Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

News and Notes:

Confirmation blessings... Congratulations to our eleventh graders who will be confirmed this Sunday 9/24 at St. Maria Goretti Parish.  Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will seal their baptism with the anointing of the sacred chrism and the laying on of hands by Bishop Mark O’Connell; and that the Spirit will empower our young people with the heavenly gifts they need to be strong and effective public witnesses of Christ, and active members of the Church throughout their lives.  Thanks to Pam Guerrieo, our Director of Youth Formation and Kate McGrath, our Pastoral Assistant, and everyone who assisted our young people in preparation for this Sacrament of Initiation.

A familiar face... Father John Cronin, who spent his final year of priestly formation as a transitional deacon in our Collaborative, will return to Lynnfield next weekend to celebrate one Mass in each parish.  Father John will preside at the 4PM Mass at OLA on Saturday, September 30, and the 10AM Mass at SMG on Sunday, October 1.  Come and congratulate Father John on his ordination as a priest of the Diocese of Albany, New York.

Welcome... We are delighted to welcome Deacon Patrick Grode as our deacon intern this year.  Deacon Patrick is from the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and is in his final year of priestly formation at Pope St. John XXIII Seminary in Weston, MA.  Before he entered the Seminary, Deacon Patrick worked as a lawyer and an Assistant District Attorney.  He will be staying at the White House on weekends and exercising his ministry as a transitional deacon in our Collaborative until May.  Join me in welcoming Deacon Patrick to our Collaborative…and blessings to all of you in the week ahead!