Seasonal festivals open hearts and renew faith

The pastoral staff of Good Shepherd Parish in Berlin and Holy Family Parish in Gorham attended the workshop last spring with Bill Heubsch on “Whole Community Catechesis.” Inspired and challenged from what they had learned the pastoral staff planned with the help of catechists and parishioners their first Advent Festival. Expecting up to 150 parishioners to participate they were surprised by the turn out – closer to 400 parishioners gathered together to share in prayer, a meal, and prepare for the celebration of Christmas.

Get the Details:

• Read the Advent & Lenten Festival highlights
• Read what participants had to say

“The response to our Whole Community Festivals was outstanding. Almost 400 people attended. This intergenerational approach helps to strengthen the role of parents in the formation of their children. We hope to develop this process and hope it will be a tool to bring about a new evangelization to our parish communities.”

~ Father Richard A. Roberge, Pastor
Good Shepherd Parish, Berlin
Holy Family Parish, Gorham

Related Links:

• Hear first hand from staff who participated in the Bill Heubsch workshop last year: attend the workshop, Revisiting Life Long Faith Formation Plans with Bill Heubsch on June 13, 2008
• Read More about Life Long Faith Formation
• Visit Bill Huebsch’s website: www.pastoralplanning.com
• Visit John Roberto’s website: www.lifelongfaith.com
• Visit Center for Ministry Development website: www.cmd.com

How did you hear the good news today?

Television, radio, newspapers, magazines, the Internet—all are places people go to get news and entertainment. But what do we get, exactly, when we turn on “the tube” or log on to the Internet? Good News? Not usually?

As a result of your support of the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC), Catholics and all media consumers have increased opportunities to find Gospel-grounded messages and resources to strengthen their families and their faith.

Not only does the CCC make Parable, eNews and a vibrant website possible in our diocese, but it enables us to bring you top quality programs and features from across the country. The highly popular Lenten Radio Retreat, Picturing Mary, For Your Marriage and Personally Speaking are just a few examples of what CCC delivers to our Church in New Hampshire.

Bishop McCormack asks Catholics to contribute generously to CCC. Over half of all donations received will remain in our diocese to fund local Catholic communication efforts.

Related Links
Get more details on the Catholic Communication Campaign in New Hampshire
Download a bulletin announcement to spread the word in your parish (Word document)

Bishop McCormack Calls for Support for People of Myanmar

Reminding Catholics that the Church is universal and that when one person is in need, all are in need, Bishop John B. McCormack has asked pastors and Catholic school principals in the parishes and schools of the Diocese of Manchester to take up a free will collection to support cyclone relief efforts by Catholic Relief Services in Myanmar.

The collection will be held in parishes on the weekend of May 24 and 25 or May 31 and June 1. The total raised will be sent to Catholic Relief Services for assistance to the people of Myanmar. CRS is the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community. Its goal is to alleviate suffering and provide assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. [Read More]

Related Link:
Promote this in your parishes: download bulletin announcement (Word)

Mary, Mother of God

During the early spring, nature is crowned with the beauty and assortment of many and varied hued blossoms and flowers. Our eyes are pleased and our spirits are lifted. I’m sure that these are some of the reasons that during May we enjoy the tradition of crowning Our Blessed Mother with flowers. We want to honor her holiness and her powerful intercession.

Read the full message from Bishop McCormack

Pentecost

Pentecost is the grand finale to the extended celebration of the Lord’s resurrection that has taken place during the seven weeks of Easter. It is the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit into the church and into our individual lives. We celebrate Pentecost as a single event, but we really should view it as an on-going event. The Spirit has come, is coming, and will come. As baptized people, we know the Spirit lives within each one of us, yet we have a desire to deepen our awareness and understanding of what this really means. On Pentecost, we pray with the disciples gathered in Jerusalem—Come, Holy Spirit. Come.

Read more about Pentecost

The Servant of the Lord - Encountering Christ in Prison

If you were to describe the role of Deacon Jim P. Daly in one word, it would be “service.” Through his work as chaplain at the State Prison and as a deacon at Immaculate Conception Parish in Nashua, he epitomizes the very definition of deacon.

Read the article, "The Servant of the Lord."

Picturing Mary

This video feature Picturing Mary, is a trailer from a stunning high-definition documentary that explores how artistic images of the Blessed Virgin have reflected a variety of traditions, devotional practices and cultures across the globe. Production of the program was made possible through your contributions to the annual Catholic Communication Campaign appeal.

View the trailer for "Picturing Mary"

2008 NH Catholic Directory

The 2008 edition of the NH Catholic Directory is now available. The new edition contains up-to-date parish information, priest assignments, and other useful data.

Please place an order by downloading an order form and mailing your order to the Communication Office. We ask that all orders are prepaid by check or credit card.

For more information contact Melanie English, 603-669-3100, Ext. 166 or menglish@rcbm.org.

Download an order form

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