St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church

09/13/2026

Welcome to St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Church

09/11/2026

BONUS: Emily Porter's Road to Coming Back Home (Awakening)

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357253/episodes/19791575

In this special episode, Emily Porter shares the story of her journey away from the Catholic Church and, ultimately, of coming back home. After years away, Emily found herself drawn back through her daughter’s journey through OCIA, rediscovering the truth of the Catholic faith, the Sacraments, and the community she had always missed.

Her story is not only about returning to the local community in Whitesville, but of coming home to the universal community of the Catholic Church, "which is the ultimate sense of community, is it not?"

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It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been away from the Church or if you have a lot of questions about coming home—we need you here.

To learn more about the Awakening Program at St. Mary of the Woods, visit our website at the link below:
https://stmaryofthewoodswhitesville.com/awakening-inactive-ministry/

In this special episode, Emily Porter shares the story of her journey away from the Catholic Church and, ultimately, of coming back home. After years away, Emily found herself drawn back through her daughter’s journey through OCIA, rediscovering t...

09/10/2026

Why are we Catholic?

"The more I learned about what the Catholic Church actually teaches, the more I realized how much of it is rooted in truth, history, and tradition. Eventually, it became clear to me that this really is the Church Jesus established."
-Megan Aud, parishioner

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been away from the Church or if you have a lot of questions about coming home—we need you here.

Please know that these sessions are in a loving and judgement-free environment, and simply coming does not obligate you to rejoin the Church.

If you are interested in returning to the Catholic Church, please contact Emily Gipson at the Parish Office at 270-233-4196 or by email at [email protected] and we will be happy to walk alongside you.

Find out more information at the link below:
https://stmaryofthewoodswhitesville.com/awakening-inactive-ministry/

09/09/2026

09/08/2026

BONUS Podcast Episode: An Invitation to Come Home (Awakening)

As we kicked off our Awakening Ministry Outreach this past weekend, we invite you to share this short podcast episode with your invitation to friends & family who have fallen away from the Catholic Church.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2357253/episodes/19742267

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You've received this invitation because someone deeply cares for you and wants the best for you. The gift of the Catholic Faith has brought them joy and peace, and they want you to share in the beauty of the same joy and peace that this world cannot give.

It doesn't matter how long you've been away from the Church, we invite you to join us for a 6-week period of sessions that will awaken you to the beauty, peace, joy and community found in the Catholic Faith. Please know that these sessions will be a place free of judgement, rather, an invitation to be a part of this community

Though our sessions begin on October 22nd, 2026 we are always happy to walk the journey of faith with you at any time!

Learn more at our website:
https://stmaryofthewoodswhitesville.com/awakening-inactive-ministry/

You've received this invitation because someone deeply cares for you and wants the best for you. The gift of the Catholic Faith has brought them joy and peace, and they want you to share in the beauty of the same joy and peace that this world cann...

09/06/2026

St Mary of the Woods Catholic Church

09/03/2026

New Podcast Episode!
E33: Becoming Blessed: Archbishop Fulton Sheen

With Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s upcoming beatification on September 24th, we have the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the Church’s process of recognizing holiness.

What does it actually mean when the Catholic Church declares someone “Blessed”? And how does someone become a Saint in the first place?

In this episode, we’ll walk through the journey from Servant of God to Venerable to Blessed to Saint, explore what the Church looks for at each stage, and follow Fulton Sheen’s own fascinating (and sometimes complicated) path toward beatification and canonization.

With Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s upcoming beatification on September 24th, we have the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the Church’s process of recognizing holiness.What does it actually mean when the Catholic Church declares someone “Bl...

09/03/2026

The Parish & Scrip Offices will be closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day.

09/03/2026