St. Roch Parish Sister Parish — St. Anne of Chardonnieres, Haiti

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD January 5, 2020

Saturday, January 4, 2020 4:00 PM Kelly Mills (living) by Paul Miner & Ken MillsSunday, January 5, 2020 8:30 AM Agnes & Anthony Murtari by the family 11:00 AM Paul Rock by the Soul SistersMonday, January 6, 2020 8:30 AM Frederick Reeks, Jr. by sister Yvonne Nelson Tuesday, January 7, 2020 8:30 PM No Mass Wednesday, January 8, 2020 8:30 AM Kenneth R. Mills, Sr. by Paula Miner & Ken Mills Thursday, January 9, 2020 8:30 AM Walter & Fannie Gero by Ray & Joan Gero Friday, January 10, 2020 8:30 AM Elisa Mills (living( by Paula Miner & Ken Mills Saturday, January 11, 2020 4:00 PM Paul Rock by Irene AllainSunday, January 12, 2020 8:30 AM Sandy Walsh (5th Anniversary) by sister Cindy Clark 11:00 AM Elsie Dickhaut by the family

Scripture Readings

Sunday, January 5 Is 60:1-6, Eph 3:2-3a, 5-6 Mt 2:1-12 Monday, January 6 1 Jn 3:22-4:6 Lk 2:36-40Mt 4:12-17, 23-25 Tuesday, January 7 1 Jn 4:7-10 Mk 6:34-44 Wednesday, January 8 1 Jn 4:11-18 Mk 6:45-52 Thursday, January 9 1 Jn 4:19-5:4 Lk 4:14-22 Friday, January 10 1 Jn 5:5-13, Lk 5:12-16 Saturday, January 11 1 Jn 5:14-21 Jn 3:22-30 Sunday, January 12 Is 42:1-4, 6-7 Acts 10:34-3, Mt 3:13-17

PARISH DIRECTORY

334 Main St., Oxford, MA 01540

Rectory Office ………………………………(508) 987-8987 Fax ……………………………...…………. (508) 987-8938 Religious Education Office………………….(508) 987-2382

Pastor Rev. Michael J. Roy Deacon Rev. Mr. Paul Connolly Director of Religious Education Mrs. Terry Ann Renaud Administrative Assistant (M-TH 9-4) Mrs. Teri Rawson Email: strochrectory@gmail.com Director of Music Ms. Anna Pizzolato St. Vincent de Paul Society.…………Arlene (508) 987-2813

Cemetery ………………..Contact rectory at (508) 987-8987

Mass Schedule

Saturday: 4:00 PM Sunday: 8:30 & 11:00 AM

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 8:30 AM

(No Mass here on the fourth Wednesday of the month—Fr. Roy has Mass at

St. Paul’s Cathedral)

Confessions: 3:00 PM Saturday or anytime on request.

Office Hours: Monday thru Thursday 8:30-4 Pastoral Care: All the time

WEBSITE: strochoxford.com

EMAILS: Teri Rawson—Rectory Office: strochrectory@gmail.com Terry Renaud—Rel. Ed. Office: strochoxford@gmail.com

December 21 & 22

Offertory Envelopes (127) $4,107.00 Loose Money 359.00 Other sources of income 1,251.00 Total 5,717.00 Weekly Goal 5,835.00 Result Thank you! - 118.00

Your Sacrificial Offering

There will be a second collection this weekend January 4 & 5 for The Catholic University of America. We thank you for your generosity.

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD January 5, 2020

My Dear Parishioners,

I am a blessed man. You know that of late whenever someone asks me, “How are you?” I answer quickly, “By the grace of God, never been better!” Some might think that this reply is a gimmicky ditty, but let me assure you that it is the absolute truth. I have blessings far greater than I deserve, honestly. I give praise and thanks to Almighty God continuously. To list all that gives me reason to be so grateful would be much too long and most likely, not of much interest to you.

However, in fact, right there at the top of this list of blessings is you. Every day my soul sings a hymn of praise and thanksgiving that I am your pastor and that St. Roch’s is my home. This is especially true as together we have celebrated the Nativity of our Lord, Jesus. Today, the Feast of the Epiphany, helps us focus on the three travelers from the East who brought gifts to the Holy Family. Their gifts were a sign of their care and concern for not only Jesus, but Mary and Joseph as well.

I am sure that Mary and Joseph were a bit amazed at the kindness and generosity of the magi. I know how they felt because I too am amazed at the kindness and generosity of you, my parishioners. I feel underserving of the many gifts, cards and words of love that you have given me this Christmas. The cookies, delicious foods and beverages have really warmed my heart and have made this Christmas such a wonderful blessing. Thank you, thank you a hundred times over. What more can I say but God bless you all abundantly. I will try to be deserving of such love.

Over and above all of this, it is with great joy and again gratitude beyond words that I announce that St. Roch’s as surpassed our goal in the Legacy of Hope Capital Campaign. I cannot tell you at this moment exactly by how much we have exceeded our goal of $310,715, because all of the contributions mailed directly to the Chancery have not yet been reported.

I am so very proud to be connected to such a community of faith that has confidence in the mission of the Church. Like I said from the very beginning this has been much more than a fundraiser, but a chance to affirm our faith in the Lord Jesus and in the Church that He established to continue His mission. Thru this campaign we truly are rebuilding our beloved Church which in some ways has fallen into ruins. Here at St. Roch’s we are strong and I am encouraged more than ever to keep us moving in the right direction. That direction is keeping our eyes on the Lord Jesus, fidelity to the Church and her teachings and concern that no one is left behind as we make our pilgrimage to our eternal home, heaven.

Only saints get to heaven. I am proud to be the pastor of a community of saints in the making. I give thanks to you and of course St. Francis of Assisi who is our patron in this Campaign. What we have done here together should give us great Hope for the Future.

Let us continue to love one another,

Fr. Roy

P.S. One of the gifts was a coffee cup and on it reads, “Good Morning! This is God. I will be handling all your problems today! Trust Me.”

We have and well will.

The Readings for next Sunday, January 12, 2020

Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Acts 10:34-3

Matthew 3:13-17

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD January 5, 2020

Confirmation Celebration for Adults

Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, 3 pm at the Cathedral of St. Paul

If you are interested in the Sacrament and are an adult who may have missed or not chosen to be confirmed as a youth, the Holy Spirit

may be calling you. Call 508-987-8987 for Father Roy or 508-98702382 for Terry Ann Renaud. A preparato-ry retreat: Sun., Jan. 26, 2 – 8 pm at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Worcester

BOOT DRIVE The St. Vincent de Paul Society will continue the Boot drive during the month of Decem-ber for the needy in our area. Clean used boots for children, women, and men are need-

ed for local shelters. Collection bins are located at the entrances to the church. Thank you!

Our next retreats are coming… Mar. 20-23, 2020

& Oct. 16-19, 2020

The Retreat Planning Team will gather again on Jan. 9, 2019, 6:30 PM in the rectory .

God is calling. God is looking for you. Will you answer Him?

Please call Father Roy at 508-987-8987 or Terry Ann Renaud at 508-987-2382, to register for the retreat, or to get more detailed information about the ways to help.

SAVE THE DATE! Feb. 9, 2020

LET’S REIGNITE THE LIGHT!

Light of the World Reunion All who shared one of St Roch’s Retreats gather to re-light the flame together, immediately following the 11:00 Mass until 1:30 PM. RSVP 508-987-2382.

Let’s Plan our next

All You Can Eat Soup Supper ~ February 22, 2020

Help plan this warm and delicious winter night. Do you have a favorite recipe for

soup? Why not share a pot with us? Call 508-987-2382.

Planning session Jan. 7th

noon par ish center room 1.

"Sock Drive for Local Homeless"

Fresh, clean socks are the greatest need for the ever growing homelessness population. This year, we are running a drive through the end of the year to assist the Central Massachusetts Housing Alliance's "Coalition for Care and Hope", which serves the commu-nities of Oxford, Webster, and Dudley. Bins will be set up at the entrances of the Church to collect the new pairs of Men's, Women's, and Children's socks. Diabetes is a serious issue within the homeless population, so compres-sion socks are very highly valued and appreciated. If you have any questions, please reach out to Dan Gondek at dgondek@gmail.com.

St. Vincent de Paul Society will meet in the par ish center on Monday, February 3rd at 6:00 PM.

Adult Enrichment come together & grow in faith Tuesday mornings in room 1 ~ 10:15 - 11:45 am Jan 7, 14, 21, 28. Future dates TBA. Ques-tions—call 508-987-2382.

We extend our Sincere Appreciation to Paradis-Givner Funeral Home for their generous donation of Religious Art Calendars for the par ish. These calendars are available in the front and back pews of the church very

soon. Please take one home for reference during the com-ing year.

AMERICAN CHOP SUEY may be dropped off in the church kitchen on

Monday, January 6th before 3:00 PM. Thank you!

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD January 5, 2020

Jan 5, 12 K-8/conf 17-19 Ignite Retreat high school 19 No Classes MLK Holiday 26 K-8/conf 26 First Reconciliation 2:00 PM Candidates meet in hall 1:45 PM Feb 1, 2 Soup-er Bowl collection all Masses 2 Presentation of the Lord K-18 / no conf 8 Eucharist Family Mass 5:30 PM 9 Breakfast 8-11 Conf candidates serve 9 K-8/conf 9 Reunite Light of the World Reunion 16, 23 School vacation no classes 26 Ash Wednesday Mar 1 K-8/conf 7 Eucharist Family Mass 5:30 PM 8 Breakfast 8-11 conf candidates serve 8, 15 K-8/conf 20–23 Light of the World Retreat 22 No classes Rel Ed office closed 29 K-8/conf Apr 5 Passion Sunday K-8/conf 9 Holy Thurs Mass of the Lord’s Supper 10 Good Friday Living Stations noon 12 Easter Sunday no classes 19 Divine Mercy Sunday Breakfast 8-11 confirmation candidates serve 19, 26 School vacation no classes May 2 Eucharist Family Mass 5:30 PM 3 K-8 Last Day assessments/conf 7 Confirmation celebration 10 Mother’s Day No Classes 17 First Eucharist 2 PM 21 Ascension of the Lord 31 Pentecost Sunday

Jan. 17-19, 2020 Ignite Retreat for high school aged students. Retreat team will gather on Jan 2, at 6:30 PM in the Parish Center Room 1, for a planning session for teens and/ or adult leaders and chaperones. Please call 508-987-2382 if you will be available for the retreat but are unable to attend the planning session. Deposit of $50 for the retreat are due Dec. 29, 2019h Balance due Jan. 10, 2020

January 2, 2020

We will get together with friends to celebrate the Christmas season and bring in the new year with a lovely

morning tea, in the church hall. Call to reserve your seat

508-987-23982.

First Reconciliation January 26, 2020

2:00 PM Candidates meet in hall 1:45 PM

January 17-19, 2020 High School Retreat for Confirmation

Candidates & All teens welcome! LEADERS NEEDED, if you are confirmed teen or adult & want to help others come to that same fire of the Holy Spirit, we need you. Join us! Call 508-987-2382 to volunteer.

Registration Information now available! Plan now to attend the 47th annual March for Life in

Washington, DC

Buses leave St. Paul’s Cathedral, Thursday, Jan. 23, following the Respect Life Mass at 7:30 p.m. and travel to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immacu-late Conception in Washington, DC.

Attend at Friday morning Mass, then the March for Life at noon. Return to Worcester following the March, arriving back at St. Paul’s approximately 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25.

Cost is $95 per seat for registrations.

Registrations accepted first-come-first-served basis until all seats are full, or until Jan. 13, 2020, whichever comes first.

Details and to download registration forms, https://www.worcesterdiocese.org/respect-life or Respect Life Office at 508-929-4311 or email aledoux@worcesterdiocese.org

Can’t attend this year, but want to help? Consider a do-nation to help defray expenses for students who want to attend but might otherwise be unable to go.

Questions about St Roch’s group trip see or call Fa-ther Roy 508-987-8987 or Terry Ann Renaud 508-987-2382.

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The Church of Saint Roch, Oxford, MA THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD January 5, 2020

Blessed Sacrament Chapel 17 E. Main St, Webster

The Chapel is in need of scheduled adorers and substitutes for the following hours:

Tues 1-2 pm, Wed 6-7 am, Thurs 3-4 pm & 9-10 pm, Fri 1-2 am, Sat 4-5 am, 3-4 pm, 4-5 pm. Please consider being a substitute. To register, please call Barbara Avery 508-943-1489 or Jeanne Guerin 508-208-9064.

Thanks TO OUR ADVERTISERS

Many parishioners do not know that our advertisers sponsor the cost of printing our bulletin each week. It is through the advertisers’ generous support of the faith community that the bulletin is made possible.

The best way to thank these generous people is to re-fer to your bulletin when you need goods or services. We owe them a real debt of gratitude. Tell them that you saw their ad in the parish bulletin, thus encouraging their con-tinued support. There is a definite relationship built when our advertisers feel that their support is meaningful and worthwhile. Please help us encourage them to continue to provide a quality Parish Bulletin for you.

The Little Franciscans of Mary are most grateful for your donations of canceled post-age stamps. They process them and then sell them to help support their ministries. Stamps

can be left in the box inside the front doors of the church.

Kathy Perry, Owen Benway, Al Sinkis, Andrew Rivers, Raymond Joseph, Ruth Andrzejczyk, Chloe

Barbara Jones, Craig Ladd, Roseanne Ferlito, John Barton, Carol Violette, John & Bev Makowski, Dale Mahota, Liz Iandolli, Stephen Rice, Maddy Desrosier, Phyllis Day, John Hickman, Timothy Bowes, Anita Prunier, Ed Carpenter, Roger St. George, James Sumerlin, Bob St. George, Julie Guertin, Francis DeSimone, Robert & Beverly Burns, Judy Rodier, Dawn Hoeg, Sean Bushey, Richard Fleming, Olga Brault, Noelle Silverstein, Edward Wissell, Eric Lambert, Paul Murphy, James Quaiel, Yvonne Mathurin, Deborah Mancini, Susan Gallant, Doris Prouty, Maureen Germain, Andy McDonald, Dave Boucher, Daniel Ivascyn, Barbara Quaiel, Pamela Rossley, Alfred Bianchi, Fr. Gerard Walsh, Gary Cowperthwaite, Kathleen, Kathy Bishop, Faith Caron, and Nicole Ryan.

334 CLUB WINNERS — Week 5

#422 Pat Cloutier #444 Janet Bergeron #105 Lynne Jalbert #396 Frances Laws

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Senior lady needs someone to hand shovel. Will pay. Please call 508-943-2362. Thank you.

ST. ROCH CEMETERY

Vigil candles must be removed for the winter. The cemetery will not be held liable for any lights that

are broken for any reason during the winter months. Thank you.

THE ECUMENICAL FOOD SHELF

The Ecumenical Food Shelf continues to need food. Please consider dropping off any non-perishable foods in the bins inside the church near the front doors. Paper and plastic grocery bags are also needed. Thank you!

FUNdraising Team meeting, Jan 14, 12:00 PM

Yes! The St Roch Parade of Soups returns for our family fun, Feb 22, 2020

at 5:30 pm $8/person. For tickets call 508-987-2382.

Please be part of the planning, Jan. 14 at noon, everyone is invited to join the FUN and help raise funds along the way. Why not, help decide what will be the net interest-ing fun filled event.

Can you help St. Roch Church with our RADA Knife Fundraising Project? Maybe you noticed some older not so sharp unmatched knives in your family and friend’s drawers that need replace-ment. If you could offer it to your friends, family, and co-workers, it would be of great help. Customers will enjoy the wide variety and quality of these fine products. At the same time, you would be helping continue our efforts keep the parish in tip top shape for the families who will worship here for years to come. Also, these orders will allow us to subsi-dize the teen retreat. Call 508-987-2382 for details. Thank you for your help. Orders are pre-paid; delivery is usually within 4-5 business days to the St Roch Parish Center.