BULLETIN

 

September 5, 2010

 


The Saint Vincent de Paul Conferences of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thomas More parishes along with people from St. Clare parish are organizing a 3 Mile “Friends of the Poor Walk” on Sunday, September 26 beginning at 9:00 A.M. in front of Town Hall. All parishioners of the Braintree Cluster Parishes of St. Clare, St. Francis of Assisi and St. Thomas More are invited to participate. A special 12:00 P.M. Mass will be celebrated at Saint Thomas More Parish on the day of the walk. If interested, there are registration forms and pledge sheets at doors of the church. Donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. Last year, 409 SVDP Conferences across the country participated in the Walk and a total of $1.2 million was raised. All proceeds from the Braintree Cluster Parishes effort will directly benefit the needy in our community. Registration forms or donations can be dropped off or mailed to the Saint Thomas More Rectory c/o Janelle Snarsky, Saint Thomas More Rectory, 8 Hawthorn Road, Braintree, MA 02184. Questions about the Walk may be directed to Paul Boback at 781-848-3305 or via e-mail to pjboback@aol.com. Thank you for your consideration.

2010 CATHOLIC APPEAL
“CALLED TO LOVE AND SHARE”

As of Friday, September 3rd, we have reached $45,202.00 which is 80.7% of our parish goal for this year’s appeal. 174 contributions have brought us to this point. With $10,798.00 still to raise to reach our goal we appeal to those who have not yet contributed to join those of us who have. At this point we are in the “share” phase and a portion of contributions made at this point comes back to us. If you can help and choose to help please know that your support will be greatly appreciated.
You can pick up information packets with pledge forms at the doors of the Church. For more information, please visit www.BostonCatholicAppeal.com or call 617-779-3700.


SAINT THOMAS MORE
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION PROGRAM
ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL:
PARENTS, PLEASE RETURN REGISTRATIONS PROMPTLY. As of this date, we have only 61% of the anticipated registrations back. We need to know the approximate number of families/students for the upcoming year when ordering books and materials. Classes cannot be organized until we receive this information. If we haven’t already heard from you we hope we will be hearing very soon. Your cooperation is needed and expected.
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PARISHIONERS: If you are NEW to the parish religious education program, please call 781-843-2142 or email us and leave your name, address, phone number and email. The First Communion program is a two-year program starting with grade one.
TEACHERS/CO-TEACHERS ARE STILL NEEDED FOR THE FOLLOWING GRADES:
GRADE 1 – 4 ; GRADE 2 – 1; GRADE 3 – 8
GRADE 4 - 6; GRADE 5 - 5; GRADE 6 – 4
GRADE 7 - 4; GRADE 8 - 4
All of these grades cannot begin until we have enough trained volunteers. Call the office at 781-843-2142 or email us at stmpreled@aol.com for more information.

CONFIRMATION LEVEL:
CONFIRMATION I & II
Class leaders will meet in mid September to prepare for the upcoming year. Leaders will contact their students by telephone and classes will begin by the first weekend in October. Any 9th grade students who have not registered for the program as of this date will be placed on a wait list. LOST YOUR FORM – visit stmparish.org.
ALL CONFIRMATION STUDENTS are encouraged to participate in the Walk for the Poor on Sunday, September 26th – this is an excellent Christian Service opportunity. For more info email Tom Snarsky @ TJPS1124@live.com. Please check www.stmparish.org for new information.

NEW PARISH MEMBERS
Please complete the registration form on the front of the bulletin and give to the ushers or place in the collection basket so that you may be properly registered as a parish member.


ST. VINCENT dePAUL FOOD PANTRY
During the summer months, donations are needed more than ever. PLEASE remember to bring something for our Food Pantry each time you come to Mass. Thank you for all that you give.

NEW ~ [A MOST SINCERE “THANK YOU”]
The bulletin you are reading is the first of our new year running from September to August. It is the main avenue we have of communicating with those who are faithful to gathering for the Bread of Life each weekend. We are grateful to you who gather faithfully to do what the Lord asked us to do in His memory. We appreciate your taking a bulletin each week and taking the time to read it.
This effort at communication is graciously and generously supported by the advertisers pictured on our back page. Our advertisers are faithful to our parish in offering this support. We truly hope that if you have need of the services they offer you will support them in return. If you do so please let them know that you saw their ad in our parish bulletin.

READ THIS PLEASE!
The support of our generous advertisers provides this avenue of communication to us each week.
This year we have 25 advertisers, 22 of them are repeating their generosity from last year. Three are new to our bulletin this year.
We ask you to be kind enough to always check the bulletin when you have need of goods and services and to support with your choice those who are thoughtful enough to support our efforts. Be sure to let these good people know that you saw their ad in our bulletin.

LINK TO BUSINESSES WHO SUPPORT OUR BULLETIN

SICK AND HOMEBOUND MINISTRY
The Office of Health Care Ministry is sponsoring a six-week workshop on Pastoral Care to the Sick and Homebound at Saint Mary of the Nativity in Scituate. The workshop is starting on Tuesday, September 14 from 7:00PM to 9:00PM. Elizabeth Couble, a Certified Chaplain and former Coordinator of Catholic Pastoral Services at Brockton Hospital, will teach the workshop.
The workshop serves as a wonderful introduction for volunteers new to ministry to the sick, as well as a way to deepen the skills and spiritual foundation of more experienced Pastoral Visitors and Eucharistic Ministers engaged in visiting the sick at home or in nursing homes.
Registration information is available in the Parish Office. The registration deadline is September 7. The cost is $40 per person. E-mail: kfarrell@rcab.org or call for more information @ 617-746-5843.

IRISH PASTORAL CENTRE & THE COUNTY DONEGAL ASSOCIATION OF GREATER BOSTON
SUPPORT FOR BEREAVED FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
On Thursday, August 5th at 7:00PM Mass will be celebrated for the eight victims of the recent Donegal tragedy and for their families. This tragedy has touched the hearts of many in the Irish Community. The Irish Pastoral Centre wishes to offer its support to their relatives and friends in Boston. All are invited to attend.
St. Brendan’s Church, 589 Gallivan Blvd., Dorchester

ROSARY VOLUNTEERS
Help is needed to bring the Rosary to the residents at Grove Manor. If you can give a half hour of your time once a month, it would be greatly appreciated.
The Rosary is recorded so all it takes is the push of a button to bring it to an appreciative audience.
If you are interested, please contact either Marge Varraso @ 781-843-8817 or Therese English @ 781-848-2824.

 

HEALING PRAYER MASS CARDS
~ARE NOW AVAILABLE AT THE RECTORY IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MASS SAID FOR THE GOOD HEALTH OF A LIVING PERSON. STOP IN DURING RECTORY OFFICE HOURS (MONDAY–FRIDAY 9AM-5PM). OFFERING IS $5.00.

AVAILABLE AT THE DOORS OF THE CHURCH
AT ALL TIMES: PARISH BULLETINS
ST. VINCENT dePAUL ENVELOPES
CENSUS FORMS
AT OTHER TIMES: ARCHDIOCESAN APPEAL PACKETS
PARISH APPEAL ENVELOPES
COUNCIL ON AGING MONTHLY
NEWSLETTERS
PILOTS (WEEKLY)
ALSO WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE SURE TO LOOK AT OUR BULLETIN BOARDS FOR NOTICES ABOUT ALL TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING AND ENJOYMENT AND FOR APPEALS FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL SUPPORT.

WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE SURE TO LOOK AT OUR BULLETIN BOARD FOR NOTICES ABOUT ALL TYPES OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING AND ENJOYMENT AND FOR APPEALS FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL SUPPORT.

 

Do you use your computer often? Do you have internet access? Did you ever think of using your computer to support your prayer and reflection?
Try this --- Use LINKS on home page; click anywhere on the paragraph pray-as-you-go and spend 12 to 15 minutes listening to God’s Word and reflecting on what it means for you. Very refreshing for the spirit!

CARDINAL SEAN’S WEEKLY E-MAIL
Cardinal Seán hopes that every Catholic in the Archdiocese with an email account as well as everyone interested in learning about the ministries, activities and works of the Archdiocese of Boston will sign up for his weekly email. Please visit www.Boston200.org



TAX INFORMATION

Due to recent changes in the federal tax laws for charitable contributions, beginning in 2007, parishioners who itemize deductions on Schedule A of their tax returns will no longer be able to deduct contributions to the parish unless they maintain a bank record or receive a written contribution statement from the parish. Cash contributions that are not in a parish envelope cannot be tracked by the parish and will not be included in the year-end contribution statement. To ensure tax deductibility for contributions to our parish, the following payment methods are recommended:

1. Use of parish envelopes provided to you by the parish; or
2. Written check made payable to the parish.

Our parish will track contributions made using the parish envelope system, and will, upon request, produce a written statement of contributions made. This information will include the name of the parish, name of parishioner, date of each individual contribution, and the dollar amount. Our parish cannot track cash contributions, regardless of the amount, that are NOT part of our parish envelope system. Please note, that this does not change the requirement that a taxpayer receive an acknowledgement from our parish for each deductible contribution of $250 or more. If you have any additional questions, please consult with your tax advisor.