St. Mary Catholic Church - Bluffton, OH

10/04/2026

Join us for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

https://www.youtube.com/live/uyNVV7L7zPs?is=1SRxHKVEGyXXUPfO

10/03/2026

October 4, 2026

Dear Friends,

I would like to update you on a few things pertaining to prayer and worship in our parish.

Firstly, you may notice that the orientation of the priest celebrant and deacon’s chairs have been adjusted. It has been on my mind for awhile now. Generally, the longest that I am seated during Mass is during the readings and it has always been counterintuitive to me to not be facing the lector proclaiming the Word of God. The orientation of the chairs is meant to place emphasis on what is important: the Word of God proclaimed to us through Sacred Scripture.

Secondly, Bishop Thomas recently sent a letter to all the priests of the diocese with suggestions of how to pray for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life in our diocese. One of the suggestions is to pray a Hail Mary prior to all Masses. Beginning next weekend we are going to begin the custom of praying a Hail Mary prior to all Masses in our parish. We have the distinction of having a recently ordained priest (Fr. Travis Kahle) and a current seminarian (Derek Swartzlander) from our parish. Imagine the possibilities if we intentionally pray for more vocations before each Mass!

I am very interested in beginning the custom of praying the Rosary prior to our Masses. The Rosary is a beautiful prayer in which we honor the Blessed Mother, the patroness of our parish, and I would envision the Rosary beginning approximately one half hour before the start of Mass (3:30 PM on Saturday, 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM on Sunday). I am actively looking for volunteers who would be willing to lead the Rosary. Please contact me if you are interested!

As a reminder, all are welcome to the Blessing of Animals this afternoon at 4:00 PM. It will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

Fr. Kyle

10/03/2026

As we prepare for the demolition of the house which was the former residence of Sr. Yvonne and Sr. Carol, we are offering items from the house to registered parishioners free of charge.

***Please see the display in the narthex of the church. Write your name next to any item you are interested in having and Jerry Wehri will contact you.***

Please note that asbestos abatement will be on Wednesday October 7 and access to the house will not be permitted until after that date.

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

Make plans to attend the annual diocesan feast day Mass at Rosary Cathedral in Toledo on October 7! Our parish is honored to have been asked to provide the altar servers, lectors, gift bearers, and deacon for the Mass. Additionally, one family from our parish will be leading the Rosary prior to the Mass with Archbishop Vigneron!

09/28/2026

She Shall Be Called Woman resumes tonight at 6:30 PM. Doors open at 6:15 PM

All women are welcome 🤗

Come join us.

09/28/2026

09/27/2026

Join us live for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

https://www.youtube.com/live/Btsgbieum4w?feature=shared

09/26/2026

September 27, 2026

Dear Friends,

I would like to bring to your attention several upcoming events:

--October 4 is typically the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi. To commemorate this occasion I am planning to offer the traditional blessing of animals in our parking lot at 4:00 pm that day. We will begin with a prayer near the statue of the Blessed Mother just outside the main entrance. I will then go individually to each animal to sprinkle with holy water. All pets and animals are welcome (please note that younger siblings are not considered pets! 😉). I would ask that all animals be kept in a carrier or on a leash.

--As I mentioned last week in my bulletin article, we have been asked to provide all the liturgical ministers for the diocesan feast day Mass at Rosary Cathedral in Toledo on October 7. The Rosary will be prayed at 6:30 pm followed by Mass at 7:00 pm. All are welcome to attend!

--Immediately following the 10:30 am Mass on Sunday October 18 we will have a parish town hall meeting regarding both the capital campaign and the building project. There continue to be many questions regarding both our fundraising efforts and the status of the building project itself. It is my hope to present on the history of the project, where we currently stand, and where we are headed. I, along with members of the building and capital campaign committees, will be available to answer any questions you may have. Please plan to join us for this important meeting!

As always, it really is a joy for me to be your Pastor. I often tell my friends how much I love being here and how you have made me feel at home. God bless you!

Fr. Kyle

09/25/2026

Server training Sunday October 4th following the 10:30 AM Mass.

Lunch provided.
New servers need to be 4th grade or older and have received their first communion.