“Follow me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)  Jesus’ call to “Follow me” is a call to all Christians!  The call is in the here and now, in our present circumstances, not when we think we are “ready” or have everything in order.  Good stewardship of our God-given gifts means that things aren’t always going to go according to our schedule and that God has a much better plan in store for each of us.

"Síganme y los haré pescadores de hombres”  (Marcos 1:17)  El llamado de Jesús "Síganme", ¡es un llamado a todos los Cristianos!El llamado es aquí y ahora, en nuestras circunstancias presentes, no cuando nosotros pensamos que estamos "listos" o que tenemos todo en orden.La buena corresponsabilidad de los dones que Dios nos ha dado significa que las cosas no siempre están de acuerdo con nuestrohorario, y que Dios tiene en mente un plan mucho mejor para cada uno de nosotros.

All are welcome as we observe this day of prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. To unite our prayers with the prayers of those around the country, Mary Queen of the Rosary Parish, Spencer will have Mass on Friday, Jan. 22 at 7 pm with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and we will pray the Stations of the Cross for life.  In this way our parish can pray for a respect for life from conception to natural death.

Please join us for A Morning for Life with Msgr. James Moroney on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 10 am - Noon at the Cathedral of St. Paul, 38 High St., Worcester.  The mini-retreat will include a talk on “Pope Francis and the Gospel of Life”, quiet prayer time, and Mass for Giving Thanks to God for the Gift of Human Life. Pre-registration is preferred (though not required).  Email intent to attend to aledoux@worcesterdiocese.org.  Download the flyer with more details at: www.worcesterdiocese.org/respect-life. 

Collection for Priests' Retirement.  Insert #2

On Ash Wednesday, February 17, the parishes of our diocese will take up a collection to support the retired priests of our diocese. We currently have 53 retired priests. An additional 42 priests will reach the retirement age of 75 within the next nine years. Over the last two fiscal years, the costs of priest retirement, including housing, health insurance and monthly stipends have ranged from $2.2 - 2.6 million leading to significant annual shortfalls Your support of the Ash Wednesday collection will help us meet our obligation to those priests who have faithfully served us and our families through the decades. Thank you for your support. (To Parish Bulletin editors: a document is attached with the five weeks of bulletin announcements available in advance.)

Lenten Adult Faith Formation on Zoom or In Person
St. Mary Parish, Uxbridge will offer "The Search," an innovative video series from Augustine Institute which tackles the key questions of the human heart. Multi-disciplinary experts will address such issues as life and death, sorrow and happiness, science and faith, and the meaning and purpose of life. Whether you are a seeker, tepid in your faith or completely engaged, you will find this series enlightening. It will take place on Monday nights, February 15 through March 29, from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. There will be an in-person class at the parish and a Zoom class running at the same time. There is no cost for the class, but there is an optional workbook available for $10. Masks are required and social distancing will be observed for the in-person session. St. Mary Parish is located at 77 Mendon St. in Uxbridge. For more information or to register for The Search, please email: thesearch@stmaryuxbridge.org or visit stmaryuxbridge.org.

Attached please find the letter from Bishop McManus for the national COllection for Home Missions. Kindly announce the collection on the weekend of January 24 and take up the collection on the weekend of Jan. 31. The letter (option of text only or pdf) is also available on the diocesan website under Bulletin Inserts and Letters.

The Chancery Offices are closed in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.