Dear Parishioners and Visitors,
In last week’s bulletin, I was happy to announce that the Holy Spirit had called forth thirteen parishioners from the community to exercise liturgical ministry for St. Joseph Parish. During their training and workshop last Saturday, it was my honor to install and to commission them in their vocations as Lectors and as Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion.
This coming week, parishes everywhere are praying for another type of calling forth from parish communities. During the week of November 7th, the nation and the Diocese of Manchester will celebrate Vocation Awareness Week. The theme this year is “Finish the Race.” As Bishop Libasci’s office reminds us, “A vocation is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, and we need the Lord’s strength every day of our lives to persevere in our discernment, our prayer, our calling, and our service to God and others … so that we can say with St. Paul, ‘I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.’”
Please ask Our Lord for additional holy and dedicated priests, deacons, and consecrated men and women to serve the Church. May they be inspired by Jesus Christ, supported by our faith community, and respond generously to God’s gift of vocation.
Finally, as a veteran of the U.S. Navy, I wish to extend to military veterans of all branches of the armed forces a Happy Veterans Day on Thursday. Thank you for answering the call to serve God and country. God bless America!
With prayerful best wishes,
Fr. John Mahoney