Sacred Heart Parish

MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Saturday, October 24

4:00 PM James Patrick Walsh

Sunday, October 25

9:00 AM Parishioners of Sacred Heart

11:45 AM Martin and Timothy Groden

Monday, October 26

12:05 PM Marta Olga Moreno

Friday, October 30

9:00 AM Intentions of Miguel Velasquez

12:05 PM Sharon Clare Smith

Saturday, October 31

9:00 AM Dot Fitzgibbon

4:00 PM Theresa and Caroline Fickett

Sunday, November 1

9:00 AM Donald W. Swan

11:45 AM Parishioners of Sacred Heart

CELEBRANTS FOR NEXT WEEKEND’S MASSES

Saturday, October 31

4:00 PM Fr. Imbelli

Sunday, November 1

9:00 AM Fr. Connelly

10:30 AM Fr. Carey

11:45 AM Fr. Collins

CONFESSIONS

Saturday, October 31 – 2:00 to 3:30 PM – Fr. Connelly

READINGS FOR ALL SAINTS DAY

First Reading: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-3

Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:1-12a

GUILD OF ST. FRANCIS -- BAZAAR

4 weeks to go! November 21 and 22.

  • Have you sorted your costume jewelry?

  • Do you have any donations for the raffle or Silent Auction – please let us know by November 16.

  • Do you have any donations for Grandma’s Attic, gift-knit or pet tables?

  • Have you picked your recipes for the Bake Table? Please label – name of item and whether nuts, chocolate, etc. included.

We will need help during the Fair at different tables on Saturday and Sunday – if you can help, please let us know when. Any questions, please call: Barbara Hatem at 617-969-2567 or Gloria Rausa Thompson at 617-964-2054.

OFFERTORY INCOME

Weekend of October 17/18 $4,666

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS

The personal safety/abuse prevention education program will be taught in the classrooms in grades 1-8 beginning this week. The program will be taught for the first 15-20 minutes of class time. Each week the parents will receive a letter explaining what will be covered in the upcoming class. In the grades 1-3 the classes will be completed in approximately 8 sessions and for grades 4-8 the classes will be completed in 4 sessions. If you wish your child to opt out of these sessions you must sign the opt-out form and return it to Religious Education as soon as possible. If we do not receive this form, we assume that your child will take part in the safety/abuse program.

The Church celebrates October as the month of the rosary because the rosary is said to be the “Compendium of the Gospel”. As the quiet rhythm of praying the Hail Mary and Our Fathers soothes us, we can think of the daily events of Jesus’ life on earth as Mary saw it and lived through it. She meditated on the meaning and purpose of His joys and sorrows and thus made these events a treasure in her heart. What better way to know the gospel of Christ’s life and death and its meaning and purpose for each one of us!

In Christ,

Michelle Solomon

PREGNANCY HELP

Pregnancy Help is a crisis pregnancy center sponsored by the Archdiocese of Boston. Trained and caring counselors are available to assist any woman experiencing an unplanned or crisis pregnancy. Pregnancy Help provides free pregnancy testing, counseling, referrals, on-going support and material assistance to support women in finding alternatives to abortion. All services are free and confidential. Services are available for English, Spanish and Portuguese-speaking clients. For assistance call toll-free: 1-888-731-3914.

MASTER OF ARTS IN MINISTRY PROGRAM

MAM Program for Laity, an evening program, is currently accepting applications for January admissions and will be holding an Open House on Tuesday, October 27, at 7:00 p.m. for prospective students at the new location – 149 Washington Street, Brighton. If you are interested in deepening your knowledge of the faith by taking a course or applying for the degree program, or for more information, please call 617-779-4104.

The MAM Program has special scholarship money available for Catholic School teachers of up to 50% of tuition. Thus the cost of the entire degree program may be as little as $12,500 and can be spread out over five years. Scholarships are available to other qualified applicants as well. For more information, call 617-779-4104 or visit www.sjs.edu.

MISSION – EVANGELIZATION – AND PLANNING

What comes to mind when you think about mission? I myself think about my early days at St. Peter’s Parish in Dorchester when I heard all about the Maryknoll Missionary Society whose members began to work in China, and in other Asian countries. I would often read their wonderful magazine, entitled “In Fields Afar”. In those days we thought of “mission” as bringing the Gospel to men and women in all parts of the world so that the good news of God about his Son, the Lord Jesus, could be heard by all peoples everywhere. (St. Peter’s Parish, when I was young, gave a good number of young men and women to the foreign missions.) This mission to peoples in fields afar remains most important in our day. However, we have a different sort of mission in our day. In our very secular, consumer society, we realize that the mission fields are right here in our own backyards. We ourselves constitute a mission field insofar as we, too, must grow in our knowledge of, our love for, and in our practice of our Catholic faith.

What about the second word in our title – evangelization? To some extent this is a new word for us who are Catholic. However, it is a new word with a very old meaning. It means to tell the Gospel to everyone and anyone who will listen to it. It means for us to be obedient to the Gospel, to put it into practice and to bear witness to it in our personal lives, our family lives, in our business lives, and in our social lives.

What about the third word in our title – planning? Mission does not begin spontaneously. The work of evangelization has to be thought out well and planned well, so that we may exercise it well, so that we may live up to our responsibilities as followers of the Lord Jesus in the world at this time. There is a new office in the Archdiocese which is called the Office of Pastoral Planning. We too here at Sacred Heart Parish, through the work of our Parish Pastoral Council, are doing some good work and good thinking on pastoral planning for the mission of Sacred Heart Parish here in the City of Newton. In this column, I will talk about the pastoral planning that is going on in the Archdiocese of Boston. Subsequently this column will publicize what’s going on in our own parish at this time among the members of our Parish Pastoral Council. The Office of Pastoral Planning is raising important questions:

  • What is the mission of the Archdiocese?

  • What is changed and is changing?

  • What is our vision of the Archdiocese 10 years from now?

  • What directions would we like to go in?

  • What goals do we have?

  • What strategies will get us where we want to be?

Recently the Vicar General of the Diocese wrote an article in The Pilot, entitled “Another Step in a Blessed Journey”. He said in part:

“A few weeks ago Cardinal Seán and his cabinet participated in a two-day retreat to consider a long range strategic vision and plan for the Archdiocese of Boston. The cardinal has called us to develop a culture of planning in the archdiocese, understanding and underscoring the challenges and opportunities we share as a faith community of 291 parishes across 144 cities and towns. Our hope and prayer is that through this work, and building on the many achievements that we have realized as a local Church following some tumultuous years, we will strengthen the archdiocese for future generations of Catholics.

The goal of the retreat was for cabinet members to come together in prayer and reflection and to consider what has changed and what is changing in the archdiocese. In addition, we discussed the archdiocese’s ability to meet these changes and their challenges. We began a conversation regarding the direction for archdiocesan ministry over the next five years. Because we know action and not just words are essential to this effort, we drafted priorities and action steps that we believe will keep us on track and which will help us achieve our goals and objectives.

As this process develops, in the months ahead, the cabinet will be calling on many people in our parishes and ministries to assist us in finalizing and articulating these priorities. This is about painting a broad picture with a defined roadmap by which we will travel as a faith community committed to building up Christ’s Church. As with all plans, we look to the future realizing we are in the Lord’s hands and with the deepest desire and commitment to follow his way.

As part of the retreat experience, the cabinet articulated some key aspects of our life together in the archdiocese. Here are some of our reflections:

  • The archdiocese has experienced three major crises in recent years (i.e., the sex abuse scandal, reconfiguration and finances).

  • The focus of our Central Ministries has been on recovery and rebuilding trust, while also focusing on financial recovery and its impact on our mission.

  • The archdiocese is impacted by social changes, such as: a growing segment of secular culture that is more individualistic, independent, and often anti-religious, many changes in how people receive, process and share information, and a decline in the centrality of family life in our culture. We are also impacted by significant trends within our Church such as a troubling decline in sacramental participation and the aging of our most active demographic group.

  • There are also many pastoral opportunities emerging such as the growth in immigrant communities, young professionals and many other segments of our population.

  • There was agreement that our focus must remain on, and be devoted to, clear and compelling pastoral

priorities. We must be a Church which embraces and lives the call to evangelization.”

SIGNINGS

Prophets tell us about God's coming plan.  Sometimes they warn us about the trouble we bring upon ourselves and our need to change in order to avoid the terror of separation from God.  Sometimes they comfort us with assurances of God's love and care that will come.

Jeremiah did this.  Sometimes he talked about how God would let the city of Jerusalem become a place where armies came and brought war and killed many people.  That did happen.  But then later Jeremiah told the survivors that God would bring them home again and give them peace.  That also happened.

Today the first reading shows Jeremiah telling us of the salvation God will give us.  Two things about that salvation that strike me are the mention of the blind and the lame.  In Jeremiah’s vision, part of the joy of God's salvation is that when it happens the blind and the lame will be included. People who are blind and lame are often left behind and not included.  It is joyful when everyone is included.

Jesus was sent to us from heaven about 500 years after Jeremiah.  In Jesus' day people were beginning to experience the salvation that Jeremiah was talking about.  But they did not understand that the salvation would be for everyone. When the man who was blind wanted to join in following Jesus, the people with Jesus tried to stop him.  They wanted this blind man out of the way.  They didn't want to include him.  Jesus includes him.

When we include the people in our family, neighborhood, school, circle of friends, etc. who have special needs, we will experience more joy and less misery.  We will be a people who are experiencing salvation when, all of us together, (the blind and the lame, the sick and the poor, mothers who are carrying young, and caring for babies) are showing up for Church and living life together.  Then we will be full of hope and happiness and with God.

If we are like the depressed eugenicists who see people who are sick and want to eliminate them with abortion, sterilization, contraceptive coercion, marriage discourage-ment, and the like, we are separated from God and we are doomed to eternal misery.

In Christ, Fr. St. Martin

P.S. If anyone is interested in Extreme East each month please contact Fr. St. Martin.  If the Deaf Catholic Community is interested in access for a pilgrimage to  Oberammergau in Germany for next September please let Fr. Shawn or Fr. St. Martin know. There is a special offer and access for the deaf for that but it will take some time to save your money.

BOY SCOUT TROOP 205

(One of the activities going on in the parish, but not well publicized, is the work of our Boy Scout Troop 205. I invited Paul Hurney to write a bulletin column. The Boy Scouts offer our young people some wonderful gifts – especially growth in the natural virtues as is suggested by the well-known Boy Scouts’ Oath. Father Connelly)

In a column earlier this year, Father Connelly was gracious in his praise for two young men from our parish who attained the rank of Eagle Scout. To achieve the rank of Eagle, the scout must earn 21 merit badges, hold a leadership position in his troop and complete a service project of significant value to the community.

The Boy Scouts of America will celebrate their 100th anniversary on February 8, 2010. Since its inception in 1910, the program has focused on three objectives: Citizenship, Character and Personal Fitness. While our fine schools do teach citizenship and our city’s sports programs may help with personal fitness, the Boy Scout Program achieves all three. This is accomplished through: boy-led weekly meetings; monthly camping trips; a week-long summer camp experience; and Good Turns completed throughout the year. In November scouts will be collecting canned goods and other non-perishable items during their annual Scouting for Food Drive.

Boy Scout Troop 205 (one of over 41,000 in the country) is sponsored by Sacred Heart Parish and has been in continuous operation for more than 90 years. All boys, ages 11-17, are eligible to join and enjoy the fun. The troop meets on Monday nights and meeting dates are announced in this weekly bulletin. If you would like more information, contact the rectory or speak to me after the 9:00 AM Mass.

Paul Hurney, Scout Volunteer Leader

CALENDAR NOTES

EXTENDED COFFEE HOUR:

Sunday, October 25 – 10 AM to 1 PM – Parish Center

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION – GRADES 1-5:

Sunday, October 25 – 10:30 to 11:45 AM – Lower Church

WOMEN’S DISCUSSION GROUP:

Sunday, October 25 – 10:30 AM – Convent Dining Room

BOY SCOUTS:

Monday, October 26 – 7:30 PM – Parish Center

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION – Tuesday, October 27

GRADES 1-5: – 4:00 to 5:15 PM – Lower Church

GRADES 6-10: – 7:00 to 8:30 PM – Lower Church

HOLLY HARVEST WORKSHOP:

Tuesday, October 27 – 7:00 PM – Guild Room

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS:

Wednesday, October 28 – 8 PM – Convent (DR)

LITURGY, ADORATION AND THE ROSARY:

Saturday, October 31 – 9 AM to 12:30 PM – Lower Church