St. John Neumann Church 157 Middleboro Road / P.O. Box 718 East Freetown, MA 02717

www.sjnfreetown.org 508-763-2240 (phone) 508-763-3040 (Fax)

Rev. Gregory A. Mathias, Pastor Rev. Msgr. John J. Smith, (Assistant in Retirement)

WEEKEND MASS SCHEDULE

Sunday: 8:00, 9:30, 11:00A.M.

Saturday Vigil: 5:00 P.M.

DAILY MASS SCHEDULE

Monday – Thursday: 7:30 A.M.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION Saturday: 4:00 – 4:30 P.M.

or by appointment.

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION

Mary, Mother of All Nations Chapel

Weekdays: 8:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M.

Mondays (except civil holidays)

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

PARISH OFFFICE / RECTORY 508-763-2240 YOUTH MINISTRY OFFICE

contact@sjnfreetown.org NEUMANN HALL

Monday – Friday: 8:30 A.M. – 4:30 P.M. (Closed holidays) William and Susan Furtado (Sr. Youth Ministry)

Miss Jacqueline Mathieu Parish Secretary JoAnn Violette/Amy Burgess (Jr. Youth Ministry)

Mrs. Diane Whelan Parish Secretary Dennis and Debra Dube (Young Adult Ministry)

OFFICE OF FAITH FORMATION 508-763-8122 MUSIC MINISTRY NEUMANN HALL Ms. Linda Johnston Director

Mr. Philip Pereira Organist

Mrs. Suzanne Medeiros Director

Dr. Doris Thibault Coordinator for Grades 1 – 7 MAINTENANCE AND FACILITIES

Mrs. Anna Manny Coordinator for Confirmation Raymond Bedard

SACRAMENTS AND CHURCH PROGRAMS PARISH ORGANIZATIONS AND MINISTRIES

Please go the parish website www.sjnfreetown.org or contact the office for more complete information.

BAPTISM: Celebrated Sunday after 11:00 Mass. WOMEN’S GUILD: 1st Mondays

Mass on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month. Baptism ST. VINCENT de PAUL: 1st Wednesdays

Catechesis is required of all parents and sponsors YOUTH MINISTRY: see website for events and times.

MARRIAGE: Please contact the pastor at least 8 months Junior (Gr. 6 – 8): Every Tuesday

prior to the intended date and prior to other plans. Senior (Gr. 9 – 12) Every Monday

MINISTRY TO THE SICK: Please notify us if a homebound COUPLES’ CLUB: 2nd Saturdays

or hospitalized family member would like a visit. ADULT CHOIR: Rehearsal on Thursdays 7:00 P.M.

PRAYER LINE: Call the rectory to include your intention. CHILDREN’S CHOIR: Rehearsal Tuesdays at 4:30

RCIA: We welcome adults who wish to complete their initiation YOUTH PRAISE AND WORSHIP MUSIC GROUP

into the Catholic Church. Please contact the office. See the website for complete schedule.

Welcome to St. John Neumann Parish. Thank You for joining us in worship today. We hope you will join us on

the spiritual journey, in ministry to all God’s people. Please contact the parish office.

Click on the QRC to connect to the parish website.

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 11, 2012

• MASS INTENTIONS •

November 10:Vigil –32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

5:00PM – Joseph Morris by family

November 11: 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

8:00AM – Eleanor Dupont by niece Michelle

9:30AM – Albert & Aimee Talbot

by Kathy Talbot

11:00AM – People of the Parish

November 12: Saint Josaphat, Bishop & Martyr

7:30AM – Laurent & Yolande Moreau by family

November 13: Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, Virgin

7:30AM – Joao & Maria Tiburcio by family

November 14: Weekday

7:30AM – People of the Parish

November 15: Weekday, St. Albert the Great

7:30AM – People of the Parish

November 17: Vigil –33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

5:00PM – Brian Collins by family

November 18: 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time

8:00AM – Ernest & Georgette Letendre by family

9:30AM – Bill & Elsie Boucher

By Gerry & Louise Boucher

11:00AM – People of the Parish

Your Offertory Trust

Thank you for your Parish Support

through your Offertory Trust.

BUDGET: $ 5250.00

MAINTENANCE: $ 2036.00

2012 Marian Medal

Recipient

Congratulations to Charles Johnson who is St.

John Neumann’s 2012 Marian Medal Recipient.

Charlie has been a member of St. John Neumann

Parish since its founding in 1984. This medal is

awarded each year to one parishioner from each

parish in the Fall River Diocese. Recipients are

chosen by the pastor and have offered life-long

service to the local parish community.

Charlie has a long history of service at St.

John's. He is ever at the ready to serve in what-

ever ways he can. Among the many things Charlie

does are to help out at parish funerals, set-up

and break-down at functions like those of Adult

Faith Formation and other such forms of assis-

tance. He is also among a small group who open

and close the Church when the pastor is unavaila-

ble; which includes ensuring that the building is

secured when all is said and done. These are just

a few of the many ways Charlie has been of ser-

vice to our community and making him deserving

of the honor which is the Marian Medal.

Bishop Coleman will award the Marian Medals at

ceremonies on November 18th at the Cathedral

of St. Mary of the Assumption in Fall River.

Thank you, Charlie, for your service and espe-

cially your witness to Christ in our parish commu-

nity. May God bless you with ever-increasing

faith and His blessings to you and your family.

Women’s Guild Christmas Bazaar

Raffle Winners

At their recent Christmas Bazaar the Raffle winners

were:

1st prize - Cynthia Botelho

2nd prize – Janet Medeiros

3rd prize – Ray Theg

A word of Congratulations to the above winners and to

the members of our parish Thank You for your continued

support to this annual endeavor.

Stop in Neumann Hall after the 8:00AM and

9:30AM Mass and enjoy Coffee & Donuts!!

Hosted by Junior Youth Group.

SJN Book Club

The next meeting of the SJN Book Club will take

place on Monday, November 12th at 7pm in the

church library. We will be discussing “Hail Holy

Queen” by Scott Hann.

Wreath

Sale

The Senior Youth Ministry are hold-

ing their annual wreath sale. Orders will be taken after all Masses this week-end Nov. 10th and 11th

.

Samples will be available in the narthex for your viewing. This is our only fundraiser for the year and with your generous support, through your orders we are able to give a $500.00 Christine Coons Scholarship Award and supply materials for our Drop Ins and our other hosted events. We would like to Thank You in advance for your

All orders will be available for pick-up after all Masses on Dec.1

st and 2

nd.

Children ages 3 – 6 are invited to participate in

the Liturgy of the Word for Children during the

9:30am Mass. Parents may bring their children

to the library where they will celebrate the Litur-

gy of the Word at an age appropriate level. They

will be brought back to their families in church

during the preparation rite of the Mass. On the

1st Sunday of each month, parents should bring

their children directly to church. On these Sun-

days, Fr. Greg will invite the children into the

sanctuary for his homily.

November 2012 Schedule

November 11 – Library

November 18 – Library

November 25 – Library

Starting today, we will have the children meeting in the Library instead of Neumann Hall.

Bishop Stang High School

Bishop Stang, a Catholic High School in Dartmouth, MA will hold its annual Open House on Sunday, No-vember 4th from 1pm – 3pm.

Next week’s second collection is for the

Catholic Campaign for Human Development

(CCHD). CCHD was founded to end the

cycle of poverty in America by funding

organizations that help individuals help

themselves. With the tradition of improving

education, housing situations, and econom-

ic development, CCHD continues to make a

positive impact in communities nationwide.

Fight poverty in America. Defend human

dignity.

Boy Scout Troup 333 will be hosting a Breakfast with

Santa in Neumann Hall on December 9th. The Boy

Scouts will be selling tickets for this event the week-

end of November 17th & 18th in the narthex.

Adult Faith Formation Team Meeting There will be an Adult Faith Formation Team Meeting on Tuesday, November 20th at 7:00 p.m. in the library. On the agenda will be evaluations and follow-up of the Catholicism Film program, and Advent plans. New members are always welcome. For more information, call Karen Howard at 508-947-0193 or Sue Medeiros at 508-763-8122.

ENERGY OFFERING Budget Envelope

Please place this envelope in any first collection this

month with your weekly budget envelope. Thanks.

In Observance of Veteran’s Day, there will be no

Confirmation classes today November 11th.

Classes will resume next weekend November 18th.

www.MysticalVentures.org

What’s New this Week?

New things are posted every week. Why not take a look?

The Catechist Connection column

this week (32nd Sunday) reflects on how we treat the poor and asks the question,

“When Christ comes again, will we be ready?”

As we get nearer to the end of the Church Year, the Psalm (32nd Sunday) reflection column

invites us to a doxology. So, what’s a doxology?

New November column for

Farm Animal Notes: What to do when one of your laying hens

begins to “cock-a-doodle-do”!

New recipe for upcoming holidays: Cranberry-Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Come and See!

What is E-Giving?

E-Giving is short for electronic giving. It is an automat-

ic transfer program that allows you to make contribu-

tions without the hassle of writing checks.

How does it work?

Go to our website, www.sjnfreetown.org and click on

“Donate Online”. Then, simply follow the directions to

authorize an ACH deduction and you can make a dona-

tion via your checking or savings account or credit/debit

card; it will be transferred directly to the church’s ac-

count.

For more information on E-Giving, please visit our

website at www.sjnfreetown.org.

Variety & Spontaneity

Are they overrated?

Several years ago I heard an interview with Don Henley, the drummer and vocalist for a Rock N’ Roll band of my

youth, the Eagles. In response to the reporter’s question about the enduring nature of his career in the music

business he said something interesting. He said, “In this business, you have to have a high tolerance for repeti-

tion in order to survive for a long time” (my paraphrase).

You can imagine being one of these music superstars traveling from place to place playing your “Top 40” hit over

and over again. It is not hard to imagine that, after a while, some of these people come to despise their own

song and having their whole identity wrapped up in it; often to the exclusion of other songs or other projects

they have undertaken. Others, like Don Henley, seem to look at it differently: They never stop appreciating the

fact that people have responded so positively to their work, and how enduring the effect has been on them.

Moreover, they never forget how it made them such a good living in the world.

I suppose, like Don Henley, we Catholics who manage to “hang in there” over the long term also have a “high tol-

erance for repetition.” After all, the Mass is, indeed, a very repetitive ritual form of prayer. It resists the popular

values of variety and spontaneity; urging us, instead, to dwell and abide with the saving mystery.

In his popular book on spirituality and culture, The Shattered Lantern, Fr. Ronald Rolheiser observes that one of

the big problems we have in our culture is a “greed for experience.” By this term, I think that he is suggesting

that we have exaggerated the need for variety and spontaneity in our lives. Consequently, we have lost the abil-

ity to be reflective and contemplative.

The great spiritual writers of our Catholic tradition teach us that these are two values which are extremely im-

portant for an enduring and genuine faith. People like Theresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Theresa of Liseux, and

Pope John Paul II all bear witness to a faith which has been largely purified from the taint of instant gratification

and “the greed for experience,” of which Rolheiser speaks.

It is certainly true that it can be difficult to pay attention at Mass and to be engaged: This is true for priests as

much as anyone else. If, however, we can reframe the matter in terms of the idea that we are performing the

essential work of worship and contemplation, then we may find our consciousness shifting into a more reflective

mode . . . a remedy of which we have such a need in the world today.

Fr. Greg

SENIOR YOUTH GROUP

DROP IN-- There will not be a regular Drop-In this Monday night due to the holiday! WREATH SALE - We need help this weekend Nov.10th and 11th after all Masses. Stop in the narthex after Mass and help us take orders. This is our major fund raiser for the year. With the support of our parish through this fund raiser we are able to give the $500.00 Christine Coons Award. We are going to be starting our Giving Tree season. We have lots of work to do. We need your help. Come share this season with us. We promise you will find this Christmas very rewarding and lots of fun. For more information about SJN Senior Youth Minis-

try, contact Bill and Sue Furtado at 508-763-4359 or

at sjnyouthministry@aol.com.

Advent Marian Event – December 4, 2012

Ever wonder about the dormition of Mary vs. the as-sumption of Mary? the role of Mary in the life of the Church? the role of Mary in our everyday life? in appari-tions? Join us in welcoming Dr. Virginia Kimball from Assump-tion College in Worcester and current Chapter President of the Ecumenical Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary for an evening of Marion poetry and icons: Tuesday, De-cember 4, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. in Neumann Hall. Light re-freshments will be served. Dr. Kimball is Greek Orthodox and has worked exten-sively in the theological field of Mariology. Promises to be a wonderful Advent evening of reflection and prepa-ration for our celebration of the Nativity.

The Parish Family of St. John Neu-

mann congratulates the following couples who were

married in our Church this year. Through the Sacra-

ment of Matrimony, they are living signs of God’s

love for the Church. God’s Blessings always.

Paul J. Estrella & Cathy A. Carvalho Ryan P. Moore & Jillian L. Bateman Jason M. Aleman & Carey L. Damon

Mark A. Moreau & Jessica M. Mulroy Ryan M. Snee & Lauren E. Mathieu

Daniel R. Newman & Andrea L. Desjardins Jaritt S. Kagan & Julie E. Carvalho

Randall j. Tanque & Megan E. Lacasse Brian P. Dedrick & Christine M. Jasinski

Zachary C. Porter & Kaitlin M. Couet Matthew J. Sullivan & Jillian M. Meunier

JUNIOR YOUTH

GROUP

GRADES 6, 7 & 8

When? Every Tuesday night

What time? 6:30pm to 8pm

Where? The Camp House at Cathedral Camp

What to expect? A great time!!!

Bring your ideas to plan a great year!!!

We have games, snacks, even a place to do your

homework if you need to bring it with you!!!

Thanksgiving at St. John Neumann

This year’s Thanksgiving celebration is going to be dedicated to Jackie Mathieu. This mass will be in thanks-

giving for all her years of dedicated service to our parish.

We will have poster boards in the Narthex this weekend and next where you can write your personal message to

Jackie. We encourage you to do so.

So, mark your calendars. On Wednesday, November 21st, bring your family together to join our parish family’s

celebration of Thanksgiving and dedication. Mass will be celebrated at 7:00PM followed by a social gathering

in Neumann Hall for light refreshments.

We will bless bread and members of our Confirmation Group will distribute them for everyone to take home for

their own Thanksgiving Day table. Everyone is asked to bring a bag of non-perishable food which will be carried

up to the altar as our offertory procession. This will be donated to families who are in need.

Every Eucharist we celebrate is a “thanksgiving.” But tonight we join our prayers with all the people of our na-

tion to remember the blessings for which we should be all grateful.

We will also be holding a “Blood Drive” in honor of Jackie as our way of giving back to the community on her

behalf. This blood drive will be held on December 16th from 7:30 am to 2:00 pm. More info to follow in the next

couple of weeks.

Anyone wishing to donate to the victims of Hurri-

cane Sandy, may do so by placing a separate enve-

lope in the collection basket (Envelopes will be

available in the Narthex). The proceeds from this

collection will be divided in half between Catholic

Charities USA (to assist the victims in New Jer-

sey and New York) and Catholic Relief Services

(to assist the victims in Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica).

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