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Welcome to St. Joseph the Worker Shrine
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Written by Rev. Lucien A. Sawyer, O.M.I.
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Thursday, 15 May 2008 13:07 |
SantuaireSaint Joseph OuvrierSaint Eugene de Mazenod OMI, when he was a young priest, ministered to the workers at the port of Marseilles, on the Mediterranean. He realized that the local clergymen were not meeting the religious needs of the dock workers and their families. A language barrier was one of the obstacles. The few priests available up to that time insisted on preaching in classical French, oblivious of the fact that the majority of the working class communicated in "provençal", a form of patois or low class speech. Eugene was born in Provence and he knew the language. His decision to preach to the people in their own language, combined with his natural eloquence, opened the door to a very successful ministry.
He gathered a group of collaborators who eventually became the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. With time his message reached way beyond France. One young seminarian from Côte-Saint-André, named André Garin, entered the society during Saint Eugene's lifetime. At the end of his studies, André was sent as a missionary to Canada. In 1868 Father André Garin OMI, came to Lowell to preach a mission for the hundreds of working persons who had now come here from Canada. The local diocesan priest, Father O’Brien, could only minister in English. This was a barrier for the many Canadians who were busy keeping the thousands of bobbins turning in the area mills. A true disciple of Saint Eugene, Father Garin preached to the working people, not in "Provençal", but in French as it was spoken in Canada.
During that first mission, enough money was raised by the donations of the working people to meet the down payment for an abandoned church structure at 37 Lee Street. This was the first parish established in Lowell to serve the spiritual needs of the French-speaking immigrants. Saint Joseph was selected as the patron. In 1956, the downtown church, with its rich tradition, was dedicated as a shrine in honor of Saint Joseph the Worker.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 16 May 2008 19:13 )
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 15 May 2008 19:29 |
Welcome to Our Gift Shop!Welcome to St. Joseph the Worker Shrine's Gift Shop. Our Catholic Store is the largest religious items gift shop north of Boston, Massachusetts, offering a large selection of religious articles and jewelry, baptism and christening, First Communion, wedding, anniversary, and memorial gifts, religious education resources and student gifts, as well as greeting cards, books and bibles.
Our wish at St. Joseph the Worker Shrine Gift Shop is to provide our guests with the highest quality religious items and books. Please note:
- This Catholic Store is non-profit. All proceeds support the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
- Special orders are always welcome, please email us with any requests or inquiries.
- Due to the fluctuating Sterling Silver and Gold Market, prices on these items are subject to change.
- As always, we thank you for your continued support and patronage.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 15 May 2008 17:05 )
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Copyright © 2008 St. Joseph the Worker Shrine. All Rights Reserved.
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