10:00 AM, October 22, 2011
at the
Cathedral of the Holy Cross
1600 Washington Street, Boston, MA

A talk by George Weigel to follow at 11:30 AM

Remembering Blessed John Paul II:
A Saint for our Times

George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, is a Catholic theologian, one of America’s leading public intellectuals, and biographer and expert on the life and person of Blessed John Paul II. His most recent book is “The End and the Beginning: Pope John Paul II, the Victory of Freedom, the Last Years, the Legacy.”

Blessed John Paul II was beatified on May 1, 2011.

Join us for the first public celebration of his feast day in Boston.

Sponsored by the Serra Club of Boston and
the Vocation Office for the Archdiocese of Boston

This weekend the Archdiocese of Boston Vocation Office is sponsoring the Annual Vocation Discernment Retreats for men who are discerning a vocation to the Priesthood.

I am sending this message to ask for your prayers for the spiritual success of these very important retreats.

This year 50 men between the ages of 18 and 40 are attending the retreat preached by Cardinal Seán O’Malley, held at St. John’s Seminary and Connors Retreat Center. Eight men over the age of 40 are attending the retreat held at Blessed John XXIII Seminary in Weston.

Thank you and God Bless,

Fr. Daniel Hennessey
Vocation Director
Archdiocese of Boston

Please pray for the men on the vocation discernment retreats this weekend, and for an increase in priestly vocations!

Cy recently appeared on CatholicTV to explain the mission of the Society. The clip can be viewed below:

For more information on this society, and to discover how you can help donate, please see the links below:

• Labouré Society
• Current Aspirants supported by the Labouré Society
• How to Donate to Labouré Society
• CatholicTV: Labouré Society

A lay Catholic organization announces the formation of a new movement to support Catholic priests called EncouragePriests.org™ . This announcement comes on Holy Thursday, the day Christians celebrate the anniversary of Christ instituting the priesthood and the Eucharist.

Throughout the centuries, over a billion people around the world have witnessed the service and dedication of Catholic priests. Some recall the heroic and sacrificial example of military chaplains, priests who serve in nursing homes and hospitals, fathers who feed the poor, pastors who serve as peacemakers during marriage counseling, or priests who have celebrated a family wedding or funeral Mass.

View the full press release at: CatholicsComeHome.org blog: Catholic Priests Supported by Emerging Grassroots Effort

The Light is On For You is a 6 week celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation throughout all the parishes and chapels of the Archdiocese of Boston. It will take place on Wednesday evenings in Lent from 6:30-8:00p.m.

The dates are: February 24, March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31.

For more information please visit: TheLightIsOnForYou.org

The apostolate was inaugurated on Priesthood Sunday 2009 and will run until Priesthood Sunday 2010 (Oct 31, 2010). Already we have heard very positive and wonderful feedback from both priests and Adopters with regards to this apostolate.

We are certain that the fervent, daily prayerful support of so many committed souls on behalf of the priests of the Archdiocese of Boston will bear much good fruit, especially during this Year of the Priest.

Thanks to everyone who has adopted a priest.  Please keep praying for and supporting our priests!

The Boston Pilot reports:

As Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley often says: “Vocations are everybody’s business.” At St. Bridget Parish in Framingham, Francis and Mary Jesch have taken that call to heart. Four years ago, the couple became the parish’s Vocation Awareness Program coordinators.

In order to create a community of people all praying for an increase in vocations, the Jesches have set up posters inviting everyone to pray for vocations. The parish has also recently celebrated Priesthood Appreciation Sunday, where parishioners were given prayer cards and spiritual bouquets for the Year for Priests.

Read the full article, which contains several other ideas for promoting the priesthood, at: Boston Pilot: Living the Faith: Francis and Mary Jesch

Everyone at the Serra Club of Boston is very proud of Mary and Francis, and grateful to all they do for the club and to promote vocations in the Archdiocese of Boston.

The Boston Pilot reports:

With the Christmas collections, one of the major sources of income for the Priest Pension and Healthcare Funds just weeks away, a new website has been launched that aims to spotlight the invaluable work of the archdiocese priests.

The new web site is directed to pastors, parish staff, and all parishioners throughout the archdiocese.

“CareForSeniorPriests.org is focused on sharing information about our priests and the significant contributions they make in our lives and those of our loved ones,” remarked Joseph D’Arrigo, Executive Director of the Funds. “We hope this website will educate the Catholic community about the Priest Pension and Healthcare Funds and encourage them to be generous in support of our priests.”

Read the full Pilot coverage at: Boston Pilot: New website provides information on Priest Pension and Healthcare Funds

• Men entering the seminary and current seminarians always require prayer. Fr. Dan Hennessey (Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Boston) said that men entering the seminary are extremely serious and knowledgeable about their vocation, and are the “cream of the crop” from MIT, Harvard, and Ivy League and state schools.  Prayers are requested for these men, who seem to be able to see beyond the current issues facing the church to a revitalized church in the future.
• Please pray for Marie Lucci, a young woman who entered the Fraternidad of Reparation to the Heart of Jesus the Priest.  We pray for Marie as she continues to discern her vocation to religious life.
• Please pray for the purchase a statue of St. John Vianney for the St. Leonard of Port Maurice in the North End.   While scouting locations for the upcoming Eucharistic Congress 2010, Fr. Dan Hennessey noted that the current statue garden does not have a statue of this priest who was so devoted to vocations.

As always, please pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life.  May God grant peace and wisdom to all those who are currently discerning their vocations!

At our most recent meeting in Waltham, Mary and Francis Jesch noted that when they asked a woman in their parish if she would adopt a priest, she said “Yes – but how much will it cost?”  She was amazed to find that spiritual adoption was free and that she could receive a booklet with a specific priest’s name at no cost.

Our goal is to have every priest in the Archdiocese of Boston adopted by the end of the year.  Please adopt a priest today, and let others know of this worthwhile apostolate!