The Parish of St. Agatha Milton ~ Quincy, MA December 30-31, 2017 StAgathaParish.org

St. Agatha Parish Phone: 617-698-2439Rectory@StAgathaParish.org Fax: 617-698-1517Parish Website: www.stagathaparish.org

Clergy Rev. William B. Palardy, Pastor Rev. Jason M. Makos, Parochial Vicar Deacon Daniel F. Sullivan Rev. Patrick McLaughlin, Senior Priest in Residence Rev. Thomas Powers, Senior Priest in Residence Deacon Baldemar Garza, Seminarian Intern

Parish Administration Mr. Jack Riley, Finance and Operations Manager Ms. Kathy Monahan, Administrative Assistant and

Bulletin EditorMusic Ministry MusicDirector@StAgathaParish.org Ms. Agata Orzechowska, Director of Music

St. Agatha School Phone: 617-696-3548School@StAgathaParish.org Fax: 617-696-6288 School Website: www.stagathaparish.org/school

Mr. David Marion, Principal Mrs. Michelle Tierney, Administrative Assistant Mrs. Joan Brown, Tuition Coordinator

ST AGATHA FAITH FORMATION 617-696-1388Grades 1-8 FaithFormation@StAgathaparish.org Mrs. Ellen Cronin, Director Mrs. Jenn Caputo, Administrative Assistant

Grade 9-11 & Young Church Ministry 617-696-8978YoungChurchMinistry@StAgathaParish.org Mr. Brian T. Pellicano

Eucharistic Adoration Every Friday after the 9am Mass in the Chapel until reposition at 1pm.

Legion of Mary meets every Wednesday

after the 9am Mass.

The rosary is recited every morning before the 9am Mass.

Please join us.

St. Agatha Parish is a Christian Community of Catholics from Milton, Quincy and beyond, whose Mission is to demonstrate Love by: proclaiming and celebrating

God’s Presence on earth; being open and welcoming

to all; reaching out to our sisters and

brothers near and far; providingopportunities for prayer, service,education and recreation.

In living this Mission, we acceptour responsibility for giving wit-ness to the Gospel of JesusChrist.

ST. AGATHA RECTORY

ST. AGATHA SCHOOL

MISSION STATEMENT

Daily Masses:Monday-Friday:

7:00am & 9:00am Saturday& Holidays: 8:00am

Reconciliation: 3:45-4:15pm on Saturdays. Any other time by appointment

Weekend Masses: Saturday: 4:30 pm Sunday: 7:30 am

9:00 am 10:30 am 12:00 noon5:00 pm

Holy Days: As Announced

There are assistive devicesfor the hearing impairedavailable in the Sacristybefore all Masses.

Low gluten hosts are availa-ble. Please see priestbefore Mass if needed.

SCHEDULE OF MASSES

440 Adams Street Milton, MA 02186

Office Hours Monday - Friday 9am-4pm 432 Adams Street Milton, MA 02186

On Monday, New Year’s Day, Jan 1st, the Masses will be at: 8am and noon.

Upcoming Activities January 2 Nocturnal Adoration January 3 Coffee & Conversation January 5 Young Adults Social January 7 Mass for families of

children newly baptized Please call 617-698-2439 and we

will arrange for aminister of communion

to bring Eucharist to you.

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph December 30-31, 2017

A Note from Our Pastor,

Well, we had quite a three-day weekend last weekend, didn’t we?! 14 Masses in 3 days, and a White Christmas to boot! I look back with enormous gratitude to all who had a role

in making last weekend such a spiritually uplifting experi-ence for so many. Our Art and Environment Committee did a magnificent job in decorating the upper church, the chapel, and the Parish Center. Agata, Brian, and our many musicians – instrumentalists, soloists, cantors, and choir members – helped us all raise our voices, minds, hearts, and souls in praise of God. Our greeters provided a warm welcome to the many folks who came to celebrate the birthday of our Savior, and managed to distribute massive numbers of prayer cards and candy canes. Our liturgical ministers and ushers fulfilled their roles very well too, in serving the large number of people who came to worship here those days. I had the privilege this year, as I did last year, of celebrating the 6pm Christmas Eve Mass which also included the Christmas Pageant. The children who sang in the choir and the children who participated in the Pageant were fantastic, and really were a tribute, first of all to our Savior Jesus Christ, but also to their parents and families, and to the excellent guidance and leadership they received from Agata and from Maggie Reardon and Catherine Mann.

I want to share with you just one example of how the hard work of so many, when offered in love to the Lord, can produce wonderful results. Last Monday, Christmas morn-ing, heavy snow fell such that our 9am and 10:30am Mass-es had a low attendance. Nevertheless, I met a young cou-ple who attended our 10:30 Mass who had never been to St. Agatha’s before. They came from a town south of us and were intending to worship at the Melkite Catholic Ca-thedral of the Annunciation in West Roxbury. However, once they began their drive north, the roads were so poor because of the sudden snow that they decided to find an-other Catholic Church nearer. They came to St. Agatha’s and introduced themselves to me before Mass began. After Mass they made a point to greet me again, this time telling me how beautiful the Mass was: the prayerfulness, the mu-sic, the decorations, and the friendliness of the parishion-ers. They said that they’ll be thinking seriously of making St. Agatha’s their parish, or, at the very least, coming back again to worship with us here every once in a while. I sus-pect that there may be other stories like that as well. When we put in the effort, when we strive to do something beau-tiful for God, as St. Teresa of Calcutta once phrased it, and when our faith, our kindness, and our hospitality are evi-dent to others, we become instruments in God’s hands in drawing people closer to Him and to His Church.

If you are a young adult yourself (18-30) or have some young adults in your life, please note that this coming Fri-day January 5th there will be an evening of socializing, good food and fun in our Gathering Space, beginning at 6pm. And don’t worry, it’s not the old geezer pastor who is organizing this event (but he is very much looking for-ward to taking part in the evening), but some young adults themselves, 2 of whom are members of our Parish Pastoral Council who are putting this evening together. They have even managed to secure a donation from an anonymous donor to help with the expenses of the evening (the rest will be covered by the parish).

Finally, because January 1st, the Solemnity of Mary as Mother of God, falls on a Monday this year, it is not a Holyday of Obligation. Nevertheless, there will be 2 Masses here that day – at 8am and at Noon. It is a great way to start the New Year off on a bright note, honoring the one person without whom there would be no birthday of our Savior for us to celebrate. As we are adopted sisters and brothers of Christ thanks to our baptism, Mary who is Christ’s Mother is also the Mother of each one of us too. So, come spend some time with Christ as we honor Mary, His and our Blessed Mother this New Year’s Day.

Fr. Palardy

Nocturnal Adoration

The next Nocturnal Adoration will take place on

Tuesday evening, January 2nd

Adoration and Rosary from 7:00-8:00pm.

All are welcome!

Young Adults’ Social

Come join for conversation with fellow young adults over board games, Chipotle, Ben & Jerry's, and a toasty fire (brought to you by Net-flix)! The get-together is for college-age students, recent grads, and other young adults, taking place on Friday, January 5, 2018 at 6pm in the Gathering Space. Come swing by for food and fun!

THE WEEKLY UPDATE

THEME: Families grow through good times and bad.

As you hear St. Paul give advice to the people, what words or phrases strike you? What do you like in this reading? What don’t you like?

Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-21

Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wis-dom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wives, be subordinate to your husbands, as is proper in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and avoid any bitterness toward them. Children, obey your par-ents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord. Fa-thers, do not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged.

Pastoral Planning

December 31 ~ The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph

In today’s Gospel, Simeon and Anna make a startling prediction about Jesus and the life that awaits him. Mary and Joseph hold in their hearts all that they hear and remain faithful to all that God has asked of them as parents. In celebrating this feast we pray that the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph will be a model of faithful love for all Christian families. Offer a prayer today that your entire family will be open to God’s word.

On Sunday, January 7th, 2018, families of children baptized in the past year are invited

to join us at the 9am Mass that day to re-ceive a special blessing from the parish. Af-ter Mass there will be refreshments to enjoy

with other parishioners in the Gathering Space of the church.

Please join us!

Please join us after the 7am and 9am Masses on Wednesday, Jan. 3rd for Coffee & Conversation. Come visit with long time friends or reach out and make new friends.

Well, we did it again! For the fourth consecutive week we exceeded our weekly budgeted total, mak-ing December the first time in several years that we have met or exceeded our target for an entire cal-endar month. Hopefully this weekend — the fifth weekend in December — will continue this very pos-itive and encouraging trend. What makes this achievement even more noteworthy is that last Sun-day was both the Fourth Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve! So in addition to the contributions to the parish at the 4:30 Mass on Saturday and the morning Masses on the 24th, St. Agatha parishioners also contributed $27,390 to the Christmas collection for the Clergy Health & Retirement Fund. Thanks so much for your generosity. Finally, the total contrib-uted to the Grand Annual has risen to $151,636 as we continue to progress towards the budgeted goal of $170,000. There is still time to contribute to help meet this goal which is so critical to the day-to-day operation of the parish. Keep in mind that you can do it electronically and/or you can budget your con-tribution over 3 months.

I hope everyone has a peaceful, blessed and safe New Year!

Jack Riley

St. Agatha Parish Milton—Quincy

FEATURED WEEKLY READING

Weekly Budget

Dec. 23-24 In-Pew

Collection Electronic Collection

Dec. 23-24 Total

Offertory Weekly

Difference

Total Difference

YTD

$13,235 $10,569 $2,775 $13,344 $109 -$30,622

Weekly Offertory Report

http://www.facebook.com/stagathaparishmiltonquincy December 30-31, 2017

In Honor of All parishioners who gave donations

for the Christmas flowers. Mary Weir

John P. McLaughlin

In Memory of Walter S. Carr Charles Carr

Paula O’Malley George Chave Bill Swanson

John J. Sawyer, Jr. John & Alice Sawyer

Norman & Loretta Denault Ellen Realini Martin Kane Al Seghezzi

Emil & Judith Seghezzi William & Ellen Bruce Bob, Arthur, Frank, &

Colleen Bruce Blanche & Hartnett Family

Balboni & Salvi Family Purtell & Fahey Family

The Leary-Walsh Family Marjorie & James R. Hayes

James J. Hayes Ann & Martin Earner Jeanne A. Sullivan

Bertha & George Sullivan James & Eleanor Gildea John & Cecilia Reardon

Charles M. & Dorothy Scully Charles F. & Jacqueline Scully

John Lynch Lawrence Barron & Anna Barron

Edward Baccari Lillian Karam

Denise Fitzgibbon Helen A. Fitzgibbon

Edward J. Fitzgibbon, Jr. Joan Muldoon

Paul Fitzgibbon Astrid & Rodger Scott

Kathy Owens The Flaherty Family

Joseph & Josephine Lind Eugene & Mary McLaughlin Mary & Richard MacSwain

John & Peg Lenane The Sullivan Family The Doonan Family

Gerald “Gerry” McCarthy Lil & Ed Flaherty John E. Toland

Frank & Annie Callahan Paul Callahan

Daniel Carr Mr. & Mrs. John Donovan

Helena & Marian Kazmierczak Roman & Mieczylaw Szapiel

Liz & Kay Tarpey Miriam McInnes

John & Mary Riordan McMahon & Carroll Families

Donald & Mary Timmins Murphy & O’Boyle Families

Reardon & Reynolds Families Justin A. Sullivan

Mary P. & William E. Trecker John Mc Seveney

Leona Mc Seveney John McSeveney, Jr.

The O’Connell & Finnigan Families McIsaac Family

Kenneth Canale, Sr. Kevin Ryan

Capt. & Mrs. Ellenwood Folger Capt. Walter Folger

Ruth F. Reavey Mary & Paul Clasby

Hoyt Family Hamilton Family Sehnert Family

Dorothy & Leo LeBlanc Catherine Higgin Patrick Coughlin Anna R. Duffy

Albert & Connie Robichaud Bill & Josephine Hayes

Marjorie & Howard Camden Eleanor & Joseph Shea

Jack Shea Brian Carey

Frances DeSantis David C. Cobban

John & Mary Lou O’Leary Alice K. Monahan

Helen G. Dunn Alexander Ferraro

William & Mary Shields Mr. & Mrs. John Doonan

Rev. John A. Doonan Mr. & Mrs. J. Murray Regan

Dianne & James Barber Ralph & Rose C. DuMoulin

Rita & William Graham Jack & Patricia Kanz

Mary, Aggie, Tommy, Mary Lou, Jean McHugh & all others

William K. McLaughlin The Brooks Family

The McLaughlin Family The Miller Family

Winifred F. & William J. Monahan The Monahan Family Fred & Grace Gilmore

Jeanne E. Burke Dr. Kenneth K. Quigley

Vincent Quigley Catherine M. Griffin

O’Rourke Family John Maloney

Edward & Elizabeth Lynch John F. & Alice Mullen Thomas Moxley Mullen Marcia Mullen Robinson

Dave Mullen David & Theresa Jane Leahy

Anne Marie Shea

In Memory of:

Deceased Members of: Duffy Family

Dennis & Ernest Families Camelio & Ierardi Families

O’Halloran Family McCarthy Family Malone Family

Venezia & Spinale Families

Thank You to all for your Christmas Flower donations. The following is a par-

tial list of donations that were made in Honor and Memory of loved ones. More names to follow in next week’s bulletin.

Rectory@StAgathaParish.org December 30-31, 2017

SENIOR TAX WORK OFF PROGRAM FOR MILTON SENIOR RESIDENTS

If you are a senior resident of Milton and have lived in your own home for the past five years you may be eligible to participate in a program to reduce your real estate taxes. The town has 25 slots available for residents to volunteer for approximately 62 hours during 2018. If you qualify for the program and complete your hours, you will receive $750 off your real estate tax bill. This is a wonderful opportunity to lower your real estate taxes while providing a valuable service to the town. Please call the Milton Council on Aging at 617-898-4893 for more information.

The Spirituality for Everyday Living mini-retreat series will begin the New Year with “Follow Your Bliss” led by Peggy Patenaude of Taking Time Out. It will be held on Wednesday,

January 10 at Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham, MA from 10:00am--12:30pm. (Coffee at 9:30am) Cost is $25. Pre-registration required. Contact Peggy at 508-548-9149 or timeoutretreats@comcast.net. For more infor-mation, visit www.timeoutretreats.com.

LAST CALL: “The Story of My Life,” a women’s re-treat weekend, will be held at Miramar Retreat Center in Duxbury, MA January 12-14, 2018. For more details, con-tact Peggy. See above contact information.

There will be no sessions of Faith Formation during the Christmas break. Sessions resume January 9-10-11.

FOLLOW THE YOUTH GROUP ON @ staggieslifeteen or Brian’s high school YouTube channel at StaggiesLT

HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH GROUP: Youth Group – NEXT Sunday, January 7th 6-8pm in the Life Teen room below the gym.Come get some dinner, champion at air hockey, and meetsome awesome new friends!

LIFE TEEN MASS: NEXT Sunday, January 7th at 5pm High School Worship Band: If you are a teen interested in singing or playing with our group–contact Brian Pellicano at the parish office! Currently looking for: a pianist, a guitarist, a percussionist and vocalists !!!

HIGH SCHOOL MISSION TRIP – July 21st – 28th, 2018: Register NOW! Registration is now online for our high school mission trip to West Virginia! We have 30 high school spots and 15 adult chaperone spots on a first come, first serve ba-sis. This is an incredible experience where we will work together to repair up to 7 homes for families of great need. The cost is $350 per teen and just $250 per adult chaperone. Every volunteer (teen and adult) will be re-sponsible for helping to raise money for our trip. There are many costs that – excluding registration – add up to about $14,000. Any additional financial support from our parish-ioners is greatly appreciated. Please note, once you submit a registration – YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO GO. Don’t wait – the spots are filling fast! I look forward to mak-ing the trip with you!

MISSION TRIP ADULT LEADERS NEEDED To all adults 21+ years of age. I am counting on you – yes you – to consider volunteering your time and ef-forts to be part of our adult leadership team for this year’s mission trip. It is truly an amazing experience. If you know of anyone who has gone on ASP, I encourage you to talk to them about their experience as a volunteer. Details again are listed in the previous paragraph, contact Brian for more details via bpellicano@stagathaparish.org or by phone at 617-696-8978. Thank you and God bless!

ASP PARENT INFO NIGHT: Tuesday, January 9th 7-8pm - Gathering SpaceIf you have a teen interested in participating on this trip, Iencourage you to attend our parent info night at the abovedate and location to learn the basics about the trip. YouWILL be able to register your teen at this meeting. If youhave questions about this meeting, please call Brian ouryouth minister at 617-696-8978.

Confirmation Upcoming classes:  10th Grade Session 6 – NEXT Sunday – January 7th 3:30-4:50pm in the Gathering Space 9th Grade Session 7 – Sunday – January 21st 3:30-4:50pm in the Gathering Space

EDGE 7th/8th Grade Upcoming sessions: Session 6 – Thursday, January 11th 6:30-8pm in the Gathering Space

In the joy of Christ, Brian Pellicano Youth Minister, Confirmation Coordinator

CONFIRMATION & YOUNG CHURCH MINISTRY

FAITH FORMATION UPDATES

Saturday 8:00am 4:30pm

December 30

1st Anniversary Margaret Roche

Sunday 7:30am 9:00am 10:30am

12:00pm 5:00pm

December 31 30th Anniversary 15th Anniversary Memorial

For the Anniversary

Patricia Ann Baxley Mary E. Ritchie Daniel F. & Anne M. O’Sullivan & Kayla E. Naughton Parishioners of St. Agatha Cecilia Zwiercan-Suchecki

Monday 8:00am 12:00pm

January 1

Anniversary Davis, Greene, Worley Families

Tuesday 7:00am 9:00am

January 2

Wednesday 7:00am 9:00am

January 3

Memorial John & Ellen Lynch

Thursday 7:00am 9:00am

January 4

Friday 7:00am 9:00am

January 5

Memorial Anna Smyth

Saturday 8:00am 4:30pm

January 6 15th Anniversary 10th Anniversary

Doug Bognanno Catherine Higgins

Sunday 7:30am 9:00am 10:30am 12:00pm 5:00pm

January 7 For the

Birth. Memorial 1st Anniversary 17th Anniversary 3rd Anniversary

Parishioners of St. Agatha William P. Olsen Margaret Roche Margaret “Peg” Welch Helen Lawton

MASS INTENTIONS

2018 Winter Windfall Calendars

Don’t miss your chance to register for the Saint Agatha School Winter Windfall Calendar!

* $5 per calendar

* 31 chances to win* 100% of profits directly benefit Saint Agatha School

For more information or additional calendars, please stop by or contact the school office at 617 696-3548.

SAVE THE DATE!

2018 Gala Fundraiser

March 1, 2018 Granite Link Golf Club

6pm Cocktails — 7:30pm Dinner & Program

Early bird tickets are $125, after February 20th, $150 Tickets will be available after the masses on January 20-21, or send a check to SRHF, 372 Granite Ave., Suite 1, Milton, MA 02186 or go to www.saintrock.org to pay online. Sponsorships available. More details to come!

Every Monday Doors Open @ 4:30pm BINGO begins at 6:40pm

Come and Play

School Parents, your help is needed. Thank You Volunteers!!!

Currently accepting applications for the 2018-2019 academic year.

Pre-school ages 3 and 4 Kindergarten through Grade 8

For more information or to schedule a visit please call 617 696-3548

Celebrate Christian Values Excel in Education

Baptism: 2:00pm on the 2nd/4th Sundays of each month. Please call the Rectory to arrange/ask questions regarding other arrangements.

Reconciliation: 3:45-4:15pm on Saturdays Any other time by appointment

Marriage: Call one of the parish priests or deacon. Ar-rangements are ordinarily to be made at least 6 months before the proposed marriage.

SACRAMENTAL CELEBRATIONS

Saint Agatha School Milton ~ Quincy