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   Today in the Church Christmas comes to its final close, Ordinary Time begins on Monday, and we are well into the New Year.  I hope all are weathering the cold and wind as best as can be expected!  On behalf of Fr. Akilo and myself, I would like to express our gratitude for the innumerable best wishes, cards, and gifts of all sorts that you generously gave us at Christmas.  All were very appreciated.  Thank you!

   I am also grateful for how well our Advent and Christmas Seasons unfolded.  We added a lot of new things and tried to make things as beautiful and reverent as possible.  From what I’ve heard new items were well-received, our attendance was hopeful for the future, and we had a variety of events that set a pattern for community gatherings entering 2025.  For example, we estimate that over 400 people came to our first annual Lessons and Carols.  It flowed very smoothly and expertly for a first effort, so another thank you to everyone who pitched in to make the Christmas Season vibrant!

   It’s also important to state that going into the new year our finances have stabilized.  We have built up from our summer low due to the good response of our Grand Annual.  As a reminder, the Catholic Appeal will kickoff during Lent and “close” the Grand Annual season, so to speak, so please send in your donation if you have yet to do so.  We still rely on those gifts, or any addition you can make to the Offertory, because obviously winter costs are high and will deplete the boost to the operating account from the Grand Annual revenue.  As we continue through the winter, I am hopeful that we can continue to optimize our spending wherever possible.

   Finally, as winter becomes spring, we will continue to plan opportunities for community events and service in ministry.  Sometimes this may be unseen.  For example, we have a number of people finishing their sacraments or coming into full Communion with the Catholic Church and, on top of that, we are in the initial stages of developing more opportunities for our youth to grow in their Faith.  Please pray that our work will continue to bear fruit for the Lord and for we the people of the Parish of the Transfiguration.

12NOON  MASS IN ST.THOMAS CHURCH   ON SUNDAY FEBRUARY 23 , 2025  

All scouts should meet in the back of the Church before the Mass  If your group wants their Scout Sunday Patches blessed  please bring them to the Mass in a plastic bag with your group name on it and place in the basket in the back of the church or give to Frank West. They will be handed out after Mass.  

Any Altar Server that would like to serve at the Scout Mass please contact Frank West  For more information please contact Frank West 978.758.0412 or troop136wilm@aol.com

All Parishioners are welcome to join the scouts for cake and coffee downstairs after the Mass. 

Ash Wednesday 

March 5th - Distribution of Ashes

9:00 AM Mass @ St. Dorothy Church

6:00 PM Mass @ St. Thomas Church

12:00 PM Service @ St. Dorothy Church                                                                              

Wednesdays throughout Lent 

 Beginning March 12th 

       Adoration with Confession

       6:00PM @ St. Thomas Church

Wednesday March 19th  

     Mass of St Joseph

     7:00PM @ St. Dorothy Church

Thursdays throughout Lent 

Presentation on Knowing Jesus Christ

     6:00PM @ St. Dorothy Church 

Fridays throughout Lent

Stations and Simple Meal 

     6:00 PM @ St. Dorothy Church

Abstinence from meat is to be observed by all Catholics 14 years and older on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays of Lent  

Fasting is to be observed on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday by all Catholics over the age of 18 but not yet 59. Those bound by this may only take only one full meal. Two smaller meals are permitted to maintain strength according to one’s needs, but eating solid foods between meals is not permitted. 

Catholics should not lightly excuse themselves from these prescribed minimal practices.  (Those who are ill, pregnant, on medication or special diets for health concerns, or those who work at extremely physical jobs may be exempt from these regulations)

The Ladies Sodality invites all women of the parish to  join them on Monday, March 3rd in St. Dorothy Church for "A Journey Through Lent with Mary". A woman's reflection focusing  on our Blessed Mother. This will take the place of our March meeting.    

We will begin with a rosary at 6:30 pm upstairs in the church followed by a presentation and fellowship downstairs from 7:00 - 9:00. Our presenter will be Lynne O'Connor of Women of Grace and St. Michael's Parish in Bedford.  More details will be in next week's bulletin.

This Lent, you are invited to join Deacon Fred and other parishioners in a faith sharing program that will focus on conversion through the great themes of the Lenten season: being transfigured from thirst to water, from darkness to light, from Old Covenant written on stone to New Covenant written on our hearts.  Meeting days/times will be based on everyone's availability. 

 Sign up sheets will be in the bulletin and in the pews.  

The Feast Day of St. Joseph

March 19th.

In celebration there will be a 7pm mass on Wednesday, March 19 at St. Dorothy's Church

followed by coffee and refreshments (sponsored by the St. Joseph's Men's Prayer Group of our Parish). Join us in Worship, in fellowship and in honoring St. Joseph.

FIRST SATURDAY MASS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

MARCH 1ST, 9:00AM IN ST. THOMAS CHURCH 

Rosary begins at 8:30am.  Guided meditation and Confession follows Mass. 

To keep the First Saturday Devotion in reparation for the sins and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart and to receive the graces promised from it, one must attend Mass and receive Holy Communion, pray the rosary, and meditate on a mystery on the Rosary for 15 minutes. All are welcome to join us in this devotion to honor the Blessed Mother

Please join us for a Saint Patrick's Day feast and celebration on Saturday, March 15th, from 5:00--9:00 pm at Vilanova Hall.  The night will include a traditional Irish dinner of corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and Irish desserts. You can dance a jig, sing some Irish songs or see if you have the luck of the Irish at our 50/50 raffle!  

More details in next week's bulletin. 

Father in heaven, may the faith you have gifted us in your son Jesus Christ, our brother,

and the flame of charity kindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of your Kingdom. 

May your grace transform us into diligent cultivators of the evangelical seeds that make humanity and the cosmos rise unto the confident expectation of the new heavens and the new earth when,  with the powers of Evil overcome, your glory shall be manifested eternally. 

May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, the yearning for heavenly treasures  and pour over all the earth the joy and peace of our Redeemer.

To you God blessed in eternity, be praise and glory for ever and ever.  

Amen.

A CORI FORM must be completed EVERY YEAR BY ALL VOLUNTEERS,  The new year began July 1, 2024 and will continue through June 30, 2025  

NEW (FY) 24/25 CORI FORMS are available in the sacristy of both churches and at the Parish Office.   

A Code of Conduct will be given to All New volunteers when the Cori is returned to be verified. 

Again all volunteers must complete a CORI background screening prior to beginning ministry and annually after that. 

All  Staff and Volunteers including all those in worship ministry, must complete a Protecting God’s Children VIRTUS TRAINING CLASS . 

The Training class is only needed to be taken once.. 

A Training class will be held: 

Sunday, July 28th after the 8am (9:15am)Mass in the downstairs of St. Thomas Church and

Thursday, Aug 22nd in the downstairs of St. Dorothy Church at 6pm 

Please sign up by going to:
www.VIRTUSonline.org 

Do you like to carve wood?  We create handcrafted ornaments that we sell to provide money to vets and other people in need.  We meet on the first Saturday of every month in the basement of St. Thomas Church from 10AM to 4 PM. For More information, contact:   darren_boehm@yahoo.com

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Faith Formation Registration is now open for 2024-2025. Click here for the registration form. We also offer an adaptive faith formation class for students that need more assistance in the classroom. We also offer a heritage faith formation session class for students that have missed 1 or more years of faith formation and would like to return. If you have any question please email jeaniep@parishofthetransfiguration.org or call 978-658-6040.

Click here for more details

Looking for spiritual help and support from addiction? Click here to learn more.

SATURDAY MORNING MEN'S PRAYER GROUP MEETING. Click here to learn more.

CATHOLIC TV DAILY AND SUNDAY MASS

Cardinal Seán encourages Catholics to participate in the daily and Sunday Masses broadcast from the CatholicTV chapel.

• Daily Mass airs live at 9:30am and is rebroadcast at 7pm and 11:30pm.
• Sunday Masses air throughout the day at 10am, 4pm, 7pm, and 11:30pm.
• The Sunday Spanish Mass airs live at 8am and is rebroadcast at 5:30pm and 10pm.

Viewers can watch these Masses on demand at any time at www.WatchtheMass.com. For more information about CatholicTV and where you can watch it, visit http://www.catholictv.org/.

Forgive us for the war, Lord. Lord Jesus, son of God, have mercy on us sinners. Lord Jesus, born under the bombs of Kyiv, have mercy on us. Lord Jesus, dead in the arms of a mother in Kharkiv, have mercy on us. Lord Jesus, in the 20-year-olds sent to the frontline, have mercy on us. Lord Jesus, who continues to see hands armed with weapons under the shadow of the cross, forgive us, Lord. Forgive us if, not content with the nails with which we pierced your hand, we continue to drink from the blood of the dead torn apart by weapons. Forgive us if these hands that you had created to protect have been turned into instruments of death. Forgive us, Lord, if we continue to kill our brother. Forgive us, Lord, if we continue to kill our brother, if we continue like Cain to take the stones from our field to kill Abel. Forgive us if we go out of our way to justify cruelty, if, in our pain, we legitimize the cruelty of our actions. Forgive us the war, Lord. Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, we implore you to stop the hand of Cain, enlighten our conscience, let not our will be done, do not abandon us to our own doing. Stop us, Lord, stop us, and when you have stopped the hand of Cain, take care of him also. He is our brother. O Lord, stop the violence. Stop us, Lord. Amen.          Pope Francis