MAY INTENTIONS FROM

POPE BENEDICT XVI

General Intention

That those working in communication media may respect the truth, solidarity, and dignity of all people.

Mission Intention

That the Lord may help the Church in China persevere in fidelity to the Gospel and grow in unity.

Saturday May 28, 2011

4:30 PM Joseph Soares; Birthday Remembrance (Family)

Sunday May 29, 2011

8:00 AM Shirley Lynch

9:30 AM Gerald Boucher (Paul & Phyllis Corcoran)

11:00AM Beverly Souza (Cawley Family)

Monday May 30, 2011 ~ Memorial Day

NO 8:00 AM MASS

Tuesday May 31, 2011 ~ The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

8:00 AM Sarah Murra (Mary De Souza)

Wednesday June 1, 2011 ~ St. Justin

8:00 AM Jonathan Kaharl (Wife)

Thursday June 2, 2011 ~ Ascension of the Lord

8:00 AM Fr. John G. Carroll; 7^th Pastor

7:00 PM Fr. Donald Couza; 8^th Pastor

Saturday June 4, 2011

4:30 PM Diane Mello (Norman & Betty Sorel)

Sunday June 5, 2011

8:00 AM James Chekares (Mike & Jean Prior)

9:30 AM Gerald Boucher; Months Mind (Family)

11:00AM Peg Panos (Family) The People of the Parish

Remember a family member or loved one!! Weekday as well as, some weekend masses are available. Call the Rectory 508-636-2251.

SANCTUARY CANDLE

The Sanctuary candle burns this week to the Glory of God and for

Tobias Flemming & Helen Sieminski Gage

“Let him with two coats give to him who has none”

COLLECTION………..$3930.15

4:30 Mass……..$1,778.00

8:00 Mass……….$956.00

9:30 Mass……….$674.00

11:00 Mass……...$522.15

CATHOLIC CHARITIES……….$25,820.00

The second collection next weekend will be taken for the Ecclesiastical Students. This collection helps educate young men from our diocese studying for the priesthood.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY

Kindly take a moment to pray for the intentions, the welfare, the healing and salvation of…

John McGreavy, David Palladino,

Pauline Boardman, Frank Skammels,

Rita Rozinha, Irene Rodrigues,

Leonard Bernier, Noah Martel,

Randy Carvalho, Michele Cesario, Mary Medeiros, and Our Service Men and Women

MONTH OF MAY

For the Month of May, traditionally a time to honor the Blessed Mother, the statue of Our Lady reminds us to imitate her, who was a woman of great faith. Praying the rosary, meditating on Mary in the scriptures, attending Mass, saying “yes” to a new ministry or praying for all Christians are some of the suggested ways to honor Mary this month.

Thank you to all that have already given to the Catholic Charities Appeal. We have reached a total of $25,820.00 to date.

The Appeal is in its fourth week and I encourage everyone to participate. The needy of the Fall River Diocese come from Southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands. Your contribution will make a difference.

To make a donation, make checks payable to St. John the Baptist Church, put your red and white contribution card in the collection basket on Sunday, or mail it in the self-addressed envelope provided. Please do not tear off any portion of the red and white contribution card. Extra red and white contribution cards are available at the entrance of the church.

ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST WOMEN’S GUILD

ANNUAL BAKE SALE

June 18^th & 19^th

Bakers Needed

If you can help bake, set up or help before and after Masses, please call Dorothy Tongue at 508-636-0384.

Memorial Day Mass

Bishop Coleman will be celebrating Mass in remembrance of our beloved deceased at the original Mausoleum Chapel of Notre Dame Cemetery

Memorial Day

Monday, May 30, 2011

10:00AM

NO ZUMBA THIS WEEK, class will resume next Thursday 6/2.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR A WEEK LONG CELEBRATION

We will be celebrating the

100^th Anniversary of our Catholic Presence

here at St. Johns.

We will be starting the celebration on

Saturday, July 30^th

with a special Mass at 4:30

followed by a catered Italian Dinner under the tent.

There will be various Family Fun-Filled activities going on all week, more details to follow…

ALL LEADING UP TO OUR ANNUAL

Our annual Parish Fair is scheduled for the weekend of August 6 & 7, 2011. Please save the date and consider volunteering a few hours, at your convenience. It is a great way to meet your fellow parishioners and have some fun!

The HOLY ROLLERS will soon be very busy baking for the COUNTRY KITCHEN. If you would like to make a donation to help defray the cost of the baking supplies, please contact the rectory, or you could put it in the collection basket in an envelope marked “Country Kitchen.”

GRANDMA’S ATTIC; donations may be dropped off, starting June 1^st at the Religious Education Center, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 AM – 3:00PM.

“MORE HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK”

We are looking to put together a “COMMITTEE” to create a summer schedule for sorting and pricing, for Grandma’s Attic.

Please contact the rectory if you are interested.

It is not yet Pentecost, but still the readings for the 6^th Sunday of Easter are filled with the Holy Spirit. In the reading from Acts, the Spirit comes upon the converted Samaritans as Peter and John lay hands upon them. In Peter’s first Letter, he teaches us that Christ was brought to life in the Spirit after his crucifixion. His resurrection from the dead has something to do with the life-giving Spirit of God. And in the Gospel, Jesus promises to send the Spirit, an Advocate of us, the spirit of truth. As far as I know, the Portuguese community is the only group of Christians that celebrate the Spirit with so much “spirit.” And since the Portuguese play such a large and important role in the history of St. John the Baptist it seems natural that the Spirit should be an important part of our spirituality. Part of living in the Spirit, as Jesus teaches us, is to love him and to keep his commandments. In fact, the keeping of his commandments is the sign that we love him. Let us resolve to keep his commandments especially to “love one another as I have loved you.”

Honduran Reflection

by Rachel Dufault

For the past couple of years, my dad and sister Ali have made the trip

to Honduras. For the past two years I have been interested in helping

out with the organization. When I heard that this year’s trip would

fit into my Spring break schedule, I decided to join the group as

well. As a nursing student I assisted at the medical clinics. I was

not sure how helpful I would really be since I was only in the middle

of my sophomore year. I soon realized that I would be performing a

variety of tasks. Not only did I listen to lungs and look at swollen

tonsils, but I also cleaned childrens' ears and helped Todd with our

makeshift pharmacy.

What amazed me the most was the gratitude of the people who attended

the medical clinics. Some of them walked up to four hours just to come

to the clinics, sometimes with a baby in one hand and an umbrella in

the other! Upon arrival, they could wait for another four hours in the

eighty-five degree heat before being seen by Claire or Todd. If anyone

from the United States waits in the doctor’s office for more than

forty-five minutes they’re already angry at the receptionist! There

were a variety of complaints. They ranged from cough and headache to

machete wounds, diabetic ulcers and even one case of impetigo. One

complaint that you would not hear in the United States was neck pain

from doing laundry by hand for three hours a day?. The women that

complain of this type of pain are often times sixty years old or

older. We also treated many urinary tract infections as well as

tonsillitis.

I soon realized how important these clinics are to the people of the

villages. Many of the villages are hours away from the closest

hospitals. Few people who live in these villages even own cars. If

they need to get to the hospital they must hitchhike the entire way.

These clinics are so important for the villages because without them,

people would be living with untreated UTI’s, infections or asthma attacks. As a member of a mission team you travel to Honduras in hopes of somehow touching the peoples’ lives, but in fact they affect your life even more. The mission trip made me appreciate how fortunate I am for many of the things that I have, including access to health care.

Looking back on the trip I would choose returning to Honduras over

Spring break in Cancun any day.