Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative

Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative Home to St. Mary and St. John the Evangelist Parish Families Parish Offices located at 115 Middlesex Street, North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, 01863 (978) 251-8571 (978) 256-2374 fax (978) 293-0303 churches@chelmsfordcatholic.org Just as our Blessed Mother Mary and the Evangelist, called John, came together at the foot of the cross to serve Christ crucified, so also do the parish families bearing their names come together to serve God by serving each other and all who make up the body of The Risen Lord. WWW.SAINTJOHNCHELMSFORD.ORG WWW.SAINT-MARY.ORG Sunday, December 24th, 2017 Fourth Sunday of Advent and the angel said to her in reply, The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. -Luke 1:354

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord -Responsorial Psalm 89 at St. Mary s Faith Formation Classes/Events see Faith Formation Page Children s Liturgy of the Word 11:00 am Mass MERRY CHRISTMAS! Parish Offices closed. All events cancelled today. Parish Offices closed. All events cancelled today. 4 pm Mass Music Ministry Team Rehearsal 6:30 pm Church Boy Scout Troop 77 7:00-9:00 pm Parish Hall 11am Mass Music Ministry Team Rehearsal 7:30 pm Church Rosary Makers CANCELLED TODAY Rosary 12:00 noon PC Chapel Adoration 3:00-9:00 pm PC Chapel RCIA 7:00 pm PC Mtg Room 1 Adoration 7:30 am - 9:00 pm PC Chapel Knitting & Crocheting CANCELLED TODAY YM Cor Unum 3:00-7:30 pm Off-Site Adoration 9:30 am - 3:00 pm PC Chapel Reconciliation 11:00 am - 12:00 noon Church Adult Bell Choir Rehearsal 2:30-3:30 pm Choir Loft Anointing of the Sick following 4:00 pm Mass Church Faith Formation Classes/Events see Faith Formation Page Children s Liturgy of the Word 11:00 am Mass 6 pm Mass Music Ministry Team Rehearsal 5:00 pm Church In honor of the Birth of our Lord, the parish offices will be closed on Monday, December 25th and Tuesday, December 26th St. Mary Table Ministry has been chosen to be a beneficiary of the Hannaford Cause Bag program at the Drum Hill, Chelmsford store! Every time a shopper purchases the Fight Hunger reusable shopping bag (pictured above) at this location during the month of January, 25 will be donated to the St. Mary Table Ministry! So, who and WHAT is this Table Ministry. They are a group of people who plan healthy and delicious meals to feed those who cannot provide for themselves. They partner with 7 other area churches in working alongside the Salvation Army in serving meals to the poor who live among us. The Hannaford Cause Bag program was launched in October of 2015 and is designed to support local hunger relief organizations through the sale of the reusable Fight Hunger bags. To learn more, please visit us at hannaford.bags4mycause.com or at facebook.com/hhbagprogram. The RCIA (Rite of the Christian Initiation of Adults) Program is designed for those interested in learning more about the Catholic faith and how it is lived. With an open-ended structure, classes meet weekly as a community for discussion, instruction and prayer offering a taste of what it means to live as a Catholic. RCIA is designed for those who have never been baptized, or have never received any sacraments after baptism, but could also be a good choice for those who have received First Communion, but have little recollection of their religious education. There is absolutely no commitment JUST AN OPPORTUNITY to accept Jesus invitation to come and see! Praying that your curiosity will bring you to us

page 3 December 24th, 2017: Fourth Sunday of Advent The Clergy and Staff wish you and your family a Happy and Holy Christmas Season. May the birth of the Christ-child bless open our eyes to the newness of life all around us this coming year. St. John s Old Parish Center NEXT Saturday, December 30th 10:30 am -12:00 noon When a brother or sister dies, everything changes in your family, in your life and in your dreams. Know YOU ARE NOT ALONE in your grief and loneliness. A Surviving Sibling Support Group is now being offered on the last Saturday of each month for surviving adult siblings of all ages and for any reason. Join us in a safe place to share your story, find comfort, hope and encouragement as you continue a new path in life. Registration is not necessary. at St. John s Faith Formation Classes/Events see Faith Formation Page MERRY CHRISTMAS! Parish Offices closed. All events cancelled today. Parish Offices closed Epiphany Play Rehearsal 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Hall Epiphany Play Rehearsal 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Hall Charismatic Prayer Group 10:00 am OPC Epiphany Play Rehearsal 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Hall BINGO 6:45 pm (doors open at 3:00 pm) Hall Life in the Spirit 6:30 pm OPC Chapel YM Cor Unum 3:00-7:30 pm Off-Site African Rosary 6:30 pm OPC Surviving Sibling Support Group 10:30 am - 12:00 pm OPC Reconciliation 3:00-3:45 pm Church Faith Formation Classes/Events see Faith Formation Page Coffee & Donuts following 8:30 am Mass OPC African Liturgy Comm Mtg 11:30 am - 1:00 pm OPC We remain in need of 2 additional televisions. (thank you to the donors of the 4 already received!) If you would be willing to donate your old, but in working condition, flat screen TV (26 min) to St. John s, we promise to put it to good use! For more information, please contact Liliana. The Table of Plenty in Chelmsford is an organization comprised of many volunteers throughout the community. We serve a free meal every Tuesday evening from 5:00 to 6:00 pm at the First Parish Church in Chelmsford Center. Our guests enjoy a nutritious meal and the company of others in a relaxed, community setting. To learn more, visit our website at www.tableofplentyinchelmsford.org, or call 978-710-8EAT (8328). Turn page for more

Winter Bible Study at St. Mary s Wisdom: God s Vision for Life Scripture and the Tradition of the Catholic Church, together, provide an abundance of wisdom, though it can often be challenging to apply it to our lives. In this study, Jeff Cavins and Thomas Smith examine biblical wisdom as it relates to daily life. Drawing on the wisdom literature of the Bible Proverbs, Wisdom, Sirach, and Ecclesiastes Wisdom will teach you how to actively seek out sound guidance and increase your sense of peace in navigating life. In everything from friendships to finances, from making decisions to attaining peace of mind, Scripture offers a vision for happiness and well-being. With this program, you will learn how to gather, gain, and grow in wisdom, and you will experience the joy it brings to your life. In this study you will Discover what wisdom is, and what it isn t Learn habits for increasing wisdom in your daily life Gain confidence, through role models and practice, in living according to God s vision This 8-week study will run on Tuesday evenings beginning February 13th. The cost of $25 includes all materials. Registration forms are available on the bulletin boards at both parishes. The DEADLINE to register is January 21, 2018 For those of you who did not attend our recent annual retreat, we ask, Why?. Your responses will help us to better plan upcoming programs. Please place this completed extremely short questionnaire into the offertory basket, or drop off or mail to the parish office. If you place it in an envelope, please address it to the attention of Christine Trznadel. Why didn t you attend the retreat? (please check any/all that apply) didn't know about it didn't know about it in time to plan for it held at a bad time of day is there a better time for you? am pm (circle one) couldn't find a babysitter didn t think it was for me based on past retreats, I didn't think I would like it I have never been to a retreat before other: welcome to more Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015): Christian Author & Speaker And the Answer is... A: Strictly speaking, no. Openness to life is one of the defining features o f s a c r a m e n t a l marriage. To close the relationship off to simply the spouses is to lose the public character of a marriage. The fruitfulness of the marital union is a necessary element; without it, it stops mirroring Christ's union with His Bride the Church a union that is always generating new children by the birth of baptism. And the marriage loses much of its resemblance to the supreme model of relationship: the Divine Union of Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. If the couple knows their marriage cannot be fruitful because one of the spouses is impotent or sterile, they can apply to the Church for special permission to marry. If the couple is incapable of producing children due to advanced age, then the assumption is that they are open to receiving children if God should give them offspring. (Hey. Anything can happen!) If the couple, for some reason, wants to get married but chooses not to consummate the marriage, then the marriage is null. Consummation is required for the fullness of the sacrament. But if the couple deliberately by-passes the possibility of having children by interfering with the natural reproductive process--by using birth control, then there is grave sin involved. Even natural family planning is not permitted for these reasons, as it is not using NFP responsibly. So have those children! Besides, the world is desperately in need of more Catholics! Over the years, many have asked for some of the secret recipes, and we are happy to announce that the Muscato Family Cookbook has now been published! Find a generous selection of frequently requested recipes from Cold Weather Chili (how appropriate for this time of year) to Straight Outta Italy Meatballs, and top it off with Heartwarming Apple Crisp for dessert. CALL THE PARISH OFFICE TO RESERVE YOURS TODAY! This cookbook will be on sale for $15. The Muscato family will be donating all proceeds to St. John s. Thank you, Brian and Charlene, for letting us in on the secrets! We will be thinking of you as we adorn our tables with your warm hearty recipes and wonderful kitchen wisdom!

of what s happeningin our Collaborative! St. Mary Spirit of Christmas Thank you to all Parishioners who donated gifts to the Spirit of Christmas Program. These presents were distributed to our neighbors who needed a little extra help this year. It was an awesome sight to see the over 800 presents that were collected at masses. We are all blessed in this giving and receiving. Thanks also go out to many people who helped behind the scenes: The volunteers, who helped prepare the tags, set up the trees, set up the hall, and received and packed the gifts as they were being dropped off. The office staff for everything! Dan, our Facilities Manager for all his help. All the tremendous volunteers who sorted and bagged the gifts, then carried them to the pick-up cars. Once again, we were done in record time! It really was a wonderful team effort that made this program possible. Thank you and a very Happy New Year Neighborhood News St. Mary Church, Saturday, January 6th at 7:00 pm Celebrating 15 years of Holiday Handbell Ringing, the Merrimack Valley Ringers are an auditioned community handbell ensemble devoted to sharing the art of handbells and handchimes with everyone. MVR s members delight audiences with their infectious joy, and make it their goal to capture their audience from the first note with their gusto and warmth. Considered partners in each performance, audiences are drawn in by the ensemble's personality, spontaneity, and unflappable spirit. This group consists of an eclectic collection of people, from all walks of life, with various distinctive personalities, all coming together as one to create something that s meant to be shared. Join them at this concert and be a part of the unique musical experience that is Merrimack Valley Ringers.

the child to be born will be called Holy, the son of God Luke 1: 35 St. Mary Faith Formation Program Heather Hannaway, Director of Faith Formation ext 226 Courtney Callanan, Confirmation Coordinator ext 227 Elaine Kindler, Faith Formation Office Manager ext 216 class schedule FAITH FORMATION CLASSES WILL RESUME SUNDAY, JANUARY 7TH, 2018 Adoration isn t just for the pope, priests or those churchy people... As we enter the season of colds, flus and viruses, we encourage parishioners to exercise discretion in shaking hands at the Sign of Peace when they are either recovering from, have been exposed to, or are afraid that they may be coming down with an illness if they have concerns about the strength of their own immune system in resisting disease. A friendly smile, wave and/or slight nod of the head is always an acceptable substitute in wintertime. that the word carne means "flesh?" that the word incarnation means the act of being made flesh? that it involves miracle and mystery? that Jesus took on flesh, and became fully, truly human without ceasing to be fully, truly divine? Jesus humbled himself to take on our Humanity so that one day we would have the hope of sharing in His Divinity. Well, now you do! It s for ALL of us! Simply put, it s a time-out from the hectic-ness of our everyday life. It is the turning off the television, the radio, the ipod, the buzzing and beeping mobile device, and turning on your mind and having a heart-to-heart conversation (no words needed) with a God who loves you and wants THE VERY BEST for you! Adoration isn't for the faint-of-heart, but that certainly does NOT mean it isn't for the weak and struggling. As a matter of fact, it is, in a special way, MADE JUST FOR THEM! We ALL struggle and hurt and question and wonder, and it is in the moments of quiet and focus that we are able to hear the words that bring about healing, strength and fortitude to go forth and be true disciples ones who can live in the midst of the noise of the television, radio, ipod and the buzzing and beeping of mobile devices, and find peace which we can spread by our very presence to others. It is in Adoration that we are filled with a calm and serenity a true peace that can only be given to us by He who loves us totally and unconditionally. Just as you would carve out time for a special event with a special person; this is what Adoration is time well spent in the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative ACTS Retreats...You are Invited! We are so pleased that ACTS Retreats for Men and Women are being conducted in our Catholic Collaborative. Please consider attending one of these3-day retreats in the coming months. Retreat for Men... At the Espousal Retreat Center. "Send off" from St Mary's: Thursday, Jan 25th at 6pm. Return for 11:00 am Sunday Mass. Retreat for Women... At the Espousal Retreat Center. "Send off" from St Mary's: Thursday, Jan 22nd at 6 pm. Return for 11:00 am Sunday Mass. Fr. Brian and Fr. Ren will participate in these retreats that are held in a format that is Simple, Reverent and Catholic. ACTS will give you the opportunity to enhance your prayer life and open the path to serve our Catholic faith while expanding your fellowship in our Parish Community. A wonderful way to spend 3 days! Why not consider giving this retreat as a gift to yourself, your spouse (other family member) or friend? The registration form can be found on both church websites, or at the church entrances. NOTE: Women s applications will not be available until after January 1st.

page 7 December 24th, 2017: Fourth Sunday of Advent St. John Faith Formation Program Fran Anderson, Director of Faith Formation ext 212 Courtney Callanan, Confirmation Coordinator ext 227 Lynn Anne LaDuke, Administrative Assistant ext 240 Faith Formation Class Schedule Due to the Christmas Season coupled with School Vacation, Faith Formation Classes will be on break from December 21st -January 9th Classes will resume Wednesday, January 10th. FIRST RECONCILIATION for all 2nd grade students who are preparing for their First Communion. The available Saturday afternoon dates are as follows January 20th, 27th and February 3rd, 10th We will meet in the church at 2:00 pm. You MUST pre-register! If you have not already, contact Fran today! 2018 St. John Epiphany Pageant! Sunday, January 7th as part of the St. John Parishioner Annual Appreciation Breakfast REHEARSAL SCHEDULE (all scheduled rehearsals will take place in the hall) Tuesday, December 26th 10:00 am - 12 noon Wednesday, December 27th 10:00 am - 12 noon Thursday, December 28th 10:00 am - 12 noon Wednesday, January 3rd 4:30-6:00 pm Saturday, January 6th (dress rehearsal) 9:30-11:30 am. Mary said, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. A simple trust in God s word allowed the Mother of God to do incredible things. As a humble servant and listener, she embraced her mission and invested herself wholeheartedly in doing what God had asked. Do we know and trust that we are being led? Often, we can feel very much alone and without a source of inspiration, guidance, and love to enlighten our path. God is with us. This is the essential message of Advent and the truth reveals to us at Christmas. We are never alone. There is no need to fear. We too, with God s help, can do incredible things. Chelmsford catholic collaborative Social JUSTICE committee The Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative Social Justice Committee presents a 4-part series that addresses Human Trafficking. You will not want to miss out on this educational event that will increase our awareness of a societal issue that affects us all. Each year, an estimated 17,000 vulnerable men, women and children are trafficked across our borders and then forced into slavery. Thursday, January 11th at 7:00 pm: St. Mary Church Parish Hall A panel discussion that includes a human trafficking survivor, those who provide assistance to victims and law enforcement. Tuesday, February 6th at 7:00 pm: St. John Church Hall A presentation to learn specifically about sex trafficking. Thursday, March 8th at 7:00 pm: St. Mary Church Parish Hall A presentation to learn specifically about labor trafficking. Tuesday, May 1st at 7:00 pm: St. John Church Hall We will screen the film Not My Life, a 2011 American independent documentary film about human trafficking and contemporary slavery. Following the movie, we will discuss ways in which we can take action!

Collaborative Youth Ministry Program Courtney Callanan, Youth Minister & Confirmation Coordinator ccallanan@chelmsfordcatholic.org ext 227 DECEMBER CALENDAR COR UNUM MEAL CENTER: LAWRENCE, MA 3:15-7:30 PM THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29TH Cor Unum is committed to the truth that no man, woman or child should ever go hungry and should be treated with dignity. If you are able to represent our collaborative, sign up by contacting Barbara at dwsmiths@comcast.net or (978) 649-6745. We will depart from and return to St. John s parking lot. JANUARY CALENDAR MIDDLE SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP 6:00-9:00 PM SATURDAY, JANUARY 13TH AT ST. JOHN All Middle-Schoolers are invited to join us for a chance to have some fun and dive a little deeper into their faith. Dinner, games, and positively positive prayer! YOUTH MASS AND HS YOUTH GROUP 6:00-9:00 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 14TH AT ST. MARY Come to a Mass dedicated to you! Teens will serve as liturgical and music ministers, and the preaching will be geared with you in mind! Following Mass, join us downstairs for fellowship centered around a meal where we can get to know God and each other a little better.!!!save THE DATE!!! Saint Michael Parish 90 Concord Road Bedford, MA Wednesday, April 25 7:00-9:30 pm It s time to start living the Life you were made for. Let internationally renowned speaker and author Chris Stefanick, along with top performing live music artists, help you REDISCOVER God, and REDISCOVER the life you were made for. REBOOT! is the fun, inspiring and practical experience for all (ages 12 and up), of applying the beauty and genius of the Gospel to every aspect of your life, from prayer and spirituality, to work, dating, marriage, parenting, health and more! LIMITED NUMBER OF TICKETS AVAILABLE! Transportation will be provided. Details will follow as we get closer to the date! A huge and sincere THANK YOU to all those who supported the efforts of our Annual Youth Ministry Auction. Whether you donated or bid on an item(s), the success experienced was in large part due to your support! Thank you for your continued support! Each Month (October - May) at our First Friday Youth Holy Hour, we invite a member of the community to come and share their faith. We are hoping that maybe YOU might be willing to share some of your time and story with our young people. The below questions are just a small sampling of what you can use to help fuel your unique message. If so, we would love to have you come and spend a little time with our teens (and Jesus too, of course!) and help them grow in their faith. Please contact Courtney if you are interested. DEADLINES QUICKLY APPROACHING July 13-15, 2018 UMass Lowell Deadline to sign up: Jan 20, 2018 $275 ($50 non-refundable deposit due at registration) July 22-27, 2018 Oil City, Pennsylvania Deadline to sign up: January 6, 2018 $475 ($90 non-refundable deposit due at registration)

Clergy/Staff Listing Reverend Brian Mahoney ext 215 fr.brian@chelmsfordcatholic.org Reverend Tom Corcoran ext 218 frcorcoran@chelmsfordcatholic.org Reverend Laurence Ren Tocci ext 225 fr.ren@chelmsfordcatholic.org Reverend Arnold Colletti ext 221 frcolletti@chelmsfordcatholic.org Francis X. Burke ext 224 deaconfran@chelmsfordcatholic.org Fran Anderson ext 212 fran@chelmsfordcatholic.org Courtney Callanan ext 227 ccallanan@chelmsfordcatholic.org Paul Firicano ext 220 pfiricano@chelmsfordcatholic.org Donna Gambon ext 248 dgambon@chelmsfordcatholic.org Heather Hannaway ext 226 hhannaway@chelmsfordcatholic.org Dan Heider ext 121 dheider@chelmsfordcatholic.org Elaine Kindler ext 216 ekindler@chelmsfordcatholic.org Lynn Anne LaDuke ext 240 lynnanne@chelmsfordcatholic.org Liliana Lucas ext 213 liliana@chelmsfordcatholic.org Rae Russo ext 236 rae@chelmsfordcatholic.org Tina Sousa ext 219 tsousa@chelmsfordcatholic.org Christine Trznadel ext 214 christine@chelmsfordcatholic.org John Volpe ext 222 jvolpe@chelmsfordcatholic.org Stephen Webber ext 231 steve@chelmsfordcatholic.org IN ORDER to promote communication and transparency throughout the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative, you are encouraged to forward any comments and concerns you may have directly to the Parish Pastoral and Finance Councils. COLLABORATIVE PARISH COUNCIL Parish council matters can be sent to: CollaborativePPC@chelmsfordcatholic.org or 978-256-2374/ 978-251-8571, ext 145. Current Council Members are... St. John Members Angela McMaster (co-chair) Mike Condor Scott Davidson Ross Drew Juliana Magbondzi Julie Seitter (secretary) Ray Wagner Laura Zatta St. Mary Members Cliff Mann (co-chair) Laura Conte Karen Drake Peter Lando Lori McDonald Alma (Chickie) Rigazio Paul Sidari Paul Therrien SJE Youth: Rachael Beechin & Matthew Pontbriant SM Youth: Jessica Hagg & Matt Larson ST. JOHN FINANCE COUNCIL Finance matters concerning St. John s can be sent to: SJFinanceCouncil@chelmsfordcatholic.org or 978-251-8571, ext 146. St. John Council Members are Jeff Brown Ann Cottle Frank Peabody Paul Brzezenski Celeste Dunn Jerry Wright ST. MARY FINANCE COUNCIL Finance matters concerning St. Mary s can be sent to: SM.FC@chelmsfordcatholic.org or 978-256-2374 ext147. St. Mary Council Members are... Armand DiLando William Donohue Lauren Desforge Paul Firicano Gerard Jarasitis If you would like to submit a notice for the bulletin, please submit it no later than 12 NOON, 2 Fridays prior to the weekend in which you want it published. Submittals should be forwarded to christine@chelmsfordcatholic.org or via US Mail to the Parish Offices at 115 Middlesex Street, North Chelmsford, MA, 01863, ATTN Christine. We will do our very best to accommodate your request.

and now a word from Our Pastor

page 11 FROM OUR ST. MARY DIRECTOR OF FAITH FORMATION HEATHER HANNAWAY The Joy to the World Christmas is a celebration of the Incarnation, that wonderful, impenetrable, mysterious moment when the Word, who spoke all things into being and held them all together by the word of his power, became flesh and dwelt among us. The Son of God became man so that we, children of men, can learn to become sons and daughters of God. Jesus comes as a baby with a mission to save the world. To save each and every one of us. To save you. Christmas is all about joy, the joy that the Infant Jesus brings into each and every one of our hearts by way of his redeeming, personal, intense love for me and for you. Whew! That is a lot to take in. But do we ever really stop in the midst of all the planning, organizing and preparations to have a perfect Christmas, to ponder what that means to us and what our true joy is? It will never be found wrapped under the Christmas tree, nor our hunger for it satiated by the most expertly delivered epicurean feast, nor will any human experience fully fulfill it for us. Nor will we, with all our desire and longing, be able to fully give it to those we love. Each human heart must seek it and find it themselves in their own unexpected time and place. The baby born in Bethlehem was born to die in our place. He went to the cross and atoned for our sins He died to purchase the joy the angels announced at his birth. And three days later, he rose from the dead, the firstborn of all who would follow him. He appeared to his disciples and showed them how all of the Bible was pointing to him: the baby born in a manger, the preacher of good news, the Son of God crucified on the cross, the King who conquered the grave, the Joy of the world. Advent season is the celebration of the unexpected Jesus coming at an unexpected time in an unexpected place, to pay the unexpected, unfathomable price, to give us the undeserved gift of complete forgiveness of sin and unimaginable gift of eternal life. Christmas is not about fulfilling our holiday expectations. It s about celebrating Jesus overwhelming accomplishment for us and following in his humble servant footsteps. When things don t go the way we expect them to this season, let us rejoice in the God who rules the unexpected, and let go of the hurt and anger of unfulfilled expectations, and try to truly love one another, and to really try in the Christmas season to come to love Him better who first loved us. Let us come to him and look on him as we would a newborn babe in wonder and awe and be filled with Joy! December 24th, 2017: Fourth Sunday of Advent From the Desk of our Senior Priest in Residence, Fr. Colletti

TheFinancial Page Fiscal Year 2018 runs from July 1, 2017 - June 30, 2018 The 590 priests in our Archdiocese are always there for us, sharing Christ s good news, performing good works, and building strong communities of faith. They stay with you during your times of joy and sorrow. They have devoted their lives to serving Christ and his family. Remember priests such as Rev. Msgr Peter Martocchio, Rev. O. Wendell Verrill, Rev. Richard Craig, Rev. Richard Nee, Rev. Francis Leonard, our own Senior Priest in Residence, Fr. Colletti all who have made a meaningful difference in your life. Consider honoring them with a generous gift in the Christmas collection. You may also make your gift online at clergytrust.org or you can donate $25 via your cell phone by texting the word PRIEST25 to 20222 (msg and data rates may apply). Thank you for your prayers and generous support of our priests. Due to an early submittal to the printer because of the Christmas Holiday, the collection figures for the weekend of December 16th/17th will be posted in December 30th/31st bulletin. Thank you. Please remember that the offertory is our main source of funds for paying our daily operating expenses. Online Giving is a web-based program in which parishioners can control their donations on their own using a secure link from St. Mary Parish website. Please consider using this option when making your donation. To date, there are over 500 families participating in Online Giving and their automatic donations guarantees over $14,000 per month in offertory to the parish budget. Our apologies for the last minute notification, but due to a scheduling conflict, the Online Giving Workshops have been rescheduled for the following dates: Saturday January 13th at 5:00-6:30 pm Sunday January 14th at 12:00-1:30 pm 4th Grand Annual Campaign We thank you for your ongoing and faithful support of our weekly offertory and in advance, for your generous financial support of this campaign. Please know that NO gift is ever too small or unnoticed to help us to reach our goal of $78,000! If you haven't yet received/ or have misplaced the official campaign letter and pledge card, please find one at the church entrances. Additionally, and for your convenience, you may make your donation online be visiting saintjohnchelmsford.weshareonline.org. Please contact Liliana if you have any questions. St. John BUILDING We are still actively recruiting television donations. These TV s will be installed in the hall, allowing the overflow of our more well-attended Mass celebrations (Christmas and Easter) to be able to see and hear the upstairs Mass. Stay tuned for future progress updates... Thanks to the generosity of St. John parishioners Jerry & Julie Wright, St. John s will soon begin the installation of a system that will allow our Parishioners an especially welcome blessing to those who are homebound or away from the parish temporarily to be able to watch and be part of our Mass in the comfort of their own home. We keep you informed as to the progress of this exciting project! Again, many, many thanks to Jerry & Julie! LiveSTREAM, that is

A St. John time-honored tradition of Remembering those we love, at Christmastime... Alcorn Family Altevers Family Beebe Family Rita & Leon Belley Anthony Biondi Blakely Family Rev Daniel P Bowen Susan Bradley Mr and Mrs James F Brosnan Brule Family Larry Burke Lawrence Burke Tina Bussolari Cayer Family Mr and Mrs William Chase Jr Nagim & Margaret Checrallah Chevalier Family Pat & Betty Ciampa Roger Chouinard Robert and Paul Cole Jack and Nick Colgan Eveline & John Conrad Lorraine B Corcoran Cormier Family Patrick Mike Curran James Danahy Felice Dandurand Jack and Josie DeFreitas Mr G L Doster Jack Doucette KJ Dumont Michelle Echevarria Egan Family Eleonore, Lea and Ron Lionel and Janet Ferreira Dr Thomas Fitzpatrick Eileen Francoeur Lawrence Gearin Goddard Family Mr and Mr James A Haley Elizabeth T Harrington Hannah and John Harrington Michael F Harrington Fran Hassett Joseph Herlihy Richard Holmes Christine Iannuzzo Lucy and John Jacobsen Jean Jewitt John W Keane Dorothy and John Kelly Peter Joseph Kelts Lafferty Family Landry Family Delia Lavallee Mary Lillian Lavers Rev Francis Leonard Rachel Levinthol Guillermo Lingad Ann Lizotte Mr and Mrs Edward J Locke Antonio Loper Edward and Mary Mahoney Leonard Maille Stephen Marcotte Ron Masson Walter McNally Elizabeth Miskell Nora and Mary Miskell Molleur Family Eileen Lorrey Muldoon Brian J Muscato Muscato Family Paul Narbut Arlene and Greg Narkunas Vincente Novales O Brien Family George O Brien Otto and Gerlinde Mr and Mrs Joseph Palermo Sr Mary Pawlak Sheila Poirier Lou and Priscilla Rega Barbara A Regan Mr and Mrs Daniel Regan Catherine and Michael Riopelle Rivard Family Mary Rondeau Roy Family Edward J Savill Dorothea (Yarnall) Schmid Gerald Seitter Betty and Al Sherman Ray and Dot Silva Mr and Mrs Wincenty Skamarycz Paul Stinneford Studer Family James C Sullivan James H Sullivan Rev Brendan Sullivan Parker Swanson Taranto Family Bruce Thumann Tony, Ernest, Alice, Emile James Urban Daniel O Vela Richard Villeneuve Mary White Patrick Willie-Bonglo Sr Dale Winkler Charles H Young Jr 2016 Christmas Flower Offerings

If you would like to request that a Mass be celebrated for a specific intention or person, please call the parish office and speak with Rae at ext 236. A donation of $10 per Mass Intention is requested to be made at the time that you request your intention. SAT, DEC 23 SUN, DEC 24 TUE, DEC 26 WED, DEC 27 THUR, DEC 28 FRI, DEC 29 SAT, DEC 30 SUN, DEC 31 St. John 4:00 pm: For the People of the Parish 8:30 am: Hannah & John Harrington: Memorial 10:30 am: Natale Serra: Memorial 9:00 am: Edward Fitzmeyer: Month s Mind 9:00 am: John Davis: Month s Mind 9:00 am: Kevin Coleman: Month s Mind 9:00 am: For departed family and friends and for an end to addictions 9:00 am: For those whose Funerals were celebrated at St. John s this past month 4:00 pm: John & Elizabeth Linehan: Memorial 8:30 am: Nicholas Denisevich: 15th Anniversary 10:30 am: Curran, Belken, Johnson & Finlay Families 5:00 pm: John & Elizabeth Linehan: Memorial St. Mary SAT, DEC 23 4:00 pm: Lillian & Raymond Rousseau: Memorial v SUN, DEC 24 9:00 am: James & Fran Durkin: Memorial 11:00 am: Jude & Frank Griffin: Memorial TUE, DEC 26 7:00 am: Rosemarie Veglia: Month s Mind WED, DEC 27 7:00 am: Louise Metheny: 40th Anniversary THUR, DEC 28 7:00 am: Algimantas Simoliunas: 4th Anniversary Da FRI, DEC 29 7:00 am: Simone Kijanka: 6th Anniversary SAT, DEC 30 4:00 pm: Marybeth Lubrano: Memorial v SUN, DEC 31 11:00 am: Frank Soracco: Memorial St John Rose for Life Someone special you d like to honor? You can do that by having a rose placed before Our Lady of Fatima s statue for one week. We will publish your intention in the bulletin. To book a Rose for Life, contact Rae at ext 236. The suggested offering for a rose is $5.00. This week s Rose For Life is... Helen J. Pilat This Week s Readings To book a Rose For Life, contact Rae at ext 236 Rose Donated by Mahoney s Garden Center St. Mary Memorial Altar Flowers Parishioners are invited to donate a floral arrangement, to be displayed on the altar in memory of, or in honor of, a loved one. If you would like to donate altar flowers, please call Tina at ext 219. The requested donation for an arrangement is $40, and includes an acknowledgement in the bulletin. FUNERALS recently celebrated Christine L. Depaolo: December 15th at St. Mary