Our Lady of Mount Carmel ChurchOur Lady of Mount Carmel ChurchJanuary 17, 2021January 17, 2021

Saturday, 1-16 9:00 a.m. Donna Motta 4:30 p.m. Bernard MichaudSunday, 1-17 7:30 a.m. Daniel Russo 9:00 a.m. For the people of the parish 10:45 a.m. Mary McGovern

Monday, 1-18 9:00 a.m. Paddy DevlinTuesday, 1-19 9:00 a.m. Patricia HuntWednesday, 1-20 9:00 a.m. Flavia KelleyThursday, 1-21 6:30 p.m. Mary Elizabeth McCloskeyFriday, 1-22 9:00 a.m. Jorge Rijo

Saturday, 1-23 9:00 a.m. Janet Messier 4:30 p.m. Barbara KelleherSunday, 1-24 7:30 a.m. Norman Lajoie 9:00 a.m. Henry Hayward 10:45 a.m. For the people of the parish

All Masses are livestreamed. Watch on the parish website, olmcseekonk.org,

or Facebook page, @OLMCSeekonkMA

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH SEEKONK, MASS.

Your donations are more important than ever.

Please visit our website, www.olmcseekonk.org,

and select “Online Giving.”

Parish office hoursThe Parish Office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Fri-day from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you need to drop off anything or to pick up paperwork outside regular hours, items can be placed in the drop box installed outside the parish office, or mailed to you. The phone number is 508-336-5549.

Use our online giving systemOur online donation and payment system works directly through our eCatholic website and provides a safe, simple, and convenient way for parishioners to tithe or contribute gifts for a specific need. This helps eliminate the need to locate check-books, remember weekly envelopes, or mail in funds. Espe-cially during this difficult time when many are not in church weekly, parishioners can give directly on the parish website or set up a recurring account to give automatically. As you know, everything we do as a parish, from the upkeep of the church and Parish Center to the ministries we offer, comes from the generosity of parishioners. So, thank you! To use the system, visit www.olmcseekonk.org and select “Online Giving.”

If you can help financially but do not wish to give online, you may drop your donation in the black mailbox outside the parish office, or mail it to: Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, 984 Taunton Ave., PO Box 519, Seekonk, MA 02771. Dona-tions also are collected during Masses on Saturday and Sun-day. Every little bit helps, so thank you.

Report for January 10, 2020Weekly offering: $8,735

Mass intentions being acceptedThe parish office is taking Mass intentions for Masses throu-gh June 30. There is a limit on the number so everyone will have an opportunity. Come by the office during office hours or call the parish secretary, 508-336-5549. The offering for each Mass is $10. A Mass for a person who is living will be listed as a “Special Intention” but any Masses for deceased loved ones or a general intention (such as For Vocations”) will be listed as such. Please make sure you spell out the na-mes of those you wish the Mass to be offered for so it will be accurately recorded.

Bulletin access: Sign up to receive the bulletin by email at parishesonline.com. Read the bulletin online on Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s website, www.olmcseekonk.org. Email notices to vickianndowning@yahoo.com.

Sign up for Formed: Take advantage of the resources on Formed.org by visiting olmcseekonk.formed.org and regis-tering. You may also download the Formed app to any de-vice.

Tax Statements for 2020A statement of your 2020 donations to Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been mailed and should be received within the next week or two. Please note: If your donations made for the year 2020 were $24 or less, you will not receive a statement. You can, however, call the office or send an email to kelleyolmc@gmail.com to request your statement ,and we will be happy to provide it to you.

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIMEPastor’s PageRecently I did a discussion on vaccina-tions on one of the parish T.n.T. sessions on Our Lady of Mount Carmel Face-book. (There are many issues at stake, which I tried to touch on with the T.n.T. from Jan. 5. I recommend you view that, though even that session does not cover everything). Some basic points regard-ing the new vaccinations: there are two that are approved and a third is pre-sumed to be eventually approved by the FDA (AstraZeneca). Also, Johnson and Johnson is producing one that is expect-ed to be presented for approval.

In general, vaccinations are considered to be good, morally permissible, and have helped to make advancements in the general well-being of society (for example, the vaccination for polio). But there are different concerns with the vaccinations in general. One crucial eth-ical question is that some of the phar-maceutical companies used a fetal cell line in the production and testing. What that means is that in the 1960s (another report I read said it occurred in 1972), scientists studied two aborted babies and extracted from them a cell line, and then mass reproduced that cell line to use in different experiments. There is a great evil there of experimenting on a child who was murdered through abortion and seeking to advance work in science based on an evil. That cell line should never be used, no matter what possible good can come from it. There is the further concern of some laboratories not only using that fetal cell line, but studying other aborted children’s parts, as was discovered when Planned Par-enthood was found in California selling them to laboratories.

One of the vaccinations (one by Astra-Zeneca and apparently one by Johnson and Johnson that is being produced) was developed with the use of that fetal cell line (called HEK293) and is there-fore not morally permissible to receive because of its formal cooperation with the evil of a child being aborted. The two that are morally acceptable vac-cinations for COVID-19 are by Pfizer

and Moderna (we should not accept the vaccine created by AstraZeneca and the one by Johnson and Johnson).

Pfizer and Moderna claim they did not use any fetal cell line in the produc-tion of their vaccinations, but they do acknowledge they used the fetal cell line in testing their product (which is a co-operation in an evil by those testing the product). But if you receive the vaccina-tion from them, your cooperation in any evil is remote, and therefore you would not be guilty of any sin (which is why it is morally OK for you to receive those particular vaccinations). There are some scientists that claim Moderna did use the fetal cell line in their production of their vaccination. I have inquired about that with the National Catholic Bioeth-ics Committee, but have not heard back yet regarding that particular claim.

Along with the ethical question, there are just practical questions. How safe is the vaccine (usually vaccinations have tens of thousands of tests done before approval and production, but with such a need, were some of these rushed through?). Obviously if you are a person who is allergic to certain ingredients, you need to know the ingredients in the vaccination, because you might be putting your health at risk if there is something in them that is a danger to you. There are also legitimate questions people have with a rushed product, of possible side effects or long-term effects.

Some are calling for universal mandates of the vaccine because of the widespread danger of COVID-19. But there need to be exemptions for those who, for religious reasons, are opposed to vacci-nations. Others are opposed for reasons of conscience and others for medical reasons. Can there be mandates for peo-ple to take the vaccination? On localized levels, groups may mandate it with the exemptions listed above. (As Catholics, we cannot claim a religious exemption because the Church is not opposed to vaccinations, but a person can claim right of conscience if they believe they

Father Kevin Cookcannot receive it because of ethical issues). For example, it has been argued that a particular school or hospital can mandate the vaccine because one does not have to go to that particular school or work in that particular place (one does have other options).

If the vaccine is not morally compro-mised and does not appear to have any major side effects, then comes the question of who has an obligation to take it or should weigh serious consid-erations to take it. For example: Those who work with the sick (first respond-ers, doctors, nurses, etc.), do they have a moral obligation to be vaccinated so as not to pass on the virus to those around them? There are those who are health compromised and more vulnerable, so they should give serious consideration to taking it. But a younger person who is healthy and not around those who are more vulnerable should perhaps not rush to get the vaccination because of questions of long-term effects, as well as allowing it to be more available for those need it more urgently. Another factor is the effectiveness and the benefits/risk ratio (for example, there are reports that say the current approved vaccinations are only good for three months). Many bishops are saying that, out of charity for those who are at risk, we should consider taking the vaccination. With all of this, it is very important that we express our wishes to those in gov-ernance that we want to know vaccina-tions are produced ethically and without possible dangerous side effects (while we acknowledge there is no perfect med-ication, and there may be minor tem-porary side effects, we recognize that the minor side effect does not outweigh the greater health issue of the disease).

— Fr. Kevin

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH SEEKONK, MASS.

St. Joseph Adoration Chapel

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish offers perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel. To conform with social distancing, the chapel is limited to nine people. Make sure you use the hand sanitizer at the en-trance. When you leave, please disinfect any part of the chair and kneeler you may have touched.We are in need of adorers and substitutes. To become a reg-ular adorer or a substitute, please contact Linda Nason, Ado-ration Coordinator, 508-463-6723.

The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day. — St. Gianna Beretta Molla

Adorers are needed:• Saturday: 4 p.m, 6 p.m., 8 p.m., 9 p.m,• Sunday: 1 p.m., 3 p.m, 5 p.m. • Monday: 9 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m., 9 p.m., 10 p.m.• Tuesday, 5 a.m., 10 a.m., Noon• Wednesday: 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 6 p.m. • Thursday: 2 p.m, 5 p.m., 8 p.m.• Friday: 3 a.m., 10 p.m.Substitutes are needed:• Saturday: 8 a.m.• Sunday: 11 p.m.• Monday, 11 a.m., 2 p.m.• Tuesday: 2 p.m., 7 p.m.• Thursday: 2 p.m., 5 p.m., 8 p.m.• Friday: 10 p.m.

Contact information for adorers:Midnight-5 a.m. Donna Castle 401-524-52196 a.m.-11 a.m. The Andrades 508-252-52546 a.m.-11 a.m. Loretta MacDonald 508-252-4475Noon-5 p.m. Linda Nason 508-463-67236 p.m.-11 p.m. Maureen Sanders 508-243-4104

Society of St. Vincent de Paul

A beggar’s request do not reject, do not turn your face away from the poor. Psalm 4:4

Do you know of anybody who needs help? Call the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul at 401-603-8888 so that, togeth-

er, we can help the suffering and the poor.

The next meeting will be a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. If you are interested in becoming a member, please call the number above.

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is prayed in the adoration chap-el Monday through Saturday at 3 p.m. A rosary for priests and all vocations is prayed in the adora-tion chapel every Thursday at 2:30 p.m. A novena to St. Anne for the protection of children is prayed every Friday at noon in the adoration chapel.

Building a Culture of Vocations in JanuaryEvery month we pray for different vocations to support those who are responding to the Lord’s call. In the month of January let us pray for Fr. David Pignato, pastor of St. Julie Billiart in North Dartmouth, Deacon Tim Flaherty at Our Lady of Grace Church in Westport, Deacon Peter Scheffer, and our parish-ioners Jack and Margaret Khorey, for the gift of the bond of marriage.

If you’re in need, please reach out Are you in need with help with food, clothing, shelter, or other needs? Throughout the year there are many needs that spring up, but especially in this difficult time there may be many of you who are struggling to make ends meet. Please do not hes-itate to contact our parish St. Vincent DePaul Society to see what type of assistance they can provide. Explain your current financial need and they will see what they can do to help you, whether it is with that direct need, or possibly by providing aid with some other need in daily life that frees you to address the need you are currently facing.

Parishioners: Update your contact informationHave you moved? Eliminated your landline? Changed any contact information? If you are a registered parishioner and need to update your personal information with the parish, for example: change of address, phone number, or email, please use the form on the parish website, www.olmcseekonk.org/update-your-info. Thank you for help-ing us keep our records current!Also, to sign up for Flocknote, a new method of parish com-munication, text OLMCSeekonk to 84576. You can choose whether to receive text or email notifications.

Project Rachel can help Project Rachel is a national group that tries to listen and give direction for women and men to find healing after experienc-ing abortion. Locally, Project Rachel can be reached by calling 508-997-3300 or emailing pla@plrachel.com. For anyone who has had an abortion experience and has not reached out for healing, please pray for the courage to take that step.

SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Faith Formation has begunWe have started up the new program for Faith Formation. This year parents are using the program Project Nazareth, which entails conversations about the faith, as well as praying with their children throughout the week. The goal is just to help families talk more with each other about different aspects of the faith that maybe would not normally come up in discus-sion in home. Also, some families pray together, but not all, so it’s a unified effort to help foster family prayer. Think of the words of Venerable Patrick Peyton: “The family that prays to-gether stays together.” It is a different approach, so for some families it may take a little time getting used to it. With the busyness of so many people’s lives, this is not intended to be just one more thing that parents have to do, but actually something that can help foster the faith in the home in a very natural way. That is why each lesson is intended to be talking for maybe five to ten minutes a few days a week. It is not meant to be an hour-long classroom style. Our Evangelization Team is here to offer different tools to help the parents grow in their knowledge of the faith and ways to share the faith with their kids. Any parents who have not registered their children in the pro-gram will need to contact the Evangelization Team this week to do so (also, if they have not picked up the needed materials from the office, please do that as well). Please keep all families involved in your prayer so that this will bear fruit in the faith lives of the children and their families.

More from Father Kevin ...

Hiring a parish administrative assistantDue to health reasons, our parish secretary, Laure Lynch, de-cided to step down. Please keep her in your prayers that doc-tors will be able to discern the root of her health issues and that she may make a full recovery. This leaves our parish with the need to hire a new part-time administrative assistant. The parish secretary is such an important role because the sec-retary is the first contact that many people experience when reaching out for something with the Church. I will be look-ing for someone who has not only the skill sets needed (good organization; extensive knowledge of computer programs, in particular Word, and familiar with Facebook and preferably Instagram; good interpersonal skills; etc.). In addition, they should be someone who strives to live as a disciple of Christ; believes what we profess in the Catholic faith and can convey those beliefs soundly; knows how to honor the privacy of pa-rishioners; and is joyful and a good listener.

Holy Hour for Life on Jan. 22Friday, Jan. 22, marks the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, when abortion was legalized by the Supreme Court in the United States. We will be having a holy hour for life and reparation for the tens of millions of abortions of babies in our country and throughout the world. Not only do we pray for an end to abortion but also for the building up of the culture of life. The holy hour will be on Friday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. in the church. It will also be livestreamed for those who cannot make it or are nervous about coming out because of the pandemic.

Need for Adorers for Perpetual AdorationAs we have been so blessed to return to Perpetual Adoration, we recognize there is still a need for new committed adorers. Several hours we have one person covering all of them. And though they are very happy to have that time for adoration, it would be good to have different people covering each hour. It also helps if we have two committed adorers each hour, since if one cannot make it they know the other is there. We are so grateful to everyone who is committed to spend time in adoration to the Lord, allowing this great gift to be available to countless people. I encourage everyone to seize some time each week before Our Lord in prayer and adoration. If you are willing to commit to being a perpetual adorer, please contact Linda Nason to inquire about times an adorer is needed. What a wonderful gift for us!

Youth Nights for Grades 8-12 now virtualAll youths in Grades 8-12 are invited to join us for our month-ly Youth Nights, which will be virtual until the spring. Virtual Nights run from 7-8 p.m. Fridays and we use GoToMeeting.Boy will meet on the following Fridays: January 8, February 5, March 5.Girls will meet on the following Fridays: January 15, February 12, March 12.Youth Nights are part of Confirmation Preparation for Grades 8 and 9, but are open to all high school students. Contact Lori Lavigne for more information at 508-233-3312, L.Lavigne.olmc@gmail.com.

T.n.T. (Tea and Theology) on FacebookJoin Father Kevin on the parish Facebook site every Monday through Saturday for a 15-minute livestream session. He tou-ches on different aspects of the faith to help you grow in unde-rstanding and living the faith, as well as answer questions you may have. Come join us on T.n.T … it’s dynamite!

Thinking About Becoming Catholic? This is the time of the year we begin the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults for those who are thinking of becoming Catholic (or who are baptized Catholic but never received First Communion and Confirmation). If you are thinking about it and would like to learn more, or are ready to take this next step in faith, please contact Chris Gregorek of the parish Evangeli-zation Team.

OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL PARISH

ORGANIZATIONS

Gathering GrandmothersJan Smart, 508-336-5118 Meets at noon Fridays in St. Joseph Adoration Chapel to pray Novena to St. Anne for protection of children.

Holy Souls Prayer GroupDolores de Paiva, 508-252-3826Meets at 9 a.m. Thursdays in the church

Jordan Ministry 508-336-5549

Knights of ColumbusRolland St. Pierre, 508-336-2102Meets 3rd Friday

Men of St. JosephBob Bertoncini, 401-447-8136Meet 2nd Thursday at 7 p.m.

Men’s Prayer and FellowshipWilliam Kearney and Marty Doyle, 508-243-0880Meets 1st Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

Ministry to the SickPat Swanson, 508-336-5549

Parish NursesElizabeth Charnecki, 508-252-5718Blood pressure clinics Wednesdays after Mass, Sept.-June.

Prison MinistryFrank Gibbons, 508-336-5461

Prayer GroupBarbara Craveiro, 508-889-6472Meets 2nd Wednesday at 7 p.m., lower church

Pro-Life GroupRon and Claudette Larose, 508-252-4336

St. Vincent de PaulMarie Morrell, 401-603-8888Meets 2nd Tuesday at 7 p.m., Sept.-May

Seekonk Catholic Cancer SupportElizabeth Charnecki: 508-252-5718Meets 1st Saturday

Senior Luncheon CommitteeCall to register: 508-336-5549K.C. HessJay BrennanPaco PedroLuncheon held 2nd Tuesday except June, July, Aug.

Vocation CommitteeJoanna Young, 508-336-3473

ALTAR SERVERS, EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS, LECTORSSchedules: www.olmcseekonk.org (Select “Liturgy” from the top bar, then “Liturgical Ministries,” then “Schedules.”)For scheduling: Laure Lynch, lmlyncholmc@gmail.com, 508-336-5549To become an altar server, Eucharistic minister, or lector: 508-336-5549

SACRAMENTSConfessions are heard in the St. Joseph Adoration Chapel on Saturday from 3:15-4 p.m., and on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 4:30-6 p.m.Baptisms: Congratulations! Please contact Lori Lavigne at the parish office to register in the parish and sign up for Baptismal Preparation as soon as possible. Preparation can be done prior to baby’s birth, if preferred.Marriage: Congratulations! Please notify the parish office eight months in advance of your wedding.Anointing of the Sick takes place on the first Friday at the 9 a.m. Mass.

MASSESMonday-Saturday: 9 a.m. (except Thursday 6:30 p.m.)

Saturday 4:30 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:45 a.m. HOLY DAYS : 9 a.m., noon, 7 p.m. (Vigil 5:30 p.m.)

984 Taunton Ave., PO Box 519, Seekonk, MA 02771Website: olmcseekonk.org

Email: office@olmcseekonk.org Facebook: OLMCSeekonk Twitter: @OLMCSeekonk

Formed: OLMCSeekonk.formed.org

Pastor: Rev. Kevin A. Cook, fr.cook.olmc@gmail.comPermanent Deacon: Matthew Sweeney

Transitional Deacon: Peter Scheffer

Office hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.Office telephone: 508-336-5549 Fax: 508-336-9010

Parish Center: 508-336-9015 Rectory: 508-336-9022

Administrative Assistant: Kelley Nieviera, kelleyolmc@gmail.comSecretary: Laure Lynch, lmlyncholmc@gmail.com

Rectory Assistant: Meg MulveyMaintenance: Dave LeClair

Custodian: Sheila Ducharme

EVANGELIZATION AND FORMATION

Baptism Preparation, Registrations, Family Faith Formation (1-7), Youth/Young Adult Ministry, Adult Ministry:

Lori Lavigne, L.Lavigne.olmc@gmail.com, 508-233-3312

1st Communion/Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage Preparation, RCIA/Adult Sacraments:

Christine Gregorek, c.gregorek.olmc@gmail.com, 508-336-5549

MUSIC MINISTRY

Director of Music: Jean Kusiak, 401-225-3700, JMKusiak@comcast.netChoir performs at 10:45 Mass and special liturgies. Rehearses on Tuesdays 7-8:30 p.m., September-June.Children’s Choir performs at special liturgies, 9 a.m. Mass. Rehearses the Sunday of, 8:15-8:45, lower church.

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