http://www.saintjames-nb.org

MASS 3:30 P.M.

MASS AT 9 A.M. IN THE CHURCH

Mass for the New Bedford area Vincentians

at 7 p.m. followed by a meal in the church hall.

Anyone wishing to work at the Penny Sale please contact Maureen Lewis at

508-993-6965

Articles for the White Elephant Table and new gifts may be left at the rectory.

Please mark them W.E. or NEW. No shoes or books. Monetary donations are always accepted as this helps to purchase new items for the gifts table.

Our gift baskets raffle is very popular.

New items such as kitchen, baby bath, garden, Christmas etc. may be left in the gathering area or at the rectory. Please mark as basket table. Call Ann Przystarz 508-999-2285.

We ask parishioners to help carry the items in the church hall to the tables on Saturday, November 2 at 10 a.m. We will meet in the church hall

Next Saturday, November 2 at the 4 p.m. Mass our parish will have the joy of celebrating a very special day for Deacon Larry and Jackie St. Onge. Ten other deacons who were ordained on the same day will join in the celebration. The choir will add to the joy of the day. Monsignor George Coleman, Monsignor John Moore, and Monsignor John Oliveira, Fr. Mick McCullough, and Fr. Nick Nichols will add to the solemnity of the day.

Your presence at the Mass would be the finishing touch!

I first met Larry and Jackie when I was pastor of St. Bernard’s Church in Assonet. Larry had already been a deacon and had been assigned to St. Mary’s Church in New Bedford. Larry told me that he had been assigned to St. Bernard’s.

I spent five wonderful years with Larry and Jackie at St. Bernard’s Parish. I was transferred and was not able to work with him until the last few years when he was assigned to St. James.

Larry’s special diaconal ministry in our parish includes the special preparation of couples for marriage by giving them the inventory called FOCUS. Larry spends many hours with each couple looking at the strengths and growing areas of their relationship. I am very happy that Larry has contact with these couples because as deacon, husband, father, and grandfather he can bring a very valuable expertise to their preparation.

Larry also conducts the baptismal preparation. Through a video, discussion, and sharing Larry helps parents appreciate the part that Faith can play in the lives of their children.

Preaching is an essential part of the diaconate. Larry preaches at all the Masses at least once a month. I look forward to hearing his homilies (as many parishioners have also said that they do appreciate his insights). When I have more than one Mass on the weekend that he is preaching, I always get a new insight each time that he preaches.

Larry puts a lot of preparation into his homilies. He spends many hours at it. I personally appreciate his efforts because his words have helped me a lot.

Larry is an ex officio member of the Parish Pastoral Council and the Parish Financial Council.

I have benefited from Larry’s counsel and advice. I have benefited from his evaluation of pastoral situations in our parish.

I have most especially benefited from Larry and Jackie’s friendship over these many years.

St. James Parish has been blessed with celebrations of the First Masses of Fr. John Sweeney, Fr. Thomas Washburn, and Fr. Rosemond Joseph. Now we are able to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the ordination of Deacon Larry!

I and we do hope that Larry will stay in our parish for many more years to come and that he will have many more years of diaconal ministry in the Diocese. (Ad multos annos)

"Thank you" seems to be such a small and much used word. It is not an empty "Thank you" that we give to you, Larry and Jackie. It is with great joy and love that we look forward to celebrating the Eucharist with you next weekend. The Eucharist is the "Thank you" that is the center of our Catholic Christian lives and the center of all of our ministries in the Church.

renew

Schedule of Faith Sharing groups:

In the gathering area you will find a basket decorated with fall decorations. We invite parishioners during these six weeks to write one area of their spiritual lives that they would like to renew (prayer, quality time with others, better communication, reconciliation, etc.). You don’t write your name just the area of renewing. We will pray for these intentions during the second phase of renew.

You will notice this weekend that the RENEW Banner is in its place of honor. It will remain there during these six weeks of RENEW. The rose is a symbol of our lives. The new buds on the rose symbolize our growth in the life of God during these six weeks. The hand symbolizes the hand of God from which this flower grows.

The lettering on the bottom of the banner dates the centennial of our Diocese.