ABOUT: St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

St. Margaret Mary Parish: Sharing with all neighbors

The parish allocates $1.5 million of its Alive in Christ Campaign to raise up the human condition of people near and far.

Gregg Page of St Margaret Mary Parish is pictured with a family from the sister diocese in the Dominican Republic during a construction mission trip in Feb. 2008.

COURTESY PHOTO
Gregg Page of St Margaret Mary Parish is pictured with a family from the Orlando Diocese’s sister diocese in the Dominican Republic during a construction mission trip in Feb. 2008.

TERESA LANTIGUA PETERSON | SPECIAL TO THE FLORIDA CATHOLIC

Posted: 10.20.09

GROW, LEAD, SHARE

St. Margaret Mary Parish is participating in the Alive in Christ Capital and Endowment Campaign to fund the needs of parishes and to fulfill the mission of the Diocese of Orlando that was identified during the 18-month synod listening sessions. The Campaign invites all to grow in a personal, living relationship with Christ, lead others to holiness and share God’s love by contributing time, talent and treasure.

WINTER PARK | Instead of driving as usual, Jeanne Daly Smith walked her daughter to St. Margaret Mary Catholic School on Oct. 7. They weren’t walking to save money on gas or to exercise – even though that did happen.

They walked to raise awareness for the children in Haiti who walk three miles to school each day across mountainous, rocky terrain for an education and what is often their only meal of the day.

The members of St. Margaret Mary Parish and school take a great interest in their brothers and sisters who live in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, one of the poorest regions of the Western Hemisphere. While it would be easy to forget the extreme poverty 900 miles away when surrounded by beautiful tree-lined streets and elegant homes that dot the landscape of Winter Park, the parish families of St. Margaret Mary don’t forget.

For many years, the parish has supported the Orlando Diocese’s sister diocese in the Dominican Republic and a sister parish in Haiti with medical care, food, clothing, housing and education. The goal is to provide basic necessities and to provide business and farming opportunities that encourage long term sustainability.

The Alive in Christ Campaign is allowing St. Margaret Mary another opportunity to reach out to these communities with love and compassion.

“We decided to make outreach a significant part of the Campaign,” said Dave Smith, chairman of the Alive in Christ committee at the parish. “We have always been extremely generous.”

Father Richard Walsh, pastor of St. Margaret Mary, said outreach is an integral part of “who we are” as Catholics.

“By definition the Church is missionary,” Father Walsh said. “The apostles were sent to preach, teach and raise up the human condition. The Church in every age has the same responsibility,” he added.

St. Margaret Mary has allocated $1.5 million of its Alive in Christ Campaign to raise up the human condition of people near and far.

Locally, the parish has chosen St. Andrew Catholic School to benefit from its Campaign. The school is located in a low-income area of Orlando and many of the students need tuition assistance in order to attend.

As a spiritual home to about 3,200 families, St. Margaret Mary is forming disciples of Christ who know and live their faith by serving others in mission and ministry.

Jeanne Daly Smith thinks attending St. Margaret Mary Catholic School many years ago and being a member of the parish most of her life has contributed to the person of faith she is today.

“My faith was formed throughout the years by the grace of my parents, teachers, priests and religious women as well as the entire congregation,” Smith said.

About St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Margaret Mary was chosen by Christ to arouse the Church to a realization of the love of God symbolized by the heart of Jesus.

On Dec. 21, 1674, three years a nun, she received the first of her revelations. She felt “invested” with the presence of God, though always afraid of deceiving herself in such matters. The request of Christ was that his love for humankind be made evident through her.

During the next 13 months he appeared to her at intervals. His human heart was to be the symbol of his divine-human love. By her own love she was to make up for the coldness and ingratitude of the world – by frequent and loving holy Communion, especially on the first Friday of each month.

After serving as novice mistress and assistant superior, she died at the age of 43 while being anointed. “I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus.”

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was canonized by Pope Benedict XV in 1920. Her her feast day is celebrated on Oct. 16.

Source: www.AmericanCatholic.org.

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