our lady of grace december 29, 2019 dunstable, groton ...€¦ · 5 sun is 60:1-6/eph 3:2-3a,...

Our Lady of Grace December 29, 2019 Dunstable, Groton & Pepperell

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Our Lady of Grace Parish

Dunstable, Groton, Pepperell, MA


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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

[email protected]

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

[email protected]

Father Jason Worthley—Parochial Vicar

[email protected]

Deacon: Michael Markham

[email protected]

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


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DAY DATE TIME EVENT LOCATION

Tuesday December 31 4:00 PM Vigil Mass Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary St. James Church

Wednesday January 1 10:00 AM Mass-Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary St. Joseph Church

Thursday January 2 9:OO AM Bible Study St. Joseph Blue Room

7:00 PM Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament St. John’s Townsend

Saturday January 4 9:30 AM First Penance & Reconciliation Retreat St. Joseph Hall

12:30 PM First Penance & Reconciliation Retreat St. Joseph Hall

THIS WEEK’S EVENTS

DAY DATE TIME IN MEMORY/HONOR OF REQUESTED BY

Saturday December 28 4:00 PM Emma & Leland Searle The Family

Sunday December 29 9:30 AM David “Tricky” Pillsbury Elaine Newsham

11:30 AM Thomas Hartnett 2nd Anniversary The Family

Saturday January 4 4:00 PM Vera Madsen Joan Croteau

Sunday January 5 9:30 AM Vincent Cicchetti Adele Spoth

MASS INTENTIONS

Scripture for the week of December 29, 2019

29 SUN Sir 3:2-6, 12-14/Col 3:12-21 or 3:12-17/Mt 2:13-15, 19-23

30 Mon 1 Jn 2:12-17/Lk 2:36-40 31 Tue 1 Jn 2:18-21/Jn 1:1-18 1 Wed Nm 6:22-27/Gal 4:4-7/Lk 2:16-21 2 Thu 1 Jn 2:22-28/Jn 1:19-28 3 Fri 1 Jn 2:29—3:6/Jn 1:29-34 4 Sat 1 Jn 3:7-10/Jn 1:35-42 5 SUN Is 60:1-6/Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6/Mt 2:1-12

Email:

[email protected]

Or Call & Leave Message:

(860) 481-0959l

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!

Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Masses

Vigil: Tuesday, December 31 4:00 PM

at St. James Church

Wednesday, January 1 10:00 AM

at St. Joseph Church


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There are nice couples who I

meet all the time who have

“fur babies.” It is nice. I see

the well exercised, healthy

couple with a dog, and it is

nice to see them. There are

others who I meet, young

couples, who are haggard and

sometimes have a large

swollen belly (at least one of them.) This is

due to pregnancy I am told. This seems to

happen to some couples, and they end up not

with a fur baby but a human baby. It cries a lot

after it comes out. One of the things that the

readings tell us is about how children are

supposed to take care of their parents when

they get old. It makes sense too. Human

babies, unlike animals, cannot survive on their

own. They are utterly dependent. The mother

and father of a human child spent a lot of time

and energy and love on that child and it is

fitting that when the child is grown, and the

parents become dependent that the child will

care for the parent.

The fur baby parents should consider this. It is

not the case that their fur babies will be there

when they are old. They will not live that long.

Dog’s and cats have short lives compared to

us. If you want grandchildren when you are

old then “fur babies” are not a good

idea. Those who are looking to have real

children should ask those that are having them

for some tips. I am sure they can help you

figure it out.

The logic of and centrality of family is what we

celebrate today in the mystery

of Christmastime. Christ is God become man

and this means that he is born into a family,

for there is no such thing as a human being

outside the context of a human family. We see

his dad, Joseph, taking care of him and his

mom during tough times. Later we see Jesus,

as God, not only taking care of Ma and Pa but

indeed all of us by taking care

of us in our weakness, through

the mercy poured out on the

cross and his glorifying resur-

rection and ascension. He

takes eternal care of us, the

human family he is born into

at Christmas.

P.S. There is a young adult (all

ages are welcome however)

event you are invited to. If you

would like to go into the city

to St. Clement’s Shrine on

December 31st to dine and

have adoration and rosary and

confessions and mass with our

Cardinal, let me know. We

leave around 6 p.m. and park

at Sacred Heart Parking Lot in

Newton. Then we take the

T for free. Then we eat and

pray in the Shrine. The music

is beautiful. You can keep

checking the calendar on the

website for more details.


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THANK YOU!!!

On behalf of Loaves & Fishes and PACH a very big thank you to all who donated to the

paper turkey drive over the past two weekends. More than $1,500.00 of donations were received

over the two weekends and will be delivered to the pantries from the Our Lady of Grace Parish.

These donations will help fund the Christmas meals provided by Loaves & Fishes and PACH to their

clients, as well as helping to stock the pantry for the coming winter months. A great job by the

confirmation students who donned the hats and faced the parishioners. This weeks the students

will assist with the packing and distribution of the Christmas boxes at the PACH food pantry.

Between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays the students will help to provide over 200

holiday meal packages to families in need. Between the November and December paper turkey sales

over $2,800 was collected for the two pantries. Once again Thank you and a Merry Christmas.

Please take note!

When the North Middlesex School District is closed

due to winter weather, the parish office will be

closed.

If there is a weather related delay,

the office will open at 11 AM.

In either event, there will be no morning Mass.

DARYL ELI’S 7TH GRADE

RELIGIOUS ED GROUP

CAROLING AT

APPLE VALLEY CENTER

IN AYER


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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

On behalf of our priests in good standing, thank you for your generous support of last week’s Christmas collection to benefit the Clergy Health and Retirement Trust. The

strength and vibrancy of our communities depend on the health and well-being of our priests. Truly, healthier priests build stronger Communities.

If you missed our Christmas collection, you can still make a gift by using the special collection envelopes in

the pews, or by going online to clergytrus.org. Thank you again for your generosity. Please follow us on Facebook or visit us at clergytrust.org to learn more about the ways you can support our

priests. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Funds from this special collection are managed by the Clergy Health and Retirement Trust—an independently managed trust with a majority lay board of trustees. The funds are used for the sole benefit of

active and senior priests in good standing. Thank you for your generous and prayerful support of our priests.

For more info, please visit: www.ClergyTrust.org

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]

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.

THANK YOU!

The Respect Life group

would like to thank you for

the financial donations for

the local police and first

responders.

We plan to put the funds

toward Christmas trees and

other treats to show our

gratitude and support.


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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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our lady of grace december 29, 2019 dunstable, groton ...€¦ · 5 sun is 60:1-6/eph 3:2-3a,...

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