WELCOME to St. Mary's Parish, Cochrane

• NEW posture changes at Mass, as directed by Bishop Henry (part of the New Translation of the Roman Missal), mainly involve the section of Mass from the Offertory up to and including the Reception of Communion. Click here for info.
  
  
• St. Mary's is YOUR parish community. To build the kind of community you'd like us to be, get involved—sign up in a parish ministry. Click here.
  
  
• For your OPEN INVITATION from Father Bill click here.

Our LOCATION

St. Mary's
Catholic Church
on
River Heights Dr.
Cochrane, Alberta

Get Directions
click here.

We are just south of the town and east off Hwy 22 at James Walker Tr.

Confessions & Adoration

Saturday 11 am - 12 noon
or by appointment

MASS TIMES:

WEEKEND Masses

• Saturday: 5:00pm
  and
  Sunday:10:00am

WEEKDAY Masses

• Tuesday & Wednesday:
  7:00 pm
• Thursday & Friday:
• 9:00 am
  
  
• Also at Mt. St. Francis:
• Tues - Fri 11:15 am

If a funeral is scheduled,
the weekday Mass
at St. Mary's
may be cancelled.

Are You NEW to the PARISH?

We extend a warm welcome to all our new parishioners. Please take a moment to print and fill out the New Parishioner's REGISTRATION FORM. This is a sure way to make certain you are included in Parish communications. You can scan and e-mail or FAX the form to our Secretary or drop the hard copy into the collection basket next time you come to Mass.

If you would like to become actively involved in our parish community, you may do so through a ministry. Just browse through MINISTRIES for ideas. For a brochure about Catholic Stewardship and ways to participate click here. Print a VOLUNTEER/STEWARDSHIP sign-up FORM and place the completed form in the collection basket at Mass or drop it off at the Parish Office.

The NEW Translation of the ROMAN MISSAL: Its Implementation

As of ADVENT 2011 (November 27, 2011) we will notice some changes at Mass. Under the direction of The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in consultation with the Vatican, the prayers of the liturgy have been newly translated to more accurately reflect the literal rendering in English from the original Latin texts. In addition, Bishop Henry has directed several changes in posture during the 'Offertory' to 'Reception of Communion' times of the Mass. Click here for info and also here. The changes take effect on the First Sunday of Advent, 2011. For a list of excellent articles and resources about the new translation, click here.

This latest 2011 translation will be the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, with the first and second editions introduced in 1974 and 1985 respectively.

So what changes can we expect? For answers from the CANADIAN CONFERENCE of CATHOLIC BISHOPS to FAQ, click here. And for explanations to common questions we at St. Mary's are asking, see below.

NOTE: The content is adapted from Rev. Richard Hilgartner, "Catholic Update" (March 2011) and Rev. Lawrence E. Mick, "St. Anthony Messenger Press, USA" (August 2010).

1. Why must the words in the Mass be re-translated? Because the ancient axiom of the Church is Lex orandi, lex credendi = "What we say is what we believe." Therefore, great care should go into the wording of liturgical texts. Since translation techniques today are more refined than they were immediately following Vatican II, this 3rd edition will be more "true" to the original prayers of the Church and more representative of the Church's "true" beliefs.
   
   
2. What is the purpose of the Mass? The new translation intends to: a) communicate God's Word to the assembly; b) communicate our praise and thanks to God, and c) sanctify us as disciples who bring God's love and life to our world.
   
   
3. Will the parts of the Mass change? Yes, but the re-wording of the Mass liturgy is NOT a new ritual to celebrate the Eucharist. Many of the re-worded sections appear in the parts proclaimed by the priest; but there are changes in the responses of the people, too.
   
   
4. So which parts of the Mass will change?
   
   a) The words of the new translation will be made available:
   
   * on our Power Point, and
   * in your 2011–2012 copy of the Sunday Missal, which is made available prior to each Advent season
   
   b) The PRIEST'S parts have changed in the following places in the Mass:
   
   * the Preparation of the Gifts
   * the dialogue of the Preface
   * the Eucharistic Prayers
   * the Concluding Rites
   
   c) The PEOPLE'S parts have changed as follows:
   
   * whenever the priest says, "The Lord be with you," our NEW response is, "And with your spirit."
   * the Penitential Rite
   * the Gloria (Glory to God)
   * the Apostles' Creed
   * the dialogue of the Preface
   * the Holy, Holy
   * the Memorial Acclamation
   * our response to "Behold the Lamb of God ..."
   
   

For more Frequently Asked
Questions about the NEW
translation of the
ROMAN MISSAL,
Third Edition, click here.

NOTE: Catholic churches in the USA will be using the Nicene Creed; in Canada we use the APOSTLES' CREED.

STEWARDSHIP of Time, Talent, Treasure

Our STEWARDSHIP is a complete and total way of life that acknowledges our dependence on God for all we have and all we are. Stewardship of our time, talent and treasure lies at the heart of our Christian life. In short, it’s something we do; it’s the way we live. As Christian stewards, we receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them in loving justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord. For a STEWARDSHIP PRAYER, click here.

Stewardship of TREASURE

Please consider the spiritual and practical benefits of a pre-authorized commitment to the Stewardship of Treasure. Your gifts toward weekly Sunday offerings, the Building Fund, Together in Action, and other Catholic charities can be handled by Direct Debit, MasterCard or Visa simply with your pre-authorization. Click here for the necessary forms. Fill out your method of contribution and either drop your signed pre-authorization into the collection basket next time you come to Mass, hand-deliver or Fax it to the Parish Office. NOTE: the signed form may be scanned and attached in an email to the Parish Secretary.

Stewardship of TIME and TALENT

One of the greatest gifts God gives us is our TIME. When we hand back a portion of each day to the One who made all our days without thinking about what we get in return, we are living the life of a steward. Please prayerfully ponder the descriptions of the various MINISTRIES that St. Mary's offers and begin your discernment.

Additionally, every one of us has something we can do to help others. The gift of our TALENTS invites us to recognize, cherish and share our God–given abilities. How can you enrich your parish’s faith family? Click here for a brochure about Catholic stewardship. Then print a VOLUNTEER/STEWARDSHIP FORM and sign up for the ministry(s) of your choice. Drop the completed form into the collection basket next time you are at Mass or mail it to us.