July 26, 2021

Dear Parents,

I hope that as you carry out your plans for this summer that you and your children are enjoying some rest, recreation, and other opportunities as well as staying safe amidst all of the challenges we have been facing.

As you know, the academic school year 2021-2022 is just around the corner.  So I am writing you this letter to request that each family whose child or children intend to enroll in our parish religious education program for this upcoming school year complete and submit the enclosed registration form and tuition by August 20th.  Please note that even if your child/children has/have registered for the Confirmation program in the past, every student who wishes to enroll must complete a new registration form this year.  A copy of the Religious Education Registration Form is enclosed in this letter and is also available for download on our parish website: www.sainteugeneschurch.org for your convenience.

Please also note a few practical considerations regarding the policies of the combined St. Eugene Church and St. Joseph Church Religious Education Program this year:

1. The successful completion of each Religious Education Grade level from Grade 1-Grade 8 or attending a Catholic school for these grades is a prerequisite for admission to the Confirmation Program (students who have not successfully completed Grades 1-8 Religious Education or attended a Catholic school for these grades will not be admitted to the Confirmation Program).

 

1. Saint Eugene Church and Saint Joseph Church faithfully adhere to all of the standards, values, and doctrines of the Catholic faith without compromise.  Consequently, the Saint Eugene and Saint Joseph Church Religious Education Program is only for those who are ready to commit to practicing the Catholic faith as instructed by the Catholic Church.  The appropriate practice of the Catholic faith is a necessary part of receiving instruction in the Catholic faith.  Consequently, the expectation is that students and their families will make a wholehearted commitment to practicing their faith by:

 

1. Attending Saturday evening or Sunday Mass every week and on Holy Days of Obligation


2. Doing one’s best to believe in and follow all of the teachings of the Church without compromise (including its teachings about chastity)


3. Faithfully receiving/practicing the sacrament of Reconciliation/Confession when it is appropriate (not necessarily at St. Eugene Church or St. Joseph Church)

 

1. Attendance at Sunday Mass each week and on Holy Days of Obligation (January 1, Ascension Thursday [six weeks after Easter], August 15, November 1, and December 8) even when school and Religious Education are not in session (including during the summer) is required for the successful completion of each Religious Education Program grade level.  Excuses will not be accepted except in the case of an emergency or dire circumstances.  If you plan to travel and are uncertain about where there will be a Catholic Mass for the weekend or a Holy Day of Obligation, please refer to www.masstimes.org.  This website lists service information about Catholic Churches throughout the world.


2. Students of every Religious Education Program grade level are now required to sign an attendance sheet for Mass.  If a student does not attend Mass either at St. Eugene Church or St. Joseph Church on a given occasion, he/she is asked to obtain a bulletin from the Church where they did attend Mass, have it signed by the priest who celebrated the Mass, and submit it to his/her religious education teacher.

 

1. Religious Education for Grades 6, 7, and 8 will be held as one class and will be livestreamed through Facebook.  Due to ongoing concerns regarding the pandemic, “in-person” attendance versus electronic attendance online is at the discretion of each family which has a student in one of these grades.

 

1. The subject material of Religious Education for Grades 6, 7, and 8 will be presented through 3-year cycle and will overview the basic teachings of the Catholic faith.  This will cover the material on the test required for admission to the Confirmation Program.

 

1. The Confirmation Program has changed.  The three main objectives of the Confirmation Program are now: 1) To provide the student with a basic knowledge and understanding of the sacrament they are about to receive; 2) To help prepare them as completely as possible to receive it; and 3) To ensure their commitment to practicing the faith.  Consequently, the requirements of the Confirmation Program are as follows:

 

1. Attending Mass every Saturday evening or Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation


2. Doing one’s best to believe in and follow all of the teachings of the Church (including its teachings about chastity), to have a consistent and substantial prayer life, and to be involved in the life of the parish


3. Faithfully receiving/practicing the sacrament of Confession/Reconciliation when appropriate (not necessarily at St. Eugene or St. Joseph Church

 

1. If I can help you in any way or if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at your convenience at (401) 568-5102 or steugenchurch@verizon.net

if you are a member of St. Eugene Church. If you are a member of St. Joseph Church please call ( 401) 568-2411 or stjosephstpatrickburrillri@gmail.com.

 

May God bless you and your loved ones with a wonderful rest of your summer!  I look forward to seeing all of you this upcoming school year.

 

In Christ,

 

Reverend Stephen J. Dandeneau

Pastor

Please note that we are changing our weekend mass time schedule. As of Saturday, July 3, 2021
St. Eugene will no longer offer a Saturday 4p.m. mass. 4p.m. mass will be offered at St. Joseph Church on Sayles Ave., in Pascoag, RI.
As of Monday, July 5, 2021 weekday morning mass will change to 7:45a.m. Saturday morning mass will remain at 8:30 a.m.
Thank you for your patience as we make these adjustments to our schedule.

Thank you for your support of this major parish fundraiser. See you next year!

Grand Prize Winners
$1500.00 Chris Kowal
$ 300.00 Brian Curtin
$ 200.00 David Boynes
+++++++++++++++++
$ 200.00 Charles Day
$ 200.00 Jacquelyn Miller
$ 200.00 Amalia LeBlanc
$ 200.00 George Crook
$ 200.00 Connie Richardson

 

Week 1 Donna Aubin
Week 2 Glen Lyford
Week 3 David Boynes
Week 4 Donna Aubin
Week 5 Anne Pimental
Week 6 Diane Guay
Week 7 Blanche Hamill
Week 8 Carol Laliberte
Week 9 Mary Beth Curtin
Week 10 Nicole Previte
Week 11 Kathy Rechter
Week 12 David Fecteau Sr
Week 13 Charles Gauvin
Week 14 Ann Lowell
Week 15 Rita Scotto
Week 16 Patti Fountain
Week 17 Sharon Couture
Week 18 Kevin Walsh
Week 19 Dennis Pimental
Week 20 Judy Murphy

 

 

St Eugene Council Knights of Columbus held their annual installation of officers on Thursday



 

Congratulations to the 15 youth of our
parish who received Confirmation this
past June & July, here at St. Eugene’s.
May God bless them with a strong faith in
God and the Catholic Church as they
journey in life.

Tickets for this year's annual 20 Week Club are now on sale.  Tickets are $60 each and include 20 weekly drawings for $40 each and 3 Grand Prize Drawing of $1,500, $300 and $200.  Ticket price also includes the Grand Prize Dinner/Drawing on October 16th at the Village Haven Restaurant.

We are looking for our forgotten parishioners. Those who are unable to come to church due to illness, age, and/or lack of transportation. Is there someone you haven’t seen in church in a while? Someone who lives alone and has no family. If you know of anyone who would enjoy having communion brought to them, please let us know. These parishioners once were a vital part of St. Eugene Parish, let us not forget them in their time of need. Who knows… this small gesture may be the only contact they have with the outside world.

The K-5 CCD classes asked Father Dandeneau if they could interview him about Holy Orders on Priesthood Sunday. The students thanked Father Dandeneau for his service and presented him with handmade cards, cookies, and punch. The questions that the students asked and the answers Father Dandeneau gave have been reproduced below:

1. Why did you become a priest?

I became a priest because I grew up believing in God, and I believe that God asked me to become a priest.

2. When and how did you receive your call to become a priest?

My call to the priesthood was something that happened over time.  I started to receive it when I was between five and seven years old. By the time I was fourteen or fifteen, my calling became clearer and I was able to understand it better. I fully understood that I was being called when I was sixteen or seventeen, but I pushed it aside and went to college. When I was in college, the call became even stronger.  At first, I stayed away from God because I was afraid of giving my whole life to Him, but as my faith grew stronger, I finally accepted His call to the priesthood.

3. What do you like about this lifestyle?

First, I like that I have been given a gift of closer friendship with Jesus and God the Father than I would have had if I had done something else.  Since the purpose of the priesthood is helping people to know and love God, I need to remain closer to Him so that I can do what He needs me to do for other people. Second, because I have a different lifestyle and fewer commitments than an unmarried man, I have the freedom to love others in a different and more profound way.  Since I'm not devoted to one particular person or family, I am able to offer love to everyone that I meet. When a priest gives up the chance to get married and have a family, he does so in order to enable him to love others in a unique way which is symbolic of the way that we will all live in heaven.

4) What advice would you give to a young person who is considering religious life?

Religious life is a wonderful calling from God. Don't be afraid if you are called to it, because it's from God and it's meant to help you love others more. Make sure that you stay as close to Jesus as possible by practicing the sacraments, praying often, and being the best person you can be. The better a person you are, the more prepared you will be for your calling when you grow up.

5) What is a typical day like for you?

My typical day involves taking care of the church and its needs. I say morning Mass at 7:30. After the end of Mass, I offer Eucharistic Adoration and leave the church open for prayer until 9:00. A group of people from the church regularly prays the Rosary at this time. I usually go to the office to do paperwork and deal with the church's bills either right after setting up for Eucharistic Adoration or after the end of the time for prayer, since the church needs to pay for electricity and repairs. I also prepare learning opportunities for adults, plan events for the youth group, and help coordinate five or six major fundraisers per year. The fundraisers are opportunites for the parish to get together, and I need to prepare for them with members of the parish. I spend time studying so that I can teach other people what Jesus taught. I also help groups like the St. Vincent de Paul society with charitable activities. Parish priests have several very serious responsibilities. Apart from all of the event coordination that I'm involved with, I help the parishioners of St. Eugene with their spiritual needs, including hearing confessions, providing spiritual guidance on request, working with people who are suffering, helping those who are poor and less fortunate, caring for those who are mourning the loss of a loved one, and responding to emergency requests for anointing of the sick. I also help prepare people to receive the sacraments by offering marriage prep and occasionally helping people with baptismal prep.

6) What are your hobbies and interests?

I have far too many hobbies! I like hiking, going to the movies, spending time with and visiting my friends, going to prayer meetings, learning about spirituality and mysticism, doing things with the youth group, and playing with my pet cat, Marty. I have a large family, so I have a lot of family functions. I spent a lot of time with my mother before she passed away.

7) Do you wish you could be married and have children?

Human beings have a natural desire for marriage and children, but when God asks you to do something, He gives you the power both to do it and be happy doing it. Besides, in a way, priests are actually married. We stand in Jesus' place, and Jesus is married to the Church. Likewise, nuns are married to Jesus. These marriages are spiritual rather than natural. Every parishioner is my spiritual child, which is why they call me Father.

8) What is one thing you dream of doing someday?

I dream of one day going to heaven.

9) Why can't girls be priests?

The Church doesn't feel that it has the right to do something that Jesus didn't, and there's no sign of any woman serving as a priest in the Bible. The Apostles were given priestly authority to preach and celebrate sacraments, and none of the Twelve were women. There was no evidence that any other woman was doing that, either.

10) What's the next church color?

The next major color will be violet, but there is one day before that when the priest can choose between three different colors. On November 2, All Souls Day, the color can be either white, violet, or black. Black is no longer in style, but I like it, so I'm going to try to wear black this year.  Another interesting thing to note about church colors is that gold and white are treated as the same color, but gold is usually used for special occasions.

11) How can I tell when I'm receiving the guidance of the Holy Spirit?

Remember that God loves you. He doesn't want you to feel bad or to do things that are bad for you or for others. When you're close to God, you'll know that God is guiding you because you'll experience the Fruits of the Holy Spirit -- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If you practice kindness, for instance, the Holy Spirit will give you the power to become even kinder. This is a sign that the Holy Spirit is with you.  However, these qualities or characteriztics are not just feelings, but rather qualities or characteristics that describe your life as a whole.

12) Can you tell me more about Holy Orders?

Jesus created Holy Orders for several reasons. First, the Church needed a structure of authority so there would be people to make final decisions about how the Church functioned. Second, Jesus was going back to heaven and wanted to make sure that people would still preach the Gospel and spread the faith. Holy Orders is also necessary to provide people with access to the sacraments. The sacraments are powerful and important, and must be protected and treated with care. Because of this, only members of the Church hierarchy can preside over the sacraments.  As boys will one day be men, they may be being called by God to the priesthood. Be open to it, because it's very important. Without priests, we wouldn't have the Eucharist, confession, or anointing of the sick.  Even though nuns are not given a special sacrament the way priests are, we need them too, because they remind everyone what life in heaven will be like. While it's difficult to give up the natural desire for marriage and children, being a priest or a nun is a gift from God. Don't be afraid if you receive the call, even if it seems strange – everyone is weird, so being "normal" would actually make you the strange one! Besides, it's more strange to say no to a gift from God than to accept that gift.  Receiving a call is not that uncommon – one in four people are called to either the priesthood or to religious life. Since you need to be an adult to follow this call, many people who become priests or religious go to college first. There are a number of different types of religious life, as well.  Some religious pray all day, while others teach, act as nurses, do school administration work, become missionaries, or have various other jobs and assignments.

THANK YOU to all the members of our Saint Vincent de Paul Conference and parishioners of St. Eugene Church who helped in anyway with the success of our soup night. Our “Free Will” donations of $1,429.00 will help greatly heating and feeding the people in our community who are in need of assistance. (A special thank you to the Glocester Lions Club for their very generous donation!) Thank you! St. Eugene Conference SVDP

The children in our CCD program, Grades K through 5, put on a pageant celebrating their favorite Saints.

Congratulations to the newest member of our St Eugene Parish community, Ella Marie Prendergast and to her parents and godparents.

St Eugene Parish's Youth Group won First Place for the Scariest Scarecrow in the annual Chepachet Scarecrow Festival.  The scarecrow was designed and constructed by members of the youth group.

We are looking for items for our penny social table. Donations of gift certificates, new or VERY GENTLY used items may be brought to the rectory no later than Oct. 25th. Thank you for supporting this important (and fun) event.

Last week 6 youth & 7 adults braved the “Outback” of Pulaski Park. Aidan Babbitt, Hunter Cassidy, Ian Parker, Christian King, Joseph McKitchen and Isabella McMahon along with Fr. Dandeneau, Barbara Laberge, Sarah Kiff, Nicole Previte, Mr. Joseph McKitchen, Raymond McMahon and the church secretary all took part in our first trail hike. The weather was perfect and a great time was had by all. A delicious “feast” of marinated chicken, potato salad, cole slaw, chips, smore’s (and you can’t forget the hot dogs!) were enjoyed at the Pavilion by the hungry hikers in front of an inviting campfire. A special THANK YOU to Mr. Joseph McKitchen for his talented cooking skills at the grill, to Barbara, Nicole and the McKitchen family for their generous donations toward the meal, and to Maryann McKitchen & Sarah Kiff for their help in transporting the hikers from trails end to the campsite. And last but not least, a very special THANK YOU to Fr. Dandeneau for leading us on this adventure!

Congratulations to Camden, Callan, Eden,and Remington Ashworth and to their parents and godparents on becoming baptised members of St Eugene Parish.

Congratulations to the newly installed officers of St Eugene Council Knights of Columbus

 







 

Congratulations to Olivia, her parents and godparents on her baptism of July 28th.

 

He is the Morning Star, He is the Life, He is the Redeemer, He is the Savior.  May His Blessings be upon you on Easter and Always!


 

Congratulations to Christian King, his dad Jason, his godparents Gayle and Steve King.

 

Congratulations to Benjamin Almonte, his parents Jennifer and Stephen and godfather Ernest Almonte.

The members of the St. Vincent dePaul Society would like to thank all the generous parishioners and CCD students who donated in any way to the Christmas food baskets, food pantry or Giving Tree.

St Eugene Council Knights of Columbus held their annual Christmas Party at The Harmony Lodge with Fr. Dandeneau.

On December 11th, St Eugene's Knights of Columbus, CCD students and Parish Choir joined to present a living nativity scene and Lighting of Christmas Lights.













 

 

The children of St Eugene Parish CCD classes grades K - 5 conducted a food drive to help those in need this Thanksgiving.