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Our Lady of Grace December 15, 2019 Dunstable, Groton & Pepperell
1
Our Lady of Grace Parish
Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, MA
Our Lady of Grace December 15, 2019 Dunstable, Groton & Pepperell
2
WELCOME TO
OUR LADY OF GRACE PARISH OF
DUNSTABLE, GROTON & PEPPERELL
We are glad you joined us today!
St. James Church West Groton
St. Joseph Church Pepperell
OUR TWO WORSHIP SITES
Parish Staff
Director of Religious Education: Robert Daly
Ph: 978-433-2028 [email protected]
Business Manager: Debra Lackey, M.B.A.,
Notary Public
Ph: x307 [email protected]
Administrative Assistant: Cotty Reid
Ph: x301 [email protected]
Music Coordinator: Ellen Blackwell
Ph: 978-433-6131
Baptism Ministry Leader: Rena Mendel
Cemetery Manager: Joseph Viel
Ph: 978-208-0266
Liturgy Schedule
At Saint James Church
Sunday: 7:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.
At Saint Joseph Church
Weekday Mornings: Wed, Thurs, Fri 8:30 a.m.
Saturday: 4 p.m.
Sunday: 9:30 a.m.
Once a Month:
4:00 p.m. Rel. Ed. Mass For CY1 & CY2 & Families
Confessions: Saturdays: 3:00—3:30 PM at St. Joseph
Church or by appointment with the Pastor.
Information regarding any sacraments, (Baptism,
Marriage, Anointing) please check our website or
call the parish office.
Bulletin Submissions: Deadline for putting
something in the bulletin is Monday at Noon for the
following weekend bulletin.
Father Jeremy St. Martin—Administrator
Father Jason Worthley—Parochial Vicar
Deacon: Michael Markham
Ph: 978-433-5737 x303 Fax: 978-433-9566
Web Site: www.ourladyofgracema.org
Parish Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9a.m. - 5p.m.
For a Sacramental Emergency, please call the office and select ext. 302 and leave a message and
Fr. St. Martin will get right back to you.
St. James Church
13 St. James Ave.
Groton, MA 01450
St. Joseph Church
28 Tarbell Street
Pepperell, MA 01463
Our Lady of Grace December 15, 2019 Dunstable, Groton & Pepperell
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DAY DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION
Saturday December 14 10:00 AM Liturgical Year Fun Activity Quiz 2020 St. Joseph Hall
Monday December 16 6:00 PM Christmas Pageant Dress Rehearsal St. Joseph Church
Wednesday December 18 1:30 PM Legion of Mary Parish Office
Thursday December 19 9:00 AM Bible Study Blue Room
7:00 PM Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament St. John’s
Friday December 20 6:30 PM Christmas Pageant St. Joseph Church
Sunday December 22 10:30 AM Coffee & Donuts with the Knights Following
the 9:30 AM Mass
St. Joseph Hall
Monday-
Friday
December
23-27
PARISH OFFICE CLOSED FOR CHRISTMAS WEEK
THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
DAY DATE TIME IN MEMORY/HONOR OF REQUESTED BY
Saturday December 14 4:00 PM Wayne Gray The Family
Sunday December 15 7:30 AM Peter G., Katherine R. & Kathy Braudis Pete & Therese Braudis
9:30 AM Ana Lopez 15th Anniversary Her Daughters
Wednesday December 18 8:30 AM For Healing-Peter & Pat Buckjune Kathy & John McNabb
Saturday December 21 4:00 PM Al & Karen Goguen And Neri Richard The Family
Sunday December 22 9:30 AM Gerry Wonkka Julie Wonkka
MASS INTENTIONS
Scripture for the week of December 15, 2019
15 SUN Is 35:1-6a, 10/Jas 5:7-10/Mt 11:2-11 16 Mon Nm 24:2-7, 15-17a/Mt 21:23-27 17 Tue Gn 49:2, 8-10/Mt 1:1-17 18 Wed Jer 23:5-8/Mt 1:18-25 19 Thu Jgs 13:2-7, 24-25a/Lk 1:5-25 20 Fri Is 7:10-14/Lk 1:26-38 21 Sat Sg 2:8-14 or Zep 3:14-18a/Lk 1:39-45 22 SUN Is 7:10-14/Rom 1:1-7/Mt 1:18-24
3rd Sunday of Advent
Our Lady of Grace December 15, 2019 Dunstable, Groton & Pepperell
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Good People of Gaudete Sunday.
It is rejoicing Sunday. It is the great command of God through his Holy Mother the
Church to tell us to get busy rejoicing, for the great celebration of the Lord’s nativity (his
birth) is almost here.
The rose colored candle and the prayers at church this Sunday all point to this.
One of the things that helps us rejoice is to be members of The Church. It is where we
find completion for it is where we can live as Christ taught us; by loving God and loving
our neighbor.
Recently I was helping some people come back to Church. One of the things that they were dealing with
was anxiety. It was hard to just come into the church at all. Just getting in was a big accomplishment but,
by God’s grace, they did it. It was great. Once in they still had anxiety. What should I do. They needed
people to be understanding and patient and when people were, they had a great experience.
One of the things is, no one overwhelmed them with rules and regulations. People listened to them. They
just wanted to go and be there. They didn’t want to do anything. They just wanted to see the place and be
there at the Mass.
People are often told “here, take up the collection” or “here, bring up the gifts” or “don’t worry, go up and
receive.” Even a mildly directive attitude from church members, for some people, is so stressful they try
coming back, but never do again, because it freaks them out so much. Some people have no patience with
shy people. It is precisely these people who God loves. It is the mighty and arrogant, those filled with self
conceit and strength who God loves to “cast down from their thrones.”
Some people want to go to Church and not receive communion. This is their right. They should not be
judged. There are often hosts found on the floors of churches. It is often because someone visiting has
been very awkwardly pressured into going up when everyone else did and then when they are given the
Eucharist, they feel very awkward and stuck. They don't know what to do. People get angry at them, take
it away or tell them to eat it. It is like an experience of being bullied.
It is not the case that a person has to do anything when they come to Church. It is enough to be there. To
be there, to be present, is awesome. To receive the Eucharist when you are ready and it is right, is
great. To be a practicing Catholic you have to receive at least once a year (see note below) If you don't, you
just need to go to confession and you have another year to try. If people make you feel bad for not
receiving communion when you go to Church, I apologize.
Church needs to be a place of joy for everyone, especially the lowly. When the lowly are made to feel
welcomed and lifted up to happiness we are a Christian people. The lowly are especially the poor sinners
of whom I am the chief. They especially need to come to Church and be assured that they don’t have to go
to communion. They can just come and sit and not be forced to do awkward things that they don’t feel
comfortable doing.
It is my prayer that we will become more of a rejoicing community that truly welcomes everyone, especially
the lowly, the marginalized, the shy.
Note: (on Pope Francis’s website under his compendium of the Catholic Church question # 432.
What are the precepts of the Church?
They are: 1) to attend Mass on Sundays and other holy days of obligation and to refrain from work and
activities which could impede the sanctification of those days; 2) to confess one's sins, receiving the
sacrament of Reconciliation at least once each year; 3) to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least
during the Easter season; 4) to abstain from eating meat and to observe the days of fasting established by the
Church; and 5) to help to provide for the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability.)
http://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html
Our Lady of Grace December 15, 2019 Dunstable, Groton & Pepperell
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Tags for the
Giving Tree For
St. Joseph Church
are now available
at the back of the
Church. We ask if
you take a tag
from the tree,
please fill out the
small white tag
attached and place
it in the box
provided.
Deadline for returning gifts are
the weekend of Dec 21/22, but it
would be greatly appreciated if you
could return them as soon as
possible as time for packing and
sorting is that weekend as well.
If you have any questions, please
contact Carol Fennell.
Thank you for your generosity and
God bless.” \
St Joseph Giving Tree
Carol Fennell at # 978-433-5237
Christmas Eve:
4:00 PM St. Joseph Church
6:30 PM St. James Church
Christmas Day:
Midnight: St. Joseph Church
8:00 AM: St. James Church
10:00 AM St. Joseph Church
A note about the
CHRISTMAS COLLECTION
All of the money collected
during the Christmas Eve
and Christmas Day Masses will be sent into the
Archdiocese for the Clergy Health & Retirement Fund. The
parish does not keep any of this money. (NOTE: if you
send us your Christmas envelope early, it also goes to this
fund.)
If you want to make a special donation to the parish
during this season, please use the Offertory collections
before or after Christmas.
Thanks!
Christmas Collection CLERGY HEALTH & RETIREMENT FUND
In the 200-year history of the Archdiocese of Boston, over 3,000 men have answered the call to the priesthood. The Clergy Funds is our way of giving back to those priests who enable
us to live our Catholic faith, and to keep the promises made to care for those who have given up their lives out of love for us. We do this because our priests have been there for us
when we needed them; we do this because it is our privilege and our duty to care for our priests when they need us.
Thank you for your generous and prayerful support of our priests. For more info, please visit: www.ClergyTrust.org
Happy Birthday Fr. Jason!
Best wishes!
Have an
“UPBEAT”
Day!!
The Parish Office will be closed Monday, 12/23 through Wednesday 1/1
The office will reopen on Thursday 1/2 at 9 AM Have a very Merry Christmas and a Safe &
Happy New Year!
Our Lady of Grace December 15, 2019 Dunstable, Groton & Pepperell
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OLOG Parish Religious Education Special Activities In December 2019 CHRISTMAS CARDS OF CARING 2019
Receiving: Sunday December 8th
to Monday December 16th
!
Open To Everyone!!! Would you like to share Christmas wishes with our Seniors? If
you can, write your best wishes and don’t forget to include your name! You can
even decorate the envelope if you like! When you are done, please return it through
your Rel. Ed. group leader, or drop it in the mailbox
(Mark it “CCofC”) at the Rectory/Parish Offices front door by Monday, December 16th, 2019.
Christmas greetings will be delivered to Residents of:
RiverCourt Residences, Assisted Living and our Veterans House, within our Parish!
THANK YOU!!!
Keep Christ In Christmas Poster Competition 2019
Receiving: December 1st
to Monday December 16th
!
Open To Everyone!!! The Sister Lydia Longley Madeleine Knights of Columbus
council, the Our Lady of Grace council, invites all religious education mem-
bers to participate in the council's 'Keep Christ in Christmas' Poster contest.
The Knights hope that by engaging the creative talents and imaginations of our young people of
the parish, that they will come to a deeper understanding of the true, spiritual meaning of
Christmas.
The rules are simple:
Each poster must reflect the 'Keep Christ in Christmas' theme with a visual image!
Posters should be on an 11" x 17" sheet of paper, no larger
Each poster must contain the students name, grade and teacher on the back. If the student is not
in an assigned class (home schooled or catholic school) please include a contact phone number.
All posters should be turned into the folders located in the basement of each church no later
than December 16.
The Knights will recognize every student who submits a poster. One poster from each grade
group 1-3, 4-5 and 6-8 (Or what was on the flyer) will be selected for special recognition as well
as the class with highest participation.
Please contact me with questions.
Not sure if you want this in the bulletin as well in the coming weeks.
You can forward any questions to me. I can get my hands on white 11x17 paper if you do not
have any.
Thanks!
Tony Caruso: [email protected]
Important Information for your DONATION STATEMENTS for 2019
Statements for donations are only sent to those parishioners who submit their
donations in a parish envelope or through our OnLine Giving system. Loose checks
put into the Offertory basket are not recorded into the database.
For info, please give Debbie a call at 978-433-5737 or email [email protected]
Email:
Or Call & Leave Message:
(860) 481-0959l
Our Lady of Grace December 15, 2019 Dunstable, Groton & Pepperell
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Church Window
Decorating
Thursday, December 19
at 6:30 PM
St. Joseph Church Hall
Anyone interested in helping decorate the
windows of St. Joseph Hall, please come with
pruning shears and a bag of “greens”.
Please call Diane Kazanjian at 978-433-2643
with any questions.
The Children's Christmas Choir will be singing at the 4 PM mass on Christmas
Eve. Children of all ages (grade one and up) are invited to join us. Rehearsals will
be Tuesday, December 17, 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM and Christmas Eve at
3 PM. Any questions, contact Ginny @ 978-433-2089.
Fr. Jason will celebrate a Traditional Latin
Mass (Extraordinary Form) at St. John’s in
Townsend on Friday, December 27 at
7:00pm. It will be the Feast of St. John the
Evangelist!!! All are welcome.
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Healthier Priests. Stronger Communities.
The strength of our communities depends on the well-being of our priests who tirelessly serve others.
Please support our priests at clergytrust.orgClergy Health and Retirement Trust is an independently managed trust
for the care of active and senior priests in good standing.
S P E C I A L C H R I S T M A S C O L L E C T I O N
Healthier Priests. Stronger Communities.
The strength of our communities depends on the well-being of our priests who tirelessly serve others.
Please support clergytrust.org
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