Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 33 of 78)

“The Lord is near to all who call upon him(Ps.145).”

The “new” evangelization, the call to all of us to share in the Church’s role of proclaiming the faith, reminds us that we fulfill the role of evangelizers by walking with those who struggle, those who do not believe. Ours is not to browbeat or bombard them with clever challenges or Bible quotations. Just listen, share your own faith, and love them. That is what God does.

Non-Catholics who attend our funerals and weddings comment frequently on the beauty and mystery of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. They feel the promptings of the Holy Spirit and are moved by the experience. Have you ever thought about inviting a non-Catholic friend to join you for Holy Mass?  It may encourage them to learn more about the Faith, and maybe even become Catholic themselves!

The Mass can be confusing for non-Catholics. That’s why it’s so important to help guide them when they come with you, so they can have a better understanding of what happens in our church each Sunday! A great way to help non-Catholics to feel more at ease is by showing them how to follow the readings and responses in the “Breaking Bread”  missalettes. Your friend can observe you to know when to kneel, sit, or stand.

An important rule to keep in mind is that non-Catholics cannot receive Holy Communion. Be sure to give your friend a courteous heads up so that they know they can remain in the pew while you go up to receive. Before they actually attend the Mass, you can explain that the Eucharist is not a symbol—but the actual Body and Blood of Christ—and that  to receive Jesus in Holy Communion requires preparation beforehand and total adherence to everything that the Catholic Church teaches. Although non-Catholics are not supposed to receive Communion, you can tell your friends that the Church encourages them to use this time to pray for unity among all Christians.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Francis and Lucia McNamara
Committal Service Sunday, September 24, 2023, at 2:00 P.M. at Woodstock Cemetery.

Louis Corbeil, Sr.
Memorial Mass on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at 10:00 A.M. followed by Interment at Riverside Cemetery.

Eileen D. Latham
Funeral arrangements to be determined.

Darlene Morin Pitcher
Funeral arrangements to be determined.

He was in Scotland afore ye!  For nearly 1,000 years Saint Andrew, the “first called” of the apostles, has been Scotland’s patron saint, and the Saltire or “Saint Andrew’s Cross,” an X-shaped cross on which Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred, is represented on the nation’s flag.  Traditions abound as to how exactly Scotland’s special connection with Saint Andrew came about.  One claims the saint’s relics were brought from Constantinople to Scotland under divine guidance.  Another says that during a battle with the English the Scottish king saw a cloud shaped like a Saltire and declared that Saint Andrew was watching over his troops. Whatever the case, rest assured that the gathering of the clan for Highland Games is a special celebration for the Scottish, near and far, and for all of us who wish to imitate Saint Andrew by following Jesus in our own lives.

Go mbeannai Dia Duit!

Fr. John Mahoney

To be a catechist is to be of service to the Lord and to one another through the ministry of handing on the faith through witness, word, and example.  In many ways, it is a humbling ministry, for none of us is perfect nor knows all there is to know about our faith.  Yet in our imperfection, God calls us to “make disciples of all nations … teaching them to observe all I have commanded you.” Mt. 28:19-20  

     As a parish community, we should be eternally grateful to our Faith Formation teachers as they exercise their ministry here in St. Joseph’s faith community.  Co-directors Paula King and Annie Anderson, and teachers Karen Gallagher and Kathleen McDermott, not only lead our   catechetical program, but they do so effectively because they live their faith every day, bearing  witness to the    Gospel message in word and action.  As such – and in conjunction with their weekly classroom instruction – their students learn Christian values and spirituality, and incorporate them into their daily lives.

As we observe Catechetical Sunday on the weekend of  September 9 and 10, 2023, please join me in thanking our Faith Formation teachers for their faith-filled dedication to pass on the message of the Gospel and the teachings of the Catholic Church to our fine young students who achieve so much under their tutelage and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

 New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival

A celebration of Scottish Heritage

September 15-17, 2023             Loon Mountain Resort, Lincoln, NH

www.nhscot.org

We are most grateful to the two skiers who   volunteer so much time and care into making the parish property look like the gardens of paradise!

New Hampshire   Highland Games  & Festival
A celebration of Scottish Heritage
September 15-17, 2023 Loon Mountain Resort Lincoln, NH
www.nhscot.org