Events & Opportunities
Advance Directives & End of Life Goals of Care
We invite you to join Fr. Ross and Terri Hamm for a discussion regarding advance directives, end of life goals of care and how those choices are supported by our Catholic doctrine. We will have materials available and also answer questions after Masses the weekend of December 6/7. We hope to see you there.
Food and Fellowship
​Following the 6:30pm Holy Day of Obligation Mass on Monday, December 8, you are invited to a pizza and dessert gathering in the Social Hall. All are welcome - come share in faith, fellowship, and a sweet treat as we honor our Blessed Mother together!
**We will be collecting personal care items to be distributed to the food pantries in Huxley, Maxwell, and Elkhart.**
Serve Homeless Children and their Families
Our parish families have been preparing a meal for homeless children and their families at Catholic Charities Emergency Family Shelter on the second Sunday of each month for more than twenty-five years. Volunteers are needed for in 2026 for January, April, June, July, September and December. One or more families/groups prepare and deliver a meal (about 10 families — up to 34 people) for the shelter in Des Moines. Volunteers can pay for the meal, be reimbursed by the parish, or receive a Gift-In-Kind receipt for a tax deduction. To volunteer or to find out more, contact Stacey Rooney, rooneyslg17@gmail.com or call 515-490-5034.
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Christmas Eve Choir
Advent will be upon us soon and it is time to form our Christmas Eve Choir. We welcome all adults and children 6th grade and older. If you love to sing we want you - all levels of musicality welcome. Practices will be at St. Mary's in the choir loft or down front by the piano and will last about one hour. It is not required to attend all practices, come when you can. For questions please contact Aubrey Sigmund at asigmund@saintmaryhc.org. Scheduled practice dates are:
Sun. Nov. 30, 11:15am-12:15pm Sun. Dec. 14, 11:15am-12:15pm
Sun. Dec. 7, 11:15am-12:15pm Thurs. Dec. 18, 6:30pm-7:30pm
Tues. Dec. 9, 6:30pm-7:30pm Sun. Dec. 21, 11:15am-12:15pm
Advent Reflection Resources
We have a number of booklets on the table for you to choose from to help you along your Advent journey. This is a time of looking forward and waiting, both for celebrating Christ's birth and for the time when He comes again.
Parish Music Coordinator Opening​
We thank Aubrey Sigmund for the wonderful work she has done as Music Coordinator. She will continue as coordinator through January; we are looking to hire another parishioner to be our Music Coordinator. This is a very flexible job—work some from home! Training provided! It’s a paid position averaging 10 hours most weeks, though more around Christmas and Easter. If you are interested or would like additional information, please contact Fr. Ross at rparker@dmdiocese.org or 515-367-2685.
Two Upcoming Vacancies on Our Parish Council
Our Council is representative of the Parish Community. If you know of anyone you would like to nominate (including yourself) or would like more information, please contact Father Ross, rparker@dmdiocese.org or 515-720-3434. Term begins January 1, 2026. Attributes such as faithfulness, integrity, generosity, compassion, and actively deepening a personal relationship with Jesus Christ are desirable in all members of the Council. Skills for effective communication and listening, creative discernment and verbalization of a vision, and working collaboratively with others are essential elements. Thank you for considering serving your Parish!
Blessing for Mothers-To-Be
At our Masses the weekend of December 6 & 7, we invite all Mothers-To-Be to receive a blessing; that they know of God's presence and strength as they await the birth of their child, for a safe delivery for mom and baby and for a healthy baby.
Advent Reconciliation
You are invited to celebrate God’s love and forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Advent on Saturdays, 4:00-4:30pm - time on Saturday the 13th will be 3:00 –4:30pm, and Thursday and Friday, December 11 and 12 from 6:00 - 7:00pm, or by appointment with Father Parker.
Grow in Your Catholic Faith through OCIA
All adults in our Parish are invited to join us on Thursday evenings at 6:15 in the Social Hall for OCIA. While OCIA is the pathway for those who are interested in becoming Catholic, it is also a wonderful opportunity for lifelong Catholics to deepen their understanding of the faith. Whether you are curious, returning to the Church, or simply looking to grow in your relationship with Christ, these sessions provide prayer, discussion, and learning in a supportive community. Come and journey with us as we explore the richness of our Catholic tradition together.
Work of Our Hands
Members of the Parish who are service providers, hobbyists, or willing to provide their services or goods for a fee or barter are welcomed to join Work Of Our Hands (WOOH). Participants offer their goods and services at a WOOH Festival in the Social Hall. If interested in a discussion about the possibilities for WOOH, please contact Monica Kennebeck-Doyle, kennebeckm@gmail.com / 515-238-4180, or Trish Morris, girardifan@hotmail.com / 515-278-4936.
Blessings Offered
If you would like a blessing for your fields, flocks, pets, house or another blessing, Fr. Parker is more than happy to come to your home for any of these. Please email him for more information at rparker@dmdiocese.org.
We hope you become involved in our Parish community.
Click here for our Parish Time and Talent Form to fill out
and return to the Parish Office. Thank you for becoming involved!
Looking For a Way to Become More Involved With Your Parish and Local Community?
Wine & Cheese and Coffee & Donuts: Hosting wine & cheese or coffee & donuts is a great way to meet and get to know other parishioners! If you have not hosted before, we can pair you up with someone who has. Please contact the parish office with questions or if willing to help.
Liturgical Ministers needed: 5:00pm Mass at St. Mary: Altar Servers; 8:00am Mass at Holy Cross: Lectors. 10:00am Mass at St. Mary: Lectors and Ministers of the Eucharist. Please let the office know if you are interested in helping with any of these.
The Blessing Box Food Pantry is seeking volunteers to help box items to distribute to families on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. Please contact Tammi McClain at 515-290-3904 if interested.
Calling All Musicians! We would love to have you join our music ministry to participate during Mass! We are happy to provide training and have you sing or play with mentors. Teenagers welcome! If interested and would like more information, please contact Sue Schmidt, sschmidt@saintmaryhc.org / 515-689-9949.
Thank you for considering these volunteer opportunities!
History of St. Mary - Holy Cross
Were you married at St. Mary or Holy Cross or had other family historical events related to our parish for which you have photos or documents? Larry Sauer is looking for mementos of these events that we could borrow to have reproduced for preservation and display in future St. Mary-Holy Cross history books. The plan is to find a display case for other historical artifacts that can be displayed too. If you would like to share your history with our parish, please contact Larry at 515-710-2421. Thank you!
