We extend a special welcome to everyone visiting the Shrine for the first time.
Telephone: 617-542-6440
Prayer Request Line: 617-553-4100
The Good Word: 617-542-0502
Text-to-Give text “DONATE” to: 617-712-2233
August 11, 2018
The Feast of St. Clare of Assisi
Greetings of peace.
Several of you have asked me why we are sometimes slow in depositing checks that you give us. We are
in the midst of changing our accounting system and this is the reason for the recent delays. This new
system goes “online” on Monday, August 13, at 9am. We expect to be processing many transactions next
week and will clear up any backlog. We expect that the new system will be more efficient and accurate.
Thank you for your patience with us.
This week the Church throughout the world celebrates two important days: The Feast of St. Clare of Assisi
on Saturday, August 11, and the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Wednesday,
August 15. St. Clare lived a cloistered life of poverty and prayer. Her holiness was so well known during
her lifetime that the Pope himself came to Assisi to visit her on her deathbed. (Think about that. That
probably wasn’t a convenient trip for the Pope in the year 1253.) Wednesday the 15th celebrates the
Assumption of Mary, body and soul, into heaven. This is a Holy Day of Obligation. The Vigil Mass for
this Solemnity will be on Tuesday afternoon at 5:15pm, and we will have the usual Wednesday Mass
schedule, with an additional Mass in English on the first floor church at 5:15pm.
Clare was a woman in love with Christ, and she wanted all
people to know the joy of union with him. She did not
emphasize poverty for the sake of poverty, but poverty as a
way to union with the Lord. She wanted nothing to hold her
back from embracing Christ, her Beloved One. Clare
advised other women about following Christ, and one of
those women was Agnes of Prague, to whom she wrote:
Honorary Chairs: The Honorable Martin J. Walsh and Ms. Lorrie Higgins
Honorary Co-Chairs: Ginger McCourt, Angela Menino and Kathy O’Donnell
Event Co-Chairs: Joanne Hidaka and Ben Niedermeyer
Event Committee:
Patti and Larry D’Angelo
Fr. Thomas E. Conway, O.F.M.
Donna DePrisco
Karen Fish-Will
Melissa Fish-Crane
Beth Floor
Linda Dorcena Forry
Ted Grant
Joanne Jaxtimer
Mary Ann Jordan
Br. John B. Maganzini, O.F.M.
Jan A. Miller
Anne T. Moran
Thomas N. O’Brien
Robert A. O’Neill
William P. Purcell
Fr. Frank R. Sevola, O.F.M.
Fr. Ronald P. Stark, O.F.M.
George R. Taylor
Brian F. Ward
If you would like information about becoming a sponsor, please see Fr. Tom Conway, O.F.M.
or Maryanne Rooney-Hegan, Director of Development 617-778-1645. Thank you.
Welcome Fr. Jeffery Jordan, OFM to the St. Anthony Shrine Community!
Fr. Jeffery grew up in Royston, GA in a devout Protestant family. Growing up in the Bible-
Belt South, Sacred Scripture had always played a vital role in his family, and, as such, it
would continue to shape both his religious and academic interests. After graduating from the
University of Georgia in Linguistics and Romance Languages (French/Italian), Fr. Jeffery
worked in International Container Shipping in Tampa, FL, whereby he managed government
import regulations and process management. Welcomed into the Catholic Church in 2002 in
Tampa, FL Fr. Jeffery would later meet the friars of Holy Name Province when the province
assumed the pastoral responsibilities of his parish, Sacred Heart.
Fr. Jeffery joined the friars in 2007, and he completed his M. Div. at the Washington Theological Union/ Catholic University in
2013. Interested in higher education, he taught the Introductory Scripture course at St. Bonaventure University the following
year. In 2014, he left for Rome, Italy to study Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute (the “Biblicum”). Fr. Jeffery
was ordained here at St. Anthony Shrine by Cardinal O’Malley on January 3, 2015, the feast of Holy Name Province.
Fr. Jeffery received the Licentiate in Sacred Scripture by the Biblicum in May 2018, and he has only recently joined the friar
community here at the Shrine. Fr. Jeffery will continue doctoral studies in theology at Boston College, concentrating on Sacred
Scripture.
In his free time, he enjoys reading, learning new languages, and traveling. He looks forward to being part of the St. Anthony
Shrine community.
INTERN INSIGHTS
I learned a lot about the Shrine and the work that it does during my time here. I have attended Mass here
with my family for many years, but I never realized how much the Shrine does for the community. It was not
until I read about the ministries and heard from those I interviewed that I understood how many programs
are available for those seeking help. One of my friends from high school was also working at the Shrine this
summer, interning for Boston Healthcare for the Homeless at the Women's Health Clinic. I learned more
about the clinic from her, as she worked with the nurses to assist women who came in for help. We both
attended an all-girls high school where service and social justice was promoted to respond to the needs of
the world. The ideals we were taught are something that I greatly value, and it’s inspiring to see how the
Women’s Health Clinic is working to meet the needs of vulnerable women in Boston. I also volunteered at
the Franciscan Food Center one Thursday, which helped me get a better understanding of how that ministry
is run and the people it serves. I met many welcoming and kind people at the Food Center, both volunteers
and those getting food that day. Overall, I truly enjoyed my experience this summer, and am glad that I
worked at the Shrine. As this was my first job in a professional setting, I learned various skills and lessons
that I will take with me, and consider my time at the Shrine to be a very valuable experience.
Stay close to me, Lord, in my suffering. Put your Reception immediately following
arms under mine and bear me up, for I fear that if I in the 1st floor lobby.
fall, the weight of my suffering will prevent me from
ever getting up again. Sponsored by
the Shrine’s Emmaus Ministry for Grieving Parents
Support my arms, Lord, so that they will not be
closed but outstretched to support my (spouse, For more information, call 617-542-8057.
children, relatives) when they need my comfort.
Let me place my grief in you, Lord, so that it does not FRANCISCAN SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
burn me into a shell, unable to radiate love ever CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
again. 2018 – 2020
Protect me from the anger and bitterness that attack Have you become increasingly interested in developing
me, Lord. Let me not seek out the dark places that your life of the spirit? Do you find people wanting to
beckon me with their false promises of protection and talk with you about their lives? If so, you might be
relief. called to the ministry of spiritual companioning. St.
Anthony Shrine is offering a training program in
Touch your finger to this gaping hole in my heart, so spiritual direction, with classes meeting on Saturday
that while waiting to be closed, it will be filled with eight times a year for two years. For further
your presence and love. information please see our brochure at:
Thursday
St. Augustine Group (S.L.A.A.) Meeting Noon
Rosary Prayer Group 12:30p.m.
Men’s Spirituality Group (2nd and 4th Thursday) 5:00 p.m.
Lectura y reflexión del evangelio 5:30 p.m.
A.A Big Book Meeting (Closed Meeting) 5:45 p.m.
Friday
SA 12 Step Meeting, Auditorium Foyer 7:00 a.m.
Open OA Meeting, Auditorium Classroom 12:15 p.m.
Saturday
Secular Franciscans Formation (2nd Sat.) 10:30 a.m.
Centering Prayer Group (1st & 4th Sat.) Noon
Vietnamese Secular Franciscans (2nd Sat.) 1:00 p.m.
Secular Franciscans Fraternity Meeting (2nd Sat.)
Rosary Prayer Group
1:00 p.m.
3:30p.m.
SENIORS PROGRAM NOTICE
Sunday
Please note: There is no Seniors Program for the
Emmaus Ministry Prayer/Discussion (1st Sun. – on break July) 11:00 a.m. month of August. We hope you enjoy the summer
Healing Service (2nd Sun.) 1:30 p.m.
Nurses Together in Healing Ministry (1st Sun.) 1:00 p.m. break and we look forward to seeing you back in the
Rosary, Vespers, Benediction 2:55 p.m.
Hispanic Secular Franciscans (1st Sun.) 3:00 p.m. Seniors Program on Wednesday, September 5th!