St. Roch Parish

Sister Parish ~ St. Anne of Chardonnieres, Haiti

“Hear O Israel!

The Lord our God is Lord alone!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your

heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,

and with all your strength.

The second is this: You shall love your neighbor

as yourself. There is no other commandment

greater than these.” ~Mark 12:29-31

St. Roch Parish Sister Parish ~ St. Anne of Chardonnieres

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE THIRTY- FIRST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME November 4, 2018

Saturday, November 3, 2018 4:00 PM Sunday, November 4, 2018 8:30 AM Mark Lyons by his mother 11:00 AM Louis Prunier (7th Anniversary) by wife Olive & family Monday, November 5, 2018 8:30 AM James “Birdie” Quaiel by wife Barbara Tuesday, November 6, 2018 8:30 AM No Mass Wednesday, November 7, 2018 8:30 AM Michael Harrington by John ScriccaThursday, November 8, 2018 8:30 AM Kenneth Mills and family (living) by Paul Miner Friday, November 9, 2018 8:30 AM Pauline Druker by the Parishioners of St. Roch Saturday, November 10, 2018 4:00 PM Barbara Swenson by the Swenson FamilySunday, November 11, 2018 8:30 AM Therese Chiapulis (9th Anniversary) by sister Cindy Clark NOON Richard Roy by the family

Scripture Readings

Sunday, November 4 Dt 6:2-6 Heb 7:23-28 Mk 12:28b-34 Monday, November 5 Phil 2:1-4 Lk 14:12-14 Tuesday, November 6 Phil 2:5-11, Lk 14:15-24 Wednesday, November 7 Phil 2:12-18 Lk 14:25-33 Thursday, November 8 Phil 3:3-8a Lk 15:1-10 Friday, November 9 Ez 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 1 Cor 3:9c-11, 16-17, Jn 2:13-22 Saturday, November 10 Phil 4:10-19 Lk 16:9-15 Sunday, November 11 1 Kgs 17:10-16 Heb 9:24-28 Mk 12:38-44

PARISH DIRECTORY

334 Main St., Oxford, MA 01540

Rectory Office ………………………………(508) 987-8987 Fax ……………………………...…………. (508) 987-8938 Religious Education Office………………….(508) 987-2382

Pastor Rev. Michael J. Roy Deacon Rev. Mr. Paul Connolly Director of Religious Education Mrs. Terry Ann Renaud Administrative Assistant (M-TH 9-4) Mrs. Teri Rawson Email: strochrectory@gmail.com Director of Music Ms. Anna Pizzolato St. Vincent de Paul Society.…………Arlene (508) 987-2813

Cemetery ………………..Contact rectory at (508) 987-8987

Mass Schedule

Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:30 & 11:00 AM

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8:30 AM

(No Mass here the fourth Wednesday of the month—Fr. Roy has Mass at

St. Paul’s Cathedral)

Confessions: 3:00 PM Saturday or anytime on request.

Office Hours: Monday thru Thursday 8:30-4 Pastoral Care: All the time

WEBSITE: strochoxford.com

EMAILS: Teri Rawson—Rectory Office: strochrectory@gmail.com Terry Renaud—Rel. Ed. Office: strochoxford@gmail.com

October 27 & 28

Offertory Envelopes (124) $ 3,280.00 Loose Money 461.00 Other sources of income 413.00 Total 4,154.00 Weekly Goal 5,582.00 Result Thank You! - 1,428.00

There will be a second collection this weekend November 3rd & 4th to support the ongoing efforts to aid those affected by Hurricane Florence. Thank you.

There will be a second collection next weekend November 10th & 11th for Fuel. We thank you in advance for your generosity.

PLEASE NOTE:

Veteran’s Day November 11, 2018

is on a Sunday. The town of Oxford will be having a parade on Main Street and pausing at the Veteran

Monuments to honor all the veterans who have sacrificed so much for their country. To lessen the confusion with the traffic and to keep the eleventh hour solemn, the Sunday 11:00 Mass will be celebrated at NOON.

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE THIRTY- FIRST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME November 4, 2018

My dear parishioners,

Getting back to basics is always a good thing to do. We have a real tendency to complicate things, simplicity is an authentic work of God’s grace. With that in mind I do believe that the Holy Spirit has been prompting me to share with you what I believe is the fundamental purpose of a parish. Simply to make present in our own time the mission of our Lord Jesus, our eternal salvation—to put it simply, to help us become saints. The Lord asks much of us, our full attention, and in return He offers us true life, the happiness for which we were created. He wants us to be saints and not to settle for a bland and mediocre existence. This call to holiness is present in nearly every page of the Bible. The Letter to the Hebrews encourages us to “run with perseverance the race that is set before us” (12:1) and invites us to realize that “a great cloud of witnesses” impels us to advance constantly toward that goal. The saints, in glory are cheering us on and make intercessions on our behalf. Some of whom we have known personally; parents, grandparents, friends and neighbors. Our path to heaven is personal and unique. We should not grow discouraged before examples of holiness that appear unattainable. The lives of some saints are helpful and inspiring, but the Lord has a specific path for each of us. The important thing is that each believer figures out his or her own path; that they bring out the very best of themselves; using the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts, rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them. Just let every part of your life truly be open to God. Do not be dismayed, the power of the Holy Spirit enables us to do this. In the end our holiness is the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. When I feel the temptation to dwell on my weakness I raise my eyes to Christ crucified and say: “Lord, I am a poor sinner, but you can work the miracle of making me a little bit better.” Our path to holiness is made up of a multitude of small gestures and choosing to ask ourselves frequently, “What would Jesus do?” When Cardinal Nguyen was imprisoned he refused to waste time waiting or the day he would be set free. Instead, he chose to “live the present moment, filling it to the brim with love.” He decided: “I will seize the occasions that present themselves every day. I will accomplish ordinary action in an extraordinary way.” Pope Francis in his recent letter, ‘Rejoice and Be Glad’: “You need to see the entirety of your life as a mission. Try to do so by listening to God in prayer and recognizing the signs that He gives you. Always ask the Sprit what Jesus expects of you at every moment of your life and in every decision you must make. The Lord will bring your mission to fulfillment despite your mistakes and missteps, provided that you do not abandon the path of love but remain ever open to His supernatural grace, which purifies and enlightens.” I hope that these reflections are helpful to you. I know that they have been beneficial to me; reminding me that amidst the business of parish life from festivals to funerals there is purpose and meaning to it all.

Let us continue to love one another,

Fr. Roy

The Readings for next Sunday, November 11, 2018

1 Kings 17:10-16 Hebrews 9:24-28 Mark 12:38-44

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE THIRTY- FIRST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME November 4, 2018

HARVEST

FAIR

Saturday, November 10th—8 am-2 pm

Adopt-A-Basket Raffle ~ Crafts ~ Baked Goods Money Raffle ~ Handmade Jewelry ~ Books

Rada Knives ~ White Elephants ~ Lunch

DROP OFFS Drop offs begin in the church hall

Monday, October 29th.

***Please look for the appropriate marked areas when dropping off donations.

White Elephant items Books

Basket Raffle items

Baked Goods may be dropped off on Friday, No-vember 9th from 8:30-3:00 or Saturday, November 10th beginning at 8:00 in the church hall.

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR DONATIONS!! WE COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU!

BOOT DRIVE

The St. Vincent de Paul Society will continue to hold their annual boot drive during the month November for the needy in our area.

Clean used boots for children, women, and men are desperately needed for local shelters. Boots can be placed in the bins inside the church entrances. Thank you!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! If you can give an hour or two or more, please let us know! We are looking for people to help at the raffle, bake sale, and white elephant tables as well as in the kitchen serving coffee in the morning or preparing and serving lunch—all on Nov. 10th.

Raffle baskets will be assembled on Wednesday, Nov. 7th 11-1 pm.

Cutting party in the kitchen will take place Thursday, Nov. 8th 12-2 pm.

Help is needed in all these areas. Please call Cheryl at 508-987-5878 or the rectory at 508-987-8987 if you can spare some time. Thank you!!

Children & Adults are invited to pray and discern whether a ministry as altar server, greeter, hospitality minister, reader, lector, or Extraordinary minister of Eucharist is calling you. Call 508-987-8987 for more details.

DAYS OF ATONEMENT will be on the first and third Mondays of the

month for the rest of this year. November 5 & 19, December 3 & 17

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will follow the 8:30 am Mass until Benediction at noon

time. If you are unable to participate in these prayerful gath-erings, you are invited to observe the Atonement Day by fasting. Our intention is that as we make reparation for sin, both the survivors of the sex abuse crisis and our Church will be healed.

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL #4241

Meeting every first Tuesday of the month beginning with a Mass at 6:00 pm at St. Ann’s. Then we retire to the church hall to

begin K of C Council Meeting at 6:45 pm. Lots of things happening! If you are in need of something, please call a brother Knight. We are always looking for new men who are interested in joining! You may contact us by email to: kofcoxfordmass.org

Save the Date

Light of the World Lenten Retreat

March 22-25

I will help with the retreat…. [ ] yes [ ] no Name________________________________________ Phone _______________________________________ E-mail_______________________________________ I will attend the retreat…. [ ] yes [ ] no

AMERICAN CHOP SUEY may be dropped off in the church kitchen on Monday, November 5th before 3:00 PM.

Triduum of Prayer for Knights of Columbus

Please join us in prayer as we make intercession that the Knights of Columbus will rediscover the vision and pur-pose that Fr. Michael McGivney had when he founded

the Knights. These three days of prayer will be shared between St. Ann’s and St. Roch’s.

November 6 & 20 at 6:00 pm at St. Ann’s November 13 at 6:00 pm at St. Roch’s

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE THIRTY- FIRST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME November 4, 2018

Special thanks to all who have completed the registration and liability forms for our programs. There are still some fees unpaid. If it is possible to complete the balance of the process with forms and fees returned by next class session it would be appreciated. Fees help pay the ex-penses for the Religious education materials and supple-ment the running of the Parish Center. Despite rising costs, fees remain at- $85.00 for 1 child and $110.00 maximum for a family per year .

Nov 4 K-12/Confirmation 11 No Classes—Veterans Day Holiday 17 Sacrament Family Mass 5:30 PM 18 K-12/Confirmation 25 No classes—Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec 2 1st Advent/K-12/Confirmation 9 2nd Advent/K-12/Confirmation 16 3rd Advent/K-12/Confirmation 23 4th Advent no classes—vacation 30 No Classes—vacation

Jan 6, 13 K-12/Confirmation 20 No Classes—MLK Holiday 26 Sacrament Family Mass 5:30 PM 27 K-12/Confirmation

Feb 3, 10 K-12/Confirmation 10 First Reconciliation 1:00 PM 17, 24 No Classes—vacation

Mar 3, 10, 17 K-12/Confirmation 24 *No Classes—NOTE CHANGE (LOTW Retreat March 22-25) 30 Sacrament Family Mass 5:30 PM 31 K-12/Confirmation

Apr 5 *K-12/Confirmation—NOTE CHANGE 14 Passion Sunday No Classes—vacation 21 Easter Sunday No Classes—vacation 28 Divine Mercy Sunday K-12/Confirmation

May 5 K-12 Last Day/ Confirmation TBA 12 No Classes—Mother’s Day 19 First Eucharist 2 PM

For More information Call 508-987-2382 — (Phone messages are returned Monday noon -Thursday Noon) Please note: K-12 Sunday session is 9:40-10:50AM -children meet Father in church and parents meet at Mass, Confirmation sessions are 6:45-8:15 PM to accommodate teens’ schedules. Please, report student absences and check for weather cancellations by phone (508-987-2382) only, not by e-mail.

Confirmation candidates meet on the following dates at 6:45 PM to 8:15 PM. Candidates will be responsible for the chapters & pages in the Decision Point Workbook as follows…

Nov. 4, Session 3: The Jesus Question 57 - 84 Nov. 18, Session 4: The Prayer Process 85 - 110 Dec. 2, Session 5: The Bible 111 - 140 Dec. 9, Session 6: Relationships 141- 166 Dec. 16, Session 7: The Eucharist 167 - 188 Jan. 6, Session 8: The Holy Spirit 189 - 214 Jan. 13, Session 9: The Church 215 – 242 Jan. 27, Session 10: Confirmation 243 -268 Feb. 10, Session 11: Made for Mission 269 - 296 Mar. 3, Session 12: Holiness Is Possible 297 – end

All sessions are on dynamicatholic.com Decision Point.

In addition to all regular Sunday sessions, all Families of candidates for First Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist, please note and save these important dates…

Nov 17 Sacrament Family Mass 5:30 PM Jan 26 Sacrament Family Mass 5:30 PM Feb 10 First Reconciliation 1:00 PM Mar 30 Sacrament Family Mass 5:30 PM May 19 First Eucharist 2:00 PM

It's time for Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes!!!

Sharing God’s love by sending young boys and girls all over the world shoe boxes packed with small gifts. Donation will be accepted in the Par-ish Center until November 9th. Want

to make it a family event? Include a Christmas card with everyone's name in it (1st name only please) & a special message to the child who will open your box.

How to Pack a Shoebox: 1.—Find a Shoebox. 2.—Girl or Boy? age category: 2–4, 5–9, or 10–14. 3.—Fill with Gifts Do Not Include Candy; toothpaste; used or dam-aged items; war-related items such as toy guns, knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; seeds; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks; drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liq-uids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans. 4.—Pray 5 Follow Your Box Labels – You can still pack a shoe box without including the shipping but it does help.

Donate $9 online and receive a tracking label to Follow Your Box and discover the destination of your shoebox gift. Thank you for generosity!

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE THIRTY- FIRST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME November 4, 2018

Blessed Sacrament Chapel 17 E. Main St, Webster

The Chapel is in need of scheduled adorers for the following hours: Sun 3-4 am, Mon 2-3 pm, 10-11 pm, Tues 3-4 pm, 4-5 pm, Wed

11-12 am, Thurs 10-11 am, 12-1 pm, Fri 11-12 am, 11-12 am, Sat 3-4 pm. We are also in need of substitutes, those willing to cover an hour for someone who is sick, has an appointment or for whatever reason they cannot make their hour with Jesus. Please consider being placed on our substitute call list. To register, please call Ken or Jane Sprague 508-943-8955, Barbara Avery 508-943-1489 or Jeanne Guerin 508-208-9064.

St. Vincent de Paul Society will meet on Monday, November 5th at 6 PM in the church hall. New Members Welcome!

Fundraising will meet on Tuesday, November 6th at 6 PM in the par ish center . All are welcome! Come bring a friend and share your ideas!

The Six-Week follow-up gathering Growing in Christ—6:30 PM

Thursdays, Nov 1, 8, 15 in the hall or in the center - signs on the doors

will tell which location.

Visit formed.org, click on Register, enter parish code M8R36X. FREE!!

Kathy Perry, Owen Benway, Jane Lewicke, Al Sinkis, Andrew Rivers, Raymond Joseph, Ruth Andrzejczyk,

Chloe Barbara Jones, Craig Ladd, Fr. Robert Kelley, Roseanne Ferlito, John Barton, Carol Violette, John & Bev Makowski, Dale Mahota, Liz Iandolli, Stephen Rice, Maddy Desrosier, Phyllis Day, John Hickman, Timothy Bowes, Charlene White, Ed Carpenter, Anita Prunier, Roger St. George, James Sumerlin, Bob St. George, Julie Guertin, Francis DeSimone, Robert & Beverly Burns, Judy Rodier, Dawn Hoeg, Sean Bushey, Richard Fleming,Noelle Silver-stein, Edward Wissell, Eric Lambert, Paul Murphy, James Quaiel, Yvonne Mathurin, Debbie Roland, Deborah Mancini, Susan Gallant, Doris Prouty, Maureen Germain, Helen Gilman, Andy McDonald, Dave Boucher, Daniel Ivascyn, Barbara Quaiel, Paul Corey, Shannon Bernard, Pamela Rossley, Frederick Reeks, Jr., and Alfred Bianchi.

HARVEST BAZAAR

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish @ Our Lady of Loreto Church

Saturday, November 10, 2018

37 Massasoit Rd., Worcester Italian Food & Pastries, Fried Dough,

Themed Baskets, Country Store, Handbags, Jewelry, Christmas, Children’s Activity Table,

Christmas Village to be Raffled, Other Raffles too!

Become a Hospice Volunteer Hospice provides physical, emotional and spiritual support for terminally ill patients and their families. All volunteers receive special-ized training and ongoing support and are an integral part of the hospice team of caregivers. For more information please contact: Overlook VNA & Hospice Services, Susan Fuller, Volunteer Coordinator at 508-434-2200.

The Hospice Bereavement Center at the Overlook

Getting Through the Holidays

Saturday, November 10, 2018

Anticipating the holidays after a family member has died is one of the most difficult experiences any of us can face. Figuring out how you can minimize the overwhelming anxiety as the holidays draw near, can be tremendously helpful in making he holidays more manageable for eve-ryone. After this workshop you will have… A strategic plan in place to help ease the day Many useful tips to help you and your family cope A meaningful memento to take with you

The workshop is FREE but please register by calling Susan Fuller, Bereavement Coordinator at 508-434-2200.

“The dying process is a sacred time—a final season to seek closure in this life and prepare for the next in the hope of sharing in Christ’s Resurrection. As you enter into this season with your friend or family member, ask God to accompany both of you.”

USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities “Caring for Loved Ones at Life’s End,” www.usccb.org/endoflifecare

Let’s get together to plan for some FUN and raise funds for the fall, winter and spring at St. Roch on Tuesday, November 6 for

a quick meeting 6:00 in the parish center. Br ing a friend or event ideas to help keep our parish renewal go-ing bright as we are the Light of the World in this holy place. Call 508-987-2382 if questions or to share your

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE THIRTY- FIRST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME November 4, 2018