Category: From the Pastor’s Desk (Page 45 of 76)

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

And the people begged Jesus that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed (Mark 5:56).

For some, the weeks of Lent are a time of preparation for baptism; for all it is a time for preparation to renew baptismal promises with conviction. Time in prayer, self-scrutiny, celebrating the Sacrament of Reconciliation in a careful and thoughtful way can make the questions “Do you believe in God?” and “Do you reject sin?” not only words of a ceremony but the sign of a fresh commitment.  To say that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is not widely celebrated today is an understatement, but it is not an overstatement to say that it is more needed than ever.  Reconciliation is as much a matter of having your sins forgiven as it is the experience of opening yourself to the healing of God through Christ in the Sacrament.  Of what would you like to be healed? 

With prayerful best wishes,

Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Back in 2006, parishioners and visitors to St. Joseph’s saw the fruits of their generosity materialize with the purchase of our brand new church organ – a Renaissance Quantum Allen Master Organ.  Among the many benefactors who contributed, the names of 288 of the donors are inscribed on a plaque, “St. Joseph Church Organ Donors,” that hangs on the wall next to the organ. 

Over the past year, Colin McIver, one of St. Joseph’s regular organists, has been participating in a series of Diocesan-sponsored master classes for liturgical organists and pianists from across New Hampshire.  If you would like to experience the master-class model of musical training, you are invited to see and hear Dr. Eric Bermani, Diocesan and Cathedral Director of Music and Organist, rehearse and critique Colin and his classmates as they learn new techniques and various styles of church music.  There is no charge, and you are welcome to stop by for a period of time or stay for the entire class.    

Organ Master Class
Saint Joseph Church
25 Church Street
9:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. –  Saturday, April 2, 2022

All are welcome.  Open to the public.

With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

As we embark upon the Second Week of Lent, this Sunday’s liturgical readings deal with transformations. God responds to Abram’s faith by making a covenant with him, changing the relationship between the two.  Saint Paul writes of the ability of God to glorify our bodies.  Jesus’ Transfiguration reveals God’s power to transform.  What graces has your faith opened up for you?  What happens when you focus on heavenly things?  When have you been transfigured in some way?  How can this Lent be a transforming experience for you?  For others in your life?

With prayerful best wishes for a transforming Lenten Season,

Fr. John Mahoney

Dear Parishioners and Visitors, 

Lent is forty days long because Jesus fasted in the wilderness forty days and forty nights before embarking on his public ministry.  But Jesus did not select the length of his fast at random. Throughout the Old Testament, a stretch of forty days (or years) has always carried a deep meaning often related to punishment, penance, and/or preparation.  When the time came for Jesus to begin his public ministry, he utilized this tradition.  His time in the desert—reminiscent of the Israelites’ forty- year sojourn—proffers the idea that he is deliberately taking on the punishment due to our faithlessness, which otherwise would keep us away from the Promised Land of Heaven. Lent is our great opportunity to enter into the desert with Christ. Do you have a plan for how to approach these days and gain the incredible graces they offer us? 

With prayerful best wishes, 
Fr. John Mahoney 

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