Saint Mary: 626 Willard Ave, Newington, CT 06111
(860) 666-1591

Holy Spirit: 183 Church St, Newington, CT 06111
(860) 666-5671

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    Questions? We've got answers!

    Submit your questions or topics on our faith that you'd like to see addressed, and one of our priests will post the answers in a column here on the website.
      All submissions are anonymous, 
    *For Mass intentions or personal matters please contact the Rectory Office directly*
Miss hearing our Music Ministry? They're coming to you!
Check back here regularly to hear online performances of our cantors and choirs in their Music Ministry Video Production series.
Here's just a sneak peek of what is to come... enjoy!
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Mass for the 5th Sunday of Lent​
Mass for the 4th Friday of Lent
Fr. Josh celebrated Mass this morning at Northwest Catholic High School, where he is also the school chaplain, via online streaming.

You can view the Mass by the link below. You do not need a Microsoft Account to access the live event. From a computer, choose "Watch on the Web Instead" and choose "Join Anonymously." From a mobile device, please download Microsoft Teams in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and the event will run through that app.
http://tiny.cc/NWCVirtualMass
Mass for the 4th Wednesday of Lent
Fr. Josh celebrated the TV Mass this morning at the Office of Radio & Television. Please click the picture below to view it online.
Mass for the 4th Tuesday of Lent
Mass for the 4th Monday of Lent
Mass for the 4th Sunday of Lent
A message from our pastor, Fr. Shawn Daly:
March 19, 2020

I’ve been worried about many things these last few days.
But one thing keeps coming to mind, something no priest really wants to bring up at a time like this: Money.

How is Annunciation Parish going to make ends meet if we have to go for weeks without taking up a collection? There are bills to be paid — light, gas, heat — plus payrolls to be met and insurance bills to be paid. Even though Masses are not being offered publicly, many parish services continue, both Sacramental and those behind the scenes.

So I want to offer one simple suggestion for everyone who wants to support us during these trying times:

Start giving online. Now.

It’s easy to set up. It’s safe and secure and gives you one less thing to have to worry about every week. Please see the links below.

However, if you wish to mail your contribution to the parish, please use your church envelopes and send them directly to us at: Annunciation Parish 626 Willard Ave., Newington, CT 06111.

Annunciation Parish depends on regular weekly donations from our parishioners to fulfill the spiritual needs of our parish community. Thank you for your past and future support of Annunciation Parish.

With gratitude and prayers,
Fr. Shawn Daly

For Holy Spirit Church: 
https://www.osvonlinegiving.com/983
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For St. Mary's Church:
https://www.osvonlinegiving.com/467
March 20, 2020
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​They say better late than never!

Here is the Mass for the 3rd Friday of Lent celebrated by Fr. Josh earlier today. This is our first venture into streaming our liturgies on Facebook and on our website, so it's not perfect, but we hope to utilize Facebook and our website to remain in contact with our parishioners during this difficult time.

Fr. Shawn and Fr. Josh will celebrate the Mass for the Fourth Sunday in Lent tomorrow and we hope to have that video posted by our usual 4:00 Vigil Mass time, so we hope you will be able to join us in prayer whenever is convenient for you.

Even though we can't be together to worship at this time, know that we are praying for all of you... please keep us in your prayers as well! Know that we are still available at the rectory, so please feel free to give us a call: (860) 666-1591

Confessions will continue on Saturdays from 3:00-3:45 at both churches. (Please use the screen!)
We hope to SEE you all soon. In the meantime, let us pray for each other, our country, and our world.
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God bless!
Fr. Shawn & Fr. Josh

Fr. Josh Answers Your Questions!

Thank you to all parishioners who submitted questions - and to Fr. Josh for providing insightful answers!

Response in regard to questions regarding the current caronavirus pandemic:

As you can image, we have received several inquiries from parishioners concerned about the current caronavirus pandemic. The situation is very fluid at this time, but be assured that we are taking the necessary precautions to make sure everyone is safe in our worship spaces. All surfaces that come in regular contact are being sterilized, including but not limited to pews, door handles, liturgical vessels, etc. While our churches remain open, please be prudent about Mass attendance. Archbishop Blair has issued a dispensation from attending Sunday Mass for all parishioners of the Archdiocese of Hartford through March 29th. We will be posting a video from Archbishop Blair shortly on our website. In the meantime, let us all pray for each other and place our trust in the loving arms of our Savior.

Can someone get confirmed who is an adult that was not married in the Church? (baptism & communion received)

Absolutely! The best route to confirmation as an adult is through the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program. Deacon Jim Tanguay is the director of our program at Annunciation Parish and he would be glad to help you get the process started. He can be reached by calling the rectory at (860) 666-1591 or via email at deaconjimt@annunciationnewington.com. We can also explore the possibility of having your marriage blessed by the Church (otherwise called Convalidation).

What is the correct version of the Bible to buy from a store or online?

Finding a good Bible translation can be a daunting task. For Catholics, the two most popular versions are the New American Bible (NAB) and the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). The New American Bible matches most closely with what you hear at Mass, but the NAB and NRSV are great versions, especially the study Bibles. For reference, here are two links to some great study Bibles on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Study-Bible-2011-09-30-Paperback-dp-B01FW69U3O/dp/B01FW69U3O/ref=mt_paperback?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1580663988

https://www.amazon.com/HarperCollins-Study-Bible-Revised-Updated/dp/0061228400/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1580664035&sr=1-1


Why are Protestants so negative about Mary?

Many people have many different views about Mary, but yes, there can be a misconception that as Catholics we "worship" Mary in the same way we worship Jesus. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Mary always points us in the way of Jesus Christ, our one and only redeemer. The hiccup that some have is the fact that we pray to Mary, which is true. Yes, we pray to Mary, but much in the same way that we ask other people to pray for us. Because we know that Mary is in Heaven with our Lord, we ask her to pray for us, knowing that her only desire is for us to know and experience the love of her son, Jesus Christ. What a beautiful gift it is to have such a loving person praying for us in Heaven!


Please explain what Paul was saying in Romans 3:23-27 and how it applies to us:
Firstly, here is the scripture passage being referenced:
23 all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. 24 They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as an expiation,[a] through faith, by his blood, to prove his righteousness because of the forgiveness of sins previously committed, 26 through the forbearance of God—to prove his righteousness in the present time, that he might be righteous and justify the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 What occasion is there then for boasting?[b] It is ruled out. On what principle, that of works? No, rather on the principle of faith.[c] (taken from the Bible Gateway at www.biblegateway.com)
Because of original sin, we are all inclined to sin... we have to work at our holiness. Just like anything else that is good and worth obtaining, it takes practice and intentional effort to cultivate holiness in our lives. St. Paul was always very careful to remind people of his time that it was of vital importance to worship in community, or in communion, so that we might be a support to each other in our efforts to align ourselves more with Christ than with the sinful inclinations of our human nature. This still very much applies to us today. Even though our Church isn't perfect, we are still called to worship together so that we can be an inspiration to each other and not have to "go it alone". Verse 27 brings up the age-old argument of faith vs. works as a means of our salvation. While St. Paul is not trying to say one or the other is necessary for our salvation here, it is worth pointing out that works are a result of our faith. What good is our faith if we are practicing it only for our own salvation? We are called to share our faith via works in the great hope that God will work through our efforts to bring the light of the Gospel to all we encounter.

What is the proper way to dispose of last year's palms?
Since the palms were blessed at Palm Sunday, the appropriate way to dispose of palms (along with almost any other blessed object) is either to burn or bury them. If neither option is feasible for you, bring them to the parish and we'll be able to dispose of them in the proper manner.

Did Jesus baptize John after John baptized him?
God certainly places a high emphasis on baptism, as Jesus himself was baptized according to the Gospels. We can't know for sure whether John the Baptist was baptized himself as the Gospels aren't clear on this, but what we do know for sure is that baptism is the Sacrament by which we are claimed by Christ through his own baptism. The purity of the baptismal water is a symbol of our cleansing, but the Sacrament itself is an actual cleansing of original sin.

Are there confession times posted anywhere?
Yes! Confession times are posted on our website as well as our bulletin. 3:00-3:45 on Saturdays at Holy Spirit Church and 3:15-3:45 on Saturdays at St. Mary Church. Of course, you can always call the parish office to schedule a time for confession outside of our regularly-scheduled confessions.

Was there supposed to be a One Minute Reflection in the month of November?
Yes, there was... and December! Unfortunately, Fr. Josh's voice was kidnapped by a cold and we were waiting for its return. Even more unfortunately, that hasn't happened yet... but we posted one for January voice or no voice! We hope you enjoy our reflections, which we hope to be posting much more regularly going forward.

What do you think about people wanting Mary to have the title of "Co-Redemptrix"?
The short answer is there is only one savior and redeemer, and that is Jesus Christ. Not to belittle the role that the Blessed Mother played in bringing Christ into the world, but she in no way ever desired a share in her son's redeeming nature. In fact, Mary only ever points us in the way of her son, Jesus Christ, as our redeemer. Pope Francis recently spoke on this subject, bluntly calling any notion that Mary is a Co-Redemptress as "foolishness." What we do have in Mary, among many other things, is one that prays for us constantly that we might know the true redeeming nature of her son.

What is the history of the St. Michael Prayer?
As many of us are aware, Archbishop Leonard Blair mandated that the St. Michael Prayer be prayed at the end of every Mass in the Archdiocese of Hartford, especially in light of the resurfacing of allegations of abuse within the Church. This is a very powerful prayer to combat the forces of evil. For a brief history of the prayer, we suggest the following link: https://aleteia.org/2017/09/25/the-demonic-vision-that-inspired-the-st-michael-prayer/

What is being done regarding the safety of parishioners in our churches?
In a society where it seems every other day we hear about a mass shooting, the Church has taken a proactive approach to ensure that we respond to unanticipated threats in an appropriate manner. Priests of the Archdiocese of Hartford have been briefed and trained by the Connecticut State Police on ways to recognize and respond to crisis situations. In our own parish we have several retired law enforcement officers that have also been trained in this area that are able to respond should the need ever arise.

Annunciation Parish News

January 2020 One Minute Reflection

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Contact Us
Church of the Holy Spirit
183 Church Street
Newington, CT 06111
​Phone: 860-666-5671
​Fax: 860-666-9784
Saint Mary Church
626 Willard Avenue
Newington, CT 06111
Phone: 860-666-1591
​Fax: 860-666-5720

Mass Schedule

Saturday Evening  Vigil
4:00pm  (Saint Mary, Holy Spirit)
Sunday
7:30am (Holy Spirit)
8:00am (Saint Mary)
9:30am (Holy Spirit)
10:00am (Saint Mary)
 11:30am (Saint Mary)
12:00pm (Holy Spirit)

Daily Mass
Holy Spirit
9:00am (Monday - Saturday)
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Holy Days
8:30am (Saint Mary)
9:00am (Holy Spirit)
12:10pm (Saint Mary)
5:30pm (Holy Spirit)
 

Eucharistic Adoration
Tuesday 6:00pm-7:00pm (Holy Spirit)

Parish Office

Monday-Friday: 9:00am-2:00pm (Holy Spirit)
​Monday-Thursday: 9:00am–4:00pm (St. Mary)

Religious Education Office

​Monday - Thursday: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Phone: ​860-666-3562