At the 4:30 PM Mass this weekend, we will include in our celebration a moment of offering gratitude to Kathy & Bill Mancini for their 13 years of service as Marriage Preparation Ministers here at our parish. We also will pray God’s blessing upon Ron & Doreen Giard who have agreed to take up this ministry as the Mancini’s “retire.” We will include them and this important ministry in the Prayers of the Faithful at each Mass. This weekend was chosen for this rite of transition because of the diocesan celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage at the annual Mass this Sunday afternoon at St. Paul’s Cathedral where couples marking significant wedding anniversaries gather with Bishop McManus to note these anniversaries and to pray for the grace from God that will continue to make their marriages sources of grace for them, their families and friends, and for the Church!
I want to thank and commend the members of the Alpha Team here at St. Peter’s and the many parishioners and guests who are participating in this experience of faith exploration and development. As part of the Alpha “calendar” there will be a “retreat” at the Whitin Lasell Manor in Whitinsville on Friday evening and during the day on Saturday of this week. I encourage you to hold this wonderful community within our community in prayer!
As I write in time for publication, we have held one of our two “Listening Sessions” concerning the clergy sex abuse scandal. I am grateful to you who made the time to sit and have a conversation concerning this issue. At the request of Pope Francis and Bishop McManus, we will begin this weekend to use the Prayer to St. Michael as we prepare to begin Mass. This prayer can be found on the back cover of Today’s Missalette. Prayer alone is not a strategy, but any worthy strategy to combat evil and create change that protects the vulnerable and moves us in ministry to higher standards of integrity and transparency will be greatly strengthened by our prayer! I encourage you again to approach me or Patty Corkum, our Parish Safe Environment Coordinator if you have questions or concerns.