St. John Fisher Roman Catholic Church

From Our Pastor ~ January 23, 2022

3^rd Sunday in Ordinary Time C22

I think we all have a general definition of what a community is. Sometimes it describes a group of people living in a defined geographical area, say like Marlborough. Sometimes it describes a group of people having similar values, beliefs, or goals, say like a parish community like St. John Fisher. Today’s readings are concerned about community.

After the end of the Babylonian Exile, the returning Jewish people probably didn’t know the Law of Moses and most of them didn’t understand Hebrew. That set the scene of today’s 1^st reading. Ezra, a student of the Law, and Nehemiah who was sent by the Persian government to oversee the rebuilding of the Temple and Jerusalem, thought it wise to read, translate and interpret the Law to the men, women and all those old enough to understand, in order to provide them with a foundation for their community. This took longer than from dawn to noontime since the reading of the Law encompassed probably the 1^st 5 books of the Jewish Scriptures^[1]; and so it continued for 6 more days. The people were weeping, possibly because they recognized how far their behavior had been from the ideals of the Law and, I think, they were overwhelmed by God’s care for them.

Dates to Remember in Prayer

January 22: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.

January 24: We celebrate the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of writers. Join us in praying his prayer, Be at Peace.

9 Days for Life ~ Novena

9Days4Life

Life begins at conception and deserves to be protected. Sign up to pray with
THOUSANDS of Catholics during the 9 Days for Life novena, Wednesday,
January 19 - Thursday, January 27.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

From Our Pastor ~ January 16, 2022

2^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time C22

“Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)

What confidence Mary had in her son, that he would do something to keep the wedding festivities going. After being rebuffed for making her plea, she had to feel some pain. “My hour has not come” (John 2:4), he says to her; he is not free to ignore or alter the Father’s plan.

Saint John Fisher Book Club

You are cordially invited to join an informal discussion of Let Us Dream, Wednesday, February 16, 2022 10:00 AM in St. Thomas More Hall. A limited number of copies will be reserved at the Richmond Memorial Library. For more info: Contact Barbara Gaudette This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Sponsored by St. John Fisher Lending Library Committee “Building our Faith, One Page at a Time”

Covid Issues: Message from Archbishop Blair

"Even in the absence of a civil requirement, masks should be worn by all and social distancing should be maintained appropriately, including in the communion line."

"For now, it would be best to refrain from unnecessary circulation in church, from processions and from greeting people before and after Mass."

"With regard to music, it would be best to keep it at a minimum or reserved only for a cantor/organist. If more than one is singing, they should be at least 5 feet apart and 12 feet apart from the priest and others." I take it from this restriction that will be NO CONGREGATIONAL SINGING FOR NOW.

The Archbishop also regrets the burden of these restrictions."Charity, however, as well as the duty to take reasonable care of our physical health and to protect that of others, requires measures commensurate with the seriousness of the threat that is posed. I am grateful for your cooperation. I pray daily for your good health and that of the people.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend Leonard P Blair
Archbishop of Hartford"

Please Help Our Confirmation Community Help Others

Our Confirmation Community will once again be preparing a meal at the end of January for the men at ImmaCare Shelter in Hartford. The class will also be making 50 care bags for the clients at the shelter. If you would like to support our Confirmation community, please consider donating any of the following: single serve high protein snacks such as nuts, beef jerky, granola bars or peanut butter crackers; a $5 gift card to Dunkin Donuts; heavy socks; Chapstick or pocket size tissues. All donations may be left in the baskets by the entrances to the church. Thank you in advance for your support of our Confirmation Community and those who struggle with finding secure housing.

Saint John Fisher Women’s Retreat Weekend

Please join the women of Saint John Fisher for our parish retreat at Our Lady Of Calvary Retreat House in Farmington, January 14th, 7pm 16th, 12pm. It is a wonderful way to connect with the women in our parish and to reconnect with God and yourself. For more information, please visit their website, www.ourladyofcalvary.net. You can also contact Nicky Banbury @ 860.832.2047 with any questions.

The ABCs of Annulment

Saturday, January 22 , at 10 AM to Noon in the Church Hall of St Margaret Church, 24 Academy Street, Madison. The “ABCs of Annulment” event is open to all at no cost. Participants will receive a folder with the required printed materials. No registration is required. For further information, call Br. Larry at 475-221-8464 or email him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

East Catholic High School

East Catholic has rolling admissions; so prospective students have plenty of opportunies to begin the admissions process. Our Entrance Exam will take place on Saturday, January 22nd @ 8:30 a.m. To pre-register, please go to https://www.echs.com/Visit_ECHS.

Our Shadow Day program is back!!! If your 8th grader would like to discover the “Taste of East,” please go to https:// www.echs.com/Visit_ECHS to begin the process of scheduling a visit.

It’s also a perfect time to fill out the admissions applicaion by visitng our website and clicking on the Admissions tab.

#WeAreEC!

From Our Pastor ~ January 8, 2022

The Baptism of the Lord C22

As time went on, the Christology (the theological study of the person, deeds and teaching of Jesus) advanced. We can see that clearly in the Gospel accounts of the baptism of Jesus.

Mark^[1] openly describes it but Matthew adds the Baptist’s objection that Jesus should baptize him. Luke, our Gospel for year C, mentions it almost in passing but is more concerned with the Spirit’s descent on Jesus and the voice from heaven that said Jesus is God’s beloved Son. Finally, John; he doesn’t even mention it. Why?

Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker

Heavenly Father, we put our trust in you. We ask the intercession of St. Joseph under his title of “the worker” so that we may be open to your divine plan even in difficult and uncertain times and circumstances. We ask that, through his intercession and following his example, we may come to understand our place in your plan and exercise our responsibility for the welfare of others, especially those close to us who depend on us. We pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit in these weeks before Pentecost so that your plan might be clearer to us, and that our desire to follow it would be more wholehearted.

We ask all this through Christ our risen Lord. Amen.

Impacting Lives with Christmas Giving

Many thanks for your generosity and care that made STJF's Christmas Giving program such a success and how do we measure success? We measure success by what it adds to the lives of others for ImmaCare: warm gloves, socks, thermal wear and undergarments to protect from the cold and new shower curtains for bathrooms; for Marlborough Healthcare: bright calendars to welcome each new day and month, stationery to connect with loved ones, puzzles to gather together and warm sweaters and throws to experience the embrace of care; for Sacred Sweats: sweat suits to start off a new life free of incarceration; and for A Hand Up: pillows to provide rest in newly established and furnished housing. With gratitude for touching the lives of others and for spreading the gift of Christmas giving to last throughout the new year ahead!

The Grotto Gift Shop

Beginning January 8, the Grotto Gift Shop at Lourdes in Litchfield, 50 Montfort Rd., Rte. 118, Litchfield will be open weekends only from 11:304:00, weather permitting. A 30% discount will be offered on selected Christmas items during this time. Regular hours will resume in March.

For further information, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 8605671041.

From Our Pastor ~ January 2, 2022 ~ Epiphany

Epiphany C22

The Infancy narratives of Matthew and Luke are vastly different. After the birth of Jesus, Luke presents the Holy Family being welcomed by shepherds, by faith-filled Simeon and Anna in the Temple, and returning to Nazareth, as a joyous celebration without any problems except for the episode when Jesus stayed in Jerusalem without telling Mary and Joseph or asking for their permission.

From Our Pastor ~ December 30, 2021 ~ The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph

When we look at the Holy Family as a model for our families, I think most. if not all, of us would just give up. After all, Mary was free of original sin from her conception and was previously held to be free of personal sin; Jesus was the Son of God; and Joseph, well he was considered a righteous man, living in harmony with the 10 Commandments and the rest of Jewish Law.


Upset?	John 14
Weak?	Psalm 18:1-29
Lonely?	Psalm 23
Sinned?	Psalm 51
Worried?	Matthew 8:19-31
Anxious?	Phillippians 4:4-9
Unhappy?	Colossians 3:12-17
In Danger?	Psalm 91
Depressed?	Psalm 27
Lack of Faith?	Exodus 14
Others Unkind?	John 15
Need Courage?	Joshua 1
Need Direction?	Psalm 73:21-26
Seeking Peace?	Matthew 11:25-30