Parish CARNIVAL - Febraruy 12th, 6-8 pm

Saturday, January 31, 2015

We happily announce a Parish Carnival, before we begin the season of Lent.together.
Join us and invite a new friend!

Parish Carnival Party
Thursday, February 12th
6:00-8:00 pm
Saint Agnes School Hall (enter on Compton Street)

Don a costume, bring a snack, and prepare to enjoy the games and fun! Featuring kid’s activities, locally fried Brazilian dumplings, costume competition, and old-fashioned party games. Come with friends, or come meet new ones. Put it in your calendar, as we prepare for the start of Lent. If you would like more information, or can volunteer at this event, please email Rachel Horsting (Rachel.Horsting [at] gmail.com).

In addition, you can help to make this Carnival the best it can be, a true event from and for our whole Catholic community.  How can you help?
  • Email meatless recipes to Rachel Horsting (Rachel.Horsting [at] gmail.com) for compilation into a book of Lenten cooking ideas!
  • Offer to bring a dish to share with others at the Carnival.
  • Sign up as a volunteer to make the event run smoothly using the link here.

World Youth Day 2016!!

In July of 2016, World Youth Day will be held in Krakow, Poland.  Three travel groups are being offered by the Archdiocese of Boston: High School, Young Adults, and Families.  Would you like to go??

To learn more about this life-changing experience, call Saint Agnes' Confirmation Director, Nancy Feeman (781-641-6621).  The Pilgrimage begins in Warsaw, visits our Lady of Czestochowa, Auschwitz, and the beautiful city of Krakow.  It would be wonderful to have a group from Arlington join the Diocesan Group to pray with the Pope in Poland!

CANCELLED - Jesus in the North End

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Please note that the "Jesus in the North End" event for Friday night has been CANCELLED.

The next night of prayer, confession, and evangelization will be on February 20th.
Put it on your calendar now and invite a friend!

Weekly Digest

Monday, January 26, 2015

Welcome everyone!
This week at the parish:
  • Tuesday - ALL ACTIVITIES CANCELLED!  Stay safe and warm :)
  • Wednesday - Bereavement Meeting (7 pm)
  • Thursday - Saint Dymphna Society (6:30 pm)
  • Friday  - Jesus in the North End (7:30-11:00 pm, Saint Leonard in the North End)
  • Saturday  - Confessions (3 pm)
  • Sunday - Coffee and Donuts (after 9:00 am Mass), Adult Choir (10:30 am Mass), Infant Baptisms (2:00 pm)
  • Monday  - Anointing of the Sick Mass (9:00 am at Saint Eulalia in Winchester)



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!

Saint Agnes Open House and Catholic School's Week

Friday, January 23, 2015

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK IS JANUARY 25-31
Saint Agnes School Open House on January 25th at 10:00 am - 1:00 pm


Catholic Schools Week will begin with a liturgy on Sunday, January 25 at 9:00 am. Saint Agnes School students will host the Mass. After Mass a collation will be held in Saint Agnes School Hall, followed by the Open House. The week of January 26-31 will be filled with activities for students and parents. Please check our website for daily details (SaintAgnesSchool.com).

Take this opportunity to come visit our parish school, meet the teachers and speak to students and parents. Saint Agnes School offers a full-time Special Education teacher and Guidance Counselor, and a full-time nurse. We also offer classes in Spanish, music, art, computers, engineering, library and physical education starting in K1 (pre-K) and continuing through 8th grade. All programs integrate the Massachusetts Common Core Curriculum standards with appreciation for the spiritual development of each child. If you are unable to make this special Open House, private tours are available anytime. Please call Patricia Crane, Development Director, at 781-643-9031 x. 305 or email PCrane [at] SaintAgnesSchool.us. Some classes are filling quickly. Re-registrations for current Saint Agnes students have been sent home. Please send in forms no later than January 23 to secure your spot for the 2015-2016 School year. Applications for K1 and K2 may be obtained from School secretary, Kathy Messuri (Secretary [at] SaintAgnesSchool.us).

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!

Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade - Praying for a Respect for Others, and all Human Life

Thursday, January 22, 2015

PROMOTE A RESPECT FOR LIFE
and
UPHOLD THE DIGNITY OF EACH PERSON

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

Baby Showers take place through the weekend of Sunday, January 25th,
via cribs at the front of church.
Items needed by the Pregnancy Help Office of the Archdiocese of Boston for the mothers who are expecting babies this winter will be collected.
If you are able to help move supplies after Masses, please email Maureen Tierney (MAT02174 [at] aol.com).
  • Blanket sleepers, size 0-12 months; Onesies, size 0-9 months; Sleep and plays, size 0-9 months; Warm Outfits for Boys and Girls, size 0-9 months; Snowsuits, size 0-3 months
  • Toiletries, Diaper Rash ointment, Shampoo, Body Wash (no powder please) bibs, bottles (4 and 8 ounce), wash cloths, flannel receiving blankets and diapers (size NB and size 4).
  • Please, no used baby clothes, but gently-used washable maternity clothes are graciously accepted.
  • To donate, check payable to “Fund for the Unborn”.  Thank you for your kindness and generosity!

January 22nd marks the anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade and Doe vs. Bolton court decisions in our country, which together effectively legalized abortions for any reason throughout all nine months of pregnancy.

Since 1973, over 57 million of our American peers have been lost– and as many of their family members have been deeply affected – by this tragedy of disregard for others' lives.

Many of our fellow parishioners joined in the Saint Camillus / Saint Agnes bus trip to Washington, DC to pray for an end to this unnecessary suffering in our world.  Take a minute to offer up a prayer for their efforts, their safe travel, and for all people whose lives have been forever changed by the pain of abortion.

We also ask the Lord to give each of us a "new heart" of flesh, and not of stone, that our mercy, love and kindness towards others may wipe away any feelings of the need for abortion as a "necessary evil."  Below is a wonderfully inspiring story about a Catholic nun who was willing to do that.  Despite ridicule even from fellow Catholics, Sister Marie answered the call to love rather than to engage in prideful condemnation.  How do our own attitudes affect the dialogue and decisions about life in our country?  How can we uphold in love the immeasurable worth of all those around us?

Venerable Rosalie Cadron-Jetté cared for single mothers at a time when few others would
by Eric Durocher, appearing in January 2015 edition of Columbia magazine
Toddlers and babies in the care of the Misericordia Sisters are pictured in a Montreal nursery circa 1909.
(Photo by T.G. Proulx, courtesy of the Archives of the Misericordia Sisters)

For as long as Donald Recore could remember, a vintage picture of an elderly nun hung prominently in his grandparents’ living room in Plattsburg, N.Y. About 30 years ago, he finally asked, “Who is that?”

“One of your grandmothers,” his Grandpa Ted told him matter-of-factly.

“Well, he answered my question,” said Recore, a member of Father Francis X. Chagnon Council 3525 in Champlain, N.Y. “But it raised a more important one: How do I have a grandmother who is also a nun?”

Recore, who now oversees a Knights of Columbus Insurance agency in Plattsburg, discovered that the answer lies in the life story of Rosalie Cadron-Jetté, also known as Mother Marie of the Nativity, whom Pope Francis declared venerable in December 2013.

In 1845, acting on a request from Bishop Ignace Bourget of Montreal, the widow Jetté founded a religious community to care for unwed mothers and their children. Despite strong objections from her six surviving children — including Léonard, Recore’s great-great-grandfather — Rosalie founded theSœurs de Miséricorde de Montréal (Misericordia Sisters of Montreal).

Now, more than 150 years after her death, Sulpician Father Éric Sylvestre is quick to make a connection between Jetté’s mission of mercy (miséricorde in French) and Pope Francis’ call “to go out to the peripheries.”

Father Sylvestre, who serves as the postulator for Venerable Rosalie’s cause and is a member of Sainte Marie Council 3258 in Montreal, said, “In welcoming and taking care of single mothers, who were ostracized by society at the time, Rosalie Cadron-Jetté heroically lived the Christian virtues.” Rosalie lavished “the tireless mercy of God,” he added, on all who knocked at her door.

RURAL ROOTS
Born Jan. 27, 1794, on a farm north of Montreal, Rosalie was the eldest of Rosalie Roy and Antoine Cadron’s two surviving children. Like most girls of her time, Rosalie acquired life skills from her mother, who was a midwife. At age 17, she married 33-year-old Jean-Marie Jetté, and the couple was blessed with six children.

Then began a period marked by “great darkness,” according to Father Sylvestre. In 1823-4, the family moved to a farm in St. Hyacinthe to expand their property for their children. However, due to a number of administrative irregularities regarding the property title, the Jettés ended up losing both their new farm and their money. During this time, they also lost their seventh child, who was stillborn.

In dire straits, the family moved to Montreal to find refuge with Jean-Marie’s brother, Paul. It was there that they began attending the newly constructed St. Jacques Church, where Father Ignace Bourget was both the rector and the bishop’s secretary. The 27-year-old priest would become Rosalie’s spiritual director.

While Jean-Marie and Rosalie worked diligently to make ends meet, tragedy awaited them at every turn. Between 1825 and 1832, Rosalie gave birth to four more children, all of whom died in childhood by 1836. In 1832, a cholera epidemic claimed her husband, and her mother died in 1838.

By this time, Rosalie’s surviving children were adults, so the 44-year-old widow dedicated her time to serving both God and neighbor. That wasn’t out of the ordinary for Rosalie. Up to this point in her life, biographies list numerous anecdotes of good works extended to those in need by Rosalie and her family, not only during their comfortable rural life, but also during their difficult urban existence. Even the bungled farm deal elicited a compassionate response from Rosalie: “It is better to forgive this man rather than have him punished by the law and bring dishonor upon his family.”

Her charitable disposition, enduring faith and remarkable courage in the face of hardship certainly made an impression on her spiritual director, who, by 1840, had became Montreal’s second bishop.

THE PLIGHT OF UNWED MOTHERS
The 1840s were not hospitable to unmarried women who were “in the family way.” Mother and child were typically treated as outcasts. Most unwed mothers or their families sought to avoid what was perceived as a disgrace by concealing the pregnancy, and many babies were dropped off under cover of night at orphanages. Others were abandoned or even killed.

Some single mothers, however, confessed to Bishop Bourget and pleaded for his help. He turned to the widow Jetté, confident that she would treat them with compassion and find a safe, welcoming place for them.

Rosalie, a midwife’s daughter and the mother of 11 children, was well equipped for this delicate mission. From 1840-45, she assisted 25 women, after which the bishop asked Rosalie if she would establish a religious community dedicated uniquely to this ministry.

“With no other resource but her faith,” Father Sylvestre said, Rosalie responded with a “yes” filled with “hope, obedience and abandonment to God’s will.”

In 1845, Rosalie convinced her son, Pierre, to let her use the unfinished attic of the house he had just rented. With sparse resources and the help of a companion, Rosalie welcomed 33 women that first year. The refuge was both inadequate and impractical, and a series of moves took place over the next five years before land could be purchased to build a proper maternity home and convent.

After the first year of religious formation (1846-47), eight sisters took the traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, together with a fourth vow to serve poor, single mothers. With a view to forming “a corps of midwives,” they soon began formal medical training in obstetrics and gynecology.

As a fledging community, the Misericordia Sisters endeavored to carry out their ministry discreetly, for the public was neither supportive of their cause nor charitable. The sisters were often mocked publicly and accused of “encouraging vice” as they brought newborns to be baptized at Notre-Dame Church and then to the Grey Nuns orphanage. Still, material aid and moral support came from some who were steered toward the congregation by Bishop Bourget.

Rosalie, who took the name Sister Marie of the Nativity, did not serve as superior of the congregation after the initial year. However, in 1858 Bishop Bourget recognized her as the foundress of the community and honored her with the title of Mother.

THE MISERICORDIA MISSION TODAY
Although the Misericordia Sisters ceased training to become midwives in 1861, their charism had taken root and would soon spread. At the time of Mother Rosalie’s death in 1864, the congregation numbered 47 members in various stages of formation. A century later, the Misericordia Sisters numbered about 400 religious. By the 1950s, they had founded 14 hospitals with accommodations for single mothers (six in the United States, eight in Canada) and would later open two clinics in Africa and a center for women with day care services in Ecuador. In the process, the International Misericordia Family was also formed, comprising 14 branches that included an international prayer network and groups for collaborators and parents.

“It’s a spiritual community that is much bigger than our current congregation of 80 sisters,” said Sister Monique Lallier, superior general. “It’s quite extraordinary.”

One of these branches, the Heritage Group, comprises seven institutions, representing some of the hospitals and maternity homes formerly operated by the sisters. These members continue to serve their communities by drawing upon the spirit of mercy advocated by Mother Rosalie and her congregation.

Rosalie Hall, an agency in Toronto, is one such member. Now in its centennial year, it serves more than 2,400 clients annually, and still operates a residence for single mothers-to-be. When its maternity department was slated for closure, the public came to Rosalie Hall’s support and helped convince the adjacent hospital — Scarborough General, originally founded by the Misericordia Sisters — to maintain it.

“The staff made an impassioned and convincing presentation to the hospital,” recalled Stephen Ward, who has served on the agency’s board for 16 years. “Rosalie Hall strives to live up to the audacity that Mother Rosalie brought to her mission. Her spirit steers our ship.”

The facility also receives faithful support from the local Knights of Columbus, according to Ward, who is a member of St. Joseph Highland Creek Council 11525.

“The Knights’ commitment to life resonates with Rosalie Hall’s spiritual mission,” he said.

Ten local councils give annual donations to the agency, and both Knights and their wives are among the agency’s numerous volunteers.

Although the congregation is aging, the sisters are optimistic that their particular ministry will continue, especially as Venerable Rosalie’s inspiring life and mission become more widely known.

“Our world today has a very poor sense of life,” Sister Lallier said, “but for Rosalie, it’s all about life. She provides us with a model of the love of life.”

According to Father Sylvestre, Mother Rosalie was a woman of few words, but “her actions were in perfect accord with her words.”

She was truly a mother to those she served, Father Sylvestre added. “When food was scarce,” he said, “Rosalie would fast so that the moms could eat. She was fond of saying that ‘Single mothers are the treasure of the house.’”

ERIC DUROCHER is editor emeritus of the Catholic Times, Montreal.


*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
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.

Weekly Digest

Monday, January 19, 2015

Welcome everyone!
This week at the parish:
  • Tuesday - Family Playgroup (10:30 am), Choir Practice and Fatima Apostolate (7 pm)
  • Wednesday - March for Life Bus (departs from Saint Camillus at 7 am), Bereavement Meeting (7 pm)
  • Thursday - Men's Bible Study (8 pm)
  • Saturday  - BABY SHOWER COLLECTION at all Masses, Confessions (3 pm)
  • Sunday - BABY SHOWER COLLECTION at all Masses, Children's Choir Practice (8:15 am), Catholic School's Mass and Saint Agnes Open House (9:00 am Mass), Adult Choir (10:30 am Mass)
Baby Showers take place through the weekend of Sunday, January 25th,
via cribs at the front of church.
Items needed by the Pregnancy Help Office of the Archdiocese of Boston for the mothers who are expecting babies this winter will be collected.
If you are able to help move supplies after Masses, please email Maureen Tierney (MAT02174 [at] aol.com).
  • Blanket sleepers, size 0-12 months; Onesies, size 0-9 months; Sleep and plays, size 0-9 months; Warm Outfits for Boys and Girls, size 0-9 months; Snowsuits, size 0-3 months
  • Toiletries, Diaper Rash ointment, Shampoo, Body Wash (no powder please) bibs, bottles (4 and 8 ounce), wash cloths, flannel receiving blankets and diapers (size NB and size 4).
  • Please, no used baby clothes, but gently-used washable maternity clothes are graciously accepted.
  • To donate, check payable to “Fund for the Unborn”.  Thank you for your kindness and generosity!


We invite you to join us and hundreds of thousands from across America as we travel from
Arlington to Washington DC for the 42nd Annual March for Life!

Affiliated with Saint Agnes and Saint Camillus parishes in Arlington, this bus trip involved 3 days/2 nights (January 21-23) with comfortable accommodations at the Hampton Inn in Silver Spring, MD.  We have planned an active "March Day" itinerary for January 22nd in our nation's capital, mixed with relaxation, fellowship, and prayer.  Ask anyone who has gone before: it's a spiritual experience you will never forget!

The cost is $239 per person (double occupancy) or $319 (single occupancy).  The bus leaves from and returns to the Saint Camillus Church parking lot (Rt. 2 Westbound Exit 57, "Dow Ave. Arlington").


For more information, contact Tom Harvey (THarveyEsq [at] aol.com) or Joe Kolb (JosKol5 [at] yahoo.com).

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

    Once a week, we hold Tuesday playgroups outdoors at nearby parks. To print a written schedule of our winter playgroup locations, please click here.  To see a map of our winter park schedule, please click here.

    This Tuesday, January 20th, we will meet at Teel Street Playground (71 Teel St., Arlington).  This park has a play structures and basketball court good for bikes or scooters!  It is next to Saint Paul's cemetery, which should be treated as a holy place, not as part of the playground.  We will play together and enjoy each other's company.  Bring your own picnic lunch.  Come join us; we hope to see you there!

    **NOTE THAT our outdoor schedule is highly dependent on good weather. IN THE WINTER MONTHS, WE WILL MEET IF THE WEATHER IS ABOVE 32 DEGREES.  If the weather seems questionable, please check your email or the blog page before you leave for playgroup. In case of freezing weather or rain, playgroup will be cancelled for the day. Thanks!**


    *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
    Don't forget that our parish Men's Bible Study is this Thursday, January 22nd at 8:00 pm in the Parish Center.  Come join other men from the parish as we study the book of First Corinthians together!  For more information, please email Charlie Bailey (CBailey2 [at] gmail.com)

    *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
    CATHOLIC SCHOOLS WEEK IS JANUARY 25-31
    Saint Agnes School Open House on January 25th at 10:00 am - 1:00 pm


    Catholic Schools Week will begin with a liturgy on Sunday, January 25 at 9:00 am. Saint Agnes School students will host the Mass. After Mass a collation will be held in Saint Agnes School Hall, followed by the Open House. The week of January 26-31 will be filled with activities for students and parents. Please check our website for daily details (SaintAgnesSchool.com).

    Take this opportunity to come visit our parish school, meet the teachers and speak to students and parents. Saint Agnes School offers a full-time Special Education teacher and Guidance Counselor, and a full-time nurse. We also offer classes in Spanish, music, art, computers, engineering, library and physical education starting in K1 (pre-K) and continuing through 8th grade. All programs integrate the Massachusetts Common Core Curriculum standards with appreciation for the spiritual development of each child. If you are unable to make this special Open House, private tours are available anytime. Please call Patricia Crane, Development Director, at 781-643-9031 x. 305 or email PCrane [at] SaintAgnesSchool.us. Some classes are filling quickly. Re-registrations for current Saint Agnes students have been sent home. Please send in forms no later than January 23 to secure your spot for the 2015-2016 School year. Applications for K1 and K2 may be obtained from School secretary, Kathy Messuri (Secretary [at] SaintAgnesSchool.us).


    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!

    10:30 am on Sunday is Respect Life Mass and Reception

    Friday, January 16, 2015

    “Every Life is a Gift” - Respect Life Mass on Sunday, January 18th at 10:30 am
    The Saint Agnes Parish Community will hold our annual Respect Life Mass on Sunday, January 18th at 10:30 am at Saint Agnes Church in Arlington. Please join us as we pray for a greater respect for all human life from conception until natural death. A reception with coffee and bagels/donuts will follow in the Arlington Catholic Library immediately adjacent to the Church.  Come and join us!  If you have any questions, please e-mail SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com.

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

    We invite you to join us and hundreds of thousands from across America as we travel from
    Arlington to Washington DC for the 42nd Annual March for Life!

    Affiliated with Saint Agnes and Saint Camillus parishes in Arlington, this bus trip involved 3 days/2 nights (January 21-23) with comfortable accommodations at the Hampton Inn in Silver Spring, MD.  We have planned an active "March Day" itinerary for January 22nd in our nation's capital, mixed with relaxation, fellowship, and prayer.  Ask anyone who has gone before: it's a spiritual experience you will never forget!

    The cost is $239 per person (double occupancy) or $319 (single occupancy).  The bus leaves from and returns to the Saint Camillus Church parking lot (Rt. 2 Westbound Exit 57, "Dow Ave. Arlington").


    For more information, contact Tom Harvey (THarveyEsq [at] aol.com) or Joe Kolb (JosKol5 [at] yahoo.com).


    *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
    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 Eileen Cahill at SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com. 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 teaching a 3-class NFP series starting in January.  For sign-ups, details, or questions in the interim, 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.

    Mom's Night In Tonight!

    Thursday, January 15, 2015

    Here's a friendly reminder that Mom's-Night-In is TONIGHT, January 15th
    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.

    Weekly Digest

    Monday, January 12, 2015

    Welcome everyone!
    This week at the parish:
    • Monday - Respect Life Meeting (7 pm)
    • Tuesday - Family Playgroup CANCELLED, Choir Practice and Fatima Apostolate (7 pm), Women's Bible Study (7:30 pm)
    • Wednesday - Bereavement Meeting (7 pm)
    • Thursday - Mom's Night In (8 pm)
    • Saturday  - BABY SHOWER COLLECTION at all Masses, Confessions (3 pm)
    • Sunday - BABY SHOWER COLLECTION at all Masses, Coffee and Donuts (after 9:00 am Mass), Respect Life Mass and Adult Choir, followed by reception (10:30 am Mass), Infant Baptisms  (2 pm)
    The next Saint Agnes Parishioners for Life Meeting is tonight,
    Monday, January 12th at 7:00 pm in the Parish Center.
    Come learn about our January Respect Life Mass, Baby Shower Drive, and trip to Washington DC!

    “Every Life is a Gift” - Respect Life Mass on Sunday, January 18th at 10:30 am
    The Saint Agnes Parish Community will hold our annual Respect Life Mass on Sunday, January 18th at 10:30 am at Saint Agnes Church in Arlington. Please join us as we pray for a greater respect for all human life from conception until natural death. A reception with coffee and bagels/donuts will follow in the Arlington Catholic Library immediately adjacent to the Church.  Come and join us!  If you have any questions, please e-mail saparishforlife [at] gmail.com.

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

    We invite you to join us and hundreds of thousands from across America as we travel from
    Arlington to Washington DC for the 42nd Annual March for Life!

    Affiliated with Saint Agnes and Saint Camillus parishes in Arlington, this bus trip involved 3 days/2 nights (January 21-23) with comfortable accommodations at the Hampton Inn in Silver Spring, MD.  We have planned an active "March Day" itinerary for January 22nd in our nation's capital, mixed with relaxation, fellowship, and prayer.  Ask anyone who has gone before: it's a spiritual experience you will never forget!

    The cost is $239 per person (double occupancy) or $319 (single occupancy).  The bus leaves from and returns to the Saint Camillus Church parking lot (Rt. 2 Westbound Exit 57, "Dow Ave. Arlington").


    For more information, contact Tom Harvey (THarveyEsq [at] aol.com) or Joe Kolb (JosKol5 [at] yahoo.com).

      *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
      Saint Agnes Family Playgroup - PLAYGROUP CANCELLED THIS TUESDAY

      Once a week, we hold Tuesday playgroups outdoors at nearby parks. To print a written schedule of our winter playgroup locations, please click here.  To see a map of our winter park schedule, please click here.

      This Tuesday, January 13th, playgroup will be cancelled 
      for THIS WEEK only, due to the very cold weather.  Please check back again next week if the weather is good enough for playgroup.  We hope to meet you and see you there!


      **NOTE THAT our outdoor schedule is highly dependent on good weather. IN THE WINTER MONTHS, WE WILL MEET IF THE WEATHER IS ABOVE 32 DEGREES.  If the weather seems questionable, please check your email or the blog page before you leave for playgroup. In case of freezing weather or rain, playgroup will be cancelled for the day. Thanks!**


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      Mom's Night In - THURSDAY, January 15th 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, 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.

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      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!

      Respect Life Meeting at 7:00 pm, Monday

      Saturday, January 10, 2015

      The next Saint Agnes Parishioners for Life Meeting will be on
      Monday, January 12th at 7:00 pm in the Parish Center.
      Come learn about our January Respect Life Mass, Baby Shower Drive, and trip to Washington DC!

      “Every Life is a Gift” - Respect Life Mass on Sunday, January 18th at 10:30 am
      The Saint Agnes Parish Community will hold our annual Respect Life Mass on Sunday, January 18th at 10:30 am at Saint Agnes Church in Arlington. Please join us as we pray for a greater respect for all human life from conception until natural death. A reception with coffee and bagels/donuts will follow in the Arlington Catholic Library immediately adjacent to the Church.  Come and join us!  If you have any questions, please e-mail saparishforlife [at] gmail.com.

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      We invite you to join us and hundreds of thousands from across America as we travel from
      Arlington to Washington DC for the 42nd Annual March for Life!

      Affiliated with Saint Agnes and Saint Camillus parishes in Arlington, this bus trip involved 3 days/2 nights (January 21-23) with comfortable accommodations at the Hampton Inn in Silver Spring, MD.  We have planned an active "March Day" itinerary for January 22nd in our nation's capital, mixed with relaxation, fellowship, and prayer.  Ask anyone who has gone before: it's a spiritual experience you will never forget!

      The cost is $239 per person (double occupancy) or $319 (single occupancy).  The bus leaves from and returns to the Saint Camillus Church parking lot (Rt. 2 Westbound Exit 57, "Dow Ave. Arlington").


      For more information, contact Tom Harvey (THarveyEsq [at] aol.com) or Joe Kolb (JosKol5 [at] yahoo.com).


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      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 Eileen Cahill at SAParishforLife [at] gmail.com. 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


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      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 teaching a 3-class NFP series starting in January.  For sign-ups, details, or questions in the interim, please email Meredith.Phelps [at] gmail.com.


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      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

      Friday, January 9, 2015

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

      How did you feel about the weather this week?
      How do you think the homeless felt about the weather?
      Come serve the homeless in Boston.
      Put your faith in action!

      This Saturday, January 10th 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 TONIGHT -- Friday night, January 9th 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!

      Men's Bible Study CANCELLED Tonight

      Thursday, January 8, 2015

      Dear Saint Agnes Community -

      Please note that due to the extreme cold and related plumbing problems at the Parish Center, Men's Bible Study will be cancelled for tonight, January 8th.

      The next Men's Bible Study will be held on Thursday, January 22nd at 8:00 pm.

      Baptism Catechesis TONIGHT!

      Tuesday, January 6, 2015

      Have you had a new baby? We wish you many heartfelt congratulations!

      Don't forget that baptisms for babies at Saint Agnes are held on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month at 2:00 pm. You must attend Baptismal Catechesis prior to having your child baptized.

      Baptism Catechesis happens once a month, and you can go to one tonight! The briefing session begins at 7:00 pm in the Saint Agnes Parish Center at 51 Medford St., Arlington. The meeting usually lasts under an hour.

      If you would like to learn a little more about Christian baptism and why the Catholic Church encourages infants to be baptized, you can read about it here.

      Baptism is the sacrament of faith. But faith needs the community of believers. It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the faithful can believe. The faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop. The catechumen or the Godparent is asked: “What do you ask of God’s Church?” The response is: “Faith!” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1253)

      Parenting is certainly not an easy task: it is filled with difficult decisions, personal setbacks and growth, expanding relationships, disagreements, love, AND forgiveness. We offer you our support and encouragement along this journey, and we invite you warmly into our parish and Christian life!

      Weekly Digest

      Monday, January 5, 2015

      Welcome everyone!
      This week at the parish:
      • Monday - Anointing of the Sick Mass at Saint Eulalia, Winchester (9 am)
      • Tuesday - Family Playgroup CANCELLED, Baptism Catechesis & Fatima Apostolate (7 pm)
      • Wednesday - Bereavement Meeting (7 pm)
      • Thursday - Men's Bible Study (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)
      • Monday  - Respect Life Meeting (7 pm)

      Saint Agnes Family Playgroup - PLAYGROUP CANCELLED THIS TUESDAY

      Once a week, we hold Tuesday playgroups outdoors at nearby parks. To print a written schedule of our winter playgroup locations, please click here.  To see a map of our winter park schedule, please click here.

      This Tuesday, January 6th, playgroup will be cancelled 
      for THIS WEEK only, due to the very cold weather.  Please check back again next week if the weather is good enough for playgroup.  We hope to meet you and see you there!

      **NOTE THAT our outdoor schedule is highly dependent on good weather. IN THE WINTER MONTHS, WE WILL MEET IF THE WEATHER IS ABOVE 32 DEGREES.  If the weather seems questionable, please check your email or the blog page before you leave for playgroup. In case of freezing weather or rain, playgroup will be cancelled for the day. Thanks!**

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      Boston Sock Exchange
      This Saturday, January 10th 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, January 9th 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

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      The next Saint Agnes Parishioners for Life Meeting will be on Monday, January 12th at 7:00 pm in the Parish Center.  Come learn about our January Respect Life Mass, Baby Shower Drive, and trip to Washington DC!

      *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
      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!