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This Weekend: Special Collection for Venezuela Earthquake Relief

At the request of Bishop da Cunha and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, our parish will take up a second collection this weekend, July 18–19, to assist those affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela. Thousands have lost their lives, and many more have been left without homes, clean water, medical care, and other basic necessities.

Please prayerfully consider making a donation to support the Church's humanitarian relief efforts for those suffering from this tragedy. Thank you for your generosity and for keeping the people of Venezuela in your prayers.

Article from NCR

From Bishop da Cunha

A Wonderful Day with Our Youth Sacristans

We had a wonderful day yesterday celebrating our annual Youth Sacristan Day! It was a chance both to thank our current sacristans for their faithful service throughout the year and to welcome three new young ladies who have begun their training.

Our day included visits to St. Pius V Church and St. Dominic's Chapel at Providence College in Providence, where we enjoyed learning more about these beautiful churches. After lunch, the girls worked together to conquer an escape room before finishing the day with ice cream at the Ice Cream Cottage in Fairhaven.

A special word of thanks to parishioners Phil and Colleen Martin, owners of the Ice Cream Cottage, for generously treating the girls to ice cream. Thank you as well to all of the parents who make this ministry possible through their encouragement and support. Most of all, thank you to our youth sacristans for their generous and faithful service to our parish.

Save the Date: Men's Meat & Greet - Sept. 13

Men of the parish, be sure to save the date for Sunday, September 13, for the 4th Annual Meat & Greet, sponsored by our parish’s Men of St. Joseph and coordinated by our own parishioner and head of the MOSJ, Jay Hamel.

Once again, this diocesan-wide event will take place at St. John Neumann Parish in East Freetown and promises to be an outstanding afternoon of fellowship, great food, friendly competition, and faith. If you've never attended before, this is much more than a cookout! The afternoon features all kinds of entertaining competitions and demonstrations, from pumpkin launching and a giant catapult to a potato cannon, tractor pull, and more. There will also be an inspiring spiritual talk given this year by Fr. Chris Peschel, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in New Bedford, whom many of you will remember from our parish Lenten Mission a few years ago.

Tickets are $25.00 and are available online. This year, we are asking everyone to purchase tickets in advance so that we can better plan for food and seating. By receiving payment ahead of time, the organizers hope to expand the menu and make this year's Meat & Greet the best one yet! Please purchase your tickets as soon as possible at the link below. We'd love to see an even stronger showing from St. Francis Xavier!

Buy Tickets

A special word of thanks to Jay Hamel for the tremendous amount of time, energy, and love he pours into organizing this event each year. His dedication has made the Meat & Greet one of the premier Catholic men's gatherings in our diocese.

Want to help? Jay Hamel is looking for additional volunteers to help plan and organize this year's Meat & Greet. Now that the event is being hosted entirely by our parish's Men of St. Joseph, extra hands are especially appreciated. If you'd be interested in helping behind the scenes, there will be a planning meeting tomorrow Saturday, July 18, at 7:00 a.m. Please contact Jay Hamel at jayhamel8@yahoo.com if you'd like to get involved or learn more.

Watch Jay Hamel's fun promotional video below to get a preview of what the Meat & Greet is all about!

School Field Project Update

Preparations continue for the installation of our new school field! This week, the erosion-control barrier was installed, and the field was staked in preparation for construction. We look forward to sharing more photos and updates as work progresses over the coming weeks.

A Beautiful Conversation with Peter Kreeft

A few days ago, Matt Fradd released a moving interview with renowned Catholic philosopher and author Peter Kreeft following the passing of his beloved wife, Maria Antoinette Kreeft, in May after 63 years of marriage. Dr. Kreeft, who lives here in Massachusetts, has long been one of my favorite Catholic authors. I had the privilege of taking a couple of his classes at BC while I was in seminary. Some of you may remember Dr. Kreeft's visit to St. Francis Xavier several years ago, when Monsignor O'Connor invited him to speak to the Confirmation students.

The interview is a little longer, but it is well worth watching. I especially recommend it to anyone who has experienced the loss of a spouse or who would like to hear a beautiful reflection on love, marriage, grief, and Christian hope.