ST. MARY S PARISH FAMILY 343 Tarkiln Hill Rd., New Bedford, MA 02745 "Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping." - Mk 13:35-36 Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass 2001, 1998, 1970 CCD PARISH OFFICE & MAILING ADDRESS 106 Illinois Street, New Bedford, MA 02745 Telephone 508-995-3593 Fax 508-995-2453 OFFICE HOURS Monday - Friday 9:00AM-3:30PM Closed on Holidays FAITH FORMATION Phone........508-995-3593 Email..davidbeaulieu@stmarysnb.com LITURGY & WORSHIP Monday-Tuesday, Thursday-Friday......8:00AM Saturday Vigil.......4:00 PM Sunday.....8:30,10:30 & 7:00PM Confession: Saturday.....3:00-3:45 PM Adoration: First Friday of the Month after the 8:00AM Mass and ending with benediction at 1:00PM PARISH STAFF Very Rev. Daniel W. Lacroix, V.F. Pastor Ms. Peggy Lenihan Parish Secretary Mr. David Beaulieu Director of Faith Formation Mrs. Barbara Bonville Director of Parish Ministries Mr. Thomas Leman Catechetical Assistant Ms. Diane Baron RCIA Coordinator Ms. Patricia Ferreira Music Director Mr. Martin Flinn Building & Grounds Mr. Tobey Burke Building & Grounds Web Site Parish Email Fr. Dan Ms. Bonville stmarysnb.com stmarysnb@stmarysnb.com RevDLacroix@aol.com bbonville@stmarysnb.com ST. VINCENT DePAUL SOCIETY Phone.508-995-3593 ext 6 The Church is Handicap accessible.
First Sunday of Advent Your prayers are requested for the repose of the souls in this week s Mass intention; for Cecelia Caron whose funeral Mass was celebrated here; for the souls in Purgatory; and for the deceased of our parish. Weekend Mass Intentions Saturday Dec 2 4:00 PM Edward Soares by wife, Mary Lou & family Sunday Dec 3 8:30 AM Isabelle Boucher by Frank & Carolyn (2nd anniversary) 10:30 AM Community Mass: Michael G. Soares, Eduardo dacosta 7:00 PM Priests who have served at St. Mary s Weekday Mass Intentions Monday Dec 4 8:00 AM Parishioners of St. Mary Tuesday Dec 5 8:00 AM M. Gloria Lima by Msgr. John Oliveira Thursday Dec 7 8:00 AM Jeannette Bobrowiecki by Helena Bobrowiecki Friday Dec 8 8:00 AM Simone Villeneuve Gustafson by family Holy Day 12:00 PM Mary Ann Lambalot by husband, Emile 7:00 PM Parishioners of St. Mary Next Weekend Saturday Dec 9 4:00 PM Bill Arruda by wife, Gloria Sunday Dec 10 8:30 AM Mary Ann Lambalot by Bob, Del & family 10:30 AM Community Mass: David Silva, Frank & Lois Giambo, Rita V. Gagne 7:00 PM Souls in Purgatory SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: Congratulations on the birth of your child! The church celebrates with you and is ready to prepare you if this is your FIRST child being baptized at our Parish. A welcoming instruction for parents and god -parents is usually held the second Sunday of the Month after the 10:30AM Mass. Baptisms are usually celebrated the fourth Sunday of the month after the 10:30AM Mass. Please call the Parish office to schedule this event. INITIATION OF ADULTS: Adults expressing an interest in becoming Catholic are invited to search through our RCIA formation process. For more information, please call the Parish Office. FAITH FORMATION: Grades 1-9. First Eucharist is a two year program, grades 1 and 2. Confirmation is a two year program, grades 8 & 9. SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE: Congratulations on your engagement! Please speak to Fr. Dan at least one year in advance of the intended date to allow adequate time for Parish and Diocesan Marriage preparation. FOR OUR HOME-BOUND: Contact the Parish Office to receive Holy Communion at home if you are confined. THE SACRAMENT OF THE SICK: May be received after any weekday Mass or by appointment. Saint Mary's Parish Family, composed of those who have accepted the invitation to follow Our Lord Jesus Christ, is a Roman Catholic faith-filled community. The faithful members of this Eucharistic Community, in union with the Universal Church, admit to a genuine responsibility to welcome, evangelize, witness and serve others in Christ's name. We place ourselves under the protection of our Blessed Mother as we seek to imitate her son. Bulletin Deadline Monday, 12:00 Noon Parish Financial THANK YOU to all who share their talent, time, presence, and support with our Parish. November 26th Collection $5055. This weekend s second collection is for the Christmas Community Mass Remembrance Annual Appeal to date $25,315. Thank you for your faithful stewardship!! REMEMBRANCE BOOK Is located near the doors closest to the Tabernacle. This prayer book has been compiled to provide people with the opportunity to entrust their loved ones to God s all embracing love.
14-day Memorial Candles: In Memory of Edward & Annie Fernandes by David & Susan Whitney In Memory of M/M Raymond Dupont, Sr. by daughter-in-law Icon Candle: In Memory of Linda Oliveira by husband, Tony Hosts for December: In Memory of Roger Grenon by Jeannette & family If you are alienated or upset, we welcome you lovingly. f you are in need of forgiveness, Jesus forgives and loves you unconditionally, and so do we. If you have been hurt by the church, we are truly sorry. If you are angry, Jesus offers you peace. If life is becomes burdensome, we are happy to support you. We are happy you are here and want you to stay. Come visit us each week and worship God with us! Our Prayer Shawl Ministry has given out more than 200 shawls since its inception in 2009. Members gather in prayer as the shawls are being made. The prayers and thought of those making the shawls are incorporated into the shawls. Each shawl is blessed before it is delivered. These shawls have helped people in times of need due to either illness, surgery, the loss of a loved one, the illness of a child and many more issues. Our group gathers on Monday afternoons from 1-3 in the Parish Center Annex. New members are always welcome. If you are interested in joining this group or would like more information about this caring ministry please call Mary Ellen at 508-998-2087. STEWARDSHIP THOUGHT First Sunday of Advent Stewardship Thought We are the servants of God, each with his or her own task. We will be judged good stewards if, at His coming, He finds us ready and conscientiously pursuing the tasks to which we have been called (Used with permission from Our Sunday Visitor, Stewardship by the Book: Bulletin Bits Based on the Sunday Readings, by Sharon Hueckel, 2004 edition, page 15). December 3, 2017 Holy Day of Obligation The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Friday, December 8 is a Holy Day of Obligation. Mass will be celebrated at 8AM, 12 Noon & 7PM. PARISH WEB SITE All information from ministries, commitment forms, bulletins, funeral guidelines & readings, wedding guidelines, faith formation information, schedules, etc. all can be found on our Parish Website: STMARYSNB.COM. Take a look and see what is happening behind the scenes of our Parish. MASS CANCELLATION POLICY When the New Bedford school department cancels classes due to storm conditions, daily Mass will also be canceled along with any and all parish events The Parish Office will also be closed. This will permit time to address the campus conditions and reduce any hazards incurred on the roads. Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses are never canceled as they are Masses of obligation; daily Masses are devotional and no meetings are more important than safety. For cancellations of Faith Formation Classes and other cancellations in the parish, please check the website. A SEASON OF HOPE Today we can bask in the imagery that the Mass readings offer us. In particular, Isaiah s vision of a parched land that blooms with abundant flowers holds a message for each of us. Too often we are just like that parched land. We can allow ourselves to become absorbed in the waves of consumerism that grip so many. We look for fulfillment in the things that money can buy. Unfortunately, this leaves us like parched land, thirsting for something that money can t buy. This holy season has much to offer to quench our thirsts. In a word, this season offers hope. We are told that those who are ransomed by God will know joy and gladness. For them, sorrow and mourning will be no more. Let us place our hope in these promises.
Diocese of Fall River Faith Formation Confirmation I and II forms are now past due! There are a number of Candidates that have not returned their forms. Please refer to the Information Packet that was distributed at the Parents Meeting of September 21st. All forms, including Baptismal Certificates MUST be submitted by the December 17th class. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Mr. Beaulieu as soon as possible. 1 st Penance/Communion - Class for ALL students -- December 10 th at 9:25 meet at ASCS Gym Attention Business Owners & Generous Parishioners! Liturgical Publications (LPi) is publishing our parish bulletin. Advertisements can be purchased for a business, family, or a sponsor ad can be purchased supporting community service organizations. If you are interested or would like more information, please call Jim directly at 781-389-2198.. ANNUAL MASS ATTENDANCE COUNT Each November, the Diocesan Pastoral Planning Office asks that we complete an attendance count for the four/five weekends of November to see how many people are attending those Masses relative to actual seating availability in order to recommend Mass time alterations, as well as see trends in attendance, parishes with growth and parishes with decreases. In November we averaged 1053 people, last year was 1127. Time 2016 Time 2017 4:00PM 312 4:00PM 286 8:30AM 293 8:30AM 243 10:30AM 309 10:30AM 297 7:00PM 215 7:00PM 227 All Saints Ca holic School Accredited by New England Association of Schools and Colleges and by the National Catholic Educational Association. 115 Illinois Street New Bedford, MA 02745 Phone: (508) 995-3696 www.ascsnb.org Susan Massoud, Principal St. Vincent de Paul Meeting will be Thursday, December 7, at 6:45 PM. Note change of day. During the month of November we remembered members of our families, friends, and all the souls in need of our prayers, including the deceased buried from our parish since November 2016: Jeannette Pepin Fernando Goncalves Carl Motta Alice Mercier Jeannine Penler Raymond Beaulieu Elsie DeCotis Edna Schard William Henriques Alice Santos Wayne Dubois Suzanne Boffa Eric Gonet Jeannette Nunes Theresa Lizotte Maurice Jodoin Joseph O Neill Carol Raymond- Rene Davignon Richard Driscoll MaryAnn Lambalot Lucille Paradis Mary E. Oliveira Francisco Pereira J. Arthur Ross Rene Benoit Patrick Baker Yvette Mainville David Branco Maria Machado Lorraine Letendre Roger Fernandes ADVENT FAITH ENRICHMENT When you hear the word Conversion, what comes to mind? Catholicism defines conversion as a life-long process of turning one s attention and energy toward an ever-deepening relationship with Christ. Join us as we begin the DVD-based program, Conversion: Following the Call of Christ, Using three stories from the Bible, Bishop Barron demonstrates how ordinary, sinful people like us are met by Jesus and called to a better life through him. Journey with us this Advent as we spiritually prepare for Christmas. The three sessions are: 7-8:30PM in the Fr. Bernard Unsworth Hospitality Center. SERVICE IS THE PRICE WE PAY FOR BEARING THE NAME CHILDREN S LITURGY OF THE WORD (CLOW): This ministry involves participants to share the Word of God with children pre-school through Grade 3. Children are blessed during a Sunday morning Mass and are sent forth with adult leaders to the Memorial Chapel. We are looking to form a team of Adults to lead our young people. If you are willing to help in this ministry, please contact Fr. Dan at the office or email at RevDLacroix@aol.com.
ADVENT WREATHE The church begins its new liturgical year with the Season of Advent on December 3rd. During the four Sundays of Advent and its vigils, I invite any individual or family to light the Advent Candles during the Liturgy. Sign up sheets are located at the front of the church near the Blessed Mother. All this involves is an individual or family to pick a week and the Mass time they would attend, and I will call them forward after the penitential rite and before the opening prayer to come to the sanctuary and light the respective candles. THE JESSE TREE The Jesse Tree, named after the father of David, contains symbols of the biblical people found in Jesus' family tree. Beginning the first Sunday of Advent the tree is gradually decorated with symbols representing people from the Old Testament. The tree is traditionally a bare tree. For a better understanding of these people read Luke 3:23-27 Jewelry Sale this weekend, December 2 & 3, after all the Masses. Come and check out the beautiful selection for some great Christmas gift ideas! Only $5.00 a piece! Dine-Out Books will also be available for $29.95 this weekend, December 2 & 3. Another great idea for Christmas or something to treat yourself. Proceeds from both these sales benefit St. Mary s Church LITURGICAL MINISTERS SIGN UP Sign up sheets are available in the sacristy for altar servers, lectors and extra-ordinary Ministers of the Eucharist to assist at Christmas masses. Please sign up early to assure a position. CHRISTMAS MASSES SUNDAY DECEMBER 24 Christmas Eve 4:00PM 6:00PM MONDAY, DECEMBER 25 Christmas Day 8:30AM 10:30AM CHRISTMAS FLOWERS & DECORATIONS Please print the names of loved ones you wish to have remembered this season on the Christ Flower Memorial envelope and return as soon as possible. Donations received will be used to decorate the church for the Christmas season. Thank you for your generosity. Church Decorating We will be decorating our church with Christmas Trees on Saturday, December 9, 2017 at 10AM and your assistance is sincerely appreciated. Due to the fact that the 4th Sunday of Advent falls on December 24, we must keep our Jesse Tree, Advent Wreathe and Banners up until after Masses are over on Sunday morning. Poinsettia flower arrangement will take place on December 24, at 11:30AM If you can assist, please call the office. The Peace Light will be available at St. Mary s on Sun. Dec. 3 at all Masses. Bring a candle (or a lantern that can be safely transported) to be able to take the flame home. Lighting a candle infuses the spirit of the Peace Light into it which can be relighted at home later. Candles will be available for 25 cents. PLEASE PRAY FOR all of our parishioners who may be ill and for all of our family members or friends who are ill.