Sundays : 9am- 12pm
Why is the nursery so peaceful for the littlest ones at Saint Mary’s?
Is it the 
beautiful room with the painted murals of a southern Italian village – with a circus tromping through?
Is it the calm atmosphere, the soft music playing in the background?
Is it the shelves of child-friendly books that affirm the goodness of creation and the expansive love God has for every single person?
Or maybe the colorful toys, play kitchen or the table for crafts, or the Thomas the Train set?
Is it the breeze coming through the window looking over the courtyard?
Or is it our warm, kind and skilled nursery attendant Joanne Hodgeman?
Honestly, it’s probably all those things, but most especially it’s Joanne Hodgeman, our paid nursery attendant.
Joanne Hodgeman
You can tell she loves to be around children and they love to be around her. Children find her ready to greet them by name and engage them in some fun activity.
Joanne and any other volunteer that works in our nursery have all had criminal background checks and have attended the Episcopal Diocese’s Safe Church Training.
How does the Nursery Work During Service?
Service:
At. St. Mary’s we really do like to have each and every soul with us during the worship service. In fact, for that reason we have clipboards filled with paper, some crayons and a small toy for our littlest ones during church service. But at the same time we are understanding if a parent would like to have their small children tended to during the service.
Drop Off:
When you drop off your child at the nursery, Joanne will ask if you want your child to attend Eucharist.
Eucharist:
If you want your child to attend Eucharist, the greeters will come to the nursery just before the Eucharist and bring to the sanctuary any children who would like to share in the Eucharistic feast of Jesus’ bread and wine. The children will walk down the aisle to find you at that time.
Health:
Please help us keep the nursery a healthy place to be by helping your child wash their hands before entering the nursery. And please keep them with you or at home if they are showing signs of illness.
For any questions about our nursery, please reach out to MiaLisa Millares, our Children’s and Youth Ministry Coordinator.