INQUIRY SESSIONS FOR MEN CONSIDERING THE LIFE OF A DEACON As disciples of Jesus Christ we know that through our baptism, God calls all of us to serve God and neighbor. Since each of us are uniquely called, we pray to know and do God’s will. For some, the call may mean dedicating one’s life to the servant mysteries of Jesus as a deacon. Pope Paul VI, called for the diaconate to be “a driving force for the Church’s service or diakonia toward the local Christian communities, and as a sign or sacrament of the Lord Christ himself, who ‘came not to be served but to serve.’” If you believe the Lord may be calling you to serve as a deacon, please speak to your Pastor and let him know about your desire. Then, find out more about the diaconate and formation process by attending an Inquiry Session. Two sessions will be offered on Saturday mornings from 10:00 to noon; one in Springfield at the Marshal Center on March 16; and one in Pittsfield in the North Chapel of St. Joseph’s on March 23. If married, please attend with your wife. Men that participated in one of the fall Inquiry Sessions are welcome but need not attend. For more information, please contact the Office of the Diaconate: diaconate@diospringfield.org or 413-452-0674.

The Pittsfield Police Department is offering free infant car seat to families who need a little help. Call 448-9700 x 366 for an appointment for installation.

The Food Pantry is once again looking for a volunteer with a 1/2 ton pickup truck to drive on a call-in basis. The owner should be available on Tuesdays from approximately 11:30 to 3:00 PM and must be able to life 50 pounds of produce, meat, or other items. The person is needed to cover when one of the current drivers is unavailable. If Interested, please call Michele at the rectory (413 445-5789) to leave your name and phone number. You will be contacted and given the opportunity to help one time to see if this volunteer position is for you. Thank you for your interest and help.

February 10th – Regular class for K-9;February 17th-NO CLASS; February 24th – Regular classes for K-9 Grade 10 – meet at Parish Center 5:00-8:00 pm **Please note date change**

St. Anne members are reminded that their presence is requested at the 11 a.m. Holy Hour on February 13th. Please make every effort to attend and pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and lay ministry.

St. Peter Women's Guild, Gt. Barrington, is sponsoring a 3 day trip to Lancaster, PA, April 2-4, 2019. This once in a lifetime trip with a performance of Jesus at the Sight and Sound Theatre is included along with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre. Also, included is a dinner in an Amish Home, a visit to Kitchen Kettle Village, guided tour of Amish Farmlands, Chalk Talk with Artist Elva Hurst and much more. The cost is $440 pp, double occupancy. For more information or registration form, please call Fr. William P. Murphy at 413-274-3443.

Tuesday, February 19th, St. Joseph Parish will have a bus going to Mohegan Sun. The bus leaves St. Joe’s parking lot at 8AM and leaves Mohegan about 4:15. The cost of the trip is $35. Please call the rectory for reservations.

St. Joseph Parish Council will meet on Sunday, February 17th in the North Chapel after the 9 AM Mass.

A huge thank you to the CCD Program for the Souper Bowl collection last weekend. Over $700 was raised for our Sharing Roots kitchen which provides meals for people on the first Sunday of the month and for our weekly Food Pantry. We appreciate the young people who collected at the doors as well as those who gave so generously to this collection. God bless you all!

It's that time again, time for another Penny Social. If you've never been before, now is the time to attend. You'll have fun. The St. Joseph Penny Social will be held on Sunday, March 31, 2019. Proceeds from the Penny Social will benefit the CCD program. Watch for more information. Refreshments will be served.

Pregnancy Support Services of Berkshire Country, Inc, is in need of non drop- side cribs, size 5 and 6 diapers, and packages of wipes. The agency is so very grateful to parish members who have donated items. There is a continuous need for volunteers in every capacity. Also requested is an individual who could manage the PSS website. Please call 443-7351. The annual meeting for the agency is Monday, Feb. 18th, 7 PM, and all are welcome to attend at our office at 34 Depot St..

Many of you in the parish are aware of the present situation on the federal level regarding the cut back on funding for SNAP (food stamps) and other government allocations for Food subsidies to our Food Bank which supplies us with much food. As a result, the Food Pantry is anticipating an upsurge in the number of clients in the next few weeks. Therefore, we are asking if parishioners would be able to bring in canned items and leave them in the baskets by the doors. Many of you have been doing this and we are most grateful. Items that are useful are cans of tuna or other meat products, soups, canned fruits, assorted beans, and canned vegetables, pasta, sauce in cans (not glass jars as they may break), shelf milk, and cereal are some good examples. May God bless you as you are living the Beatitude of "when I was hungry, you gave me food to eat". Thank you for your support of this parish outreach. Also, we could use a substitute driver with a half ton pick-up truck who could get groceries on Tuesdays. If interested, please call Michele at the rectory at 413 445-5789 and leave your name and a phone number for you to be contacted and supplied with more details

THANK YOU to the Twelfth Night Committee – especially Glenna and Jeff Gerard, the chairpeople. It was the 58th Twelfth Night and most successful. A good time was had by all.

The Parish Council will meet Sunday, January 20, 2019, after the 9:-00 a.m. Mass. All are invited to attend.

There is no CCD on Sunday, January 20, 2019. CCD classes resume on Sunday, January 27, 2019 for grades K through 9. On Sunday, February 3, there will be regular class for K through 9. SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY collection at the 4 PM Saturday Mass and on Sunday, at the 9 AM Mass for grades 7 through 9.

ST. JOSEPH CEMETERY CAMPAIGN The amount pledged is now up to $1,122,652. Our goal is $1,200,000. As we come closer to realizing the goal of fully restoring St. Joseph’s Cemetery, our many thanks to all who have given from their heart!

The Knights of Columbus Bishop Conaty Assembly #395 and Msgr. Eugene F. Marshall Council #103 is sponsoring an 11:30 AM Mass for the Unborn on Sunday, January 27, 2019 at St. Joseph Church, Pittsfield. Followed by a March for Life from the Church around St. Joseph High School to the North Chapel (weather permitting), then a light reception in the North Chapel. All are welcome to join us for this worthy event supporting all Life.

ICELAND JUNE 12-20, 2019 Join Msgr. Mike for a magical experience in Iceland. From volcanoes, mountains, fjords, and geothermal baths to hot springs and glaciers, this will be a very special adventure. For more information, to reserve your spot and view the full itinerary visit www.johnpaultours.com/iceland2019 Package price $2990.00 Full Payment deadline: Feb. 12, 2019

Dear friends in Christ, In recent months our church has once again found itself confronting the crisis of child sexual abuse, specifically the past failures of the church to respond to this terrible evil within our midst. While neither the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report nor the Archbishop McCarrick allegations had any direct relationship to our diocese, these and other reported failures have understandably been the cause of renewed concerns within our Catholic community. This also has given way to questions regarding how we as a diocese have responded to allegations and reached out to victims of abuse, both in the past as well as through our ongoing efforts. There is a collective sense that we need to do more. With that in mind, over the next few months we will commit ourselves to prayer and dialogue. Our effort will be fourfold. First, starting February 4, we will offer four regional “Listening and Dialogue” sessions in which people will have a chance to share concerns and questions with me and representatives from the diocese. These sessions will be moderated and interactive; we will try to provide answers to as many questions as possible. On the first Monday of Lent, March 11, I am asking that all churches remain open throughout the day for a “Day of Prayer for Healing and Reconciliation.” Special prayer cards will be available for those who are willing to take a few minutes to visit a church and offer their own private prayer. I also have asked parishes to consider offering a Rosary prayer service or Eucharistic Adoration on this same day, and have requested that those churches with bells toll them throughout the day as an outward call to prayer. In mid February, the next edition of our diocesan magazine, The Catholic Mirror, will provide information on past responses and our current procedures. This will hopefully clear up many misunderstandings that exist. Finally, on Sunday, April 7 at 2 p.m., there will be two diocesan Prayer Services, to be held simultaneously at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield and at St. Joseph Church, Pittsfield. It is my hope that all will join in some aspect of this effort as a sign of our collective commitment to victims that we are truly sorry for our church’s past failure and remain steadfast in our ongoing efforts to prevent any future abuse. I thank you in advance for your prayerful support. In Christ, Most Rev. Mitchell T. Rozanski Bishop of Springfield

On behalf of Fr. Mike, Bishop McDonnell and Fr. Geoff, Thank You to all for your kindnesses and generosity during this Christmas Season. Happy New Year!