North American Martyrs Church March 7, 2021 | Third Sunday of Lent Mass Schedule Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 7 a.m.| Saturday 8 a.m . and 4:30 p.m. (Vigil) | Sunday 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
PASTOR Rev. Frederick D. Fraini, III OFFICE STAFF Susan Zammarelli, Secretary Lisa Burkitt, Religious Ed. Director & Safety Environment Coordinator BAPTISMS: Contact the parish office to learn about our Call to Celebrate: Baptism Program.
MARRIAGE: Contact the parish office at least 1 year in advance of the wedding date to make arrangements.
ANOINTING OF THE SICK: If you have family members who are ill, anticipating surgery or weakened because of prolonged illness or advanced age, contact the parish office for assistance.
CONFESSIONS: Saturday 3 - 3:45PM or by appointment in the parish hall. Please knock before entering the hall. Masks must be worn. During Lent, additional confessions will be held on Tuesday evenings from 7pm - 8pm.
COMMUNION CALLS: Parishioners who are sick or disabled may call the parish office to arrange for the Holy Eucharist to be brought to them at home. COVID safety protocols are in place.
RECTORY OFFICE HOURS Tuesday & Wednesday 12:30 p.m. -4:30 p.m. | Thursday 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. 8 Wyoma Dr. Auburn, MA 01501 | 508-798-8779 | www.namartyrsauburn.org Mass Intentions Stations of the Cross Saturday, March 6th The Stations of the Cross will be held Fridays 8:00a.m. William Kustra during Lent (with the exception of Good Friday) 4:30p.m. Gerald F. Falvey First Anniversary at 7pm in the church. On Good Friday, they will be held at 3pm. Face masks must be worn. Sunday, March 7th Social distancing guidelines are in place. 8:30a.m. James Sullivan by Peter and Maureen Morse 10:30a.m. Richard Burton Fr. Gee's New .Address Monday, March 8th Father Gee has moved into his home at Southgate. His new 7:00a.m. Mary Geary by Larry O'Brien address is: Tuesday, March 9th Southgate 7:00a.m. Louis Roy by Bill Sipos Rev. John Gee, Room 476 30 Julio Drive Wednesday, March 10th Shrewsbury, MA 01545 7:00a.m. Noley Ahearne by Larry O'Brien Friday, March 12th 7:00a.m. Roch Ciccarelli by the Belair family Parish Talk - March 14th Michael King, Director of Community Alliances from Saturday, March 13th Massachusetts Family Institute, will speak at 7pm on Sunday, 8:00a.m. Philip Delongchamp by the family March 14th in the Church. Their mission is to strengthen and 4:30p.m. Reverend Paul Lemire protect the family, sanctity of life, and religious liberty in Sunday, March 14th Massachusetts. Masks must be worn and social distancing 8:30a.m. Sal and Audrey Zamarrelli by the family guidelines will be in place. To learn more, visit 10:30a.m. The People of North American Martyrs Parish www.mafamily.org
Collections: Week End 2/28
Sunday Collection $ 4,213.00 Monthly Reno, Mass Int., Bulletin Ads $ 305.00 Church in Latin America, Easter, Candles, CFP $ 77.00 Kateri's Kitchen $ 160.00 Online Donations $ 201.59 Total $4,956.59 LENTEN DINNERS TO GO Thank you for your continued support! ST. JOAN OF ARC PARISH Religious Education St. Joan of Arc, 570 Lincoln St. will hold drive thru (by Congratulation to our 22 children who received the Sacrament the Arc) Fish Fry's, Fridays during Lent, 4-7 p.m. Fish & of Reconciliation last Saturday. Please keep them in your chips/$12; Baked fish & potato $13; Shrimp & chips/$13; prayers as they prepare to receive First Holy Communion in beverage included. Tostones, fries and beverage available May. separately. To place your order call 508-283-0253. Grade 2 will meet in person in the Church Hall on Sunday, ST. ANDREW BOBOLA March 14th at 9:30 am or Monday March 15th at 4:00 pm St. Andrew Bobola Church, 54 West Main St., Dudley has Sunday, March 7th, 9:30 am or Monday, Grades 1, 3, 4 & 5 Take-Out Lenten dinners Fridays of Lent through Mar. 26, March 8th, 4 pm (Modules 13, 14, and Lent) 11a.m.-1 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Fried dinners include French Grades 6-9 Sunday, March 7th at 6 pm All Stations of the Cross fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce. Baked dinners include Modules baked potato, coleslaw and tartar sauce. $12/adults & $6 Grades 10 Sunday, March 7th at 6:15 pm All Stations of the Cross Modules children and must be ordered ahead by calling the rectory, 508-943-5633, during regular office hours (Mon-Fri, 9 How can we pray for you today? a.m.-noon). Let us pray for: Pauline Andrade, Kathryn Arsenault, Mark Beckwith, Paul Beckwith, Janie Bouges, Michele Burke- Pellegrini, Joan Cicio, Louie Costagna, Dean Michael Collins, Shirley Connor, Christine Cote, Gail Craig, Patricia Darrah, Jacob DeCarolis, Kevin Dobson, Elaine Doherty, Jerry Fisher, Raymond Fluet, Joan Fouhy, Bob Fuller, Victoria Garcia, Suzanne Gird, Lori Girouard, Ed Handlin, Mary Hannon, Elijah Johnson, Kim Johnson, Margaret Kehoe, Maureen Jones, Edward Laconto, Jean Laconto, Donna and Michel Langevin, Ralph Lanigan, Alice Leduc, Joyce Lessard, Peter Letourneau, Richard Levansavich, Sr., Frankie Marron, Michael McGrail, Max Mullen, Michael O’Connell, Mary Lou Paulli, Peggy Patenaude, John Power, Theresa Power, Anthony Real, Ron Robertson, Edward J. Rutkowski, Raymond Scanlon, Kathy Stasiatis, Scott Staruk, David Tatro, Bonnie Turner. For all the men and women serving in our country’s military. For all the diocesan seminarians. Dear Family, It’s hard to believe the third week of Lent is already upon us. I do hope and pray your Lenten journeys have been fruitful thus far. I also hope they’ve been arduous. As the old saying goes, “No pain, no gain!” Within the life of this particular parish, we have already experienced transformations of sorts. Last week, we said farewell to Deacon Ryan, and wished him well as he returns to Saint Anne’s in Shrewsbury to continue his fruitful diaconal ministry. Meanwhile, our beloved Pastor Emeritus, Father Gee, is now comfortably settled into Southgate in Shrewsbury, where he waits with eager anticipation what is sure to be a long line of excited visitors. Incidentally, if you wish to visit with Father, please know that you will have to schedule an appointment with Southgate prior to your arrival. Having spoken of changes and transformations... there is no better way to do so than the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the season of Lent. I do hope you will make use of this vital, healing, transforming sacrament! I was asked last week to write an editorial in the Catholic Free Press about the sacrament, I have included it below for your reading pleasure.
My sin is always before me By Father Frederick Fraini III, pastor, North American Martyrs Parish, Auburn Perhaps the most underutilized sacrament in the Catholic Church is the sacrament of reconciliation. Three primary factors contribute to the staggering absence of contrite penitents darkening the thresholds of our confessionals. The first is apathy. Sadly, there are many who simply could not care less. Indifferent hearts have little concern for what they perceive to be such a trivial matter. The spirit of sensualism has infiltrated them. When one becomes consumed by the things of the flesh, religion becomes relegated to the spectacular. In their estimation, there is nothing spectacular about kneeling sinful and sorrowful before Love Himself and admitting that we fall short of the standard of love that He calls us to. However, there is something spectacular present, Someone spectacular present. The One who created them, the One who knows them intimately and loves them perfectly, is present. There He waits to remind them that holiness is not synonymous with perfection, but, instead, perseverance. There He waits to infuse them with His own sanctifying grace, which will in turn empower them with the strength, courage, and conviction to persevere unto the end. There is nothing more spectacular than receiving a gift we are keenly aware we do not deserve. The mercy of His sacrament is the gift of Himself to us. The second factor lies in those who deny absolute moral truth, or right and wrong. This pitiful group has foolishly accepted the cultural lie that there is no longer any such thing as sin. This ludicrous mentality expresses the inherent belief that, when we die, we automatically go to heaven. I must admit, it is a pleasant thought, however, entirely erroneous. We must consider some fundamental questions. If there is no such thing as sin, why do we need a Savior from sin? If, therefore, we do not need a Savior from sin, why do we need God? The latter question illustrates the proposal of this insidiously evil agenda, namely, the lie that we do not need God for eternal salvation. I find it appalling that one can presume eternal redemption yet negate the necessity of the One who secured it. The truth of the matter is, every insult, every bruise, and every wound that Christ endured during His Sorrowful Passion and Death, represents the sins of our past, present, and future. These sins are always before us. We need look no further than the crucifixes we possess. Each time the magnitude of the importance of the sacrament of reconciliation is negated, it is as if the Cross of Calvary is beheld as something insignificant and superfluous. Woefully, nothing is further from the truth. The final factor is fear. Too many Catholics are terrified of this imperative sacrament. In the past, they have been scorned and belittled. They left not feeling forgiven and uplifted, but, instead, with greater burdens of shame and embarrassment imposed upon them. I assure you this is certainly not what our Blessed Lord intended; for this treatment, I apologize. The priests who misused and weaponized this sacred institution by inflicting pain on others will answer for their sins. I once entered the sacrament full of fear and anxiety. I explained to the priest how nervous I was. Afterwards, he asked me a peculiar question: “Do you know who Jesus is?” “Yes, Father, I think I do,” I answered. He explained, “No, you don’t. Because if you knew Him, you would have never been afraid to come.” I will never forget those words. I pray you will not. My sin is always before me, but in the sacrament, only He can take it away.
****Catholic Men’s Conference Schedule - Saturday, March 20th**** If you purchased a ticket for last year’s cancelled conference, you will receive an email with a link to the 2021 conference on Thursday, March 18th. You do not have to pay anything. If you did not purchase a ticket and would like to participate in this year’s ‘remote and interactive’ conference call Joan DeMasi at 508-929-4345 for a ticket ($20). You can view this year’s entire conference from home or with friends. The schedule is: 12pm to 12:45pm ~ Welcome by Bishop McManus followed by: Dr. Scott Hahn: “The Road to Emmaus: The Path to Lifelong Conversion”. Then ‘Live’ Questions & Answers with Scott Hahn *** 12:45 pm to 1:30 pm ~ Bishop Robert Reed: “O God, Just Give Me One More Chance” Then ‘Live’ Questions & Answers with Bishop Reed *** 1:45 pm to 2:45 pm Luis Soto: “Our Lady of Guadalupe, Queen of the Americas” Then ‘Live’ Questions & Answers with Luis Soto *** 2:45 pm to 4:00 pm Dr. Scott Hahn: “The Power of the Sacraments” Then ‘Live’ Questions & Answers with Scott Hahn *** 4:00-5:00 pm ~ Mass with Bishop McManus and concluding comments.
Safe Environment Notice: Our parish follows the guidelines of the national charter for the protection of children & young people approved by the US Bishops & Diocese of Worcester policies. If you have been abused or victimized by someone representing the Catholic Church, please believe in the possibility for hope and help and healing. Contact Judith Audette, L.I.C.S.W., Victim Services Coordinator. A report can be made by phone to 508-929-4363 (a 24 hour confidential voicemail is available.) Scott McDonald Plumbing & Heating
Parish Sponsors We are grateful to these parishioners and businesses whose ads pay for the equipment and materials to produce our bulletin. We will be working to expand our sponsorships over the next few weeks, For information on pricing and availability, email [email protected].