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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.

"Again, (amen,) I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." -Mt 18:19-20

Mass Intentions

Saturday September 3, 2011
4:30 p.m. Mass

Sunday September 4, 2011
8:00 a.m. Mass
10:00 a.m. Mass
NO 5:00 P.M. MASS

Monday September 5, 2011
9:00 a.m. Mass

Tuesday September 6, 2011
9:00 a.m. Mass
(Month's Mind John McHugh)
Wed. September 7, 2011
9:00 a.m. Mass
(William T. Simonetti)
Thur. September 8, 2011
NO MASS

Friday September 9, 2011
9:00 a.m. Mass
Sat. September 10, 2011
4:30 p.m. Mass
(John & Bernadette McDermott)

Sunday September 11, 2011
8:00 a.m. Mass
(Jeremiah J. Sullivan)
10:00 a.m. Mass
NO 5:00 P.M. MASS

RITE OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL

Mary Becker & Norma Oteri were buried from our church this past week. Please remember them and their families in your prayers. Your prayers are also requested for Dora Ferrelli, Maria Giatrelis's mother, who died this past week.

Readings for the Week of September 4, 2011:
Sunday:	Ez 33:7-9/Rom 13:8-10/Mt 18:15-20
Monday:	Col 1:24-2:3/Lk 6:6-11
Tuesday:	Col 2:6-15/Lk 6:12-19
Wednesday:	Col 3:1-11/Lk 6:20-26
Thursday:	Mi 5:1-4a or Rom 8:28-30/Mt 1:1-16, 18-23 or 1:18-23
Friday:	1 Tm 1:1-2, 12-14/Lk 6:39-42
Saturday:	1 Tm 1:15-17/Lk 6:43-49
Next Sunday:	Sir 27:30-28:9/Rom 14:7-9/Mt 18:21-35

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.

DEAR SAINT JOSEPH PARISHIONERS

I wish to let you know that I have accepted a new assignment at Saint Blaise in Bellingham as of October 3^rd . During the month of September I will continue to responsibly pastor our parish. As soon as information comes to us from the Archdiocese, regarding the next pastor, everyone will be informed. Thank you Fr. Al.

MASSES RETURN TO THE CHURCH

The summer Masses are in the air-conditioned hall on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday at 8 & 10 a.m. until the weekend of September 17^th & 18^th when we will return to the church.

SOUTH PACIFIC

Yes, the classical Rodgers & Hammerstein production is coming to Boston for one week in September. We have 25 tickets, first come-first serve for Fri, Sept 30^th at 8 p.m. $88 per person, at the Boston Opera House. To reserve a ticket send $25 with a self-addressed envelope to the parish office

BAPTISM

The next baptism information session for parents and godparents will be on Wednesday, September 7^th . Please contact Christa Lucas for more information or to register for this or an upcoming information session.

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RCIA

The initials RCIA stand for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is the rite by which the Catholic community welcomes adults into the Catholic Church. Need information? If you or someone you know would like more information about becoming Catholic please contact Christa Lucas (clucas@stjoseph.belmont.ma.us) or come to one of the upcoming information sessions in the Parish Library:

Tuesday, September 5^th at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 10^th at 9 a.m.

Baptized but not raised in the faith? Come to an information session and learn about completing your Sacraments of Initiation!

SPIRITUAL CLASSICS & BOOKS GROUP

Psalms 1 - 50 on Monday, September 12^th
While the historical books of the Bible recount God's creative and redemptive acts in history, the Psalms reveal Israel's response to God's covenant offer and serve as a model for our response to Him. Indeed, one could say that the historical books tell the "outside" of the story of Israel by giving an historical perspective, while the Psalms tell the "inside" story, which comes from the deeply personal perspective of one who is seeking God. Our communication with God is enhanced by a deeper understanding of the book of Psalms and of the individual psalms that reside in each of our hearts. Join us as we discuss our favorite Psalms at 7 pm in the Parish Library. All are welcome.

FAITH FORMATION PROGRAM

FAITH FORMATION K-CONFIRMATION II

Our K-Confirmation II Faith Formation program needs a few more volunteer catechists. Please consider sharing your faith with our children in September. The Faith Formation staff will be checking voice mail and e-mail, so please leave a message for K-6 at 617-484-1770 ~ religioused@stjoseph.belmont.ma.us or for 7-Confirmation II at 617-484-5279 ~ stjosephym@stjoseph.belmont.ma.us if you have any questions or concerns. We will reopen September 7^th .

DEAR SAINT JOSEPH FAMILIES AND TEENS,

It is with a bitter sweet heart that I write to you to tell you that I will be leaving Saint Joseph Parish beginning September 1^st . I have enjoyed getting to know so many of you over these past four years. As your teens have come into the program, grown in faith, been Confirmed, experienced Retreat and served alongside me at many different venues, I have become a better person. Each of their young lives has been instrumental in my ministry and I am forever grateful. My husband John and our children will have awesome memories of many Breakfasts with Saint Nick, Harvest Festivals, Intern Meetings, Retreats and Masses in Belmont. We are happy to announce that our fifth baby is due to arrive in March, and with this blessing on the horizon, it is time that we move on, and make some changes. I have accepted a Youth Ministry position in Dracut at Saint Marguerite and Saint Francis parishes. I will be praying for the staff, most especially for Patrick, as he steps in to take this program forward. I know that you are well aware of Patrick's dedication to his parish and your teens and I have assured him of your support. I also ask, if I might, that you keep our family and this new adventure in your prayers. I will miss you all, and hope to see you again, perhaps while sitting at St. Nick's breakfast, rather than running around ;)

Peace and Love to all of your families!
Sincerely In His Service, Jamie Deignan & Family.

GOSPEL REFLECTIONS FOR THE WEEK

Sunday, August 28^th (22^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time)
"For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

Is there a part of my life I would do well to lose? What would I like to find for my life? ACTION: If you are missing something in your life, start looking for it.

Sunday, September 4^th (23^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time)
"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

Do I experience God's presence differently when I am gathered with others for worship? Is gathering with others important to me? ACTION: Go to church.

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

THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL -- LESS THAN 100 DAYS AWAY!

Why does the Church change the Liturgy?
In its Liturgy, the Church always attempts to follow the "norm of the holy Fathers." This effort "requires not only the preservation of what our immediate forebears have handed on to us, but also an understanding and a more profound pondering of the Church's entire past. . . . this broader view allows us to see how the Holy Spirit endows the People of God with a marvelous fidelity in preserving the unalterable deposit of faith, even though there is a very great variety of prayers and rites" (General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 9)

The Liturgy must, therefore, always celebrate and make present the Paschal Sacrifice of Christ-his saving Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension. However, over time, it may become necessary to make certain changes, such as adding prayers for recently canonized saints and adding texts that reflect the needs that the People of God wish to bring to God in prayer. The third edition of the Roman Missal makes such additions and provides a fresh translation of the Latin texts of the existing content of the Missal.

What exactly is changing?
The structure of the Mass (the order of the elements, the actions of the priest celebrant, and so forth) remains unchanged in the new edition of the Roman Missal. However, the translation of the prayer texts will change to more closely reflect the original Latin texts. In some cases, new options for prayers may be available, and some old options may no longer be present.

Will the changes be noticeable?
In the third edition of the Roman Missal, almost every prayer in the Mass-those spoken by the priest and those spoken by the people-has been retranslated from the Latin to English. Some prayers now recited by memory will need to be relearned, and the familiar language of many prayers recited by the priest will change. In preparing the new translation, the translators were asked to make the English texts conform more closely to the Latin originals and to retain traditional theological vocabulary that communicates important concepts of the faith. The language that the faithful will hear and pray is more formal and somewhat more complex than the language of ordinary conversation. It conveys rich theological concepts and retains biblical language and images. For more information, visit: usccb.org/romanmissal/

To help prepare for the New Roman Missal, our parish will be running a study program called A Biblical Walk Through the Mass. If you've ever wondered why we say what we say and do what we do during the Liturgy, this is the study for you! You will go deep into the Scriptural roots of the Mass, and see the beauty and riches unfold before your eyes like never before. This study is based on the new translation of the Mass. Studies will be offered in the Parish on:

Sundays at 9 am (10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, and 11/13)
Sundays at 6 pm (10/16, 10/23, 10/30, 11/6, and 11/13) and
Mondays at Noon (10/17, 10/24, 10/31, 11/7, and 11/14).

THE NEW ROMAN MISSAL

The new Roman Missal (The book of prayers used by the priest at the altar, known also as "The Sacramentary"), will be introduced on the First Sunday of Advent. Early orders are now being accepted and our needs include use in the upper church and lower chapel. If you would like to make a donation in memory of a loved one, for these beautiful altar books please contact Father Al.

SAVE THE DATE - SEPTEMBER 18TH
WELCOME (& CATECHETICAL SUNDAY) MASS, BREAKFAST POTLUCK & VOLUNTEER MINISTRY FAIR

St. Joseph Parish welcomes back all parishioners from their summer holidays and welcomes new parishioners to our parish at our annual "Welcoming Mass and Breakfast Potluck." The Welcome Mass is Sunday, September 18^th at 10:00 a.m. in the Church and is followed by a potluck breakfast in the Parish Hall. September 18^th is also Catechetical Sunday! Help join us in thanking and blessing all of our catechists as we gather as a learning and worshiping community at the Welcome Mass. Then plan on joining us for our Breakfast Potluck and to learn more about the various ministries here at St. Joseph, including: Altar Servers, Baptism, Belmont Religious Council, Building Committee, Coffee & Donuts, Eucharistic Ministers, Finance Council, Food Pantry, Giving Tree, Greeters, Lectors, Masses with Children, Monday Movies, Music Ministries, Parish Council, Pine Street Inn, Prayer Shawl Ministry, Refugee Immigration Ministry, St. Joe's Kitchen, and Ushers! The Ministry Fair is a unique opportunity to learn more about ongoing ministries -- is the Holy Spirit inviting you to share some of your talents? Listen carefully and join us on September 18^th in the Parish Hall.