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16 October 2018
Dear Parishioners,
It’s been an extremely full and busy fall in our parish community and, with this letter, I am inviting each parishioner to participate in a new autumnal endeavor which we are calling Five for Fall. While “fall’ is self-explanatory, let me tell you what the “five” is all about.
For us to continue the work of Christian discipleship in our parish, we are in need of additional parishioners to become involved in our many ministries. At the present moment, we are also especially in need of your generosity to our Weekly Offertory. All this is wrapped up, of course, in our life of prayer, from which all parish life flows.
Taking all this into consideration, our Five For Fall Stewardship Drive invites each parishioner to make it a goal to take five minutes a day in prayer, to thank God for the gifts we have been given, and to ask that the Holy Spirit guide the work of the church at large and the work of our parish, specifically.
You might want to include in your five minutes of prayer, a prayer for the success of the second goal of our Five for Fall Stewardship Drive, which is to welcome five new volunteers for each parish ministry and event. And here’s where your prayer can turn into action. Is God calling you to become a part of our liturgical, social outreach, faith formation, or support ministries? Why not plan to become one of those volunteers we are seeking. There is indeed a place for your particular talents and interests within our parish family!
The third goal of our Five for Fall Stewardship Drive is the most challenging one. It is critically important for the life of our parish that we meet our $4,000 dollar per week Offertory goal. With this in mind, I am asking each family that is able, to increase your weekly giving by 5%. This increase will insure that we will keep within our budget and not end the year with a deficit, as we did in FY2018.
The generosity of time, treasure and talent in our parish has always been strong. The spirit of community found here is one of the many reasons why people love being a part of our parish. In that spirit, I ask you to prayerfully consider becoming an integral part of our Five for Fall Stewardship Drive.
Thanks in advance for your generosity of time, treasure, and talent!
In Christ’s Peace,
Reverend Francis P. O’Brien
Pastor, St. Matthias Parish
Find the Stewardship Commitment Form here (click link and print out):/documents/2018/10/StMatt_StewardshipCommittmentForm_2018.pdf
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Annual Parish Financial Report to Parishioners for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2018 (click link)
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Special Statement from Cardinal Sean O'Malley
Dear friends, Cardinal Sean O'Malley has issued this special statement in response to the release of the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report on sexual abuse by members of the clergy in that state.
Let us hold in prayer all those victims of abuse. Let us also ask God for the wisdom to move forward in positive directions, so that all members of our church communities will feel welcome, safe, and loved.
Fr. Fran
Statement of Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM CapArchbishop of Boston
Thursday, August 16, 2018
"There are times when words fail us - when they do not capture the depth of overwhelming situations we sometimes face in life. For the Church in the United States this is one of those times.
The Pennsylvania Grand Jury’s report and the first-hand expressions of horror and devastating pain experienced by survivors once again wrench our hearts with the unimaginable that tragically is all too real for those who carry this pain. Once again we hear each excruciating word they share. We remain shamed by these egregious failures to protect children and those who are vulnerable and affirm our commitment that these failures will never be repeated.
While many perpetrators have been held accountable in one way or another for their crimes, we have yet to establish clear and transparent systems of accountability and consequence for Church leadership whose failures have allowed these crimes to occur. The Church must embrace spiritual conversion and demand legal transparency and pastoral accountability for all who carry out its mission. This transformation is not easily achieved, but in all aspects it is imperative. The way we prepare priests, the way we exercise pastoral leadership and the way we cooperate with civil authorities; all these have to be consistently better than has been the case.
As I have stated previously, there are immediate actions that we can and must take. The clock is ticking for all of us in Church leadership, Catholics have lost patience with us and civil society has lost confidence in us. But I am not without hope and do not succumb to despondent acceptance that our failures cannot be corrected. As the Church we have the responsibility to help people not to lose hope, that was Jesus’ message to all those he ministered to, especially in times of great trial. There is too much good in the Church and in our faith to lose hope. Often it is survivors who courageously teach us we cannot lose hope.
Although “zero tolerance” of sexual abuse has been declared and pursued and programs of advocacy and protection of children have been adopted in dioceses throughout country, the memory, the record, the burden carried by survivors and every other fact of sexual abuse stay with the Church. We can never become complacent, this is a life-long ongoing work that demands the highest levels of our constant awareness and attention.
The crisis we face is the product of clerical sins and clerical failures. As a Church, the conversion, transparency and accountability we need is only possible with the significant involvement and leadership of lay men and women in our Church, individuals who can bring their competence, experience and skills to the task we face. We need the help of the laity to address this scourge on our people and Church. If the Church proceeds with deep recognition of these realities the future can hold the opportunity to earn back trust, confidence and support from the community of Catholics and our society. We must proceed quickly and with purpose; there is no time to waste."
Archdiocese of Boston Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection
To survivors in the Archdiocese of Boston who struggle to process their pain and whose wounds are opened especially wide with the reports from Pennsylvania, please know that Vivian Soper, Director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection and her colleagues stand ready to provide assistance, We encourage you to contact Vivian at 617-746-5985. To the survivors and their loved ones, we must again apologize and ask forgiveness. While much has been accomplished in the protection of children with the participation of the laity, there remains much more to be done. We are committed to the fulfillment of this responsibility as a continuing priority for the work of the Church.
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Ongoing Events
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Wednesday, November 14, 6:45 PM - 8:30 PM
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Sunday, November 18, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Join us for community, conversation, coffee and more in the Parish Hall every Sunday following the 10:00a.m. Mass.Read More -
Wednesday, November 21, 6:00 PM
Please join us in the Recitation of the Holy Rosary in the church on the first and third Wednesday of the month, starting September 19 at 6:00 p.m. Let us pray for peace in our hearts, in our families, in our church and in our nation. This is a time to pray for the healing of those on the prayer list and for all the intentions on the community prayer line and for any special intentions. Looking forward to praying with you. Led by Beth and Mike VinciRead More -
Wednesday, November 21, 6:45 PM - 8:30 PM
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Mass Times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM EnglishEnglishEN
- Sunday: 10:00 AM EnglishEnglishEN
- Monday: 9:00 AM EnglishEnglishEN
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM EnglishEnglishEN
- Friday: 9:00 AM EnglishEnglishEN
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WESHARE by LPI (ParishPay)
online giving website -
Catholic appeal 2018
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Parish registration form
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Today's SCRIPTURE Readings
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Reading 1 Ti 3:1-7Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1b-3a, 3bc-4, 5, 6Gospel Lk 17:11-19
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