Announcements

Commentator Notes

St. John of the Cross Cluster

October 31 & November 1, 2026

Welcome to St. John of the Cross Cluster. We are glad that you are here to worship with us as our brothers and sisters in Christ.

1. Save the dates–Please visit our website for more information:

(1) Winter Mass Schedule: The winter Mass schedule will begin on November 2, 2026. Beginning that day, Masses and activities will be consolidated at two churches only: St. Thomas and St. Agatha. Therefore, next weekend, Masses will be celebrated at either St. Thomas or St. Agatha. Please plan ahead for these changes and consult the bulletin for Mass locations and times. 

(2) Please Read Our Bulletins: This weekend’s bulletin contains an important message and instructions regarding the winter Mass schedule and how to care for our churches during the winter. Bulletins are available for you to take home. Please take a copy and read it carefully to stay informed about the new arrangements in our Cluster.

(3) Turkey Dinner: To help address our current financial challenges, Our Lady of the Valley Parish is organizing a Turkey Dinner this Sunday, November 1, 2026, at St. Joseph’s Parish Hall, at 11:00 a.m. Tickets are $15 each. Eat in or take out. Your participation and generosity will be a great help to our parish during this difficult time. We must work together to address our financial deficit and pay our bills. Continuing to operate at a deficit has led to the financial situation we face today, including the need to idle some of our facilities for the winter. Together, we can make a difference. Let our love for the Catholic Church inspire us to support our parish community.

(4) Pastoral and Administrative Arrangements for November: Fr. Simon will be returning home to Benin for the month of November. During his absence, Fr. Benito will oversee the pastoral life of the Cluster. Msgr. Labrie, the Vicar Forane, will oversee the Cluster’s temporal administration. We are also grateful to the senior priests who have agreed to celebrate Masses during this period. 

2. Welcome to Our New Cluster Financial Operations Manager: St. John of the Cross Cluster is pleased to announce the hiring of Ms. Laura A. Roy as our new Cluster Financial Operations Manager. We congratulate Laura on her appointment and look forward to her service to our two parishes. Let us keep her in our prayers as she begins this new role.

3. Job and Volunteer Opportunities: The Cluster is seeking a few volunteers to help with Faith Formation at Our Lady of the Valley Parish and Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish. We also need a part-time Cemetery Operations Coordinator. Please contact the parish office in Madawaska for more information. 

4. Thank you for your generous support of the Catholic Appeal. To date, Notre Dame du Mont Carmel Parish has reached 72% of its goal of $26,830.83, while Our Lady of the Valley Parish has reached 96% of its goal of $15,732.00. The Catholic Appeal is still ongoing, and every gift is greatly appreciated. We are making progress toward reaching 100% of our parish goals. Let us continue working together! 

5. Scam Alert: Please remember that we will never send you an email or text message asking you to purchase gift cards or send money. If you receive such a message, please delete it. It is a scam. Do not reply or click on any links. Always verify the sender's identity, and if you are ever in doubt, please call the parish office before taking any action. 

The second collection this week will be for ALL SAINTS.

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Today is the Solemnity of All Saints. 

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Other information

4. Due to rising maintenance costs, our parish cemeteries are currently operating at a loss. As a result, we have revised our funeral and cemetery fees to ensure their proper care and dignity. The new policy includes an additional fee of $150 when a family requests an external priest for a service. Please note that no one will be denied Christian burial due to financial hardship. We warmly invite your support and suggestions to help maintain our cemeteries—our common final resting places. The revised fees are posted on our website.

5. During the month of June, renovations to the CLC kitchen will begin. This project includes the replacement of the commercial stove and dishwasher, as well as the installation of new flooring. The total projected cost is $27,586.20, which exceeds our current budget. We are grateful to all who have already contributed and welcome any additional support to help keep the CLC open and serving our communities.

6. Update from the Finance Councils: The Finance Councils of both parishes met. They expressed their sincere appreciation for the faithful service and presence of our senior priests at weekday and weekend Masses, as well as at funeral liturgies. We are truly grateful for their ministry among us. In light of the financial challenges facing our parishes, the Finance Councils have recommended that, whenever an individual, a family, or the parish office requests the ministry of a priest who is not assigned to our parishes by the diocesan bishop, the person or group making the request should provide the appropriate compensation for that priest's service. This normally includes the service fee (compensation), any applicable Mass stipend, and mileage reimbursement, as agreed upon with the priest. Thank you for your understanding and your continued support of our parishes.