The Parish of St. Agatha Milton ~ Quincy, MA November 3-4, 2018 StAgathaParish.org ST. AGATHA RECTORY Office Hours Monday - Friday 9am-4pm 432 Adams Street Milton, MA 02186 ST. AGATHA SCHOOL 440 Adams Street Milton, MA 02186 SCHEDULE OF MASSES Daily Masses: Monday-Friday: & Saturday& Holidays: 8:00am Reconciliation: 3:45-4:15pm on Saturdays. Any other time by appointment Weekend Masses: Saturday: 4:30 pm Sunday: 7:30 am 9:00 am 10:30 am 12:00 noon 5:00 pm Holy Days: As Announced There are assistive devices for the hearing impaired available in the Sacristy before all Masses. Low gluten hosts are available. Please see priest before Mass if needed. Upcoming Events/Activities November 4 Mass of Remembrance (noon) November 6 Nocturnal Adoration November 7 Coffee & Conversation The rosary is recited every morning before the 9am Mass. Please join us. MISSION STATEMENT St. Agatha Parish is a Christian Community of Catholics from Milton, Quincy and beyond, whose Mission is to demonstrate Love by: proclaiming and celebrating God s Presence on earth; being open and welcoming to all; reaching out to our sisters and brothers near and far; providing opportunities for prayer, service, education and recreation. In living this Mission, we accept our responsibility for giving witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Eucharistic Adoration Every Friday after the 9am Mass in the Chapel until reposition at 1pm. Legion of Mary meets every Wednesday after the 9am Mass. Please call Lisa Gulino, our Pastoral Associate at 617-698-2439 X 209 and she will arrange for a minister of communion to bring Eucharist to you. St. Agatha Parish Phone: 617-698-2439 Rectory@StAgathaParish.org Fax: 617-698-1517 Parish Website: www.stagathaparish.org Clergy Rev. William B. Palardy, Pastor Rev. Jason M. Makos, Parochial Vicar Deacon Daniel F. Sullivan Rev. Patrick McLaughlin, Senior Priest in Residence Rev. Thomas Powers, Senior Priest in Residence Deacon Seraphim Wirth, fbp, Seminarian Intern Pastoral Associate Dr. Lisa M. Gulino Parish Administration Mr. Jack Riley, Finance and Operations Manager Ms. Kathy Monahan, Administrative Assistant and Bulletin Editor Music Ministry/ MusicDirector@StAgathaParish.org Ms. Agata Orzechowska, Director of Music St. Agatha School Phone: 617-696-3548 School@StAgathaParish.org Fax: 617-696-6288 School Website: www.stagathaparish.org/school Mrs. Nancy Carr, Principal Mrs. Michelle Tierney, Administrative Assistant Mrs. Joan Brown, Tuition Coordinator ST AGATHA FAITH FORMATION 617-696-1388 Grades 1-6 FaithFormation@StAgathaparish.org Mrs. Beth Peterson, Director Mrs. Jenn Caputo, Administrative Assistant Grade 7-10 & Young Church Ministry 617-696-8978 YoungChurchMinistry@StAgathaParish.org Ms. Helen Bornhorst, Coordinator
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time November 3-4, 2018 A Note from Our Pastor, I am very grateful to all those who participated in our Holy Hour a week ago Wednesday evening. I was able to be there only for the second half of the Holy Hour, but I was happy to see so many of us gathered in prayer before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament in solidarity with victims and survivors of sexual abuse, and begging the Lord for the healing and purification of our Church. I want to single out Agata and our Choir for the beautiful music that contributed so much to our prayer, to our Pastoral Associate Lisa Gulino for her organization of the evening, and to Fr. Makos for presiding and preaching. I heard a number of very positive comments from those who were present about how much that evening meant to them in allowing them to bring their own thoughts and feelings about the news reports the past few months to the Lord in that supportive and prayerful environment. Our next Wednesday Holy Hour will be on November 14 th with the specific prayer intention being the wellbeing of our families. You might be wondering about where we stand regarding the Parish Pastoral Council Elections this year. Last Sunday the Council met, and since we have only six nominations with five spots to fill, the decision reached was that if these nominees accept the nomination they will all be appointed to the Council without an election. At the current time when I am writing this column I have not made contact with all the nominees. So, stay tuned to next week s column when I will inform you about the new Council members. Another bit of news has to do with our annual headcount at the weekend Masses last month. We averaged a total of 1392 people attending our 6 Masses. This is 37 fewer people than last year over the same period. While this is a much smaller reduction in attendance compared with the reduction by 200 last year, it is still a reduction. Even in the challenging times in which we are living, we all have work to do to increase participation at this MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY of our Parish: the Sunday celebration of the Holy Eucharist. As I said last year, I look to the Parish Pastoral Council and all parishioners for assistance in our improvement in this VITAL matter. Many thanks to those of you who have already donated to our Grand Annual Collection. You have given your donation to the parish even before I ve written my check this year! I usually don t like it when someone beats me, say, on the golf course. But in the case of the Grand Annual I make an exception! On the whole matter of winning and losing, mention has to be made of our World Series Champion Boston Red Sox. I still haven t caught up on lost sleep yet, but what an amazing season and playoff run, capped off by winning the World Series in 5 games, and it took the Dodgers 18 innings to hand the Sox their only loss while contributing significantly to the loss of sleep for us Sox fans! Any number of accolades and compliments can be given, but for me what is most impressive is how these 2018 Red Sox epitomize what it means to work together truly as a team. As we reflect on this past season, I don t think that it will be too much of a stretch to find some parallels relevant for ourselves and for our life together as a parish. All of November is a time to pray for our departed family members and other loved ones, but I am especially looking forward to our annual Mass of Remembrance at Noon this Sunday for our parishioners who passed away since last November. It is a great moment when we as a parish join with our sisters and brothers who have experienced the recent passing of a loved one, and we pray with them for eternal rest, peace, and joy for their dearly departed. But we also pray for our grieving parishioners that the Lord may heal their pain and help us to be instruments of His consolation. If you haven t already done so, please remember to vote this coming Tuesday. Fr. Pat and I were early birds at the polls at the Town Hall this past Tuesday. I just hope we didn t cancel out each other s votes! (I m joking). Please note in this bulletin the reminders about our monthly Nocturnal Adoration and Rosary this coming Tuesday evening, and our coffee, doughnuts, and conversation Wednesday after the 7 and 9am Masses. Finally, be sure to spread the word about the Open House this Tuesday from 9:30 to 11am at St. Agatha School for all parents who might be interested in sending their child to our school, as well as the Early Childhood Informational Evening this Thursday at 6pm for parents of children 3 or 4 years of age. Have a blessed week! Fr. Palardy The Outreach Committee A note from Maureen Gemma I joined St. Agatha s Outreach Committee because I wanted to work with others from the Parish to continue St. Agatha s long tradition of community service. As working parents with busy children, we often found it hard to find time to participate in service. I always wanted my children (now young adults) to realize how lucky they are to live in this community and to understand that we should help people who may not have the same opportunities we have. Participating in food and clothing drives through Faith Formation, delivering fruit baskets to homebound people, and wrapping for My Brother s Keeper s Christmas gift giving project showed my family how meaningful and important service is. I hope the Outreach Committee can continue to bring opportunities to help others to our Parish and that many Parish families will be able to join in this work.
St. Agatha Parish FEATURED WEEKLY READING THEME: Live the First Commandment As you listen to this familiar Scripture, what caught your ear in it today? What one word did you notice? Gospel : Mark 12:28B-34 One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, Which is the first of all the commandments? Jesus replied, The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. The scribe said to him, Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, He is One and there is no other than he. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no one dared to ask him any more questions. Milton Quincy Nocturnal Adoration The next Nocturnal Adoration will take place on Tuesday evening, November 6th Adoration and Rosary from 7:00-8:00pm. All are welcome! THE WEEKLY UPDATE The Grand Annual seems to be off to a great start based on the number of envelopes we ve received. The initial tally was not available in time for this week s note! But beginning next weekend the running total will be shared as we begin our push toward our budgeted goal of $170,000. Just a reminder that you can use your credit card to make your contribution and maybe get some points toward a winter getaway! You can also authorize a debit from your checking account and even budget your contribution over three months or more to suit your budget. This appeal is crucial to the fiscal stability of the parish and your support is very much appreciated. We had hoped for a little better weather to expedite the masonry repairs to the Church tower. However, what we ve gotten instead is a Nor easter and a few assorted days of wind and rain. Work is progressing, albeit at a slower rate than the contractor had planned. They are able to work into December if necessary by treating the mortar with additives, so one way or the other we will get the work done. It is very important that this phase of the work be completed before winter weather settles in, so a little Indian Summer would be a big help! Jack Riley Pastoral Planning November 4 ~ Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Today s readings leave us with a clear message as to the commandments of God. Love God with all your heart, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. In the first reading Moses is speaking and, in the Gospel, it is Jesus who is speaking. As disciples of Jesus Christ, taking these words to heart can be difficult at times. Pray for the grace you need to let these words serve as a guide. Let your words and actions this week show your love of God and neighbor. Weekly Budget Oct. 27-28 In-Pew Collection St. Agatha Outreach Committee GIFT CARD DONATIONS Requesting food gift cards from local supermarkets to support our local food pantries in need. All dollar amounts help! These gift cards allow individuals to buy turkeys, ethnic meats, desserts and traditional foods for the holidays. Please place your gift cards in the offertory basket. Thank you for your generosity! Weekly Offertory Report Electronic Collection Oct. 27-28 Total Offertory Weekly Difference Total Difference YTD $13,235 $9,052 $2,778 $11,830 -$1,405 -$27,897
http://www.facebook.com/stagathaparishmiltonquincy November 3-4, 2018 The Sacred Pause Lisa M. Gulino Pastoral Associate Several friends are involved with STEM education. Despite the importance of scientific literacy, many foundational science courses, they tell me, are plagued by low student engagement and performance. Thinking creatively as teachers do they ripped from the headlines highly publicized stories concerning biological principles. Students research a headline such as global warming, an athlete s diet plan, or a recent natural disaster. A group presents the event and the particular biological principles in play. Student engagement soared! What if we applied the same practice to prayer? How would our prayer life be affected if we prayed while reading the newspaper or lifted up our Facebook friends or Instagram followers? Prayer is the simple opening of one s heart to God. We silence our mind and open our heart and share our hopes and dreams, our fears and concerns for ourselves, our loved ones, our world. God Himself asks us to pray and to ask from our need. Jesus asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" (Mark 10:51). The Apostle Paul, told the Christians at Ephesus. Pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests (Ephesians 6: 18). Prayer is powerful and can change a life. Daily prayer is important for the following reasons: 1. Prayer brings us closer to God. In any relationship, communication is the key to success. During your commute talk to God. On your walk thank God for the beauty of our creation. And my personal favorite, in the gym I cry out to the Lord loudly and often! 2. Prayer protects. Never underestimate the power of prayer. Life is full of trials and obstacles that can sometimes lead us to question faith. In prayer we become more certain that we are not alone. Pray to your children s guardian angels. 3. Prayer brings comfort and joy. Jesus healed the sick while He was on earth. He gave authority to His disciples to heal. James writes, Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. (5:13) 4. Prayer brings breakthrough. If you are struggling to work through an issue, prayer can bring patience, understanding, and hope. Open your heart to God and share your burdens. Even if the breakthrough doesn t happen immediately, God gives you the grace and strength to keep going. On Wednesday, November 14 th please come to the Holy Hour and concretize your family s hopes and joys and current events in prayer and praise. Join us after for fellowship with our parish family. Holy Hour Reception to follow light appetizers and beverages Sometimes we just need to be together, to pray, and to enjoy fellowship. Let us join as members of the parish family on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 from 7:00 until 8:00 PM for Adoration and Night Prayer. The Choir will lead us in Adoration and Benediction Hymns as well as meditative music. The intention for this Holy Hour is for our parish families and parishioners. Come with your intentions, lift them up in prayer, enjoy the peaceful presence of God, and music which raises your mind and heart. You work hard all week, you deserve this spiritual moment which affords your spirit rest and renewal. Enjoy your fellow parishioners with light apps and beverages to follow. Please join us after the 7am and 9am Masses on Wednesday, November 7th for Coffee & Conversation. Come visit with long time friends or reach out and make new friends. Bereavement Support Group Walking through Grief Have you experienced the loss of a loved one in the past year(s)? You are not alone. The next meeting is on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 from 6 7:30pm in the Meeting Room next to the Gathering Space. Harry Feldman and Linda Garvey-Dickey will facilitate the group. The group will meet for the next five weeks and discusses ways to cope with grief and to find support in sharing. For more information about these opportunities, please contact Lisa M. Gulino, Pastoral Associate: lgulino@stagathaparish.org or 617-698-2439. Parish Movie Night & Popcorn Bar Friday, December 7, 2018 from 7 9:00 PM Award winning movie, Wonder. Based on the New York Times bestseller, this movie tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters the fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
Rectory@StAgathaParish.org November 3-4, 2018 FAITH FORMATION UPDATES Our Thanksgiving Food drive is underway! Collections will be donated to the Milton Food Pantry and Interfaith Social Services in Quincy. Donations of canned fruit such as pineapple, pears, peaches, and apple sauce, as well as pantry staples; pasta, sauce, rice, stuffing, cereal, brownie mix, cake mix, and frosting are much appreciated. Please have your child bring their donations to their Faith Formation Session by November 15. Thank you in advance for your generosity! CONFIRMATION & YOUNG CHURCH MINISTRY FOLLOW THE YOUTH GROUP St. Agatha Youth Ministry page or @ staggiesmilton Grade 5 Faith Formation Students will host Family Mass at 9:00 am on Sunday, November 18. The students will have the opportunity to be greeters, lectors, and gift bearers at Mass. Please encourage and support your children to volunteer! Signups will occur during normal Faith Formation Sessions. Parents of children in Grade 2 in both Faith Formation and St. Agatha School please plan to attend a sacramental parent meeting. Two sessions are offered, choose the one most convenient for you (attendance is required only at one of the meetings). Thursday, November 29 from 9:45 am 10:45 am or Wednesday, December 5 from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Both meetings will be held in the Gathering space. Please email your RSVP to the Faith Formation Office indicating which session you plan to attend by November 15. Trunk or Treat! What a fun community event! See more photos on the St. Agatha School facebook page.
SAINT AGATHA SCHOOL Join us at Saint Agatha School Tuesday, November 6, 9:30-11 am OPEN HOUSE All prospective parents are invited to our school for a tour ~ come see why our young graduates leave poised for success in their next school of choice with an academic confidence, a strong moral character & a thirst for learning. Thursday, November 8, 6 pm EARLY CHILDHOOD INFORMATIONAL EVENING All current and prospective families with children ages 3 & 4 are invited to learn more about our Early Childhood program that is part of the highly regarded Lynch Early Childhood Project Classroom tours will follow the presentation. Thursday, November 15, 6 pm MIDDLE SCHOOL INFORMATIONAL EVENING All current and prospective families are invited to meet our dedicated middle school team and learn about our rigorous academic program that includes: Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Science, Spanish, Latin and a robust religion curriculum. Saturday 8:00am 4:30pm Sunday 7:30am 10:30am 12:00pm 5:00pm Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 8:00am 4:30pm Sunday 7:30am 10:30am 12:00pm 5:00pm November 3 Birth. Memorial Memorial November 4 3rd Anniversary For the Anniversary Mass of 3rd Anniversary November 5 1st Anniversary November 6 1st Anniversary Birth. Memorial November 7 10th Anniversary Memorial November 8 Memorial MASS INTENTIONS November 9 53rd Anniversary 2nd Anniversary November 10 7th Anniversary 4th Anniversary November 11 For the Anniversary All Anniversary 18th Anniversary Imogene Germaine The Deceased Members of the Devine & Williams Family Joan Sullivan Dolan Parishioners of St. Agatha Pasquina & Frank De Candia Remembrance Eleanor A. Berry Constance Michaelina Samborska McCabe Louise M. DiTullio Joseph T. Sullivan Thomas Joseph Therese Mason Michael & Patricia Furlong John E. Riley Maureen Esdale Margaret Coughlin Lisa Noonan Veterans Day Parishioners of St. Agatha Reardon Reynolds Family Veterans Warren & Mary Sears John P. Foley A HUGE Thank You to Mr. Jim Orcutt, the founder of My Brother s Keeper in Easton, for speaking to the middle school about service today. Mr. Orcutt discussed how he and his wife started My Brother s Keeper and how it s still going today because of the amazing 4,000 volunteers that help at the warehouse every year and the numerous donations they receive each day! Check out their website www.mybrotherskeeper.org for more information on how to get involved. Come and Play!! SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATIONS Baptism: 2:00pm on the 2nd/4th Sundays of each month. Please call the Rectory to arrange/ask questions regarding other arrangements. Reconciliation: 3:45-4:15pm on Saturdays Any other time by appointment Marriage: Call one of the parish priests or deacon. Arrangements are ordinarily to be made at least 6 months before the proposed marriage. Every Monday Doors Open @ 4:45pm BINGO begins at 6:40pm School Parents, your help is needed. Thank You Volunteers!!