Please take advantage of the following programs we offer for our adult parishioners:
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Rite of Christian Initiation ~ RCIA
The Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) is a program for those 17+ who wish to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Holy Communion, and/or Confirmation. For more information and to register, please contact Fr. Wayne at (781-326-0550). Classe Schedule is as follows:
Thursday, December 5th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, December 19th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, January 9th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, January 23rd at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, February 6th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, February 27th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, March 13th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, March 27th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Thursday, April 10th at 6:30 p.m. (Rectory)
Please note Adult Confirmation is Holy Saturday, April 19th at 7:00 pm
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Catholic Men’s Night
Join your brothers in the parish for a night out at the rectory. We will gather in the Rectory at 6:00 pm on Friday, November 15th for dinner, drinks, cigars, and other activities. This is open to all men 21+ in the parish.
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Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion/Volunteers to the Homebound and Care Facilities
There will be a special meeting of all Extraordinary ministers/Volunteers who so graciously serve those who are homebound, hospitalized or living in a local facility. This will take place on Wednesday, November 20th at 5:30 PM in the Parish Center Dining Room.
Please RSVP to Nancy McCormick at 781-326-0550 x139 or nlmccormick4@gmail.com.
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See Christ in Others ~ Ministry to Those of All Abilities
Please join us for Holy Mass and praying the Rosary with families with members of all abilities, with a special invitation to those with disabilities on Saturday, November 23rd beginning with Holy Mass at 4:00 pm followed by the Rosary and light snacks at 5:00 pm {in Mary Hall/Life House}. For more information, please contact Nancy at 781-326-0550, ext. 139 or email: nlmccormick4@gmail.com.
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The Liturgy of the Hours ~ The Divine Office
Join us every Wednesday at 6:00 pm in the St. Joseph Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel as we sing/pray the Liturgy of the Hours.
The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, is the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer. Each of the five canonical Hours includes selections from the Psalms that culminate in a scriptural proclamation.
Please join us Wednesday evenings for this rich and beautiful treasure of the Church.
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Wild at Heart
Wild at Heart Experience ~ The Path to Restoring the Heart of a Man
An invitation is extended to all the men of the parish who are eighteen years old and over to join us for a six-week intense video series based on John Eldredge’s best seller “Wild at Heart.” Our next Session will be on Wednesday, November 20th at 6:00 pm in the Chapel. We will begin with Evening Prayer and then move over to the rectory for our session. If you are interested, please check out the video trailer at: https://www.wildatheart.org
Simply click on: “The Heart of a Man” a six-week video journey. After watching the video, if you are interested, email Fr. Wayne at: wbelschner@stmarysdedham.com
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Parish Book Club
Our next Parish Book Club selection is by Liz Curtis Higgins entitled:
“The Women of Christmas.” A sacred season is about to unfold for three women whose hearts belong to God. Elizabeth is barren, yet her trust in God remains fertile. Mary is betrothed in marriage, yet she is willing to bear God’s Son. Anna is a widow full of years, yet she waits patiently, prayerfully for the Messiah to appear in the temple courts. Following in their footsteps, you too can prepare for the Savior to enter your heart, your mind, and your life in a vibrant, new way.
Author, Liz Curtis Higgs, explores the biblical stories of Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna, unwrapping each verse with tender care introducing you afresh to The Women of Christmas. We will meet on Thursday, December 5, in the Parish Center.
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The Ten Commandments
I. I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange Gods before Me.
As Catholics we worship the one true God ~ Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Catechism of the Catholic Church #2086 states: “When we say ‘God’ we confess a constant, unchangeable being, always the same, faithful and just, without any evil.” But can we actually have other ‘gods’ in our lives?
The Catechism warns of things which impede our worship of God alone: superstition, idolatry, magic, divination which is the seeking after knowledge of future or hidden things by inadequate means. These means being recourse to satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices are falsely supposed to “unveil” the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.
Anything that we put before God in our lives ~ money, power, material things, etc. ~ has the potential to become a ‘god’ to us, thus causing us to violate the First Commandment. ~ Gus Lloyd
II. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
“The Second Commandment prescribes respect for the Lord’s name.” (CCC #2142) This perhaps is the most abused of the Commandments since it is often done out of habit by so many without even thinking about it: “Respect for His name is an expression of the respect owed to the mystery of God Himself and to the whole sacred reality it evokes.” (CCC #2144)
The numerous offenses are not only the way we use the name of God and Jesus, but also the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Saints. Many do so without even thinking that they may be breaking a commandment. The Catechism also warns against blasphemy, misusing God’s name in promises/oaths; such as, “I swear to God!” Breaking an oath/promise using God’s name, as in a court, is perjury, another offense against the Second Commandment. Speaking of God is something the Christian must always do. But using the name of God must always be done with the utmost reverence. ~ Gus Lloyd
III. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath Day.
God insisted that His people rest on the Sabbath. The Third Commandment means not just rest, but worship: “The celebration of Sunday observes the moral commandment inscribed by nature in the human heart to render to God an outward, visible, public, and regular worship ’as a sign of his universal beneficence to all.’” {CCC #2176}
For Catholics, attending Holy Mass is an integral part of this Commandment. Intentionally, skipping Holy Mass is a mortal sin: “The Sunday Eucharist is the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice. For this reason, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Eucharist on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, unless excused for a serious reason (sickness, care of an infant or infirmed, etc.) or dispensed by their own pastor. Those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit grace sin.” {CCC #2181} The Church requires that one refrain from doing unnecessary work on Sunday. ~ Gus Lloyd
IV. Honor your father and your mother
Parenting has always been a very difficult job. Every parent has had their successes and failures. Sometimes the relationships between parents and children can be broken. Nevertheless, honor and respect, must always be given to our parents: “Respecting this Commandment provides, along with spiritual fruits, temporal fruits of peace and prosperity. Conversely, failure to observe it brings great harm to communities and individuals.” {CCC #2200}
The Catechism expands this idea of honor and respect to the greater society and includes sections on the duties of civil authorities: “Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human person.” {CCC #2237} On the duties of citizens: “It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom.” {CCC #2239}.
The Fourth Commandment is a call to give honor and respect to all authority, beginning with the bedrock of society, the family. ~ Gus Lloyd
V. You shall not kill.
“Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and remains forever in a special relationship with the Creator, who is its sole end.” {CCC #2258} “Scripture specifies the prohibition contained in the Fifth Commandment: ‘Do not slay the innocent and the righteous. {CCC #2261}
The Catechism goes on to explain those things which violate the Fifth Commandment such as intentional homicide, abortion, euthanasia, and physician assisted suicide. The Catechism, in all of this, speaks about the spirit of the Fifth Commandment that goes much deeper than just taking a human life; it addresses avoiding scandal, respecting the human body, and guidelines for scientific research. ~ Gus Lloyd
VI. You shall not commit adultery
As with all the Commandments, this commandment encompasses much more than a single act. Regarding the martial act: “The union of a man and woman in marriage is a way of imitating in the flesh God’s, the Creator’s, generosity and fecundity; ‘therefore, a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh.’ All human generations proceed from this union.” {CCC 2335}
The Sixth Commandment is about chastity and the Catechism lists numerous offenses against chastity. The Catechism, also, includes a section of the ‘Love of Husband and Wife’ which speaks beautifully of the martial union: “The married couple forms ‘the intimidate partnership of life and love established by God and governed by His laws. In the martial act, both give themselves definitively and totally to each other.” {CCC 2364} ~ Gus Lloyd
VII. You shall not steal
“The seventh commandment forbids unjustly taking or keeping the goods of another and wronging others in any way with respect to goods. It commands justice and charity in the care of earthly goods and the fruits of men’s labor. For the sake of the common good, it requires respect for the universal destination of goods and respect for the right to private property. Christian life strives to order this world’s goods to God and to fraternal charity.” {CCC #2401}
As with all the commandments, the Catechism speaks of a wide range of topics in the section on the Seventh Commandment, not just theft. Offenses against the Seventh Commandment include: “deliberate retention of goods lent or of objects lost; business fraud; paying unjust wages; forcing up prices by taking advantage of the ignorance or hardship of another.” {CCC # 2409}
It speaks of the importance of keeping promises and honoring contracts and “forbids acts or enterprises that for any reason . . . lead to the enslavement of human beings.” {CCC #2414}
It is also here that Social Doctrine of the Church is laid out. It is lengthy and comprehensive but may be summed up in this: “Any system in which social relationships are determined entirely by economic factors is contrary to the nature of the human person and his acts.” {CCC #2423} ~ Gus Lloyd
VIII. You shall not steal
The section in the Catechism of the Catholic Church {CCC} on the Eighth Commandment begins with this summary: “The eighth commandment forbids misrepresenting the truth in our relations with others. This moral prescription flows from the vocation of the holy people to bear witness to their God who is the truth and wills the truth. Offenses against the truth express by word or deed a refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness: they are fundamental infidelities to God and, in this sense, they undermine the foundations of the covenant.” {CCC #2464}
Offenses against the Eighth Commandment include false witness and perjury, or lying under oath; rash judgement, believing the worst of another with no or insufficient evidence; detraction, disclosing antoher’s faults and failings to persons who did not know them; calumny, lying about another to harm their reputation, and boasting or bragging.
And of course the most direct offense against the truth, lying. The Catechism tells us: “The gravity of a lie is measured against the nature of the truth it deforms, the circumstances, the intentions of the one who lies, and the harm suffered by its victims. If a lie in itself only constitutes a venial sin, it becomes mortal when it does grave injury to the virtues of justice and charity.” {CCC #2484}
Finally, we are called to right the wrongs we have done through offenses to the Eighth Commandment, what the Catechism refers to as “the duty of reparation:” “This duty of reparation also concerns offenses against another’s reputation [and] must be evaluated in terms of the extent of the damage inflicted. It obliges in conscience.” {CCC #2487} ~ Gus Lloyd
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The Monica Hour
Nothing is far from God!
Please join us in St. Joseph’s Chapel each Monday from 6:00-7:00 pm for the Monica Hour. We will pray for our loved ones who have strayed from the faith. You may give a request for somebody in particular to Ann Stano or Nancy McCormick at: nlmccormick4@gmail.com. All names submitted are kept confidential
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Porters of St. Joseph
The Porters of Saint Joseph are a volunteer apostolate with the mission to imitate St. Joseph as the Protector of the Holy Church, Pillar of Families, and Terror of Demons. We do this by providing a safe environment at our parishes so the faithful can worship God in peace and security. We build teams of faithful men who have felt the call to get involved but have not yet found the opportunity to put their courageous, heroic, masculine heart at the service of their parish, while at the same time, forming a bond of Christian brotherhood with like-minded men. For more information contact Fr. Wayne.
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The League of St. Joan of Arc
The League of Saint Joan of Arc is a volunteer apostolate with the mission to imitate St. Joan of Arc as Protector of the Holy Church and Guide of Families. We do this by providing a safe environment at our parish so the faithful can worship God in peace and security. We build teams of faithful women who have felt the call to get involved but have not yet found the opportunity to put their courageous and compassionate hearts at the service of the parish, while at the same time, forming a bond of Christian sisterhood. For more information contact Fr. Wayne.
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St. Mary’s Library & Book Store
The Library is located on the first floor of the Parish Center. It is open Monday-Friday from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. Come check out new arrivals to the collection. You are welcome to take books home, to the Chapel, or even stay in the air-conditioned room to read.
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Divine Mercy Devotions
Join us Monday through Friday at 3:00 p.m. as we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy together before the newly installed Divine Mercy image on the outside front wall of the Parish Center. We will have copies of the devotion available.
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Tuesday Gospel Study
Our weekly Gospel Study is Tuesday mornings (11am –noon). If you have considered joining us to become better acquainted with the Sunday Gospels, this is your chance to join in. No commitment or prior knowledge of Scripture Study is required; we learn and share together in a relaxed atmosphere.
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Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration
Jesus waits for you ~ Let your heart be moved by Him!
He waits to see you and longs for your friendship.
He waits to hear your needs and concerns.
He waits to encounter your love and is present in the Eucharist and in every person you meet.
Pray to Him daily ~ Visit Him in Eucharistic Adoration.
Consider giving the Lord one hour a week, it will be time well spent. If you would like to sign up for an hour please visit the Perpetual Adoration website:
http://adorationpro.org/maryma
ADORATION IS IN THE CHAPEL DAILY FROM 6:00 A.M. TO 11:00 P.M.
Outside St. Joseph’s Chapel are Posted of Eucharistic Miracles. Take a moment and see these great miracles of the Faith. The posters are changed periodically.
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Catholic Social Justice Ministry
Bringing dignity to our vulnerable through
Awareness – Prayer – Action
In honor of our veterans this month we pay tribute to all our fallen heroes and we pray for our POW + MIA. Thank you for your selfless service.
Did you know… as of November 12th, 2024 the number of Americans soldiers missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam war is at 1,574?
Take a moment to reflect on every American Citizen who gave their life. If you see a member of our Armed Forces, be sure to thank them for their Service.
~ Fly Your American & POW Flag ~
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We pray for those who witnessed & marched for the lives of the unborn in Boston at: THEMENSMARCH.COM /Boston
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Prayers of hope for Healing Retreat
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Healing Mass of Remembrance for Pregnancy & Infancy loss
Wednesday, November 20th at 7:00 pm at the Pastoral Center in Braintree.
All are welcome to attend ~ please call: 508-651-3100.
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St. Mary’s Christmas Special
Click on the link below to see the First Annual St. Mary’s Christmas Special.
A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
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