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Mission Statement
We are St Joseph Parish, a Roman Catholic Christian community of faith in the Belmont area.
We share a common relationship with Jesus Christ centered in our celebration of the Eucharist
We are disciples of the Lord, committed to sharing the Good News of Christ through worship, education and acts of charity.
We strengthen and encourage each other through prayer, presence, and the sacraments.
We strive by example to express our faith and to witness the message of Christ by loving God and neighbor.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage." - Mt 2:1-2

Mass Intentions

Saturday January 7, 2012
4:30 p.m. Mass
(Christina E. Galvin)

Sunday January 8, 2012
8:00 a.m. Mass (Special Intentions)
10:00 a.m. Mass (Leo C. & Mary C. Donahue)
5:00 p.m. Mass (Lucille & Roland Chouinard)

Monday January 9, 2012
9:00 a.m. Mass

Tuesday January 10, 2012
9:00 a.m. Mass (Month’s Mind Elizabeth Meehan)

Wednesday January 11, 2012
9:00 a.m. Mass (John & Jean Manning)

Thursday January 12, 2012
NO MASS

Friday January 13, 2012
9:00 a.m. Mass

Saturday January 14, 2012
4:30 p.m. Mass Patricia Carey & Keith McOsker)

Sunday January 15, 2012
8:00 a.m. Mass
10:00 a.m. Mass (George A. Donovan)

RITE OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL

Robert T. Shea was buried from our church this past week. Please remember him and his family in your prayers.

CHRISTMAS FLOWER DONATIONS IN MEMORY OF:

Carol Desrosiers Mack
Elizabeth Gallinaro
Readings for the Week of January 8, 2012:
Sunday: Is 60:1-6/Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6/Mt 2:1-12
Monday: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 or Is 55:1-11 or Acts 10:34-38 or 1 Jn 5:1-9/Mk 1:7-11
Tuesday: 1 Sm 1:9-20/Mk 1:21-28 or 1 Sm 1:1-8 and 1:9-20/Mk 1:14-20 and 1:21-28
Wednesday: 1 Sm 3:1-10, 19-20/Mk 1:29-39
Thursday: 1 Sm 4:1-11/Mk 1:40-45
Friday: 1 Sm 8:4-7, 10-22a/Mk 2:1-12
Saturday: 1 Sm 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1/Mk 2:13-17
Next Sunday: 1 Sm 3:3b-10, 19/1 Cor 6:13c-15a, 17-20/Jn 1:35-42

 

Please be courteous when you come into church and respect the sanctity of our worship space by turning off your cell phones, beepers and pagers. Thank you.

YOU ARE INVITED

The St. Joseph Parish Pastoral Council will meet this month on Wednesday, January 11th 7:15 p.m. in the Parish Hall. All parishioners are invited to attend. Here is your opportunity to either voice your opinions during the parishioner comments section of the meeting, or to simply observe the process of the Council considering the business of the parish.

SAVE THE DATE

Most Rev. Walter J. Edyvean, Regional Bishop for the West Region of the Archdiocese will preside at the 4:30 pm Mass on Saturday, January 21st at which our new pastor, Fr. Thomas Mahoney will be officially installed. All are most welcome to attend. There will be a reception in the parish hall following the installation Mass.

BAPTISM

Congratulations and welcome to James Laycock who was baptized Christmas weekend here at St. Joseph Church. Would you like more information about baptism at St. Joseph Parish? The next baptism information session will be on Sunday, January 29th . Please contact Christa Lucas to register or for more information.
 

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FAITH FORMATION CLASSES
  • Sunday morning classes for Grades K - 6 8:50-9:50 a.m.
  • Sunday evening classes for 7 - Conf. II meet 4:50-7:30 p.m.
  • Monday afternoon classes for Grades K - 6 3:45-4:50 p.m.

Reminder: There are no Faith Formation K-Confirmation II classes on Sunday, January 15th or Monday, January 16th due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

FIRST RECONCILIATION AND FIRST EUCHARIST FAMILIES

There is a Reconciliation workshop on Saturday, January 21st and Sunday, January 22nd at 1 pm. Please check your reminder sheets for your day. The Sacrament of First Reconciliation will be celebrated by class beginning Monday January 23rd check your schedule for your date.

FOR FIRST EUCHARIST FAMILIES

There are two meetings in February: A parent’s only meeting for Tuesday, February 7th at 7:00 p.m.in the Hall. This is a quick meeting for you to choose your First Eucharist Mass date and pick up supplemental materials for your child. There is a parent and child workshop on Saturday, February 11th at 11:00 a.m. We will be learning about symbols and making First Eucharist banners. If you have sewing scissors please bring them. Any questions please contact Faith Formation K6 at 617 484-1770 or religioused@stjoseph.belmont.ma.us.

CHILDREN’S CHOIR

The Children’s Choir could always use more voices. No experience necessary! All are welcome. The Choir meets Monday’s from 4:50- 5:20 after Faith Formation classes. If you can't join the rehearsals on Mondays, please contact Dot Bowe dbowe@stjoseph.belmont.ma.us. It may be possible to join for the holiday Mass at Easter. The next Mass with Children and Choir will be on February 5th . The next group hosting will be the Boy Scouts and after Mass we will have our Mardi Gras Pancake Breakfast.

PRAY N’ PLAY

 Pray 'n Play is a drop-in playgroup for all children age 0 - 5 and their caregivers. Pray 'n Play meets on Mon. afternoons (3:45 - 4:45 pm) and Wed mornings (10:30 - Noon). There will be no Pray 'n Play on days when the Belmont Public Schools are closed for snow. Pray 'n Play will resume after the Christmas holidays on Monday, 1/9 and Wednesday, 1/11 with Epiphany crafts and king's crowns for all.

MONDAY MONTHLY DINNERS

There is NO Monthly Dinner in January. Join together as a faith community, for our monthly dinner next Monday, February 6th 5–6:45 p.m. Adults $8, children 3-17 $5 and under 3 are free.

YOUNG ADULT MOVIE NIGHT

Join other young adults, age 18-35, married and single, in the Watertown-Belmont collaborative for the showing of “Bella” at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 18th in Saint Patrick’s Parish Center (26 Rear Chestnut Street – ample parking and MBTA accessible). Food will be provided, bring a friend. For more information contact Fr. Marty at frmarty@stparswatertown.org.

ADULT CONFIRMATION

The 2012 Adult Confirmation Program is starting in January! A five-week Adult Confirmation program will be offered on Tuesdays, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, and 2/14 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Often times, for a variety of reasons, a person does not receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. Confirmation is important because it makes one a full member of the church, enabling a person to be a sponsor at Baptism, Confirmation, and Weddings. If you or someone you know would like to receive the sacrament, contact Christa Lucas for more info or to register for this five-week preparation program (clucas@stjoseph.belmont.ma.us).

SPIRITUAL AND CLASSIC BOOKS GROUP

This winter, curl up with these great books our Books Group is reading!
  • January 16th - Recollections of Joan of Arc, (Mark Twain)
  • February 6th - Confessions (Augustine)
  • March 6th - Life of the Beloved (Henri Nouwen)

The Books Group meets the first Monday of the Month at 7pm in the Parish Library. For more info about the Books Group and the books we're reading and have read, visit the website: www.stjoseph.belmont.ma.us/faithformation/bookgroup.htm

SPECIAL COLLECTION

Next weekend, January 14th & 15th, the special collection will go to support the work of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston. Catholic Charities regularly servers over 175,000 people each year. .

NATIONAL MARCH FOR LIFE

The Waltham-Watertown-Belmont Chapter of Mass. Citizens for Life is again chartering a bus for the 39th annual National March for Life in Washington D.C. January 23, 2012. Departure will be 8:00 p.m. Sunday, January 22nd and returning in the early hours of Tuesday morning, January 24th . If you would like to make the trip to Washington and witness to the sanctity and dignity of life, please contact Maryanne at 617-489-4298 for information and registration. Cost for adults is $35 and students $25. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Seating is limited, so sign up soon.
 

St. Joseph Home | Mass Intentions/Readings | Notices | From the Pastor's Desk| Prior Weeks' Bulletins

MARTIN LUTHER KING COMMUNITY BREAKFAST

Martin Luther King Jr. Belmont Community Breakfast “Out of the Mountain of Despair, a Stone of Hope” will be held Monday, January 16th 8:30-11:00 a.m. at the Belmont High School cafeteria. This year’s guest speaker is Callie Crossley, host of “The Callie Crossley Show” on Boston’s WGBH-FM, 89.7, she also offers commentary on media for WGBH-TV’s Beat the Press and for Fox25 TV’s Morning News Show. She regularly moderates Basic Black on WGBH-TV and is a regular contributor to national programs. There will be supervised activities for children under age 12. Admission is $5 per person and $10 per family and the proceeds go to the After School Transportation Fund for Belmont’s METCO Students.

CATHOLICS COME HOME!

Join the St. Joseph's Family Parish for an evening of pizza, bingo and fun. On January 28th at 5:30 p.m. come to the Parish Hall take in a game of Bingo and meet some of the great families that make up the St. Joseph's community. Every child will be a winner, we are asking parishioners to bring a gently used toy (or 2) from their home and we will orchestrate a "toy swap" for prizes. We also encourage you to reach out to other families that do not attend St; Joe's, invite them over to see what a great family environment we have!! Please call Chris Babcock for any questions 617.312.1335.

WORLD RELIGIONS

"The study of religious traditions other than our own may well be the greatest contribution we can make as individuals toward the cause of global peace." (Virginia Smith, St. Anthony Messenger Press) Travel to exotic locations to observe how religions have shaped cultures, changed history, brought us closer together and thrust us into war. This series offers insights into the striking similarities and vast differences among the world's major religions: Protestantism, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, and Buddhism. Sessions will meet in the Parish Hall at Noon and 7:30 p.m. 1/26 Catholicism; 2/16 Protestantism; 3/22 Buddhism; 4/26 Hinduism; 5/17 Islam

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

Prayer shawls are handcrafted gifts, specifically made to offer hope and comfort to those in need of the warmth of God. Shawls are given as a remembrance of God’s blessing and abiding love. Makers of the prayer shawls offer the hope that the receiver may be wrapped in warmth, as a way to experience and remember God’s healing love. Join us the first and third Mondays of the month to learn more about this ministry, select a shawl for someone in need, or pick up yarn for knitting or crocheting. Contact Christa for more info or to request a prayer shawl for a loved one. Upcoming Prayer Shawl dates are Jan. 9th and 23rd . We meet at 10 a.m. in the Parish Library.

NEW IN THE LIBRARY!

Start your year off right with one of these new titles from our library:

Wake Up to God's Word (Mary Reaman)
The Bible can be intimidating. How can we possibly make time for God's Word when our days are already filled with the urgent, the real and the relevant? Mary Reaman shows us how Scripture can play a central role in building a more meaningful Christian life: one that places God at the center. Her approach makes sense of Scripture and offers concrete ways to make the Word of God our starting point for contemplation, prayer and action.

Eight Freedom Heroes (Brennan Hill)
Hill explores biographical theology - a lived theology that comes out of experiences and events. In this volume, Hill profiles heroes of freedom men and women who lived as emancipators, liberators, stars of social justice. Harriet Tubman was "always talking to the Lord." Cesar Chavez overcame his natural shyness when asked to speak before crowds of migrant workers. Corrie ten Bloom and Nelson Mandela urged forgiveness and peace.

Beginning to Pray (Anthony Bloom)
A modern spiritual classic! Hailed both by Catholics and Protestants, Beginning to Pray was written by an Orthodox Archbishop for people who have never prayed before and has been read and loved by persons at all levels of spiritual development.

(Charles Miller)
To sum up his thoughts on the importance of Mass, he states, "The real question is not why go to Mass, 'but why not?' From the Mass, Fr. Miller goes on to treat a variety of topics that all play a role in Catholic faith: the rosary, devotions, the communion of saints, Penance, Mary, the liturgy, and even dissent. Unabashedly personal, humorous, upbeat, and informative, Fr. Miller's reflections will appeal to all-young and old, seasoned Catholics or newcomers to the faith.