Ladies’ Guild
“God is within her, she will not fail. God will help her at break of day.” - Psalms 46:5
The Ladies’ Guild Mission is to support and enrich the lives of our St. Mark parish family through fellowship, outreach, and spiritual activities.
Ladies Guild members welcoming the new Saint Mark statue …
… and gathering at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto.
Who Are We?
The Ladies’ Guild was formally organized in 1967, shortly after the parish was formed, and is still today an integral part of the St. Mark community. Through the Guild, the most amazing ladies of this parish share generously of their time, talent and treasure.
Our mission statement says it all - and with St. Martha as our inspiration - the efforts of the Guild from those first members until our group today, more than exemplifies our ideals.
What Do We Do?
SIMPLY, WE DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE!! Our mission never changes, but our focus shifts with parish and community needs. We are only limited by the numbers in our ranks and the enthusiasm of our members.
PARISH SUPPORT:
Since its beginning, the Guild has supported the other Parish Ministries whenever asked as well as being a major participant in parish picnics, celebrations, jubilees and activities. In addition we have supplied many of the beautiful items in the church.
OUTREACH:
Over the years we have increased our outreach efforts to include drives and programs supporting a variety of causes and organizations, including: Catholic Worker House, St. Vincent DePaul, Samaritan House, Safe Harbor, Life Moves, CORA, Epiphany Center, Catherine Center, Gabriel Project, Veterans Homeless Project.
Our Martha Ministry program supports members of our own Guild in times of need.
SPIRITUAL:
We draw our strength from our faith and strive to include readings and programs throughout the year to increase our love, compassion and understanding.
When Do We Meet?
We traditionally meet from September through May on the first Wednesday of the month at 6:30pm. During the summer months we are less formal and meet mid-day for camaraderie. All are welcome to come by for some coffee and a snack - just to see what we are all about.
Even if you can’t come to meetings, there are always ways to help out with specific requests or events. Our members range from very active, to those who help when they can and those who are only able to offer support through dues and prayers.
How Can You Learn More About Us?
THIS IS THE EASY PART!!! Come to a meeting, ask a member, see our information brochure in the Kiosk at the back of the church or contact the rectory.
We publish an e-newsletter - our Guild Gazette - which goes to members and prospects. It’s a great way to get an overview of what we are currently doing.
You can also fill out the Online Volunteer Form on this website or email us at: StMkLadiesGuild@comcast.net for more information or to get on our Gazette email list. (Your email will only be used for Ladies’ Guild and occasional parish information and never shared with others.)
OUR MISSION IN ACTION
“Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, That you do unto Me...”
Current Events & Activities
In August, Guild Members donated over $2000 in school supplies for Catholic Worker House. These were immediately distributed to the children in need they serve. This outreach has been a Guild staple since 2017.
Also in August, Guild members participated in a Day of Enrichment for Archdiocesan Priests held at St. Mark.
Members were involved in every aspect of the day from organizing to setup, serving and cleanup. We were happy to offer this wonderful day to all the hard working priests in the Archdiocese.
September 3 was the Kickoff Meeting for our New Guild Year.
It was a fun and informative meeting as members gathered, reminisced about summer and discussed the events for our coming year.
Detailed plans for our October Fall Fair were the highlight of the meeting which also included everyone njoying our traditional “novelty ice-cream” social.
We reviewed our Outreach drives and goals as well as plans for future meetings.
The evening ended with our Pot of Gold drawing and one lucky winner.
Our next meeting is Wednesday October 1 at 6:30 pm in the Parish Hall.
Ladies Guild Collects Assorted Items To Share or Donate
Ladies Guild collects a variety of items that are shared with other ministries for outreach, or repurposed and more. Please take time to check the list and save the items you have for donation.
All items may be left in the church workroom on the counter where the Catholic Worker House and Lost & Found boxes are located.
Here are the items you may save and donate. Thank you for your help!
1. Beverage pull tabs which are given to Ronald McDonald house to use for its various projects
2. Brown paper grocery bags used by St Vincent de Paul for packaging weekly client food items
3. Heavy plastic shopping bags, such as grocery or other retailers. These are used by unhoused
4. New greeting cards and envelopes used by Ladies Guild, Restorative Justice, etc. These can be Christmas or all occasion cards
5. Hotel giveaways of small sized toiletries, soaps used for unhoused sanitation needs
6. Dental supply handouts from your dentist
7. Freebie inserts from charities requesting donations. These can be religious items, decorative
shopping bags, note pads, etc.
8. Pens or markers no longer working
9. Crayons (broken or stubs)
10. Empty toner cartridges or bottles
11. Personal products (shampoo, conditioner, etc); cleaning or laundry supplies, black garbage bags used by Catholic Worker House.