Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 3 of 74)

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these (Luke 12:27).

Many thanks to our parishioners, Pam and Mike, for tending the church’s front gardens and the water fountain, and a special word of gratitude to our favorite “two skiers,” who work all summer long to beautify the triangular gardens on the periphery of the church parking lot!  Our gardeners add to the wide array of God’s bountiful beauty in the White Mountains!

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable time over these next and final few weeks of the summer,

Fr. John Mahoney

GLORIA MORIN

Mass of Christian Burial on Friday, September 5,2025 at 11:00 AM
followed by Interment at Riverside Cemetery

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our Priests.

Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.
Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.  Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom

Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.
Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.

Amen.

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Congratulations!! Our parish has reached,
and exceeded, our New Hampshire Catholic
Appeal goal of $20,136. Thank you to all
who generously supported the appeal and our
parish!

By reaching our goal, we have shown our
commitment to our faith beyond our parish
walls and to the ministries so vital to the
growth of our faith in New Hampshire!

Thank you for helping to share the mercy of
God!

With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

“Our grandparents and elderly are treasures for us,” said Pope Francis, “like fine vintage wine … grandparents and the elderly pass on history, doctrine, and faith, and they leave them to us as an inheritance.” 

When people think of Jesus being raised as a boy, they usually think only of Mary and Joseph. But his grandparents played a vital role, too. They were Saints Anne and Joachim, whose feast day is July 26. Anne and Joachim were the Blessed Virgin Mary’s parents. They knew she was a gift from God because they’d had great difficulty conceiving a child. Their faith, patience, wisdom and love had a profound influence on Mary, and on Jesus as well. St. John Damascene described them as a “blessed and spotless” couple to whom all creation is indebted.

In 2013, Pope Francis called all grandparents a “treasure,” and said that Anne and Joachim were part of a long chain of people who had transmitted their love for God and expressed it in the warmth and love of family life. We owe so much to our grandparents, not least for our very existence. They, and all the elderly, have played a significant role in our lives, both directly and indirectly, and despite any flaws, we have much to thank them for as we celebrate “World Day of Prayer for Grandparents and the Elderly” on Sunday, July 27, 2025.

With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney

The theme of Pope Leo XIV’s first message for the Fifth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, celebrated on Sunday, July 27, 2025, is ‘Blessed are those who have not lost hope’ (Sir 14:2) and fits into the context of the Jubilee of Hope 2025. These words, taken from the Book of Sirach, express the  blessedness of the elderly and indicate hope placed in the Lord as the way to a Christian and reconciled old age. The Holy Father  invites us to recognize the elderly not only as recipients of pastoral care, but as witnesses of hope who are active protagonists in the life of the Church.  In the Jubilee year, the Day is intended to be an opportunity to reflect on how the presence of grandparents and the elderly can become a sign of hope in every family and church community.