St. Marguerite has a valuable, dedicated group of volunteers, who selflessly share their God-given gifts and talents. Some serve quietly in little-recognized, but essential ministries such as cleaning and pressing Altar linens; others tackle the logistics of major fundraisers such as our annual golf tournament. We are grateful to all those who make St. Marguerite a beautiful, welcoming community. Any amount of time is much appreciated. If you would like more information or wish to volunteer, please contact the parish office. To ensure the safety of our children, all volunteers must attend a short, one-time Virtus Training, per the requirement of our diocese. Please see the link for this training on the main webpage.

Parish Ministries

Adoration: Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration has greatly blessed our parish over the years. Can you give one hour of your time to visit with our Lord? The Sacred Host is displayed in the Monstrance on the Altar in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel 24/7. Please call (203) 775-6968 for more information.

Altar Servers: Beginning in third grade, boys or girls nine years or older learn to assist the priest at the Altar during weekend Masses. Training is required.

Altar Society and Linen Care: Several volunteers care for and clean the Altars and Altar linens.

Cenacle Prayer Group of the Marian Movement of Priests: Jackie Goin leads a monthly prayer group that includes the Rosary and a reading from the book, “To the Priests, Our Lady's Beloved Sons”, interior locutions which Fr. Gobbi received from Our Blessed Mother from 1973-1997. The group meets in a classroom one Monday / month at 7:30 P.M.; please see the weekly bulletin for the date of the next meeting.

Daily Mass Intentions: Please call the Parish office to reserve a weekday or weekend Mass for a loved one or special intention. Mass stipends are $15 for weekend Masses and $10 for weekdays.

Eucharistic Ministers: Catholics in good standing may assist with Holy Communion during Mass and make visits to the homebound or nursing homes when deemed necessary by the Pastor. A brief training is required.

Food Pantry Collection: Food donations may be dropped off in the food collection container in the Narthex.

Homebound and Aged: Are you, a family member, or a neighbor homebound or aged? Please contact our parish office if you would like to be visited by Liz Disbrow, one of our parish nurses, and director of this ministry.

Hospitality: A priceless core of volunteers organize a variety of socials, coffee hours, and fund-raising events such as the annual, June tag sale and November craft fair / bake sale.

Knights of Columbus: The Candlewood Lake Council of Catholic men is active vital group of men who help host parish events (i.e. annual Red Cross Blood Drive and St. Patrick's Day Dinner) and conduct other, charitable works.


The Knights of Columbus Honor Guard pose with Bishop William E. Lori

Lectors: Any adult parishioner who wishes to Proclaim the Word of God during Mass should contact the parish office. A brief training is required.

Legion of Mary: The Legion of Mary is the largest, apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church, with well over 2,000,000 active members in most every country of the world (approved by the last six Popes and endorsed by the 2nd Vatican Council). June Schutz is our current President, with Fr. George as our Spiritual Director. The Legion of Mary meets each Wednesday at 1:30 P.M. in the Conference Room.

Legislative Alerts: Legislative alerts, along with letters from our diocese or the USCCB (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops) may be found on the website.

Music Ministries:
Adult Choir: Join the adult choir as a cantor, singer, or instrumentalist and enhance worship with music and song. The choir sings during the 10:30 A.M. Sunday Mass. Directed by Jack Basso, organist.

Children's Choir: Singers and instrumentalists ages 8 and older perform at 10:30 Mass on the third Sunday of the month. Directed by Ana Vogel, Lisa Cerbone, and Gil Meier.

Novena: Held each Monday evening at 7:00 P.M. in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel.

Parish Council: Committee members are appointed by the pastor to discuss the statuses of various ministries and discuss upcoming events. The council meets every two months.

Parish Finance Committee: Committee members are appointed by the pastor to manage the finances of the parish. Meeting quarterly, the committee prepares the operating budget, prioritizes capital and maintenance repair projects, and manages the parish's balance sheet.

Parish Nurse Program: Darleen Senete invites all Connecticut-licensed RNs to join the Parish Nurse Program and help with wellness programs from monthly blood pressure screenings to health fairs. CPR/AED training is conducted every two years for both lay and professional rescuers. As part of the Divine Mercy for Healthcare Professionals, we also facilitate three healing services / year (in Advent, Lent, and summer).


Free blood pressure screenings

Parish Office Reception: Several volunteers help answer phones and assist with other administrative duties.

Prayer Line: Contact the parish office to give the name of an ill friend, loved one, or someone in need of prayer. The dedicated members of our Prayer Line will pray for your intentions.

Pro-Life Ministry: Donna Gagne, coordinator of our pro-life ministry (and church historian), keeps parishioners aware of current issues concerning abortion and euthanasia. In January, parishioners join other, area churches to travel to Washington for the annual March for Life. October is Pro-Life Month; a poster campaign is conducted to raise awareness of the >55,000,000 babies that have been aborted in the U.S. alone.

Religious Education: Carole Harris is the Director of All Religious Education. Classes for students in Grades K through 8 are held on Sunday mornings from 9:15 A.M. to 10:15 A.M.; additional classes for K-9 are held on Monday evenings from 5:45 P.M. to 6:45 P.M. (September to May). Classes include formation and instruction of our youth in Catholic values and preparation for the Sacraments. A Facebook page was recently created by Barbara Cirella for enhancing communication between Religious Education personnel and CCD students/parents. Please “Like” us on Facebook.

RCIA: Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults: Under the leadership of Marcus Vas, non-baptized and/or non-Catholics, or Catholics who want to know more about their faith are instructed in becoming members of the Roman Catholic Church. Classes begin each fall.

St. Matthew Society: Appointed volunteers help our clergy sort, count, and record weekly donations.

Ushers and Greeters: Ushers and greeters welcome parishioners and guests to St. Marguerite before Mass and assist with offertory collections and distribution of the Sunday bulletin after Mass. Under the guidance of head usher, Joseph Rajcula, you can be welcoming visitors in no time!

Website Maintenance: Justin Gozzi helps us communicate with parishioners, especially those who are homebound, by adding the weekly bulletins to the website. He updates and maintains all other information on the site, including contact information for state and federal legislators. Most parish forms can now be easily downloaded from the website.

Youth Groups: Middle and high school youth groups are lead by Toby Kawulicz. Regularly scheduled meetings include spiritual formation, volunteering, and social events, all part of the excitement in becoming the next generation of Catholics. (Annual activities include Fan the Fire and attending the Steubenville East Conference.)

Special Events

America Needs Fatima: This outside Rosary, in honor of the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima Miracle of the Sun (October 13), is usually held on the second Saturday in October.

Bible Camp: A week-long instruction in July for students in grades K-6. Older children are encouraged to volunteer as counselors-in-training; volunteers teach fun Bible study, music, crafts, and games.

Christmas Giving Tree: Our biggest annual Christmas charity! Gift card and clothing donations are distributed to needy families in our parish, Catholic Charities, as well as to special needs children at St. Vincent' and to children in Hurley, West Virginia.

Christmas Hat and Glove Tree: In December, we collect new hats and gloves to donate to the needy.

Christmas Wreath Sale: Don't miss our Christmas wreath fundraiser, for that person who has everything!

Divine Mercy Sunday: Divine Mercy Sunday (first Sunday after Easter) is celebrated with a special service whereby the Divine Mercy Chaplet is sung by the participants of the service. The Chaplet is also sung as part of the healing services (see Parish Nurse Program, above). The Divine Mercy image, displayed in our Narthex, is available at wholesale price; please help spread the Divine Mercy Message & Devotion imparted to St. Faustina by our Lord and Savior.

Golf Tournament: Jack Macksey Memorial Invitational Golf Tournament / Dinner / Silent Auction: The golf committee meets weekly, from early July through the tournament day (held the 3rd Wednesday in September). This event has been held for the past 25 years and is the most successful fundraising event in the parish. The committee collects raffle and tee sponsorships, organizes volunteers, and runs the tournament, raffle, and dinner. A veteran committee of dedicated volunteers is committed to the ongoing success of this fun event.

Living Candlelight Rosary / Pot Luck Dinner: This beautiful service is organized by Carol Caraluzzi to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7th). Each participant takes the place of one of the beads of the Rosary and recites his/her respective prayer in English or other language. The Rosary is followed by a delicious pot luck supper.

Mens' Holy Family Retreat: Annual retreat takes place the first weekend in March at Holy Family Retreat Center. This is a time of reflection, prayer, and support (and weather-permitting, the Holy Smoke!).

Mum & Aster Plant Sale: Bob and Carol Caraluzzi, along with many volunteers, conduct a fundraiser of beautiful fall plantings.

Poster campaigns: for the National Day of Prayer and the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church are conducted in May and November, respectively.

St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Birthday: There is a parish celebration of our patron saint's birthday in April.

St. Patrick's Day Dinner: The Knights of Columbus help to organize our annual St. Patrick's Day Dinner. Come enjoy a delicious, corned beef dinner and entertainment by very talented Irish dancers!

Simbang Gabi Mass / Dinner: A special mass is followed by outstanding food, prepared by our Philippine parishioners.

St. Valentine's Day Pot Luck Supper: Bring your family, friends, and your favorite dish to a wonderful evening of music and great food. Undoubtedly one of the most fun family events of the year!

Spring/Fall Grounds Cleanup: This is an especially great opportunity for 7th and 8th grade religious education students to gain service hours as they help beautify our church grounds.

Volunteer Dinner: Our annual volunteer dinner is for all parishioners who donate their time helping our parish. Thank you to all our generous volunteers.


Volunteers rest and eat at the volunteer dinner