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Parish Communities St. Mary & St. Philip Benizi Pastor: Rev. Leo LeBlanc x24 • [email protected] 7th Sunday of Easter
Parish Communities St. Mary & St. Philip Benizi
Pastor: Rev. Leo LeBlanc x24 • [email protected]
7th Sunday of Easter
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St. Philip & St. Mary Parishes of Grafton
St. Philip & St Mary
St Philip May 24- George Stratton requested by Stanley & Gail Dogil May 31– Helen Stone requested by parish June 7—George Stratton requested by Ida & Hank Please continue to pray the end of the virus and for
the good health of all.
Mass will resume at St Philip on Sunday May 31st at 9:00 am
Partners in Charity:
Thank you to all who have made their gift to the 2020 Partners in Charity Appeal. St. Philip is 44% towards their goal
of $33,200 with donations totaling $14,480.00. St. Mary is 42% towards their goal of $65,000 with
donations totaling $27,342.50. You can make a gift or pledge online by visit-
ing www.partners-charity.net or text the word donate to 84576 to pledge on your phone.
Thank you for your continued support.
Thank you for your continued support With the suspension of Masses, we ask that you still con-tinue to show your support by either mailing , flock notes,
website or doing online banking. Thank you for your understanding.
May 23, Saturday: 4:00pm Memorial Mass Marilyn Chard, Betty Kelly , and Pat Szczur requested by a Friend, Memorial John McCartney requested by Catherine Ryan, Memorial Kay Boesen requested by the Family May 24, Sunday: 7:30am 15th Anniversary Dennis P. Flynn by the Family 10:30am Memorial Tony Lea by a Friend Monday – Memorial Day – no 8:00am Mass Tuesday – 7:00pm Mass – 3rd Anniversary Richard Dion Wednesday – 3:00pm Mass Thursday – 8:00am Mass May 30, Saturday: 4:00pm - Memorial John McCartney by Catherine Ryan May 31, Sunday: 7:30am - 5th Anniversary Rhoda Flem-ing by the Family 10:30am – For the Holy Souls in Purgatory
St Mary May 14-19 $4449.00
Easter-$2886.00
St. Philip May 14-19 $1120.00
Please be assured that all Mass intentions will be offered up by Fr. Leo on your loved ones behalf.
We have listed the dates below so please remember them in your prayers.
Pastoral Counseling Centers of Massachusetts 7 Church Street Westborough, MA OJ 581 On behalf of the Pastoral Counseling Centers of MA and the many folk it benefits, we give heartfelt thanks for your donation of $370.00 this month. As a non-profit center, we could not operate without contributions such as yours giving critical assistance to the folks who come here for counseling. Our therapists continue to offer pastoral counseling services to all people, regardless of religious affiliation or financial means. Drawing on the rich traditions of both psychology and spirituality, we respect every person's journey as he or she faces difficult life experiences. The center exists because many people are in need of it and it exists also because many others are called to help provide for its operation Thank you for caring to be part of the providing of this center. It is appreciated by many! Mary Taber Executive Director
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If you know of any elderly or homebound parishioners who
would like to have the bulletin sent to them by mail, please contact St Mary Parish and one will be sent
out weekly.
We Miss You!
Stay connected to get the latest de-tails from our parishes
You will find us on the web at
stphilipgrafton.org stmarysgrafton.org
Please sign up for Flocknotes on the web for continuous updates on your phone or email.
You will find us on Facebook at
stmary.stphilip.of.grafton.ma
You will find our Masses on the local cable channels at channel 191 for charter or
channel 34 for Verizon
If you need us, call us at 508-839-3325 - St. Philip 508-839-3993 – St. Mary
High School Students If you have not returned your home study ma-
terials, please return as soon as possible. We need them back for students.
Thank you to the unbelievably gener-ous parishioners who helped us supply groceries to 20 Grafton families this month! We need your help for our next Market Sunday, June 7. We could use any non perishable food. We are in particular need of rice mixes, Lipton Sides, Ham-burger Helper, coffee and tea. Donations can be left in the Gathering Space at St Mary’s or St Philip’s.
If you still need to register your child, please do so soon. You can register and pay online at https://stmarysgrafton.org/re-registration. If your child is
NEW to the program and was NOT baptized at St. Mary or St. Philip, please forward us a copy of his/her baptismal certificate. If you know a family with a child entering Grade K or Grade 1 next Fall, please extend an invitation to them to enroll their child in Religious Education.
Dear Parent of First Communion Student
On May 18th, Governor Baker allowed for places of worship to reopen providing they can
meet certain guidelines with respect to safely conducting worship services. Bishop McManus
has lifted his suspension of public celebrations of Mass while at the same time reminding
parishes to carefully observe the restrictions which continue to be imposed by government
authorities in the interest of public health. We are now beginning to plan for our First Com-
munion Masses which we had to postpone earlier. Please read the following information care-
fully:
1. If you haven’t already picked up and completed your child’s banner, please do so ASAP.
2. We implemented an online signup with limited slots (48 per Mass) so as to ensure we
comply with governmental guidelines. You can access the signup page for both First Com-
munion rehearsal and liturgy at: https://www.signupgenius.com/
go/20F0D4AAAAD2EA3FD0-first1. We will accept sign ups on a first come, first served
basis.
3. Please go to the signup for the First Communion time so that we can get an idea of the
numbers we will have at each liturgy. You will be asked to also indicate the number of
people you are expecting to attend. We don’t expect to have more than 8 students at a
given mass. If you cannot access the signup or need more than 6 people, please call or
email me to discuss.
4. All rehearsals and masses will take place at St. Mary’s Church on the following days: Re-
hearsal Date Liturgy Date Tues. 6/2/20 4:00pm for Sat. 6/6/20 10:00am Thurs. 6/4/20
4:00pm for Sun. 6/7/20 3:00pm Tues. 6/9/20 4:00pm for Sat. 6/13/20 10:00am Thurs.
6/11/20 4:00pm for Sun. 6/14/20 3:00pm
5. You will be receiving additional information with more specifics on the particular dates
you selected once we have the signups completed.
6. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected] with any questions
or concerns. The word Eucharist means “Thanksgiving” and we thank God that we are
able to once again regather as a parish family to celebrate Mass together. I certainly
look forward to celebrating with you that joyous occasion when your child will be able to
join us at the table of the Lord for the first time. May our hearts always continue to
hunger for this precious gift that Jesus gives in the Blessed Sacrament.
Yours in Christ, Darleen Farland, DRE St. Mary & St. Philip Parishes
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May 24, 2020 7th Sunday of Easter
“I Pray for Them” The Anglican bishop Rowan Williams describes intercessory prayer (or petitioning prayer) as a
simple effort to think of someone or something in the presence of God. Not to ask God for this in
exchange for that. Not a transactional relationship or tit-for-tat exchange: “I offer you this so you
will give me (or someone else) that.”
Instead, we place ourselves in God’s presence and we seek to desire what he desires. We want to
see come about what he wills to happen.
That is the essence of intercessory prayer. We place in God’s hands those things we believe we
need or those people we desire to lift up, heal, help… trusting not in our own actions but in the
purity of God’s love. Not expecting results, but seeking to place ourselves where God is already
going.
Bishop Rowan’s point is that we shouldn’t expect a cause-and-effect experience in prayer: “I pray
and God’s gives me what I ask for.” We have all experienced times where we have asked and
asked and asked, and yet it seems that God does not hear, does not respond, does not give. But
God does respond: with his presence, with his truth, with his love.
In this weekend’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Jesus has ascended to sit at God’s
right hand. What do the apostles do? They join Christ’s mother, Mary, in prayer. There is no
mention in Scripture of what they prayed for. Or how God responded. It is not necessary. What
matters is that they gathered in community to join hearts and hands and voices in prayer to God.
To enter into communion with the divine and desire his Kingdom to be made real in their lives,
trusting that it would all be for the good.
In the Gospel, Jesus prays to the Father for those he holds most dear to him. If the Son of God
(God incarnate) prays to the Father, trusts in the Father, should we do no less? For Jesus shows
us that prayer is relationship, not commerce. It is an exchange of love for love, not this for that.
Whatever comes from God will be what should come from God. The apostles suffered and died
martyrs, notwithstanding the prayers of Christ. Can we possibly say Jesus’ prayers were in vain?
How could their lives (and deaths) or his prayers ever be “in vain” when we know Jesus because
of their sacrifices?
As Father Bernie Ezaki says, at some point in our lives, “we’ve gotten to a place where we are
either going to judge God based on circumstances we don’t understand or we are going to judge
circumstances based on our understanding of who God is.”
It doesn’t mean we don’t experience pain, disappointment, sadness in life. That at times it won’t
seem as if our desires have been thwarted – even the best and most virtuous of desires. It
means that we know God has not abandoned us or those we pray for. He stands with them, by
them, and for them and us. For there at the cross, Jesus
has stood: as abandoned, hurting, disappointed and sad
as any of us. And in the depths of his suffering…
salvation was made real to us all.
As Professor of Theology Debra Dean Murphy writes, “If
prayer is possible in the winter of the heart and in this
time of COVID-19, it might be through the psalms of la-
ment. Those ancient cries of abandonment and loss,
when prayed from our own lips, can open a space where
we discover that we are not alone in our aloneness. Je-
sus, having entered the human plane in helplessness and
vulnerability, prayed the psalms himself as he was dying,
revealing, as Dietrich Bonhoeffer concluded from his Na-
zi prison cell, that only the suffering God can help.”
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Congratulations Cassidy! The future is all yours now. Go for it! May the Lord bless your steps and watch over you as you head to UMass Amherst. We are very proud of
you! All our Love, Mom, Dad, Ashley & Delaney
Please submit your gradua-tion picture to Carole so we can all celebrate
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Website for both parishes www.stmarysgrafton.org
Parish Staff
Deacon Tim Cross: ext. 29 [email protected]
Business Manager: Lisa Stewart x11 [email protected]
Director of Religious Ed St Mary/ St. Philip–
Darleen Farland x12 [email protected]
Administrator of Religious Ed St. Mary/St. Philip Carole LeBlanc [email protected]
Dir. Music/Organist/St. Mary Pamela Cross
Music Coordinator, Organist: Brittany Dyer St Philip [email protected]
Parish Secretary /Safe Environment Coordinator St. Mary: Jill Sullivan x10 [email protected]
Parish Secretary /Safe Environment Coordinator St. Phil-
ip Carole LeBlanc [email protected]
Custodian– Ron Dennis [email protected]
St Vincent de Paul Society of St Philip/St Mary at 508 839-3993 x 35. All information is kept strictly confi-
dential .
St Mary Prayer Line 508-839-3393 X18
Youth [email protected]
St. Mary Office - 508-839-3993
St. Philip Office - 508-839-3325
BULLETIN NOTICES: To Carole by 6:00 PM Mondays. Email [email protected] SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION: 3-3:30 PM on Saturday and by appoint-ment. Monday - Thursday, following the 8:00 AM Mass. SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM: The sac-rament of Baptism is celebrated at ei-ther the 4pm Saturday Mass or the 10:30 Sunday Mass at St. Mary& 9am Mass Sundays at St. Philip. Please speak to Fr. Leo after Mass. ( The sac-rament may be celebrated at another time for serious reason.) SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE: Con-tact Fr. Leo at least one year prior to the tentative wedding date. CARE FOR THE SICK: The Visiting Eucharistic Ministers of St Mary/St Phil-ip Benizi Parishes are available to bring the Eucharist to you at home or your rehab facility. Please call the church office at 508-839-3993 or call Noreen McConville (VEM coordinator) at 508-839-5313 to schedule home visits. NEW PARISHIONERS: Please intro-duce yourself to Fr. Leo, Deacon Tim or a greeter after Mass. Visit the office or log into the website . We want to know and serve you. We hope that you will become members of our parish com-munity. R.C.I.A.- Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults Contact Darleen at 508-839-3993 X 12 for more info. Share this notice with someone you know who may be inter-ested.
Thank you for supporting your Parish Communities Use your smartphone camera to scan this QR Code to make an online contribution. Using this method,
you have the option to set up weekly, monthly, or annually recurring contributions
To donate to St. Philip, scan below: To donate to St. Mary, scan below:
