Our prayers are with all of our parish brothers and sisters from Saint Mary's. Please know that all of us at Saint Joseph will do all we can during this time to assist you. Starting with this weekend, Saint Mary's masses will be held at Saint Joseph church at 5:30 P.M. on Saturday and at 11:30 A.M. on Sunday. These will be "Saint Mary's" masses, but of course any and all are welcome at these masses or the regular Saint Joseph masses.
In addition, the reception for the celebration of Monsignor West's 50th anniversary has been moved from the Saint Joseph Church hall following the 10:00 AM mass to the Willimantic Elks Hall.
A Message From Father Larry
A very warm welcome to the home page of Saint Joseph Roman Catholic Parish, Willimantic, Connecticut.
We hope this site is an exciting tool for communication, information and evangelization.
Saint Joseph Parish, which is part of the Diocese of Norwich, is a dynamic, Roman Catholic Faith community. We dedicate ourselves to Jesus Christ and to His continuing mission to teach, heal, reconcile and serve. Empowered by the Word of God, formed and nourished by the Eucharist, and made bold by the Holy Spirit, we strive through prayer, education and service to others, to manifest God's transforming love in the world and to deepen our relationship with God, one another, and the universal Church.
We hope the information you find here will assist you to know and appreciate the wonder and joy of our parish community. Please know that you are always welcome in this family as we celebrate the wonder of God's presence among his people. God Bless you.
THE BEREAVEMENT MINISTRYwill offer some additional services for the parishes within the Corpus Christi Cluster. These services will be helpful to the clergy of the parishes as well as the parishioners. Services will initially be offered by Lorraine B. Gallup, LPC, NCC. Lorraine has extensive training in spirituality and lay ministry. Following are some of the services that Lorraine for the parishes:
- Meeting with families to assist in planning the funeral liturgy and committal services.
- Facilitating a Bereavement Support Group based on The New Day Journal by Sr. Mauryeen O’Brien. It is a 10-week program designed to support people during the “natural process of grieving.
- Facilitating a New Day Alumni Group, which is primarily peer support, would meet on a bi-monthly basis. Less formal, the topic would center on a theme chosen by the group and be more social in nature. An individual could attend for as long as he or she desires.
- Offering short-term bereavement counseling.
Parish volunteers are needed for the Bereavement Committee. Three information and recruitment gatherings are planned for Tuesday, February 26th, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in St. Joseph Church Hall; Thursday, February 28th, from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in St. Joseph Church Hall, and a tentative meeting has been scheduled at Sagrado Corazon Church Hall on Sunday, March 2nd, from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
WOMEN’S ACTS RETREAT
The Corpus Christi Catholic Community is sponsoring a Women’s ACTS Retreat beginning on Thursday, March 21
st at the Immaculata Retreat House in Willimantic and ending on Sunday March 24
th at the 10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Joseph Church.
This faith-filled weekend focuses on Adoration, Community, Theology and Service, and is prepared by local parish women. Please consider this exceptional Lenten experience to help you grow in your understanding of God’s great love for you. Brochures and registration forms are available at the Church entrances. For more information, please contact Donna Cawley at 860-456-2505 or email cawleydl@gmail.com; Lynn Wytas at 860-305-1884 or email lmw0209@comcast.net, or visit our website at www.actsct.org.