Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 38 of 68)

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Lent is about one simple thing: turning to Jesus Christ, and him crucified.  Lent is our time to journey with Christ, to set our own faces to Jerusalem and accompany him to the cross.  Lent is our time to be with the crucified Lord, and to wait quietly with him for the brilliance of the resurrection.

These words are from the Introduction to the daily reflections booklet, “Not by Bread Alone,” that our parish will be using as a daily prayer guide during this Season of Lent 2022.  Each day you will hear the voices of two friends – one a seasoned Jesuit priest and the other a married mother of four children – whose different walks of life intersect in a mutual love of God’s word and a shared desire to explore that word with you. 

Will this Lent be like all the others?  Or will the meditations and prayers offered by Amy Ekeh and Fr. Stegman change your relationship with God and with your family and friends as you journey toward Easter and beyond?

Please take a copy as you exit the church building today.  Treasure it.

With prayerful best wishes that you experience a deeper relationship with Christ this Lenten Season,

Fr. John Mahoney 

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

“Up” is always a good direction to move when seeking a holy encounter. Moses met God atop Mt. Sinai in a unique revelation. The prophet Elijah ended the great drought over Israel atop Mt. Carmel; later, early Christian monks would gather on Mt. Carmel to replicate that heavenly proximity. King David built his temple on Mt. Zion. Jesus climbed Mt. Tabor before his Transfiguration and offered his most memorable sermon on a mount. Modern mountain climbers and skiers still seek the higher view, the wide-open perspective, the big picture. Look up when you visit New Hampshire’s White Mountains! The vistas can be astounding!

And don’t forget to look us up!  Visit the Lord of it all when you’re enjoying the area.  Here at St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, just up Main Street, parishioners and visitors appreciate its welcoming spirit, along with the convenience of being in the center of “The Whites.”

In your bulletin today, and at the entrances to the church, you will find postcards of St. Joseph’s Church nestled in the snowy mountains.  They were provided by the time, talent, and treasures of Forrest Govoni and Bart and Paula King. Please take some home to post on your refrigerator, prop up on your desk, use as a bookmark, or send to a friend.

Thank you for joining us to worship God in the beauty of His creation – up here in the Whites!

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Over the past year,, I have administered the Anointing of the Sick many times to members and friends of the St. Joseph’s parish community.  It is always a moment of great grace and comfort, not only for the person who is sick, but also for their loved ones.  The Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven sacraments of the Church that recalls the healing presence and power of Jesus in times when the faithful touch their mortality most vulnerably, like during a serious illness, when facing surgery, in the infirmity of advanced age, in recognition of mental or physical debility, and at the hour when death is near.  Beautiful in its simplicity, the ritual includes readings from Sacred Scripture, prayers, laying hands on the head of the recipient, and the anointing with blessed oil on their forehead and palms of their hands.  The Sacraments of Reconciliation and of Holy Communion are often celebrated at the same time, as may be necessary or possible.  If you or a family member would like to receive the many graces and healing powers of the Anointing of the Sick, whether at home, in the church or rectory, or in a healthcare facility, please do let me know.  I am happy to visit or meet.    

With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors:

Catholics have been addressing Our Lady as Stella Maris—Star of the Sea—for well over a thousand years. The image of a star shining on the sea is certainly an inspiring and beautiful one that recalls her identity as the Queen of Heaven.  Our Lady, too, guides us on the tumultuous seas of life.  She is never dimmed by clouds or storms, but shines bright no matter the weather.  Our Lady seems to particularly resemble the North Star, Polaris, which is the only star in the Northern Hemisphere that doesn’t move.  All the other stars appear to rotate around it.  It might be beyond the skill of the average non-sailor to correctly trace the paths of moveable stars, but the North Star is simple to locate.  Like the North Star, Our Lady is near us always, easy to find, steadfast and unmoving.

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Thank you for complying so willingly and kindly to the pandemic protocols here at St. Joseph Church.  Last week, 17 priests on the southern tier of the Diocese of Manchester were unable to celebrate Masses due to their own positive test results for COVID-19-related illnesses.  As such, we continue to strongly encourage mask wearing while in the church building, we continue to apply a plant-based disinfectant to all pews and high-touch areas following each Mass, and the EMs continue to wear masks and sanitize hands prior the distribution of Holy Communion and following each time a communicant receives on the tongue.  All food services in the parish hall remain suspended until further notice.

Again, thank you for your helpful participation in keeping yourself and those around you safe and healthy!  We’ll get through this together … and soon, praise God!

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney