March 23rd—Classes for grades K through 5 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
March 30th—Classes for grades K through 5 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Classes for grades 6 to 8 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
April 6th– Classes for grades K through 5 from 10:00 to 11:0 a.m. Classes for grade 6 to 8 from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Come see this true and inspiring film about Mother Cabrini at St. Joseph Church Parish Center, North St., Pittsfield, MA on March 27, 2025 at 1:00 P.M.
Refreshments will be served.
RSVP on or before March 24th.
Elaine 413-443-5592 or Carolyn 413-443-5401
Bishop Byrne is inviting all the men of the Diocese to attend a St. Joseph's Day jubilee mass at St. Michael's Cathedral on March 19 at 7 PM. A talk given by Mike Cutone, a former Green Beret and retired Massachusetts State Trooper.
Good Friday, 4/18/2025 at 12 pm - Stations of the Cross at our Mausoleum - All are welcome.
Decoration rules:
No decorations are not allowed between April 1st thru Mother's Day for our Spring cleanup.
Spring/Summer: Two movable plain containers of live flowers will be allowed from Mother's Day to Labor Day. Containers with prongs on the bottom, vigil lights, glass containers, solar lights, shepherd hooks, statues, or lot enclosures are not allowed. Mausoleum & Columbarium walls: Flowers, decorations of any kind may not be placed on, in front of, or near the Crypt or Niche. Nothing may be glued, mounted taped or in any way affixed to a Crypt or Niche front, name plaque or any part of the walls. Anything so mounted will be removed and disposed of immediately.
Thank you for your understanding.
Friday at 6:30 Stations of the Cross and Lamentations.
Sunday at 6:00 Lenten Vespers.
Operation Rice Bowl. Please take a rice bowl located in the church.
Confessions: Wed., Thurs., Friday from 11:30 to 12:00.
Wednesday night from 5:00 to 6:00. Consider making it a private holy hour.
Saturday 3:00 to 3:45.
Classes Sunday, March 16th and 30th. Sunday, April 6th and 13th. Sunday, May 4th. Confirmation rehearsal Saturday, May 31st at 10:00 a.m. accompanied by sponsor, parent or guardian. Confirmation will be Sunday, June 1st at 1:30 p.m. Students should arrive at the Parish Center for 12:45. Thank you. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. A at 413-822-1297 or email [email protected].
Saturday March 22nd—St. Joseph Church First Penance. Students should report to the North Chapel by 9:30 a.m.
Sunday, March 30th—The Banner Workshop will be at 10:00 a.m. in the Parish Center. Parents are required to stay to help their child with their banner.
Please make sure that your child attends ALL classes and events so that they are well prepared for the Sacrament of First Communion. We are looking forward to this faith journey. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at 822-1297. John A.
“Our Sunday visitor” is offering a free online Lenten journey with Father Vincent Bernhard OP, chaplain at New York University. The daily email reflections will guide you through the spiritual desert towards peace and fullness of life with Christ. You can sign up for the free online series at oursundayvisitor.com/desert2025
A spiritually fruitful Lent doesn’t happen by accident. We all struggle with habitual sin. No matter how hard we seem to try, it feels impossible to get it out of our life! These habitual sins often have roots in a deeper reality we haven’t yet uncovered, which is why they’re so hard to overcome. In SetFree: Daily Lenten Reflections on overcoming the seven deadly sins, Fr. Josh Johnson helps viewers uncover the root causes of sin and eliminate it at its source. If you’re interested in joining Fr. Josh, go to https://ascensionpress.com/pages/frjoshlent and sign up for the waitlist to be notified as soon as the series becomes available.
Join us for an unforgettable evening at the 2025 Massachusetts Citizens for Life Annual Mother's Day Fundraising Dinner, held at the beautiful Log Cabin! Enjoy a delicious meal while supporting the cause of Life in Massachusetts, and be inspired by our incredible keynote speaker, Bishop W.C. Martin, Pastor, Bennett Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. Thursday, May 8th at 6 PM at Log Cabin Restaurant, 500 Easthampton Road, Holyoke, MA. Early Registration Special for tickets purchased by March 16th.
https://www.masscitizensforlife.org/mothers-day-tickets
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of abstinence from meat as well as days of fast, when only one full meal is allowed. On days of fast, two other meatless meals may be taken according to one’s needs, but together they should not equal another full meal.
The other Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence from meat.
The obligation to abstain from meat begins at age fourteen (14) and does not cease.
The obligation to fast begins at age eighteen (18) and ceases at age fifty-nine (59).
Please note: Although the faithful may excuse themselves from fast and abstinence,
for a just cause, there is an obligation to substitute another penance in its place. No Catholic should lightly excuse him/herself from these Lenten obligations.
All are welcome March 20th from 8:30 to 3:00 p.m. $20 per person if registered by 3/15; $25 after deadline. St. Joseph Parish Center, 414 North St., Pittsfield, MA
Registration includes breakfast, lunch and presentation materials.
Schedule: 8:30 a.m.—Registration and continental breakfast
9:00 a.m.—Retreat part 1
Noon: Optional mass at St.
Joseph Church
12:45– Lunch buffet
1:30—Retreat part 2
To reserve your seat contact Chris Stodden at [email protected] or 413-443-2910. For further information contact Sr. Colette at 203-809-1574
We will have our first picnic planning meeting on Wed. March 19th in the Parish Center starting @ 6:00. Please join us and bring your ideas! All are welcome.
Join us for a retreat, from now through June, with our new theme In My Love, Abide, which focuses on renewing your connection with God through prayer, reflection and fellowship. Each retreat begins with a buffet dinner from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday evening and concludes Sunday with the celebration of Mass at 10:45 a.m. followed by a hot brunch at noon. Private rooms are provided to all retreatants. Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center located at 303 Tunxis Road, W. Hartford, CT. Register online at holyfamilyretreat.org/themed-retreats or call 860-760-9705.
We still need your help with our Beacon of Faith Campaign. Our parish goal is $406,000. Everyone is asked to give, but not everyone is asked to give the same amount. Your gift can be made as a pledge payable over a 1 to 5 year period on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis, or as a one time donation. We know money can be tight during the Christmas season, but you can still sign up at the beginning of the new year as well. Complete your pledge card (located in the church) and select the timeframe of your payments. If you choose to make a down payment via check, please make it payable to Diocese of Springfield Beacon of Faith. Pledging online is very easy. Go to: www.givecentral.org/Beacon-of-Faith-23 and pay by credit card or bank account.
Join Fr. Brian McGrath of St. Mary’s Parish in Lee as we tour the shrines of Italy during next year’s Jubilee Year! September 28th - October 7th, 2025. We start in Rome so we can walk through the Holy Door, have a papal audience and visit the many sites of the Eternal City. Then we stop at Monte Casino on our way to Padre Pio’s home city of San Giovanni Rotondo. Dear to the heart of us here at St. Mary’s we will be stopping at the house of Mary in the city of Loreto. A great highlight is that we will be in Assisi on the Feast Day of St. Francis. And there will be so much more! The allinclusive price of $5,399.00 includes airfare, hotels, breakfast and dinner each day. To see all of the details and day-to-day itinerary go to www.206tours.com/frmcgrath/ If you have any questions contact Fr. Brian at the rectory. Due to the high popularity of the Jubilee Year you are highly encouraged to sign up early.
St. Charles Church is again partnering with Cross Catholic Outreach and their Box of Joy program. These boxes are delivered to children around the world ministering to those suffering from extreme poverty. Take a box, fill the box with items, return box with your $9 donation. Don’t want to fill a whole box, feel free to donate items on the list and place them in the marked box in the vestibule. We will use these items to fill empty boxes. Individual donations need to be received by November 5th. Don’t want to shop, donate $9 for shipping to help cover the cost. A $9 donation per Box of Joy is required and is crucial for the ministry. Our goal is to fill 50 boxes. Boxes and a list of items to donate will be available in the church.
Dear Friends,
We have all witnessed the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. For so many whose lives were impacted, there is a long road ahead. It is at moments like this that we are called upon to look beyond our community to help those in need. Catholic Charities USA is engaged with directing help to the worst hit areas. If you would like to assist, you can do so through a donation portal at https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/. We also have a link at www.diospringfield.org. Thank you in advance for your compassionate response. Rev. Piotr Calik, VG
The Knights of Columbus will be holding a Tootsie Roll Drive at St. Joseph Church on Oct. 19th and 20th. Knights will be at each exit as Mass ends. All donations will go towards helping people with disabilities. Please consider buying a Tootsie Roll.