St.

Anthony Shrine
& Ministry Center
100 Arch Street, Boston, MA 02110
Telephone: 617-542-6440 Prayer Request Line: 617-553-4100 The Good Word: 617-542-0502

VISIT US ONLINE AT: www.stanthonyshrine.org

Saturday, December 12th Friday, December 18th

Welcome to our St. Anthony Shrine Community. All are welcome here. No one is excluded. Please take this bulletin
home with you as well as the many brochures in our lobby that advertise the programs and services of the Shrine.
Information is also available on our website: www.stanthonyshrine.org
Thank you for being with us today.

The Third Sunday of Advent

December 13, 2015
Greetings of peace!
On September 1 of this year, Pope Francis announced that priests around the world would be authorized to forgive the
sin of abortion with the start of the "Year of Mercy. Pope Francis' announcement gave all priests full authority to
absolve Catholics contrite about their role in a procedure that the Church considers to be a grave moral evil.
In the United States, many priests, including those at St. Anthony Shrine, already had the authority to absolve that sin.
For the friar-priests at the Shrine, that power has always been delegated to them by the Archbishop of Boston. I bring
up this issue because there seems to be some concern among worshipers here at the Shrine that the absolution that
people had received earlier was not valid, or that the priests in the past had been acting beyond their authority in
absolving this sin.
I have consulted with the Archdiocese of Boston and there is no issue or reason for concern. Priests at Arch Street
have always been given this authority, absolutions in the past were in fact valid, and there is no reason for anyone to
feel the need to repeat the confession.
There have been recent articles in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald about the Winthrop Square development
project. The current condemned garage is a bit of an eyesore, so City officials are understandably interested in
moving the project along. Only one of the eight proposals involves St. Anthony Shrine.
The determination of which one of the eight proposals actually goes forward will be decided by a somewhat deliberate
and certainly complicated process. No decisions have been made yet. In any case, the friars will not be leaving
downtown Boston. Rumors to the contrary are completely unfounded. More details about the process are available
on the Shrines Facebook page.
May this Holy Season of Advent continue to bring you hope and peace as we await the birth of our Savior.

Fr. Thomas Conway, OFM

Executive Director

Loving Mercy: Pope Francis Year of Prayer for Mercy

We invite you to a series of special prayer services here at the Shrine on

Fridays in the 1 st floor church from 12:10pm to 12:25pm.

A 14-week program presented by:

Fr. Eric Carpine, Br. Tony LoGalbo, Br. Chris Coccia, and Br. John Aherne.

Discover the richness of God's mercy through the Corporal and Spiritual works
of mercy. This prayer service is for you, please feel free to attend.

Please see the full schedule b elow and save the dates!

Friday, December 11: ALL
Friday, December 18: Br. Tony
Friday, January 8: Br. Chris
Friday, January 15: Br. John
Friday, January 22: Fr. Eric
Friday, January 29: Br. Tony
Friday, February 5: Br. Chris

No services during
Lent through Easter February
10 March 27, 2016.

Friday, April 1: Br. John

Friday, April 8: Fr. Eric
Friday, April 15: Br. Tony
Friday, April 22: Br. Chris
Friday, April 29: Br. John
Friday, May 6: Fr. Eric
Friday, May 13: Br. Tony

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE 2015

Christmas Eve Vigil Masses: Thursday, December 24

4:00 PM, 4:15 PM (1st Floor Church), 5:30 PM, and 10:00 PM

Christmas Day Masses: Friday, December 25

6:00 AM, 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:15 AM and 12:30 PM

Music Masses with The Arch Street Band.

The Shrine closes at 2:00 PM on Christmas Day.

There are no confessions on Christmas Day.

Come to the Stable

A Meditation on the Christmas Crche
with Br. Tony LoGalbo, OFM

Saturday, December 19th

Time: 11:00 am
Location: 1st Floor Church
CANDLELIGHT SERVICE OF REMEMBRANCE
Never to be Forgotten
This is a service for all who are mourning the loss of a family member or friend as we enter into the Christmas season.
This night we will give birth to new beginnings. As in the days of old we come to the manger of life, as did the infant Jesus.
And the memory of your loved one most definitely brings life to all of us this evening.

Holidays are family times and, when part of the family has been taken away in death, the holidays can only emphasize the profound
void even more so. Death is the greatest equalizer in all humanity. It shows no partiality. And so as a community of believers we
gather on holy ground this evening, we come to share in that pain and bless it with love. We look at those who have gathered and it is
quite obvious to see that there is an abundance of love to go around.
th

nd

We invite you to join us at St. Anthony Shrine on Saturday, December 12 at 6:45 p.m. in the 2
love that draws us together this special evening.

Tonys Travelers
A Visit to LaSalette Shrine!

Sunday, December 13, 2015

9:00am 8:00pm
Price: $50 per person (Bus & Sunday Brunch Included)

For more information please contact Fr. Barry Langley, OFM

at: 617-542-6440 ext. 241

The Weekly Examen

The weekly Examen prayer group continues to meet

EVERY FRIDAY at 6:15 pm, in the second floor classroom.

The Examen
is a 15-minute prayer to help you pause, reflect
and take a deeper look at your day.

For m ore info, please contact Br. John Aherne
at ext 236.

floor church to celebrate the very

The LGBT Spirituality Group will

have its Christmas Season social on
Wednesday, December 16th from
5:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the 2nd Floor
Classroom. All are welcome to join us

for light refreshments as we get to
know one another better and celebrate
the joy & wonder of the season.

Get
a special 20% Shrine discount for the
13th Annual Christmas Celtic Sojourn,
presented by WGBH on Sunday, Dec. 13th at
1:00 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre. Please see
the flier in the lobby for further details.

Communal Penance Services

5:15 p.m. Weekday Mass

The Shrine now has Mass at 5:15pm Monday through

Friday. Please pass the word among your family and
colleagues who m ight be interested.
The Wednesday 5:15pm continues in Spanish as usual.

Saturday, December 12 at 12:00 noon.

Tuesday, December 15 at 12:30 p.m.

Services will take place in the 1st Floor Church.

St. Anthony Shrine & Ministry Center

REGULAR EVENTS

Mass and Confession schedules can be found online at

www.stanthonyshrine.org and on cards in the first floor lobby.

Monday
A.A. 12 Step Meeting/12 Traditions Meeting (closed) 5:45 p.m.

Tuesday
Seniors Craft Group 10:30 a.m.
A.A. Discussion Meeting (Open Meeting) Noon

Wednesday
Remembrance Day for Deceased (3rd Wed.) All Masses
Anointing of the Sick - Mass (2nd Wed.) 11:45 a.m.
Womens Spiritual Refl. Group (2nd & 4th Wed) 12:30 p.m.
Grupo Hispano de Oracion 4:00 p.m.
Mass in Spanish 5:15 p.m.
A.A. Discussion Meeting (Closed Meeting) 5:45 p.m.
Bread on The Common (2nd & 4th Wed.) 5:45 p.m.

Thursday
S.L.A.A Meeting Noon
Rosary Prayer Group 12:30 p.m.
Mens Spirituality Group (2nd and 4th Thurs.*) 5:00 p.m.
*Please note: I n December the Mens Spirituality will meet on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays.

A.A Big Book Meeting 5:45 p.m.

Saturday
Secular Franciscans Formation (2nd Sat.) 10:30 a.m.
Centering Prayer Group (1st & 4th Sat.) Noon
Vietnamese Secular Franciscans (2nd Sat.) 1:00 p.m.
Secular Franciscans Fraternity Meeting (2nd Sat.) 1:00 p.m.

Sunday
Emmaus Ministry Prayer/Discussion (1st Sun.) 11:00 a.m.
Healing Service (2nd Sun.) 1:30 p.m.
Hispanic Secular Franciscans (1st Sun.) 3:00 p.m.

Are you feeling the call to be a

Eucharistic Minister?
Do you feel called by the Spirit to
proclaim the Word of God?

Here at St. Anthony Shrine, after Easter, we expect to

begin training new lay ministers as Lectors or
Eucharistic Ministers. In particular, we have a need for
Eucharistic Ministers at the following Masses: Monday
5:15PM, Saturday 4PM, and Sunday at 6, 7:30 and 9 AM
and 5:30PM. Especially if you could serve at those times,
wed love to hear from you.
Send an email to: Fred Brown at
fbrown@stanthonyshrine.org

Christmas CDs of The Arch Street Band:
Songs of Expectation & Celebration are on
sale now ($15). These make a perfect
stocking stuffer.

Also available: Our Christmas Novena of

Masses cards ($10).

These items can be purchased online or at

the Front Desk or by calling 617-542-6440
x 250. Mass Cards and CDs also can be
mailed to you.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Bible Study: 2nd & 4th Sundays, from 11am 12 noon

in the 2nd floor classroom. Begins on December 13th.

3rd Sunday Social: December 20th from 10:45am -

12:30pm in the 2nd floor classroom. Connect w ith
other young adults over coffee, bagels, and donuts.

Christmas Caroling at Marion Manor Nursing

Home: Sunday, December 20th from 2:30pm
3:30pm. Contact Br. John Aherne, OFM to sign up at:
aherne@stanthonyshrine.org

SENIORS PROGRAM
December Calendar

Second Collection December 12 & 1 3

The 2nd collection on December 12 & 13 will go to support the
Franciscan Food Center.

Emmaus Ministry
Upcoming Spiritual Retreats at St. Anthony Shrine

One-day Retreat
Saturday, February 13

One-hour Brown Bag Retreats (12:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m.)

Tuesday, February 23: How did I go on after this tragedy?
Monday, March 14: Where is my child?

For more information: www.emfgp.org

Wednesdays
10:00 am Mass
10:30 am Light exercise/stretching
11:00 am Activity or Presentation
12:00 Noon Lunch

Dec 16th Christmas Craft Project

Dec 23rd Christmas Carol Sing Along
Dec 30th New Years Traditions & Resolutions

Only a Few Remain Available!

MEMORIAL CANDLES Honor your deceased
Loved One with this wonderful, loving tribute.
Your beautiful white beeswax candle at the
Shrine will burn brightly, steadfastly, and
continuously 24/7 for an entire year. For more
information, see the Front Desk or call Diane at
617-542-8057.