Where might you be called to bless us with your gifts?
 

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African Community

WHAT WE DO.
We provide an environment for African culture to come together and celebrate our Catholic faith.
  
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We are committed to bringing our brothers and sisters who have walked away, back to Christ in the Catholic Church.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
Our Liturgy Committee meets on the 1st and 2nd Sundays; we celebrate the African Liturgy on the 3rd and 4th Sunday of every month; and we pray the Rosary as a community every Friday night.
 

Altar Guild (St. John's)

WHAT WE DO.
We dust and tidy up the sacristy, reconciliation room and vestibule in time for Saturday 4 pm Mass.
 
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
Just as we would clean our house for the arrival of guests, we take pride in the cleaning of the Lord’s House for those that come to visit Him here.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
This ‘housecleaning’ is complete once a week and takes approximately an hour. We work on a rotating schedule, so your scheduled time is dependent on the number of members we have.
 

Altar Linens (St. John's)

WHAT WE DO.
We pick up soiled alter linens from the church sacristy, bring home to wash, iron and fold, then return to the sacristy.
  
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
The celebration of the Liturgy and Eucharist is the foundation of our faith. The laundering of these linens is a vital task in the serving of our priest and parish.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
With our current member count, our rotating schedule calls that each member perform this task monthly.
 

Baptism Preparation Team

WHAT WE DO.
We provide formation for the parents of our soon-to-be-baptized infants in the meaning of the Sacrament as well as its responsibilities (Canon 851) . All formation and materials are provided.
  
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
Mentoring parents in the awesome spiritual responsibility of parenthood is rewarding work! Together, we are bringing a new Child of God into our fold.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
Baptismal formation takes place on the first Friday of each month from 7:00-8:30, followed by the Rite of Baptism on the first Sunday at 12:30 pm.
 

Baptism Robes

WHAT WE DO.
We sew the baptismal robes for the children that our baptized in our Collaborative.
  
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
The robes are made on an 'as needed' basis. Each parish has a different kit, so be sure to note what parish you are sewing for when you call the parish office to request your kit.
 

Catholic Men's Group

WHAT WE DO.
We provide men with an opportunity for prayer, scripture and education about our faith.  Typically, the group discusses the Sunday readings, but at various times during the year we may have an outside speaker, or activities such as the rosary or stations of the cross. No obligation is necessary.  Participants can attend as much or as little as they desire. 
 
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
To provide men with an opportunity to share the above-mentioned items with other men in similar circumstances at a time that may not interfere with family obligations.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet at St. Mary’s on the 1st and 3rd  Saturday of the month from 7:45 - 8:45 am in the new parish center.
 

Charismatic Prayer Community

WHAT WE DO.
We offer the opportunity to praise and thank God, reflect on scripture, receive valuable teachings, be open to spiritual gifts and to develop and be nourished by community.
 
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
To deepen our relationship with Jesus Christ so that we my reflect his light and love more easily to others.  
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet every Thursday in the St. John Old Parish Center at BOTH 10:00 am and 7:00 pm, so you can fit this time of worship into your schedule. 
 

Contemplative Prayer Group

WHAT WE DO.
We gather together to read scripture followed by open discussion, allowing us to begin our weekend walking with the Lord.
 
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
By beginning our weekend steeped in the Word and Christian fellowship, we are afforded the opportunity to begin our week ready to live in His light and share it with others.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet on the 3rd Saturday of every month in the St. John New Parish Center. For further information, contact Ray at lovethemystery@comcast.net

 
Culture of Life

WHAT WE DO.
We aim to promote the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death. Through
pro-life activities, we combat the ‘culture of death’ within society by portraying every life as a gift from God.
 
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We see the need to defend life, especially that of the unborn and the elderly; to give witness to the dignity of every human life.
  
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet 5 times of year. We do not meet in the summer months.
 

CYO Basketball

WHAT WE DO.
While teaching our youth the elements of the game of basketball, sportsmanship and how to effectively be part of a team, we are also driving home solid Christian moral values.
 
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
Our kids are our future! We want to help them grow into the best version of themselves. Through this program, our youth gain not only a basketball IQ and healthy exercise, but spiritual growth as well.
  
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
Teams practice/play from November - March.
 

Decorating Committee

WHAT WE DO.
Each parish has a committee that decorates our worship space for the liturgical seasons of Advent/Christmas, Lent/Easter, and maintain the beautification of the altar throughout Ordinary Time.
 
WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
In enhancing and beautifying our worship space, we are paying proper homage to our heavenly Father, who shares the beauty of His world with us every day!


Eucharistic Adoration

WHAT WE DO.
We spend quality time with the Lord in prayer for ourselves and others, or simply rest in His loving arms.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
To be quiet in the presence of our Lord allows us to get in touch with the still, small space within to hear Him speak to us. From these moments of rest, we are energized to do His work among our family, friends, and acquaintances.

WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
The Adoration schedule is as follows: 
St. Mary's: Thursdays, 3 - 9 pm; Fridays, 7:30 am - 9 pm and Saturdays, 9:30 am - 3 pm
St. John's: First Friday of the month at 9:30 am through the following Saturday morning.
 

Gardening Guild (St. Mary's)

WHAT WE DO.
Working in collaboration with the parish landscaper, we work to beautify the church grounds. We populate the planters seasonally and maintain the various flower beds.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
A neat, welcoming and appealing entrance and grounds benefit us ALL by uplifting our moods as we enter the church. Beautifying our place of worship shows appreciation to God for his many gifts!
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet approximately 6-8 times a year. The hands-on work is done on your own time. 
NOTE: gardening/plant knowledge is a plus!
 

God, Pizza and Beer

WHAT WE DO.
It is our desire to provide an environment for the men in our collaborative and beyond o openly and comfortably celebrate their like-mindedness and faith. For well over a decade, we have gathered men together to a welcoming and comfortable 90 minutes of fellowship through pizza, conversation and the discussion of next week's Gospel and the message it has for each of us.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
It is our desire to provide an environment for the men in our collaborative and beyond to
openly and comfortably celebrate their like-mindedness and faith.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet in teh St. John Old Parish Cener on the first Wednesday of the month. 
We do not meet in the summer months.
 

Golf Tournament

WHAT WE DO.
We are in our 12th year of running a fall golf outing that provides the opportunity to socialize, have fun playing a great sport, and ultimately raise funds for both St. John’s and the Knights of Columbus local council.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
It’s a fun way to raise funds for the causes of both our parish and the knights, and provides the opportunity to meet people in our local community.
  
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
The tournament has typically been hel in September, but we are looking to begin having a spring tournament. We meet once a month minimum for the 6 months prior to the tournament. 
 

Greeters

WHAT WE DO.
We are a welcoming face to all who enter our church to celebrate Mass. We make ourselves available to answer questions and offer assistance as needed. 

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
By our warm and friendly presence and service, we are furthering the Kingdom by conveying the same welcoming Spirit that our Lord, Jesus offers to each of us.
  
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
Each Mass is covered by our ministry. We work on a schedule based on your availability.
 

Hope Ministry

WHAT WE DO.
We meet with the family members to assist in the planning of the Funeral Liturgy for their loved one who has passed.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
It is an honor to be able to assist our clergy as lay ministers throughout the entire process of laying loved ones to rest. To be able to be a source of comfort for distressed families through this journey of loss is humbling.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
As the church is notified of a funeral, members are contacted in order that they reach out to the family as soon as possible.
 

Hospitality

WHAT WE DO.
We serve the parish by providing a welcoming and comfortable environment for all guests. We support the many social events that happen in our parish by donating and/or serving food and refreshments. We are also responsible for setting up, maintaining and post- cleaning of events.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We are provided with a purpose to serve others while enjoying a social gathering. It is rewarding to be able to create opportunities for parishioners to gather together in fellowship.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
If a need arises, we communicate amongst ourselves regarding availability of team members. You can remain a member for as long as it fits within your lifestyle and schedule.
 

Knights of Columbus (Bishop Ruocoo Council)

WHAT WE DO.
We are 1 of over 15,000 local councils around the world. Our 253 member council includes Chelmsford, Westford and Littleton. We focus on service of others in the form of unending charity to those in greatest need. We are well known for forward support of Catholic teaching and doctrine wherever we live and serve and are outspoken with our support and action for those with special needs. If you are a Catholic man (18 or older) who supports the Catholic Church, then consider being a Knight!
 

Knitting and Crocheting

WHAT WE DO.
By gathering together in fellowship, we are able to support each other by sharing our skills and lives. The projects we work on are for ourselves or charity. 

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
To provide a environment where we can work our craft and share our lives. Many of our shawls are donated to the Prayer Shawl Ministry.
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet every Friday, 3:00-5:00 pm in the St. Mary New Parish Center. No requirement as to when to show up or how long to stay. NOTE:  You do not need to know how to knit/crochet… we can teach you!
 

WHAT WE DO.
We provide, deliver and serve lasagna, salad and dessert to the clients of the Lowell Transitional Living Center.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We do this because we have a heart for caring for the less fortunate that live among us. By providing and/or serving a nutritious meal, we are showing them that their presence matters in the world. 
 
WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We deliver the food one Wednesday a month and serve it the following day, Thursday, once a month.
 

Martha's Helpers (St. Mary)

WHAT WE DO.
We are the behind the scenes team who offer our gifts of organization and cleaning. We inventory and stock all kitchen supplies, clean all kitchen surfaces of clutter, discard expired foods and assist with after-Mass hospitality.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We do this because we wish to provide the highest quality of hospitality to our parish ministries who utilitze the kitchen space, which results in the highest quality of hospitatlity to our parish family.
 

Music Ministry

WHAT WE DO.
We bring sacred scripture, in the form of music and song to the congregation. 

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We love music and we love the Lord, and we aspire to lead and assist in the conscious and active participation of the congregation in the form of musical prayer.

WHEN WE DO IT
Visit the specific Parish Music Ministry Page for details of all music ministries.

St. Mary Music Ministry         St. John Music Ministry

Prayer Line

WHAT WE DO.
Do you need prayers said for someone or a special intention? Call the Prayer Line and leave a voice message stating your prayer need. Over 40 members of our ministry will pray for your intention. Note that prayer requests NEVER come off the list! They continue to be offered by our members, with the belief that God distributes the merits of our continued prayers to where they are most needed.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
Prayer is our lifeline to God. To be able to facilitate that for people who are in need is a humbling and rewarding experience. It brings comfort to those who are at their lowest points, to know that people care for them and their needs. 
 

Prayer Shawl Ministry

WHAT WE DO.
We knit or crochet shawls that are given to those who are sick, lonely or just in need of a warm embrace. We have a rack displaying the shawls at both parishes for parishioners to take as needed. 

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
To know that the prayers prayed while knitting and crocheting shawls that end up in the hands of someone who needs them, illustrates how connected we all truly are.

WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet monthly, usually the 3rd Sunday of the month, following the St. John 8:30 am Mass.
 

Rosary Making Group

WHAT WE DO.
We make and donate rosaries to missions in the United States and around the world, as well as local homeless and detention center ministries. 

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We feel blessed to be able to share our faith as a group, while putting our creative talents to work in furthering the kingdom of God through our evangelistic work!

WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We gather together weekly on Thursday mornings in the St. Mary New Parish Center.
 

St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) Society

WHO WE ARE.
Both the St. Mary and St. John conferences are active affiliates of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), an international lay Catholic organization focused on offering person-to-person service to those in need.

WHAT WE DO.
Inspired by Gospel values, we provode services to the needy and suffering families within our local community, who are experiencing temporary difficulty due to illness, unemployment, personal tragedy or other unexpected challenges. Examples of services offered by SVdP include  rental assistance, food/meals programs, assitance with utilities and urgen home repair and
maintenance.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
Serving on this team enables you to make a difference in small, personal ways that make a big impact in the lives of others. By lifting someone else up, you are lifted.

WHEN DO WE DO IT? 

• The St. Johns conference formally meets on the first Monday of every month.
• The St. Mary's conference formally meets quarterly, on the second Wednesday of February, May, September and December

 

Sextons (St. Mary's)

WHAT WE DO.
We greet parishioners, distribute bulletins, manage the weekly offertory collection and clean pews at the end of Mass.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We play an important part in the running of the church business. The offertory is the Church’s main source of income, and we assure the parish that the collection is well-managed.

WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
There is a weekly schedule. The time you commit is determined by your ability and the number of members currently in the ministry.
 

Social Justice Committee

WHAT WE DO.
We serve the collaborative by putting into action the principals of Catholic social teaching. We work to provide opportunities for the parish communities to serve our local, national and global neighbors in need through corporal and spiritual works of mercy, just as Christ did.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We offer the opportunity to learn and educate our community about important social justice issues and how they impact our local community and world, and how we can work to positively address them. We want to play our part toward a more just society where people can live lives of dignity.
 

Table Ministry

WHAT WE DO.
We are one of seven churches who work with the Salvation Army in serving meals to the poor who live among us.We plan healthy and delicious meals to feed those who cannot provide for themselves. As a team, we collaborate on menus as we take client feedback into consideration.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
Out of our blessings, we are able to fill a  basic need for those who have not. We serve the same clients repeatedly, and are able to nourish them with the gift of ‘friendship’ as well… and they us.

WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet the 2nd Sunday of every month.
 

Tuesday Morning Coffee Group

WHAT WE DO.
We offer a welcoming environment for fellowship, centered around coffee, donuts and conversation.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
It is a wonderful way to meet people and form new authentic friendships.

WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, September - June, after the St. John 9:00 am daily Mass. 
 

Ushers (St. John's)

WHAT WE DO.
We greet parishioners, distribute bulletins, manage the weekly offertory collection and clean pews at the end of Mass.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
We play an important part in the running of the church business. The offertory is the Church’s main source of income, and we assure the parish that the collection is well-managed.

WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
There is a weekly schedule. The time you commit is determined by your ability and the number of members currently in the ministry.

Wine, Women and Word

WHAT WE DO.
We do this as a means of leading people to a more authentic and loving relationship with Christ and our neighbor.

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
It is a wonderful way to meet people and form new authentic friendships.

WHEN DO WE DO IT? 
We meet in the St. John New Parish Center on on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, from September - June.