St. John Neumann Church 157 Middleboro Road / P.O. Box 718 East Freetown, MA 02717 www.sjnfreetown.org 508-763-2240 (phone) 508-763-3040 (Fax) Rev. Gregory A. Mathias, Pastor Rev. Msgr. John J. Smith, (Assistant in Retirement) WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE Sunday: 8:00, 9:30, 11:00A.M. Saturday Vigil: 5:00 P.M. DAILY MASS SCHEDULE Monday Thursday: 7:30 A.M. SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 4:00 4:30 P.M. or by appointment. EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Mary, Mother of All Nations Chapel Weekdays: 8:00 A.M. 9:00 P.M. Mondays (except civil holidays) Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament PARISH OFFFICE / RECTORY 508-763-2240 YOUTH MINISTRY OFFICE contact@sjnfreetown.org NEUMANN HALL Monday Friday: 8:30 A.M. 4:30 P.M. (Closed holidays) William and Susan Furtado (Sr. Youth Ministry) Miss Jacqueline Mathieu Parish Secretary JoAnn Violette/Amy Burgess (Jr. Youth Ministry) Mrs. Diane Whelan Parish Secretary Dennis and Debra Dube (Young Adult Ministry) OFFICE OF FAITH FORMATION 508-763-8122 MUSIC MINISTRY NEUMANN HALL Ms. Linda Johnston Director Mr. Philip Pereira Organist Mrs. Suzanne Medeiros Director Dr. Doris Thibault Coordinator for Grades 1 7 MAINTENANCE AND FACILITIES Mrs. Anna Manny Coordinator for Confirmation Raymond Bedard SACRAMENTS AND CHURCH PROGRAMS PARISH ORGANIZATIONS AND MINISTRIES Please go the parish website www.sjnfreetown.org or contact the office for more complete information. BAPTISM: Celebrated Sunday after 11:00 Mass. WOMEN S GUILD: 1 st Mondays Mass on the 1 st and 3 rd Sundays of the month. Baptism ST. VINCENT de PAUL: 1 st Wednesdays Catechesis is required of all parents and sponsors YOUTH MINISTRY: see website for events and times. MARRIAGE: Please contact the pastor at least 8 months Junior (Gr. 6 8): Every Tuesday prior to the intended date and prior to other plans. Senior (Gr. 9 12) Every Monday MINISTRY TO THE SICK: Please notify us if a homebound COUPLES CLUB: 2 nd Saturdays or hospitalized family member would like a visit. ADULT CHOIR: Rehearsal on Thursdays 7:00 P.M. PRAYER LINE: Call the rectory to include your intention. CHILDREN S CHOIR: Rehearsal Tuesdays at 4:30 RCIA: We welcome adults who wish to complete their initiation YOUTH PRAISE AND WORSHIP MUSIC GROUP into the Catholic Church. Please contact the office. See the website for complete schedule. Welcome to St. John Neumann Parish. Thank You for joining us in worship today. We hope you will join us on the spiritual journey, in ministry to all God s people. Please contact the parish office. Click on the QRC to connect to the parish website.
The Holy Family of Jesus, December 30, 2012 SOLEMNITY OF MARY MASS INTENTIONS December 29: Vigil The Holy Family of Jesus, 5:00PM Doris Lawrence by Donald & Bette Messier Mary & Charlie Ouimet and Olive Santos by the Viera Family December 30: The Holy Family of Jesus, 8:00AM Raymond & Evelyn St. Jean by family 9:30AM The Moreau Family by family 11:00AM People of the Parish December 31: No 7:30 AM Mass December 31: Vigil: Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God 4:30PM - Sr. Liz Hathaway - Jubilee (Living) January 1: Solemnity of Mary, The Holy Mother of God 8:00AM - Cecilia Mosakowski by Charlie & Marlene Johnson 10:00AM - People of the Parish January 2: Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church 7:30AM Eric Johnson January 3: The Most Holy Name of Jesus 7:30AM Patricia Lemaire by Marcia Champagne January 5: Vigil The Epiphany of the Lord 5:00PM People of the Parish January 6: The Epiphany of the Lord 8:00AM Alvaro DeSousa 9:30AM Ann Baker by Mo & Rita St. Laurent 11:00AM Michael Murphy by family 5:30 PM - Eric Johnson by Bob & Rachel Constant The schedule for Masses for January 1st for the Feast of Mary, Mother of God will be as follows: December 31st: Vigil Mass at 4:30PM January 1st: 8:00AM & 10:00 AM Scripture Alive: Bible Sharing for Adults Amos, Hosea, Micah will be the focus of a 6 week session on Tuesday mornings or evenings. This session begins January 8th; 10:00 AM to Noon at St. John Neumann Church or 7:00 to 9:00 PM at the catholic Education Center, 423 Highland Ave., Fall River; facilitated by Sr. Frances Thomas, Diocesan Asst. Director for Catechesis and Formation. $20 fee for workbook, resource book and materials please bring your own Bible. Please register by contacting Sr. Fran or Rose Mary Saraiva at the Office of Faith Formation at 508-678-2828. Rosary Garden On January 1, 2013, we will be holding a dedication for the new Rosary Garden. This dedication will take place after the 10:00 mass, weather permitting. Please join us!! NO COFFEE & DONUTS There will be no coffee & donuts this Sunday December 30th.
Happy New Year!!! We hope you are all enjoying your Christmas vacation with family and friends. We would like to wish you all a Happy New Year, and we look forward to sharing a great 2013 with you. God Bless!! T-Shirts ---- Yes it s t-shirt time, so lets see your design. Over vacation you will have the time to put your creative energy to work. Design a front and a back. Don t put your name on your creation so that we can all vote for our favorites. Drop In---Ephipany Party ----Our next Drop In is on Jan.7 th. Lets have an Epiphany (Little Christmas) party to start our New Year 2013. Some of you have requested a gift exchange soooo. Bring in a $5.00 gender free gift and we can play a gift swap game. We hope to see lots of new faces in 2013 so bring your face, to our space, down at the camphouse by the water, behind the rectory. We meet every Monday (that there is school in Freetown) from 6:30 8:30pm. It s the most happening thing to do in all of Freetown on Monday nights. See you there. Don t miss it!!! Young Adult Ministry Join us for our Annual Christmas Holiday reunion dinner on Saturday, January 5, 2013 at 6:30PM. All young adults are invited to dinner and a social evening with Father Greg, Mr. & Mrs. Dube and Mr. & Mrs. Furtado. Please join us at the Rectory for some good food, and the chance to catch up with everyone who is home for the holidays. Rekindle old friendships and share with one another the many good times we have had through the years. Please RSVP Mr. & Mrs. Dube at 508-763-8519. Hope to see you there! Children ages 3 6 are invited to participate in the Liturgy of the Word for Children during the 9:30am Mass. Parents may bring their children to the library where they will celebrate the Liturgy of the Word at an age appropriate level. They will be brought back to their families in church during the preparation rite of the Mass. On the 1st Sunday of each month, parents should bring their children directly to church. On these Sundays, Fr. Greg will invite the children into the sanctuary for his homily. There will be no Children s Liturgy on December 30th. ATTENTION YOUNG ADULTS In the twinkling of an eye, the world changes faces. An epiphany flips the switch, changing our vision for a moment or a lifetime. Join us on Friday, January 4th Sunday, January 6th at Sacred Heart Retreat Center, Wareham for the Office of Faith Formation s annual Young Adult Retreat! This year s theme is Epiphanies & Sacred Visions. The cost of the retreat s $150 (discount of $25 offered to those sharing rooms) and is open to all young adults of college age through 35! For more information, contact Crystal-Lynn Medeiros at cmedeiros@dfrcec.com or 508-678-2828x24. Registration form available at www.fallriverfaithformation.com. Deadline to register is December 31st. Parish Prayer Line We have a Prayer line in our parish. If you are interested in sharing your faith through prayer for the sick of our parish and for other intentions please call Rachel Constant 508-995-4269. Thank You!!
From the Pastor s Desk. Many Thanks to Many People I wish to express my heartfelt thanks to so many people who contributed so much to the parish and to me personally this Advent/Christmas Season. The hazard in attempting to do this is in over-looking or forgetting people in the process. So, I will make mention of certain people who I understand to have coordinated certain things and include all those associated with them: Music Ministry: If you were at any of the Christmas Masses you know that it goes without saying that Linda Johnston, the cantors, musicians and choir did such a beautiful job. The song selections were perfect, in my estimation, and I believe that they truly succeeded in lifting our hearts in prayerful praise to the Lord. Thank You. Environment: This is the fancy word liturgists use to describe the decorating committee... I would like to thank Ray Galuska and Walter Carrier and all those who worked with them to create such a spectacular and appropriate décor for our sanctuary and the Church as a whole. I very much think that they hit the goldilocks mark in what they created: It was not over-done, and it was not under-done... it was just right. Thanks to all who helped. Youth Ministry: Under the direction of Lori Luzzo along with the assistance of the Senior and Junior Youth Groups and the Confirmation Candidates, the Giving Tree seemed to me a great success and an immense gesture of charity during this season of giving. The wrapping, sorting, moving, packing and giving all went off very smoothly; continuing a great tradition of this parish. Thanks to all who gave so much. Also, to those brave souls who, under the direction of Amy Burgess, performed the liturgical procession at Christmas Midnight Mass, thanks for leading us into our reflection on the mystery we were celebrating in that moment. Parish Staff: There is too much to say about this group: They all do well more than what their job descriptions indicate. Their generosity in assisting the many groups and efforts which constitute the parish are not to be taken for granted. I thank Diane Whelan, Sue Medeiros, Anna Manny, Doris Thibault, Ray Bedard, Paul Boucher, Bill & Sue Furtado, Dennis & Debra Dube, JoAnn Violette and, again, Linda Johnston & Amy Burgess. We all continue to hold up Jackie Mathieu in our prayers as she continues to struggle with her health: May the Lord bless her with strength through her sufferings. Ushers/Greeter/Lectors/Ministers/Servers: The out-of-the-ordinary character of our Christmas Masses made the role of these people crucial for a smooth execution of what we needed to do. The quiet work of Tom Stone, ever organizing things behind the scene, must be noted. Moreover, the hospitality of our Greeters at the door and the Collectors at Mass --- many of whom double as ushers was much appreciated. They are too many to name, but they know who they are, and they are familiar faces to all who come to Mass regularly. Thank you. Adult Faith Formation: Thanks to this team for the wonderful work at the First Annual Christmas Bon Fire. Except for the fact that my dog ate too many Candy Canes, all went well. We must do it again! St. Vincent DePaul: For your quiet service to those in need and to the bereaved...thank You. Collection Counters:... A very sensitive service to our parish... I thank John Bastoni and all those who count the collection, process the envelopes and make the deposits. Your work is crucial to helping us keep on track financially. Thank You... Coffee & Donuts servers, Ryan Levesque for passing out the Evangelization CD s, John s Towing for moving all those gifts for us, Mr. Coons for the giving tree, flower donors... etc. Please, forgive me if I forgot anyone... God s blessings to all in the New Year! Fr. Greg
SCRIPTURE SHARING Registration is now open for the next 6 week session of Scripture Sharing on the Gospel of Luke, conducted by Sr. Frances Thomas on Thursday mornings from 10am to Noon at St. Joseph Parish, Fall River, MA. The program will run from January 10 th through February 15 th. Fee is $20 to cover cost of text and resource material. Register by January 4 th by calling Rose Mary at 508-678-2828. More information can be found at www.fallriverfaithformation.org. Junior Youth Group Grades 6, 7, and 8 Our next drop-in will be on Tuesday, January 8, 2013. Have a safe Christmas vacation. Confirmation Classes Grade 8 9 There will be no class on Sunday December 30 th. On January 6 th, Confirmation II candidates will be attending their Confirmation Retreat (more info to follow). Confirmation I candidates are required to join Confirmation II at the Youth Mass on January 6 th at 5:30 pm. Giving Tree We would like to thank you for your overwhelming support again this year for our Giving Tree project. All the gifts have been delivered and we can tell you that your gifts really made a difference in our community. We not only delivered the gifts but we also delivered the gift of faith for all to see!! Save the Date!!! Monday, January 14 th The tree is now decorated with ornaments and we ask those of you who have so generously contributed to our Giving Tree to please take an ornament on or after Epiphany Sunday. There will be a PowerPoint presentation on Lyme disease on Monday, January 14 th at 7:00pm in Neumann Hall. This presentation will be given by Bob Giguere and is free of charge. All are welcome to attend!! Faith Formation Grades 1 7 There will be no classes on the week of December 30 th. Classes will resume on Monday, January 7, 2013. Have a safe Christmas vacation. Thank you from the Youth Ministry. Your Offertory Trust Thank you for your Parish Support through your Offertory Trust. BUDGET: $ 5364.00 CHRISTMAS OFFERING: $ 10035.00 Parish Maintenance Fund Second Collection: At all Masses next weekend is for the parish Maintenance Fund. Thank you in advance for your continued generosity.