The CONFIRMATION CLASS is once again collecting gently used Beanie Babies or other small stuffed animals, children's books and adult fiction books. These children's items will be used to make welcome bags for children at shelters and food pantries. The novels will be sorted and donated to shelters. All donations can be left in the bins located in the vestibule of the church.

The AHM Youth CHORES Program is a partnership with the towns of Andover, Hebron and Marlborough to assist Seniors in our three communities. The CHORES Program works with the town senior centers and their coordinators to help improve the quality of life for Older Americans by providing them with the assistance and support of a youth CHORES worker. Teens are asked to complete chores for seniors such as light household cleaning, raking leaves, weeding, and planting. Teens are paid minimum wage for their time
through grant funding. Teens must be 15 to 18 years of age If you have an interest in the program or would like more in formation, please feel free to contact: 
CHORES Facilitator, Kate Graham
PH: 860-228-9488
Or by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Our Mission: The Christian Outreach Committee (COC) of St. John Fisher Parish provides opportunities for parishioners to live their faith by showing mercy and care to others through activities supporting the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. We believe that along with the “doing”, there is a way of “being” that drives and inspires our day-to-day lives in a merciful way for the glory of God and all His people.   

Click here to download our COC draft plan

For the third year in a row  - Thanks to the generosity of the donors to this year’s Archbishop’s Annual Appeal, Our Faith, Our Future, the Vicariate Outreach Program has been able to provide over $1,000,000 in critical funding to over 200 local, community based, organizations. This funding provides support to families and individuals for life’s  basic necessities: a warm meal, a bag of groceries, a place to sleep, or a place to turn for guidance and support. The Annual Appeal is one way to share our blessings and express thanks for the blessings with  which God has graced us with  our neighbors.

If you have not yet made a gift, please prayerfully consider, making your  pledge or gift today.  Every gift makes a profound difference in the lives of countless individuals and families throughout our Archdiocese, in a way that exceeds anything we could hope to achieve on our  own.  Please visit the Appeal website at www.archdioceseofhartford.org and follow the link Our Faith, Our Future, to learn more and make your pledge or gift today. All pledges can be paid through December 31, 2018 towards this year’s Appeal.

All funds contributed to the Archbishop’s Annual Appealare used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the Appeal literature, which can be found at:www.archdioceseofhartford.org/appeal-impact-2/

COME TO THE CENTER EXPERIENCE THE DIVINE WITHIN AND WITHOUT!

Centering prayer is a silent prayer that can move you toward a more profound experience of the Spirit of God within. This Fall we will be offering  an introductory training course on Centering Prayer.The course was developed by Father Thomas Keating and the staff of Contemplative Outreach. 

Centering Prayer is an adaptation of ancient Christian mystical practice based on the wisdom sayings of Jesus and inspired by the 14th-century text The Cloud of Unknowing, Saint Theresa of Avila, Thomas Merton, and others. Thomas Keating, answering a life-long calling, sought to renew this ancient wisdom and present a prayer practice that goes beyond asking for aid and offering praise - one that invites you to a deeper relationship  with God.The sessions will consist of 45 minutes to an hour of a DVD, group discussion and practice of what is presented. Join us for nine Wednesday nights, 7-9:00pm on October 3rd, October 10th, October 17th, October 24th, November 7th, November 14th, November 28th, December 5th & December 12th at Church of the Holy Family Parish House for refreshments, fellowship and learning. For more information call Patricia Knight-Bellisle at (860)559-6286 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

It's time once again to start making a joyful noise!!!

The St. John Fisher Children's Choir ("Genesis Choir") will gather for weekly rehearsals on Mondays, beginning October 15th. We will meet at the church every Monday from 5-5:45 PM (with the exception of school holidays) to prepare for several Sunday Masses throughout the year (including Christmas and Easter) and the annual Christmas Concert. Please call Marianne Matunas at (860) 295-8700 for more info and/or to register your child to "Sing A New Song Unto the Lord. . ."

We have a number of opportunities for our SJF Parish Family to practice our faith through service to others. Which service opportunities are calling your name?

• Monthly Food Drive for the Food Bank of Marlborough
• Monthly Sandwich Collection for St. Vincent DePaul Place
• Various Sandwich Making Opportunities
• Birthday Bags for the Children of our local food bank
• Various Clothes & Coat Drives
• Various Collections of Care Items for Shelters
• Creating care bags for the homeless
• “Baby Shower” Supporting Birth Right
• Sunday Dinners for St. Vincent dePaul Place
• Other Shelter Dinner Opportunities
• “Cooking with Care” – preparing meals for our parishioners/families
• School Supplies & Backpack Drive for our elementary school & RHAM
• Drive-Thru Café (Sunday dinner) for patrons of our local food bank
• Programs Supporting Catholic Relief Services
• Autumn Luncheon for Marlborough Senior Citizens
• Outreach/Christmas Cards for those incarcerated
• Fair Trade Gift Events
• Holiday Giving Programs – Thanksgiving and Christmas

Want to know more? Watch for scheduled opportunities in our monthly parish calendar, our bulletin, our website (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) and on Facebook!

Registered users, Login and click here to access ministry contact information.

It’s time to dust off your vocal chords and lift your voice in praise and in song. We have a very exciting year of music ahead of us. 

Please feel free to join at any time.  ~   Open rehearsals will be on Monday evenings from 6:00-7:30pm.

See me before or after Mass and I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have! I hope you will consider sharing your gifts and talents through music!

~ Kathleen Filosa, Choir Director

As summer comes to a close, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank all the members of the Adult Worship Choir and the Children’s Genesis Choir for their dedication and desire to serve in this Ministry.

It is an honor to work with such beautiful and humble musicians, and I look forward to the new choir season with all of them (and many new members as well!)

I’d also like to thank the members of the parish who support our ministry in so many ways. 

Special thanks goes to David and Margaret Wilcox for their generous donation to the Music Ministry program. Your generosity is so much appreciated!

~ Kathleen Filosa, Choir Director

A huge thank you to our catechists who have graciously volunteered to give their time and energy to educate our children and bring them even closer to God and our church:
Holly Bangham, Colleen Napolitano, Melissa Jordan, Kristen McLaughlin, Tracy Corey, Silvia Orama, Anne Amodeo, Amy Boutilier, Ellie Packer, Rosie Henderschedt, Meg Tracey, Jeffrey Tracey, Karen Sawyer, Monica Wallace, Jackie Spencer, Anne Hooker and Claudine Polachanin Also, a big thank you to Caroline Meyer and Shannon Visco for volunteering to watch our catechists’ children while they teach!

24th Sunday in Ordinary Time B18

Scholars often say the passage we read from Mark’s Gospel today represents a turning point in Mark’s narrative. Up to this point the disciples have heard Jesus preach and teach, witnessed his healing and other miracles, and gotten excited thinking he’s someone special and we have been chosen by him.

Now he asks them a question: Who do people say that I am? After giving him the answers which include John the Baptist come from the dead, Ezekiel who was taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot and would come back to announce the coming of the Messiah, and any one of the prophets, he then asks: But you, who do you say that I am? A pivotal question that requires them to pierce through the opinion of others and declare what they have learned up to now.