10/25/2013

November Greetings fromt ehShrine Director Fr. Tom Puthusseril, M.S.



Welcome my dear Brothers, Sisters, boys and girls,  

“Come Near My Children Do Not Be Afraid... I Have Great News For You!”

As we enter the month of November let us reflect on the All Saints & All Souls Feast days and our upcoming 60th Christmas Festival of Lights with a special feature “Light Show” another way to help you experience the birth of Jesus with all of these rejoicing lights here in Attleboro, MA.
The feasts of All Saints& All Souls should inspire us with tremendous hope. Among the saints in heaven are some whom we have known. All lived on earth lives like our own. They were baptized, marked with the sign of faith, they were faithful to Christ's teaching and they have gone before us to the heavenly home whence they call on us to follow them. The Gospel of the Beatitudes, read today, while it shows their happiness, shows, too, the road that they followed; there is no other that will lead us whither they have gone. Spend a little time after Mass thanking God for all the unnamed saints, some of whom could be our own relatives.
Let us also reflect on the closing celebration of the Year of Faith on November 24, 2013. The Holy Father’s words on Mary and the Year of Faith:
...Mary’s faith as a journey: The Council says that Mary “advanced in her pilgrimage of faith” (ibid. 58). In this way she precedes us on this pilgrimage, she accompanies and sustains us.

How was Mary’s faith a journey? In the sense that her entire life was to follow her Son: he – Jesus – is the way, he is the path! To press forward in faith, to advance in the spiritual pilgrimage which is faith, is nothing other than to follow Jesus; to listen to him and be guided by his words; to see how he acts and to follow in his footsteps; to have his same sentiments. What are these sentiments of Jesus? Humility, mercy, closeness to others, but also a firm rejection of hypocrisy, duplicity and idolatry. The way of Jesus is the way of a love, which is faithful to the end, even unto sacrificing one’s life; it is the way of the cross. The journey of faith thus passes through the cross. Mary understood this from the beginning, when Herod sought to kill the newborn Jesus. But then this experience of the cross became deeper when Jesus was rejected. Mary was always with Jesus, she followed Jesus in the midst of the crowds and she heard all the gossip and the nastiness of those who opposed the Lord. And she carried this cross! Mary’s faith encountered misunderstanding and contempt. When Jesus’ “hour” came, the hour of his passion, Mary’s faith was a little flame burning in the night, a little light flickering in the darkness. Through the night of Holy Saturday, Mary kept watch. Her flame, small but bright, remained burning until the dawn of the resurrection. And when she received word that the tomb was empty, her heart was filled with the joy of faith: Christian faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Faith always brings us to joy, and Mary is the Mother of joy! May she teach us to take the path of joy, to experience this joy! That was the high point – this joy, this meeting of Jesus and Mary, and we can imagine what it was like. Their meeting was the high point of burning even at times of difficulty, in moments of darkness? Do I feel the joy of Mary’s journey of faith, and that of the whole Church? What is our faith like? Like Mary, do we keep it faith?
Mother, we thank you for our faith, the faith of a strong and humble woman; we renew our entrustment to you, Mother of our faith. Amen. Holy Father Francis
Let us continue living our
daily lives in the spirit of Mary.

                                      Rev. Fr. Tom Puthusseril, M.S.
                                         Shrine Director
 

LA SALETTE RETREAT & CONFERECE CENTER NOVEMBER EVENTS

La Salette Retreat and Conference Center
November 2013 Events
Dear friends of La Salette,

Thomas Merton once remarked, “Our discovery of God, in a way, is God’s discovery of us”. Every human person has a desire to know where God is in one’s own life experience. In the month of November, we remember and we thank God for people who have brought us closer to God or gave us a God-experience in our life. So you discover God through God’s own instruments. On our Golden Jubilee Year of the Retreat House, we remember and thank God for Fr. Gil Genest, M.S., who was the founding Director of the Retreat house 50 years ago. All the Directors and staff who has ministered at this place of renewal have been instruments in helping you to discover the God within and celebrate a life of wholeness and holiness in God. I remember Adrienne Veader who gave 29 years of her life to serve meals and care for the retreatants. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I invite you to remember and thank God for all those special people in your life, alive or gone home to God. November can be a difficult month for many who grieve the loss of someone dear to your heart. I would invite you to consider coming to the Retreat house to attend the Bereavement Support Group, Grief Education Program, or Prayer Shawl Meeting. You may also join Peggy Patenaude for a mini-retreat entitled Blessings in Abundance. Give us a call if you want to simply come and spend some quiet time in silence. Pope Francis said recently, “Faith is grounded in gratitude”. The retreat house is a place where you can gratefully appreciate and grow in your faith. We are opening the Jubilee Year of La Salette Retreat Center on October 20, 2013 with the Liturgy at 10 am. Come home to La Salette during this Jubilee Year. Take a retreat house newsletter to discover more about our programs so you may discover God in your own life through Mary’s powerful intercession. Our Lady of La Salette, reconciler of sinners, pray without ceasing for us who have recourse to you!

Fr. Cyriac Mattathilanickal,M.S.
Director

   Bereavement Support Group
Led by: Dorothy J. Levesque                                                  
November 13 & 27 Time: 10:00-11:30 a.m.,


 


                     Prayer Shawl Meeting
                                   Led by: Dorothy J. Levesque
                November 12 Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m.
                       

                                   
                                               Grief Education Program
                                                      Led by: Sr. Judith Costa  
                                                 November 18 Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.

            

 


                              Peggy Patenaude Mini-Retreat
                                                 November 19 Time: 10:00-12:30 p.m.


                              


Welcome To our 60th 

Christmas Festival of Lights'Concerts! 



   Father Pat’s Concerts
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday  & Sunday - Shrine Church       
Time of Concerts: 
Tuesday – Thursday: 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm, Friday – Sunday: 3:00 pm & 7:30 pm
Father Pat will not  be here on Mondays 
                                       and Saturday December 7, 2013
Guest Concerts:
Monday, December 2, 2013
            7:00 pm  Southeastern Mass Community Band                                                                   Welcome Center
Friday, December 6, 2013
            7:00 pm    Silvio Cuellar & Family Concert (Spanish)
                                               Welcome Center
Monday, December 9, 2013
            7:00 pm   Stone Hill College Concert Band
                                           Welcome Center
Thursday, December 12, 2013
            7:00 pm   Aisling Music Irish Christmas Concert – Welcome Center
Friday, December 13, 2013
            6:30 pm  Bridgewater High School Choir Christmas Carols – Outdoor Chapel
Saturday, December 14, 2013
             7:00 pm   Our Lady of the Rosary Band 
                                              Portuguese Band – Welcome Center
Sunday, December 15, 2013
             5:30 pm  Posada Navidena (Spanish) – Welcome Center
Sunday, December 15, 2013
             7:00 pm   Silvio Cuellar & Family Concert (Spanish) - Welcome Center
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
            7:00 pm  One Voice Concert - Welcome Center
Thursday, December 19, 2013
             7:00 pm  Love Divine Concert – Welcome Center
Friday, December 20, 2013
             7:00 pm   Steve LeMay Concert – Welcome Center
Saturday, December 21, 2013
            7:00 pm  4U Concert – Welcome Center
Sunday, December 22, 2013
            7:00 pm  Jubilation Choir (20 Piece Contata)
                                           Welcome Center
Thursday, December 26, 2013
            7:00 pm  Portuguese Concert with Dionísio Da Costa
                                 Welcome Center
Saturday, December 28, 2013

            7:00 pm  Ornament Concert – Welcome Center

Register early! Memorials Dedicate a day during the Christmas Festival of Lights in memory of a loved one!!

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Dear Friends of Our Lady of La Salette,   
As we enter our 60th Joyous Season of Christmas here in Attleboro, Massachusetts, we wish to invite you to dedicate a day for your special intention or loved one’s memory!

Our “Christmas Festival of Lights Memorials” is another way for you to honor your loved ones in this special season of Jesus’ birth. We ask for a donation of $200.00 to help defray the cost of the Shrine’s Christmas electricity and our various ministries held here in the Shrine. 

We will begin on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2013 through Sunday, January 5, 2014. This year we have a special “Light Show” exhibit located at the entrance on the right as you enter the main entrance of the Shrine. This extra addition to our Festival of Lights is just another way to help all visitors to deepen their experience of the true reason for this season...Jesus’ birth! 

If, you are interested in reserving a special day, please fill out the form below:
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Name: __________________________________________ Tel: ________________________________
Address: __________________________________________  Email:_____________________________
City: _______________________________ State: _____ Zip Code: ____________________
Date: ____/____/________ Special Intention:________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Enclose your donation of $200.00. Please make check payable to: National Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette
Mail to: 947 Park Street – Attleboro, MA 02703