Dear Parishioners and Visitors,
God bless you and thank you to those who contributed to the 2023 New Hampshire Catholic Appeal: Future of Our Faith II.
It’s not too late to make your pledge or contribute to those in need of help! Brochures, prayer cards, and pledge envelopes are available next to the church’s poor box. Your gift will provide the means for the Church in New Hampshire to respond to the increasing needs of essential ministries, such as Catholic education and the future of our priesthood. Please know that your light is shining before others, and by your example, others will follow and give glory to our Heavenly Father.
On behalf of all those who will come to know God’s mercy and Christ’s light this
year because of your generosity, I thank you.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Fr. John Mahoney
Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 36 of 76)
“The Virgin in Prayer,” painted by Italian artist Sassoferrato, shows the Madonna in meditation. It grew in popularity as the sixteenth-century reformers of the Roman Catholic Church advocated a more personal approach to worship, placing greater emphasis on individual devotion and contemplation. It hangs in the National Gallery in London.
Happy Mother’s Day
Wishing God’s blessing on all mothers, living and deceased, on this Mother’s Day.
We thank all who made their gift to the New Hampshire Catholic Appeal: Future of our Faith II this weekend. Your gift will enable the Catholic Church in New Hampshire to meet the increasing needs of parishes, Catholic schools, retired clergy, seminarians, and much more. If you were not able to make your gift yet, please visit the website at www.catholicnh.org/nhca or bring your gift and drop it in the collection basket at Mass next weekend. We thank you on behalf of all who will come to know the loving hand of Christ and our Church through your generosity
This weekend we kickoff the New Hampshire Catholic Appeal: Future of our Faith II, Many Parts, One Body, an initiative for our Diocese to grow and expand ministries in the Church in New Hampshire. It will also consolidate six of our annual collections under one Appeal along with the Catholic Charities NH parish appeal and the Parable magazine drive. Your continued generosity to our parish and to these vital ministries is greatly appreciated.
The New Hampshire Catholic Appeal will help fund essential services and ministries like the care for our retired priests, education and formation of seminarians, Catholic education, Parable magazine, Catholic Charities N.H., and more. Everyone in our parish will receive a copy of the Appeal materials so that you can learn more about the NHCA and how you can participate. As you consider making your gift, please consider what you have given to these individual collections (Seminarian Fund, Retired Priest Fund, Parish to Parish Support Fund, Catholic University of America and USCCB, Catholic Education/Schools, N.H. Missionaries Abroad and Migrant & Refugee Ministry in N.H.) plus to Parable Magazine and the Catholic Charities N.H. special collection appeal. Our parish goal this year is $15,490 and any money raised over that goal will be rebated to our parish to use for our parish needs.
Together, we are many parts of the Church in New Hampshire, but one body of Christ and we can make a difference in the lives of many people. To make your gift, please return the gift envelope that you will receive in the mail, visit the Appeal’s website:
www.catholicnh.org/nhca to give online, or call the Appeal Office at 603-663-0170.
Dear Parishioners and Friends in Christ,
Happy May Day!
In the Catholic Church, the month of May is Mary’s month. It’s the month we honor Blessed Mary as the Mother of Jesus and our Heavenly Mother. Pope Saint Paul VI wrote in 1965 that May is an occasion for a “moving tribute of faith and love which Catholics in every part of the world pay to Mary, the Queen of Heaven.”
From her seat among the Communion of Saints, St. Faustina would have been pleased to see many of our parishioners praying together the Chaplet of Divine Mercy following the 10:00 A.M. Mass on Sunday, April 16, Divine Mercy Sunday. The Chaplet is an intercessory prayer that extends the offering of the Eucharist, so it is especially appropriate to use it after receiving Holy Communion at Mass. We pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for mercy — in our own lives and in the lives of our neighbors, too. We also pray that our weaknesses, anxieties, and worries will be replaced by our abounding trust in God by living our belief, “Jesus, I trust in You.” Thanks to all who attended, and especially to our sacristans and thurifer who assisted with the prayer service, and to our music ministers for leading us in songful praise and worship that morning!
Whereas it’s renewal time for my professional counseling licenses, I will be attending required clinical education conferences during the week of May 8. Please consult the bulletin box herein for weekday Masses in the area but remember that Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will still take place from 8:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. on Wednesday, May 10, at St. Joseph Church.
With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney
AREA WEEKDAY MASSES
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10 – FRIDAY, MAY 12
St. Joseph Church, Woodsville
5:00 P.M., Wednesdays
9:00 A.M., Thursdays, Fridays
St. Rose of Lima Church, Littleton|
6:00 P.M., Thursdays
8:30 A.M., Fridays
St. Matthew Church, Plymouth
8:00 A.M., Fridays