fervor. He later met St. Teresa of Avila, a reforming Carmelite abbess who recognized the greatness of John's virtue and requested his assistance to found a monastery of friars under the primitive Carmelite rule, as she had done for her nuns. Together they founded the Discalced Carmelites, a contemplative order of strict religious observance. His reforms began to spread, and as a result John was captured, imprisoned, and physically abused by his fellow friars. His sufferings helped him to write his most famous work, Dark Night of the Soul. After nine months he made a miraculous escape and he went on to found and govern several Carmelite monasteries. St. John of the Cross became an authority on the spiritual life, and his profound writings and poetry are considered among the greatest of all Spanish literature. Because of his invaluable writings he was named a Doctor of the Church and the patron saint of mystics, contemplatives, and Spanish poets. His feast day is December 14th. See more

SAINT OF THE DAY St. Martin de Porres (1569-1639) was born in Lima, Peru. He was the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman and a freed slave woman from Panama, of either African or Native American descent. His parents never married. For the first eight years of his life his father did not acknowledge him, and abandoned the family after Martin's sister was born. St. Martin de Porres was raised in poverty with the societal stigma of being mix-raced. As a young man he served a...s an assistant to a barber-surgeon where he learned medicine and the care of the sick. When he was 15 he joined the Dominican friars as a helper, eventually becoming a Lay Brother which at the time was forbidden for the children of slaves by Peruvian law. He took on the work of nursing the sick in the Dominican infirmary as well as the sick among the townspeople, even giving a sick man his own bed. He was also made almoner, and begged money to assist his work with the poor and sick. He founded an orphanage, tended to slaves brought from Africa, and dispensed alms to the needy. His prayers and penances were so great that he soon demonstrated miraculous powers. In addition to healing the sick, his other miracles were bi-location, levitation, hidden knowledge, and the ability to communicate with animals. Word of his sanctity spread and people from all walks of life came to him for spiritual direction. St. Martin de Porres is the patron saint of social justice, bi-racial people, African-Americans, hairdressers, barbers, public education, public health, and the poor. His feast day is November 3rd. See more

Rejoice!!! 3rd Sunday of Advent - Gaudete Sunday

Where are the Others? Bishop John Barres’ Statement on the 20th Anniversary of the Proclamation of St. Thomas More as the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians Read: https://www.drvc.org/stthomasmore

Don't forget...when you come to Mass, you must: - wear a mask that covers both your nose and your mouth - keep an appropriate distance from those not in your household - you should sanitize your hands frequently. Most importantly, if you are feeling ill in any way, PLEASE DO NOT COME TO MASS. There is NO OBLIGATION to attend Mass in these days.... Let’s continue to pray for all those who are sick, for the swift distribution and success of the vaccine, and for an end to this pandemic. See more

The Third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete (Rejoice) Sunday. Advent is a penitential season of abstinence, sacrifice, and prayer in order to prepare our souls for the advent or coming of the Lord. On Gaudete Sunday we celebrate that our hopeful anticipation for the coming of Christ at Christmas is almost over. Rose is the liturgical color used to signify joy, therefore we light the rose Advent candle on the third Sunday of Advent and the priests wear rose vestments. Gaudete Sunday corresponds to Laetare Sunday during the season of Lent.

We remember our deceased loved ones this evening. The Mass for All Souls will be LIVESTREAMED at 7:30pm on Facebook. Join us as we pray for those who have died during the past year.

November 2nd is All Souls Day, sometimes called the Day of the Dead. On this day, and during the month of November, the Church prays in a special way for the souls of the faithful departed, and individuals pray especially for those whom they have known and loved. The Holy Souls in purgatory died in the mercy of God, thus they are called "holy." However, because they still had attachment to sin at the time of their death, they must undergo the spiritual purification of their s...ouls before they are able to fully love God with their whole heart, mind, and soul for all eternity. As they are nevertheless part of the communion of saints, they depend upon us to help ease their suffering and quickly advance them through their purification so that they can join the saints in heaven. Those in purgatory cannot pray for themselves, this is why they are also called "poor." They can no longer merit anything for themselves and rely entirely on living souls to pray and make sacrifices on their behalf. See more

Today is All Saints day. Join us at mass today... 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, 12 PM, and 5 PM in the auditorium or 10:30AM (Live-stream).

Don't forget - we turn the clocks back one hour this weekend...

Thi weekend we celebrate All Saint's Day (usually a Holy Day of Obligation). Check out this short video to learn about this Solemnity. May the Saints choicest blessings be showered upon you...

All Hallow’s Eve, or Halloween, is the vigil of All Saints (All Hallows) Day, which is a major feast on the liturgical calendar and a Holy Day of Obligation. Halloween (October 31st) is connected with All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd). These three days are the Days of the Dead, a triduum also known as Allhallowtide or Hallowmas, reminding the faithful of the reality of heaven and hell; the communion of saints; and our obligation to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

Thinking of our homebound parishioners and those not ready yet to come back to church. We want you to know we love you, we miss you, and we are here for you. Please be assured of our prayers...