Father Rob's Corner
As we enter into the new school year, Father is once again encouraging all students, grades K- 5, to learn their prayers and catechism.
For those that complete their prayer card, Father Rob will be awarding you a copy of the Action Bible, a retelling of the Bible in comic book form.
Once you finish one of the remaining cards, Father Rob will award you Loyola Kids' Book of Bible Stories and Book of Heroes.
We look forward to giving away a lot of books this fall to our younger parishioners!
Eucharistic Revival
During this year of the Eucharistic Revival, we hope to share information and practices surrounding the Holy Eucharist.
One of the ways we can become closer to Jesus is to spend time with him in Eucharistic Adoration. According to EWTN:
"Adoration is the act of adoring Our Lord, present in the Most Holy Eucharist. Often, parishes will have perpetual adoration or set times each month when the faithful can adore the Eucharist. People will frequently spend an hour with Jesus. This is known as a “Holy Hour.”
Fr. Josh (Ascension Press) says that “The more we spend time with Jesus, the more we’re going to be like Jesus."
That means that we draw closer to Jesus just by spending time with Him!
We encourage you to spend some time with Jesus this year. SJN offers adoration after the 6pm Mass every Sunday and after the 12:15pm Mass every Friday.
Parish Registration
If you are not currently registered in the parish and would like more information on what we have to offer, please visit our website. Registration forms can also be found on the table in the gathering space. We would love for you to join our parish family!
Congratulations!
Congratulations to Deacon Brian Lester, who was ordained to the Permanent Diaconate on September 17. We are truly blessed to have Deacon Brian assigned to our parish! Deacon Brian will be overseeing our liturgical ministries, to start off, with more to come. We are excited to experience first-hand the fruits of his ministry!
Parishioner Update
We are updating our parish database.
We have discovered some glitches in our parishioner database and need your help to update our parishioner rolls.
If you are attending St. John Neumann-Merrimack, (and we hope you are!), please go to our website, call 603-880-4689 or click the QR code.
Thank you for your valuable assistance in this matter.
College Care Packages
All those in grades 6-12 are invited to meet in Room 3 on Friday, October 7th at 5pm to put together care packages for parishioners that are away at college. This reminds them they are still thought of by their parish family back home. Come join in the fun!
Coffee and Donuts
Coffee and Donuts is back!
Join us after 10am Mass one Sunday a month for sweets and fellowship!
October's Coffee and Donuts is occurring on Sunday, October 9 right after Mass.
A free will donation is gratefully accepted.
Help Wanted!
We are organizing a group to take out the gardens by the exit of the church, that were put in by an Eagle Scout several years ago. We want to make sure that we are being respectful and responsible with the plants that were so lovingly put in.
The garden will be removed on Sunday, October 9 from 1-3pm. If you would like plants from the garden to take home and nurture, we would love to give them to you. We do need you to come by on October 9 between 1-3 to collect the plants of your choice.
We hope to spread the joy and energy of that garden to many other gardens in doing so!
Day Away Help Needed
St. John Neumann Day Away uses an all-volunteer staff to provide a safe, loving and stimulating environment for program participants who are living with the early stages of dementia. We offer a wide variety of roles to choose, including 1:1 Participant Companion, Craft Assistant, and Lunch Assistants. The best volunteers are friendly listeners, who enjoy being with the elderly and learning about all that’s meaningful in their lives.
If you wish to learn more about the volunteer roles, please contact:
Kathy Hopkins, RN, M.Ed, Director
Kathy Hopkins, RN, M.Ed, Director
Harvest Dinner
The SJN Parish Council will be hosting our annual Harvest Dinner on Saturday October 22nd at 6:30 pm (Following the 5:30 Mass) in the Parish Hall.
The Knights of Columbus have graciously offered to prepare the pork for the meal.
Ticket sales and side dish sign ups will be in the Gathering Space after all Masses the weekends of October 9th and 16th. Tickets will be available for a donation of $2.00 for Adults or $5.00 for Families.
Please Bring a Non-Perishable Food Item for the Food Pantry
If you have additional questions, please email Keith Faucher.
We can't wait to see you there!
Apple Peeling for Harvest Dinner Apple Crisps
Calling those in grades 6-12! Every year, the youth ministry participates in a parish community service project to contribute to the Harvest Dinner. We could use your help peeling apples to make apple crisps for our parish to enjoy.
Meet us in the hall at 4:30pm on Friday, October 21st.
Troop 15
Troop 15 is actively recruiting new scouts. Our Scouting program gives boys and girls, ages 11-17, an opportunity to try new things, serve the community, make ethical choices, boost their self-confidence, and explore the outdoors. We meet on Tuesday evenings from 7-8:30pm and have monthly campouts. Contact us here or visit our Facebook page here.
40 Days For Life
From Wednesday, September 28-Sunday, November 6, you are invited to join other Christians in more than 60 countries and 600 cities around the world for 40 Days of Life-40 days of prayer, fasting, and outreach for an end to abortion.
Please join us as prayerful, peaceful witnesses to the sanctity of all human life during the local 40-day vigil on the public sidewalk outside Planned Parenthood, 24 Pennacook St., Manchester.
For more information, please visit our website, email Agatha Connelly (a SJN parishioner), or contact the Manchester lead, Norm Thibault, at 603-289-0574.
Upcoming Dates:
Vigil Hours: Wednesday, Sept. 28-Sunday, Nov. 6 from 7am-7pm
Sidewalk Rosary: Saturday, Oct. 15 at 10am by Marian Knights of Columbus
Midpoint Candlelight Vigil: Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 6:30pm on the Planned Parenthood public sidewalk
Closing Rally: Sunday, Nov. 6 at 2pm on the Planned Parenthood public sidewalk.
Contemporary Ensemble
The Contemporary Ensemble is always looking for new members. If you play
an instrument, or love to sing, please consider joining us.
an instrument, or love to sing, please consider joining us.
We rehearse Monday nights, and sing at Mass typically two Sunday evenings a month, as well as at Christmas and Easter.
For more information, please reach out to Heather by email or at 609-930-2543.
Come and join us!
Thursday Morning Women's Group
This group of women meets Thursday mornings at 10am to grow deeper in faith through friendship, conversation, and shared reading. Our next session will begin on October 13 and continue through January. We'll be reading and discussing Dwell: A Study of the Eucharist. This is a study by Blessed Is She.
For more information about this 15-session study, visit blessedisshe.net If you are interested in joining us, we would be delighted to welcome you! Please contact Claire Bryson.
Widows/Widowers Group
We meet the second Saturday of the month in room #3 at 9:30AM.
We are here:
•To provide emotional, spiritual and practical support to the Men and Women who have lost a spouse or significant other.
•To directly offer education and other services to the widowed and their families during the grieving period following this catastrophic loss;
•To connect survivors to essential resources conducive to positive growth.
Greater Nashua Crop Hunger Walk
The slogan of the Greater Nashua Crop Hunger Walk is “We walk because they walk.”
The walk this year will take place this year on Sunday, October 30th , beginning and ending at Temple Beth Abraham, 4 Raymond Street in Nashua.
The money raised fights hunger and poverty around locally and the world. It provides refugee and disaster relief through Church World Service. Five local recipient agencies, including the SJN Food Pantry and St. James Methodist Food Pantry in Merrimack, receive funds from the Greater Nashua Crop Walk.
The SJN Team’s goal is to raise $8500!
We need Walkers! Young, Older, Teens, and Adults!
To sign up and pick up your donation envelope, see Bill or Margaret O’Neill, after Mass, to make sure that you have all the tools you need to be a CROP walker!
You can also “walk on the web.” I have set up a team page on the website and you can raise money online. To join or to donate to our SJN team, click here.
We can always use volunteer help at the event if your feet aren’t made for walking! Just let Margaret O’Neill know through email or by phone/text: 248-540-7296!
St. Gianna's Place
St. Gianna's Place, a home for women in crisis pregnancies located in Hudson, will be holding a baby bottle campaign beginning on October 1. Our doors have now been open for three years and we have been able to offer a loving, supportive home to 20 women and many babies and women during this short time!
Your financial support is greatly appreciated in order to defray the costs of the day-to-day operations and educational programs we offer to our moms. If you would like to help, simply take home a baby bottle, fill it with your donation, and return it to the bin in the entrance of the church by October 23rd.
With your support, we can change mothers' and their babies' lives through the love and care of this community. Thank you!
Trunk or Treat
October 28, 2022
Join us for a fun trick-or-treating activity. Choose to participate in one of two ways (or both!):
- Dress in costume and come for trick-or-treating.
- Decorate the trunk or tailgate of your vehicle and distribute your candy to the trick-or-treaters.
Prizes will be awarded for:
- Cars: Best Candy, Most Creative, Best Catholic Theme
- Costumes: Most Original, Best Homemade, Best Catholic Theme
Arrive as early as 5pm to set up cars and decorations. Trick-or-treating begins at 6pm.
SJN Day Away Corner
SJN Day Away is a social activities outreach ministry serving family caregivers in need of respite from the stresses of caring for loved ones living with early to moderate Alzheimer’s or related dementias. For more information on our Day Away program or to volunteer, please contact Kathy Hopkins, RN, M.Ed, Director
St. Joseph Hospital Resource Center for Alzheimer’s and Dementia
Dementia Caregiver Support Group
Location: 460 Amherst St (next to SJ Family Medical Services)
Date: Every Monday
Time: 1:00pm
For more information, email
or call 603-598-2424
Faith Formation
K-5 Religious Education
Religious Education Programming for our kindergarten through fifth grade kids kicked off last weekend! It was wonderful to have the building full of kids and teachers once again. We're all excited for a year of growing together in our faith. If you haven't registered yet but would still like to join us, be sure to register online here. Program dates can be found on our website under the Children's Ministry Tab.
Upcoming Class Dates: October 3, 16, and 30
Save the Date for Seeking Our Savior, a Family Advent Activity to be held on Sunday, November 27 after the 10am Mass. This event will be open to all families in the parish.
Middle School Program
Our Middle School program meets on Monday evenings from 6:30-8pm. Our October meeting dates are:
Oct 3rd & 24th
As always, more information on our Middle School program can be found on our website.
High School Program
Our High School program meets on Sunday evenings from 7-8:30pm. Our October meeting dates are:
Oct 2nd: Pizza party with guests speaking about Steubenville East
Oct 16th& 23rd: Venture lessons
As always, more information on our High School program can be found on our website.
Trinity High School Open House
Trinity High School's Fall Open House for 8th graders and transfer students will be held on Thursday, October 20th at 7pm. Trinity High School provides a safe and caring environment in which students seek and achieve personal and academic excellence and grow in faith. Trinity's Open House is a perfect opportunity to experience the Pioneer community by meeting the students, faculty, coaches, parents and alumni.
Please contact the Admissions Department with any questions by email or at 603-668-2910.
A $1000 tuition raffle will be held for all new future students in attendance!
Dinner for Young Men
St. Andrew was the first of the Apostles to hear Jesus’ call to follow him. We would like to invite young men in our diocese who are considering a vocation to the priesthood or would simply like some help hearing the Lord’s call for their life, to an evening of prayer, conversation with priests and dinner.
The dinner will be held on Friday, October 14, 2022 St. Christopher Church, 62 Manchester Street, Nashua, NH from 6:00-8:00 pm.
RSVP by email or call 603-770-0227 if you would like to attend.
Call Father Charles Pawlowski at 603-448-1262 for more information or questions.
Magdalen College
Attention all high school Juniors and Seniors!
You are invited to visit Magdalen College
of the Liberal Arts in Warner, NH for an
Open House on October 8th.
Visit our website for more information and to register for Welcome Weekend.
For questions or more information,
please call John Coleman at 603-456-4113.
Indoor Yard Sale
The Sisters of Holy Cross are holding an INDOOR YARD SALE on Saturday October 15, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The Sale will be held at the Holy Cross Center, 357 Island Pond Road, Manchester, NH.
All are welcome!
Catholic Young Adults
Several younger members of St. Patrick Parish have formed ROOTED 267, a Young Adult Catholic Group, which has grown into the Universal Church, welcoming individuals from all over the Diocese. The "267" refers to Colossians 2:6-7: "So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." The purpose of this initiative is to provide opportunities for young Catholics (18-35 years old) to come together for socializing, service, and faith formation. The group has hosted successful game nights, social gatherings, and planning meetings while developing a growing devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To learn more, please email.
The Sanctuary Course
Did you know that 1 in 4 people will be affected by mental health issues in their lives? The stigma surrounding mental illness silences many and prevents faith communities from responding compassionately and effectively. Often, when a person is struggling with mental health issues, they seek out a pastor or someone from their faith community to speak with. This course explores the realities of mental health and illness, as well as the vital need for faith-based community conversations about this topic. Our presenter and facilitator will be Cindy Coughlin, LCMHC. Light refreshments will be served.
We will be meeting monthly at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in the church hall.
United We Sleep
Youth Groups and Youth Leaders are invited to be part of United We Sleep, which is an event where community members come together to raise awareness about youth homelessness, learn what challenges our most vulnerable neighbors face, and how individuals can be part of making a positive change.
The event is being held overnight from October 14th to 15th in Nashua at the Nashua Community College. Funds raised through this event go to support the Community Safety Net Grants made by the United Way of Greater Nashua to make our communities healthier, more educated, more successful, and resilient. Youth under 18 must be under the direction of an adult and can stay for a portion of the event or sleepout with others, while the adult is present.
Please email Mike Apfelberg for more information.
Concert At St. Joseph Cathedral
St. Joseph Cathedral is excited to announce that World Acclaimed Irish Tenor Emmet Cahill will be performing live at the Cathedral on Thursday, October 6 at 7:30pm. St. Joseph Cathedral is located at 145 Lowell St.; Manchester, NH
Tickets are $35 for general admission, $50 for the concert and meet & greet. Tickets are available here.
All are welcome.
Find Us on Facebook and Instagram!
We have a number of active social media sites. We'd love to connect with you there.
Facebook (Parish Page)
YouTube (Streaming Sunday Mass)
Facebook (Youth Ministry)
Facebook (Children's Ministry)
Instagram (Parish)
Instagram (Youth Ministry)
Instagram (Children's Ministry)