The new email for faith formation is faithformmqom@gmail.com. Please add this address to your contact list to make sure emails are sent to your inbox and not your spam folder.
Reconciliation Retreat
All children preparing to receive their First Reconciliation should plan on attending the retreat at Our Lady of Lourdes on January 7 from 1-4 PM. They will not have classes that week, although their siblings will. We will spend the afternoon reviewing the steps of Confession, doing crafts, having a snack, and learning how to make a good Confession.
Youth Mass and Vocations Talk
The next Youth Mass will be held on January 8 at Our Lady of Lourdes at 5 PM. A couple of Daughters of Saint Paul will be visiting us for this Mass to talk about vocations. Anyone is welcome to attend the Mass and talk. Pizza will be served for dinner for the teens in high school. Attendance is mandatory for all teens enrolled in the Confirmation Program.
UPCOMING CLASSES
January 7th - 1:00pm-4:00pm OLOL
First Reconciliation Retreat
January 8th - 8:15amSt Peter
Grades 1-5, No Grade 2
5:00pm OLOL Youth Mass
January 9th - 4:45pm OLOL
Grades 1-5, No Grade 2
6:00pm OLOL Edge Middle School
January 10th- 4:45pm St Peter
Grades 1-5, No Grade 2
January 17th -5:30pm St Kateri Tekakwitha
Teaching Mass
January 18th- 5:00pm St Kateri Tekakwitha
Review for First Reconciliation
January 21st- 11:00am St Kateri Tekakwitha
First Reconciliation
Patsy Gillespie
Director of Faith Formation
Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish
(508) 746 - 0663 ext. 206
" For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart, I will let you find me" (Jeremiah 29:11-14).
Our Parish Giving Tree
This year’s giving tree was a huge success! We were able to help over 60 children belonging to 75 families. Thank you to everyone that made this possible. If you donated a gift, help to set up, helped to distribute—Thank you!
A special thanks to Mamma Mia’s in Plymouth and Carver, and to Rods & Rebels, who donated an incredible amount of toys and gift cards. Thanks to all of you, I am sure there were lots of smiles on Christmas Day! God Bless!
“A candle loses none of its own light when it lights another candle. It’s a great description of what happens to us when we extend ourselves to one another. Yes, we are at times fearful that we will lose something of ourselves when we give ourselves—our time, our attention, our talent, or our treasure to someone else. But we lose nothing. We are, in fact, more our true selves. We are growing in our own souls. . . . That deep inner peace and joy within us is the light we never lose when we love and extend ourselves to another person.” —from Three Minutes with God, by Msgr. Frank Bognanno
Pray
God of all light, your love is luminous and contagious.
Extinguish the fear in my heart that the universe is a dark and solitary place.
Teach me to relight the flame of faith in my heart
and remember to share the joy of that faith with those around me,
especially those in need.
Amen.
Act
There is almost no better way to get out of our own heads than to volunteer and help those in need. Commit to volunteering at one social service or ministry for just one day this coming month. Watch as the joy spreads like wildfire when dignity and humanity are restored for our brothers and sisters on the margins.
Father Joe's Homily from
the 4th Sunday of Advent:
Spotlight on Medjugorje Trip
Day 5:
We started the day with Mass after breakfast at St James Church. We climbed Cross Mountain while praying the Stations of the Cross and spent time in prayer at the top. We had an incredible group who helped each other with such love and grace. Cross Mountain is 3 times higher than Apparition Hill and it really bonded us as a group in prayer.
Ultreya Invitation
Come to Mary Queen of Martyrs Ultreya at Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Church,
126 So. Meadow Road, W Plymouth
on January 8, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
Cursillistas & ALL interested in learning about Cursillo are welcome!
Mass, small group sharing & refreshments/fellowship.
Snacks to share if the Spirit moves you!
Any questions call Patti & John DeAngelo at (617) 678-4306
As a service request for our next Ultreya, we ask for underwear and Sweatpants and Sweatshirts for the BID-Plymouth Closet.
Thank you!
Our Ultreya schedule at St Kateri Church is:
2023: Jan. 8, Feb. 12, March 12, April 16, May 21 (Sundays at 5:00 p.m.)
2022/2023 Cursillo Retreats @Holy Cross Retreat House :
Men’s: Feb. 2 - 5, 2023 & March 23 - 26, 2023
Women’s: Nov. 17 - 20, 2022
Feb. 23 - 26, 2023 & April 20 - 23, 2023
Grand Annual:
Most years parishes have Grand Annual Collections for various projects that need attention and funding. Since we have become one parish, it seems most equitable that our drive this year will help pay for the plowing and sanding expenses at all three of our churches. I have hoped that we could buy our own vehicle for this year but that is not possible at this time. If someone working could donate $100.00 that would be so helpful. Those on fixed incomes, please give whatever you can. I will be grateful to whatever is given. I want to wish you a Blessed Advent.
THANK YOU, Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish and Beyond!
THANKS for all your support of the refugee families!
Your generosity has been incredible!
John Malloy, Dave Noyes and their various teams prepared delicious meals for the refugees on November 27, December 4, December 11 and December 18. Additional volunteers augmented the food teams and helped to package and deliver the meals. Other parishioners prepared desserts, which were delivered with the meals. The refugees were very appreciative to have the meals and especially loved the sweet treats.
The clothing drive was very successful! Many bags of donated clothes were brought to the Thrifty Lily at St. Kateri and some bags were dropped off at St Peter’s. A group of helpers came to sort items that were delivered to the site on Dec 1. Many sweaters, sweatshirts, extra hats, mittens and lots of infants and children's clothes (gently used and brand new) were delivered on Dec 8. The staff thanked us for all our hard work and stated that they now have plenty of clothes and will get them to the new families as they arrive.
Our parish Diaper Pantry provided 1,016 diapers to the Plymouth Coalition for the Homeless for distribution as needed to the refugees and the pantry also delivered 192 newborn diapers directly to the families at the Plymouth site.
60 brand new winter coats were delivered to the site…. coats for children, teens, and adults. Families were thrilled! The coats were donated by 2 very generous couples from our parish! Another generous couple donated bags of baby clothes and Walmart gift cards.
Christmas toys and gifts were delivered to the site on December 19. The gifts were provided by parishioners through the PARISH Giving Tree! Amazing generosity!
St. Bonaventure’s Parish provided winter gear, knitted hats, mittens, gloves. All were dropped off at the site and families were most appreciative of the handmade gifts!
The Weekly Gospel
John 1:1-18
The Birth of Jesus
Is Jesus’ birth relevant to our lives? Should we care that Jesus was born?
Our world today doesn’t seem to care—between the violence, sin, and anger—so why should we?
Today, Jack shows us how Jesus’ birth is the answer to the world’s biggest question and how his birth changes every aspect of our lives.
We are people of faith, called to live the Gospel!
DIAPER PANTRY
Happy New Year from the Diaper Pantry! Thanks to your support, our parish Diaper Pantry continues to keep area babies in need, clean and dry. Babies average about 7 changes per day; in her first year, a baby will require approximately 2,500 diapers, and many families have more than one child in diapers at once. The need is great, and we thank you for your generous response!
Diaper donations can be dropped off at the entrances of our three churches before or after Mass, during regular Diaper Pantry hours at St. Kateri, or at the church offices during open hours (St. Kateri: Monday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; Our Lady of Lourdes: Tuesday and Friday 8:30 – 12:30 p.m.; St. Peter: Monday through Friday 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)
Diaper Pantry Hours
The 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the Month
9:30–11:00 am at the
Saint Kateri Parish Office
Diapers needed this week:
SIZE 2T/3T/4T/5T
We also need baby wipes.
DID YOU KNOW…
The World Health Organization reports 844 million people don't have access to safe water. About 2.3 billion people are living without access to improved sanitation. That means 1 in 9 people on the planet don't have clean water close to home. One in 3 don't have a decent toilet. As Pope Francis noted at the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in February 2018, “The right to water is essential for the survival of persons and decisive for the future of humanity.”
COMING SOON: JUST FAITH’S SACRED WATER: OCEANS AND ECOSYSTEMS
An eight-week program held on Zoom from 6:30-8:00 p.m. on Monday evenings in February and March, beginning on Monday, February 6.
Sacred Waterguides small groups in discerning how they can better care for the earth’s waters, as well as the creatures and communities who live in and around them. Through conversation, prayer, and spiritual practices, participants explore their personal relationships with water and the centrality of water within Christian theology.
You’re invited to join your fellow parishioners in volunteering at End Hunger New England in Pembroke on Monday, January 16, 2023 - it’s a great way to give back on the day celebrating the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Volunteers assemble pre-packaged meals for Massachusetts neighbors in need - the ‘work’ is easy, fun, and rewarding. One-hour time slots are available: 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. or 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. …feel free to sign up for one session or both!
For more information and to register to join us, email Colleen Preston at prestocran@gmail.com.
THIS WEEK’S FOOD FOR THOUGHT
God, may we be a people who pray fervently and take action, remembering that both are integral to the work of justice. - Sojourners Magazine
HOLY HOUR
SUNDAY,
January 15, 2023
Please join us at a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration on
Sunday, January 15th, from 3pm to 4pm at St. Peter’s Church.
As St. Josemaria Escriva tells us, “Each time you approach the Blessed Sacrament remember that Jesus has been waiting for you for twenty centuries for this personal visit from you.”
Prayer Requests
There is NOW a link on our Mary, Queen of Martyrs website available for prayer requests. Please click on the link and you may write out your request.
There is also a Book of Intentions available at each of our churches. You may write your prayer intention directly in the book.
There are prayer angels in our parish community praying for all the intentions and ALL intentions are remembered at all the Masses in our parish community!
Pope St. John XXIII launches podcast for men discerning priesthood
WESTON -- Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary is trying a new way to reach their demographic. Capitalizing on the popularity of podcasts, the seminary has launched its own podcast to discuss different aspects of discernment and priestly formation for men who discover their vocation to the priesthood later in life.
It is not easy being Catholic. We’re taking a lot of hits from our secular society. We are being marginalized on our journey but God will always accompanying us. Father Ron will lead us in discovering just why we are Catholic. Essentially, the joy of the Gospel fills our hearts and lives as we encounter Jesus in the Eucharist. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.
Father Ron Coyne grew up in Roslindale, graduated from Catholic Memorial High School in 1965 and attended St. John’s Seminary and was ordained in 1973. He is a much beloved Senior Priest currently on the Emergency Response Team.
Father has served at Parishes in Hyde Park, Weymouth, Randolph, Charlestown, Roslindale, Dorchester and Mattapan. Father Coyne is well known for speaking his mind in love and truth. He will speak about the mysteries and attraction of the Catholic Faith.
You do not want to miss this! Enjoy a burger and hear a GREAT talk
The Cheverus Award given to
Jim Barrington at
Our Lady of Lourdes on
December 18, 2023 by Father Joe. Congratulations Jim!
