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ROME –Pope Francis issued a decree launching a special year dedicated to St. Joseph coinciding with the anniversary of his declaration as Patron of the Catholic Church, hailing him as a model of fatherhood and a key intercessor in modern times.
More on the Year of St. Joseph:
YEAR OF SAINT JOSEPH
This year the Feast of St. Blasé is on Wednesday,
February 3rd .The traditional prayer for the Blessing of Throats
will be given at the end of the Mass for those who would like
this blessing.
St Blasé was a Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia in the fourth
century. Before being martyred, he is said to have healed a boy
who was choking. Since the eighth century, Saint Blasé has
been venerated as the patron of those who suffer from
diseases of the throat. We pray in a special way today for the
protection from afflictions of the throat and from other
illnesses. The blessing of Saint Blasé is a sign of our faith in
God’s protection and the love for us and for the sick.
UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS ON THE CORONA VIRUS VACCINES
WASHINGTON– On December 14, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Doctrine, and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City in Kansas, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities, issued a statement on the new COVID-19 vaccines. In their statement, the bishops address the moral concerns raised by the fact that the three vaccines that appear to be ready for distribution in the United States all have some connection to cell lines that originated with tissue taken from abortions.
With regard to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, they concluded:
“In view of the gravity of the current pandemic and the lack of availability of alternative vaccines, the reasons to accept the new COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are sufficiently serious to justify their use, despite their remote connection to morally compromised cell lines.
“Receiving one of the COVID-19 vaccines ought to be understood as an act of charity toward the other members of our community. In this way, being vaccinated safely against COVID-19 should be considered an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good.”
With regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine, the bishops found it to be “more morally compromised” and consequently concluded that this vaccine “should be avoided” if there are alternatives available. “It may turn out, however, that one does not really have a choice of vaccine, at least, not without a lengthy delay in immunization that may have serious consequences for one’s health and the health of others,” the bishop chairmen stated. “In such a case … it would be permissible to accept the AstraZeneca vaccine.”
At the same time, the bishops also warned that Catholics “must be on guard so that the new COVID-19 vaccines do not desensitize us or weaken our determination to oppose the evil of abortion itself and the subsequent use of fetal cells in research.”
The mission of St. Joseph's Church is to be a welcoming, caring, Christ-centered Catholic community. We desire to experience and share God's unconditional love. Inspired by the example of Jesus, we strive to lead all people to wholeness and fullness of life.
Parish Weekly Support/Christmas Collection
As you are aware, St Joseph’s Church depends on the continued generosity of our parishioners each week. Your generous financial support of our parish helps us to keep “the doors open” and to provide the many services and programs which we offer to our parishioners. We cannot stress enough how important our Christmas collection is each year for the financial stability of the parish. Collection boxes are at the entrances of the Church. You may drop your donations in these boxes before or after Mass. You may also mail in your donation. You may also prefer to make a donation with our on line giving
“We Share”- stjosephsomers.churchgiving.com
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914- 719- 3045