Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
June 30, 2019
Elijah and Elisha
Saint Paul Parish
Eucharistic Adoration
Every Saturday from 12:00 Noon until 3:00 pmin the main church.
Sacraments
Baptism:
Usually the second Sunday of the month at 11:30 am. An instruction for parents and sponsors is held usually the
First Friday of the month at 7:00 pm in the Church Hall. Contact the Rectory to make arrangements.
Confession:
Saturday from 3:45 – 4:15 pm in the
Penance Room with special times during Advent and Lent.
Matrimony:
Contact the Rectory to receive information. A preparation period of at least six months must be allowed.
Couples are required to attend a Matrimony Preparation Program during this time.
Pastoral Visitation:
The Eucharist and the Anointing of the Sick
can be brought to our parishioners confined to their homes. Also, a friendship visit can be made to parishioners.
Kindly contact the Rectory.
Vocations to the Priesthood and Religious Life:
If you feel called to consider a vocation to the priesthood or
religious life, please speak to the pastor. You are invited to see the Archdiocesan website: www.bostoncatholic.org. We are all asked to support and pray for vocations.
Wills and Bequests:
They have been very helpful to
Saint Paul’s Parish over the years and we hope they will continue to assist the parish in its good works now and in the future. Kindly speak to the pastor and/or Parish Office so that we may answer any question and provide guidance if you desire. Your consideration of a bequest upon death to the parish is very much
appreciated.
50 Union Street
Hamilton, MA 01982
978-468-2337
Website: www.churchofsaintpaul.net
Email: stpaulsparish@verizon.net
Fax: 978-468-6538
Pastor
Reverend Michael Lawlor
Welcome to all new parishioners!
Please introduce yourself after Mass or at the Office.
Music Director
Joseph Cipoletta
jppcip@msn.com
Parish Secretary
Lucy Cronan
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
(978) 468-3617
P.R.E.P
Grades 1 - 5
Kristen Monahan klmonahan1019@gmail.com
S.P.Y.M
spym.notes@gmail.com
Debra Brown
Grades 6-8
Scott Smith
Grades 9-10
Religious Education Office
is located in the Parish Hall.
There is an elevator for handicapped access to the church located in the rear of the building.
Saturday 4:30 pm
Sunday 8:00 am & 10:15 am
Weekdays 9:00 am, except Thursdays
Mass Schedule
Parish Offices
A Two Way Conversation
Dear Friends,
Mary Ann Glendon, former United States Ambassador to the Vatican and law professor at Harvard University, cautions that our assimilation into society has weakened our spiritual identity. She argues that we have allowed ourselves to be evangelized by the culture. She is further on target when she says that the work of each of us, and the Church, is to evangelize the world. At a time of moral relativism it is good to point out that our moral choices do constitute what we become. Allow us to return to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) which addressed this tension between culture and Church as a framework for our discourse and exchange with one another.
In the Council’s epic work, The Constitution of the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spres), one of the salient themes is the following: the Church does not look upon the world (culture) which is out there as of no value to its being. Conversely, the saving mission of Jesus Christ is something the world cannot ignore. Did not Christ teach us that we had to be leaven for truth and goodness if we are to enter the kingdom? Here the Council was saying that the Church must do the same in her conversation with the world. It is our duty to share with the world that God created and redeemed us. The mission of the Church is to be the steward of God’s saving grace. It is a message of personal redemption and responsibility linked to a divine destiny beyond this life. It is a beautiful message, and in challenging times it is a message that needs to be echoed. AS the Church opened its window to the world so, too, should the world open its window to the Church. Then only can a true conversation take place. The Church speaks of us, who are made in the image of God. As we press forward, together with all people of good will, we understand God has united Himself to each of us. Thus, we hope to share in the paschal mystery and pass from death to life (Gaudium et Spes.#22). There is a common denominator of a transcendent dimension to each human life which makes this dialogue between Church and world paramount.
The Church says to the world that the human person was made for God in His image and likeness and has an immortal value. Often, the world talks back and says your opinion is only as good as our opinion; your bishops’ teachings are only as good as our different levels of professional opinions. This is why clarity must be given to the situation. Our bishops are not just a group among groups, or our Church an organization amidst many other organizations each of which can decide what is right and what is wrong. We cannot forget there is an objective truth, a divine law, and a natural law. The Church is the sign of Jesus Christ, and the Church teaches and guides us in matters of faith and morals. The bishops are the successors to the apostles, and in unity with the pope lead us to understand the truth and to live a virtuous and moral life. There are important and timely moral issues such as abortion, euthanasia, same sex unions, and embryonic stem cell research which need clarity and articulation so that we do not lose our moral grounding.
When Pope St. John Paul II gave us The Gospel of Life (Evangelium Vitae) in 1991, it was with the clear vision that we all have a divine destiny. The encyclical has a simple, but a profound, message as we navigate the moral challenges of the day. Human life is a divine gift from God. This life, which is a gift, has an eternal future. Every person is sacred and we must value that sacredness within ourselves as well as the unborn, disabled, and the sick and elderly of every social standing. No one of us should be, and can be, reduced to useless objects instead of persons striving to become closer to God. It is then that we find our true humanity through our Christian faith which is liberating. To see the human person as object is to deny true freedom to the individual. This only cheapens life as true freedom is snuffed out and the violence of tyranny enslaves all of us. The concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau are only too fresh in our memories, and profoundly sad reminders of what happens when human life is made cheap and God is forgotten.
The great gift of the Council was to give the Church and the world the teaching that the human person can reach Christ. This is possible because Jesus Christ first came to us to restore our human dignity and to make possible eternal salvation. The Church must always remain true to her identity. She must be the leaven of truth and articulate the following message to the world:
1. All life is a gift from God.
2. Each person has a transcendent dimension.
3. The human person needs to hear the story of redemption and responsibility.
It could be a great conversation between the Church and the world. The conversation begins by our witness to the faith.
Father Michael Lawlor
Pastor
THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
MASS INTENTIONS
Saturday, June 29 4:30: Anthony Ciampa Sunday, June 30 8:00: Eileen Larkin 10:15: Parishioners of St. Paul Monday, July 1St. Junipero Serra, Priest 9:00: John & Mary Pietrantonio
Tuesday, July 2
Weekday
9:00: Joseph & Margaret Finnegan
Wednesday, July 3
Saint Thomas, Apostle 9:00: Kathleen Keefe
Friday, July 5
Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
9:00: June & Anthony Passaretti & John Driscoll
Saturday, July 6
4:30: Parishioners of St. Paul
Sunday, July 7
8:00: William & Elsie Bailey 10:15: Leo & Mary Hanlon
2019 GR A N D A N N U A L
● Thank you to our parishioners who have
responded to the needs of our parish with their Grand Annual gifts. We need approximately 10%
more, so your gift would be most appreciated.
● Your support will assist your parish in the ways Fr. Lawlor has described in his letter to parishioners, including planning for two known priorities which require attention at this time: 1) a new rectory roof and 2) new rectory windows.
Please consider a one-time gift or a pledge over three convenient payments, including the option to electronically fund your payment through WeShare. Kindly contact Lucy Cronan in the Parish Office at 978-468-2337.
If you need the Grand Annual Pack and envelope, you may find them at all doors of the church. All Grand Annual payments can be left in the collection basket or mailed to the rectory.
Together let us make this year’s Grand Annual a great success for our Parish needs.
Thank you!!!
New Roof on Rectory
PLANNING A SUMMER VACATION?
Www.MassTimes.org is a website that offers information to those looking for a weekend Mass while traveling throughout the United States. By en-tering the zip code of the city/town you will be visiting, the names and ad-dresses of churches as well as Mass times will be provided. You may also call 1-800-MASSTIMES or 1-800-627-7846.
PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL
NOMINATIONS & SELECTION
We are happy to announce upon
receiving nominations to serve on our
Parish Pastoral Council followed by two
weeks of prayer the following nominees
were selected by lot on June 16.
Patricia Donahue
Stephen Dowd
Alana Mitchell
Steve Rainville
Paul Roberts
We look forward to their service and
thank them for the care and support they
have given to the parish.
Role of the Parish Pastoral Council:
Assist the pastor in his leadership role of
planning and reviewing evangelization,
worship, religious education and service
activities within the parish.
Missionary Co-Op
Appeal
July 13th and July 14th
Each parish is assigned a
missionary speaker during the
course of the year to speak to
parishioners about their service to the Universal Church
either here in the States or abroad. We hope you will be
generous in your response to the Missionary Co-op
Collection.
Please welcome Father Tony Lalli, a Xaverian Missionary
priest who served in Brazil for 15 years, and will speak at
Masses the weekend of July 13 and 14. He will speak about
the pastoral services and efforts of the Xaverian Missionaries
in 21 countries around the world to raise awareness about the
need to spread the Good News to the more than one billion
people in the world who have yet to hear it proclaimed.
J
UNE
30, 2019
In the spirit of love and joy we welcome the
following new babies to our Parish
Community.
Kai Michael Colancecco
Ellla Catena Tissera
Jace Douglas Gilbert
Who were brought to the Lord through the
Sacrament of Baptism. May the grace of the
C a l l i n g a l l c h i l dr en wh o w i l l b e e n t er i ng G r a d e 1 Re l i g i o us E du c at i o n in S e pt e m b e r.
GRADE 1 REGISTRATION...If you have a child who will be entering Grade 1 in September, please let us know. In addition, if you have friends in your community or your neighborhood with soon-to -be 1st graders, please have them contact the
parish office at: 978-468-2337 or send an email to: stpaulsparish@verizon.net for information.
Our Grade 2 First Penance/First Communion Program is a two-year program. We will need your child’s baptism certificate at time of registration before being placed in Grade 1 or Grade 2 classes.
Online Giving with WeShare
If you’ve never given online, now
is a great time to start! Giving
online helps you manage your
budget, give more intentionally,
and avoid the need to remember
to bring cash to Mass. It helps
your parish by giving a dependable donation income weekly
or monthly.
I n addition, we offer the convenience of
paying Religious Education fees online with WeShare.
It’s easy to sign up today:
https://churchofsaintpaul.churchgiving.com/
A
Reminder to Parents...While at St. Paul,
children should never go to the restroom
alone. We are happy that you feel so safe
here, but please remember that we are in a
building that is wide open and has multiple
entrances. For the safety of our children, please do not
allow them to wander unsupervised and please do not ever
allow them to go the restroom unaccompanied by a parent.
It is Registration time.
Registration: PREP, (Gr. 1-5),
EDGE (Gr. 6-8) &
SPYM (Gr. 9&10)
Registration Forms have been emailed to all current PREP, EDGE, and SPYM families.If you did not receive your registration, please be sure to contact the director of your child’s program:
Your timely response and payment will greatly help
us in our planning for September. As we did last
year, we are offering the option of paying enrollment fees online through the WeShare
program.
Grades 1-5: Kristen Monahan klmonhan1019@gmail.com Grades 6-8: Debra Brown spymnotes@gmail.com Grades 9 & 10: Scott Smith spymnotes@gmail.com
W e a r e i n n e e d o f C a t e c h i s t s t o t e a c h o u r c h i l d r e n . P a r t o f w h a t m a k e s t h e S t . P a u l R e l i g i o u s E d u c a t i o n P r o g r a m s o w o n d e r f u l i s t h e f a m i l i e s t h a t g i v e o f t h e i r t i m e a n d t a l e n t s t o h e l p d r a w o u r c h i l d r e n c l o s e r t o G o d a n d J e s u s . C a t e c h i s t s w o r k a s a t e a m w i t h t h e i r c l a s s e s a n d t h e R e l i g i o u s E d u c a t i o n D e p a r t m e n t p r o v i d e s l e s s o n p l a n s , e n r i c h m e n t a c t i v i t i e s a n d s u p p o r t . W e w o u l d l o v e f o r y o u t o c o n s i d e r h e l p i n g u s t h i s y e a r . A v e r y s p e c i a l t h a n k y o u t o t h o s e f a m i l i e s w h o h a v e a l r e a d y s a i d “ y e s ” t o t h i s c a l l . W e w o u l d n o t b e a b l e t o d o t h i s w i t h o u t y o u .
Please give some thought to joining our choir!
The choir is off during the summer months,
however, we invite all parishioners to
prayerfully consider joining the choir after
the summer recess. No experience necessary. If you have any
questions, please speak with Joseph at the organ following Mass.
J
UNE
30, 2019
Saint Paul’s Centennial 2021-2022
We are in search of stories about St. Paul’s through
the years. As you can see in this photo, there was a
time when English ivy grew over the exterior of the
rectory and church, as well.
In the coming weeks, we’ll share photos of the rectory
and church grounds through the years.
Keep an eye on this space!
R E Q U E S T F O R P R A Y E R S . . . A t o u r
parishioners’ request or with permission,
we list those who are sick or in the hospital
and wish to be remembered in our prayers:
Nicole Bagley, Sofia Hurtado, James Fanning, Gloria Noe,
Jennifer Arapoff, Michelle Broderick, Grace Ferreira,
Paul Ferriera, Ben Hutchinson, Samuel Laforme, Mary
Moran, Cecile Nickola, Karla Pippins, Sharon Short,
Adriana Swanson, Jennifer Todd, Kathleen Tuscano,
Nancy Walsh, Tanner Watson, Ben Whitt and for all our
parishioners who are sick, for our homebound
parishioners and those confined to nursing facilities and
hospital, as well as, the sick and the suffering known only
to God.
Mass Ministries:
Weekend of July 7
4:30 Mass
EMC: E. Donahue
Lector: B. Collins
Altar Server:
8:00 Mass
EMC: B. DiPalma, M. Groesbeck
Lector: A. Smyth
Altar Server:
10:15 Mass:
EMC
: J. Brao, J. Smail
Lector: J. Whelan
Altar Server:
EUCHARISTIC
ADORATION
Please consider joining us for any period of time between noon and 3:00 pm for Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. We have a wonderful core of parishioners who participate weekly but we need more of you to help us as we pray for:
Vocation to Priesthood and Consecrated Life For all the married couples of our parish
For the Intentions of all our parishioners, even as we
remember those who have been away from their Father’s house that they may soon return.
There are so many graces to be received and peace to those who visit with the Lord. He’s there for you.
