Pastoral Care
Infant /Child Baptisms:
We congratulate you on the birth of your child and look forward to celebrating his or her baptism with you! Please contact the Parish Center to arrange a date and time for a baptism preparation meeting with the pastor. We normally celebrate baptisms during a weekend Mass, but other times can be arranged.
1st Reconciliation, 1st Communion, & Confirmation
Please contact our Faith Formation Director for any information regarding preparation for these sacraments.
Holy Matrimony:
Congratulations and our prayers for a blessed engagement! Please contact the Parish Center at least 6 months prior to your desired wedding date in order to arrange a date and to begin our marriage preparation process.
Marriage Validations & Annulments
The pastor is glad to help you get started with this often difficult process. Please contact the Parish Center to make an initial appointment with the pastor.
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults):
We are thrilled to welcome new Catholics! If you are not or someone you know is not a fully initiated member of the Church (haven’t received Baptism, Confirmation, and/or First Communion) and you/he/she would like to become a fully initiated member, please contact our Faith Formation Director to begin the inquiry process.
Holy Communion:
If you or someone you know is currently homebound and would like to receive the Eucharist at home, please contact the Parish Center and we will be glad to arrange for one of our Communion Ministers to bring the Sacrament to you.
Hospital Calls:
The Parish Secretary contacts the local hospital every Friday and notifies the Pastor if there are any St. Mary parishioners at the hospital to be visited. Because of current privacy laws the hospital does not notify the parish,. Therefore, if you want to make sure that you or one of our parishioners at the hospital receives a pastoral visit, please make sure the Parish Center is notified and a visit will be arranged.
Pastoral Home Visits:
If you or someone you know would like the Pastor to make a pastoral visit to a home or nursing facility, please contact the Parish Center and we would be happy to arrange a visit accordingly.
Financial Assistance:
The St. Vincent de Paul Society of McHenry is a Catholic organization committed to helping anyone in the McHenry area who is in need of immediate financial assistance. If you are in need of assistance, please contact our Parish Center and our staff will put you in contact with the St. Vincent de Paul Society.
Funeral Preparations
After the passing of your loved one, please contact the Parish Office to let us know so that we can begin helping you with the necessary preparations. Please let us know the funeral home that you are working with and if your loved will be having their funeral at St. Mary’s and if their burial will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery or at a different location.
You will need to set up a date for the funeral with the approval of the pastor. Once that is done, you will meet with the business manager to plan the music and readings for the Mass. Funeral booklets are also available for pre-planning. The fees for the church, musicians, and priest will be collected by the funeral home. However, the purchase of a grave, niche, and niche and grave openings need to be approved by the Cemetery Director.
The family will provide readers and gift bearers for the Mass. In the event there are no family members or friends that can partake in the Mass, a deacon will be brought in to assist at the funeral Mass.
While cremations are permitted by the Catholic Church, it is preferred that the for the funeral Mass, the full body is present for this service. However, if this is not possible – depending on the circumstances – the cremation remains are permitted for the Mass and should be interred following the Mass.
