St. Gerard Majella, Canton

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

St. Gerard Majella Church

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St. Gerard Majella, Canton

January 29, 2017

Collection January 21st & 22nd

Attendance - 941

Offertory Collection - $9,027

Thank you for your continued support of St. Gerard’s

Mass Intentions Saturday, January 28th 4:00PM Al Meda (Memorial) Sunday, January 29th 8:30AM Thomas Kelley (2nd Anniversary) 10:30AM Kolby Lee (Special Intention) 6:00PM For the People of the Parish Wednesday, February 1st 9:00AM EllenBarrett (1st Anniversary) Saturday, February 4th 4:00PM John McHugo (17th Anniversary) Sunday, February 5th 8:30AM Ted McCormack (3rd Anniversary) 10:30AM Ida & Frank Zmiejko Joseph Wolanin (Memorial) 6:00PM For the People of the Parish

If you are a visitor to Saint Gerard Majella Parish, we want you to know how welcome you are whether you have come from another part of the country, from across the world, or from another parish here in the Archdiocese. Thank you for praying with us. Thank you also for your generosity, which helps us to cele-brate our liturgies in a fitting and beautiful way, and to offer spiritual support to people in the Canton area. Enjoy your visit!

Your daily life is complicated enough!

Forget your envelope or your check?

Make things easy on yourself!

Sign up for automatic offertory

Online at: www.parishpay.com

or through your Bank

Prayer Corner for the living Please keep the following in your prayers: John Mariani, Emily Lewis, Kay Smith, Robert Som-mer, Anita Steele, PAF, David, Julia H., Harris Der-visevic, Steve Folan, John IV, Billy G., Gwenyth McGovern, Jeannette C. Garcia, Alaina Goodwin, Carol Miller, Nicole Pellitteri, Matthew, Cheryl J., Susan, Madison Bergstrom, Aidan, Anthony Giogianni, Gene Floore, Donald Starr, Julia Starr, Catherine Starr, Andrew Starr, Ralph Ricci, Sherri, Sully & Maura Sullivan, Nupur Bhatnagar, Chris, Dan DelSignore.

Homebound Ministry Deacon Dan and Eucharistic Ministers bring the Holy Eucharist to many of our fellow parishioners who are unable to leave their home to attend Mass. Within this very important ministry, we as a parish community are able to extend ourselves in a real and important way to many of our fellow parishion-ers who are permanently disabled or physically un-able to make the trip from their home to church. We would like to expand this program to other pa-rishioners who may be temporarily disabled due to a recent medical procedure or who may simply be unable to find transportation from home to church. If you are aware of any person who is unable to make their way to church for whatever reason, please contact the parish office and we will make sure they are included on our homebound list.

Communion If you are attending Mass with someone who is un-able to walk to the altar to receive communion, please let one of the Eucharistic Ministers know before Mass so they can bring Communion to them.

Deacon Dan is a certified Spiritual Direc-tor. If you are in need of spiritual direction, please contact him at the Rectory 781-828-3420.

Trips BRANSON April 25 – 29, 2017

This highly entertaining tour features: Breakfast and dinner daily, round trip flights, four nights at a first class hotel and a number of top quality shows that Branson is noted for. Staggered rates depend on group size starting at $1729/ppdo for 40+ passengers to $1859 for as few as 20 people, cash or check.

MADEIRA & PORTUGAL’S TREASURES OCTOBER 4 – 12, 2017

Tour includes: Airfare; 4 nights on Madeira Island and 3 nights in Cascais; 12 meals; tours of Madeira, Lisbon, Fatima (100th anniversary) Sintra, and Obi-dos. Rate for tour is $2799/ppdo. Space is limited Dep. $250 with reservation.

ICELAND October 8-13, 2017 This uncommon trip explores the spectacular high-lights of this proud island nation. Trip includes air-fare, 6 meals, and all sightseeing. $2149/ppdo. Call 781 575 1491 for information and reservation form.

Call 781-575-1491 for additional information and res-ervation forms.

St. Gerard Majella, Canton

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 3

Attention Parents When children need to use the bathrooms in the Church, during or after Mass, it is strongly recommended that an adult accom-pany them. This is not meant to alarm any-one but merely to underscore the simple fact that St. Gerard’s is a very safe and nurturing environment. Our aim is always to protect our children.

Operation Lazarus Our Youth Ministry students return to the Boston Common monthly to feed and clothe the homeless. Their faces always brighten when they see our van pull in and they are always grateful for the generosity of our Parish. If you would like to donate to this worthwhile program, there are envelopes for your use at the right door exit to the back parking lot.

Contributing for the month of January was:

The Doyle Family Thank you!

WELCOME TO SAINT GERARD MAJELLA If you have recently moved into our parish and would like to register as a parishioner, please fill out the form below. You may return it in the collection basket or drop it off at the Rec-tory. If you have any questions about our parish, please call the Rectory at 781-828-3420.

NAME: ______________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: _________________________________________PHONE: ____________

Youth Ministry *Save the Dates*

Teen Mass: Sunday, January 29th, 6PM. Rosie’s Place: Sunday, February 12th, 10AM-2PM. High School Ski Trip: Friday night-Sunday night, March 17-19. Okemo Mt., Vermont. $220 all inclu-sive. Info mailed and on our website. Seats going fast! Operation Laz: Saturday, February 11th. Confirmation Parents Meeting: Wednesday, February 1st, 7:30PM Father Bills: Saturday, February 18th.

Music Ministry News We are still looking for new members for our mu-sical groups. Please contact Tracy for more infor-mation at tracy@saintgerard.org.

YOUTH CHOIR For all Youth in grades 2-8. The Youth Choir re-hearse on Wednesdays from 6-7PM. The Youth Choir will sing at the 10:30AM Youth Mass on Sunday, January 29th.

PRE TEEN CHOIR For all students in grades 5-8. The Pre Teen Choir rehearses at 5PM before the scheduled 6PM Mass. Next Pre Teen Mass is Sunday, February 19th. Bring a friend and come and join our newest group!

ADULT CHOIR For all adults who would like to join. The Adult Choir rehearses Wednesday's from 7:15PM - 8:45PM. The Adult Choir will sing at the 10:30AM Mass on Sunday, February 12th and 26th. Come join us and help make a joyful noise!

TEEN BAND/ENSEMBLE For all Teens in grade 9 - 12+. The Teen Band re-hearses Tuesday's from 7:30PM - 9PM. Can't make it to rehearsal no problem. Come join us at 5pm on Sunday, January 29th for practice fol-lowed by Teen Mass at 6PM. All are welcome.

A children’s wallet was found in the Church. Please call the Parish Office if you lost it.

Parish Employment Opening St. Gerard’s is currently looking to fill an opening for a part-time Youth Ministry Assistant to work with our Director of Youth Ministry, Mike Mahan.

If interested, please reply to Kathy Donahoe at the rectory 781-828-3420 or kathyd@saintgerard.org. with your contact information. Thank you.

Food Pantry Our monthly collection of non-perishable items (beef stew, baked beans, mac & cheese, jelly, cereal, pasta, soup, Jell-O, canned fruits and vegetables) for the Canton Food Pantry will be taken up the weekend of February 4th & 5th. Donations may be left in the baskets at the doors of the church. As always your generosity is appreciated.

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St. Gerard Majella, Canton

January 29, 2017

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Pope Francis: The Christian life requires fighting against Satan

By Hannah Brockhaus

(CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis spoke Thursday about the struggles inherent to the Christian life, and how temptation, while a normal part of trying to live virtuously, must be fought adamantly.

“That’s why St. Paul speaks of Christian life as a struggle: a daily struggle. A fight!” he said Jan. 19. “That’s why Jesus came: ‘to destroy Satan's empire, the empire of evil.’”

In his homily at Santa Marta, Pope Francis reflected on how the day's Gospel from St. Mark talks about crowds of people following Jesus.

“Why were the crowds attracted?” the Pope asked.

In the Gospels it tells us that some are sick and want to be healed, he said. There were also some who liked to listen to Jesus’ preaching. But another answer is that they followed the Lord because the Father always leads us to his Son.

Jesus was moved by these people he saw as sheep without a shepherd, Francis said, these people who are be-ing led to him by the Holy Spirit.

“May the Lord give us the grace to know how to discern what is going on in our hearts and to choose the right path upon which the Father draws us to Jesus.”

Commenting on the end of the Gospel, the Pope quoted the passage that says, “Whenever unclean spirits saw him they would fall down before him and shout, 'you are the Son of God.’”

Frequently, when we try to approach God, “unclean spirits” try to stop us, he said, and “wage a war against us” through the temptation to sin.

But this temptation is an ordinary part of living a Christian life, he said. “A Christian life without temptations is not Christian. It is ideological, it is Gnostic, but it is not Christian.”

• Fr. Francisco Lopez Sedano is an 80-year-old Mexican exorcist. In the past 40 years of service, he has conducted at least 6,000 exorcisms. During the interview, the priest highlighted four things that he learned during his years as an exorcist. • First, he emphasized, the devil is a person and not a thing. He noted that Jesus confronted the devil many times and spoke to him. When speaking with a demon, “one isn’t talking with a thing,

one is talking with a person.” • The evil one, he added, wants “to separate us from God, to frighten us, to threaten us, to make us trem-

ble…“He brings us laziness, fatigue, sleepiness, distrust, desperation, hate; everything negative.” • Second, Fr. Lopez noted, the devil enters into persons because they allow him to do so. He can’t enter us if

we do not open doors,” the priest said. “Because of this, God prohibits the practice of magic, superstition, witchcraft, sorcery, divination, consulting the dead and spirits and astrology. These are the seven lands of lies and deceit.”

• Another truth that Fr. Lopez has learned from decades of experience is that the possessed exhibit specific behaviors. He said that he has observed possessed persons who “began to shout, to bark like a dog, to scream or writhe and who squirmed like a snake on the ground. There are a thousand forms.”

• Finally, the priest said, decades of ministry have taught him that exorcism is a divine mandate. Catholic News Aagency

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. Mother Teresa, www.brainyquote.com

St. Gerard Majella, Canton

FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME 5

Holy Land with Fr. Dermot Roache, SMA, February 16 -28, 2017 $3350 pp includes: Direct El Al Airlines flight Boston-Tel Aviv taxes & surcharges/travel on modern coach with Catholic guide/4 star hotel accommodations breakfast & dinner daily 9 lunches/entry fees per itiner-ary/daily masses/full religious program/cable-car at Ma-sada/Sea of Galilee boat trip/Tips For more information or a brochure, please contact Mary Henry at Marian Pil-grimages mary@marianusa.com or 781-331-2444.

“Seasons of Our Lives,” a Spirituality for Everyday Living mini-retreat, led by Peggy Patenaude of Taking Time Out, (originally scheduled for January 11) has been re-scheduled for Wednesday, February 8 at Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham, MA from 10:00AM -12:30PM. (Coffee at 9:30) Cost is $20. Pre-registration required. Contact Peggy at 508-548-9149 or timeoutre-treats@comcast.net. Ash Wednesday Retreat: “Here for a Purpose,” also led by Peggy and held at Sacred Hearts in Wareham, is sched-uled from 9:00AM to 3:30PM on March 1. Mass, distribu-tion of ashes and lunch are included. Fee: $55. Pre-registration is required by Monday, February 27. Visit www.timeoutretreats.com for more information on either program and for a registration form for the Ash Wednes-day retreat.

SAVE THE DATE Saint John the Evangelist School

2017 Spring Gala Please join us for our biggest celebration of the year on

Friday, March 31, 2017 7:00 – 11:00PM Our Kentucky Derby themed dinner, awards and

auction will be held at:

The Four Points Sheraton Route 1, Norwood, Massachusetts RAFFLE BASKET CONTEST

Help us fill our raffle baskets for the Gala. Donate items for an entire basket or contribute towards a basket by Friday 2/17/17 and be entered into a drawing to win a

sheet of raffle tickets (24 to be used at the Gala). Please deliver to SJS unwrapped and our decorating team will

make it look ready for the races! Thank you!

SAVE THE DATE Saint John the Evangelist School

Invites you to join us at our FIRST ANNUAL

ALUMNI REUNION Saturday May 20, 2017

Questions or to get on our mailing list, please email us at development@sjscanton.org

Let’s celebrate the… “WINTER BLUES”

at St. John the Evangelist

Saturday, February 25, 2017 5PM Lower Church Hall

Enjoy live entertainment by singer/guitarist Berry Mitchell,

“Bearly-a-Band”! $10 p/p Advance tickets only—please call 781-828-0090

or at the rectory Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays from February 7 thru February 21.

Kids $6 (ages 5-12)

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St. Gerard Majella, Canton

January 29, 2017

Address: 1860 Washington Street

Email: welcome@saintgerard.org

Web: www.saintgerard.org

Parish Office: 781-828-3420

Fax: 781-828-2520

Church Hall: 781-828-8699

MASS SCHEDULE

Sunday Masses: 8:30AM, 10:30AM & 6:00PM

Weekday Masses: Monday–Thursday 9:00AM

Saturday Vigil: 4:00PM

Holy Days: As announced

Rosary: Daily 8:30AM before Mass & Monday 7:30PM

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILATION

Saturdays: 3:15-3:45PM

SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM

2nd & 4th Sunday of the month at 1:00PM.

Contact the Parish Office one month in advance.

SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE

Arrangements should be made six months in

advance. Contact the Parish Office.

SACRAMENT OF THE SICK

Contact the Parish Office if anyone is ill in the hospital or

at home.

EXPOSITION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT

Tuesdays: 9:30AM–12 Noon

PRAYER MEETING

Tuesday, 7:30PM

A.A. MEETING

Saturday, 10:30AM, Church Hall

PARISH OFFICE HOURS

Monday 12:00-4:30PM

Tuesday - Thursday 9:30AM-4:30PM

BULLETIN NOTICES

Email submission by Monday at 9:00AM

Reverend Rodney J. Copp, J.C.L., Pastor rcopp@rcab.org

Deacon Daniel C. Nelson, THM, D. Min. dcndan@saintgerard.org

ASSISTING PRIESTS Rev. Bryan Parrish Rev. Daniel Magni

FINANCE & OPERATIONS MANAGER Gregory Pando, AIA - gpando@saintgerard.org

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION/YOUTH MINISTRY R.E. Coordinators: Mary Ann Brady, maryann@saintgerard.org Maura Messinger, maura@saintgerard.org Y.M. Director: Mike Mahan Y.M. Ass’t. Director: Janet Maguire Secretary: Kathy Donahoe: kathyd@saintgerard.org

PARISH SECRETARY Ellen Reynolds - ellen@saintgerard.org

DIRECTOR OF MUSIC MINISTRY Tracy Zwicker-Suplee - tracy@saintgerard.org

ORGANIST Elias Dagher

MARRIAGE COORDINATOR Dolores Johnson

ALTAR SERVERS Bernard Donahoe

CARETAKER Ellery Vinal

FINANCE COUNCIL Brian Callery bcallery@1017fg.com Steve MacPherson Smacpherson262@gmail.com Gene Manning manningfamily_12@hotmail.com Lisa Lopez lisaruthlopez@gmail.com

PARISH PASTORAL COUNCIL Kevin Donovan kevjdon@aol.com Tricia Kennedy tricia_kennedy@yahoo.com Joe Thornton jptjr2@gmail.com Jim Walker jim.walker499@gmail.com Jennifer Ryan jennryan3@gmail.com Ashlyn Wade ashlyn.wade@gmail.com

Connor Proctor - Youth Ministry Representative

Meetings will take place every second Wednesday of the month in the Rectory Conference Room.

No matter who you are, no matter what you do,

no matter where you come from, no matter where you are going, no matter how good or

bad things may seem, You are always welcome at

St. Gerard Majella

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