Announcements

Commentator Notes

St. John of the Cross Cluster

September 12 & 13, 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) There is an update to the nursing home Mass schedule listed in the paper bulletin. Due to the Priest Vicariate meeting in Caribou, the Mass on Friday, September 18, will be celebrated at St. Joseph Memory Care at 10:00 a.m. 

(2) Please Read Our Bulletins: This weekend’s bulletin contains important information about Children’s Masses, Faith Formation, a message from our pastor about the General Assembly, job opportunities, and much more. The bulletins are available for you to take home. Please take a copy and read it carefully so that you can stay informed about what is happening in our Cluster. 

(3) A Healing Mass will be celebrated on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at St. Mary Church in Houlton. Beginning at 5:00 p.m., Adoration and the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be available before Mass. You are invited to bring your articles of devotion for a special blessing during the Mass. This program is organized by the Christian Life Center (CLC).    

2. 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. 

3. Thank you for your contribution to the Catholic Appeal. The Diocese’s goal is $4,000,000. To date, Notre Dame du Mont Carmel has reached 68% of its goal of $26,830.83, and Our Lady of the Valley has reached 90% of its goal of $15,732.00. The Catholic Appeal is still ongoing, and every gift brings us closer to reaching 100% of our parish goals.

4. Gratitude for the Volunteers at St. Michael Chapel: The St. Michael Chapel concluded its summer program last Sunday, September 6. Our pastor, together with the Cluster leadership, is deeply grateful to all the volunteers who made the Masses at the Chapel a lively and welcoming experience. We especially thank the Collins family, who organized the refreshments after Mass; the band for the music; and all the volunteers who helped with cleaning the chapel, proclaiming the readings, serving in the sacristy, and carrying out the many tasks that contributed to the success of the Chapel’s Summer Program. The ministry at St. Michael Chapel is greatly needed to serve our parishioners during the summer months. Thank you to everyone who generously gave their time and talents to this ministry. 

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 the Catholic University of America.

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Today is the Twenty-Fourth  Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A).

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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.