St. Joseph the Worker Shrine

Welcome

St. Joseph the Worker Shrine

We who minister at the Shrine are committed to work collaboratively with one another and with you. Our aim is to provide a place of prayer, conscious reflection, and social action that is hospitable to and calls forth the gifts of all who come to the Shrine. We do this in the spirit of Jesus Christ and of Saint Eugene de Mazenod, founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

Our mission is based on Matthew 11:28:

Come to me all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.”

St. Joseph the Worker Shrine

Mass Times

Daily Mass

Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 12 noon - 5:30 pm

Weekend Mass

Saturday
8:00 am - 12 noon - 4:00 pm
Sunday
8:00 am - 10:00 am - 12 noon

Holiday periods may affect these times
Confession Schedule at end of page

Weekly Bulletins

Legion of Mary
at the Shrine

Meetings are held in the downstairs Conference Hall each week after the Sunday 12:00 noon Mass.

The Legion of Mary is a Marian movement founded in Ireland in the 1920’s. It is currently the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church.

Pure in Heart

Pure in Heart (young adults ages 18-35) meets at 7pm in the Shrine Conference Room on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month. The next session will be October 10. Learn more.

  • 5:30 - Mass at the Shrine
  • 6:15 - Social
  • 7:00 - Meeting

 

Next Weekend

Eucharistic Adoration     

First Friday from 12:45 PM until  5:15 PM, and on every Saturday from 12:45 PM until 3:45 PM. 

Anointing of the Sick     

The Sacramental Anointing of the Sick will be offered next Saturday, October 7, at all three Masses: at 8 am, 12 noon and 4 pm.

Christian Worker Recognition Award 2023

We are pleased to announce the recipients of St. Joseph the Worker Shrine’s 2023 Christian Worker Recognition Award:
 
Dr. Rebecca Duda
whose award was presented Saturday, September 9th, at the 4 PM Mass

Thomas Santosuosso, Jr.
whose award will be presented on Saturday, October 7th, at the 4 PM Mass

A Gathering of Angels
A new Shrine event to honor
our Guardian Angels

September 29 – October 5, 2023

Friday, Sept. 29 - display setup after Noon Mass
Sept 30 - to Oct 5 - Angels on display around Tabernacle
Monday, Oct 2 - Mass/Benediction and Blessing of Guardian Angel Icons at 5:30pm Mass
Thursday, Oct 5 - Display dismantled after Noon Mass.

Anyone may loan a personal Angel statue, figurine, icon, image or picture to display. Please attach your name, phone number and/or email to your loaned item. Personal items may be added to or removed from the display at any time between setup and dismantling. After dismantling, all remaining items will be available for pick up at the St. Joseph Statue at the entrance of the Shrine. Learn more

This Week's Message
from Fr. Amesse
October 1, 2023

The first superior I had when I entered the Oblates in August of ’74 was Father John SAVAGE.  Perhaps some of you remember him.  He was a priest at the Immaculate Conception in the 40’s and then in the 80’s.  Father would often leave magazine articles in the “jakes” (bathrooms) for us to read. 

I remember one about a Father who left the priesthood and married.  “What did you think about that?”, Father would ask in passing.  I responded, “Certainly food for thought.”  Another article was about being a saint.  The caption went like this: What do you have to do to be a saint?  The reply was WILL IT!     

Father Savage taught us that God was a loving and merciful Father.  He wanted us new-comers to know Christ not as a merciless dictator.  Jesus calls us His friends.  He wants us to relax and be comfortable around Him.  But, Jesus also wants us to have the gift of fear.    

Our Savior wants us to fear offending Him, even in the smallest of ways.  By fearing to offend Jesus, we can place into full gear the virtue of HOPE we have received at Baptism.  That’s why from time to time, when no one is looking, we can give up sensual pleasure that is not sinful.   

If we can sacrifice that piece of cake, on certain occasions, we muster up strength to master ourselves in being able to say no when emotions cause us to lose control of ourselves.  We can renew our desire to want to be good friends of Jesus Christ.  Do we want to be saints?  WILL IT.

 I remember you at Mass.

When you mourned the death of your young Oblate companions, the Savior showed you
that they were part of the Oblate community in heaven and that through their prayers, they were fully involved in your mission preaching.

St. Eugene, guide us to the Savior in our time of need!

St. Francis of Assisi
October 4

St. Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226) left a life of luxury for a life devoted to Christianity after reportedly hearing the voice of God, who commanded him to rebuild the Christian church and live in poverty. He founded the men's Order of Friars Minor, the women's Order of St. Clare, the Third Order of St. Francis and the Custody of the Holy Land.

Born in 1181 in Italy, St. Francis of Assisi was renowned for drinking and partying as a youth. During a military expedition/battle between Assisi and Perugia, he was captured and imprisoned for ransom. He spent nearly a year in prison and began receiving visions from God. After his release from prison, St. Francis of Assisi claimed to have heard the voice of Christ, who told him to restore the Christian Church and live a life of poverty. As a result, St. Francis of Assisi abandoned his life of luxury and became a devotee of the Catholic faith.

Today, St. Francis of Assisi, known for his deep love of nature and animals, is the patron saint of the environment and animals. Each October, animals are blessed on his feast day.

Downes Parking Garage Ticket Validation

  • Available in the Gift Shop /Bookstore on Monday through Saturday from 9 am - 5 pm.
  • Sunday street parking is always free
  • Those attending the Saturday 4 pm Vigil Mass who park in the Downes Garage can still validate their ticket in the Gift Shop before Mass.

Pope Francis’ October prayer intention is for the Synod

We pray for the Church that she may adopt listening and dialogue as a lifestyle at every level and
allow  herself to be guided  by the Holy Spirit.

Oblate of Mary Immaculate in the Phillipines


The first seven OMI missionaries from the U. S. reached the Philippines on September 25, 1939, to establish a mission in predominantly Muslim and very remote Cotabato and Sulu provinces.  Many of these first Oblates, only a few years after arriving, were prisoners of war under the Japanese occupation and three were killed.  Since that time four Missionary Oblates have suffered martyrdom, including Bishop Benjamin DeJesus of Jolo – victims of the still-existing religious divisions in the territory.

The Oblates, released at the end of the war, returned to their missionary labors.  These first Oblates and new arrivals from the U.S. and Ireland would travel by boat and by land for days to be present to God’s people living on the remote islands and in the surrounding mountains. 

The population today remains Muslim in the great majority.  This led to the establishment by the Oblates of more than 60 secondary schools, including today Notre Dame University in Cotabato. All the schools bear the name “Notre Dame”.  Muslim and Christian youth attend school together, sharing friendship and dreams for a prosperous future.

Today, 85 years later, there are more than 100 Filipino Oblates who serve in the Philippines, the Thai-Lao Delegation in China and beyond.  These include several bishops and Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, Archbishop Emeritus of the city of Cotabato.

First Missionaries from U.S. and those who joined them from Canada and Ireland

St. Joseph
Diligent Protector of Christ

Pray for us!

-Litany of St. Joseph

Ring the Bells of the Shrine

Everyday of the year, the “Bells of St. Joseph” ring-out God’s praise for all to hear!

Our Carillon can play Special Hymns of your choice any day of the year. At your request, our chimes will ring in honor of loved ones for the entire community to hear and prayerfully remember.Your offering of $20.00 will be greatly appreciated and will assist us in maintaining the Shrine and its ministries. Thank You!

Bell-ringing selections may be reserved for specific days & times throughout the year(s) in the Shrine Gift Shop/Bookstore.

St. Eugene de Mazenod’s Prayer to the Sorrowful Mother


 O Lord, Almighty God, you endowed the Blessed Virgin Mary with the fullness of every gift and grace. By allowing her heart to be pierced with the deepest sorrow, you crowned her merit and placed her at the head of countless legions of martyrs who, for love of your Son Jesus Christ, have shed their blood. Through the painful martyrdom endured by this gentle Mother seeing her beloved Son dying as a Victim because of his love for us, grant us the grace to bear with fortitude the disappointments and setbacks in our life, and not to fear torment or death itself, when we are called to confess our faith in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Shrine Memorial Plaques


Since 1868, this holy place - dedicated to the honor of St. Joseph - has been a treasured oasis of prayer and serenity in the heart of the city of Lowell. For generations, many have found great solace and experienced healing and reconciliation for themselves and their families within this holy sanctuary.

In gratitude many have chosen to memorialize their loved ones by inscribing their names on the very walls of this grace-filled place.  To inscribe the names of loved ones on our newly expanded Remembrance Wall, please make arrangements in the Gift Shop/Bookstore – at the same desk where Masses are registered.

Light Up Shrine Candles Online

Click to Light a Candle 
Thank you!

Please choose your donation amount. $5.00 is the standard donation per candle online

 

Archdiocesan COVID protocols lifted
Learn more here

 

Confession and Adoration

Confession

Mon - Friday
10:00 am - noon
4:30 pm - 5:15 pm

Saturday 
10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Eucharistic Adoration

The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for adoration on -

Saturday after the noon Mass until the 4:00 pm Mass, approximately 12:45 pm - 3:45 pm

First Fridays after the noon Mass until the 5:30 pm Mass, approximately 12:45 pm -5:15 pm

Gift Shop, Office and Museum Hours

Business Office Hours:

Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 3:00 pm

Ed Wilk, Office Manager/Bulletin Editor
Jessica Rauseo, Administrative Assistant

Gift Shop & Bookstore

Aurea Torres, Gift Shop Manager

Hours
Monday - Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
First Sunday of each month 8:30 am - 1:30 pm

If for any reason you're still unable to visit the Shrine or Gift Shop and you'd like to book a Mass Intention request please call the Gift Shop Manager at 978-459-9522 x213 or email [email protected]

Oblate Historical Museum

Saturdays 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Sundays 8:30 am -11:30 am