St. Raphael Parish

LATEST NEWS AND UPDATES

SUMMER MASS SCHEDULE:

The Weekend Mass schedule- July & August:
Saturday:4:00 PM
Sunday:  8:00 AM, 11:00 AM & 5:00 PM

Daily Mass: Wednesday-Saturday @ 8:00AM 

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Statement in the Aftermath 
Of the Killing
Of George Floyd

    The Roman Catholic Community of Saint Raphael Parish joins its voice with all others to express its outrage over the killing of George Floyd. This tragedy is the  latest in a seemingly unending series of killings and the continual devaluation of human life the basis of race fostered by a flawed legal system and inequities in housing, educational opportunities, employment and incarceration- to name a few.

   The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that equality for every person “rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it: “Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, color, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design.”

   In a  “Pastoral Letter against Racism” issued in 2018 by the  United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the bishops stated “We read the headlines that report the killing of unarmed African Americans by law enforcement officials. In our prisons, the number of inmates of color, notably those who are brown and black, is grossly disproportionate. Despite the great blessings of liberty that this country offers, we must admit the plain truth that for many of our fellow citizens, who have done nothing wrong, interactions with the police are often fraught with fear and even danger.”

   Describing “racism” a “sin” the Bishops went on to say that “Every racist act—every such comment, every joke, every disparaging look as a reaction to the color of skin, ethnicity, or place of origin—is a failure to acknowledge another person as a brother or sister, created in the image of God. In these and in many other such acts, the sin of racism persists in our lives, in our country, and in our world.”

   The Saint Raphael Parish community will continue to live Gospel values and to fight racism in all its nuances standing in solidarity with our black sisters and brothers. Working toward a reality of equality and justice invites each one of us to follow the commandment of Our Lord Jesus Christ  to “Love one another” in word and action.

        Father Paul Coughlin & Deacon Mark Rumley

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St. Raphael Parish is back open! The weekday & weekend Masses have resumed. We are following the guidelines set forth by the City, State & Archdiocese of Boston. Please see the video about returning to Mass below.

The dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation will continue for the foreseeable future. Cardinal Sean strongly encourages people in vulnerable populations, especially the elderly and those with complicated physical conditions, to continue to watch Mass from their homes. We will continue to stream Sunday Mass on YouTube and on channels 3 (Comcast) & 47 (Verizon).

Returning to Mass video:
Archdiocese of Boston 

Archdiocese of Boston: Returning to Mass from Archdiocese of Boston on Vimeo.