The Catholic Parishes 

of Stoughton 

Magnificat (Click Here): Magnificat is honored to provide complimentary access to its online version and resources to help people pray from home.

Catholic Current (Click Here): The USCCB is offering prayers and resources for engagement during this difficult time.

The Word Among Us (Click Here): The Word Among Us, a Catholic devotional magazine designed to help people to pray and read Scripture, is offering its entire website, including daily Mass readings and countless resources, free of charge.

Give Us this Day (Click Here) : Give Us this Day is centered on the Word of God and provides a relevant and trustworthy understanding of Scripture, including daily Mass texts.

Dynamic Catholic (Click Here): Each of the 84 episodes will engage your children’s sense of wonder and take them on an unforgettable adventure into the story of Jesus and the life-giving truths of his Church.

Links and other Resources regarding COVID-19

CDC Website

Workplace Guidance

Novena for Protection Against Coronavirus

Vatican Decree on Virus Indulgences 

Pope annouces extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing
 

Immaculate Conception and St. James depend on the weekly offertory to help run the daily operations of our parishes. The directive by Cardinal Sean O’Malley to suspend Masses until further notice will have a major impact on our financial stability; which will impact the Church’s mission. We are asking you to please consider signing up for Online Giving to help support our churches during this time. Please click on the link below to sign up for online giving. Thank you again for your continued support and generosity.
 

This website is updated daily with the most current information. 

Peace be with you! 
 

Welcome to the Catholic Parishes of Stoughton. We are a Roman Catholic community of faith, nourished by the Eucharist and committed to living out our faith in service to others. It’s our hope that no matter where you are on your life’s journey, you will find a home here. Please join us as we worship our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the source of all our faith, hope, strength and joy.

              Peace and blessings!
              Fr. Joe Mazzone
              Pastor of St. James &                    Immaculate Conception 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING
COVID-19 VIRUS

In these strange and difficult days we are living through, my friends, one thing is always constant; the love, compassion, the hope and the joy we take in the abiding presence of our savior, Jesus Christ. He calms the stormy seas. He brings hope and healing. He reminds us always, even in times such as these, to “be not afraid.” In these uncertain days and weeks ahead, may we put all our faith in Him. In this time of necessary “social distancing,” may always be united in prayer, especially for those who have been most affected by this health crisis — physically, economically, spiritually — and for those who provide care for them. (It’s our hope that our website — with daily reflections by your priests, televised Sunday Mass, and other spiritual resources, does just that.) Please be assured of my prayers and the prayers of my fellow priests, Fr. Eduardo and Fr. Will. We are offering Mass each day for you and your intentions.

These strange and unsettling times, my friends, offer us a spiritual opportunity. My hope is that this is a time that will bring out the best in us, a time when we all come together — even if only virtually — united in Him. May Jesus, the Divine Physician, inspire us and fill our hearts with the hope that only He can give. May His glory be revealed through all that we say and all that we do.

May the peace of Christ be with you, now and always.

Fr. Joe

To My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Peace be with you. My friends, this past weekend we celebrated the Fourth Sunday of Lent, also known as “Laetare Sunday.” The name comes from the opening words (also known as the entrance antiphon or introit) of the Mass; in Latin, “Laetare, Jerusalem.” The full quote is worth sharing. “Rejoice, O Jerusalem; and come together all you that love her. Rejoice with joy, you that have been in sorrow, that you may satisfied at her consoling breast, that you may exult and be filled with consolation.” (Isaiah 66:10-11) Powerful words, my friends, and worth meditating on, especially in these strange, surreal days. There is always a reason to rejoice as long as we have Jesus. 

As I was praying today, I was reminded of a certain time in my life, about thirty years ago. I didn’t always wear glasses, but in my early twenties, I realized that something was wrong with my vision. I love to read but it was becoming increasingly difficult. The words on the page kept snapping in and out of focus, as if someone were waving their fingers backwards and forwards in front of my eyes. Every now and then a word would seem clear and then get blurry again. I can’t tell you how long I let this go on. Finally, I went to an eye doctor and he prescribed my very first pair of eyeglasses. Putting them on was a revelation. In an instant, everything was in focus. 

I think Lent can be like those eyeglasses. The times we are living through are confusing, discombobulating, distracting. Between all the news reports, issuances from the governor, the president, the schools and yes, even the churches, there are seemingly thousands of things competing for our attention. Despite the “stay-at-home” mandate, so many of you have told me that you are as busy now as you were before the crisis; perhaps even more. (It has certainly become so for me!) It is so difficult to have clarity in times like this. We need something to help us focus on what is most meaningful, to help us see that even in the midst of all this confusion, there is Jesus. This is what Lent can be. And “Laetare Sunday,” literally “Joyful Sunday,” comes at the perfect time. As you know, it is the day when the priests wear rose-colored vestments. So, perhaps it can be a time when we look at the world through rose-colored glasses. Doing so doesn’t mean that we see the good in things while being oblivious to the negative. It means we see the good in things in spite of the negative. It means we look at the world and, in spite of the challenges and tragedies that we see, we know deep in our heart that there is still a reason to be joyful. It’s not because we are oblivious to what is happening. It’s because we know that even in the midst of it, Jesus is present; consoling, guiding, inspiring, healing and giving us hope. 

May God bless you and your families. Be assured that your are in my prayers, and the prayers of all your priests, every day at the altar. 

Fr. Joe

O Mary,
you always shine on our path
as a sign of salvation and of hope.
We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick,
who at the cross took part in Jesus' pain, keeping your faith firm.
You, Salvation of the Roman People,
know what we need,
and we are sure you will provide
so that, as in Cana of Galilee,
we may return to joy and to feasting
after this time of trial.
Help us, Mother of Divine Love,
to conform to the will of the Father
and to do as we are told by Jesus,
who has taken upon himself our sufferings
and carried our sorrows
to lead us, through the cross,
to the joy of the resurrection. Amen.
Under your protection, we seek refuge, Holy Mother of God. Do not disdain the entreaties of we who are in trial, but deliver us from every danger, O glorious and blessed Virgin.