Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 1 of 70)

Next week begins the annual New Hampshire Catholic Appeal (NHCA): Future of Our Faith II, Jesus, I trust in You. The NHCA is the Church in New Hampshire’s annual   campaign to support essential ministries and programs of our faith. Last year, our parish along with the other 87 parishes raised more than $4.3M. Thank you to all who donated to the appeal last year. The appeal will take place over the next two weekends at Mass. The NHCA supports the care for our retired and elderly priests, seminarian  education and vocations,     Catholic education, faith formation, evangelization through Parable magazine, the Community Services program at Catholic Charities NH and more! Every registered parishioner will receive a letter from Bishop Libasci along with appeal materials in the mail soon. Please keep the Church in New Hampshire in your prayers that we may grow together and carry our faith into the future. For more information, go to www.catholicnh.org/nhca.

Your generosity is most appreciated!!

Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

Mike Cummings, Lector and Greeter during the winter months here at St. Joe’s, and a member of the New England Disabled Sports (NEDS) family, writes a weekly column for the bulletin at his hometown parish, St. Augustine Church in Andover, Massachusetts. From time to time, I like to share his theological musings in our parish bulletin as food for spiritual growth. Here are Mike’s thoughts on miracles and faith development:

Have you ever personally experienced a miracle? I have on a couple of occasions. Did you tell   everyone you know that God interceded in your life? I didn’t. Putting aside the question of “why not?”, it is safe to say that miracles occur far more often than they are reported. In a way, they are like UFO sightings. They happen, but until recently were largely ignored. Surveys show that roughly 25% to 50% of people questioned in  multiple countries say they have experienced a miracle. Often, they are related to health issues. Interestingly, about three-quarters of doctors say they believe in miracles. The online Miriam-Webster dictionary defines “miracle” as “an    extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs”. The online Oxford Dictionary defines it as “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws”. Ask your friend who is a “None” or an atheist how they personally account for miracles that are inexplicable by even the most passionately secular scientists.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Catherine LaBrecque

Committal Service on Friday,
June 27, 2025 at 1:00pm at Riverside Cemetery

Helen Gilman
Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, June 28, 2025 at 10:00 AM followed by      Interment at Riverside Cemetery

Catherine LaBrecque

Committal Service on Saturday,

 June 27, 2025 at 1:00pm at

Riverside Cemetery

The week begins June 22 with the feast day of Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher and concludes with the Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul on June 29.  

Religious freedom allows the Church, and all religious communities, to live out their faith in public and to serve the good of all. Learn how you can pray, reflect, and act to promote religious freedom at www.usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek.

  Without doubt, the Lord Jesus was well pleased when he arrived in the traveling caravan at St. Joseph’s Church last Friday.  It  was quite a spectacle on Church Street when the NH Eucharistic Pilgrim bus arrived with an entourage of priests, nuns and pilgrims aboard transporting Bishop Libasci’s grand monstrance, which was borne up the front stairs and into the church in       solemn procession.  Once there, the Eucharistic Lord was  greeted in the church with sacred music and many parishioners and visitors for an hour of prayer and adoration before the Blessed Sacrament: “O Salutaris Hostia,” indeed!  A special word of thanks to the parishioners who came to pray, and to the parish staff who pulled the victory together:  Margaret Sweeney, Colin McIver, Steven Babin, Karen Gallagher, Nancy Sweeney, and Jan Wolowski.  Praise God for a beautiful and reverent holy-hour visit from the Lord Jesus!