Fourth Sunday of Lent March 6, 2016

The Light of Christ Catholic CollaborativeThe Light of Christ Catholic CollaborativeThe Light of Christ Catholic CollaborativeThe Light of Christ Catholic Collaborative

Fourth Sunday of Lent Fourth Sunday of Lent Fourth Sunday of Lent Fourth Sunday of Lent • March 6, 2016March 6, 2016March 6, 2016March 6, 2016

Fourth Sunday of Lent March 6, 2016

2

The Light of Christ Catholic Collaborative

COLLABORATIVE STAFF

Pastor: Rev. James Mahoney Parochial Vicar: Rev. Thomas J. Stanton Senior Priest in Residence: Rev. Joseph Arsenault

Deacons: Joseph Nickley, Robert Balzarini and James McLaughlin Finance and Operations Manager: Dennis Leonard

Administrative Assistant: Colleen Booker

Director of Music: William Healey Children’s Choir : Margaret Healey Organist: Lynn Bartlett Cantor: Dennis Leonard Directors of Religious Education (781) 447-3135 Ann T. Lawrence, Grades 1-6 Cathleen Smith, Grade 7—Confirmation casparish@hotmail.com Phone 781-524-1711 Superintendent, Saint James Cemetery: Vincent Tonello Cemetery Office: Kathy MacGilvray Facilities Managers: James Lewis

.

Holy Ghost Parish 518 Washington Street Whitman, MA 02382

Tel: 781-447-4421 Fax: 781-447-1375 www.holyghostwhitman.org

Email: info@holyghostwhitman.org

St. Bridget Church 455 Plymouth Street Abington, MA 02351

Tel: 781-878-0900 Fax: 781-878-6566 www.rc.net/boston/saintbridget

Email: sbparishsecretary@comcast.net

Holy Ghost Mass Schedule Weekend: Saturday: 4:00PM Sunday: 7:30AM & 10:30AM

Weekday: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9AM

Holy Day Mass Schedule As Announced

St. Bridget Mass Schedule Weekend: Saturday: 4:00PM Sunday: 9:00AM & 12:00PM

Weekday: Tuesday and Thursday at 9AM Saturday liturgy will be a Communion Service

Holy Day Mass Schedule As Announced

DIVINE MERCY DEVOTION Tuesdays at 7PM in the lower chapel

PERPETUAL ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT In Divine Mercy Chapel (lower church) BAPTISM Second and Fourth Sundays of each month at 12Noon (Please arrive 15 minutes early). Call the rectory (781-447-4421) to arrange for the sacrament.

CONFESSION: Saturdays 3:00 to 3:30 PM or anytime by appointment MARRIAGE: Please contact the rectory one year in advance.

Couples meet with the priest or deacon before a date is set. Participation in a marriage program is required

Senior Priests/Weekend Assistants: Rev. Michael J. Regan, M.Ed., M.A. and

Rev. Vincent H. Poirier Organist: Sean Glennon (617) 909-6426 Children’s Choir : Jessie Duncan (781) 974-5043 Organist Emeritus: Carolyn Bates Directors of Religious Education (781) 878-5950 Anne Fennell, Grades 1-6, stbridgetreo@aol.com Cathleen Smith, Grade 7 to Confirmation, casparish@hotmail.com Phone: 781-524-1711 Superintendent, Saint Patrick Cemetery: Jeff Allen Phone: (781) 982-8974 or (781) 878-0900 Fax (781) 878-6566 Saint Vincent de Paul: (781) 878-1194

BAPTISM First and Second Sundays of each month at 1:30PM(Please arrive 15 minutes early). Call the rectory (781-878-0900) to arrange for the sacrament. BINGO Every Sunday at 6:30PM in the School Hall ST. BRIDGET SCHOOL (781) 878-8482 Mr. Matthew T. Collins, Principal www.stbridgetschool.us

Fourth Sunday of Lent March 6, 2016

3

HOLYGHOSTCOLLECTION

Last Week

Actual Collec�on $ 6,050.00

Thank you for your con�nued generosity.

ST.BRIDGETCOLLECTION

ThisweekParishTitheisfortheCardinal

SpellmanHighSchoolDramaClub

Actual Collec�on $ 5,945.00

Thank you for your con�nued generosity.

Please remember for the second collec�ons, to make

the checks out to Holy Ghost or St. Bridget. We will send

one check to the designated group for the

collec�on. Thank you.

For the week of March 6 through March 13, 2016

Saturday, March 5, 2016 4PM HG Beverly Ann Whitty—6th Anniversary 4PM SB Anna Zeoli—Memorial Girard & Betty Pike—Memorial Sunday, March 6, 2016 7:30AM HG Edward Muldoon—11th Anniversary 9:00AM SB Dorothy Morgen—Memorial 10:30AM HG James McCormack—1st Anniversary Kathleen Theft—Anniversary 12:00PM SB Stefania Ginewicz—Memorial

Monday, March 7, 2016 9AM HG Michael Donovan—Birthday Tuesday, March 8, 2016 9AM Mass at Saint Bridget

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 9AM HG William John Walsh Thursday, March 10, 2016 9AM Mass at Saint Bridget

Friday, March 11, 2016 9AM HG Mass at Holy Ghost Saturday, March 12, 2016 4PM HG Josephine Politano—Memorial 4PM SB Maria Nguyen & Peter Lai— Memorial Sunday, March 13, 2016 7:30AM HG George Walsh—Memorial 9:00AM SB George Jouvin Sr.— Birthday 10:30AM HG Patricia Burns Volk & Warren Anthony Volk—Memorial 12:00PM SB Maria O’Brien—Birthday

Please remember in your prayers the souls of the recently departed: Richard Murray

The Second Collection for Holy Ghost this weekend will be to support the Building Fund.

The Second Collection for St. Bridget this weekend

will be to support the Emergency/Maintenance.

Catholic Appeal This week, Catholics across the Archdiocese are invited to pledge their support to the ministries funded by the Catholic Appeal. If you were unable to make your pledge at Mass, please take a pledge form from the back of the church or pledge online at bostoncatholicappeal.org. Thank you for your prayers for a successful Catholic Appeal.

St. Patrick’s Day Raffle We are looking for people to help sell raffle tickets. If you are willing to take some raffle tickets and be responsible for selling them, please contact Bill Brown at 339-788-8678. We would like to make this year St. Patrick’s day raffle a huge success.

Silent Recessionals During Lent During Lent, the Church asks us to surrender ourselves to prayer and to the reading of Scripture, to fasting and to giving alms. During this 40 day period, we refrain from singing "Gloria" or "Alleluia" at Sunday Mass because this is a period to reflect on the last days of Jesus' life, and his crucifixion and death. In this same spirit, we will observe silence during liturgical recessionals, and we invite you to leave Mass in prayerful reflection each week during Lent.

Fourth Sunday of Lent March 6, 2016

4

Capt. Matthew Johnson Lt. Joe Sturges 2nd Lt. Andrew Maio Pat Torney PFC Andrew Smith Sgt. Nick Lavery SO2 Ryan C. Flaherty Sgt. Matthew McCann Sgt. Seamus Murray Lance Corp. Nicholas Rizzo Staff Sgt. Jonathan P. Martins Steve Gaudet LCpl M Ryan O’ Flaherty Lt. Christopher C. Regan Lt. Col. Kevin Hanrahan Capt. Joseph J. Lucas SPC Anthony Gulino Peter E. Columbo LCPL Jarod Zachariah Maze Sgt. Nicholas Voci Sgt. Ryan Cronin Spec. James R. Furtado Senior Airman Sara Furtado PFC Zachary Samya Staff Sgt. Marie Ketchen Capt. Joseph E. Beard Lance Corp. Johnathan Jaskolka Major Ryan Chandler Sgt. Andrew McAleer Lance Cpl. Sean Concannon Sgt. Patrick Donaher PV2 Christina Malloy Lance Corp. Thomas M. Malloy, Jr. (USMC) Cpl. John J. Feeney,USMC Airman Samuel Clark LCpl Derek Corkery, USMC Qtr. Master John Sayers Cpl. Joseph Von George, USMC Col. Jordon McIntyre 1st Lt. Shane Reardon,USMC Pvt. David Franey Commander Amy Grabel Payce Thomas Berridge, USN Nathaniel Lopes Airman1st Class Sgt. Jason Race Lance Corp. Daniel O’Donnell,USMC Sgt. James Murray Marine Oliver Cahill Seaman Jonathan Burbine

PRAYERS FOR OUR RELATIVES & FRIENDS SERVING IN THE MILITARY

40 Cans for Lent Food Drive During Lent, the K of C #347 will sponsor a food drive for the Whitman Food Pantry. We have heard there has been an increase in families served since the first of the year and the pantry is currently receiving less free food items from USDA and MEFA(Mass. Emergency Food Assistance). We would like to ask that those wishing to participate in the 40 Cans for Lent drive take advantage of sales going on at the local super markets to provide the following items the pantry said they never seemed to have enough of: Kids cereals, jellies, mayo, ketchup, sugar, spaghetti sauce, Knorrs rice and pastas, albacore tuna, canned coffee, tea, hot chocolate, jello and pudding mix, brownie mix, bar soap, shampoo and conditioners, deodorants, tooth paste, dish soap, laundry detergent, paper towels , toilet paper and household cleaning items. This past year the pantry helped 310 families in Whitman. Please consider supporting this year’s Lenten Food Drive. Anything you do to help make this drive a success will help the members of St Vincent DePaul Society to curb food insecurity in Whitman.

Vocation Retreat—March 11-13, 2016: “A Future Full of Hope”

Dominican Sisters of Peace invite single, Catholic women, ages 18-45, to attend a free “Come and See”

Discernment Retreat designed to explore contemporary Dominican life for women. Experience Dominican

prayer and community with the Sisters and explore the possibility that you may be called to religious life. The retreat begins at 6pm Friday, March 11 and concludes

at noon, Sunday, March 13 at the Dominicans Sisters of Peace Motherhouse, 2320 Airport Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43219. For more information, call or text Sister

June Fitzgerald at 570-336-3991 or email jfitzgerald@oppeace.org. Participants may register

online for the retreat or request a registration form at www.oppeace.org

“The medicine is there…the healing is there. If only we take a small step toward God, or even just the de-sire to take that step.” ( Pope Francis on ac-knowledging our sins.) How did you do last week? Are you filling up your jour-nal? Shelter the Homeless (Help those in need of a physical and spiritual home) • Volunteer at a local homeless shelter • Support St. Vincent de Paul • Donate warm blankets to a homeless shelter • Help elderly or disabled neighbor with home repairs/

care of their property. • Advocate for public policies/laws that provide hous-

ing for low-income people. • Consider becoming a foster parent • Support a group that provides assistance to foster

children • Bring a friend or family member back to their spiritu-

al home beginning with one Mass at a time. • Pray for the homeless. • Pray for those who do not come to Mass. These are a few suggestions. WHAT WILL YOU DO TO SHELTER THE HOMELESS THIS WEEK?

COMMUNION/FELLOWSHIP BREAKFAST On March 20th following the 7:30 Mass at Holy Ghost, The Knights of Columbus Council 347 will be holding their 43rd annual Communion / Fellowship Breakfast at the Council Hall at 1195 Bedford Street. Everyone is welcome and the admission price is a canned good to help support our 40 Cans for Lent Program. For additional information please call the council at 781-447-9061 THANK YOU.

Fourth Sunday of Lent March 6, 2016

5

Fourth Sunday of Lent March 6, 2016

6

FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK Dear Light of Christ Catholic Collaborative, Luke chapter 15 is what I like to call the “Lost and Found Department” section of the Gospel. It includes three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and today's parable of the prodigal (lost) son. They invite us to consider the depth of God's mercy and love. These parables are all about losing, and finding, and God’s rejoicing. The Fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally called Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a Latin word that means “rejoice.” Today's Gospel describes the reason for our joy: God's great love for us has been revealed in Jesus. Through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ has reconciled us with God and one another. Speaking of Reconciliation, I am pleased to share with you that this weekend and last weekend, over 150 Second Grade Students from both of our Parishes in our Light of Christ Catholic Collaborative received God’s Mercy through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, i.e. their First Confession. Please keep these children in your prayers as they prepare to receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time in April and May. The Light is On For You. Every Parish/Collaborative, will be open for Confessions on the Wednesdays of Lent from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., from now through the Wednesday of Holy Week. In our Collaborative, this is taking place this year at St. Bridget Church. Concerning The Light is On For You: Should I go to confession if I’m only aware of having committed venial sins? Yes. We should not stay away from confession if we’ve committed only venial sins, since the sacrament not only forgives our sins but gives us God’s grace to fight against temptation. The great saints, who were filled with love of God and seem for the most part to have avoided mortal sins, have confessed very frequently, because the sacrament helps us to grow in God’s grace. It reveals to us our need for God’s help in the “little things” of the day and leads us to ask for that help. Should I go to confession if I haven’t committed any sins since my last confession? No, you should stay at home and wait for your canonization papers to arrive! Just kidding. If it’s been several weeks since your last confession, you have probably not examined your conscience very carefully. The Book of Proverbs tells us, “The just man falls seven times a day” (Prov 24:16). If you’re struggling to find matter to confess, examine your conscience on your sins of omission (what I could have done and failed to do) or on whether you in fact love the Lord with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength (Lk 10:27).

The 2016 Catholic Appeal. This weekend launches the 2016 Catholic Appeal. Cardinal Seán is asking Catholics across the Archdiocese to pledge their support to this year’s Catholic Appeal. The Catholic Appeal sustains over 50 ministries serving our parish and many people throughout the Archdiocese. Please respond to Cardinal Seán’s important request and give generously. Our par-ish directly benefits from the 50 ministries supported by the Appeal and your gift will help us reach our 2016 goal. As a reminder: Deacon Bob Balzarini has gone through a lot since the recent death of his wife, Louise. Cardinal Seán, aware of his particular circumstances, has granted Deacon Bob a temporary leave of absence. Please keep Deacon Bob is your prayers as he continues to move for-ward. Let us pray for each other. God bless, Father Mahoney

LENT 2016 Guidelines REGULATIONS FOR FASTING AND

ABSTINENCE: ASH WEDNESDAY and GOOD FRIDAY are days of fast and abstinence. FRIDAYS OF LENT are also days of abstinence.

FASTING is to be observed by all 18 years of age and older, who have not yet celebrated their 59th birthday. On a fast day, one full meal is allowed. Two other meals, sufficient to maintain strength, may be taken according to each one’s needs, but together they should not equal another full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and juices, are allowed.

ABSTINENCE is observed by all 14 years of age and older. On days of abstinence, no meat is allowed. Note that when health or ability to work would be seriously affected, the law does not oblige.

Fasting, almsgiving, and prayer are the three traditional disciplines of Lent. The faithful and catechumens should undertake these practices seriously in a spirit of penance and of preparation for baptism or of renewal of baptism at Easter.

For Advertising Information, Please Call 617-779-3770 Spotlight Advertising www.PilotBulletins.net

For Advertising call 617-779-3771 Pilot Bulletins Holy Ghost, Whitman, MA 1206

“God is Love” 1 John 4:8

781-447-525333 Legion Parkway • Whitman

Hall Rentals

AMERICAN LEGION Post #22

ROBERT A. TONELLO - DIRECTORS - STEVEN J. LEONARD666 Plymouth St., Route 58 at the Rotary, PO Box 288, Whitman, MA 02382

Tel 781-447-0170 www.blanchardfc.com Fax 781-447-6581

Blanchard Funeral Chapel

Family Owned Since 1946Pharmaceuticals • Home Health Care Items

Your Local Hometown Pharmacist571 Washington St. • Whitmanwww.duvalspharmacy.com

781-447-0606

� Personal Injury� Divorce� Bankruptcy� Wills� Trusts� Estates� Real Estate &

Business Law

Law O� ces of Ronald N. Whitneyrwhitlaw@live.com

549 Bedford Street • Whitman781-447-3899 • www.whitneylaw.com

CardinalSpellman

Council #347

New Members WelcomeFunction Hall Rentals

781-447-9061BINGO

Mondays 6:30 PM

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK546 Washington Street, Whitman

781-447-7333www.McGuiggansPub.com

15 Commercial St., Whitman781-447-5670 PARISHIONER

J. SACCONE & SONS, INC. • Backhoe• Drains• Septic Tanks• Excavating

Jeannie Carr, BROKER, CBR, GRI, E-PROAccredited Home Stager, 30+ Years ExperienceCell: 617-529-3040 “TOP 10 Agents

in the Company”-AWARD

Jcarr@SuccessRealEstate.com|www.JeannieCarr.com

Conway

Auto . Home . Life Business . Health

Insurance agency, Inc.

Hanover879 Washington St.

781-826-3804

Scituate80 Front St.

781-545-6110

wHitman715 Bedford St. 781-447-0661

www.conwayins.com

C Thru glass

Auto Glass Specialists 191 South St. Rt. 27, Whitman

781-447-0949

. Double Pane Windows . Shower Enclosures

. Table Tops . Mirrors . House Windows

. Screens . Auto Glass . Cabinet Glass

(The Former Cardinal Spellman Residence) Family Owned and Operated

Funeral Home

760 Washington Street Whitman, MA 02382 781-447-4141

“Be a Servant” Matthew 20:26

Preschool to Grade 12Take a virtual tour today and see

what sets Sacred Heart apart!

sacredheartkingston.comA sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Divine Providence

C M CPaving Contractors, Inc.

New & Resurfaced DrivewaysSealcoating

Free Estimates • Fully InsuredParishioner • Est. 1988

781-447-3366

781-523-1858www.chcinsuranceagency.com

629 Washignton St.,Whitman, MA 02382

. Auto

. Home

. Business

. LifeInsurance AgencyCHCCHC

Rosaries from Flowers “Handmade from the Flowers

of your Loved One”

841 Main Street Tewksbury, MA 01876

(978) 851-9103

www.rosariesfromflowers.com

SpaceAvailable