Thank you for your interest in having your child baptized at St. Francis Church.  It is our privilege and our joy to welcome new members to the life of the church and St. Francis Parish.  

 Baptism is the sacrament whereby the Christian community welcomes and begins the initiation of new members. In the water bath of blessed water, the anointing with fragrant chrism, the clothing in new white garments and the reception of the Light of Christ, new members join the life of the Catholic Christian Community.

Below are guidelines regarding Baptism at St. Francis Parish:

•    If you are not registered in the parish our registration forms are on our website HERE.  Registrations forms can also be e-mailed to you.  

•    A copy of your child’s birth record is needed. It is best to drop off a copy to the office or bring it to
      baptism prep class because of the sensitive information.

•    Baptisms are scheduled the 2^nd and 4^th Sunday of the month at 10:30am Mass.    
       Parents, godparents, and guests please arrive by 10:15am. You will have a row reserved for
       your family. Parents, child, and godparents will begin at the back of the church with the
       reception of the child(ren).  This is a short part of the baptism rite that will only take a few
       minutes.  From there, the clergy will process in as they normally do, along with the families.
       When Mass ends, the baptism families will remain in their seats as the rest of the parishioners
        file out.  The baptism will continue shortly after.      

•     Baptism prep is the first Saturday of the month from 10am-11am in the parish hall for parents 
       and godparents, unless you have attended a class in the past 2 years. Please supply the date
       and the name of the Church that you attended class or a certificate if you received one.

•     In choosing Godparents, one must be Catholic and confirmed according to Canon Law.  The
       other can be Christian.   There can be no more than two sponsors, and it must be one of each sex. One of the sponsors may be replaced by a Christian witness; that is, a baptized non-Catholic Christian.

•     We do not charge for Baptism.  A free will offering is welcome and greatly appreciated.

•     Please e-mail [email protected] or call 978 453-4460 with any questions.

Email about Baptism

The Eucharist is the most special sacrament, in which Christ himself is contained, offered and received, and by which the Church constantly lives and grows. The Eucharistic sacrifice, the memorial of the death and resurrection of the Lord, in which the sacrifice of the cross is perpetuated over the centuries, is the summit and source of all Christian life and worship; it signifies and affects the unity of the people of God and achieves the building up of the Body of Christ.

As children reach the age of reason, generally around age seven, the Church extends to them an invitation to celebrate the sacrament of Eucharist. The initiation into the Christian community that took place at baptism is further extended by inviting children to enter fully into the heart of Christian faith through participation in the Eucharist.

The Eucharist is the sacrament by which Catholics receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. For Catholics, this is the most treasured gift given to the Church by the Lord at the Last Supper. In receiving the Eucharist, we are nourished by the Lord. The bread and wine used in the Mass are transformed in all but appearance into the Body and Blood of Christ.

Reconciliation or Confession

Confession is scheduled on Saturdays, 3pm to 3:45pm, plus on occasional Monday evenings as part of Adoration (see Adoration schedule), and by appointment by calling 978-452-6611. 

During Lent, Mondays are replaced with  Lenten Friday Mass/Adoration/Confession.

The sacrament of penance is one of two sacraments of healing. It is the sacrament that brings spiritual healing for Catholics who have distanced themselves from God by committing sins.

There are four elements involved:

1. the penitent’s contrition for sin
2. confession to a priest
3. absolution by the priest
4. satisfaction

Through penance, the faithful receive pardon through God’s mercy for the sins they have committed. At the same time, they are reconciled with the Church community. The confession, or disclosure, of sins frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others.

The Sacrament of Confirmation typically is held at St. Francis in the fall.  For more information, please call the Faith Formation Office at 978-453-4460 or email Dawn Bastien, Coordinator of Faith Formation, at  [email protected].

By a signing with the gift of the Spirit, confirmation enriches the baptized with the Holy Spirit, binding them more perfectly to the Church, and strengthening them in their witness to Christ by word and deed and in their work to bring to its fullness the Body of Christ.

Confirmation is one of the sacraments of initiation, along with Baptism and Eucharist. While baptism is the sacrament of rebirth to a new and supernatural life, confirmation is the sacrament of maturity and coming of age. It is conferred by the anointing of Chrism oil and the laying on of hands by the Bishop. The Sacrament of Confirmation draws us into a greater awareness of the Holy Spirit, which we received at Baptism. Through this sacrament, we confirm the presence of the baptismal gifts we have already received; we are sealed with the undeserved and unearned gift of the Holy Spirit.

Congratulations! 

Engaged? Thinking about getting married at St. Francis?  We would be honored to work with you to set up your wedding day. We do ask that you schedule your wedding at least 6 months in advance. 

Preparing for and celebrating a marriage is a joyful and graced time in the lives of men and women.  As a parish, we share your joy and look forward to this exciting journey with you.

Please call the Parish office at 978-452-6611 to set up a time to meet with either Fr. Kevin Sepe, Deacon Mike Tompkins or Deacon Eric Peabody.  

After meeting with clergy, we will add your date to the calendar.

We will do our best to accommodate your preferences.   We cannot confirm the date in the calendar until it is approved by clergy, which typically occurs after meeting with the couple.

We suggest that the church date and time be secured before placing a deposit on a reception hall. Generally Saturday weddings can be scheduled between 11:00am and 2:00pm or after 5:30pm.   Sunday weddings can be scheduled after 1:30pm.

Visiting clergy are always welcome to officiate at your wedding. 

See further below for the Preparation, Records and Music.


 

Preparation Program:

Couples are asked to participate in a marriage preparation program.  The parish will provide you with the programs that are available nearby.

Records you will need:

Baptism and Confirmation records (for Catholic participants) will be requested, and a Marriage License must be obtained. The license can be applied for at any city of town hall in Massachusetts, and is valid for 60 days after it is obtained.

Wedding Music

David Keefe, our Music Director, and members of the Music Ministry at St. Francis Parish congratulate you on your upcoming wedding and wish to help make your celebration a memorable one.  

The Music Ministry will invite you  to a Music Session to give you an opportunity to hear the various wedding music that is recommended.   We will  be happy to work with you to select the music that best expresses your taste while still reflecting the sacramental nature of the Catholic marriage service.   

Holy Orders is the sacrament by which bishops, priests and deacons are ordained and receive the power and grace to perform their sacred duties. The sacred rite by which orders are conferred is called ordination. The apostles were ordained by Jesus at the Last Supper so that others could share in his priesthood.

Holy Orders, which was instituted by Christ himself, is administered by the laying on of hands by the Bishop, through which the priest is given the power to serve the Church through his preaching, teaching and celebration of the Sacraments.

Might God be calling you? If you are a Catholic man who thinks God might be calling you to the priesthood, we encourage you to visit The Office for Vocations website to learn more. If you are a Catholic man and you think you might have a call to the permanent diaconate, we encourage you to learn more at the web pages of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate. If you are a Catholic man or woman who believe you might have a calling to the consecrated life as a religious brother or sister, explore more at the web pages of the Office of the Delegate for Religious.

Anointing of the Sick

Anointing of the Sick takes place monthly on the fourth Saturday of the month after the 4pm Mass.

Should you require the sacrament at a different time, please see Father Kevin before Mass or just after Mass to request an anointing.  If you'd like to schedule an anointing, please call the office at 978-452-6611.

One of the Church’s Sacraments of Healing, the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has had a long and confusing history. Some, unfortunately, still think of it as something the Church does just moments prior to physical death as a sort of “last rites”. This is far from the truth.

In the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, the Church prays that the person be freed from illness, or, if that is not possible, that the person receive the strength of faith to endure the suffering they are experiencing. In identifying with the suffering of Jesus on the cross, we pray that the person will also identify with the resurrection of Jesus from death to life. Also, there is strength and comfort present for the person to feel connected to the community of God’s people, who pray with and for them.