At our last meeting, we discussed the ways that Priesthood Sunday was celebrated in parishes around the Archdiocese of Boston.
2008 was a great year for Priesthood Sunday in the Archdiocese, and we came away with several ideas for spreading this celebration to new parishes next year.
St. Bridget’s in Framingham
St. Bridget’s Parish in Framingham had several ways of promoting this special event.
Mary and Francis Jesch created posters which were displayed in the school and the church. Each poster had photos of the 3 priests in the parish, as well as a message for St. Bridget’s parishioners. The posters were printed by Alpha Graphics, which can adapt these posters to specific parishes.
On the weekend of Priesthood Sunday, the organist incorporated music for priests in several of the Masses. Special bookmarks were also placed in the bulletins, with a list of all the pastors for St. Bridget’s Parish since it was formed in 1878 and a Vocation Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Divine Shepherd.
The religious education teachers had kids in their classes write “thank-you” cards to the priests. Parishioners were surprised by the kind cards, which had notes like “thank you for hearing my confession” and “thank you for making me more like Christ.”
As an ongoing effort in promoting vocations, the parish has a “vocations chalice” which travels from family to family every week. The photo below shows the chalice, which the Jesches kindly brought to our meeting. This beautiful chalice is shown below:
Holy Family in Amesbury
At Holy Family Parish in Amesbury, Loretta Gallagher made up a flyer that can be edited for specific parishes, and easily inserted into parish bulletins. The pastor even wrote about Priesthood Sunday in the parish’s weekly bulletin, thanking his parishioners for their ongoing support and prayers:
Today, October 26, 2008, the Church has named “Priesthood Sunday”. The purpose of this day is to remember and to reflect the great gift that the priesthood has offered the Church.
I know that I speak for both Fr. Conrad and Fr. Bill as well as myself in that we do not need a day for people to be reminded of the gratitude and support that you offer us. This is experienced in many ways each day. Your thoughtfulness, your assistance, and the care you offer us each day show that in more ways than we could ever recount.
Most particularly we experience it in your prayers for us and the work that we do. Please know that you are always close to our hearts and in our prayers.
The full St. Mary’s Parish bulletin on Priesthood Sunday can be read here: October 26, 2008 - Holy Family Parish
Boston Pilot ads
The Boston Pilot had the most ads in the nation for Priesthood Sunday, with Detroit coming in second. Priests across the archdiocese saw their name and expressed appreciation for this recognition.
The only “downside” came when priests’ parents and family called the Pilot, upset that they hadn’t heard of Priesthood Sunday and hadn’t purchased ads in time!
Next Year
Serrans are asked to promote Priesthood Sunday next year, to spread the word about this event and publicly show support for our prists. Keep checking this site for valuable information on how you can promote Priesthood Sunday in your own parish!
Also, if you are aware of other parishes who celebrated Priesthood Sunday who are not listed here, please add a comment below.
Other news
- Serrans are asked to pray for Deacon Gabino Macias, who will be ordained this Friday, Nov 21. Deacon Macias was assigned to a 2 month program at St. Mary’s in Waltham, is currently in Mexico, and may come to be a priest in Boston.
- The President of Serra USA has asked for prayer for Joe Donahue, of the Serra Club of NW Metro Denver. Joe has been diagnosed with cancer of the liver and pancreas, because of which there is little hope. Let us all pray to Blessed Junipero Serra to intercede for a cure, and to make this initiative a worldwide effort.
- During the meeting, Joe Gallagher was nominated and voted in as Treasurer for the club. There are several other positions open - please contact information@serraboston.org or come to a meeting if you are interested in signing up!
Our next meeting will be Saturday, December 20. We hope to see you there!