HOLIDAY BAZAAR HELP We will be baking pies on Friday Nov. 17th @ 9:00.
We are in need of bottles of cheer, prizes for the Chinese Raffle table, cans of Pie filling or fresh apples, and used jewelry. The Holiday Bazaar
date is Sat., Nov.18th
ALL SAINTS DAY
HOLY DAY OF
OBLIGATION Wednesday, November 1st. Mass
will be at 9:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
ALL SOULS DAY Thursday, November 2nd Msgr.
Shershanovich will be celebrating
mass at 12:00 p.m. at St. Joseph
Cemetery in the mausoleum chapel.
All are welcome. Please bring a
chair.
Once again, the food pantries of Pittsfield are collaborating as the Thanksgiving Angels to help those in need with their turkey and all the fixings. St. Joseph Parish, with the Salvation Army, are
collecting packets of turkey gravy from McCormack, Knorr, or the store brand (not Bouillon). At this time we have 270 packets of gravy toward our goal. We still have a long way to
go. Please continue to help those in need. You may also make a monetary donation for turkeys and other items throughout
the holiday season. Place these donations in an envelope marked "St. Joseph Food Pantry" as either cash or check and place in the collection basket or mail to
the office at 414 North St. Our clients appreciate your generosity. May your Thanksgiving be as blessed as you are making others as grateful.
MOHEGAN SUN TRIP Monday, November 6th. Bus leaves St. Joe’s
parking lot at 8AM and leaves Mohegan to return home about 4:15. The cost of the trip is
$35. In the spirit of Thanksgiving please bring a
package of turkey gravy (Knorr’s or McCormack) for
the Thanksgiving Angels Project. Call the rectory for
reservations.
ST. JOSEPH CEMETERY
Winter decorations can be
placed on lots beginning
November 1st. Cemetery
gates will be close at 4:00 p.m. starting Sunday,
November 5th.
We are taking orders for Traditional 5 inch Canadian Meat Pies "Tourtiere", consisting of beef, pork, potato, onion, celery and spices at $5.00 each, a limit of 70 frozen, uncooked pies will be made and sold to order. The Canadian Meat Pies will be available to be picked up at St. Joseph Holiday Bazaar and Bake Sale at St. Joseph Parish Center on Saturday November 18, 2017, from 9 AM until noon. Kindly contact Rita Laviolette at 499-3623 to place your order by November 1, 2017. All proceeds go to St. Joseph Church.
Halloween is a holiday, celebrated each year on October 31, that has roots in age-old European traditions. It originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light
bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. “The Celts believed that the dead could walk among the
living at this time. During Samhain, the living could visit with the dead.” In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to
honor all saints; soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later
Halloween. Some of the Celts wore ghoulish costumes so that wandering spirits would mistake them for one of their own and leave them alone.
Others offered sweets to the spirits to appease them. In medieval Europe, the Catholic clergy adopted
local pagan customs and had their followers go from house to house wearing costumes and requesting
small gifts. Halloween jack-o’-lanterns started when supplicants moved from door to door asking for food
in return for a prayer for the dead, and they would carry hollowed-out turnip lanterns, whose candle
indicated a soul trapped in purgatory. Others say that the lanterns were used to ward off evil spirits.
During the 1800’s in North America, pumpkins replaced turnips because they were plentiful as well as easy to hollow out and carve. The beliefs behind this custom—the immortality of the soul, purgatory,
and prayers for the dead.
EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS
Sat., Oct. 28th
4:00 PM Sun., Oct. 29th
9:00 AM Sun., Oct. 29th
11:30 AM Jim Armstrong Carolyn Rousseau Michael Wood
Sr. Jean Bostley Joe Ryan Jeff Gerard
Sheila Bouquet Judy Sayers Glenna Gerard
Joe Bourquard Ron Sayers Mary Huska
Sheila Christiana Terry Costello Jim McNeice
Michael Collins Lillian Trzepacz Daniel Kochapski
Barbara Dalo Jeff Vincent
LECTORS
Mardi Fezzie Donna Quallen Robert Bouquet Sharyn Fresia Peggy Taylor Anne Dunham
ST. JOSEPH CHURCH, Pittsfield, MA October 29, 2017
SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM - New parents are expected to complete a course of instruction. Please consult the parish
office for classes. RECONCILIATION - Saturdays 3:00-3:45 PM
SACRAMENT OF MATRIMONY- Couples should contact the parish office at least one year prior to the wedding.
NEW PARISHIONERS - Register at the parish office. We look forward to welcoming you to the parish family.
MINISTRY TO THE SICK - Parishioners confined to home have visitations that are scheduled on a regular basis. Please
notify the parish office to make arrangements. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CLASSES - For all public school students, grades K-11, and parochial students preparing for
Sacraments. Following the 9:00 AM Mass: Grades K through 4 in Parish Center—Grades 5/6 in South Chapel–
Grades 7/8/9 in lower Rectory. Grade 10 will meet in Parish Center once monthly. Grade 11 for final
Confirmation requirements as needed.
CCD NEWS
October 29th—Regular classes for grades K-9. All Saint’s Day Students K-6 to process at 9:00
Mass. Meet in N. Chapel at 8:45.
November 5th—Regular classes for grades K-9. November 12th-Regular classes for grades K-9.
Grade 10 meet at the Parish Center –5:00 to 8:00
ITALIAN FAMILY DINNER
Remember to get your tickets for the St. Anne Society
Parish Family Dinner which is planned for November 11th.
The dinner features homemade Italian food cooked at the Parish Center such as ziti with a rich meat sauce,
meatballs, chicken parmesan, salad, dessert and coffee. Come and enjoy good food and
camaraderie with your parish family. Take out service will be available at 4:45 p.m. Advanced ticket sales are available from Mary Paquette at 445-5587 or the rectory. Tickets are limited and only unsold tickets will be available at the
door.
Now, donating to the church has never been easier. Even if you can’t attend mass each week, visit us at ww.stjoepittsfield.com and sign up for WeShare online giving. Eliminate the need for writing checks, choose a payment option that works for you, easily adjust the amount of recurring donations and if your traveling, you can still donate while away from home. Your support of St. Joseph’s Parish is greatly appreciated!
Readings for the Week of October 29, 2017 Sunday: Ex 22:20-26/Ps 18:2-4, 47, 51/1 Thes 1:5c-10/Mt 22:34
-40 Monday: Rom 8:12-17/Ps 68:2, 4, 6-7ab, 20-21/Lk 13:10-17
"The whole law and the prophets depend on these two
commandments." Jesus gives us a simple moral principle in today's Gospel. He speaks about two kinds of love: love of God and love of neighbor. He tells us that all the other
laws and teachings of our faith fall under these two headings. So if we can master these, we will be in good spiritual shape! First of all, regarding the love of God,
Jesus tells us in essence that we must love God completely and entirely, with our whole being--heart, soul, and mind. If we are holding back from a full commitment to God, then we are falling short of this vision. So we would do well to examine ourselves and find those trouble spots
where we are hesitant to give God everything. Is there a relationship we hold in our heart that is somehow
separating us from God, either by negative association, lingering bitterness, or a kind of idol-worship of the
relationship itself? What about our souls? Are we deeply attached to any pastimes, pleasures, or pursuits that cloud our soul from clearly welcoming the presence of God? An examination of our minds is in order as well. How do we direct our thoughts? Do we strive to form our conscience and understanding in the truth, or do we passively allow
public opinion or popular consensus to direct our conclusions about the Church, the world, and our own
identity? It follows that the closer we come to loving God with our whole being, the better we will be at loving our neighbors. The more we are filled with God's love, the
