January 22nd through January 28th

 

Saturday, January 21

4:00 P.M.       Howard Medlar, Memorial

Sunday, January 22

7:00 A.M.       Michael Capobianco, 7th Anniversary

9:00 A.M.       For Our Living and Deceased Parishioners

11:00 A.M.       Ana Febus Martinez, Memorial

                        Pedro Jose Rodriguez, Memorial

                        Rowena Fisher, Memorial

Monday, January 23

8:00 A.M.       Rev. Henry Gentile, Memorial

Tuesday, January 24

8:00 A.M.       Elisa Field, Memorial

Wednesday, January 25

8:00 A.M.       Paul and Albertine Stankard, Memorial

7:00 P.M.       Kristie Lee Vazquez, Memorial

Thursday, January 26

8:00 A.M.                   Holy Souls in Purgatory

Friday, January 27

8:00 A.M.       Taylor Nigloschy, Healing

Saturday, January 28

8:00 A.M.       Janet Rainey, Memorial

 

A ROSE FOR LIFE

IN OUR SANCTUARY

The roses this week are sponsored in memory of the Unborn by Anonymous and in memory of Bob Gaines by his wife Gilda.

 

Pennies for the Unborn

The Catholic Daughters of the Americas are holding their annual Pennies for the Unborn drive after all the Masses this weekend, which is the eve of the March for Life in Washington. All monies collected by the state organization are given to Cardinal O'Malley for the Pro-Life activities of the Archdiocese.

 

New CDs for Adult Formation

 

 

Holy Hour for Life Here and Throughout the Archdiocese of Boston

Our annual holy hour to pray for respect for all human life, born and unborn, will take place today (Sunday) at 3:00 p.m. in the Church. This Holy Hour for Life is sponsored by the Deacons of the Archdiocese, and will be prayed simultaneously in every parish, chapel, shrine, and campus of the Archdiocese, as well as in the buses that will take the pilgrims to the March for Life in Washington. Please join us for this important service.

 

Holy Spirit Prayer Group ‑ Our English Prayer Group will meet as usual this Monday night in the St. Paul Room of the School from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. In addition to praying, singing, and praising God, there will also be a teaching by Jim Drummey on the changes in the Mass prayers and responses. All are invited.

 

English Adult Confirmation Classes ‑ If you or someone you know missed Confirmation when you were younger and would like to receive this important sacrament, we will be starting classes on Wednesday night, February 22nd, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. in the Rectory Meeting Room. The classes will continue every Wednesday until Confirmation on April 20th. Please call the Rectory (508-875-4788) and we will send you an information sheet and a schedule of the classes. Confirmation is required if you plan to be a godparent for Baptism.

 

PILGRIMAGE TO THE

SHRINES OF ITALY

Join Father Paco as our spiritual director in this exciting

pilgrimage to the Shrines of Italy from April 16 to April 25, 2012. We will visit Saint Peter's Basilica, the tomb of Blessed John Paul II, Saint John Lateran, Saint Mary Major, Assisi, Loreto and the House of the Blessed Mother, Lanciano and the Eucharistic Miracle, and the Chapel of Saint Michael. For more information, please email Marge Olivieri at Faithful1111@aol.com or call her at 508-320-3498. Seats for this pilgrimage are limited, so call soon!

 

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.

 

 

 

He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him. - Mk 1:19-20

 

 

Pray for Reverence for

All Human Life

 

Led by Fr. Bert and Connie Pagan, more than 55 of our parishioners will ride on a bus all night to take part in the annual March for Life in Washington, DC, to mark the 39th anniversary of the horrendous Supreme Court abortion decision that made legal the killing of unborn babies at any time during the nine months of pregnancy.

More than 55 million of our future citizens have perished in this Silent Holocaust. Only God knows how many of these victims might have been priests and nuns, doctors and nurses, teachers and counselors, mothers and fathers, and persons of great virtue and integrity. But their lives were sacrificed on the altar of "choice" and sexual immorality.

The amazing thing about the hundreds of thousands of all ages who will assemble in our nation's capital today and tomorrow is that, unlike those who protest against economic and political problems, the pro-lifers have no personal agenda. They are marching solely for the life and well-being of persons whom they will never know and who will never know them ‑ at least in this life.

These good people of all faiths are marching for the least of their brothers and sisters. And in so doing, they are marching for Jesus, who said that whatever we do for the least of our brothers and sisters, we do for Him.

The late Congressman Henry Hyde, who worked tirelessly for the unborn, predicted that these victim souls would sing a chorus of praise and welcome when each pro-lifer arrives at the gates of Heaven.

            Let us pray fervently for our dedicated and caring parishioners and for that time when such marches will no longer be necessary. Life is sacred!

 

Collection for Church in Latin America ‑ We will take up a collection for our brothers and sisters in Latin America at all the Masses next weekend, January 28th and 29th. 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!

 

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

January 18th to January 25th

 

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

 

Preparing for your tax report?

If you are getting ready to prepare your tax report for 2011, we will be very happy to extend you a letter with your charitable contribution to our parish during the last year. This letter can be included in your report as deductible contribution to a charity organization.

Just call the office during regular hours and make sure you have your envelope number available, and we will extend the letter to you. And, once again: thank you for including Saint Stephen parish in your charity during the year.

 

This past week at Saint Stephen's...