Saint Stephen Parish

221 Concord St,
Framingham Massachusetts 01702.
Tel. 508-875-4788
Fax. 508-875-2577

January 24th through January 29th
Saturday, January 23
4:00 P.M. Jozef and Alexandra Karpierz, Memorial
Sunday, January 24
  7:00 A.M. Sister Mary Ellen Bettencourt, Memorial
  9:00 A.M. For all living and deceased Parishioners of Saint Stephen
Monday, January 25
  8:00 A.M. Charles Reiley, Memorial
Tuesday, January 26
  8:00 A.M. Charles Reiley, Memorial
Wednesday, January 27
  8:00 A.M. Christopher Evers, Memorial
Thursday, January 28
  8:00 A.M. Walter Gustafson, Memorial
Friday, January 29
  8:00 A.M. Matt Iagatta, Memorial

A ROSE FOR LIFE IN OUR SANCTUARY

The roses this week are sponsored in memory of the Coull and Landry families by Henry Coull, in memory of Bob Gaines by his wife Gilda, and in honor of Joe by his Mom and Dad.

Pennies for the Unborn ‑ Containers will be at the doors of the church this weekend to collect pennies for the unborn. Sponsored by the Catholic Daughters of the Americas, the proceeds will be given to Cardinal O'Malley for his pro-life work. Congratulations are also extended to the Jr. Catholic Daughters, who traveled to Washington last week to take part in the March for Life and to pray for an end to abortion and respect for all life, born and unborn.

Evangelization Project ‑ In the foyer of the church near the front door, you will notice a stand with literature and compact disks. These materials are there to help you know your Catholic Faith better so that you can spread it to others. We invite you to take advantage of these materials and to leave a donation of 50 cents for each pamphlet and $3 for each CD. When you are through with the pamphlet or CD, do not copy it, but please pass it on to someone else. As the supply decreases, we will order more. We are very excited about this project. This is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen your faith through reading and listening to knowledgeable Catholics.

 

Parish Photo Directories Are In ‑ If you had your picture taken for the Parish Photo Directory, please come to the rectory on Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to pick up your copy or go to the back of the Church after Mass today, and obtain your copy with Pat Robinson.

English Prayer Meeting ‑ Our English Prayer Group will meet as usual in the Rectory Chapel on Monday, January 25th, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The teaching at this meeting will be given by Jim Drummey, our Religious Education Coordinator. He will speak on "The Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary: Bringing the Light of Christ to Our World."

Thank You to Clara and Norma Stapleton ‑ We wish to thank Clara and Norma once again

for their excellent work in signing up people to purchase a Rose for Life that is placed near the tabernacle to encourage prayers for the unborn and an end to what the Second Vatican Council called the "unspeakable crime" of abortion. In this month that marks the 37th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that has led to the deaths of 50 million (!) of the tiniest members of the human family, we ask you to pray fervently for pregnant women that they will love their unborn children, resist the pressure to end their lives, and find the help they need through the Church and Pregnancy Help groups to give their babies life.

Starting a Health Care Ministry
at St. Stephen Parish

"He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord."  Jesus said to them, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." - Lk 4:18b-19, 21

Thanks to Our Advertisers ‑ Just a reminder that our weekly bulletin is paid for by our advertisers ‑ there is no cost to the parish. Please support those whose ads appear in the bulletin as a sign of your appreciation for their support.

Teaching About Mass Offerings
(Part III)
One of the articles of our faith is that we believe in the Communion of Saints; this refers to the belief that, although people die and enter into eternal life, we continue to form a mystical body, we are a Church. Jesus is the head of this mystical body and all of us are members of His body: the saints in heaven, the souls in purgatory and all of us who continue to journey here on earth. We are in communion with each other and present to each other especially when we pray. And although all prayers are acceptable (the Rosary, the Chaplets, Novenas, etc.), no prayer can compare in perfection and power to the most perfect prayer of the Eucharist.
While other prayers are born from the love and affection we have for our loved ones and are offered in spirit of true faith, the Eucharist is the prayer of Jesus as our high priest and it is perfect and infallible every time. That is the reason why there is nothing more valuable that we could offer for the souls of our departed brothers and sisters than the Mass intention.
The faithful should prayerfully consider this most beautiful aspect of our faith and request Masses to be said for their loves ones often. Usually, the anniversary of someone's death, their birthdays, their Saints day, the month of November and other occasions like these are appropriate times to have a Mass offered for their wellbeing. They need our prayers and we still need their intercession.

Collection for Church in Latin America ‑ We will take up a collection for our brothers and sisters in Latin America at all the Masses this weekend. Although approximately half of the world's Catholic population lives in Latin America, the Church in the region is losing members at an alarming rate. They are drawn away from the Church by other faiths and are often obliged to migrate in pursuit of a better life.
     These tensions can contribute to the destabilization of families and faith communities. You can keep faith with these brothers and sisters through your support of this collection. Your generosity will support pastoral work that engages parishioners and fosters the Faith. The Church in Latin America needs your help.

Child Protection Training Offered ‑ The Protecting God's Children program will be offered at St. George Parish next Saturday, January 30th, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the lower church. This training is mandatory for all volunteers who interact with children within the church environment. The program incorporates proven best-practice standards for the prevention of child sexual abuse by clergy, staff, volunteers, and others. You can register by calling the rectory at (508) 877-5130.

Pregnancy Help, a program of the Archdiocese of Boston, has a MetroWest office at 5 Wilson Street in Natick, opposite St. Patrick Church. The telephone number is (508) 651-1900. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It offers pregnancy testing, counseling, referrals, and ongoing support and material assistance to women with unplanned or crisis pregnancies. These free and confidential services are available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese to women of any denomination or faith.
Pray for Christian Unity

Every January for the past 100 years Christian churches worldwide have offered special prayers for the healing of past wounds to Christian unity. The Gospel tells us that Jesus prayed for all His disciples to be one as they came together to worship the Father in spirit and truth. We continue that prayer today and intensify it, calling upon the Holy Spirit to bring together into deeper unity all those who know Jesus as Lord. Many of the families in our own congregation are religiously diverse in their membership. May our prayers for the unity of all Christians offer us hope that our parish will also experience healing and spiritual growth in this way.

Thanks to Our Advertisers ‑ Just a reminder that our weekly bulletin is paid for by our advertisers ‑ there is no cost to the parish. Please support those whose ads appear in the bulletin as a sign of your appreciation for their support.

 

 

Saint Stephen Parish