Dear Parishioners and Visitors
I hope that your time with family and friends over the Thanksgiving holiday was
blessed and enjoyable. Now, as the seasons of Advent and the Nativity of the Lord approach, we prepare our hearts to emulate God’s sharing with us the gift of His son.
Sharing resources was the theme of the Parish Outreach Committee’s recent meetings. This year the Outreach Committee has agreed, once again, to
send a $3000 cash donation from St. Joseph’s parish community to the Linwood Rotary’s Community Chest program. As you may know, the Community Chest has the personnel available to screen, to shop, and to deliver to deserving families Thanksgiving meals and food baskets, as well as Christmas dinners and gifts for children in our local neighborhoods. These proceeds come from the generous donations made to our Poor Box, located on the right side of the Nave. These proceeds are directed to many other area charitable organizations, such as Haven Pregnancy Center, The Bridge Project, Vets Rest Stop, Linwood Recreation Center and the Knights of Columbus, as well as providing Price Chopper gift cards for the hungry and bereavement refreshments for the grieving. If you would like to contribute to this effort, please utilize our Poor Box.
With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney
Please keep in your prayers all those serving in the U.S. Military and their families.
Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 1 of 76)
Dear Parishioners and Visitors,
As mentioned at the Masses last weekend, our students in the Faith Formation program are learning about the Corporal Works of Mercy. However, in a sense, we are all involved in a faith-formation process. Every day is a school day, and every day, as Christians, we are urged to engage in the discipline of practicing the Corporal Works of Mercy.
Thank you for contributing to the Faith Formation Food Drive last weekend. A carload of food and $696 in cash donations were delivered to the Fr. Bill Community Center from St. Joseph Parish to help deserving families in the area.
God bless you for your generosity and faithful discipleship by feeding the hungry.
With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney
Thank you to all our Veterans
November 2-8, 2025
This annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States is dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.
“Everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life.” Will you show Christ to others as a priest, deacon or in the consecrated life? Contact Fr. Christopher Martel, Director of Vocations, at (603) 663-0196 or cmartel@rcbm.org.
Each Deanery is holding a Holy Hour for Vocations during this special week. Come and flood the heavens with our prayers before the Blessed Sacrament. In the White Mountain Deanery, a Holy Hour will be held on Wednesday, November 5th at 6 pm at St. Anne Church, 58 Church Street, Berlin.
Dear Parishioners and Visitors,
At its last meeting, the members of the parish’s Executive Council opted to redeem the $55K Certificate of Deposit (CD) of parish funds that was maturing, in order to address some of the repairs needed in the church building here at St. Joseph’s. Of immediate concern is the safety issue constituted by the carpeting in the nave and the narthex, which is rippling and separating at the seams. (Porter & Curtis Insurance Company, our risk-management provider, monitors such safety and fall-risk potentials on our church campus.) Plans are underway to replace the damaged carpeting, and to install a frontal rail that will provide kneeling for people seated in the front pews, increase the depth of the transept to accommodate caskets at funerals and bridal parties at weddings, while ensuring the orderly distribution of Holy Communion at these liturgical celebrations. I am grateful to Steven Babin, and to Faith and Andre Desjardins for their consultations and help with this project.
Last week, at the meeting of the Buildings and Grounds Committee, Chairperson Mike Iarroci and I conducted the requisite property inspection as required quarterly by Porter & Curtis. As the latest analysis indicates, the parish is compliant with all building, grounds, electrical, chemical, and industrial requirements set forth in the inspection regulations. In addition, the State of NH and Hampshire Fire Protection Company visited the church last week for the annual elevator and fire-alarm inspections. This resulted in a favorable report for the elevator and the renewal of the inspection certificate. While the fire-alarm system also passed inspection, it was noted that the alarm panel will need to be replaced soon to update its full functioning capacity.
Everything is time and money, as the saying goes. Thank you for any contributions you would like to make towards these necessary projects. Mostly, though, thank you for your patience and for bearing witness to your call of faith to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney