10/18/2022
Bishop Christopher Coyne met with the parishioners of The Immaculate Conception (St. Mary's) Church and announced that the church will be closed. The last mass will be celebrated on the Solemnity of Christ The King Sunday November 20th, 2022 at 10:00am.
10/18/2022
BURLINGTON - Bob Begley of Holy Angels and Immaculate Conception parishes in St. albans was ordained as a Catholic deacon at St. Joseph Cathedral in Burlington.
October 11, 2022
This is an opportunity for your children to participate in the Mass by serving at the Altar. Children who have made their first Holy Communion through high school age are needed as altar servers. For all Masses. Training will be provided. Parents are asked to call Jeff Sharp at (802) 582-4442 or email at Jkjawardsta@comcast.net. Please provide you and your child’s name, age, contact information, Mass time preference(s) and frequency of availability. Those who have previously expressed an interest or are currently serving are also asked to respond. Thank you.
On Sunday, May 2nd, immediately following the 9:30 am Mass, we will crown the statue of our Lady, the Immaculate Conception, outside of St. Mary's Church in honor of the beginning of May, the month of Mary. Please plan to stay for an extra few minutes after Holy Mass to join us in the beautiful devotion. Some of the parish children will assist in crowning our Lady and singing a hymn of consecration to Her.
Please note that as we enter the joyous season of Easter:
-A holy hour of Adoration will be offered for the youth of parish Wednesday mornings from 9-10 am at St. Mary's.
-On Fridays, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass will be offered at 8:00 am and at 5:15 pm.
-Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament will take place on Fridays, beginning immediately after the morning Mass and concluding with solemn Benediction, preceded by some devotions, at 4:45 pm, just prior to the evening Mass.
Spy Wednesday (3/31)- Confessions from 5-6:30 pm (Holy Angels)
Holy Thursday (4/1)- 7:00 pm Mass followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 10:00 pm (Holy Angels)
Good Friday (4/2)-
3:00 pm, Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday, St. Mary's
6:00 pm, Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday, Holy Angels
Easter Vigil (4/3)- 7:30 pm at St. Mary's
Easter Sunday (4/4)- 8 and 11 am Mass (Holy Angels) and 9:30 Mass (St. Mary's)
Although there will be no Adoration this Wednesday, March 17th, due to work on the organ at Holy Angels,
in honor of St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we will have Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament this Friday, March 19th, at St. Mary's Church.
Exposition will take place at 9:00 am and Adoration will conclude with a Rosary and Benediction at 6:15 pm.
Please be generous in stopping by to show your love and reverence to our Eucharistic Lord and in imploring the powerful intercession of St. Joseph.
The Reverend Father Hugh Cleary of the Congregation of the Holy Cross will be preaching a Lenten Mission/Retreat here at Holy Angels from Monday, March 15th through Wednesday, March 17th.
Fr. Cleary will preach at all daily Masses during those days, reflecting on the mysteries of the Sacred Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.
Please note that this means daily Mass on those days will be longer, as his homilies will be between 25 to 30 minutes in length.
We hope you can join us as we prepare for our Lord's sorrowful passion and glorious Resurrection!
Fr. Chalifoux will offer 20-25 minute catecheses on the topic of justification on the following Saturdays, immediately following the 8:00 am Mass at Holy Angels.
March 6th- Man Created in Grace and Fallen from Grace- Do we need saving?
March 13th- The Justification of the Impious- What does it mean to be saved?
March 20th- Can you prepare for justification? Can you lose the grace of justification? Once saved always saved?
March 27th- The Infused Virtues and Gifts of the Holy Spirit- Is the life of grace really all that different? Can we get back to Eden?
Please note the following schedule changes during the Holy Season of Lent:
-On Wednesdays of Lent, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will take place from the morning Mass until the evening Mass.
-On Friday mornings of Lent, Holy Mass will be offered at 7:00 am followed by Holy Mass at 8:00 am, both at Holy Angels. There is no evening Mass on Fridays.
-On Fridays of Lent, we will pray the Stations of the Cross at 5:30 pm at Holy Angels.
-A Holy Hour of Adoration to pray for our children will take place Friday mornings at St. Mary's at 9:00 am, beginning on Friday the 26th of February.
-A Lenten Mission/Retreat will be preached by Fr. Hugh Cleary, CSC from March 15th to March 17th.
Friday, January 20th, will be a day of Eucharistic Adoration at Holy Angels Parish. Exposition will take place after the morning Mass and Benediction, preceded by a few devotions, will take place at 4:45 pm prior to the evening Mass at 5:15 pm. On this Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, please be generous in coming to adore and love Christ our Lord, making reparation for the sin of abortion and praying for the conversion of our nation.
Following the evening Mass will be a brief catechesis on the theology of transubstantiation.
Fr. Chalifoux will bless water on Wednesday, January 6th at 5:30 pm at Holy Angels Church, using the blessing for water on Epiphany according to the Roman Ritual. English translations will be provided. Those who wish to take the blessed water home must bring their own containers. Please let us know if you need a container.
Friday, January 1st is the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God and the completion of the Octave of Christmas. It is also New Year's Day. To end 2020 and begin 2021 in the presence of Christ, there will be Eucharistic Adoration at St. Mary's beginning at 11:00 pm on Thursday and ending at 12:15 am on Friday. The Te Deum will be chanted at the beginning of this time of prayer and adoration, in thankgiving to God for the blessings of 2020, to which a plenary indulgence is attached. Other devotions will be prayed, Fr. Chalifoux will preach a brief sermon, and time for silent prayer will also be included. Prior to the closing Benediction, the Veni Creator Spiritus will be chanted, imploring God's blessings upon 2021, to which a plenary indulgence is attached. Resources will be provided for these prayers. Please come and join us and please encourage your friends and family members to do so as well.
Fr. Chalifoux will be offering 20 minute catecheses (brief explanations of the Catholic faith) on Friday evenings, following 5:15 Mass in Holy Angels Church. During the month of January, the catecheses will be on the true and substantial presence of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Eucharist.
January 8~Reasons for Christ’s Institution of the Eucharist-Presence, Sacrifice, and Communion
January 15-The Eucharist, According to the Fathers of the Church
January 22-The Theology of Transubstantiation
January 29-The Mode of Christ’s Presence in the Eucharist-The Whole Christ in Present under Each Part of the Sacred Species
The Most Holy Eucharist will be exposed for Adoration beginning Monday, December 7th at 5:00 pm at St. Mary's Church and ending on Tuesday, December 8th at 5:00 pm in honor of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Benediction with some devotions will take place at 5:00 pm, just prior to the evening Mass. Please be generous in coming to express your love to the One Who has first loved us and in thanking Him for the gift of our Immaculate Queen and Mother.
Sign up sheets can be found in the back of both Churches.
Fr. Chalifoux will be offering 20 minute catecheses (brief explanations of the Catholic faith) on Friday evenings, following the 5:15 Mass in Holy Angels Church. During the season of Advent, these catecheses will be on the foundations of Christology, the study of Who Christ is, and what it means to see that He is fully God and fully man. The catecheses will begin around 5:50 pm.
December 4th- Christ's Divinity
December 11th- Christ's Humanity
December 18th- Christmas Conclusions: the teachings of the Council of Chalcedon and Mary as the Mother of God
A plenary indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who devoutly make a visit to a parish Church on its titular feast day. Therefore, a plenary indulgence is granted to all those who visit St. Mary's (Church of the Immaculate Conception) on Tuesday, December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and who pray one Our Father and the Creed.
Besides the exclusion of all attachment to sin, even venial sin, the requirements for gianing a plenary indulgence are:
-the performance of the indulgenced work
-sacramental Confession within one week
-reception of Holy Communion within one week
-prayer for the Pope's intentions (one Our Father and one Hail Mary)
Fr. Chalifoux will be offering 20 minute catecheses (brief explanations of the Catholic faith) on Friday evenings, following the 5:15 Mass in Holy Angels Church. During the month of November, these catecheses will be on the Last Rites of the Church and our preparation for death. The catecheses will begin around 5:50 pm.
November 6- Anointing of the Sick
November 13- Viaticum
November 20- Apostolic Pardon and Commendation of the Soul
November 27- Dying a Catholic Death
Please note that a partial indulgence is granted to the faithful, who piously recite the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Jesus Christ King. A plenary indulgence is granted, if it is recited publicly on the Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (November 22, 2020).
The prayer can be found here:
https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=533
The Most Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for adoration for 40 hours at Holy Angels Church, beginning Thursday evening after the 5:15 pm Mass and ending on Saturday at 1 pm.
There is a sign-up sheet in the back of the Church. Please be generous in spending time before our Lord and King, making reparation for sins and imploring an outpouring of His grace and mercy upon our parish, our nation, and our world. The One Who loves us desires your love.
"O sweet Jesus, Whose overflowing charity for me is requited by so much forgetfulness, negligence and contempt, behold us prostrate before Your altar, in Your presence, eager to repair by a special act of homage the cruel indifference and injuries, to which Your loving Heart is everywhere subject...
We now offer, in reparation for these violations of Your divine honor, the satisfaction You once made to Your eternal Father on the cross and which You continue to renews daily on our altars; we offer it in union with the acts of atonement of Your Virgin Mother and all the Saints and of the pious faithful on earth; and we sincerely promise to make recompense, as far as we can with the help of Your grace, for all neglect of Your great love and for the sins we and others have committed in the past.
Henceforth we will live a life of unwavering faith, of purity of conduct, of perfect observance of the precepts of the gospel and especially that of charity. We promise to the best of our power to prevent others from offending You and to bring as many as possible to follow You.
O loving Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our model in reparation, deign to receive the voluntary offering we make of this act of expiation; and by the crowning gift of perseverance keep us faithful unto death in our duty and the allegiance we owe to You, so that we may one day come to that happy home, where You with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, God, world without end. Amen."
Friday, the Second of October, is the patronal feast of our parish, the Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. In celebration of this great day, we will have our normal two daily Masses (8:00 am and 5:15 pm) along with Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament, beginning immediately after the morning Mass. Some devotions will be prayed and Benediction will take place at 4:45 pm, followed by the evening Mass, which will be sung. Following the evening Mass, Fr. Chalifoux will offer a brief catechesis in the Church on our belief in the guardian angels, specifically considering the questions of whether everyone has a guardian angel and whether the angels grieve when we sin or suffer.
Please note that Confessions are now being heard according to our previous schedule, from 2:45-3:30 on Saturday afternoons. Confessions are always available upon request and we will continue to strive to be as available as possible, especially before and after our daily Masses.
"As the failty and weakness of human nature are universally known and felt by each one in himself, no one can be ignorant of the great necessity of the Sacrament of Penance...For those who fall into sin after Baptism the Sacrament of Penance is as necessary to salvation as is Baptism for those who have no been already baptized...Should they at any time prove so unfortunate as to fall, then, looking at the infinite goodness of God, Who like the good shepherd binds up and heals the wounds of His sheep, they should not postpone recourse to the most saving remedy of Penance."
~Catechism of the Council of Trent
"But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true adorers shall adore the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeketh such to adore him." [John 4:23]
We are most pleased to announce that the offering of public Mass will resume Monday, June 1st. Our first public weekend Masses will take place during the weekend of June 6th. The Mass schedule is the same as before and is listed in the bulletin, which is available on this website and in our Churches. The obligation to attend Sunday Mass remains suspended at this time, though, of course, the obligation to keep the Sabbath Day holy remains, per divine law!
Bishop Coyne has published a set of protocols for our use during this time.
The most important safety protocols for you to be aware of at this time are the following:
-The maximum number of attendees is 25% of our seating capacity. This will present no problem for us at daily Mass. As for our weekend Masses, we will have to see. At this time, we do not anticipate the need to turn anyone away or to have to use a sign-up process of any kind.
-The use of masks is strongly encouraged. If possible, please bring your own mask and your own hand sanitizer to Mass, so that we are able to keep the parish supply available for those who do not have any.
-Social distancing is required, meaning that we keep six foot distances between ourselves both in the pews, in the Communion line, as well as before and after Mass. Of course, families and/or those who traveled together to Mass are welcome to sit together.
-The choir lofts, the adoration chapel, and the cry room will be closed for use at this time.
-People are asked not to congregate in groups before or after Mass, either inside or outside.
-There will be no hymnals/missals available in the pews, so singing will be greatly limited.
-There will be no sign of peace.
We are grateful for your patience and your cooperation in these matters. If you have any further questions, you are welcome to contact us at the rectory. However, it is likely that your questions will be answered at Holy Mass itself. We are still sorting out some of these details and figuring out how best to meet the needs of our parishioners while being prudent and striving to keep everyone safe. As I have mentioned several times before, the priority remains the salvation of souls. Therefore, we are so happy to be welcoming you back to assist at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Please be assured of our continued daily prayers for all of you. Thank you again for your patience, perseverance, and generous support.
Here are two links that will prove helpful to those trying to learn Compline according to the Roman Breviary/Divine Office:
-https://www.ccwatershed.org/2016/10/22/compline-online-chant-notation/
This site has two resources on it: one a website version of Compline, the other a printable booklet
-https://divinumofficium.com/cgi-bin/horas/officium.pl#
This site has the whole Divine Office in Latin and English. Compline can be found by clicking on "Completorium" near the bottom right.
The Bishop wants to begin slowly reopening parish life. In accordance with his directives, the first step will be in the allowing of our churches to be open for private prayers and devotions effective Monday, May 11th. The hours will be 9 am to 5 pm daily at both Holy Angels and St. Mary's. Social distancing must be maintained, and the use of gloves/face masks are recommended for those to vulnerable to sickness. This opening will be done with no media announcement, so please do spread the word. There will be no public assemblies or public liturgies permitted at this time, including Holy Mass and Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament. Confessions are still available upon request. Let us be sure to offer to God prayers of praise and thanksgiving in gratitude for this tremendous gift and let us resolve to take good advantage of this opportunity to visit our Lord and pray before Him, truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.
Please see the above video for some further details, as well as the Diocesan directives posted above.
Dear Parishioners,
A forty day trial of the Augustine Institute's "FORMED" platform has now been launched for our parish, which is exciting news for those spending more time at home these days. Formed.org now gives you access to a huge variety of catechetical videos, lecture series, live-streamed Masses, and more.
To sign in, simply go to formed.org and click "Sign Up"! Then you can click "I belong to a parish or an organization" and insert our zipcode (05478).
From there, the whole website is open to you and I encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity. The content on Formed.org is of great quality and the people there are working very hard to pass on the faith as it has been known, taught, and loved for centuries with great zeal and fidelity. The content available there can be of great help to you and your family as we enter these holiest of days. Enjoy!
Dear Parishioners,
Please find the link to Online Giving at the page above. In these extraordinary circumstances, we are most grateful for your generous support of our parish. Once again, please be assured of our prayerful remembrance of you at the altar of God.
On the same page, you can view Bishop Coyne's new message regarding the state of the Diocese and his request for your assistance with the Bishop's Appeal.
/online-giving
Dear Parishioners,
The Lord is risen! Indeed He is risen! This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad!
You are all in our prayers this day as we wish you the happiest and holiest of Easters! Thank you so very much to all those who helped make our Easter liturgies, though private, be beautiful and splendid, all for the glory of God. Enjoy this season of joyful celebration as we bask in the victory of our triumphant King.
With our love and prayers,
Msgr. Routhier
Fr. Chalifoux
Dear Parishioners,
After careful and prayersful consideration, Bishop Coyne has decided that there will be no public distribution of palms in the parishes of the Diocese of Burlington. Rather, it is recommended that the palms be stored secruely until they can be distributed publicly and safely to our parishioners.
As we approach Holy Week, please remember that the Sacraments are available upon request. If you would like to avail yourself of the Sacrament of Confession, please do not hesitate to call or visit the rectory. If you or a loved one falls ill and is in need of the Sacraments, please do not hesitate to let us know. We will be happy to serve them to the best of our abilities and to aid them with the grace of the Sacraments. Please remember that the Sacraments remain of the utmost importance now and that we must tend to the health of our souls above all else.
Please be sure to review the guide to making an act of perfect contrition and a spiritual communion: Perfect Contrition and Spiritual Communion
Dear parishioners,
The bells at St. Mary's have been recently rigged so that they can once more ring out and remind the people of our lovely city of the presence of God. I will be sure to ring them before offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass every morning and before praying Vespers every evening. Look to the Heavens, from whence shall come our help!
Psalm 121 [120]
I have lifted up my eyes to the moutains, from whence help shall come to me.
My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer they foot to be moved: neither let him slumber that keepeth thee.
Behold, he shall neither slumber nor sleep, that keepeth Israel.
The Lord is they keeper, the Lord is thy protection upon thy right hand.
I have worked out all the kinks for the recording of Masses, and none of the mistakes I've made thus far should happen again. For this Sunday (3/29), the recording only lasted through the Offertory. But I hope you still find it helpful! From here on out, full recordings of my morning Mass and homily should be made available each afternoon. Thank you for your patience. Again, the videos can be found under the "Sacraments" tab, on the link for "Videos and Photos."
At this time (3/27/20), Confessions are only being heard by appointment and cannot be heard inside the Church. They are always available upon request and we will do all we can to preserve anonymity according to your wishes. Please call the rectory at 802-524-2585 to make an appointment and feel free to leave us a message if we do not answer. Never hesitate to knock or call!
Dear Members of our Parish,
In keeping with the governor’s order, Burlington Bishop Christopher Coyne has directed that all Catholic churches, chapels and shrines throughout the state be closed as of 5 p.m. on March 25th.
The priests of our parish will continue to offer their private Masses each morning, praying and interceding for you at the altar of God. Bulletins can be picked up across the street at the rectory and they can also be found posted here on our website.
Dear families and friends, brothers and sisters in Christ, I know these are challenging days and you are daily in my prayers. Please know that I am here for you in any way that I can be of assistance, especially regarding the means of grace and the Sacraments. Please do not hesitate at all to reach out if there is some way that we can be ministering to you as priests of Christ. I am working on various ways to be present to the community insofar as possible and I am always open to any suggestions that may prove helpful in that regard. My Sunday homilies will be posted on our parish website and I am looking into video options. Above all, please look to the Heavens in this time, and implore God to have mercy on us and to send us His aid swiftly. Be assured of the intercession of all the saints, especially our own dear St. Alban. Be assured of the presence of Christ, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in our tabernacles. Though our Churches are so sadly locked at this time, Christ remains there, reigning as our King, and He will be with us, even unto the end of time. And I will continue to kneel in His presence every day, pleading with Him on your behalf. I urge you, in this dark hour, to increase your life of prayer, to turn to God with all your hearts, to renew your complete reliance upon our good and triumphant Lord. If seized and embraced as a share in Christ's cross, this time of chastisement and purification could be for our community, our Church, a great outpouring of grace. Let us pray together that when our good Lord brings us back together, there will be found among us a renewed love for the treasure that is the Most Holy Eucharist and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Be patient and kind to one another in these days, attentive to those burdened with fear or loneliness. Take time to renew a life at home that is marked by happiness and pleasant rest in one another's company; sing songs, read stories, laugh, and pray together, knowing that we remain God's dear children. And once again, know that I am united to you in prayer. Please pray for me.
Finally, please do not hesitate to contact the rectory with any needs, but especially if someone should fall ill. We will be sure to minister to them to the best of our abilities and would not want anyone to endure a serious sickness unaided by the Sacraments of the Church.