Saturday, June 16

4p.m. Theresa Rodriques

Sunday June 17

8 a.m. Jesse Matthews

9:30 a.m. Lynda Vasconcellos

11 a.m. Manuel Serpa, Jr.-Manuel Dupont, Jr.

Mon. June 18 Eva Doyle

Tues. June 19 Eva Doyle

Wed. June 20 Joseph Bettencourt

Thurs. June 21 Intention of Maria de Lurdes Melo Sousa and family

Fri. June 22 Agnes Castanhinha

Saturday, June 23

4 p.m. Matthews Family

Sunday, June 24

8 a.m. Hilda and Joseph Mello

9:30 a.m. Agnes Kearney

11 a.m. Angelina Samoisette

Sanctuary Lamp in Church

Mary Thomas

in the Rectory at 7 p.m.

Tuesday July 24

New gifts are needed for the "twistees booth". Please bring them to the rectory.

CPR TRAINNG SESSION

at 5 p.m. at Southcoast Wellness Center in Dartmouth call (508) 999-2171 to register

THANK YOU

To all parishioners who donated their Booster Club money to the Parish. It was a very generous and thoughtful gesture.

FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

The Mass is the center of our Catholic Christian lives. The Eucharist makes us to be more "Church".

In the Eucharistic Prayer we mention the names of our Pope and Bishop. They are the signs of unity. We can only be "Church" when we are in union with them.

When there were conflicting teachings and people didn’t know who to believe, it was the teaching of the Pope and the local bishop that was accepted as the true teaching of the Church and of Christ.

The "Church" is present locally in the Diocese that is led by the local Bishop who is in union with the Pope. Parishes are part of the local "Church". They are not the "Church", but only a part of the "Church".

Each parish needs to stay connected to the mission of the entire local "Church".

One of the ways that we have done this is through the Catholic Charities Appeal. Catholics throughout the Diocese respond to the call of the Bishop to help the local Church in its care and service of the poor, the immigrant, the marginalized, etc.

I am very happy to say that St. James Parish has gone $3,000 over last year’s total this year. The generous response of the parishioners of St. James has made our parish a very important part of the whole.

The Bishop also has to call us to other challenges for the good of the whole "Church". One of the more painful challenges for our Diocese presently is something that other parts of the country confronted years ago: the merging of parishes. Several parishes are now in the process of merging and creating a new beginning.

This is due to the lack of vocations. Although we are ordaining priests each year it will not keep up with the growing number of retirements that will take place in the years to come. Some parishes are getting smaller and cannot financially care for the large buildings that make up their parish complex.

It is a very emotional issue for many. Emotions can hinder people from understanding that the parish is not a building but the gathering of people for the Eucharist. It is at these times that we are reminded of who we are as "Church". The Eucharist reminds us. The Eucharist strengthens us to respond generously.

Parishes in the past were self-contained. They had their own schools etc. Now parishes need to collaborate with one another so that what was provided by each parish can be done by more than one parish.

We have had some experiences of this with our city wide Lenten Parish Mission at Holy Name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in New Bedford. Many parishes participated.

It provided everyone with a wider involvement in "Church". This provided parishioners with an opportunity to meet fellow members of the "Church" from the same city.

United Interfaith Action has also provided us with an experience of "Church" that is ecumenical. The Second Vatican Council teaches that one of the greatest scandals that we as Christians are living is to be divided. The Council teaches that because of the Eucharist we must try to do all that we can to make the "Church" of Christ one again. Uniting with Catholics and Protestants we have been able to acquire power to change certain structures and conditions of our two cities. It has empowered us to put our Faith into action. Over the last seven years we have seen many wonderful things happen because of trying to live out in a small way what Jesus prayed at that first Eucharist: "Father, that they may be one as you and I are one".

The Eucharist also unites us to all the people of the world. Bishop Sean has opened a parish in Honduras that is being staffed by priests, deacons, religious and laity of our Diocese. The Bishop wants to teach us what we celebrate in the Eucharist each Sunday: we are called to be missionaries. We are called to go beyond the borders of our country to unite to our brothers and sisters in the world.

As time goes on, the Bishop will be asking parishioners to participate in ways that will reach out to this parish in Honduras. Youth groups will be invited to visit the parish. Parishes will be invited to share some of the expenses of the parish. Professional people will be invited to share their time and talent. It will be empowered by our celebration of the Eucharist.

The Holy Spirit who is at work at each celebration of the Eucharist will guide us to many new ways of being "Church". As we are called to open our hearts to receive the Risen Lord in the Word and Sacrament, may we also be open to live out this Eucharist with our lives.

May we never forget that the Eucharist is the Sacrifice of the Mass. May we also be willing to sacrifice so that we may be Eucharist to the local and universal "Church".