This Tuesday, January 22nd, marks the 35th Anniversary of the infamous decision of the US Supreme Court’s opinion to legalize abortion in our country. Many people from all over our country will be marching in Washington to demonstrate our solidarity in the conviction that all life is sacred and therefore entitled to the protection of our legal system. It is ironic that this anniversary falls a day after the country will observe Martin Luther King Day, a day dedicated to honoring a man who fought for the civil rights of all people. As we contemplate these two days and their significance, it should be apparent to us that no country that prides itself on the rule of law can exclude from its laws the protection of all human life from the moment of conception until natural death. For Catholics especially and for all people of faith, this fundamental principle of the sanctity of life is based upon a revealed truth. This is the bedrock upon which all other human rights flow.

The tragic decision of the Court has reduced human life to an expendable commodity and has opened the doorway to the legalized destruction of human life at various stages of its development. If life in the womb is not sacred, then life is not sacred at all. The value of the human person, in the mind of the Court, is dependent upon and subordinate to the mother’s right to choose sovereignty over her body. This erroneous concept diminishes the role of the Creator and usurps His plan for His creation. The Catholic Church believes, without exception, that all life is sacred because we are made in the image and likeness of God; we belong to Him and only He has the power to decide when life begins and when life should end. The tragic consequences of this flawed legal decision have been enormous and the violence that we witness each day upon people can be directly attributed to the current perception of this diminished value of human life and our mistaken conclusion that we are the final arbiters of life’s beginning and end. It is clear to me that unless we return to the values that our forefathers held in the establishment of our country, we will never be able to rid the world of the violence and destruction that confronts us each day.

On this Tuesday, let us all take a moment to offer prayers and petitions to Almighty God that our country will restore the legal guarantee of the right to life of all people, from the moment of their conception until their natural death. Only then will the peace that we claim to seek become a reality in our world. May Mary, the Mother of all Life, intercede for us with her Divine Son and grant us the grace to be faithful to His Gospel of Life.

The Parish Office will be closed on Monday, January 21, 2008 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
We will reopen on Tuesday, January 22, 2008
at 9:15 a.m.

2007 Tax Statements

For your convenience, tax statements for your 2007 offertory contributions are available by contacting the parish office at 508-653-1093. Your personalized statement will be prepared and mailed to you, or arrangements may be made to pick it up in the office. Please note that the IRS may disallow your charitable deductions if you are unable to provide this acknowledgement to them upon request. Thank you for your continued support of Saint Patrick Parish.

Stewardship

In a world of darkness we crave the light of God. Lord God, how may I be your flame of love in this world today.

Sacrament of the Sick

The Sacrament of the Sick is offered on the 4th Sunday of each month following the 11:30 Mass. This Sacrament of healing will be administered to those who may be advancing in years, those who are chronically ill, or anyone facing serious surgery. Those wishing to be anointed are asked to remain in the Church following the 11:30 Mass on Sunday, January 27th. Please call the Parish Office if you have any questions.

Don’t sign up for Summer Camps until you have plugged in our
2008’s VBS ADVENTURE
to your calendar!
Save the Dates:
St. Patrick’s V.B.S.
July 14 – 18, 2008
M-F; 8:45AM – 12:15PM
It is sure to be a BIBLE BLAST!!!!
***More Details to follow in coming weeks! Look for them in our Bulletin and online calendar!
***If you are interested in helping out, please call Nancy at (508)655-1017.

Family Bowling Day

St. Patrick's Parish will host a family bowling day at Fairway Bowl, Sunday January 27th from 1:00-3:00pm. Cost is $5 per person. Please sign up in the back of the Church next weekend. For more information contact Lisa in the Religious Ed. Office at 508-907-6220.

Let us pray for those who have died, especially

Mildred Bransfield & William Mooney

May they and all the faithful departed rest in peace

Adoration Ministry

A meeting for the Adoration Ministry has been scheduled for Thursday evening, January 24th, at 7:30 pm. The meeting will take place downstairs in the Joseph Center at 5 Wilson Street (behind the school building). All are welcome to attend to find out more about this special ministry and to discuss information pertaining to the hourly schedule, changes, and to answer any questions you may have. Please join us and find out how you can make this special ministry even more special. For information, please contact Ed and Shirley Milch at 508-653-2941.

Sacrament of the Sick

The Sacrament of the Sick is offered on the 4th Sunday of each month following the 11:30 Mass. This Sacrament of healing will be administered to those who may be advancing in years, those who are chronically ill, or anyone facing serious surgery. Those wishing to be anointed are asked to remain in the Church following the 11:30 Mass on Sunday, January 27th. Please call the Parish Office if you have any questions.

Natural Family Planning

An Introductory Session on the FertilityCareTM Method (Creighton Method) of Natural Family Planning will be given on Sunday, February 10th, 2008 at 7:00 pm in the Joseph Center. Come to learn about the latest scientific advances in this field and about its benefits. Some of its benefits include: effectiveness to achieve and avoid pregnancy; medical applications; empowerment of husband and wife; knowledge acquisition of the physiology of the menstrual cycle; improved communication, no side effects. Please call 508-439-2220 to register. Spaces are limited.

Thank you!

Thank you to those individuals who took time to write us to request expanded carriage of CatholicTV on Comcast Cable. We understand how passionate you feel about CatholicTV and the inspiration and comfort that this network provides to viewers on a daily basis.
We wanted to let you know that Comcast Cable and CatholicTV representatives are currently in discussion to determine how we might accomplish expanded carriage of the network. We thank you again for sharing your views with us.
Sincerely,
Comcast Cable

CYO Basketball Games

Come and support the youth of St. Patrick's!!

J/V Saturday, January 19th
3:30pm against St. Jude in Norfolk
(location: King Phillip Middle School)

Varsity, Sunday, January 20th
2:30pm at St. Edwards in Medfield

Catholic School Open Houses

St. John School, 9 Ledyard Street, Wellesley invites you to join us on Sunday, January 27 from 9 am – 12 pm and Tuesday, January 29 from 8:30-10 am in Philbin Hall. Registration and school tours for pre-kindergarten through Grade 6 will take place. Children entering Pre-K must be four years old by September 1. There is a $50 application fee. You may call St. John School at 781-235-0300.

St. Bridget School, 832 Worcester Road (Rte. 9E), Framingham, is holding an open house and school tour on Tuesday, January 29 from 9:00 – 10:00 am for prospective students. St Bridget School serves children in grades K-1 through 8.

St. Paul School, 10 Atwood Street, Wellesley will hold an Open House on Thursday, January 31 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. St. Paul school serves students for full-day pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. For directions or more information, please call the school at (781) 235-1510.

High School Retreat

St. Patrick’s is holding its first “Reaching for Christ”, a full weekend high school retreat from February 8-10th, 2008. The weekend is run by high school youth and will include meaningful discussion and applicable talks about what it means to be a Catholic teen in today’s society. It will also include a lot of fun activities! Registration forms are now available in the church foyer. All high school youth, including non-parishioners, are invited! Please contact Ryan Barba for more information at 401-330-6148.

Reaching For Christ Retreat Donations

To keep the cost of the high school retreat to a minimum we are requesting donations of various craft materials and food. Please visit the table in the vestibule of the Church next weekend to pick an item from the wish list.
Thank you for your support.