St. Mary’s Parish in Bear Creek needs some parishioners to step up because a slew of their fellows in faith are stepping down after years of service to the church.

Margie Cunningham’s new position through a promotion at her full-time job caused her to conclude her music ministry for weekend Masses, the Rev. Tim Shillcox said in the church bulletin.

“Margie has done a beautiful ministry for the Lord and for our Parish family at St. Mary’s,” Shillcox wrote in the bulletin. “She has also drawn many others into service in this way since she’s a delight to work with.”

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Cunningham will assist at funerals when her schedule allows. The parish will need to find a new music minister or team to replace her, Shillcox said.

Dick Fletcher also decided to end his service for St. Mary’s as the cemetery groundskeeper and lawn-cutter as of July 31. He plans to continue volunteering with the churchyard and parish house lawns, Shillcox said.

“Dick told us he wanted more ‘grandfather time,’ and we certainly understand this beautiful desire,” Shillcox said in the bulletin.

Tony’s Cemetery Service from New London will do the cemetery work for the rest of the season, and Shillcox said interested parishioners will be found and trained for the 2021 season.

After many years of his work in getting, making and setting up St. Mary’s Christmas trees and wreaths in the church, Tim Wanta said he will no longer do this work. Shillcox said Tim and his wife Sandy have spent years working on church projects, and they plan to continue with the St. Mary’s Prayer Garden.

“Tim cited already 90 hours this season in tending the Prayer Garden,” Shillcox said. “We’re grateful for their hard and creative work.”

Anyone interested in the Christmas trees and wreaths project should contact the Rev. Shillcox.

He told parishioners the Prayer Garden welcomes memorials and honorary gifts, which they use for maintenance and expansion of this “hallmark” of St. Mary’s.

The St. Rose/St. Mary’s Day School also says goodbye to Patrick Gaatz, who resigned to take a position in Arizona. During his three years with the school, Gaatz helped with the website and assisted with the Faith Formation Ministry, Shillcox wrote in the bulletin.

“It is the ‘hard reality’ that many of our volunteers are getting tired, even frustrated, or aging to the point where they feel the need to step away, for whatever reasons,” he said.

The feeling shared at the June 23 Parish Council meeting also was that younger parish members need to be invited, or should feel welcomed and empowered, to step up and take a turn with these efforts, Shillcox said.