Our Lady of Mercy Parish, Merrimack NH October 15, 2017 Come to the Feast SATURDAY, October 14th Vigil: Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 4:30PM: Denis & Edward Roy req by Pauline St Germain and for all parishioners SUNDAY, October 15th Twenty Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:30AM: Skip Watkins req by Diane Boissy & Alyce Bolduc 10:30AM: John Davis, Jr. req by Kathy Rush MONDAY, October 16th St. Hedwig, Religious; St. Margaret Mary Alacoque,Virgin 8:30AM: Jean Marc Bechard req by his wife TUESDAY, October 17th St. Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop & Martyr 8:30AM: Joseph Arcifa req by Clay & Kathy Rush WEDNESDAY, October 18th St. Luke, Evangelist 8:30AM: James Joseph Sauer req by Ron & Ingrid Fish NO MASS THURSDAY, October 19th FRIDAY, October 20th St. Paul of the Cross, Priest 8:30AM: Anne Behan req by Robert & Yvette Pelletier SATURDAY, October 21st Vigil: Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time 4:30PM: Dorothy Lavallee req by her family SUNDAY, October 22nd Twenty Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time 8:30AM: Joseph Micali req by Nany King & for all parishioners 10:30AM: Mary Mullaney req by Clay & Kathy Rush Why would invited guests refuse to come to a wedding? Free food and drink, music and dancing--what's not to like? Apparently the king in Jesus' parable had the same questions. By this time, Jesus knew that many of the Jewish leaders would not accept the invitation to follow him. As we know, after the Resurrection, the disciples began to spread the good news not only to other Jews, but to anyone who would listen. The church began to grow, much faster than they expected. One reason the leaders in Israel did not accept Jesus was his association with sinners. They did not understand that God calls sinners to repent and be forgiven. Since they thought of themselves as holy, they were not interested in forgiveness. Ordinary people, who knew they were sinners, were attracted by the offer of forgiveness. Many of them repented and came to be baptized. As the parable says, they filled the banquet hall. Jesus calls us today to come to the same feast. But there are still people who think they have no need for Jesus. So what about the man in the parable who came in street clothes? The wedding garment was a symbol of the baptismal gown, the sign of new life in Christ. This man symbolizes those who "come to the feast" without repenting of their sins. We can be like that man sometimes. We come to church arguing with our spouse on the way. We bring our prejudices, lies, anger, and selfishness--with no intention of doing anything about them. We come with the attitude that says, "I'm here, aren't I? That should be good enough." But it isn't, for the feast we come to is not a wedding to join husband and wife. It joins God to humanity. God's Son came to unite us all to himself. By dying for our sins, Jesus calls us to come back to God. So repentance is not just a change of clothing; it is a change of heart, a change in how we live. It is our ticket to the banquet. It is our way of saying, "I know I don't deserve this, but thanks for letting me share the feast." Tom Schmidt, Copyright (c) J. S. Paluch Co. The Sanctuary Lamp for the week of October 14th through October 20th is lit for the intentions of our pastor. WEEK #10: Linda Ketchie & Muriel Benbrook Weekend of October 8th: $4708.00 Fuel Collection: $2677.00
OUR LADY OF MERCY PARISH MERRIMACK, NH ALL SAINT S DAY/ALL SOUL S DAY All Saint s Day November 1, 2017: All Saints' Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1. The day is dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven. Mass times for this Holy Day are Wednesday, November 1st at 8:30 am and 7:00 pm. There will be no anticipated Mass on October 31st. During the month of November we take time to remember our loved ones who have passed. Again this year you are asked to bring photos (framed or unframed) of a loved one who has died. Beginning on the weekend of October 28/29 a table will be set up in the main entrance of the church to leave your pictures. The photos will remain for the month of November. Make sure to put your name and phone number on the back of the pictures. On November 2nd we celebrate All Souls Day. At the 7:00 PM Mass we will say aloud the names of those whose funeral Mass was celebrated in our parish during the past 12 months. A candle will be lit for each of the deceased. All parishioners are invited to attend this Mass and remember these and all of our beloved dead. Hard to believe but Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. For many in our community with stressed budgets and financial challenges, a Thanksgiving dinner just isn t possible. Your support of our annual Food Drive will help make a fulfilling holiday possible for many families this season and also continue to help throughout the year. Our annual Thanksgiving Drive benefits Our Lady of Mercy and St. John Neumann Food Pantry. Our ministry to the needy is combined with St. John Neumann to better assist our neighbors in need. Many families have benefitted from your support of this program. This year we again are asking that you contribute gift cards from local supermarkets (Shaws, Market Basket or Hannafords) in any denomination or if you prefer you may purchase one of the non perishable items listed below. Gift cards should be dropped off in the basket on the altar and food items in the boxes at the doors beginning the weekend of October 28/29 through the weekend of November 18/19. Non-Perishable Items Needed Boxed stuffing mix Canned vegetables Instant mashed potatoes Canned fruit (peaches, orange segments no grapefruit) Jelly all kinds Canned meats such as Dinty Moore beef stew, spam, tuna Progresso canned soups Pasta and cans or jars or pasta sauce Boxed mixes-cakes, cookies, brownies, muffins, etc Bar soap, toothpaste, shampoo Knights of Columbus Parish Breakfast & Blood Pressure Clinic Join us in the Church hall on Sunday, October 22nd and take advantage of the opportunity we are given to enjoy the company of our parish family. All parishioners are invited to enjoy another delicious parish breakfast and to have their blood pressure checked. Breakfast will be served after the 8:30 and 10:30 am masses. Please Pray Your prayers are requested for our 9th and 10th grade students who will be attending a retreat on October 26th as part of their spiritual journey. The N.E.T. Team will be conducting their retreat. Every year 150 young Catholics aged 18-28 leave behind their jobs, school, family and friends to devote nine months to serving with the National Evangelization Teams (NET). They travel in teams across the U.S. to share the Gospel with young people and their families. Please keep the team and our students in your prayers. I Am A Muslim Woman We are pleased to invite both women and men to this presentation. This event will take place on Monday, October 23rd in our church hall beginning at 6:45 pm. An optional tour of our Church will be offered at 6:15pm. Three Muslim women, one each from Pakistan, Turkey and Syria, will speak about Islam and living the faith as Muslim women in New Hampshire. A question and answer period will follow. Plan to join us afterward for refreshment and conversation. If you have not already done so, please call the office at 424-3757 or email mdancy@olmnh.org to register.
October 15, 2017 OCTOBER BABY SHOWER Throughout the month of October, our parish will once again remember in a special way, pregnant and parenting teens, their newborns and children in need of assistance. Your gifts may be placed in the playpen in the back of the church through October 29th. Items Needed: Important both Agencies are in great need of diapers of all sizes, especially sizes 2,3,4 and 5. Other Items: Baby wipes, sleepers, baby blankets, onesies, clothing up to 3T, infant socks, bibs, Enfamil, baby washcloths, bottles, sippy cups and sleep sacks. GOSPEL OF MARK In Part 2 we will study the last 8 chapters of the Gospel of Mark. The first 8 chapters were exuberant with the victory of Jesus over the powers of evil in the world. Jesus was busy with healing, teaching, and calming the forces of nature. In this last half of the Gospel Jesus leaves Galilee and enters into the Judean territory. His teaching becomes more directed toward the apostles, and He confronts the hostile Jewish leadership. We will examine what was understood about the "Son of Man", and how Jesus is the "suffering servant" that was written of in the Book of Isaiah. Please join this study. It will be offered on Tuesday, October 17 at 9:30 AM, and it will repeated on Wednesday, October 18 at 7 PM; both presentations will be held in the Church Hall. FOOT CLINIC On October 26th from 9:00am to 1:00pm Our Lady of Mercy will be hosting a Foot Care Clinic operated by the well qualified nurses of Home Health and Hospice Care. The cost is $28.00 and is payable by cash or check at the time of the appointment. For more information or to schedule your appointment, please call Home Health & Hospice Care at 689-2931. For a full schedule of foot care clinics visit our website at www.hhhc.org.
OLM TRUNK OR TREAT October 28, 2017 6:00 to 8:00 pm Kids: Come in costumes to enjoy games, music, crafts and a story read by Fr. Paul Adults: Decorate the trunk of your car and hand out treats (approx. 75 children) Cars should be decorated between 5:45 and 6:15pm while Fr. Paul is reading a story to the children. Children will go out to the parking lot at 6:15 pm for Trunk or Treat. From 7:00 to 8:00 pm children will go back downstairs to the church hall for games and fun. The October 25th gathering for Greeters is cancelled. We did this so that the greeters can all meet together at one time - October 28 at 11:30 am - and enjoy a luncheon together. This gathering is for all experienced Greeters and anyone considering the ministry. October Dedicated to the Holy Rosary Prayer is a good way to offer spiritual support for life in all stages and in all vocations. Each day in October has been dedicated to a specific intention. To participate, sign your name on the day you wish to pray the Rosary. The calendar can be found in the main entrance of the church. Each day can be chosen by more than one person. YOUTH GROUP MEETING Our High School Youth Group (Gr 9-12) will be meeting again on Sunday evening, October 15th from 4:30 to 6:00 pm in the Parish Meeting Room. Please join us and have some fun!!! For more information please contact Mackenzie Murphy at mmurphy@olmnh.org. Ladies Guild Meeting We will be having our next monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 17th at 1:00 pm in the Church Hall. All ladies of the parish are welcome. If you are new to the parish and want to learn more about our ministry, please join us or contact Irene Jenness at 424-2362.
Information Page Acct #: 694750 Our Lady of Mercy Parish 16 Baboosic Lake Road Merrimack, NH 03054 Contact Person: Kathleen Rush Phone: (603) 424-4477 or (603) 424-3757 Fax: (603) 424-1780 Email Address: kjrush1@olmnh.org Kathy Bulletin for October 15, 2017