The Catholic Parishes of Stoughton Weekly Newsletter
Sunday, May 31, 2020
MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR REGARDING THE RE-OPENING OF THE CHURCH IN STOUGHTON
WEEKEND OF JUNE 6/7, THE SOLEMNITY OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY
Peace be with you! My friends, I am happy to announce that barring any unforeseen circumstances, we will now be able to attend Mass in person, starting the weekend of June 6/7. This is Phase One of a more general re-opening of the church. There will still be many restrictions in place so I ask you to please read the following message so that we all know what to expect as we return to church.
For starters, all Masses in Phase One will take place at St. James Church. Immaculate Conception Church is currently under construction. As many of you are aware, the renovation of the lower church at IC began this past March. Construction was put on hold for almost two months, however, given all the coronavirus restrictions. Our contractor was able to return on May 19th and is busy at work renovating the bathrooms. Construction should be concluded by late August. As of now, there are no bathrooms in the church except for a small, non-handicapped accessible bathroom in the sacristy. We are therefore unable to have any celebrations of the Mass there (with the possible exception of the taping of the Mass.) I understand this might be disappointing for parishioners of Immaculate Conception but I am sure you understand why we have to make this decision. Thank you for your support and patience.
So . . . what should you expect as you return to church? We have put together a video (in both English and Portuguese) to guide you through the process. You can access that link here https://www.stoughtoncatholic.org/mass-sign-up You can also sign up for which Mass you would like to attend on that same page. You will need to sign up for Mass! This is very important. It allows us to make sure that we do not exceed the maximum amount of people allowed in the church at any time. There will be 60 spots that can be reserved online and an additional 20 spots for those who do not have access to a computer. If you know someone who does not own a computer and would like to attend Mass, please pass this information on to them. They can call the office (between 9:30 - 12:30, M-F, at 781-344-9121) and reserve a spot that way. Please make sure you sign up by the Thursday before the Weekend Mass you would like to attend.
Once you arrive for Mass, please put your mask on as you exit your vehicle. You will need to wear a mask at all times when attending Mass. This is extremely important. You may also want to bring your own sanitizer with you. There will be additional sanitizer at the church. Please follow all the guidelines once you enter the church. They are clearly posted. In addition, we will have a team of volunteers who can assist you. If you would like to volunteer, you can access that link here https://www.stoughtoncatholic.org/mass-sign-up.
Please remember that the dispensation regarding public attendance at Mass is still in effect. Of course, it is still extremely important that you participate in the Mass by accessing it on our website, Facebook, SMAC, or Catholic TV. If you are not feeling well, or have concerns about entering the church at this point, please stay home! There will be a time in the future when you may feel more comfortable attending in person. Until then, please join us virtually.
Thank you for your patience and understanding, my friends. I know these are strange times. I want to reiterate that we are only at the beginning of this process. The path to a full re-opening is still several months down the road. My prayer is that this entire experience has only strengthened our love of our churches and, of course, the Eucharist. No matter where we are, we are always bound together through our love of Jesus. May that continue to give us strength in the days, weeks, and months ahead.
God’s peace to you,
Fr Joe
Pentecost Sunday Mass
with Father Joe ~ May 31, 2020
SMAC will be airing our Sunday Mass on
Sunday, May 31st at 8:30 am on
Comcast Channel 9 and
on Verizon Channel 28!
GOSPEL MEDITATION -
You can feel so small standing by the seashore. The vastness of all that is before you expands much farther than your eye can see. What is happening on the other side? As tides continue to ebb and flow, what occurs as they come and go remains largely a mystery and the effects of their presence unknown in your sight. Yet, things are moving and changing as you gaze upon the water, as the thumbprint of their presence is left behind. The greater the wind and wave, the greater the effect. But even a gentle breeze leaves its humble mark upon the seashore on which you stand. The smallest pebble still makes a ripple in the great blue expanse of ocean waters. It doesn’t need to be big.
You never know the full impact of your smallest gesture or simplest of words. A yes or no, agree or disagree, here or there, this or that can influence time and history in ways you may never know. The Holy Spirit is like that: fierce and torrential, and then almost still and silent, creating and recreating nonetheless. Coming as a gentle breeze or a gusty wind, God’s Holy Spirit continues to move over, around, and into the waters of our lives. The Spirit brings fruit and unknown possibilities to what we humbly bring with us and that same Spirit eventually brings all to fulfillment in Christ.
The first disciples didn’t have much. They possessed simple faith and a willingness to go into unchartered territory with a love of their friend-God, humble offerings, and a knowledge that they were not alone. This allowed them to do amazing things with very little. Do you believe that you are being led and that you have a purposeful life? We often do not realize our value because we do not think that the little we have is good enough. How wrong we are! A little flour mixed with water and embraced by a prayer of blessing transforms simple offerings into the magnificent Eucharistic presence of God. If the Holy Spirit can do such amazing things with these humble gifts of the earth, even more can happen with you. Don’t underestimate the value of the smile you gave a stranger, the door held open for an elderly widow, the listening ear offered to one who was lonely, the tolerance given to the wounded soul who is angry, and the loving shoulder you offered as a cradle under the head of someone in pain. Modest gifts offered with love can be transformed by the Spirit into wondrous blessings you may never know. It’s Pentecost. Trust. You are not alone.
©LPi
Check out this adorable video that does a good job of quickly depicting the events of the first Pentecost for kids.
Pentecost Is The Birthday Of The Church
ATTENTION ALL SEWERS!!
We are looking for sewers to donate their time and talent to start making masks for our parishes so that all people entering the church will have masks. Some people will not have masks, so we want to ensure that everybody will have a mask for Mass. Could you please help us? We are hoping for at least 200 masks. Please contact Barbara Sferrazza if you are able to help at
We are looking for sewers to donate their time and talent to start making masks for our parishes so that all people entering the church will have masks. Some people will not have masks, so we want to ensure that everybody will have a mask for Mass. Could you please help us? We are hoping for at least 200 masks. Please contact Barbara Sferrazza if you are able to help at
781-886-6066.
Many thanks to all of our parishioners who have so generously supported our Parishes during these extremely difficult times.
If you would like to sign up for online giving please click on the image below.
Eternal Rest Grant unto Them O Lord
Annemarie Plant,
Gracelina Bettencourt
James Burba, Rosa Faria
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