Celebrating 100 Years - Daughters of St. Paul

On Sunday, June 14, we attended the Eucharistic Celebration commemorating the Centenary of the Daughters of St. Paul in at the Roman Catholic Church of St. Theresa of Avila in West Roxbury, MA. The Principal Celebrant of the Liturgy was His Eminence, Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley, Archbishop of Boston, along with a number of other clergy.

The Daughters of St. Paul is a Roman Catholic international religious congregation founded in 1915 in Italy by Blessed James Alberione and Venerable Mother Thecla Merlo. The Daughters of St. Paul are called to live by the way, truth and life of Jesus and to give this to the world by the use of every available means of communication. They carry out a new form of evangelization by living and witnessing to the Faith through communications and the media.  May God continue to bless their ministry with many holy vocations.

Teen Retreat – Easton MA

The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light presented a retreat reflection on June 9 to the eighth grade students graduating from Trinity Catholic Academy, Brockton. The retreat, held at Stonehill College, was hosted and facilitated by Fr. Carlos Suarez, parochial vicar in the archdiocese of Boston, and focused on the students in their transition to high school.

The retreat began with Divine Liturgy celebrated in the Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows with Fr. Carlos setting the tone for day by reminding the students that they are the “salt of the earth” (Mt 5:13), and are meant to bring the flavor of Christ to others.  Fr. Carlos elaborated on this theme in the first reflection by reminding the teens that each person has an infinite value and dignity as a child of God, and how things can often go wrong in our lives when we forget to live up to this dignity.  

Afterwards, Mother Marla Marie presented a retreat reflection on being “enough”. Specifically, Mother Marla Marie explained how we often hear the voice of our own insecurities telling us that we are not good enough, or that we do not measure up in some way. Mother emphasized that we are ‘enough’ because God knows and sees everything, even the inner secrets of our hearts, and he loves us as we are, despite our limitations and mistakes. Mother encouraged the students, as they make their transition, to always stay anchored in the love that God has for them, so that regardless of the trials that may come, they will always know that the Father has them in the palm of His hands (cf. Is 49: 16).

Entrance Day at Maronite Servants

Petra Nakhoul entered as a postulant of the Maronite Servants of Christ the Light in Dartmouth on the feast of the Most Holy Trinity on May 31^st. Mother Marla Marie welcomed Petra at the closing of the Liturgy at the parish of Our Lady of Purgatory in New Bedford, and Father Jack Morrison, pastor, gave her a blessing.

Petra Nakhoul comes from Perth, Australia, and is the daughter of Sarkis and Georgette Nakhoul, parishioners of St. Charbel’s Maronite parish. Please join us in praying for Petra and her family as she begins the journey of religious life.

The Maronite Servants of Christ the Light are a newly founded religious congregation in the Maronite Diocese of Saint Maron and more information on their mission can be found at:

Maroniteservants.org or on their Facebook fan page (Maronite Servants). 

Welcoming New Maronites to the Catholic Church

Cody Shidell and Angela Chan received all three Mysteries of Initiation (baptism, chrismation and eucharist) on Saturday May 30^th at Our Lady of Purgatory, New Bedford celebrated during the vigil Liturgy by Father Jack Morrison, pastor. 

Both candidates were regular attendees at Mother of Light Convent, receiving their catechetical formation and preparation from Mother Marla Marie.  Cody said the weekly classes “helped me to have a deeper understanding of the faith and have helped me to get closer to God with a life full of prayer”. Angela added,  “the classes led me spiritually, and Mother Marla was there to guide me mentally and spiritually through the process.”