Seasonal Ministries

The “My New Shoes” program was started in 2009 by Susan Shaw, who has attended St. Mary Church throughout her life. Shaw says the idea came to her after a friend told her the story of a teacher who had bought sneakers for a student after seeing the sole of his shoes flapping in the rain as he walked. Each September, a team of volunteers hands out tags with various shoe sizes listed on them to interested parishioners at the six churches that make up St. Paul the Apostle Parish.  Over the following weeks, parishioners buy the sneakers and drop them off before Masses. Parishioners are also invited to buy socks, which are also given out to students, or to donate money, which is used to buy additional pairs of sneakers if there is a greater than anticipated demand for a certain size. Once the shoes are collected and organized, volunteers connect with representatives from area elementary and middle schools, most often guidance counselors, to assess the need.

Every year, by the First Sunday of Advent, Giving Trees are set up in each of the 6 churches of our parish. The tags that hang on the trees have items that children and adults in need are wishing for this time of year. Organizations our Giving Trees have assisted in the past include: Good Samaritan Agency, First Step Parenting, Shepherd's Godparent Home, area schools, Partners for Peace, Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine, and more.