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Welcome to Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish!
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Our Lady of Good Counsel is a vibrant and diverse Roman Catholic community serving the West Boylston, Massachusetts area. In the name of Christ, we welcome all who gather with us in worship and prayer. Though imperfect, we strive to be a community of open hearts, enlivened by the gospel, growing in faith, hope, and love. Whether you are a visitor, traveler, new to the parish, or in search of a spiritual home, you are most welcome here. Your presence is a blessing to us.
If you should have a question or seek more information about the parish, please feel free to introduce yourself to Fr. Steven, Deacon "Mick", Deacon Scott or another member of the pastoral staff after Mass. You may also contact Rachel Crouse, our parish Office Administrator, at 508.835.3606. She will be happy to assist you.
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August 1, 2021 - 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time
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We Join In Prayer
+We join our hearts in prayer for a greater respect for human life and for the dignity of every human being,
+ We pray for respectful dialogue and healing between diverse communities.
+ We pray for an end to the violence and shootings plaguing our nation.
+ We pray for all whose lives are overwhelmed by floods, wildfires and droughts
+ We pray for all those who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
+ We pray for the safety and well-being of all who are traveling and vacationing.
+ We pray during this month traditionally dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we pray that our hearts be attuned to the words of Christ.
+ Pope Francis’ personal prayer intention for the month of August: That the church will receive from the Holy Spirit the grace and strength to reform itself in the light of the gospel.
+ We pray for all who are sick or recovering from injury, illness or surgery, especially, retired Deacon John Barton and Father Thirburse Millott.
+ We pray for our departed brothers and sisters. We pray especially for those who die unloved and unremembered. May they find peace with God on the company of the saints.
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Our Sharing in Holy Communion
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Our gospel readings for the next few weeks, taken from the Gospel of John, focus on the gift of the Holy Eucharist. It is an appropriate occasion to reflect upon the gestures and practices that surround our sharing in Holy Communion.
We prepare for Holy Communion through prayer and fasting from food for one hour prior to receiving Communion. Prayer helps us to focus on the Divine Gift that we are about to receive. Of course, the ideal way to prepare is through our active participation in the Mass we are celebrating. Fasting from “ordinary” food reminds us that we are about to receive “extraordinary” food for our souls. Human beings require more than full stomachs for the journey of life. Christian discipleship demands that we allow Christ to feed us with “bread from heaven” which nourishes differently than earthly food.
Sharing in Holy Communion requires that we seek to live in love with God and with our neighbor according to the commands of Christ. Anyone conscious of a grave sin against God or their neighbor should receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before coming to Communion. This is rooted in Sacred Scripture where the Apostle Paul writes, “Whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the Body and Blood of the Lord. Let a person examine themselves and so eat the bread and drink the cup (I Corinthians 11:27-29). We are all imperfect human beings. Nobody is sinless. The Eucharist is not a reward for perfection, but rather, medicine amidst our struggles. Nonetheless our reception of Communion requires that we take our living of our faith very seriously. The privilege of partaking Eucharist demands an on-going, honest reflection upon the quality of our love in living the gospel of Christ. Holiness is rooted in honesty with ourselves, relying on God who calls us grow in grace. Hence, avoiding judgment of one another as brothers and sisters in Christ, we should pray for one another as we approach the table of the Eucharist.
More reflections on our Eucharistic practices will follow in the weeks to come.
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Ministry Opportunities
Lector & Altar Servers
At this time, we are preparing some adult parishioners for the ministries of Lector and Altar Server. If you feel that you might be called to one of these ministries of service at the celebration of weekday or Sunday Mass, please speak with Father Steven, Deacon Mick or Deacon Scott. We are happy to prepare you for either of these ministries. We look forward to resuming the participation and training of adults and children in ministries at the altar during the fall.
Religious Education Volunteers
We have a significant need for volunteer religious education teachers for the upcoming year. If you are interested in learning more about the commitment and getting involved, please contact Kevin O'Connell at k.oconnell@goodcounselma.com.
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Catholic Charities Annual School Supply Drive
Reminder: Final week for donations to the Catholic Charities School Supply Drive.
OLGC will be conducting our annual School Supply Drive for Catholic Charities. Your generous donations are needed to support the Cahtolic Charities Emergency Stabilization Services. There will be a box in the side entrance of the church to offer donations.
The following are needed:BACKPACKS HIGHLIGHTERS
3-RING BINDERS MARKERS (FINE/BOLD)
CALCULATORS (SCIENTIFIC) NOTEBOOKS (1-3 SUB)
COLORED PENCILS PENCILS
CRAYONS PENCIL CASES
DIVIDERS PENCIL SHARPENERS
ERASERS PENS
FILLER PAPER RULERS (12 INCH)
FOLDERS SCISSORS
GLUE AND GLUE STICKS
Supplies will be picked up the week of August 9, 2021.
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Summer Parish Office Hours
Please note that effective Tuesday, July 6th, parish office hours will be as follows for the months of July and August:
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays:
9:00 am - 12 noon
Tuesdays and Thursdays:
3:30 pm - 6:30 pm
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Covid Restrictons for Mass Lifted
With the lifting of most pandemic restrictions last week, Bishop McManus announced the restoration of the obligation to take part in Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, effective Sunday, June 6, 2021. The letter from the Bishop may be viewed by clicking here.
Bishop McManus has also modified those adaptions of liturgical practices which we have been observing for the past year in mitigation of the virus.
Effective Saturday, May 29th, masks and social distancing are no longer required of parishioners. However, per CDC guidelines, non-vaccinated persons are still encouraged to wear masks and maintain social distancing. A section of the pews in church will continue to be set aside for those persons who wish to maintain social distancing. (These will be on the right side of the church, towards the front, “roped off” as they have been for the past months.)
A greater amount of singing may now be restored to the liturgy, although choirs will not return until the end of summer.Processions have also been restored. The distribution of Holy Communion will return to its pre-Covid form, although the distribution of the Precious Blood will be restored in the fall. The Sign of Peace will not be restored until the fall.
We have resumed the use of the Reconciliation Chapel for the Sacrament of Penance effective Saturday, June 5th. The limitations of the size of parish gatherings in non-liturgical spaces has also been lifted.
All this will take some time to get used to. Please be assured that we will continue to monitor the number of cases as we proceed to a “new normal.” We thank all those here and throughout the diocese who have kept our parishes such “safe” places throughout this challenging time. We pray that the success we have so far enjoyed in quelling the pandemic may continue throughout the summer and the months to come.
Father Steven LaBaire
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Liturgical Schedule At Our Lady Of Good Counsel
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Mass Times
- Saturday: 4:30 PM EnglishEnglishEN
- Sunday: 8:30 AM EnglishEnglishEN 10:30 AM EnglishEnglishEN
- MonThu 9:00 AM EnglishEnglishEN
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Holy Day MassesCelebrated on the day: 9 am and 7 pm
When traveling: click catholicmasstime.org or call 1-410-676-6000 for mass time anywhere
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Confession Times
- Saturday: 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM and other times upon request.
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Adoration TimesAdoration is suspended for the summer to resume Wednesday, September 8.
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Rectory Office Hours
Monday 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
Tuesday 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
Thursday 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Friday 9:00 am to 12:00 noon
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
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Today's Readings
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Reading I Nm 13:1-2, 25–14:1, 26a-29a, 34-35Responsorial Psalm 106:6-7ab, 13-14, 21-22, 23Gospel Mt 15: 21-28
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Eucharistic Adoration Suspended for the Months of July and August
Our weekly observance of Eucharistic Adoration on Wednesdays will be suspended for the months of July and August. We are mindful that during these summer months many of our parishioners are away.
Adoration will resume on Wednesday, September 8th.
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Praying the Rosary on Saturdays at 4 pm
A group of parishioners has been praying the rosary in the church on Saturdays at 4 pm. This endeavor has been well received. During these extraordinary times of anxiety and uncertainty, many appreciate the opportunity to pray for peace and reconciliation in our nation, our communities, our families, and our hearts. The rosary also helps transition to a quiet, prayerful environment in church before the start of Mass. All are welcome!
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The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) on Saturdays from 3:30 - 4:15 pm
The Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) is offered every Saturday in our parish church from 3:30 - 4:15 pm.
We will no longer be using the sacristy but will resume using the Reconciliation Chapel off the main entrance lobby which is accessed through the door on the right behind the pews.
For those receiving the sacrament: When the Reconciliation Chapel open, please feel free to enter and close the door so as to assure privacy. If the door is closed, please wait until the door is opened before entering.
Thank you
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Periodic Flocknote Mailings to the Parish
It is important that the entire parish stay connected and informed during these challenging times. In an effort to regularly communicate by email with as many OLGC parishioners as possible, Fr. Steven is sending periodic emails with parish information through Flocknote, an email service used by many local parishes and the Worcester Diocese. The emails will display "OLGC All Parish" in the From field in the email heading.
If you have not received these emails, it may be because we do not have your most current email address. If you would like to receive these OLGC All Parish emails, please be sure to send your name and email to Terri King in the parish office at t.king@goodcounselma.com. The addresses will be added to the parish email list, and will not be used for any other purpose.
Alternatively, you will find a Flocknote Signup Form below. Please feel free to signup there and check off All Parish as the group you would like to join.
Thank you!
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We offer this reminder regarding weather and weekday Masses:
In the event of severe weather, the cancelation of daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration will be announced by means of Facebook and Flocknote emails. We will also need to rely on our parishioners to “spread the word” to those who are not connected by the internet.
Please share this information with others. Thank you!
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Catholic News Service
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VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Difficulties and crises within the Catholic Church are not signs of...
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BEIRUT (CNS) — The pilgrimage of the icon of the Holy Family of Divine Will...
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Word on Fire
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Around the Diocese
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Friday, August 6, 6:30 PMPack 37 Cub Scouts, chartered through Christ the King Church Worcester meets every Friday 6:30pm.Read More
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Friday, August 13, 6:30 PMPack 37 Cub Scouts, chartered through Christ the King Church Worcester meets every Friday 6:30pm.Read More
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Friday, August 20, 6:30 PMPack 37 Cub Scouts, chartered through Christ the King Church Worcester meets every Friday 6:30pm.Read More
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