Mass Times
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - noon - 5:30 p.m.
Weekend Mass
Saturday
8:00 a.m. - noon - 4:00 p.m.
Sunday
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. - noon
Holiday periods may affect these times
Confession Schedule at end of page
Light a Devotional Candle
at the Shrine
If you are unable to visit the Shrine in person and would like to have a devotional candle lit, click on the image below.
Fr. Terry O'Connell
Memorial Digital Bulletin Board
Weekly Bulletins
February Holy Hours
Sanctity of Life
Monday, February 24 4:00 p.m.
2025 Jubilee Year Pilgrims of Hope
December 24, 2024 - January 6, 2026
Archbishop Henning has designated St. Joseph the Worker Shrine as a “Holy Site” for the Jubilee year. Under certain conditions a Plenary Indulgence may be obtained by those who take Sacramental Confession and the Eucharist and fulfill certain other prescriptions. @BostonCatholic #JubileeYear
February Jubilee Newsletter/Events
March Jubilee Newsletter/Events
This Week's Message
from Fr. Amesse
February 23, 2025
On Sunday, February 2, Archbishop Richard Henning offered Mass for the students who attend UMASS Lowell. I concelebrated. There he was. According to St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is like the living image of God the Father. I sent an invitation to Archbishop Henning to come here in May.
The bishop is a priest, first and foremost. When I was in Harrisburg, PA in the 90’s, the bishop was Nicholas Dattilo. Bishop Dattilo had a vision of the priesthood, a concept, I had never heard before. He compared the priest to an orchestra conductor. Imagine being like Arthur Fiedler?
What did the Bishop of Harrisburg mean? The priest gives to the people at Mass, in Word and in other sacraments, the living Christ. The people, then, are capable of bringing peace where there is conflict, extinguishing the fires of hatred, of seeking justice where there prevails exploitation of vulnerable human beings.
The priest gives to the baptized, day after day, Christ, who radically transforms human relationships. We will pray the Archbishop visits us sometime during the Holy Year. The bishop is like the living image of God the Father. St. Ignatius of Antioch, pray for us. St. Josephine Bakhita, hear our prayers.
I remember you at Mass.
Catholic Conversations
Dr. Rebecca Duda talks with Sacristan David Lazu about the Holy Year and St. Josephine Bakhita.
Ash Wednesday Offertory Collection
In these challenging financial times, the Archdiocese of Boston has asked that the Ash Wednesday Offertory collection taken-up at all Masses that day be dedicated to Catholic Charities and it’s local outreaches to the needy in our midst – alms for the poor.
Make checks payable to the Shrine with the memo line: Ash Wednesday Collection. Donations can also be made using the We Share Link in the top right corner of this website.
First Fridays at the Shrine
Next First Friday, March 7
Immediately following the 8:00 am Mass, we will pray the Rosary with reflections written by the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen.
Immediately after the Noon Mass to 5:15 we will have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Please keep First Fridays fervent here at the Shrine by spending some time with our Lord.
24 Hour Adoration & Confession
March 28-29
While the Lady of the Cape is here, the Shrine be offering 24 Hour Eucharistic Adoration & 24 Hour Confession on March 28-29, The 24 hours will begin at 4 pm on March 29 and will conclude with the 4 pm Mass on March 29. Please see Sacristan David Lazu to sign up.
PILGRIM VIRGIN STATUE TO VISIT SHRINE
March 28-30
The Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Notre Dame du Cap (Our Lady of the Cape) from Notre Dame du Cap Shrine in Three-Rivers, Canada will be visiting the Shrine March 28-29-30, 2025, as an integral part of “Pilgrims of Hope” Jubilee 2025.
. . . Father Luc Desilets re-introduced devotion to the rosary and soon numbers to the nightly recitation increased. When the small fieldstone church of 1720 could no longer accommodate parishioners, it was decided that a larger church was needed. It would be built with stones from a quarry on the opposite side of the St. Lawrence River once it had frozen in the winter. Fr. Desilets urged his congregation to begin praying the rosary for nine days that ice would form on the river. He also promised the Blessed Virgin that if she interceded, he would rededicate the old church to her instead. Despite it being an unusually mild winter in 1879, a small section of the St. Lawrence froze sufficiently by the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19th. By adding more snow and water to the ice floes that had gathered, parishioners were able to construct a narrow mile-and-a-half long ice bridge.
The Miracle of the Ice Bridge
The ice held for a full week which allowed for the stones to be hauled across on horse-drawn sledges. During that time, Our Lady was watching over the transport of stones over the ice bridge. This prodigy (phenomenon) was dubbed the Miracle of the Ice Bridge. It also became known as the “Bridge of Rosaries” since the men transporting the stones over the ice bridge recited the rosary for protection. To be continued . . .
Shrine Gift Shop and Bookstore
We have an extensive selection of books, prayer cards, statues, gift cards,
religious articles, nativity sets and many more gift ideas!
The Gift Shop/Bookstore is open at convenient shopping times:
Monday thru Saturday 9-5 and every first Sunday of the month
Legion of Mary
at the Shrine
Meetings are held in the downstairs Conference Hall each week after the Sunday 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’ Febuary
Prayer Intention
Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ's mission in the priesthood and religious life
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 on February 25th . Learn more
- 5:30 p.m. - Mass at the Shrine
- 6:15 p.m. - Social
- 7:00 p.m. - Meeting
Words of wisdom from the letters of St. Eugene de Mazoned, founder of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate and the patron saint of dysfunctional families:
“...put to good advantage the talents that the good God has given you…”
-1826 letter to Br. Nicolas Riccardi
St. Joseph
Terror of Demons
Pray for us!
Downes Parking Garage Ticket Validation
- Available in the Gift Shop /Bookstore on Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Sunday street parking is always free
- Those attending the Saturday 4 p.m. 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.
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
Gift Shop, Office and Museum Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Rebecca Duda, Bulletin Editor
Jessica Rauseo, Business Office Manager
Gift Shop & Bookstore
Aurea Torres, Gift Shop Manager
Hours
Monday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
First Sunday of each month 8:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
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, OMI,
Museum Curator/Historian
Saturdays 8:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Sundays 8:30 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
Jubilee Year 2025 Hours
Wednesday and Friday 8:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
Say NO to Physician Assisted Suicide in Massachusetts
Learn more