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

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Once again, the diocesan pilgrimage to Washington, D.C. for the national March for Life has been canceled due to the pandemic.  As a parish community, however, there is much we can do prayerfully in our own backyard to foster the pro-life initiative.  The following events are scheduled here at St. Joseph Church for Wednesday, January 26:

· 8:00 A.M. — Pro-Life Mass

· 8:30 A.M. — Rosary for Life

· 8:30 A.M. – 3:00 P.M. — Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to Respect Life

· A charitable donation has been made on behalf of the parish to Pathways Care Center in Littleton to support, educate and equip men and women to make life-affirming choices relative to pregnancy, parenting, relationships, and God.

Please join us as we pray for the sanctity of all life.

Peace,

Fr. John Mahoney