Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 1 of 61)

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 – and in light of the many concerns raised last Advent about the security of the gifts left  unguarded in the narthex under The Giving Tree – the Outreach Committee has opted 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.

If you would like to contribute to this effort, please utilize the church’s Poor Box, the proceeds of which are always directed to the many area charitable organizations, such as   Haven Pregnancy Center, The Bridge Project, Vets Rest Stop, Linwood Recreation Center,  Linwood Ambulance, and the Knights of          Columbus, as well as providing Price Chopper gift cards for the hungry and bereavement refreshments for the grieving.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

Giving thanks to God for all His blessings and provisions at Thanksgiving time is a wonderful tradition, but continuing this posture throughout the year is spiritually beneficial. It evolves from being an annual tradition to a constant way of life, made possible by the love of God shown to us in Christ. This is how we can live in a state of praise and adoration for our Lord with true Christian thankfulness all year long. 

Liturgically, we’ve arrived at the violet season of Advent. But everywhere else around us “it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.”  Let’s not rush past these spiritually rich weeks of  recollection and anticipation, pondering in review the fruits of the year and looking ahead to the hope of making Jesus incarnate in our words, decisions, and relationships. Advent includes rituals incorporated into home use, like the Advent wreath or the gradually assembled crèche.

Please take home with you a copy of “Advent & Christmas: Waiting in Joyful Hope,” available at the church’s doors this weekend. It is filled with “brief, down-to-earth reflections that bring prayer and Scripture into everyday life.”  May it guide you to a deeper appreciation for God’s gift of Himself in the Christ Child.

Wishing you Happy Thanksgiving and a blessed Advent Season,

Fr. John Mahoney

Project Rachel Ministry

If you or someone you know   is suffering after abortion, confidential, non-judgmental help is available from Project Rachel Ministry.    
Visit:   www.catholicnh.org/project-rachel for more information.

Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

Among the chief priorities of maintaining a parish church are concerns about the safety and security of the church building.

On October 24, the NH State elevator inspector and technicians from Hampshire Fire Protection Company visited the church building for their  annual inspections.  Pressure testing of the elevator’s hydraulic system was done, as were load tests and fire-alarm functioning to ensure that the elevator’s safety components are in good working order and up to code. Elevator    inspections are coordinated with fire protection experts to ensure that in the event of a fire, the alarm system is triggered appropriately, and the elevator car avoids the level at which the fire is active, so that passengers are discharged at a   safe level. The fire protection personnel inspected the fire alarms throughout the church building, performed functionality tests, replaced fire-detection batteries, and conducted tests on the emergency lighting units.

I am happy to report that both agencies who conducted the tests and inspections found that we are “in compliance” with the safety and security measures set forth by the State of New Hampshire for elevators and fire alarm systems! A special word of thanks goes out to Mike Iarocci, Chair of our Building and Grounds Committee, for working with the parish staff and me each year to meet these regulations and regulations that keep our parishioners and visitors safe.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Congratulations to Parishioner, Peter Laufenberg, who was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for New Hampshire Electric Co-op.  

Best wishes, Peter, in your new position!