Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 21 of 72)

Diocese of Manchester
How to Report Suspected Abuse:.

If you know of or suspect abuse or neglect of a minor (a    person under 18), you must report it to the NH Division for Children, Youth and Families at 1-800-894-5533 or 603-271-6556. 
As an employee or volunteer in the Catholic Church in New Hampshire, in addition to reporting to DCYF, if you know of  or suspect sexual abuse of a minor by Church personnel you must also report it to:

· Local law enforcement and the Delegate for Ministerial Conduct if the abuse involves a minor.

· Delegate for Ministerial Conduct if the abuse involves a person who is no longer a minor
·Delegate for Ministerial Conduct – 603-669-3100
Parish Safe Environment Coordinator: Paula King – peking@together.n

LIST OF CLERGY ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR

On April 10, 2024, the Diocese of Manchester added three priests to its list of clergy accused of  sexual abuse of a minor as part of its continuing effort and commitment to protecting children  and young people. The information, assignment histories, and additional resources are available  at catholicnh.org/restoringtrust.

Reverend George Desjardins has been listed on the Restoring Trust website under the category  “Cases Concluded” for a report of abuse that took place more than forty years ago that was  received recently. Fr. Desjardins is alive and has been retired since 2002. He is prohibited from  ministry.

Reverend Matthew Schultz has been listed on the Restoring Trust website under the category  “Cases in Process,” which are cases involving living Diocesan priests, but where the canonical  proceedings are not yet complete. Fr. Schultz is prohibited from ministry. Out of respect for those  involved and because the case is still in process, no further information will be disclosed at this  time.

Reverend André Thibodeau has been listed on the Restoring Trust website of the Diocese of  Manchester as a Deceased Priest accused of sexual abuse of a minor for a report received after  his death. Fr. Thibodeau died in 2015. 

Law enforcement has been notified of the reports concerning all three priests. Whenever it  becomes aware of a report of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest, deacon, diocesan employee, or  volunteer, the Diocese ensures that the New Hampshire Attorney General’s office is notified,  even if the misconduct took place many years ago.

Anyone with information pertaining to sexual abuse in the Church is encouraged to make a  report to law enforcement. For information on how to report abuse, to request counseling or  other services, or to learn more about how the Diocese of Manchester works to create a safe  environment in all our ministries, visit catholicnh.org/safety.

Dear Parishioners and Friends in Christ,

Happy Easter to you all in this most joyful season of Christ’s victory over sin and death!

Together, let us express our gratitude to all those who assisted in making our Lenten, Holy Week, and  Easter Liturgies so meaningful and beautiful. Thanks, especially, to our Lectors, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Greeters, Collectors, Music Ministers, Sacristan/Servers, the fellowship members who transported the flowers to the upper church, and the team of volunteers who decorated so beautifully and reverently the worship spaces.  A special word of thanks to the Faith Formation teachers and students for leading the Children’s Way of the Cross, and for assembling the Easter gift bags for the children of the parish.  The simple dinner of soup and bread,  provided by the Maki Family to those who attended the Children’s Way of the Cross, reminded us of our Lenten sacrifice to God’s poor children.

Most of all, I thank you, the parish community of St. Joseph, as well as those visitors who join us frequently and support our good efforts here in Lincoln. Your active participation and increased attendance during the Lenten Masses, Stations of the Cross, the Triduum, and Easter Sunday Masses was truly inspiring!  I was particularly pleased to see a 20% increase in attendance this year for the Triduum and Easter Masses, and so many of our children and young people accompanying their parents to all the liturgies. 

May this Easter Season fill you with abundant joy, renewed hope, and a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  May we all experience the Peace of the Risen Lord Jesus in our relationships with God, with one another, and in our own hearts.  “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad!”

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

We learned many lessons about covenants during the forty days of Lent this year. And now we exult in the most   important covenant – that God so loved the world that He sent His only son so that we who follow him might have eternal life. God loves us. God is merciful toward us. And God wants us to live forever with Him in His Kingdom. This is the essential meaning of our Easter celebrations.

The pastoral staff and ministry team here at Saint Joseph’s extend a heartfelt “thank you” to all our parishioners and visitors. Your dedication,   support, and love for the Lord encourage us in our ministry. You are an Easter People! You live in the light and the love of the Lord and inspire us greatly! May we continue to work together in building God’s Kingdom and extending Easter joy to all those we meet.

May the grace of the Risen Christ be with you and your loved ones. God bless and keep you!

Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Palm Sunday is the final Sunday of Lent, the beginning of Holy Week, and commemorates the triumphant arrival of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, days before he was crucified. The use of a colt instead of a horse is highly symbolic, representing the humble arrival of someone who comes in the name of peace, as opposed to a warrior mounted on a military steed. Palm branches are recognized widely as symbols of peace and victory, hence their use on Palm Sunday. The palms enjoy one of the longest sacramental blessings of any blessed item and are one of the few sacred items blessed in the context of the Mass itself. In church, the faithful hold their palm branches high for the rite of sprinkling and blessing, then bring their palms home and place them with devotion behind a crucifix or holy picture – a yearlong reminder that Christ “reigns from the wood,” suffered and died out of love for us, and is with us in our own times of suffering, peace, and victory.
With prayerful best wishes for a blessed Palm Sunday and Holy Week,

Fr. John Mahoney