St. Joseph the Worker Shrine

Lenten Appeal Update

Joyce — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:59:24 +0000

Thanks to all who support the ministries of the St. Joseph Shrine by your faithful weekly contributions. Our annual Lenten Appeal is a way that many go beyond their regular contribution to make an additional once a year offering to help meet the expenses of the Shrine for this I am most grateful. So far, we have received $5,488.00 towards our goal of $20,000.00! We’ll continue this financial appeal during the remaining weeks of Lent. Envelopes are available in the Shrine Lobby. To all those who have taken Lenten Coin folders you may place your folder in the collection or bring it to the Shrine Book Store and Gift Shop. Fr Terrence O’Connell OMI Shrine Director.

Lenten Evening Confession

Joyce — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:11:16 +0000

On all Wednesdays in Lent from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM, we will be offering an extra evening confession here at St. Joseph the Worker Shrine. (This is in addition to our regular confession schedule.) This outreach is called “The Light is On For You,” and is an effort to highlight the importance of the sacrament of confession in the life of Catholics and to make it as easy as possible for every Catholic to come or to return to this great source of God’s mercy and healing love.

Please make plans to come yourself and please invite others to take advantage of this great opportunity to be reconciled and begin anew your journey of faith this Lent.

Lenten Easter Reflections

Joyce — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:52:05 +0000

It’s time again to sign up for daily Lenten Reflections written by Ron Rolheiser, OMI podcast right to your computer throughout Lent and Easter. This is in progress now and will run through the Octave of Easter.

Just check out Lenten Easter Reflections under our Catholic Links. Once you click onit you will see a banner saying “Lenten Easter Reflections,” then click on “Click here” and sign up for English or Spanish reflections! It’s all free and after you have signed up, you will receive a “reminder” email each day with a link that will take directly to the newest reflection.

Oblate Media and Communication wishes you a Blessed Lent and Easter!

Year of the Priest

Fr. Terry O'Connell, Director — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:39:58 +0000

We remember the priests of the church. We are mindful of the sinful actions of a few priests and grieve for those who were abused by this violation of trust. We must always keep in prayer the victims for their healing and the offenders for their repentance. The majority of priests were and are faithful to their vocation. In this year dedicated to the priest let us remember and honor the priests of our life of faith who have blessed us and our families. You are invited to comment below or email with the name or names of the priests you wish to remember. Only those names accompanied by your testimony of the blessing given to you will be posted along with your remembrance. All submissions will be subject to review before being posted on our web site. If you would like to make a 60 second video to be posted please make arrangements in our gift shop for an appointment.

Padre Pio Prayer Group

admin — Wed, 27 May 2009 15:34:18 +0000

We are sorry to announce that the Padre Pio Prayer Group is canceled until further notice. All changes will be posted here on the web and also in our bulletin. Sorry for the inconvenience. May you be blessed, continue to pray and never lose hope. Amen.

EARTH CHAPEL

Joyce — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:06:07 +0000

Did you know that the Shrine has an earth chapel? What is an earth chapel? The Missionary Oblates are committed to promoting peace and justice and the integrity of creation. TO this end we have established an Earth Chapel on the 4th floor in the Museum. It is open every Wednesday and Saturday from 9am to 4pm and Sunday mornings 7:30am to Noon. Come spend a few minutes in prayer and reflection during this Lenten season and contemplate God’s beautiful world.

Pilgrimages/Tours

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:03:20 +0000

Visitors on pilgrimage are most welcome and they come from various parts of New England and beyond. Catered lunches are available on request. Space in front of the Shrine is reserved for buses. Contact 978-458-6346 or email us for more information.

Shrine Outreach

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:52:47 +0000

Pope John Paul II remind us that shrines are places in which “believers not only revive their faith but also become clearly aware of the duties that derive from it in the social field.” St. Joseph the Worker Shrine has a special fund for the poor, the St. Anthony Fund. Those who worship at the shrine are most generous in contributing to this fund. As a result, the Shrine is fortunate in being able to reach out to many in need. In addition, there are several opportunities for the Shrine staff to assist and cooperate with other organizations in the city that work in various ways for the poor and needy.

The Oblates and the City of Lowell

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:48:52 +0000

As a lasting tribute to Father Andre Garin, OMI, first pastor of St. Joseph Church, the citizens of Lowell on October 22, 1896 dedicated a statue in his memory in front of St. Jean Baptist Church, his last building. Over the years Oblates established and staffed new parishes for the ever-increasing Lowell population and these in turn furnished many priestly and religious vocations to the Oblate Congregation. Oblates have also served as Lowell Police and Fire Department chaplains.

Lowell no longer a mill city has not forgotten its past. Several of the former mills serve as active museums that are maintained be the Lowell National Historical Park. To preserve its past history, St. Joseph Shrine opened The Oblate Historical Museum in 1995. Among collectables from Oblate foreign missionaries the visitor can see a dramatic 5′ by 7′ painting of Lowell by renowned artist Wayne Morrell of Rockport, MA.

Oblates of Mary Immaculate

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:30:48 +0000

The Oblates are a worldwide missionary congregation of priests and brothers founded in France in 1816. We live together in community as brothers and bring the good news of the Gospel to all-but especially the poor. The dictionary defines Oblate as “a religious offering”. Oblates make an offering of their lives by taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

The founder of the Oblates was Father Eugene de Mazenod. As a young priest he ministered to the dock workers of Marseilles. Up to that time priests preached in classical French, oblivious that many of the working class spoke “Provençal,” a dialect of that region of France. Fr. de Mazenod soon realized that language was an obstacle to their spiritual growth. His decision to preach to the people in their own language, combined with his natural eloquence, opened the door to a very successful ministry.

In 1837 Fr. de Mazenod became bishop of Marseilles and governed the Oblates until his death on May 21, 1861. On December 3, 1995, Bishop de Mazenod was made a Saint of the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II.

In the sanctuary of the Shrine church is a life-size statue of the young Father de Mazenod, a work of internationally renowned sculptor Mico Kaufman.