Saint Patrick's Parish

FROM THE PASTOR

It is with great joy that we extend a warm welcome to our new Parochial Vicar, the REVEREND HAL N. OBAYASI, to our parish family. We are so grateful to Cardinal Sean for assigning this wonderful priest to our parish and Fr. Goodrow and I are delighted to be able to share our pastoral ministry with him. I know that you will do all that you can to make Fr. Hal feel at home here in our parish family. As the Irish are so fond of saying: “CEAD MILE FAILTE or 100,000 WELCOMES!”

This weekend we begin the ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL for the Archdiocese of Boston. As Catholics, we are called to love and share by providing for the needs of our neighbors and for the entire Catholic family, especially in union with our Cardinal Archbishop. One of the many ways in which we can fulfill our responsibilities is through our generous response to this Appeal in order to support the many works of the Church. Our financial response is indicative of our commitment to support all of the good works that benefit the entire community. For many people, life holds much pain and sadness. They live with disappointment, failed dreams, debilitating illness, failures and sins that rob them of their dignity. It is the responsibility of the Church to hand on to them the Light of Christ and that Light happens through us, through our deeds and actions. We bear the responsibility to bring the fragile light of Christ to those who need Christ desperately. The Annual Catholic Appeal is the primary funding source that provides for the critical programs and services that assist the Cardinal as he attempts to bring the Light of Christ to those most in need. In these difficult economic times, we are asked to make an even more generous response so that we might build up the Church in order to bring hope and love to thousands of men, women, and children.

In order to provide the means to meet the many challenges of today, we rely upon the success of the ANNUAL CATHOLIC APPEAL. This appeal raises funds to support the umbrella of services that makes it possible for us to carry out Christ’s work in our community. Every registered parishioner should have already received a direct appeal from Cardinal Sean outlining the overwhelming needs that he confronts as he shepherds this local church. May the example of Mary’s generosity and compassion enlighten our commitment to hand on the Light of Christ and inspire you to discern an appropriate and generous response to this Appeal.

Mass Intentions This Week

If you would like a LAMP in our Church or Adoration Chapel burning for one week, in memory of a loved one or for a special intention, please call the rectory (508) 653-1093.

Please join with Catholics in every parish who do their part for the Church throughout the 144 cities and towns of our Archdiocese. God calls us to share what we have to help others. Because of the economic downturn, support of the Catholic Appeal is even more urgent this year. The Appeal brochure explains more about who benefits and where the money goes. Please review the brochure, and then take a step up with a generous pledge. Remember that God cannot be outdone in generosity toward those who sacrifice on His behalf.

Please Come to the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Lent In addition to our normal confession times, St. Patrick Parish and all the Catholic parishes and chapels of the Archdiocese will be open on Lenten Wednesdays from 6:30-8:00 pm. Please take advantage of this opportunity to make a good Lenten confession. . The Archdiocese’s website for this initiative has great material to help everyone prepare to make a good confession: www.TheLightIsOnForYou.org

In an effort to make it more convenient for parishioners to financially support Saint Patrick Parish, we now offer you the ability to make your offertory contributions electronically. Rather than placing cash or checks in the collection basket each week, you now have the option to simply have a predetermined monthly amount withdrawn from your checking or savings account that will be automatically deposited into the Parish Offertory. Transactions will be made on the 15th of each month. If you are interested in signing up for electronic offertory payments, or if you would like additional information, please contact Jean Lorrey in the Parish Office at 508-653-1093. Thank you.

For all children who are in third grade or older and who would like to serve as Altar Servers at St. Patrick's, please come to the two upcoming training sessions that we will have:

Saturday, March 20 after the 4:00p.m. Mass
Sunday, March 21 after the 11:30a.m. Mass

The training will be held in the upper Church. And we ask that a Parent accompany the child during the training sessions.
If a child is interested in being an Altar Server but is unable to attend the training sessions, we can make other arrangements for training them.
If you have any questions or concerns about the Altar Server Training, you may call Mrs. Maria Young at 508-655-2010 or Fr. David at the Rectory.
Thank you.

Grades 5&6: March 10th at 6:30 p.m.
Grades 7&8: March 17th at 6:30 p.m.

Students are required to attend.

Chastity speaker Jason Evert will be coming to Saint Patrick’s on Sunday, March 21, 2010 free of charge for all! Jason Evert will be speaking to students in grades 7-10 (with their families) in St. Patrick’s Church from 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
All are Welcome! For more information, please contact Jason Giombetti at 508-907-6220 or e-mail stpatjason@comcast.net .

Preparations for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, Spain are already underway! World Youth Day is a meeting of young people from the whole world with the Vicar of Christ, Pope Benedict XVI. It is an evangelizing means of the Church, which through these Days continues proclaiming the message of Christ to young people.
Saint Patrick’s will be hosting an information night on Thursday, March 11th at 7:00 p.m. in the lower Church. All are invited and encouraged to attend. We are happy to welcome Kathy Stebbins from the Archdiocese’s Office for the New Evangelization of Youth and Young Adults who will provide a synopsis of World Youth Day, and help us begin to get organized. For more information, please contact Jason Giombetti at stpatjason@comcast.net or call (508) 907-6220.
“All young people should feel cared for by the Church: to do so, the whole Church, in union with the Successor of Peter, must feel increasingly committed at the world level, in favor of youth… to correspond to their expectations, communicating to them the certainty of Christ, the truth that is Christ, love that is Christ through an adequate formation, which is a necessary and updated form of evangelization" (John Paul II, Address to the College of Cardinals, December 20, 1985).

Parish Lenten Mission
Monday – Wednesday, March 22-24
All take place in the Upper Church at 7:30 p.m.

Holy Thursday
April 1
Morning Prayer at 8:00 a.m.
Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:30 p.m.
Good Friday
April 2
Morning Prayer at 8:00 a.m.
Stations of the Cross at 12:00 noon
Celebration of the Lord’s Passion
3:00 and 7:30 p.m.
Holy Saturday
April 3 Morning Prayer at 8:00 a.m.
Easter Vigil Mass at 7:30 p.m.
Easter Sunday
April 4
Mass at 7:30; 9:00; 11:30 a.m.; and 5:30 p.m.

It is a joy for us to welcome new members to our parish! If you worship with us regularly, but are not fully registered, use this form to request registration information. Drop it in the basket or mail it to us. We look forward to your active participation in our faith community.

Your assistance is needed with the upcoming Parish Lenten Mission that is being held over three consecutive evenings, March 22, 23, 24. We need people to act as greeters handing out programs, as well as donations of baked goods for Monday and Wednesday evenings. If you are able to help in this area, please call Jean in the Parish Office at 508-653-1093. Thank you!

God of all people, Hear us as we join in prayer with our brothers and sisters in need. Bless our Lenten fasting, learning, and giving. May your generous love for your people be our guide as we reach out to all who live with hunger and poverty. Amen.

Join us for LIFT – an exciting monthly worship event which includes vibrant praise and worship music, dynamic, challenging speakers and Eucharistic Adoration. LIFT is for all ages. Be with us on Tuesday, March 16th as we welcome Susan Conroy as our speaker. The evening runs from 7 – 9 pm at Fontbonne Academy, 930 Brook Road, Milton, MA. Directions and a downloadable flyer, along with more information about LIFT, can be found on our website at www.liftedhigher.com. Come join in worship with hundreds of Catholics from around the Boston area!

Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston will host a “Soup and Mission” evening on Saturday, March 13 at 6:00 p.m. Patty Kean, professor at Curry College, and John Abdula, alumnus of Curry College and film maker, traveled to Rwanda as part of an UNESCO International Leadership Training Forum for young adult human rights activists. In their presentation, “Rwanda: Where was Jesus during the genocide? Where is He now?” Patty and John will share their faith journey as they traveled through Rwanda 15 years after the genocide. Free admission.

Wisdom Works is a four week employment workshop aimed at providing job hunters with the skills needed to find a job. Please call 508.647-6540, extension 1906 if you are interested. Space is limited and pre-registration is required. There will be a $5 fee to cover materials. The workshop will be held on the following Thursdays: March 18th, 25th, April 1st and 8th from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. each week at the Kennedy Senior Center, 117 East Central Street.
The Caregiver Care Program which is being offered by Natick Human Services and the Council on Aging in partnership with Century Health Systems. Caregiver Care is a six session program that will begin on April 1st, and will meet one Thursday a month for six months from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It’s designed to provide support and technical skills to individuals who provide uncompensated care to an elder family member or friend. Please call 508.647.6540, extension 1906 as pre-registration is required and space is limited. This is a free program.

Some parishioners have asked what the appropriate responses are when a Bishop gives his blessing at the end of Mass.

Bishop: “Blessed be the Name of the Lord.”
Response: “Now and Forever”.
Bishop: “Our help is in the Name of the Lord.”
Response: “Who made heaven and earth.”

Saint Patrick's Parish Natick, Massachusetts

Saint Patrick's Parish
Natick, Massachusetts