Dear God

I Wanna take a minute not to

ask for anything from you,

but simply to say

THANK YOU for all I have

In The Pines November & December 2019

St. Joseph’s Church Charlton MA 10 H Putnam Road Ext

P.O. Box 338 Charlton City, MA 01508

508-248-7862

www.stjosephscharlton.com

Happy Thanksgiving

Dear parishioners, I want to invite us all to support our parish and diocese by: Praying for the success of this historic campaign. Being an ambassador and sharing the good news with

others. Sharing your time, talent and treasure with this great effort. Thanks for all you do for our parish! Fr. Bob Grattaroti.

Legacy of Hope Campaign Highlights Bishop Robert J. McManus is inviting the nearly 100 parishes that make up our Diocese of Worcester to participate in this

campaign to raise $32 million.

50% of every dollar raised up to our goal of $824,734 will support our parish projects. If we surpass our goal, then 100% of every dollar raised above our goal will stay with St. Joseph. The other funds raised will help our diocese in the following key areas. Caring for our Retired Priests Supporting Catholic Education Parish-based Charitable Outreach Parish-based Evangelization Repairs to our Cathedral of St. Paul

Parish Reception Wednesday, Nov. 6th at noon or 6:30 PM In the Church Hall

ALL ARE INVITED

To Learn More or Make Your Gift Securely Online,

Visit Our Campaign Website at

www.LegacyOfHope.WorcesterDiocese.Org

What We Hope to Accomplish with the Legacy of Hope Campaign

St. Joseph Target: $824,734 St. Joseph Share: $412,367

C A S E E L E M E N T S F O R S T. J O S E P H Paying Down Our Mortgage - Estimated Cost $2.1 Million. We are still actively paying down

the mortgage that we took out about 20 years ago to construct our beautiful church. Currently the principal amount owed stands at $2.1 million. This campaign is an amazing

opportunity to try and pay off the majority/ all of our debt during the four year pledge period of the Legacy of Hope Campaign.

2. A New Organ for Our Church – Estimated Cost $80,000. Our church organ continues to break

down and is becoming harder and harder to fix. Music is essential to our worship of God. St. Augustine himself is credited as having said that “he who sings prays twice.” What would Christmas and Easter be without the rich sounds from the organ to support our choirs and

congregational singing? With your help, our new church organ will continue to fill our church with the beautiful and traditional sounds of reed, brass and pipe for years to come.

Speaker Presentation November 9th & 10th

Commitment Weekend November 16th & 17th

Next Steps ~Please pray about how your family will participate in this parish and diocesan effort to help better our parishes and the larger Catholic Church in Worcester County.

Please bring your Pledge Card to Mass on Commitment Weekend, November 16/17!

Legacy of Hope Campaign Prayer God our Father, you are the source of all goodness and of every blessing.

We give you thanks and praise for the gift of our Catholic faith that is deeply rooted I n your abundant love for us.

We ask your blessing upon our efforts to help secure the future of the Church in the Diocese of Worcester. May your people respond with faith and generosity to our Legacy of Hope Capital Campaign and may the sacrifices we make together today

bear fruit in lives of faith, hope, and love for generations to come. We ask all this through Christ our Lord.

Amen!

FAMILY TIME

Christmas is that family time of year when families join together for

love and support. It does not always bring total cheer for often some

important family member may no longer be with us but meals and

traditions and most importantly love will help to see us through. How

fittingly is the love of family at this time for it all began with the love

and support of:

THE HOLY FAMILY

Oh what a happy home it must have been

That Jesus and Mary and Joseph lived in.

It probably was a tiny home

Where these three could be alone.

At night the fire would blaze bright

Assuring Joseph that things were all right.

He’d settle down for a little nap

But soon find Baby Jesus on his lap.

A story he wanted; it needn’t be true,

And so Joseph complied as all fathers do.

Mary sat watching this beautiful scene

Thinking somehow it must be a dream.

Her sewing was soon put back in its place

As she glanced over and saw Joseph’s face.

The child was asleep and without a care

As Joseph slowly smoothed back his hair.

Covering him up to his tiny head

The two would then tuck Him in His little bed.

The night passed unnoticed by anyone

Except for the One who had sent us His Son.

NOVEMBER IS THE MONTH OF HOLY SOULS Please remember, in your prayers, the following members and friends of our Parish who

have died this past year and whom we remember in a special way at Mass Sunday, November 3rd at 10:00 AM. A candle will burn at the altar for each of them.

June Pikul, Edward C. Prunier, Raymond A. Lehner Sr., Elton F. Gallaway, Marie A. Couture, John “Jack” Graves, Rosemarie J. Gregoire,

John “Jack” Bacon, Patricia A. Bazydlo, Michele St. George, Francis Allen, Des Michael Spinks/Farrer, David L. Brodeur, Arthur J. LaFortune Sr., Philip Stevens Sr.,

Robin M. Tremblay, Stephen L. Grybowski, Norman E. Dugas, Richard W. Burlingame, Henry L. Berthiaume, David M. Langone, Paul F. Kaczynski, Paul E. Rogers,

Dennis Tully, Gloria Ann Mondiono, Francis Cummings

MAY THEY REST IN PEACE

A Prayer for All Souls in Purgatory

Jesus, dear Savior, we prayerfully remember all our loved ones who have died. Please give them

comfort and hope and may they be at peace, knowing that they will rest in God’s arms eternally.

Thank you for our memories of them and for the good times we shared. We ask You, please, through

their intercession, to deepen our faith, strengthen our hope and increase our love that we, too, may

someday stand before You, ready to enter Your Holy Kingdom. Amen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon them.

The Litany of Gratitude by Father Charles

It is amazing how time flies. Thanksgiving is around the corner. A few years ago, a friend sent me

a list of things that I would never have imagined to be thankful for. It revolutionized my outlook

on gratitude. I have since kept this list on my desk as a reminder of the same.

I am Thankful for...

the taxes I pay because it means I have a job.

the clothes that feel a little tight on my frame because it means I have enough to eat and to

drink.

the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because

it means I have a home.

the inconvenient spot I find at the far end of the parking lot because it means I can walk.

my huge heating bill every winter season because it means I keep warm.

all the complaining I hear about our government because it means we have freedom of expres-

sion, freedom of speech.

the weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day because it means I have been fruitful

and faithful at my work.

the noise that annoys me every time a child screams or runs around because it means that I can

hear.

The trash that everyone leaves around the house and I have to clean, because it means I can see.

STEWARDSHIP

Sharing our blessings as authentic Christian Stewards

As Christians we are called upon to be faithful Stewards of our Time, Talent and Treasure. Jesus was very clear about the costly demands of Christian Stewardship when he said,

“Come follow Me.” Many of his disciples left him because of the difficulty of the life that they were called to. It does cost us, and it is often difficult to be a good Christian Steward. Jesus does, in fact, expect something from those who claim to be his stewards. Jesus did not call us to a life of ease, luxury and comfort. He did

call us to faithful stewardship. To be a steward of Christ means to serve. All we have to do is look around us to see a world full of need, and Jesus wants to meet that need through all of us. It is very

easy to think of the Church as an institution that is there to meet our needs, when in fact, the Church is all of us, and we are called upon to serve one another.

“The Son of Man came not to be served, but rather to serve.” Please remember that the needs of the Church and our world are vast and God longs for us to reach out to all those crying for help. God has chosen to work through his stewards, which are us. It is my

hope that every one of us take the time to learn more about our parish and strive to live out our stewardship opportunities by putting into action the talents that have been entrusted to us, that we

may serve the people of God, not only in our parish, but also in the larger community. It is always been my sincere belief that Authentic Christian Stewardship is so much more than just time, talent and treasure; it is a happiness we feel as we share our Christian love with one another as we give of ourselves in service to one another. I have had so many people tell me how welcome they feel here

at Saint Joseph’s Parish, and how then sense real Christian joy through the welcoming smiles and kind and friendly words they hear from our worshipping community. I pray that God will continue to bless us with his love and grace as we seek to share our love and gifts with each other that we may

truly be known as authentic Christian Stewards.

Stewardship is the Christian way of life, Many hands make the burden light.

takes place at the 10:00 AM Mass. Children ages 3 – 7

are encouraged to attend.

___________________________________________________________________________________

(Grades K - 5) Coordinator: Sister Agnes Patricia

(508-248-7862) sisteragnespatricia@yahoo.com

November 24, 2019 NO Sunday class. All are invited to the Parish Thanksgiving Dinner

December 22, 23,24,29,30,31st, 2019

No 1st Lights Classes

Special Dates February 1, 2020 2nd Grade morning retreat March 6, 2020 Lenten Meal May 2, 2020 1st Communion May 10, 2020 May Crowning

If school is cancelled, CCD is cancelled! Sunday Classes will be notified by their Teachers!

If your child is sick they should stay home.

Please notify their teacher that they will be absent!

NOVEMBER Tuesday, November 5 6th, 7th and 8th Grades

An EDGE Night Featuring a Guided Meditation Tuesday, November 12 6th, 7th and 8th Grades

An EDGE Night Featuring a Celebration of JESUS Tuesday, November 19 6th, 7th, and 8thGrades

A Community Service Night – Thanksgiving Baskets Tuesday, November 26 6th and 8th Grades

An EDGE Night Featuring ADVENT

DECEMBER Tuesday, December 3 7th and 8th Grades

An EDGE Night on Moral Freedom Tuesday, December 10 6th, 7th and 8th Grades.

An EDGE Night Featuring Sharing Christmas JOY! Tuesday, December 17 - 6th, 7th and 8th Grades

An EDGE Night on CHRISTMAS Celebration

SEMESTER BREAK - CLASSES RESUME: Tuesday, January 7th, 2020

Edge News (grades 6-8)

C o o r d i n a t o r : S a n d ra B u r o n m r sb edg e2 0 18 @g ma il . c om

5 0 8 -2 4 8- 78 62

E D G E S T U D E N T S will be making Thanksgiving Baskets

for Charlton families in need on November 19th.

Donations Welcome!

St. Joseph’s Church 10 H. Putnam Ext. P. O. Box 338 Charlton City, MA 01508

Return Service Requested

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID

CHARLTON CITY, MA PERMIT #5

T h e Wo r s h i p o f G o d Weekend Masses

Saturday at 4:30 PM Sunday at 8:00 AM,

10:00 AM & 5:00 PM Confessions are

Saturday at 3:45 PM. Confessionals located in the

back of the Church.

2019 Christmas Schedule Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24, 2019

4:00 PM Mass in the Main Church with Children’s pageant

4:00 PM Mass down stairs in the Church Hall

10:30 PM Mass with Holy Family Tableau

Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25, 2019

8:00 & 10:00 AM Christmas Mass (no 5:00 PM Mass)

New Year’s Mass Schedule

New Year’s Eve, Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Mass at 4:30 PM

New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1, 2020

MEAT RAFFLE NOVEMBER 16th from 6 - 9 PM in the Church Hall

CHRISTMAS TREES will be on sale in the Church Parking Lot!

GIVING TREE TAGS… are available in late November!

ANNUAL PARISH THANKSGIVING DINNER Sunday, November 24th after the 10:00 AM Mass