565 County Street, New Bedford, MA 02740
Parish Office/Rectory Address: 110 Summer Street,
New Bedford, MA 02740
Tel: 508-992-4251 • Fax: 508-984-4136
Office Hours M-F 8:30 AM– 12:30 PM
E-Mail: [email protected]
Website: www.saintlawrencemartyr.com
Rev. Robert Powell, Administrator
Melissa Kucharski, Administrative Assistant
Frances Gorman, Music Director
George Lavoie, Sacristan
St. Vincent DePaul Society-President
Joe Langlois-508-996-3850
WEEKEND
LITURGIES
Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 & 11:00 AM
WEEKDAY
LITURGIES
Monday - Wednesday
7:00 AM
Friday-Saturday
7:00 AM
RECONCILIATION
Saturdays: 3:15-3: 45
Readings for the Week of April 26, 2015
Sunday: Acts 4:8-12/1 Jn 3:1-2/Jn 10:11-18
Monday: Acts 11:1-18/Jn 10:1-10
Tuesday: Acts 11:19-26/Jn 10:22-30
Wednesday: Acts 12:24--13:5a/Jn 12:44-50
Friday: Acts 13:26-33/Jn 14:1-6
Joseph the Worker: Gn 1:26--2:3 or Col 3:14-15,
17, 23-24/Mt 13:54-58
Saturday: Acts 13:44-52/Jn 14:7-14
Next Sunday: Acts 9:26-31/1 Jn 3:18-24/Jn 15:1-8
Novena in Honor of St. Theresa every Tuesday at
6:50 AM
Adoration on Fridays in the chapel from 7:3011:45 Am ending with a simple benediction
MASS INTENTIONS FOR THE WEEK
April 25, 2015-May 2, 2015
(Sat at 4 pm thru Sat at 7am)
SAT 4 PM
SUN 8 AM
SUN 11 AM
MON 7 AM
TUES 7 AM
WED 7 AM
FRI 7 AM
SAT 7 AM
Helio & Francisa Sousa
Richard Powelll
William Fillion Sr.
Richard Powell
Richard Powell
Richard Powell
Richard Powell
Richard Powell
2nd Collection will be for:
Maintenance
Last Week’s Collections:
1st Collection: $2,701.50
Maintenance: $1011.00
Handicapped Accessible
ST. LAWRENCE MARTYR PARISH BULLETIN
4th Sunday of Easter (Year B Page 557)..April 26,2015
VOLUME XV………...…….…..….………..…...…….………...………….…………...….…....…........…………………...NUMBER 21
ST. LAWRENCE PARISH NEWS AND
THINGS OF INTEREST
Tel: 508-993-3547 Fax: 508-993-8277
Email: [email protected]
Principal: Cecilia M. Felix
Holy Family Holy Name School
REGISTRATION 2015-2016
W welcome new students in our Preschools for 3
and 4 year olds, Kindergarten and Grades 1 – 8.
Call HFHN 508-993-3547 and ask for Linda Boswell to learn more about our school and schedule a
tour. Visit us today at Holy Family Holy Name
Catholic School,
New Bedford, MA.and share the Good News of
Catholic education with your family and friends!
Holy Family Holy Name School is accredited by
the New England of Schools and Colleges.
ͳͳ
Ǥ

̵ǨǨǨ
Ǧͳͳ

ǣǡͳͶǡʹͲͳͷ
ǣǡǡ
ǣͳͳǣ͵ͲǣͳǣͲͲ
ǣ
ǣ̈́ͳͷͲȀ
Ǧǣ
̈́ͳͷͲ
ǣͳͷȋȌ
ͳͺȀȀȀ
Ǩ
Ǩ
Ǧ
Ǧ
ǤǤȀʹͲͳͷ
Faith Formation and
Religious Education
30 Week Club-Captains please remember to collect remaining
weeks through the Month of April. Participants will not be eligible for
the April drawing if they are not paid to date.
62nd Annual Catholic Women’s Convention
The Fall River Diocesan Council of Catholic Women will hold it’s
62nd annual convention on May 2, 2015 at The Wamsutta Club in New
Bedford 1t 10 am preceded by Mass at St. Lawrence Martyr at 9 AM.
Our guest speaker will be Bishop da Cunha. Registration forms are
available at every exit of the church.. Please feel free to call the rectory
during business hours if you have any questions.
2015 New Bedford Area Support Group
This is a support group to help people cope with the loss of a loved
one. The basis of the group is to allow individuals to share their
experiences, feelings, emotions with the others who are on the very
same journey. The group will meet on Wednesday's at 6:30 pm at St.
Mary’s Parish, 783 Dartmouth Street, Dartmouth. The Dates the
group will run are May 20-June 24 and September 23-November 4,
2015. If you are interested please contact Beni Costa-Reedy at 508-992
-7505 or email [email protected]
BYE BYE BIRDIE at Bishop Stang
Dates: May 1st & 2nd at 7 pm and Sunday May 3 at 2 pm in the John
C. OBrien Gymnasium at Bishop Stang High School . To purchase
tickets please call the school office at (508) 996-5602. Tickets are
$7.00 for students and Seniors and $10.00 for Adults. We are so proud
of some our HFHN students who will be performing in the production:
Sofia Coholan, Catherine Whelen, Alyssa Britto and Nolan Hoffler
who will play Randolph MacAfee
Parish Mission
May 4-7 at St. Anthony of Padua Church New Bedford from 12:00 Pm
- 7 Pm. Speakers include Fr. Kevin Scallon, C.M> and Sister Briege
McKenna, O.S.C. Fr. Scallon is a priest of the Vincentian Community.
In 1985 he began fulltime ministry to Priests with Sister Briege, her
book “ Miracles do Happen” has been translated into many languages
throughout then world. Please call St. Anthony’s for more information.
Right to Life Annual Mother’s Day Dinner
May 7, 2015, Sponsored by Massachusetts Citizens for Life. Tickets
are $50.00 and $25.00 for students. Tickets are available online at
www.masscitizensforlife.org or mail a check to P.O. Box 96, Ludlow,
Sun. April 26, Last Class followed by Family
MA 01056 or by calling 413-583-5034. Come together and recommit
Mass at 11 AM. First Communion Rehearsal 9:30
ourselves too advocating, educating and supporting the cause of
-10:45 am
Pro-Life and the life sustaining efforts which give us a voice to the
Sun. May 3, First Communion 11 AM.
most vulnerable among us
Teresa Ouellette- Director- [email protected]
Carol Larkin—Secretary– [email protected]
Please Remember In Your Prayers the following :
Cecilia Felix, Betty Tomko, Diane Letourneau, Thomas/Marion Wholley, Maria Ferreira,
Aline Santos, Augusta Fernandes, Florence Marshall, ES Martin, Steven Dacunha,
Maureen Stewart, Ginger Lamoureux, Toni Silva
From the Desk of Fr. Powell
Today is traditionally known as Good Shepherd Sunday. For us the mention of sheep may conjure up images of perhaps a worn out wool coat or the memory
of a fine meal of Rack of Lamb. We may remember
the nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb or the TV
puppet Lamb chops or the TV commercial for Certa
Mattresses. Few if any of us regard sheep as familiar
companions. Thus we might not appreciate the depth
of intimacy captured in the image of Jesus as the Good
Shepherd.
For many people in the ancient world shepherding was
more than an occupation, it was their life and identity.
The needs of their sheep determined how they spent
their time, for their flocks had to be led to various pastures in order to be fed, watered, protected and assisted in giving birth. The life of the shepherd was
anything but carefree. Because of the total commitment of the shepherd to the sheep, the image seemed
an appropriate one to characterize the king who was
expected to be totally committed to his people. However the kings of Israel often failed to be good shepherds of the people and this prompted the prophets to
suggest that only God was their true king and shepherd. This sentiment is expressed so well in Psalm 23,
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes
me lie down in green pastures. He refreshes my soul.”
In the New Testament, especially in today’s Gospel of
John, God’s role as true king and shepherd is presented as fulfilled in Jesus. God as the divine shepherd
is manifested concretely in Jesus, who is the model
shepherd. Unlike so many of the leaders of his day
who were self-serving, Jesus as the good shepherd is
totally selfless in his care for the sheep entrusted to his
care, to the point of giving his life for them out of loving commitment. Thus we are invited to entrust ourselves to God in and through Jesus the good shepherd.
As shepherd Jesus is our savior but not as a warrior or
terminator or superman or spider man or Rambo or
iron man. Our Shepherd Jesus was rejected, hunted
down, humiliated, tortured and hung upon the cross to
die in shame.
He was and remains an unlikely savior and shepherd.
As such he still challenges us to believe that life can
spring from death, strength from weakness, wisdom
from foolishness, healing and forgiveness from hate
and abuse, and compassion from suffering.
Of course you and I are not sheep though at times we
do crazy and dumb things like sheep. Like sheep we are
totally dependent upon God yet we have been given a
fair amount of independence. Like sheep we are called
to entrust our lives to God through Jesus the good
shepherd. Yet we are also called to become good
shepherds ourselves, having great care for others,
especially the most vulnerable in our families,
neighborhoods, parish, country and world.
PARISH MISSION STATEMENT
Enlivened by the Holy Spirit and with appreciation
for God’s gifts of time, talent, and treasure,
we, the people of St. Lawrence, Martyr Parish, dedicate ourselves to bring the gospel message
of Jesus Christ to the world through worship, education, and service. We give witness to our
faith by reaching out to those in need