Frequently Asked Questions

Our Pastor is Rev. Samuel I. Plummer.  If you need to contact Father, please call him at (301) 292-0527 or e-mail him at plummers@adw.org

Rev. Samuel I. Plummer

Ordination Anniversary:  June 15, 2013

2020: 7 Years as a priest

Father Plummer was born on May 12, 1981, and grew up in Waldorf, MD.  

 Father Plummer, or (Father Sam, when there are no children around), grew up in Waldorf and is the youngest of four children ( he has 2 brothers and a sister). 
He attended college at Belmont Abbey, which is just outside of Charlotte, NC.  He majored in accounting and worked for a publishing company for 4 years.  Most of his time in the seminary was spent at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, in Emmitsburg, MD.  He graduated in 2010. 
 “I had a strong desire to help people in need.” Samuel walked across the Country with the pro-life group, Crossroads, which was founded as a response to St. John Paul II’s call to the youth of the world to take an active role in the pro-life movement in order to establish a culture of life. Father Plummer will celebrate his first Mass on June 16, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. at St. Peter Catholic Church in Waldorf.
He was ordained in 2013 and has served as a parochial vicar for 3 years at Holy Redeemer in Kensington, and 2 years at Sacred Heart in La Plata.  He then oversaw two parishes:  Sacred Heart in Bushwood and Holy Angels in Avenue, both in "God's Country" in the real Southern Maryland.  He was there for over a year and a half.  His last church was St. Margaret of Scotland in Seat Pleasant.



What are the parish office's regular business hours?

Monday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Tuesday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

*The office may open late on Holy Days of Obligation as we will be attending Mass.  Also, the office is closed on Federal holidays.

 

I am going on vacation.  How do I find a Catholic Church and the scheduled Mass Times?

Go to Masstimes.org.  Click LINK.
 

My relative has gone to the hospital; how do I get a priest to see him/her?

If your relatives agree, upon arrival you want to contact the hospital chaplain.  He can provide the fastest assistance.  If your relative is seriously sick, heading for surgery, or in danger of dying, with the permission of your relative, you should ask that your relative receives the Anointing of the Sick.  Also, you want to contact our parish office so your relative can be added to the Prayer List, the Prayer of the Faithful, our Website and the Bulletin (please get their permission if possible) and keep us informed (with your relative's permission) of your relative's situation.


My relative is a parishioner at St. Mary's and is in danger of dying at home, who should I call to have his/her spiritual needs met?

If your relative wants to see a priest, please call the parish emergency line (301) 292-0527 x 125 (used if a parishioner is being rushed to the hospital or in danger of dying) for a priest.  Please only call in the case of an emergency.  Other calls should be directed to the parish office during regular office hours or questions may be answered here at our website.

 

My relative is a parishioner at St. Mary's and is homebound.  He/she would like to receive Holy Communion each week, what do I do?

Have your relative contact the parish office during regular business hours.  We will gladly come out and bring him/her Holy Communion.


How do I register at St. Mary's?

First of all, welcome!  Please introduce yourself after Mass to Father Timothy Baer so he can properly greet you.  Registration forms can be found in the gathering space of either church, at the parish office, or online at this website under Registration and Stewardship. 

I would like to receive envelopes.  What do I do?

If you are registering, that information is on our registration form.  If you are a current parishioner, please contact the parish office and they will assist you (301) 292-0527.  Envelopes can take several weeks to arrive.  In the meantime, any check printed with your name and address will be recorded for tax purposes.  Cash should be placed in an envelope along with your name and address (please print).

 

I was receiving envelopes and now I don't.  Do you know why?

The envelopes may have been lost in the mail or misplaced.  Also, in order to use our parishioner's donations wisely, if envelopes have not been used for several months, we will discontinue their use.  If you plan to make regular donations and would like your envelopes reinstated, please contact the parish office.

 

I would rather make a cash donation.  Will you record this for tax purposes?

To be recorded for tax purposes, cash should be placed in a visitor's envelope found in the gathering space of either church.  Please remember to legibly print your name and address on the envelope.  This will allow us to send a tax statement to you at the end of the year.

I don't want envelopes.  Can I put a check in the collection basket instead?

Checks printed with your name and address from registered parishioners are recorded for tax purposes.
 
I would like to have my donation automatically withdrawn from my bank account each week.  How do I sign up?

You can register online.  The electronic donation information is included under Registration and Stewardship.

Click LINK.

You may also receive an automatic withdrawal form in the gathering space of the church. 

Click LINK.

 

I need to change/delete my automatic donations.  How do I do this?

You may make changes to your donations by going to the electronic donations link.  Click LINK.

My address and/or e-mail address has changed.  What do I do?

Please contact the parish office with your new information or you may place a note in the collection basket or parish mailbox.  Email addresses are important.  We are more and more frequently using e-mail addresses to contact our parishioners regarding important events and information.

 

I need to drop off an item or pick up an item, but I can't come during regular business hours?

Please call the parish office for assistance and arrangements can be made.

Where is the parish office?

Please enter at Our Lady's Chapel.  Follow the drive to the left and proceed past the Main Church.  Continue around the school hall, past the school front, and into the far parish parking lot.  The building is marked "Parish Office."  Walk around the building to the office door marked "Parish Office."

 

I would like to see a priest.

If you need to see a priest during regular office hours, please call (301) 292-0527.  If you have an emergency (emergency hospital visit or the death of a parishioner), please call the emergency line at (301) 292-0527 x 125.

 

I wish to leave a message for the pastor?  What do I do?

If it is an emergency (emergency hospital visit or the death of a parishioner) please call (301) 292-6904.  Otherwise, please call the parish office during regular office hours at (301) 292-0527.  You can also send an e-mail to plummers@adw.org (Father Plummer) or parish@stmaryspiscataway.org (Parish Administrative Assistant).

 

Can I fax an item to you?

Sure, no solicitations, please!  The parish office fax number (301) 292-8786.

 

Does Father Plummer have a day off?

Father Plummer's day off is TBD.  All the rest of the week he is serving the parish and its parishioners.  

 

I am no longer attending St. Mary's Church.  Should I notify you?

Yes.  Please notify us so we can keep our records up to date.

 

Does St. Mary's have a food pantry?

St. Mary's has a food pantry available for those requiring assistance in our general geographical area.  Please call the parish office at (301) 292-0527 during office hours and we will assist you.  Food is distributed from our food pantry on Tuesday mornings.

For further assistance, the State of Maryland has a new assistance line available by dialing "211".  Please call this line for more information about the government agency that can assist you.

I don't live in your geographical area but I need assistance.  What can I do?

Please contact the parish closest to your home address.  If you need a phone number, our parish office can assist you during regular office hours.

 

My relative is buried in your cemetery.  I need help locating the gravesite.

Go to Find A Grave, a website created by a very generous friend of St. Mary's!  Search for St. Mary's Cemetery in Piscataway.  Search for your relative. 

How far back do your sacramental records go at St. Mary's?

Our records go back to the late 1800s.  We can search for information if you provide us with enough information.

 

How do I get a Mass card?

Mass cards are a wonderful way to remember someone's birthday, anniversary, date of death or just to show your love.  Please contact the parish office with the person's name and whether the person is living or deceased to order the Mass card.  The customary donation of $10 can be mailed, brought to the parish office, left in the parish mailbox, or placed in the collection basket in an envelope marked “Mass Intention.”  Please make arrangements to pick up the Mass card when ordering.

 

Where can I take Marriage Prep classes?

Please click here for the Marriage Preparation schedule.

 

How do I purchase a cemetery site at St. Mary's?

The Archdiocese of Washington has a contract with Catholic Cemeteries to handle the selling of its cemetery sites.  For more information, please contact (301) 932-1766 or go to their website at http://www.ccaw.org/

 

 

Do you rent out your parish hall?

Our parish hall is used almost exclusively for school and parish events.  Some local suggestions are:

 

Where can I go to find a Latin Mass in the Archdiocese of Washington?

Latin - Novus Ordo:

Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle

Washington, DC


St. Mary of the Mills

Laurel, MD


Latin - Tridentine Mass (according to the 1962 Roman Missal):


Our Lady Queen of Poland and St. Maximillian Kolbe

Silver Spring, MD

 

St. Francis de Sales

Benedict, MD


St. Mary, Mother of God

Washington, DC

 

What are the guidelines for photography in the church during events?

Please contact the Office of Communications at the Archdiocese of Washington at 301-853-4516.

 

I would like to advertise in your bulletin, how do I go about it?

Please contact our advertising sales representative at Liturgical Publications, Steve Massien, at 1-800-477-4574 x6331 or smassien@4lpi.com


One Last Note:

  • For information about baptisms, weddings, or funerals, please visit the Sacraments tab.
  • Our Lady’s Chapel has no bathroom facilities.