Welcome to St. Dorothy and St. Thomas Churches!

Join us in the celebration of Word and Sacrament as we continue to grow in our Catholic faith and as a faith community. We welcome all to join us as we seek to follow Christ, to come alive in His Spirit, and to share His love with one another.

Parish Office: 11 Harnden St., Wilmington 978-658-4665
Faith Formation Office: 126 Middlesex Ave., Wilmington 978-658-6040

MASS FOR SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, AT 4:00PM AT ST. DOROTHY'S CHURCH HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO THE PENDING SNOWSTORM. IF THE ROADS AND PARKING LOTS ARE NOT CLEARED BY MASS TIMES ON SUNDAYS THEY MAY BE CANCELLED AS WELL. PLEASE STAY SAFE!!!!

A REMINDER THAT IF THEIR IS NO SCHOOL DUE TO SNOW, MASS WILL BE CANCELLED SO THE PLOWS CAN DO THEIR JOB. IF IT IS A WEEKEND AND THEIR IS A BAD SNOWSTORM MASS MAY BE CANCELLED AS WELL UNTIL THE PARKING LOT CAN BE CLEARED.

We'll be welcoming Fr. Walter Carreiro as our new pastor on March 1, 2022.

Cardinal Seán O'Malley has extended the mask mandate through March 3, 2022 which is the Thursday after ash Wednesday. All Masses, including weddings and funerals, require the wearing of masks. Masks will be available at both churches should you forget one. THANK YOU!

Blessing of Throats One of the traditions in the Catholic Church is centered around the feast day of St. Blaise (2/3). Legend has it that he was instrumental in assisting a child who was choking and we have offered a sacramental in his name which we call the Blessing of Throats. It was traditionally offered to all those at Church on that day. At Transfiguration Parish we are going to celebrate the Blessing of Throats before and after each Mass the weekend of February 5 and 6, Saturday and Sunday. The priest, deacon and eucharistic ministers will bless individuals with blessed candles. If you are early for Mass, you are invited to come to the sanctuary before Mass for this special blessing. Otherwise, you are welcome to receive the blessing following the Mass. Obviously, this is optional. Deacon Joe Fagan will preach at all the Masses on February 5 and 6.

Renewal of Marriage Vows On the weekend of February 12 and 13, as we anticipate Valentine’s Day, we invite all married couples to renew their marriage vows. You will be asked to remain in your pews, face each other and the priest will lead you in the renewal. We realize that some couples will be very comfortable with this opportunity while others may choose not to participate. The renewal of vows will take place at all weekend Masses. We also realize their may be men and women whose spouse is deceased or unable to be present due to illness. You are also welcome to stand in place and renew your vows. We are privileged as a parish to celebrate the love that makes our faith community so vibrant. Happy Valentine’s Day.

A NOTE FROM FR. COYNE

Catholics seem to be very uncomfortable talking publicly about their faith and this is very evident when you invite them to pray in front of others. Some examples would be asking someone to say grace before meals, not using the traditional memorized prayers, but in their own words; or if the priest is not able to go to a wedding reception, there can be panic when the couple getting married ask “well who’s going to say the prayer?” Sometimes even at staff meetings or pastoral/finance council meetings those present are very hesitant or self-conscious when asked to lead a prayer. I suppose for many Catholics it’s because their faith is personal. I understand that. But it doesn’t have to be private.

I have these thoughts as we prepare to invite all of our parishioners to have their throats blessed next weekend. This “sacramental” is identified with the feast of Saint Blaise which this year falls on Thursday, February 3. We ask the deacon and Eucharistic Ministers at each Mass to assist us imparting the blessing. This tradition of blessing throats was always identified with the priest because we believed he was the only one who could bless others [You also remember when the priest was the only one worthy to touch the Eucharist]. This mentality changed with the teaching of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) when the Church admitted it was not ordination that gave us these privileges, it was baptism. These ministries did not come about because of the priest shortage, they came about as a response to the theological teaching of that Council. The disciples of Christ being faithful to the gospel are about inclusivity not exclusivity.

Think about it: we are all capable and encouraged to give our blessing to others. Whether it be as simple as saying “God bless you” when someone sneezes, wishing someone “Godspeed” or “may God go with you” as they head off on a trip. When someone comes up in the communion line with a baby or infant, the person distributing communion is encouraged to make the sign of the cross on the child’s forehead. Some cultures are very determined to have a priest give them a blessing on their birthday. Every time I visit hospitals, I offer the patient a blessing (no matter what religion). We have the Blessing of the Animals traditionally in October. I have been asked to bless people’s new cars, asked to give a blessing to young people going off to college. I’m happy to do all of the above. And guess what? I make the prayer up as I speak, e.g. “May God bless you as you enter a new stage in your life. May you always value the faith and love that your parents have given you. May you surround yourself with positive people and make your college campus a better place because of your presence. Amen.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Catholic parents and grandparents felt comfortable blessing their children and grandchildren on special occasions?

As we bless throats next weekend, February 5 & 6, before and after each Mass, the traditional blessing is “through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God cure you from all diseases of the throat and every other illness. In the name….” That’s a wonderful prayer but it puts the responsibility in God’s hands. I wrote an optional blessing for the occasion: “May you always recognize God’s blessings and make good decisions regarding your health, so that you may continue to enjoy life and praise God. In the name…”

And remember anyone giving the blessing is also encouraged to make the sign of the cross over the person’s head.

Enjoy Life!
Fr. Ron Coyne

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/.

FINANCIAL REPORT 2018-2019

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