Mass Times
Monday - Friday
8:00 am - 12 noon - 5:30 pm
Weekend Mass
Saturday
8:00 am - 12 noon - 4:00 pm
Sunday
8:00 am - 10:00 am - 12 noon
Holiday periods may affect these times
Confession Schedule at end of page
Upcoming Holy Hours
Holy Hour for Life
Wednesday, May 22 at 4 PM
Holy Hour for Vocations
Wednesday, May 29 at 4 PM
Thursday, May 9, 2024
The Ascension is the elevation of Christ into heaven by His own power on the fortieth day after His Resurrection. It is narrated in Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, and in the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
Masses
Wednesday vigil 5:30 pm
Thursday at 8am, 12pm, 5:30 pm
Shrine Gift Shop and Bookstore
First Communion - Confirmation
Graduation
Fine quality religious mementos to commemorate these milestone events
in the lives of loved ones are on display and available for your hands-on
consideration and purchase.
Visit us today!
This Week's Message
from Fr. Amesse
May 5, 2024
On Sunday, May 19, we will gather after each Mass, downstairs in the hall. We will honor, Father Conserva and Father Tremblay. On May 18, they will celebrate 50 years of being priests. On May 10, I had my 40th. Come down, for coffee and donuts.
It’s now Mary’s month. I am learning how the Oblates, one in particular, had a special friendship with St. Bernadette Soubirous. She saw the Blessed Mother at Lourdes in 1858. Father Ferdinand Gondrand was the Oblate. Can we enter Mary’s Magnificat during the month May, in this year of 2024?
Mary prayed after hearing from the Archangel Gabriel that she would be the Mother of God. For God has looked upon the lowliness of His servant. St. Bernadette knew she was not worthy to see Mary. Eighteen times, Mary appeared to Bernadette. She said she was irresistibly drawn to Mary.
Imagine what it was like for her to look at Mary, and for Mary to look at her. “The more I look at my God, the more God looks at me. The more I pray, the more He thinks about me.” (St. Bernadette). Can we not ever give up at looking at God? Can we believe what Bernadette did when she said, “I was nothing and out of this nothing, Jesus made something great.” I am sure Father Gene and Father Steve have made these words their own, the past 50 years of priestly life. I know I have. So, on May 19, it will not be a question of remembering our nothingness. We will honor the greatness of God.
I remember you at Mass!
The Saint that Came to Lowell
As previously announced, the Holy Father, Pope Francis has approved the final miracle for the Canonization of Blessed Marie-Léonie Paradis, Founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family of Sherbrook, Quebec. Although the date of her Canonization has not yet been determined, the Shrine will honor the future saint on her Feast Day, Saturday, May 4. Br. Richard Coté, Shrine Historian, will give a reflection on the life of St. Marie-Léonie after Mass has concluded at both the 8am and Noon Masses.
St. Marie-Léonie’s Cause is very dear to the Missionary Oblates here in Lowell and in Tewksbury. Mother Léonie came to Lowell in 1900 to establish a Convent of her Sisters at St. Jean Baptiste Rectory. From these humble beginnings in the rectory attic, the sisters followed the Oblates when they established rectories at Notre Dame de Lourdes and St. Jeanne d’Arc parishes, and at the Oblate Retirement home in Tewksbury. They also served here at St. Joseph Shrine in the 1970’s and 80’s. The sisters soon saw American women so interested in their two-fold ministry of prayer and domestic service to clergy and religious, that they opened a Novitiate house on Andover Street. With the decline in religious vocations to their kind of ministry, the sisters returned to their Motherhouse in Canada in 2004.
Shrine patrons are welcome to venerate the Relic of St. Marie-Leonie Paradis after Mass. Br. Richard will also be available for any who would like more information on the Saint that came to Lowell.
May is the month
of Our Lady
In the Gospel of Luke, the Incarnation is announced with these words: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee (Douay-Rheims). Much of the history of Catholic-Protestant debates is really a tug-of-war over the second Greek word in that salutation, translated in English as ‘full of grace.’ But the first word in that greeting also speaks volumes about who Mary is and what has fundamentally changed in the order of creation with the Incarnation: Hail.
But hail is much more than just a synonym of hello with a bold exclamation point after it. In the ancient Roman world, hail—in the Latin, ave—was used to address Roman emperors. Hail was still used as exclamation in Shakespeare, most often to address a royal person or some other person of superior status. In Hamlet, this is how the tragic prince is greeted by his friend, Horatio: Hail to your lordship! (Act 1, scene 2). In the Tempest, when the merchant Prospero summons his servant, the man responds: All hail, great master! (Act 1, scene 2). And of course, we find Hail Caesar more than once in the play, Julius Caesar.
Behind the Scenes
Many thanks to Angel Torres, our dedicated Maintenance man for completely refurbishing the Shrine’s first floor Ladies’ Room – from replacing the flooring to upgrading all the porcelain appliances in the room. All of this done at minimal cost – the only expense being the purchase of discounted materials.
In the coming weeks, he plans to do similar upgrades in the first floor Men’s Room.
Legion of Mary
at the Shrine
Meetings are held in the downstairs Conference Hall each week after the Sunday 12:00 noon Mass.
The Legion of Mary is a Marian movement founded in Ireland in the 1920’s. It is currently the largest apostolic organization of lay people in the Catholic Church.
Pope Francis’ May
Prayer Intention
We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.
Pure in Heart
Pure in Heart (young adults ages 18-35) meets at 7pm in the Shrine Conference Room on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month. The next session will be May 14. Learn more
- 5:30 - Mass at the Shrine
- 6:15 - Social
- 7:00 - Meeting
Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Brazil
Four young Oblates from the Eastern U.S. arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1945, after difficult travel in the immediate post-war period. The Superior was Lowell native, Father Walter Mooney, OMI. Beginning with ministry to the English-speaking colony of the area, they and succeeding U.S. Oblates were assigned to outlying priest-less districts and the desperately poor urban favela slums of Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Belen in the Amazonian north.
Several Oblates were targeted by the authoritarian regime for imprisonment and even torture because of their championing the interest of the indigenous people and the poor of the city of Recife whom they served.
Joined the 1960’s and 1970’s by Oblate missionaries from the Central U.S., Canada, France, Belgium and Ireland and an increasing number of Brazilian Oblates, the Brazilian Province now numbers 65 priests, Brothers and seminarians in four districts. They work to extend the Word and Work of the Gospel through pastoral ministry, social services, and the formation and support of Basic Christian communities throughout the vast country.
The vast favela slums of the cities where Oblates have lived and served.
On that Good Friday, standing at the foot of the Cross, you were led to understand your vocation to give yourself to the service of your Savior through the gift of your whole life as a priest.
St. Eugene, guide us to the Savior in our time of need!
Downes Parking Garage Ticket Validation
- Available in the Gift Shop /Bookstore on Monday through Saturday from 9 am - 5 pm.
- Sunday street parking is always free
- Those attending the Saturday 4 pm Vigil Mass who park in the Downes Garage can still validate their ticket in the Gift Shop before Mass.
Praying with the Stained Glass Windows of
St. Joseph the Worker Shrine
Part I - The 100 Year+ Windows Series
Part II - The St. Joseph Windows
Ring the Bells of the Shrine
Everyday of the year, the “Bells of St. Joseph” ring-out God’s praise for all to hear!
Our Carillon can play Special Hymns of your choice any day of the year. At your request, our chimes will ring in honor of loved ones for the entire community to hear and prayerfully remember.Your offering of $20.00 will be greatly appreciated and will assist us in maintaining the Shrine and its ministries. Thank You!
Bell-ringing selections may be reserved for specific days & times throughout the year(s) in the Shrine Gift Shop/Bookstore.
St. Eugene de Mazenod’s Prayer to the Sorrowful Mother
O Lord, Almighty God, you endowed the Blessed Virgin Mary with the fullness of every gift and grace. By allowing her heart to be pierced with the deepest sorrow, you crowned her merit and placed her at the head of countless legions of martyrs who, for love of your Son Jesus Christ, have shed their blood. Through the painful martyrdom endured by this gentle Mother seeing her beloved Son dying as a Victim because of his love for us, grant us the grace to bear with fortitude the disappointments and setbacks in our life, and not to fear torment or death itself, when we are called to confess our faith in Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Shrine Memorial Plaques
Since 1868, this holy place - dedicated to the honor of St. Joseph - has been a treasured oasis of prayer and serenity in the heart of the city of Lowell. For generations, many have found great solace and experienced healing and reconciliation for themselves and their families within this holy sanctuary.
In gratitude many have chosen to memorialize their loved ones by inscribing their names on the very walls of this grace-filled place. To inscribe the names of loved ones on our newly expanded Remembrance Wall, please make arrangements in the Gift Shop/Bookstore – at the same desk where Masses are registered.
Light Up Shrine Candles Online
Click to Light a Candle
Thank you!
Please choose your donation amount. $5.00 is the standard donation per candle online
Archdiocesan COVID protocols lifted
Learn more here
Confession and Adoration
Confession
Mon - Friday
10:00 am - noon
4:30 pm - 5:15 pm
Saturday
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
First Wednesday of the month
Eucharistic Adoration
The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for adoration on -
Saturday after the noon Mass until the 4:00 pm Mass
First Fridays after the noon Mass until the 5:30 pm Mass
Say NO to Physician Assisted Suicide in Massachusetts
Learn more
Gift Shop, Office and Museum Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Rebecca Duda, Bulletin Editor
Jessica Rauseo, Business Office Manager
Gift Shop & Bookstore
Aurea Torres, Gift Shop Manager
Hours
Monday - Saturday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
First Sunday of each month 8:30 am - 1:30 pm
If for any reason you're still unable to visit the Shrine or Gift Shop and you'd like to book a Mass Intention request please call the Gift Shop Manager at 978-459-9522 x213 or email AureaTorres@stjosephshrine.org
Oblate Historical Museum
Brother Richard Cote, Museum Curator
Saturdays 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Sundays 8:30 am -1:15 pm
During Lent - Wednesday 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm