Fr. Ryan’s Newsletter (but on a Sunday!)
This past week was a bit crazier than usual. So instead of Friday afternoon, you're getting this little update on a Sunday. Thanks for your patience!
A Historic Week Ahead for the Church
As you’ve likely heard, the conclave to elect our new pope begins this Wednesday. It’s a historic and grace-filled moment for the Church, and by the time we see each other again next weekend, we may have a new Holy Father.
Please keep this in your prayers, that the next pope will be a good and faithful shepherd to guide the Church in these divided times. Here is a call to prayer from the Vatican:
Please keep this in your prayers, that the next pope will be a good and faithful shepherd to guide the Church in these divided times. Here is a call to prayer from the Vatican:
Here is a graphic that shows the steps of the conclave and how the pope is elected:
And here is another graphic with the times here in Massachusetts we might expect white smoke, based on when votes are typically held and announced each day:
If you'd like to spiritually support this process in a personal way, you can "adopt a cardinal" to pray for during the conclave here:
In a quote I recently came across, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI) once spoke about the role of the Holy Spirit in the conclave:
“I would not say … that the Holy Spirit picks out the pope, because there are too many contrary instances of popes the Holy Spirit would obviously not have picked. I would say that the Spirit does not exactly take control of the affair, but rather like a good educator, as it were, leaves us much space, much freedom, without entirely abandoning us. Thus the Spirit’s role should be understood in a much more elastic sense, not that he dictates the candidate for whom one must vote. Probably the only assurance he offers is that the thing cannot be totally ruined.”
And finally, here's a great video from Fr. Mike Schmitz explaining why we have a Pope:
WOG: An Evening with Sr. Therese Maria Toume - This Wednesday
Date: Wednesday May 7th
Time 6:30pm
Location: SFX School Gym
Join the Women of Grace for an evening with Maronite Sister Therese Maria Toume as she speaks to us about Mary's gift of surrender and receptivity. A light meal will be served. A free will donation is appreciated.
To RSVP, text WOG Coordinator Amy Plante @ 508-951-8866
Meat N Greet Recap
Last night was our 3rd Annual Meat N Greet at St. John Neumann and it was a tremendous success! Nearly 100 men from across the Diocese gathered for an evening of food, camaraderie, outdoor competitions, and prayer, organized by our Men of St. Joseph.
The event was originally conceived by parishioner Jay Hamel after hearing about a similar gathering in Connecticut. Jay has poured countless hours into making this year’s event unforgettable and it showed!
The night kicked off with, of course, a meat-filled dinner of burgers, hot dogs, and a 50 pounds of bacon, grilled up by the Knights of Columbus. One of the big hits of the evening was Jay’s Mystery Meat Contest, where teams had to taste and identify unusual meats like ostrich and alligator!
Outdoor activities followed, including potato cannons, giant cornhole, and axe throwing. Thanks be to God, we had perfect weather, despite earlier forecasts of rain.
Then came the fan-favorite: the Tractor Pull. Two teams of men raced to drag a massive John Deere across the finish line. I’m proud to report that the blue team (my team!) claimed victory over the red team.
After the games, Jay gave a powerful witness talk about his own life and conversion. Married at 18 to his wife Michelle, Jay spoke movingly about the challenges and sufferings their family has endured, the grace that came through embracing those crosses, and how Eucharistic Adoration became his anchor through it all. He even shared his key role in helping to launch Adoration here at SFX back in 2006. Jay encouraged the men to embrace their role as spiritual leaders in their families and reminded us there are no problems that can’t be made better by time spent with the Lord in Adoration.
The evening concluded with Eucharistic Adoration led by some of the deacons, while Fr. Leonard, Fr. Schrader, Fr. Gill, Fr. Connors, and I heard confessions for the men.
Thank you to Jay Hamel, our MOSJ, the Knights, and all who helped make the night a memorable one!
The event was originally conceived by parishioner Jay Hamel after hearing about a similar gathering in Connecticut. Jay has poured countless hours into making this year’s event unforgettable and it showed!
The night kicked off with, of course, a meat-filled dinner of burgers, hot dogs, and a 50 pounds of bacon, grilled up by the Knights of Columbus. One of the big hits of the evening was Jay’s Mystery Meat Contest, where teams had to taste and identify unusual meats like ostrich and alligator!
Outdoor activities followed, including potato cannons, giant cornhole, and axe throwing. Thanks be to God, we had perfect weather, despite earlier forecasts of rain.
Then came the fan-favorite: the Tractor Pull. Two teams of men raced to drag a massive John Deere across the finish line. I’m proud to report that the blue team (my team!) claimed victory over the red team.
After the games, Jay gave a powerful witness talk about his own life and conversion. Married at 18 to his wife Michelle, Jay spoke movingly about the challenges and sufferings their family has endured, the grace that came through embracing those crosses, and how Eucharistic Adoration became his anchor through it all. He even shared his key role in helping to launch Adoration here at SFX back in 2006. Jay encouraged the men to embrace their role as spiritual leaders in their families and reminded us there are no problems that can’t be made better by time spent with the Lord in Adoration.
The evening concluded with Eucharistic Adoration led by some of the deacons, while Fr. Leonard, Fr. Schrader, Fr. Gill, Fr. Connors, and I heard confessions for the men.
Thank you to Jay Hamel, our MOSJ, the Knights, and all who helped make the night a memorable one!
School Benefit Banquet Recap
Friday night was our annual School Benefit Banquet, and what a night it was! This is our largest fundraiser of the year, and it was a tremendous success.
The theme was Fiesta, and once again we were grateful to gather in St. John Neumann’s beautiful parish hall. The Mexican food, catered by On the Go Catering, was outstanding, and dinner began with a surprise visit from a mariachi band that brought the room to life!
The theme was Fiesta, and once again we were grateful to gather in St. John Neumann’s beautiful parish hall. The Mexican food, catered by On the Go Catering, was outstanding, and dinner began with a surprise visit from a mariachi band that brought the room to life!
In my opening remarks, I shared excerpts from a 1918 letter I found earlier this year, written by one of the first pastors of St. Francis Xavier, Fr. Andrew Lariviere, requesting permission to open a school. Some parts of the letter were unintentionally comical (like the proposed tuition of 50 cents per child per year) but his vision was clear:
“We ardently wish to have a parochial school and to start next September, for the immense good resulting from it, and to impart to our children a thoroughly Catholic education in a Catholic atmosphere.”
I followed by saying: "One hundred and seven years later, his dream is still alive. And we are the ones entrusted to carry it forward. Tonight, we’re continuing the legacy Fr. Lariviere and those first parishioners began—with faith, with sacrifice, with generosity."
“We ardently wish to have a parochial school and to start next September, for the immense good resulting from it, and to impart to our children a thoroughly Catholic education in a Catholic atmosphere.”
I followed by saying: "One hundred and seven years later, his dream is still alive. And we are the ones entrusted to carry it forward. Tonight, we’re continuing the legacy Fr. Lariviere and those first parishioners began—with faith, with sacrifice, with generosity."
Click here to read the rest of Fr. Lariviere's letter.
One of the highlights of the evening was our auctioneer, Mike Murray. He kept the crowd laughing. (Though I didn't appreciate one particular joke...) After auctioning off “Dinner with the Pastor” for a generous $900, Mike added, without warning, that if we raised $500 more, I would have to wear a cowboy hat, dance around, and give my best “yeehaw.” 😂 We raised $400 but he still made me do it.
One of the highlights of the evening was our auctioneer, Mike Murray. He kept the crowd laughing. (Though I didn't appreciate one particular joke...) After auctioning off “Dinner with the Pastor” for a generous $900, Mike added, without warning, that if we raised $500 more, I would have to wear a cowboy hat, dance around, and give my best “yeehaw.” 😂 We raised $400 but he still made me do it.
All for the children. Yeehaw.
(Humble request: if you filmed that, please delete it. 😂)
For this year’s Call of the Heart, we focused on school safety, specifically raising $20,000 to replace a set of lobby doors with a keycard access system to secure our academic wing. Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $18,000—and at the close of the appeal, Lisa Costa Lopez announced that the Costa family of Costa Brothers Masonry would cover the remaining costs. What a blessing!
Thank you to all of our sponsors and to everyone who attended and supported the evening. A special thanks to our school staff: Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Shaughnessy, Mrs. Reis, as well as our incredible SEC mothers, especially Michelle Teixeira, Lisa Lopez, and Becky Carvalho, who led the charge and made it all happen.
If you weren’t able to attend but would still like to support our school, you can donate below and select SFX School Support:
(Humble request: if you filmed that, please delete it. 😂)
For this year’s Call of the Heart, we focused on school safety, specifically raising $20,000 to replace a set of lobby doors with a keycard access system to secure our academic wing. Thanks to your generosity, we raised over $18,000—and at the close of the appeal, Lisa Costa Lopez announced that the Costa family of Costa Brothers Masonry would cover the remaining costs. What a blessing!
Thank you to all of our sponsors and to everyone who attended and supported the evening. A special thanks to our school staff: Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. Shaughnessy, Mrs. Reis, as well as our incredible SEC mothers, especially Michelle Teixeira, Lisa Lopez, and Becky Carvalho, who led the charge and made it all happen.
If you weren’t able to attend but would still like to support our school, you can donate below and select SFX School Support:
2025 Catholic Appeal
May 1 - June 30
This weekend, we launched the 2025 Catholic Appeal at our parish, and we watched the Appeal videos at Mass in place of the homily.
Did you notice the special cameo? One of our own, Michelle Hamel, appears in the video about the Eucharistic Encounter! Great job, Michelle, for representing our parish so well!
In 2024, our parish contributed almost $40,000 to the Catholic Appeal. Thank you in advance for your generous support of this appeal, which funds so many vital ministries across the Diocese of Fall River.
Did you notice the special cameo? One of our own, Michelle Hamel, appears in the video about the Eucharistic Encounter! Great job, Michelle, for representing our parish so well!
In 2024, our parish contributed almost $40,000 to the Catholic Appeal. Thank you in advance for your generous support of this appeal, which funds so many vital ministries across the Diocese of Fall River.
“Hope Lights the Way” - The 84th Annual Catholic Appeal began May 1. Since 1942, the Appeal has helped people in all phases of life – from children, to youth, to parents, to the elderly. Gifts to the Catholic Appeal sustain the work of our Diocese, including numerous agencies, programs, and ministries providing food and shelter, educating children and adults, and meeting the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of thousands. We encourage you to support the Appeal as generously as you can. You can make a one-time gift or a pledge with convenient payments throughout the year. You can give by mail, use a contribution card located in church, or make your gift or pledge online at the link below.
God Bless our First Communicants!
This afternoon at 2:00pm, 31 boys and girls from our parish received Jesus in Holy Communion for the very first time. May God bless each of them as they continue to grow in love for the Lord present in the Eucharist!
In my homily, I shared with the children the story of Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen and the young Chinese girl martyr whose love for the Eucharist inspired him to make a Holy Hour every single day for the rest of his life. Click here to read the story.
A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who helped prepare the children for this special day: Phil Martin (our DRE), Michael Correia (their catechist), Madison Viera, Haley Rogers and Anabela Shaughnessy (our school administrators), Jennifer Larkin (SFX Grade 2 teacher), and Lori Gomes. Your dedication and support made today possible!
In my homily, I shared with the children the story of Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen and the young Chinese girl martyr whose love for the Eucharist inspired him to make a Holy Hour every single day for the rest of his life. Click here to read the story.
A heartfelt thank-you to everyone who helped prepare the children for this special day: Phil Martin (our DRE), Michael Correia (their catechist), Madison Viera, Haley Rogers and Anabela Shaughnessy (our school administrators), Jennifer Larkin (SFX Grade 2 teacher), and Lori Gomes. Your dedication and support made today possible!
May is Dedicated to Our Lady
Image: Adoration by Giuseppe Magni (1898)
As you heard at Mass, we began the month of May this weekend by singing hymns to Our Lady in honor of her special month. Throughout May, we turn our hearts in a particular way to Mary, our Mother.
Click the links below to learn more about May devotions and how you can celebrate this beautiful tradition at home:
Click the links below to learn more about May devotions and how you can celebrate this beautiful tradition at home:
In your kindness, please pray for the repose of the souls of the following individuals:
Jean Pelletier, a lifelong resident of Acushnet and proud Navy veteran, a devout parishioner and member of the Men of the Sacred Heart, passed away peacefully on April 29 at the age of 83, surrounded by the love of his family. His funeral will be here at SFX this Friday, May 9, at 10:00am. Click here for his obituary.
On the Bulletin Cover this weekend...
Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjanovich (March 26, 1901 – May 8, 1927)
Feast day: May 8th
Beatified in 2014
A New Jersey native and Sister of Charity, exemplified profound holiness through her spiritual writings and was beatified after a miraculous healing was attributed to her intercession.
Feast day: May 8th
Beatified in 2014
A New Jersey native and Sister of Charity, exemplified profound holiness through her spiritual writings and was beatified after a miraculous healing was attributed to her intercession.
Looking for deeper insight into this weekend’s readings? Check out this reflection from my favorite biblical scholar, Dr. John Bergsma
Parish Reading of 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory
We will begin a parish-wide reading and consecration on Wednesday, May 21, which is 33 days before the Feast of Corpus Christi on June 22. More details coming soon—but in the meantime, get your book ready and spread the word!
Fundraiser for St. Anthony's Historic Organ
For anyone who grew up at St. Anthony's or holds a special place in their heart for that incredible church, there's an opportunity to give back. The 113-year-old pipe organ at St. Anthony's in New Bedford is in need of repairs, and a fundraiser has been initiated to restore it.
Local Rosary Gatherings
Mass Times
Sunday: 8:00 AM | 10:30 AM
Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
Monday–Saturday: 9:00 AM
Sunday: 8:00 AM | 10:30 AM
Saturday Vigil: 4:00 PM
Monday–Saturday: 9:00 AM
First Friday: 9:00 AM | 6:00 PM
Adoration Times
Monday-Friday
6:30am-8:45am, 9:30am-8:30pm
Saturday
6:30am-8:45am, 9:30am-2:45pm
6:30am-8:45am, 9:30am-8:30pm
Saturday
6:30am-8:45am, 9:30am-2:45pm
Confession Times
Monday: 5:30–6:30 PM
Saturday: 9:30–10:00 AM | 3:00–3:45 PM
Monday: 5:30–6:30 PM
Saturday: 9:30–10:00 AM | 3:00–3:45 PM
First Friday: 6:45–7:15 PM
Anytime by Appointment
To add someone to this weekly newsletter, they can either text the word ACUSHNET to 84576 or sign up at sfxparish.flocknote.com.