Holy Week Digest

Welcome everyone - it's holy Week, remembering the Passion and Death of our Lord, and concluding in the joy of the Resurrected Christ on Easter!!

This week at the parish:

• Tuesday - Family Playgroup (10:30 am), Confessions (3:30 pm), Fatima Apostolate (7 pm)
• Wednesday - Confessions  (6:30-8:00 pm), Bereavement Meeting (7 pm)
• Holy Thursday - Please see schedule below
• Good Friday - Please see schedule below
• Holy Saturday  - Please see schedule below, Altar Server Training (1 pm)
• EASTER SUNDAY - Please see schedule below, Egg Hunt, Coffee and Donuts (after 9:00 am Mass), Adult Choir (10:30 am Mass)

Holy Week Schedule at Saint Agnes:

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Saint Agnes Family Playgroup - CHECK THE BLOG BEFORE YOU LEAVE!

Now that we are in summer mode, we will be holding Tuesday playgroups outdoors at nearby parks. To print a written schedule of our summer playgroup locations, please click here. To see a map of our summer park schedule, please click here.

This Tuesday, March 31st, we will meet at the Bike Path in Arlington, near the Ice Rink (Park in the Ed Burns Arena Lot on Summer St., Arlington) at 10:30 am.  We will wait until 10:45 for friends before walking down the bikepath in the direction of Lexington.  Please bring your own strollers, scooters, bikes, etc., a lunch or snack and join us!

**NOTE THAT our outdoor summer schedule is highly dependent on good weather. If the weather seems questionable, please check your email or the blog page before you leave for playgroup. In case of rain, playgroup will be cancelled for the day. Thanks!**

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Altar Server Training

All Parish youth currently in Grades 4 and up are invited to join the Parish Altar Server Program. Assignments are for approximately two Masses per month. Instruction sessions, lasting one hour each, are at 1:00 pm in the lower Church on Saturdays: March 21, 28, April 4 and April 11. The Installation Mass will be on Sunday, April 12, at the 9:00 am Family Mass.  If you have any questions, please call Michael Keiselbach at 781-646-0475.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Mass of Anointing
Saint Agnes Parish Mass of Anointing and Luncheon will be celebrated on Saturday, April 11th at 12:00 noon. Volunteers are needed as drivers, nurses, greeters, hosts/hostesses and people to make/donate sandwiches and desserts. If you are donating sandwiches or dessert, please let us know what and how many you will donate. You may deliver your donations before the luncheon on Saturday by noon. Thank you for your kindness. If you can help, or if you would like to attend and need transportation, please call the Parish Center at 781-648-0220.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Saint Agnes $10,000 Raffle

The North End comes to Saint Agnes School for its Annual $10,000 Raffle Dinner, Saturday, April 11th.. Tickets are still available for this event, which is such a fun way to show your support of our beloved school! Your ticket purchase includes an Italian style buffet dinner (for two!), a raffle entry into the drawing for $10,000 and the chance to win some other great prizes! For more information, please contact. Maureen Kenney at 781.697.7017 or Liz Sousa at 617.291.6227 You can also email us at SaintAgnes10K [at] gmail.com or visit the Saint Agnes School website at www.saintagnesschool.com.

FALL 2015 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR OUR WONDERFUL PARISH SCHOOLS!

FIDELITY HOUSE - Preschool and Pre-K

SAINT AGNES GRAMMAR SCHOOL - Pre-K through Grade 8

ARLINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Links to these websites are located at the top right-hand of the blog page.

When you invest and involve your family here, you can participate

in the evangelical mission and service of these community resources,

which are offered by - and in the long tradition of - our very own Catholic Church.

Financial Aid is available.  WOW!

40 Days for Life in Lent & Respect Life at Saint Agnes

40 Days for Life

Our community will join hundreds of other cities on February 22-March 29 to participate in a life-saving campaign made up of prayer and fasting, community outreach and peaceful vigils.  You are invited to stand and pray during the 40-day vigil in the public right-of-way outside Planned Parenthood in Boston, and to spread the word about this important ministry.

Saint Agnes has committed to prayer outside of Planned Parenthood on Sundays from 2:00-3:00 pm, beginning February 22nd.  We will leave Saint Agnes parking lot at 1:30 pm each Sunday.  We invite you to join us at least once during the campaign.  For more information, visit www.40DaysforLife.com/boston, or email Eileen Cahill at SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com

How can we be PRO-life every day?

By maintaining a positive attitude towards others,

appreciating the unique person that God has created in each individual,

reaching out in kindness and compassion,

praying for the unborn, disabled and elderly,

and giving alms to the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable in our society.

“Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me.”Matthew 25:40

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Do you like to Run (or walk?)

Calling all runners and walkers… have you heard of the national organization LIFE Runners? It is the world’s largest Pro-Life Running/Walking Team with chapters in all 50 states and 17 countries! LIFE Runners pray and run (or walk) to defend Life from conception to natural death… All in Christ for Pro-Life! There are two chapters in Massachusetts (Springfield and Still River), but no Boston area chapter yet. Would you be interested in starting a Boston area chapter of LIFE Runners? E-mail SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com or call Eileen Cahill at 781-643-5915. This would be a great way for all ages in our parish and our community to work and pray together to support God’s gift of life.

“All life has inestimable value even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect.”

-Pope Francis

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

LOCAL Natural Family Planning

Attention Married Couples!  Would you like…

• a natural, hormone-free way to postpone pregnancy?
• to start a family or have another child?
• to improve communication with your spouse?
• to learn more about church teaching on "the Theology of the Body?"
• to understand why the Bishops were so unsettled by the HHS mandate?

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is an organic, chemical-free method that is just as effective as the Pill at postponing pregnancy and nearly twice as effective as IVF for achieving pregnancy. The divorce rate among couples that practice NFP is less than 2%.

Want to learn more? Josh and Meredith Phelps are certified teachers of a 3-class NFP series, offered in our locale!  For sign-ups, details, or questions about dates, please email Meredith.Phelps [at] gmail.com.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Project Rachel
Project Rachel is a confidential Catholic outreach ministry offering healing, compassion and hope to women and men hurting from an abortion experience. People are available to listen, to answer questions, to pray for you, and to help in any way. Project Rachel can help begin the experience of forgiveness, freedom and peace waiting for you in the tender embrace of God’s love and mercy. The phone number for Project Rachel is 508-651-3100, email is help [at] ProjectRachelBoston.com, and the website is www.ProjectRachelBoston.com.  All inquiries are confidential.

Getting Ready for Easter with MMP2

How can you emphasize the joy and celebration of Easter with your small children?  Why not try...

Making Music Praying Twice

at Belmont Collaborative (St. Luke/St. Joseph), Belmont, MA

Spring Classes: Fridays at 10:30 am

The final session of 6 classes runs from April 10-May 22 (no class April 24), and covers the liturgical season of Easter in the Church. Included in the tuition are all classes and equipment plus family materials and songbooks.  If there is sufficient interest, a second/alternative class time will be opened.

Registration for is ongoing and available online at https://sites.google.com/a/ssjl.org/st-joseph-and-st-luke-parishes/children-s-programs/children-s-choir-at-saint-joseph or by calling the parish office at 617-484-0279.  No payment is necessary until the first class. Classes appropriate for children birth – age 5 with a caregiver. All classes will be held at St. Joseph Parish, 130 Common Street, Belmont, MA.

Wednesday Confessions & Meatless Friday Recipe

Do you need a new start?  The Light is On for You!

Go to confession TONIGHT, or any Wednesday this Lent from 6:30-8:00 pm in our own church,

or any parish or chapel in the Boston Diocese.

All people are welcome to come to the Heavenly Feast, so start with a good confession to our Lord.

An introduction on how to make a good confession can be found here.  

What to do in Lent? How can we make this a holy season, growing spiritually and in our relationship with our Lord? Here's are five quick thoughts:

1. Sacrifice something - give something up as an offering to the Lord. Put this thing out of your life for a time, and allow God to fill that void with His grace.
   
2. Give alms - give from your need, not just your excess. Give money saved by making sacrifices to the poor, lonely, forgotten, and mistreated.  Unite yourself to those who suffer, and give with a sincere and generous heart.
   
3. Give time - start a habit of caring for someone that God has put in your life. This may mean beginning a commitment to volunteer, visiting a neighbor in need, or giving more dedicated time to your family.
   
4. Go to Confession - recognize your sins, faults, failings, and struggles. Confess them to the Lord sincerely, and ask for His help. God is faithful! Then go out and make amends with those whom you have hurt. Generously forgive those who have hurt you. Offer others the same new beginning which Christ has offered to each of us.
   
5. Make a habit of Prayer - start spending time with God, habitually. For some this means going to Daily Mass. For others, it means praying the Rosary, the Daily Readings, or other set devotions. For others this means cracking open the Scriptures. For others it means sitting quietly and listening to God. Whatever way you pray, just do it.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

What are you cooking on Friday night?  Catholics abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent, but for most Americans, this change in diet can sometimes be tricky!

Do you need a recipe idea?  Below is a meatless recipe submitted by one of our own parish families, and kindly compiled into a cookbook by Rachel Horsting.  Perhaps you could set aside family time this Friday to cook with your kids, invite a friend for dinner, or offer a meatless meal to someone in need!

For the rest of the cookbook, please click here.

YOU are our Parish! Service opportunities at Saint Agnes

Are you looking for ways to offer yourself more fully to others during this season of Lent?

Perhaps God is calling you in a new direction!

Below are some service opportunities in our parish.

Altar Server Training

All Parish youth currently in Grades 4 and up are invited to join the Parish Altar Server Program. Assignments are for approximately two Masses per month. Instruction sessions, lasting one hour each, are at 1:00 pm in the lower Church on Saturdays: March 21, 28, April 4 and April 11. The Installation Mass will be on Sunday, April 12, at the 9:00 am Family Mass.  If you have any questions, please call Michael Keiselbach at 781-646-0475.

Easter Sunday Egg Hunt
The Annual Egg Hunt is upcoming after Masses on Easter Day. We need help putting down the eggs and handing out bags/crowd control on Easter morning. It only takes a couple hours of your time to share the joy of Easter with others before everyone parts ways to go to family parties. This volunteer job is especially suited to people who go to the Easter Vigil on the night before. Can you join us? Please email Marianne Hudelson (Marianne.Hudelson@gmail.com) if  you are able to help. Many thanks!

Saint Agnes Mass of Anointing & Luncheon
Saint Agnes Parish Mass of Anointing and Luncheon will be celebrated on Saturday, April 11th at 12:00 noon. Volunteers are needed as drivers, nurses, greeters, hosts/hostesses and people to make/donate sandwiches and desserts. If you are donating sandwiches or dessert, please let us know what and how many you will donate. You may deliver your donations before the luncheon on Saturday by noon. Thank you for your kindness. If you can help, or if you would like to attend and need transportation, please call the Parish Center at 781-648-0220.

Weekly Digest

Welcome everyone!
This week at the parish:

• Tuesday - Family Playgroup (10:30 am), Choir Practice and Fatima Apostolate (7 pm)
• Wednesday - Confessions  (6:30-8:00 pm), Bereavement Meeting and Adult Education (7 pm)
• Thursday - Saint Dymphna Society (6:30 pm)
• Friday - Living Stations at Saint Camillus (7 pm)
• Saturday  - Altar Server Training (1 pm), Confessions (3 pm)
• PALM SUNDAY - Coffee and Donuts (after 9:00 am Mass), Adult Choir (10:30 am Mass), 40 Days for Life Prayer Hour (depart from church at 1:30 pm)

Daily Masses at Saint Agnes are 7:00 am everyday, and in LENT ONLY 5:30 pm Monday-Fridays.

Confessions are offered Wednesdays 6:30-8:00 pm,and Saturdays at 3:00 pm.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Saint Agnes Family Playgroup - CHECK THE BLOG BEFORE YOU LEAVE!

Now that we are in summer mode, we will be holding Tuesday playgroups outdoors at nearby parks. To print a written schedule of our summer playgroup locations, please click here. To see a map of our summer park schedule, please click here.

This Tuesday, March 24th, we will meet at the Bike Path in Lexington (Park in the small lot on Bow St., Lexington) at 10:30 am.  We will wait until 10:45 for friends before walking down the bikepath in the direction of Arlington.  Please bring your own strollers, scooters, bikes, etc., a lunch or snack and join us!

**NOTE THAT our outdoor summer schedule is highly dependent on good weather. If the weather seems questionable, please check your email or the blog page before you leave for playgroup. In case of rain, playgroup will be cancelled for the day. Thanks!**

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Altar Server Training

All Parish youth currently in Grades 4 and up are invited to join the Parish Altar Server Program. Assignments are for approximately two Masses per month. Instruction sessions, lasting one hour each, are at 1:00 pm in the lower Church on Saturdays: March 21, 28, April 4 and April 11. The Installation Mass will be on Sunday, April 12, at the 9:00 am Family Mass.  If you have any questions, please call Michael Keiselbach at 781-646-0475.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
40 Days for Life
Saint Agnes will be participating in the upcoming Lenten 40 Days for Life campaign in Boston!  40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that draws attention to the evils of abortion through the use of prayer and fasting, prayer vigil, and community outreach.  40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families.  The 40-day campaign parallels Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities… and the entire world. From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after Christ’s resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.

Please join Saint Agnes Parishioners for Life as we participate in 40 Days for Life this Lent!  Saint Agnes will be leading a rosary hour each Sunday afternoon from 2:00-3:00 pm at Planned Parenthood in Boston during the campaign starting Sunday, February 22nd. For carpooling, we will meet at 1:30 pm in the public parking lot adjacent to Saint Agnes church. If you have any questions, please e-mail Eileen Cahill (SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com).

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Mass of Anointing
Saint Agnes Parish Mass of Anointing and Luncheon will be celebrated on Saturday, April 11th at 12:00 noon. Volunteers are needed as drivers, nurses, greeters, hosts/hostesses and people to make/donate sandwiches and desserts. If you are donating sandwiches or dessert, please let us know what and how many you will donate. You may deliver your donations before the luncheon on Saturday by noon. Thank you for your kindness. If you can help, or if you would like to attend and need transportation, please call the Parish Center at 781-648-0220.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Saint Agnes $10,000 Raffle

The North End comes to Saint Agnes School for its Annual $10,000 Raffle Dinner, Saturday, April 11th.. Tickets are still available for this event, which is such a fun way to show your support of our beloved school! Your ticket purchase includes an Italian style buffet dinner (for two!), a raffle entry into the drawing for $10,000 and the chance to win some other great prizes! For more information, please contact. Maureen Kenney at 781.697.7017 or Liz Sousa at 617.291.6227 You can also email us at SaintAgnes10K [at] gmail.com or visit the Saint Agnes School website at www.saintagnesschool.com.

FALL 2015 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR OUR WONDERFUL PARISH SCHOOLS!

FIDELITY HOUSE - Preschool and Pre-K

SAINT AGNES GRAMMAR SCHOOL - Pre-K through Grade 8

ARLINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Links to these websites are located at the top right-hand of the blog page.

When you invest and involve your family here, you can participate

in the evangelical mission and service of these community resources,

which are offered by - and in the long tradition of - our very own Catholic Church.

Financial Aid is available.  WOW!

40 Days for Life & Local Service Opportunities

40 Days for Life

Our community will join hundreds of other cities on February 22-March 29 to participate in a life-saving campaign made up of prayer and fasting, community outreach and peaceful vigils.  You are invited to stand and pray during the 40-day vigil in the public right-of-way outside Planned Parenthood in Boston, and to spread the word about this important ministry.

Saint Agnes has committed to prayer outside of Planned Parenthood on Sundays from 2:00-3:00 pm, beginning February 22nd.  We will leave Saint Agnes parking lot at 1:30 pm each Sunday.  We invite you to join us at least once during the campaign.  For more information, visit www.40DaysforLife.com/boston, or email Eileen Cahill at SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com

How can we be PRO-life every day?

By maintaining a positive attitude towards others,

appreciating the unique person that God has created in each individual,

reaching out in kindness and compassion,

praying for the unborn, disabled and elderly,

and giving alms to the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable in our society.

“Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me.”Matthew 25:40

Are you looking for ways to offer yourself more fully to others during this season of Lent?

Perhaps God is calling you in a new direction!

Below are some service opportunities in our parish and locale.

Altar Server Training

All Parish youth currently in Grades 4 and up are invited to join the Parish Altar Server Program. Assignments are for approximately two Masses per month. Instruction sessions, lasting one hour each, are at 1:00 pm in the lower Church on Saturdays: March 21, 28, April 4 and April 11. The Installation Mass will be on Sunday, April 12, at the 9:00 am Family Mass.  If you have any questions, please call Michael Keiselbach at 781-646-0475.

Easter Sunday Egg Hunt
The Annual Egg Hunt is upcoming after Masses on Easter Day. We need help putting down the eggs and handing out bags/crowd control on Easter morning. It only takes a couple hours of your time to share the joy of Easter with others before everyone parts ways to go to family parties. This volunteer job is especially suited to people who go to the Easter Vigil on the night before. Can you join us? Please email Marianne Hudelson (Marianne.Hudelson@gmail.com) if  you are able to help. Many thanks!

Saint Agnes Mass of Anointing & Luncheon
Saint Agnes Parish Mass of Anointing and Luncheon will be celebrated on Saturday, April 11th at 12:00 noon. Volunteers are needed as drivers, nurses, greeters, hosts/hostesses and people to make/donate sandwiches and desserts. If you are donating sandwiches or dessert, please let us know what and how many you will donate. You may deliver your donations before the luncheon on Saturday by noon. Thank you for your kindness. If you can help, or if you would like to attend and need transportation, please call the Parish Center at 781-648-0220.

Friday: Parish Stations and Pasta Supper & Meatless Friday Recipe

Are you looking for a way to connect with your community and start a habit of prayer?

Join us this Friday night, March 20th, for our parish Stations of the Cross & Pasta Supper.

Invite a friend, or offer to help!  Every person can be a part of this beautiful tradition, growing in faith together.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
What are you cooking on Friday night?  Catholics abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent, but for most Americans, this change in diet can sometimes be tricky!

Do you need a recipe idea?  Below is a meatless recipe submitted by one of our own parish families, and kindly compiled into a cookbook by Rachel Horsting.  Perhaps you could set aside family time this Friday to cook with your kids, invite a friend for dinner, or offer a meatless meal to someone in need!

For the rest of the cookbook, please click here.

Weekly Digest

Welcome everyone!
This week at the parish:

• Tuesday - Family Playgroup (10:30 am), Choir Practice and Fatima Apostolate (7 pm)
• Wednesday - Confessions  (6:30-8:00 pm), Bereavement Meeting (7 pm), Arlington Catholic Women's Club (7:15 pm)
• Thursday - Men's Bible Study (8 pm)
• Friday - Stations of the Cross and Lenten Supper (following the 5:30 pm Mass)
• Saturday  - Altar Server Training (1 pm), Confessions (3 pm)
• Sunday - Coffee and Donuts (after 9:00 am Mass), Adult Choir (10:30 am Mass), 40 Days for Life Prayer Hour (depart from church at 1:30 pm), Lenten Vespers (4 pm at Saint Agnes)

Daily Masses at Saint Agnes are 7:00 am everyday, and in LENT ONLY 5:30 pm Monday-Fridays.

Confessions are offered Wednesdays 6:30-8:00 pm,and Saturdays at 3:00 pm.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Saint Agnes Family Playgroup - CHECK THE BLOG BEFORE YOU LEAVE!

Now that we are in summer mode, we will be holding Tuesday playgroups outdoors at nearby parks. To print a written schedule of our summer playgroup locations, please click here. To see a map of our summer park schedule, please click here.

This Tuesday, March 17th, we will meet at the Bike Path near Spy Pond (Park on the Linwood St. Circle, Arlington) at 10:30 am.  We will wait until 10:45 for friends before walking down the bikepath in the direction of Cambridge.  Please bring your own strollers, scooters, bikes, etc., a lunch or snack and join us!

**NOTE THAT our outdoor summer schedule is highly dependent on good weather. If the weather seems questionable, please check your email or the blog page before you leave for playgroup. In case of rain, playgroup will be cancelled for the day. Thanks!**

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Altar Server Training

All Parish youth currently in Grades 4 and up are invited to join the Parish Altar Server Program. Assignments are for approximately two Masses per month. Instruction sessions, lasting one hour each, are at 1:00 pm in the lower Church on Saturdays: March 21, 28, April 4 and April 11. The Installation Mass will be on Sunday, April 12, at the 9:00 am Family Mass.  If you have any questions, please call Michael Keiselbach at 781-646-0475.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
40 Days for Life
Saint Agnes will be participating in the upcoming Lenten 40 Days for Life campaign in Boston!  40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that draws attention to the evils of abortion through the use of prayer and fasting, prayer vigil, and community outreach.  40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families.  The 40-day campaign parallels Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities… and the entire world. From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after Christ’s resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.

Please join Saint Agnes Parishioners for Life as we participate in 40 Days for Life this Lent!  Saint Agnes will be leading a rosary hour each Sunday afternoon from 2:00-3:00 pm at Planned Parenthood in Boston during the campaign starting Sunday, February 22nd. For carpooling, we will meet at 1:30 pm in the public parking lot adjacent to Saint Agnes church. If you have any questions, please e-mail Eileen Cahill (SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com).

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Mass of Anointing
Saint Agnes Parish Mass of Anointing and Luncheon will be celebrated on Saturday, April 11th at 12:00 noon. Volunteers are needed as drivers, nurses, greeters, hosts/hostesses and people to make/donate sandwiches and desserts. If you are donating sandwiches or dessert, please let us know what and how many you will donate. You may deliver your donations before the luncheon on Saturday by noon. Thank you for your kindness. If you can help, or if you would like to attend and need transportation, please call the Parish Center at 781-648-0220.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Saint Agnes $10,000 Raffle

Save the date! The North End comes to Saint Agnes School for its Annual $10,000 Raffle Dinner, Saturday, April 11th.  Flyers will be distributed in the weeks to come and you will have the opportunity to reserve your ticket/ raffle numbers early. We look forward to the success of one of the biggest fundraisers of the year to help support the children of Saint Agnes School. It is a great time, and a wonderful way to both have a night out, and support important Catholic causes.  Email SaintAgnes10K [at] gmail.com with any questions.

FALL 2015 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR OUR WONDERFUL PARISH SCHOOLS!

FIDELITY HOUSE - Preschool and Pre-K

SAINT AGNES GRAMMAR SCHOOL - Pre-K through Grade 8

ARLINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Links to these websites are located at the top right-hand of the blog page.

When you invest and involve your family here, you can participate

in the evangelical mission and service of these community resources,

which are offered by - and in the long tradition of - our very own Catholic Church.

Financial Aid is available.  WOW!

YOU are our Parish! More Service Opportunities in Lent

Are you looking for ways to offer yourself more fully to others during this season of Lent?

Perhaps God is calling you in a new direction!

Below are some service opportunities in our parish and locale.

Altar Server Training

All Parish youth currently in Grades 4 and up are invited to join the Parish Altar Server Program. Assignments are for approximately two Masses per month. Instruction sessions, lasting one hour each, are at 1:00 pm in the lower Church on Saturdays: March 21, 28, April 4 and April 11. The Installation Mass will be on Sunday, April 12, at the 9:00 am Family Mass.  If you have any questions, please call Michael Keiselbach at 781-646-0475.

Easter Sunday Egg Hunt
The Annual Egg Hunt is upcoming after Masses on Easter Day. We need help putting down the eggs and handing out bags/crowd control on Easter morning. It only takes a couple hours of your time to share the joy of Easter with others before everyone parts ways to go to family parties. This volunteer job is especially suited to people who go to the Easter Vigil on the night before. Can you join us? Please email Marianne Hudelson (Marianne.Hudelson@gmail.com) if  you are able to help. Many thanks!

Saint Agnes Mass of Anointing & Luncheon
Saint Agnes Parish Mass of Anointing and Luncheon will be celebrated on Saturday, April 11th at 12:00 noon. Volunteers are needed as drivers, nurses, greeters, hosts/hostesses and people to make/donate sandwiches and desserts. If you are donating sandwiches or dessert, please let us know what and how many you will donate. You may deliver your donations before the luncheon on Saturday by noon. Thank you for your kindness. If you can help, or if you would like to attend and need transportation, please call the Parish Center at 781-648-0220.

Respect Life at Saint Agnes: 40 Days for Life in Lent

40 Days for Life

Our community will join hundreds of other cities on February 22-March 29 to participate in a life-saving campaign made up of prayer and fasting, community outreach and peaceful vigils.  You are invited to stand and pray during the 40-day vigil in the public right-of-way outside Planned Parenthood in Boston, and to spread the word about this important ministry.

Saint Agnes has committed to prayer outside of Planned Parenthood on Sundays from 2:00-3:00 pm, beginning February 22nd.  We will leave Saint Agnes parking lot at 1:30 pm each Sunday.  We invite you to join us at least once during the campaign.  For more information, visit www.40DaysforLife.com/boston, or email Eileen Cahill at SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com

How can we be PRO-life every day?

By maintaining a positive attitude towards others,

appreciating the unique person that God has created in each individual,

reaching out in kindness and compassion,

praying for the unborn, disabled and elderly,

and giving alms to the poor, marginalized, and vulnerable in our society.

“Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for Me.”Matthew 25:40

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Do you like to Run (or walk?)

Calling all runners and walkers… have you heard of the national organization LIFE Runners? It is the world’s largest Pro-Life Running/Walking Team with chapters in all 50 states and 17 countries! LIFE Runners pray and run (or walk) to defend Life from conception to natural death… All in Christ for Pro-Life! There are two chapters in Massachusetts (Springfield and Still River), but no Boston area chapter yet. Would you be interested in starting a Boston area chapter of LIFE Runners? E-mail SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com or call Eileen Cahill at 781-643-5915. This would be a great way for all ages in our parish and our community to work and pray together to support God’s gift of life.

“All life has inestimable value even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect.”

-Pope Francis

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

LOCAL Natural Family Planning

Attention Married Couples!  Would you like…

• a natural, hormone-free way to postpone pregnancy?
• to start a family or have another child?
• to improve communication with your spouse?
• to learn more about church teaching on "the Theology of the Body?"
• to understand why the Bishops were so unsettled by the HHS mandate?

Natural Family Planning (NFP) is an organic, chemical-free method that is just as effective as the Pill at postponing pregnancy and nearly twice as effective as IVF for achieving pregnancy. The divorce rate among couples that practice NFP is less than 2%.

Want to learn more? Josh and Meredith Phelps are certified teachers of a 3-class NFP series, offered in our locale!  For sign-ups, details, or questions about dates, please email Meredith.Phelps [at] gmail.com.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Project Rachel
Project Rachel is a confidential Catholic outreach ministry offering healing, compassion and hope to women and men hurting from an abortion experience. People are available to listen, to answer questions, to pray for you, and to help in any way. Project Rachel can help begin the experience of forgiveness, freedom and peace waiting for you in the tender embrace of God’s love and mercy. The phone number for Project Rachel is 508-651-3100, email is help [at] ProjectRachelBoston.com, and the website is www.ProjectRachelBoston.com.  All inquiries are confidential.

Boston Sock Exchange this Weekend

"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread." Mother Teresa

Come serve the homeless in Boston.
Put your faith in action!

This Saturday, March 14th is the Boston Sock Exchange at 11:00 am! This ministry helps the homeless men and women of Boston, by distributing gifts of sandwiches and clothes near the Park Street T-Stop on the second Saturday of the month.

Prep and packaging for the day will be held TOMORROW -- Friday night, March 13th at 7:00 pm in the parish center. Help and/or donations is a wonderful way to put our faith in action!  For more information, see the calendar to the right, or email Natasha Buckley (NQBuck [at] aol.com).  Participants need to be at least 7 years old, and those under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

The Boston Sock Exchange is currently in need of small 8 oz. bottled water, SOCKS, sweatshirts, long sleeved-shirts, fleece jackets, coats, gloves, hats, and scarves.  We also need rain gear: ponchos and umbrellas.  Thank you!

Wednesday Confessions, Thursday Mom's Night & Meatless Friday Recipe!

Do you need a new start?  The Light is On for You!

Go to confession TONIGHT, or any Wednesday this Lent from 6:30-8:00 pm in our own church,

or any parish or chapel in the Boston Diocese.

All people are welcome to come to the Heavenly Feast, so start with a good confession to our Lord.

An introduction on how to make a good confession can be found here.  

What to do in Lent? How can we make this a holy season, growing spiritually and in our relationship with our Lord? Here's are five quick thoughts:

1. Sacrifice something - give something up as an offering to the Lord. Put this thing out of your life for a time, and allow God to fill that void with His grace.
   
2. Give alms - give from your need, not just your excess. Give money saved by making sacrifices to the poor, lonely, forgotten, and mistreated.  Unite yourself to those who suffer, and give with a sincere and generous heart.
   
3. Give time - start a habit of caring for someone that God has put in your life. This may mean beginning a commitment to volunteer, visiting a neighbor in need, or giving more dedicated time to your family.
   
4. Go to Confession - recognize your sins, faults, failings, and struggles. Confess them to the Lord sincerely, and ask for His help. God is faithful! Then go out and make amends with those whom you have hurt. Generously forgive those who have hurt you. Offer others the same new beginning which Christ has offered to each of us.
   
5. Make a habit of Prayer - start spending time with God, habitually. For some this means going to Daily Mass. For others, it means praying the Rosary, the Daily Readings, or other set devotions. For others this means cracking open the Scriptures. For others it means sitting quietly and listening to God. Whatever way you pray, just do it.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Here's a friendly reminder that Mom's-Night-In is THURSDAY, March 12th

We will get together for a stress-free evening, enjoy feminine fellowship, maybe play a game or two, and pray a devotion together.

I will not publish the hostesses address online, so please email me at saintagnesfamilies [at] gmail.com if you plan to come.

Please bring a snack or drink to share!

 We will kick it off at 8:00 pm.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
What are you cooking on Friday night?  Catholics abstain from meat on the Fridays of Lent, but for most Americans, this change in diet can sometimes be tricky!

Do you need a recipe idea?  Below is a meatless recipe submitted by one of our own parish families, and kindly compiled into a cookbook by Rachel Horsting.  Perhaps you could set aside family time this Friday to cook with your kids, invite a friend for dinner, or offer a meatless meal to someone in need!

For the rest of the cookbook, please click here.

Weekly Digest

Welcome everyone!
This week at the parish:

• Tuesday - Playgroup is CANCELLED due to the weather.  Choir Practice and Fatima Apostolate (7 pm)
• Wednesday - Confessions  (6:30-8:00 pm), Bereavement Meeting (7 pm)
• Thursday - Mom's Night In (8 pm)
• Friday - Prep for Boston Sock Exchange (7 pm)
• Saturday  - Boston Sock Exchange (11 am at Park Street T-stop), Confessions (3 pm)
• Sunday - Coffee and Donuts (after 9:00 am Mass), Adult Choir (10:30 am Mass), 40 Days for Life Prayer Hour (depart from church at 1:30 pm), Lenten Vespers (4 pm at Saint Agnes)

Daily Masses at Saint Agnes are 7:00 am everyday, and in LENT ONLY 5:30 pm Monday-Fridays.

Confessions are offered Wednesdays 6:30-8:00 pm,and Saturdays at 3:00 pm.

Tuesday Morning Playgroup

Playgroup is cancelled again this week, due to the ongoing snow and ice cover on playgrounds and the bike path.  With slightly more melting, we hope to resume soon!  Please check back next week or email SaintAgnesFamilies [at] gmail.com for the new playgroup schedule.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Mom's Night In - THURSDAY, March 12th at 8:00 pm

We will get together for a stress-free evening, play some get-to-know-you games (think: Apples to Apples), and PRAY together.  I will not publish the hostesses address online, so please email me at saintagnesfamilies [at] gmail.com if you plan to come. Please bring a snack or drink to share!  We will kick it off at 8:00 pm.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Boston Sock Exchange

This Saturday, March 14th is the Boston Sock Exchange at 11:00 am at the Park Street T-Stop.  This ministry helps the homeless men and women of Boston, by distributing gifts of sandwiches and clothes near the Park Street T-Stop on the second Saturday of the month. Prep and packaging for the day is held in the parish center on Friday night, March 13th at 7:00 pm. Help and/or donations is a wonderful way to put your faith in action!  For more information, see the calendar to the right, or email Natasha Buckley (NQBuck [at] aol.com).

The Boston Sock Exchange is currently in need of small 8 oz. bottled water, SOCKS, sweatshirts, long sleeved-shirts, fleece jackets, coats, winter hats, scarves and gloves.  We also need rain gear: ponchos and umbrellas.  Thank you!

"Here is what we seek: a compassion that can stand in awe of what the poor have

to carry, rather than stand in judgement of how they carry it." Fr. Gregory Boyle, SJ

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
40 Days for Life
Saint Agnes will be participating in the upcoming Lenten 40 Days for Life campaign in Boston!  40 Days for Life is a community-based campaign that draws attention to the evils of abortion through the use of prayer and fasting, prayer vigil, and community outreach.  40 Days for Life takes a determined, peaceful approach to showing local communities the consequences of abortion in their own neighborhoods, for their own friends and families.  The 40-day campaign parallels Biblical history, where God used 40-day periods to transform individuals, communities… and the entire world. From Noah in the flood to Moses on the mountain to the disciples after Christ’s resurrection, it is clear that God sees the transformative value of His people accepting and meeting a 40-day challenge.

Please join Saint Agnes Parishioners for Life as we participate in 40 Days for Life this Lent!  Saint Agnes will be leading a rosary hour each Sunday afternoon from 2:00-3:00 pm at Planned Parenthood in Boston during the campaign starting Sunday, February 22nd. For carpooling, we will meet at 1:30 pm in the public parking lot adjacent to Saint Agnes church. If you have any questions, please e-mail Eileen Cahill (SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com).

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Mass of Anointing
Saint Agnes Parish Mass of Anointing and Luncheon will be celebrated on Saturday, April 11th at 12:00 noon. Volunteers are needed as drivers, nurses, greeters, hosts/hostesses and people to make/donate sandwiches and desserts. If you are donating sandwiches or dessert, please let us know what and how many you will donate. You may deliver your donations before the luncheon on Saturday by noon. Thank you for your kindness. If you can help, or if you would like to attend and need transportation, please call the Parish Center at 781-648-0220.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Saint Agnes $10,000 Raffle

Save the date! The North End comes to Saint Agnes School for its Annual $10,000 Raffle Dinner, Saturday, April 11th.  Flyers will be distributed in the weeks to come and you will have the opportunity to reserve your ticket/ raffle numbers early. We look forward to the success of one of the biggest fundraisers of the year to help support the children of Saint Agnes School. It is a great time, and a wonderful way to both have a night out, and support important Catholic causes.  Email SaintAgnes10K [at] gmail.com with any questions.

FALL 2015 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN FOR OUR WONDERFUL PARISH SCHOOLS!

FIDELITY HOUSE - Preschool and Pre-K

SAINT AGNES GRAMMAR SCHOOL - Pre-K through Grade 8

ARLINGTON CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

Links to these websites are located at the top right-hand of the blog page.

When you invest and involve your family here, you can participate

in the evangelical mission and service of these community resources,

which are offered by - and in the long tradition of - our very own Catholic Church.

Financial Aid is available.  WOW!