From the Pastor

Scouting is coming back to Charlestown!

On Monday evening, parents, girls and boys flocked to 46 Winthrop to watch a great presentation on Scouting by Pack and Troop
617 in Quincy. They took part in activities and asked questions as Scouting prepares to roar back to Charlestown. There will be a parents’ meeting on Tuesday, March 18 at 5 pm at 46 Winthrop. Look up. Look ahead. Be prepared. Take the lead.

We will continue Symbolon for Lent!

Join us Monday evening, March 10 at 7 pm
at St. Catherine’s Chapel. For info, see Fr. John.

Coming March 25-27
for our Collaborative Lenten Mission:
The Three R’s of Lent
Monday, March 25 at 6:30 pm @ St. Francis
Renewal with Fr. Paul Coughlin
Sacrament of Anointing
Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 pm @ St. Mary’s
Reconciliation with Fr. Mark Riley
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Wednesday, March 27 at 6:30 pm @ St. Francis
Resurrection with Deacon Joe Nickley
Celebration of Mass

The Three Pillars of Lent

PRAYER
Guide: Praying with Scripture
Enter His Gaze
Ask for Grace to be open
Read the Scripture a few times
Meditate on what bubbles up
Pray (or talk to the Lord) about your meditation
Contemplation – Be still and rest in
His presence
Conclude with the Lord’s prayer

FASTING
“Fasting gives birth to prophets and
strengthens the powerful; fasting makes
lawgivers wise. Fasting is a good
safeguard for the soul, a steadfast
companion for the body, a weapon for the
valiant, and a gymnasium for athletes.
Fasting repels temptations, anoints unto
piety; it is the comrade of watchfulness
and the artificer of chastity. In war it
fights bravely, in peace it teaches stillness.”
St. Basil the Great

ALMSGIVING
”Let us also love our neighbors as
ourselves. Let us have charity and
humility. Let us give alms because these
cleanse our souls from the stains of sin.
Men lose all the material things they
leave behind them in this world, but they
carry with them the reward of their
charity and the alms they give. For these
they will receive from the Lord the
reward and recompense they deserve.”
St. Francis of Assisi

ALMSGIVING

for Lent Please consider these Parish Ministries:
Harvest on Vine Food Pantry
St. Vincent de Paul
And/or
the CRS Rice bowls

Project Rachel Post-Abortion Healing Retreats

Are you –or someone you know –seeking peace after an abortion?
The Project Rachel ministry of the Archdiocese of Boston
extends a special invitation to women experiencing regret
from a past abortion to attend a Come to the Waters of Healing
one-day retreat.

Spring dates are Saturdays, Mar. 15 & May 10.

Locations are confidential.
For more info on the retreats or other services, call 508.651.3100
or help@projectrachelboston.com.
Fr. John is a Project Rachel priest.

Shrove Tuesday – Fat Tuesday: March 4

Shrove Tuesday, is the day immediately preceding Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent in
Western Christian churches. It is also known as Fat Tuesday.
Traditionally, Catholics have embraced Fat Tuesday as a way
to get rid of all the fats and desserts in the house in preparation for Lent.
The deeper meaning for Fat Tuesday actually comes from its traditional name, Shrove Tuesday.
The word “shrove” means to give absolution—to be forgiven!
Shrove Tuesday is an invitation to reflect on your life, seek forgiveness and peace,
and get ready for 40 days of spiritual renewal during Lent.
Pancakes are the traditional choice in a number of European countries;
the day is known as Pancake Day or Pancake Tuesday in Ireland.
In Poland , Paczki (deep fried doughnuts) are traditional.
Mardi Gras–which means “Fat Tuesday” in French – is a well known celebration
that takes place in New Orleans, where parades, parties, and feasting
lasts anywhere from one day to several weeks. King Cake is the special food for the day.

We will continue Symbolon for Lent!
Join us Monday evening, March 10 at 7 pm at St. Catherine’s Chapel. For info, see Fr. John.

Look up. Look ahead.

Coming March 25-27
for our Collaborative Lenten Mission:
The Three R’s of Lent

Monday, March 25 at 6:30 pm @ St. Francis
Renewal with Fr. Paul Coughlin
Sacrament of Anointing
Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 pm @ St. Mary’s
Reconciliation with Fr. Mark Riley
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Wednesday, March 27 at 6:30 pm @ St. Francis
Resurrection with Deacon Joe Nickley
Celebration of Mass

Oh Sacred Head, surrounded…

Stations of the Cross
with Exposition and Benediction
will be prayed on Fridays during Lent
beginning March 7 at 5:30 pm at St. Francis.
On March 14, it will be at St. Mary’s Church.

Coming Soon!

We’re looking to start Scouts in our Collaborative!
We’ll begin with a Cub Scout Pack, for grades K-4.
An informational meeting for parents
will be held on Monday, March 3 at 5 pm
at 46 Winthrop. Any questions? See Fr. John!

We will continue Symbolon for Lent!
Join us Monday evening, March 10 at 7 pm
at St. Catherine’s Chapel. For info, see Fr. John.

Look up. Look ahead.

Coming March 25-27
for our Collaborative Lenten Mission:

The Three R’s of Lent

Monday, March 25 at 6:30 pm @ St. Francis
Renewal
with Fr. Paul Coughlin
Sacrament of Anointing

Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 pm @ St. Mary’s
Reconciliation
with Fr. Mark Riley
Sacrament of Reconciliation

Wednesday, March 27 at 6:30 pm @ St. Francis
Resurrection
with Deacon Joe Nickley
Celebration of Mass

The 2025 Catholic Appeal
Moving Forward in Faith… Together

One of the most meaningful ways that we deepen the impact of our Archdiocese’s schools, parishes, and ministries is by supporting the Catholic Appeal. Your partnership and participation carry Christ’s love into our communities and spread hope. Many of you may have received a letter from Archbishop Richard Henning requesting your support of the 2025 Catholic Appeal.

We hope that you will respond to his invitation with a generous gift, knowing that each contribution makes a difference.
Your early support will help launch our parishes’ campaigns in a positive way.

The Appeal is a primary means by which we enfold our brothers and sisters into Christ’s circle of care. On behalf of
Archbishop Henning and all who benefit from your generosity,
Thank you.

To make an on-line donation or to learn more about the impact your donation will have, go to bostoncatholicappeal.org.

What is Prayer?

Prayer doesn’t only happen when we kneel or put our hands
together, focus and expect things from God.
Thinking positively and wishing good for others is a prayer.
When you hug a friend- that’s prayer.
When you cook something to nourish family and friends,
that’s a prayer. When we send off our near and dear ones
and say, ‘drive safely’ or ‘be safe’- that’s a prayer.
When you are helping someone in need
by giving your time and energy- you are praying.
When you forgive someone, that is a prayer.
Prayer is a vibration. A feeling. A thought.
Prayer is the voice of love, friendship, genuine relationships.
Prayer is an expression of your silent being.
Keep praying always…

Oh Sacred Head, surrounded…

Stations of the Cross
with Exposition and Benediction
will be prayed on Fridays during Lent
beginning March 7 at 5:30 pm at St. Francis.
On March 14, it will be at St. Mary’s Church.

Week of February 16:

Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
What is this Jubilee about?

This jubilee is called Pilgrims of Hope. We are called to rediscover the hope of
Christianity and then be signs of hope to others in our daily life. It goes from December 29, 2024 to December 28, 2025. Pope Francis prays that this “Jubilee be a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ (cf. Jn10:7.9) of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as ‘our hope’ (1 Tim 1:1)” (Spes Non Confundit, 1). You can learn
more at bit.ly/JubileeOfHope.

GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGING
THAT GOD GIVES US ALL,
WE EACH WILLINGLY OFFER OUR
UNIQUE GIFTS TO ONE ANOTHER
AND ALL CREATION
IN THE SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST.

My dear friends in Christ:

On Nov. 24, 2023, something new started in Charlestown. I began my pastorate at St. Francis de Sales and St. Mary- St. Catherine parishes, but more importantly, a new era began of collaboration. Both parishes had worked together for decades, shared celebration on the sacraments of our faith, but now we were taking a powerful new step, coming closer to unity- celebrating our uniqueness as families and working together as a collaborative. We began with a shared pastor and soon after, a finance and operations director, but this was just the beginning.

This is officially my third collaborative- it was my honor to be one of the first 12 pastors to embrace the Disciples in Mission Collaboration model. I took the reins in 2013—as pastor of Sacred Heart in Middleboro, Sts. Martha & Mary in Lakeville and St. Rose in Rochester (then, the Cranberry Catholic Collaborative), then in 2018, I was asked to serve as pastor of Our Lady of Grace in Chelsea and St. Mary of the Assumption in Revere & Everett (we became Blessed Mother of the Morning Star), and now Charlestown. I am called to give my time, prayer and efforts equally to both parish families, and at the same time, building them. This isn’t my first rodeo.

The Collaborative process is challenging- for every place, each have plenty to bring to the mix different vision, experiences and understandings- it’s important for the pastor to understand that like families, everyone has their own voice. It doesn’t mean that everything changes immediately and that’s it. There are parish traditions to respect, but there are so many things that already unite us. Harvest on Vine is such a blessing.

I speak of it as the heart of our Collaborative. Bishop Lawton is an excellent hall. 46 Winthrop is a perfect host for our offices. Both churches hold a great deal of beauty and history- not just for our Town, but our city and Archdiocese.

A united Mass schedule, bulletin, collaborative offices, combined Faith Formation and Pastoral, Financial and Worship Committees begin the process of building families. Many parishes have had these in place for years, some have not- here we need to learn how we can together build effective, representative and responsive councils. Our Pastoral Council will be meeting soon to plan how.

As we are a collaborative, it’s also important to note that the churches will retain their names. What we do together- more and more- will be reflected in the collaborative name we use. Though support for the name Charlestown Catholic Collaborative is strong, I want to hear from you. Some early suggestions have been Holy Trinity and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton- the first American-born saint. I find this to be a helpful and creative process. I will present the name to Archbishop Henning, I know he will trust our judgment. Our Councils will be asked, and we’ll all have an opportunity to choose a name or come up with our own throughout Lent.

It’s important to note that although we share a great deal now and will share more, a merger has not taken hat day comes, I am confident it will be managed expertly by our staff and Councils.

Over the next few weeks, as we develop our Councils, we will keep you updated. Please know this is a process of opening up to what we can and will do as the Catholic family. It’s already been an extraordinary time since Nov. 2023. Let’s look up and ahead to what can be. Our Blessed Mother, Francis de Sales and Catherine of Siena, pray for us. Together, let us be about our work.

An Important Message!

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Change is in the air at St. Catherine’s Rectory. We have said goodbye to Fr. Britto, and we are now saying goodbye to Fr. Mark Shimave as he moves to BC to continue his studies- we will have a collation soon to thank him for his dedicated and loving service to our parishes. We have added Msgr. Felix to the house and Fr. Tony remains here, but their primary responsibilities are outside Charlestown and must be respected.
I’m looking at some adjustments here- I have already been approached by folks here very concerned that I’m working too hard.
Changes will begin with the daily Mass. The weekend Mass schedule will be looked at again closely- I will be working with our worship committee and our councils to craft a schedule that addresses the needs of the community in a reasonable way.
As much as I value the ministry of visiting priests to help on occasion, the presence of the pastor at our collaborative Masses is crucial to build what we’ve begun here, and although long-held traditions are valuable, I’ve learned that hanging on to some purely for the sake of continuity doesn’t help anyone.

Through this period, I ask your prayers and thank you for your patience.
Yours in Christ, Fr. John

Click Project Rachel icon for more information.

An amazing year

In 2024, our collaborative- our parishes- offered hundreds of weekend and daily Masses, celebrated scores of baptisms and brought over a hundred people to their rest in Jesus Christ, including our beloved Fr. Mahoney.

We married dozens of happy couples, brought three young adults into the fullness of the Catholic Church, and gave first reconciliation and communion to more than 40 boys and girls and celebrated as two dozen young men and women received the sacrament of Confirmation. We watched great movies, learned about our faith through Symbolon and prayed for our country on Election Day before the Blessed Sacrament.
We fed thousands of people week after week at Harvest on Vine and made the lives of hundreds easier with more dignity through our St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Giving Trees and a mind-blowing collection of cereal and socks, rejoiced in the years of faithful ministry of Sr. Nancy, said goodbye and hello to priests in residence, prayed the rosary in honor of our Blessed Mother, and heard confessions and celebrated the Sacrament of Anointing countless times.

We went on a 10-day odyssey to Italy and kicked off the Christmas season early with the Rockettes at Radio City, hosted concerts and a world-class actor for a Lenten Mission- and excellent speakers and welcomed a new regional bishop and Archbishop, and that was just prelude for what lies ahead.

It was a year for the record books, and now we look up and look ahead to what the Holy Year 2025 has in store for us. I am grateful to our staff members, ministers, councils and committees, volunteers, donors, and everyone for every gift given this amazing year.

May God bless you and all you love as we wait in joyful hope for the blessings heading our way. Mary, Queen of peace, bless our parishes, our collaborative.

Pray for us all.

Jubilee Year 2025

As the Universal Church celebrates the Jubilee Year 2025 (the 2,025th anniversary of the Incarnation of our Lord), we support the Holy Father in this “event of great spiritual, ecclesial, and social significance in the life of the Church.”

Pope Francis stated in his February 2022 letter announcing the Jubilee 2025: “We must fan the flame of hope that has been given us and help everyone to gain new strength and certainty by looking to the future with an open spirit, a trusting heart and far-sighted vision. The forthcoming Jubilee can contribute greatly to restoring a climate of hope and trust as a prelude to the renewal and rebirth that we so urgently desire…”

The Jubilee Year will offer the faithful opportunities to participate in various jubilee events at the Vatican and in their own dioceses. The great tradition of opening the Holy Door began when Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on December 24, 2024.

Other holy doors will be opened at the Rome basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul Outside the Walls. For pilgrims who cannot travel to Rome, bishops around the world are expected to designate their cathedrals or a popular Catholic shrine as special places of prayer for Holy Year pilgrims, offering opportunities for reconciliation, indulgences and other events intended to strengthen and revive faith.

-United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Jubilee Prayer from Pope Francis

Father in heaven, may the faith You have given us
in Your Son, Jesus Christ, our Brother,
and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us
the blessed hope for the coming of
Your Kingdom.
May Your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within
both humanity and the whole cosmos
in the sure expectation of a new heaven and a new earth,
when,
with the powers of Evil vanquished,
Your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us,
Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread the joy and peace
of our Redeemer throughout the earth.
To You our God, eternally blessed,
be glory and praise for ever. Amen!

Thank You !
Thank you – to all of those who took time out of their busy holiday schedules, and/or used their talents and treasure to help out
with the Christmas activities of Saint Francis de Sales Parish and
Saint Mary – Saint Catherine of Siena Parish.
To those who helped clean and decorate
our Churches for Christmas…
To those who picked up the flowers
and delivered them to our church –
For the Advent Wreaths in our Churches and chapel –
For the wreaths that are on the front doors of our Churches –
To all of you who pulled a tag from the giving trees
and/or donated a gift to someone in need.
To those who so generously donated
to Harvest on Vine food pantry
To those who helped deliver the gifts –
To all the Altar Servers, Eucharistic Ministers, Greeters, Lectors,
Musicians, Singers, and Ushers who assisted in our Liturgies –
To Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus, and Santa –
To all who celebrated Christmas with us,
and those travelling who kept us in prayer.
Your generosity is a true reflection of Christ!

My dear brother and sisters:

It has been an incredible, sometimes exhausting 2024- so many changes, so many opportunities to rejoice, to grieve, to say goodbye, and say hello.

We said a powerful goodbye to Father Mahoney and saw Sr. Nancy retire, and Allison Buff and Fr. Britto said adieu as they set off to other shores and adventures. We celebrated an astonishing amount of funerals, baptisms and weddings, brought three young people through the sacraments of initiation into the loving arms of the Church, set off an amazing adventure to Italy and took a bite of the Big Apple, we marveled at the spellbinding power of actor Frank Runyeon, and were encouraged and challenged by compelling witnesses of faith, hope and love. We were, and continue to be, inspired, entertained and challenged by movies for kids and grownups, through bible studies, discussion groups, and Symbolon. There’s more to come.

I begin, as always, in gratitude for our staff, each one I have asked more and more each day, and each has responded with faith, hope and love. To James, Dianne, John, Tom, Paul, Oscar and Cynthia, Joan & Kenny and Tim – I am grateful, beyond words.

Through this year, we built a great Finance Council and now we are in the process of rebuilding our Pastoral Council. We have introduced a new committee- Worship – and we’re off to a great start. It’s hard work, but much has been accomplished already and I look forward to what the new year will bring to these and the many other groups that will come. I’ve been meeting with folks as well to build a Family Outreach group- with all the young families in this town- the potential is limitless, and I intend to bring it to bear.

We are blessed to have priests at St. Catherine’s Rectory with me who love our collaborative, and help in many ways- thank you, Frs. Tony & Mark, and our newbie, Msgr. Felix! I am very grateful for our Eucharistic Ministers, musicians, lectors, sacristans, ushers, counters, and all those who lead and assist us in the many Masses we have celebrated. Thanks to those who pitch in to make our buildings and grounds so fresh and attractive- I see and hear the changes every day- and I’m far from alone.

Our Faith Formation program has taken on new challenges, particularly our K-4 with me, and I’m thankful for our incredible teachers and their generosity- I look forward to First Communion on May 3 & 4 and Confirmation on May 10. They share the future lovingly and faithfully- we are blessed.

Through the hundreds of Masses, anointings, confessions, the rosaries and adorations, the happy and chaotic sound of children’s laughter, song and prayer, the times we gathered to give thanks to God, and even in the quiet times when we struggled, the tens of thousands of families we reached out with food, love and abiding respect through Harvest on Vine, the heart of our Collaborative, and great work of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, we’ve experienced and shared the tender, loving, strong presence of God. We grew closer all the while, and now we look up and look ahead, together- to the challenges and the opportunities that the new year will bring.

This year has brought great change for us all- a new Bishop and Archbishop- and more to come as we walk boldly to the year ahead- especially a 250th celebration to take place! Now, the time has come- it must come true, sometime soon, somehow. Our salvation comes, the most beautiful and potent power in the world- the love of a Child- our Savior. May God bless you and your family this holy Christmas season and through the New Year! Look up. Look ahead.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. John

Great ways to give!

Donate Stock

Support the Parish and save on capital gains taxes. The gift of common stock or mutual fund shares is a valuable way to make a contribution to the Parish and receive tax benefits based on the value of the stock(s). By donating the stock, the charity receives more than it would receive if you first sold the stock and then donated the proceeds after deducting capital gains taxes. Also, you receive a greater tax deduction by giving the stock directly to the charity and avoiding the capital gains tax. For more information on how to donate stock, please contact James Santosuosso, Business Manager at 617-242-4664, or JSantosuosso@charlestowncatholic.org.

Corporate Matching!

Some companies such as John Hancock, Fidelity, and many others, have “Charitable Gift” funds that will match, or partially match gifts donated to non profit organizations, which include Churches. Some parishioners are using this to match their Grand Annual Donation. If your company will match your contributions to the Parish, please consider contacting them for more information.

Thank you for your most generous support of our Parishes!

Just a reminder that if you took a tag from the Giving Tree …. .. all gifts are due by the 20th of December. You can bring them to the Parish Office 46 Winthrop Street weekdays from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm