“To Preserve The Flame” SAINT JOHN’S CHURCH

1 December 19, 2021. To Preserve The Flame . SAINT JOHN'S CHURCH . 44 Temple St. Worcester, MA 01604. Phone: 508-756-7165. Fax: 508-754-5153. parish Website Food for the Poor Website Rectory Office Hours: parish STAFF 9 am - 4 pm Jimmy Archibald, Manager Pastor Fr. John Madden Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturday 3 pm Associate Pastor Monday Wednesday Fr. Jean Robert Simbert Brice After the 6:15 Mass Assisting Priest Sacrament of Marriage Fr. Conrad Pecevich Please contact the parish office at least one year prior to Deacon MASS SCHEDULE planned date of marriage Eduardas Meilus Lord's Day Masses Sacrament of Baptism Coordinators of Saturday Vigil: 4:15 & 7:15 Please visit the parish website Religious Education under the Sacraments tab Donna Mastrovito PM.

2 Dianne Gustowski Sunday: 8 AM, 10:15 AM, Sacrament of the Sick 12:15 PM & 7:15 PM Please contact the parish office Ascension Clothing Center Weekdays Sr. Patricia Murphy, SSJ. Monday-Friday 6:15 PM Monthly Mass for Healing Followed by the Celebration Holy Days Music Ministry Vigil 6:15 Of the Sacrament of the Sick Sean Redrow, Director Holy Day 12:15, 6:15 Fourth Monday of the Month Lucia Clemente Falco, Asst. Dir. Mass Intentions Dear Friends in the Lord, Saturday, December 18, 2021 As we come to the Fourth Sunday in Advent, the Gos- 4:15 PM Eleanor Prevoski, req.

3 By Family; Al Valentino pel passage recounts the Visitation. It comes from (2nd Anniv.), req. by Family Luke's Gospel and immediately follows the Annunci- 7:15 PM Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. O'Coin, req. by Family; ation which we heard on December 8 , the Solemni- th M. Ruth Shea (10th Anniv.), req. by Family ty of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Vir- gin Mary. I find it to be an interesting combination. Sunday, December 19, 2021. 8 AM Ricardo and Marco Almeida, req. by Family; Edith The Annunciation is a contemplative event.

4 In the Boudas (13th Anniv.), req. by Family Book of Daniel, Gabriel's presence evokes terror. Not 10:15 AM Josephine Kozlowski, req. by Children; Patricia surprisingly then, the appearance and the announce- Gaudette, req. by Family ment of the angel leaves Mary greatly troubled. Yet, 12:15 PM John Harvey, req. by Family; David, Zachary filled with grace, she pondered what it all meant. and Matthew Covello, req. by Family; Fr. William Barry, Which is to say, that Mary attempts to discern the (1st Anniv.), req.

5 By Family work of God in her life and in the life of the world. 7:15 PM Joshua Kozaczka, req. by Family Then, as Gabriel reassures her, Mary offers her fiat and her openness to the will of God in her life. The Monday, December 20, 2021 Visitation, though, is a dynamic event. Mary sets 6:15 PM William E. Shea, Jr., req. by Frank Carroll and out in haste to the home of Elizabeth. When she Family arrives, John the Baptist leaps in the womb and his Tuesday, December 21, 2021 mother cried out in a loud voice. Blessed, blessed, 6:15 PM Francisco Austriaco, req.

6 By Family blessed is the dominant theme. Wednesday, December 22, 2021 In the end, even though we only hear from her on this 6:15 M Victor Rivera, req. by Family the final Sunday of Advent, I think Mary is the domi- nant character of the season. John the Baptist is im- Thursday, December 23, 2021 portant, Isaiah and the Hebrew prophets are always 6:15 PM Lolita M. Catalan, req. by Friends; Rose and present. Still, it is Mary who brings to us He whom Joseph Pezzella and Michal Lewis, req. by Family we await.

7 In that sense, the movement from annuncia- tion to visitation; from contemplative to dynamic is Friday, December 24, 2021 Christmas Eve the journey we are invited to make, as well. It is not 4:15 PM For the People of St. John's usually a linear path, but it is always worth the trip. 10:15 PM For the People of St. John's Recently, the parish Council members have been con- Saturday, December 25, 2021 Christmas Day templating how we as a parish can respond to our 8:00 AM For the People of St. John's changing and growing neighborhood here on Green 10:15 AM For the People of St.

8 John's Island. We want to invite people to join us here on 12:15 PM For the People of St. John's Temple Street as we praise, worship and serve our God. The clearest lesson that I have learned in this Sunday, December 26, 2021 discernment process is that I am old. The other mem- 8 AM Alfred Johnson, Sr., req. by Family; Ruben and bers are, too, but I should allow them to discover that Lenin Almeida, req. by Family for themselves. The point is that the people we wish 10:15 AM John and Rose Gerdauskas and Patricia to invite and welcome are, largely, young people.

9 To Casavant, req. by Family; Adele Zemaitis, req. by that end, we want to get younger both in member- Granddaughter Danute Miner ship and in our tools of evangelization. If you are 12:15 PM Toni Cassarano (1st Anniv.), req. by Sarah young, please contemplate joining us in this endeavor Taylor; Paul Barry, req. by Family and teaching us how we might set out to visit these 7:15 PM Joshua Kozaczka and Boleslaw Burzynski, req. by new neighbors and invite them to be blessed, blessed, Family; Paula Waters (1st Anniv.)

10 , req. by Family blessed. The Rosary is prayed each weekday beginning with the In Christ's Peace, Fr John Madden Angelus at 5:50 THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT. THIS WEEKEND'S HYMNs: RELIGIOS EDUCATION. Int.: Rorate Caeli, Is 45:78 (Skies, let the Just One come forth like the dew, let him descend from the clouds like Grades 1-6 Sunday, December 19, 9 AM in the the rain. The earth will open up and give birth to our Sav- CHURCH hall. ior.) Grades 7-9 Sunday, December 19, 11:15 AM in the Op.: # 386 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel CHURCH hall.