This Week...
Monday, February 16-Parish Offices Closed
12:15pm No Mass
Tuesday, February 17
12:15pm Mass
6pm Matthew Study
6pm Creation Care Meeting
7pm Young Adult Power & Grace Study
7pm Troop 15
Wednesday, February 18-Ash Wednesday
9:30am Yarn Ministry
12:15pm Mass
4:30pm Mass
7pm Mass
Thursday, February 19
9am Day Away
12:15pm Mass
Friday, February 20
10am Food Pantry
10:15am Matthew Study
12:15pm Mass
12:45pm Adoration
6pm Confession
6:30pm Stations of the Cross
Saturday, February 15
8:30am Men's Group
4pm Confession
5:30pm Mass
6:30pm Scout Spaghetti Dinner
Sunday, February 15
8am Mass
8:50am Religious Ed (K-5)
10am Mass
11am Coffee & Donuts
4:30pm Religious Ed (4-5)
4:30pm Middle School Program
6pm Mass
7pm Adoration
7pm Life Night (High School)
Monday, February 23
12:15pm Mass
Parish Offices Closed
The Parish Offices will be closed on Monday, February 16, due to the federal holiday. There will not be daily Mass on the 16th.
Ash Wednesday
SJN will hold Ash Wednesday Masses:
Wed. Feb 18
12:15, 4:30, 7pm
The Lenten schedule will be an insert in the bulletin this coming weekend.
Lenten Opportunities
Confession:
- Saturdays from 4-5pm
- Fridays from 6-8pm
- Deanery Penance Service (March 22 at 2pm, Immaculate Conception Parish)
Stations of the Cross:
- Fridays after the 12:15 pm Mass
- 6:30pm
Adoration:
- Fridays after the 12:15pm Mass
- Sundays 7pm
- First Thursday from 12:45-8pm
- Overnight Adoration on March 6 from 7pm-8am on March 7 Sign up for this is available in the gathering space or online here.
Lenten Text Challenge:
- Join us in an opportunity for small daily sacrifices, delivered right to your phone. https://SJNMERRIMACK.flocknote.com/lententextchalle
Lenten Prayers for the Parish:
- Sign up to pray for our community during Lent https://sjnmerrimack.flocknote.com/signup/243485
For more Lenten opportunities, go to our website: sjnnh.org/lent
Parish Needs
We have a number of areas in the parish in which we could use some help. If you are able to help us out, please contact Teri in the office.
- Room Set-ups
- On Sundays, we could use some help returning the rooms in the building to their standard set-ups for the week. This is especially needed on Religious Ed Sundays.
- Coffee & Donuts
- We are looking for more families to help out with Coffee and Donuts on Sunday mornings. With enough volunteers, this would be a once every two months commitment.
- Maintenance Crew
- Periodically, we have minor issues in the building that require repair and could be done without calling for professional help. Ideally, we would have a list of people that we could send a fix-it list to, so that people can choose the items with which they are most comfortable.
- Liturgical Ministry
- We are once again in need of liturgical ministers in all areas. If you have ever thought of being a lector, Eucharistic minister, greeter, or altar server, we could use your help. We work around your schedule on a monthly basis.
- Social Activities Committee
- The parish council has been organizing social activities for the parish for the past couple years. Now that we have a number of activities on the schedule and a rough framework for each, we would love to have a social activities group to take the lead on these and develop them moving forward.
- RN's
- We are in need of RN's to volunteer with the Day Away program on a periodic basis. While we have one nurse who is regularly available, we could use someone or many someones to cover for her when she needs a day off. If you are interested, please contact Kathy.
Adult Faith Formation
Join us for the study on Revelation-The Kingdom Yet to Come
Wednesdays at either:
10:30am or 6:30pm
March 4 – May 20.
Signup in narthex or online by Feb 22 to ensure you get a workbook on the first day of class. See website, sjnnh.org/afs-signup for more information
Lent is coming! Check out our website, sjnnh.org/lent to see many opportunities available for make this lent transformational.
Spaghetti Dinner
Join the Scouts of Troop 15 for a Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser
February 21, 2026
After the 5:30pm Mass
$10/Adult, $5/Child
Dinner includes spaghetti, meatballs, salad and dessert. All funds raised will go towards an Eagle Scout project to build a courtyard reading area at Thorntons Ferry School.
Music Ministry
- The Seasonal Choir has begun practicing for the Easter Triduum. Practices are scheduled for Sundays at 12 noon in the church. All are welcome to join. For more information, please contact Artie.
- The Music Ministry program is seeking vocalists and instrumentalists to join our new Youth and Young Adult Music Worship Team. This ministry is designed to use your musical gifts to serve our parish community in a deep and meaningful way. Our primary goal is to connect others with God through worship music. Youth and Young Adults who sing or play an instrument, or both, are strongly encouraged to join us! We will blend Contemporary Praise and Christian music, as well as select traditional hymns with a fresh new twist. We will sing at our Sunday 6pm Mass. Special events throughout the year will include a Worship Night as well as other opportunities to extend our message to the community. Rehearsal times are TBA. For more information, please contact the Director of Music, Artie Carew via email, and please feel free to also visit our parish website.
Announcing the 40 Days For Life Spring 2026 Manchester Campaign
From Wed Feb 18 thru Sunday Mar 29 every day from 7am to 7pm, you’re invited to join other Christians in more than 60 countries and 600 cities around the world for 40 Days for Life – seeking an end to abortion through prayer, fasting, and outreach to offer hope and options to anyone dealing with an unexpected pregnancy. In Manchester, we pray on the public sidewalk outside Planned Parenthood, 24 Pennacook Street.
There are many Pregnancy Resource Centers throughout NH that are eager to provide alternatives to abortion, as well as caring support to the mother during pregnancy and after the baby is born, FOR FREE.
For more information, please visit our website. You can sign up for vigil hours by creating an account on the website, or, if you prefer, just contact Manchester Leader, Norm Thibault, at 603-289-0574 and he'll do the signup steps for you.
All are invited to attend our Kickoff Rally at 2pm Sunday Feb 15 at St Catherine of Siena (church basement), Hemlock Street, Manchester.
Vita Nova Men's Retreat
Registration for 2026 is now OPEN!
for the annual Men's Retreat will be held at the beautiful Barbara C. Harris Center in Greenfield, NH. The theme of this year's retreat is "On the Lips of Sinners" and will be led by Rev. David Gagnon, Pastor of St. Joseph in Epping.
March 6-8
Friday Registration 6:00
Program begins at 7:15 pm
Ends with Lunch on Sunday at 12:30 pm Check out by 2:00 pm
For more information, please click here.
Cursillo
If you have ever lived a Cursillo weekend, we invite you to once a month reunion. Please contact Deacon Brian.
Cursillo a Spanish word meaning "short course". Cursillo in Christianity means short course in Christanity. It is a lay Catholic movement of the Church with its own method to live Christian ideals. To be a Christian in the fullest sense, in the everyday activities of life- with family, in your workplace and community. If you are interested in learning more about the Cursillo movement, please also contact Deacon Brian.
January Offering
We have had a request for the monthly offering to be placed in the newsletter. As always, we thank you for your generosity.
1/1/26 (Solemnity of Mary) $2,064
1/4/26 $6,665
1/11/26: $4,684
1/18/26 $8,566
1/25/26 $4,849
Online (January): $8646.32
Healing Masses
We have had a request to list the healing Masses in the area. This section will be found right before our contact information in following updates.
- Ste. Marie's
- Tues, Feb. 24, 6:30pm
- 378 Notre Dame Ave, Manchester
- St. Michael
- Wed, Apr. 29, 6pm
- 9 Lincoln St, Exeter
- The diocese has a number of job openings: For more information, click here.
- High School Open Gym Basketball for Boys. Friday nights at 6pm in the SJN Hall.
- "Get Holy or Die Trying", St. Matthew in Windham. Feb. 16-18, Led byFr. David Mary Engo, a dynamic, international speaker. For more info, go to stmatthew-nh.org
- Lenten Mission. Parish of the Resurrection. Feb. 27-28. Featuring Dominick Albano, a nationally sought-after speaker and writer. For more information and to register for this free mission, go to parishoftheresurrection.org
- 9th Annual Catholic Literature Conference: Featuring Joseph Pearce, Amy Fahey, James Matthew Wilson, Jeremy Beer, Matthew Mehan. Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 8am-3pm. For more information: thomasmorecollege.edu
- St. Francis Annual Golf Tournament. June 23, 2026, 8am, Amherst Country Club. For more info: birdease.com/stfrancisschool
- CAMP NDA- Tyngsboro Held at Academy of Notre Dame Tyngsboro’s 200 acre campus, campers are engaged in creative projects, nature exploration, and joyful play! Our staff is dedicated to sending home happy, tired campers who can’t wait to come back the next day! Our Director is a faithful Catholic with more than 25 years experience with kids. Before and after camp care is available. Multi week and sibling discounts. Early bird registration through January 31! Www.ndatyngsboro.org or email campnda@ndatyngsboro.org
- St. Catherine's pilgrimage to Fatima, Lourdes and Paris, June 11-20, 2026. For more information, email Derek, St. Catherine's Parish Evangelist.
Seasonal Choir
The Seasonal Choir begins practice on Sunday, November 9 at 1:30pm. Any adult interested in singing in the Christmas choir is welcome!
The Children's Choir will begin practice on Sunday, November 16 at 11am. Any child interested in singing in the Children's Choir at the 4pm Christmas Eve Mass is welcome to join this group!
For more info about either group, please contact Artie.
Seasonal Choir
The Seasonal Choir begins practice on Sunday, November 9 at 1:30pm. Any adult interested in singing in the Christmas choir is welcome!
The Children's Choir will begin practice on Sunday, November 16 at 11am. Any child interested in singing in the Children's Choir at the 4pm Christmas Eve Mass is welcome to join this group!
For more info about either group, please contact Artie.
Pregnancy Support Drive-LAST CHANCE
The Knights of Columbus are once again doing their drive to support local pregnancy counseling centers.
When: January 1st – February 2
Where: The Gathering Space Gift Box
We hope that you can purchase Gift Cards, which will be distributed to the 18 Pregnancy Centers in NH. These courageous young mothers need our Prayers and Support.
Suggested Gift Cards would be appreciated from:
CVS Shaw's Hannaford
Walgreen’s Kohl's Walmart Market Basket Target
Prepaid VISA or MASTERCARD Debit Cards
Valentine's Dinner Dance
The Parish Council is hosting a Valentine’s Dinner Dance on:
Saturday, February 14
6:30pm
SJN Parish Hall
Join us for a fun, music-filled evening! Dinner will be catered. The fabulous Bedford Big Band will once again provide the music for your listening and dancing enjoyment!
Tickets are $20 a person/$40 a couple and can be purchased by clicking here.
For more information on the Bedford Big Band and to get in the mood to hear some fabulous music, check out their YouTube channel by clicking here!
