“Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.” (Matthew 24:42) People who have had health issues or near-death experiences generally have a greater appreciation for each day being a gift from God. The rest of us usually take for granted that we will be around tomorrow. But when you start to look at each day as a gift, you realize all the little miracles that happen daily and you begin to see God’s active presence in your life. You grow in gratitude, each day, for all that we have been given.

“ ¡Por lo tanto permanezcan despiertos! Ya que no saben que Día vendrá nuestro Señor.” (Mateo 24: 42) Las personas que tiene problemas de salud o experiencias cercanas a la muerte generalmente aprecian mejor el hecho de que cada día es un don de Dios. El resto de nosotros da por sentado que estaremos aquí el día de mañana. Sin embargo, al comenzar a ver cada día como un don, se dará cuenta de todos los pequeños milagros que suceden diariamente y comenzara a ver la presencia activa de Dios en su vida. Su gratitud crecerá cada día, por todo lo que se nos ha dado.

“They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks….”  If you think that God is calling you to serve the Lord of the harvest as a priest, deacon, sister or brother, contact the Vocation Office at (508)-630-4473 or email: dinfante@saintpaulknights.org.

“Golpearán sus espadas en el arado y sus lanzas en la poda de ganchos.” Si cree que Dios le llame a servir al Señor en la cosecha como sacerdote, diácono, religiosa o religioso, comuníquese con la Oficina de Vocaciones al (508)-630-4473 o envíe un correo electrónico a: dinfante@saintpaulknights.org.

On Saturday, Dec. 3 from 8 am—2 pm, all are welcome to St. Roch Church Hall
334 Main St., Oxford for our Christmas Bazaar. Featuring Themed Baskets Raffle, Hand Crafted Items, Timeless Christmas Treasures, Bake Sale, and Delicious Lunch

St. Denis Church, 23 Manchaug Road, Douglas. Adults $8; Children under 10 are $4.Raffles too! Bring your phone/camera for photos with Santa! For more info or to purchase breakfast or raffle tickets online, please visit SaintDenisChurch.com/santa

Mary, Queen of the Rosary Christmas Faire on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm in their Parish Hall, 7 Church Street, Spencer. Vendor Craft Tables, Second Hand “Christmas Treasures”, Baked Goods, Raffles, Hot Chocolate Bar, Poinsettias and Lunch Café. Start your Holiday Shopping!

St. Gabriel's Church, 151 Mendon St., Upton, will hold their Christmas Fair on Saturday, Dec.3 from 9 am to 2 pm.   Features a wide variety of fresh balsam wreaths, cemetery baskets and table top arrangements.  Raffles on Theme Baskets, Gift Certificates, and over $450 of Lottery Scratch Tickets are available.  A New Gift Boutique featuring new and "like new" items, Olde Tyme Christmas decorations, Gems & Jewels and a Christmas Holiday decor section will have selections to interest everyone.  The Bake Table offers delectable cookies, pastries, candy, jams and jellies.  Self-serve coffee, cold drinks, sandwiches and pastries will also be offered.Due to an ongoing concern of Covid, facial masks are encouraged. Complimentary masks will be available at the door. Come by and say “Hello”.  We look forward to seeing our neighbors and friends during this festive, holiday season.

Prayer, Pizza & Painting! Celebrate the reason for the season at Advent Family Day at the Museum of Family Prayer  Drop in any time on Saturday, Dec. 3 between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This free program features prayer and pizza while everyone in the family can paint ornaments for their Christmas trees. Museum of Family Prayer, 518 Washington Street (Route 138), North Easton. web: MuseumOfFamilyPrayer.org. 

Come to our Christmas Fair on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. It is always a magical event filled with Christmas crafts, music, games, gifts, cookies & bakery goods, food… and great Christmas spirit! Take a leisurely walk through our display of Nativity scenes, share a favorite song at our Christmas Karaoke or just sit back and enjoy the day of festive fun! Bring your family and friends! Free parking! Free admittance! The Fair will take place at MacIsaac Hall & Gym, Saint Benedict Center, 271 Still River Road, Harvard. 

St. Denis Parish,85 Main St, Ashburnham, will be holding their Christmas Fair on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 9 am to 6 pm in Father Lacey Hall. Includes food booth showcasing soups, chowders, baked goods etc. There will be a scratch ticket raffle tree and other raffles and crafts. All are welcome!

Plan now to attend the 50th annual March for Life in Washington, DC on Friday, Jan. 20, 2023! Buses will leave from St. Paul’s Cathedral on Thurs., Jan. 19 following the Respect Life Mass at 7:30 p.m., and will travel to the Basilica of National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC in time for Friday morning Mass followed by the March for Life at noon. Buses will return to Worcester immediately following the March, arriving back at St. Paul’s at approximately 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21.  Cost is $130 per seat.  Registration deadline is December 15.  Registrations will be accepted on a first-come-first-served basis.  For more details and to download registration forms, visit www.worcesterdiocese.org/respect-life or contact the Respect Life Office at 508-929-4311 or aledoux@worcesterdiocese.org.   Can’t attend this year but want to help?  Consider making a donation that will help defray expenses for our students who want to attend but might otherwise find it difficult to do so.  Thank you!

The Serra Club of the Worcester Diocese North is inviting local parishioners to consider joining their group. The Serrans who formed the first club in 1935, took as their patron, Fr. Junipero Serra, OFM, who established the chain of missions along the California coast. Serra is an international organization for lay Catholics who accept as their responsibility the promotion of vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and the vowed religious life. Serrans come from all walks of life: lawyers, homemakers, doctors, business people, and retirees to name a few. They also support local diocesan priests, deacons, members of religious orders, and seminarians. This is accomplished by prayers, notes of support, holiday gifts, and visits. For more information about membership Serra Club North, please contact membership co-chairs, John Shannon, St. Leo Parish, Leominster at john_shan5@hotmail.com or Stephen Sonia, Holy Trinity Parish, Harvard/Bolton at stevesonia283@comcast.net. 

The 2023 schedule and registration form for the God’s Plan for a Joy-Filled Marriage class are now available at www.worcesterdiocese.org/marriage-preparation. Parishes may download and print the new registration forms and add them to any marriage preparation resource packets you have on hand in your parish office.  A reminder that all engaged couples preparing for marriage in the Diocese of Worcester are required to attend both the God’s Plan class and the Engaged Encounter retreat.  These two formation programs should be attended in that order, and in the early months of a couple’s year of preparation.  If you would like print copies of the registration forms sent to you by postal mail, please contact the Office of Marriage & Family at aledoux@worcesterdiocese.org.

Below please find the Advent Letter from Bishop McManus to include in your bulletins. The text is also available on the website under Bulletin Letters and Inserts.

On Wednesday, Nov. 9, the publishers of the Official Catholic Directory (Kenedy Directory) sent an email to each parish email on file from last year as the official contact. Look for an email from "ocdedits@nrpdirect.com" - this is NOT junkmail. 

If you DID NOT find it in your email or SPAM/Junkmail folder, then you need to use the link to Register and claim your parish or school. Click on ocdedits.com/login. If you DID receive the email, that will be the email address to use when you login.

Completing these online forms is mandatory in order to qualify as part of the IRS Group ruling as a non-profit. It does not take long to do and the publisher noted that Google Chrome is the best browser to use for the task. There is no cost to your parish or school to update information; the only cost incurred is if you want to purchase a copy of the directory.  If you have any questions, please contact Ray Delisle ASAP at 508-929-4313/ rdelisle@worcesterdioc.... The deadline to complete the forms on line is DECEMBER 7. There is no paper equivalent.