On June 8, 2020 public weekday (Mon-Fri) Masses, Baptisms, Confessions, Weddings, and Funerals can all resume in the Archdiocese of Hartford with careful health precautions in place. Weekend Masses will resume on July 4/5.
At St. John Bosco Parish, we will resume the public celebration of weekday Mass on Monday, June 8 and weekend Mass on Saturday, July 4. Important things to note:
The dispensation from the Sunday obligation has been extended through September 6 and live-streaming will continue until the dispensation is lifted on our parish Facebook and YouTube channels. Those in high-risk categories are encouraged to continue staying home, even as people begin to return to Mass.
There will be a limit of 76 people at each Mass (limit of people we can fit in our pews 6' apart), following social distancing and wearing masks, with NO use of public restrooms. Communion will be safely distributed to those who choose.
Starting June 15th, there will be NO LOTTERY FOR DAILY MASS (8AM Mon-Fri and 5PM Tues/Thurs at St. Mary). Seats are first come, first serve, and we suggest arriving 10-15 minutes early to guarantee a seat. If we reach capacity on certain days and you happen to be turned away, we ask for your gracious understanding!
Starting July 4/5, we will resume weekend Masses. There will STILL BE A LOTTERY FOR WEEKEND MASSES, you cannot simply show up (see below). Once weekend Masses resume, we will discontinue the extra Tues/Thurs 5PM daily Mass.
All Masses and Confessions will also temporarily be at ST. MARY ONLY according to the guidelines, to focus on sanitizing only one church. For this reason, the Mass and Confession schedule will also temporarily change.
Sign up for the Weekend Mass Lottery any time (new names can continue to be added), by using the link to the online form found above, or by contacting the Parish Office at 203-488-1607 or [email protected].
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM FR. GLEN
Dear Friends in Christ,
I announce that Archbishop Leonard P. Blair has appointed me Parochial Vicar of St. Gregory the Great Parish in Bristol, Connecticut, effective July 15, 2020. In addition, I have been assigned as Chaplain to St. Paul Catholic High School, Bristol, effective July 15, 2020. My last day working at St. John Bosco Parish will be Tuesday July 14, 2020.
On June 7, 2017 I arrived in Branford to begin my work immediately following my Ordination to the Priesthood. I had no idea what was in store for me. Three years later in 2020 I sit back and and reflect on everything I have experienced, and do so with a heart full of immense gratitude. To read the full version of Fr. Glen's letter, click here.
Farewell Reception July 12
All are welcome to stop by on Sunday, July 12 from 1:00-3:30 PM at the St. Mary Hall, to thank Fr. Glen for his 3 years of service at St. John Bosco Parish and to wish him well at his new assignment at St. Gregory the Great Parish and St. Paul High School in Bristol, CT. A light lunch will be served - individually wrapped sandwiches along with a Cannoli Truck for your enjoyment! Optional seating indoors as well as outdoors (weather-permitting). All will be handled in a safe manner so please bring a mask and practice social distancing. Guidelines limit the attendance to 150 people at any given time, so please consider staggering the time you arrive. We promise a good time as we say our farewells and wish our best to Fr. Glen!
LIVE-STREAM MASS
Live-stream Mass every Sunday at 10:00 AM on our parish Facebook page or YouTube channel or watch anytime thereafter. *Note: you do not need a Facebook account in order to view our page!
If using YouTube, be sure to chose 1080p on the settings wheel for best video quality! You can also stream to a smart TV using YouTube or Facebook Watch apps, or plugging your phone/iPad into your smart TV using a HDMI cable.
WORSHIP AIDS!
Click here to download and print the worship aid each week, to follow along with the hymns and readings during Mass!
The Parish Office is open during normal business hours, Monday - Friday 8:30AM-4:30PM. All visitors are asked to wear masks upon entering.
The churches are open for individual prayer during the following hours:
St. Therese 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Mon-Fri)
St. Mary 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM (Mon-Fri) 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM (Sat) 1:00 to 4:00 PM (Sun)
OFFERTORY - ONLINE, MAIL IN, OR DROP OFF!
Per the diocese, during this time parishioners who are absent from Mass are urged to make alternate provision for their weekly contributions since parishes depend on them for operation. Mail your offertory to the Parish Office (731 Main St), drop off to the offertory box in the vestibule of each church during open hours, or sign up for Online Giving to make a recurring or one-time donation at https://www.saintjohnboscobranford.org/onlinegiving.
WOMEN'S GROUP SCHOLARSHIPS
The St. John Bosco Women's Group is offering two $500 scholarships to middle school graduates entering a Catholic high school in the fall, and two $500 scholarships to high school graduates entering any four-year college in the fall. Click here to download and submit the application by July 1st!
St. John Bosco is introducing a new outreach program called BOSCOnnect, in an effort to keep "connected" to parishioners during these trying times of the pandemic - especially the isolated, the elderly, and those without families in the area.
If you or someone you know would like to be included in this program by receiving a weekly phone call and/or being assisted with basic needs, please email [email protected] or call 203-488-1607, ext. 10.
We have adopted a new way of communicating with you! You may receive an email or text message from the parish sent from our new system, Evangelus, run by the same company as our Parish App. This is not spam. We encourage you to open the message and follow the link to create a profile and select your preferred form of contact. Get emails or text messages directly to your phone during this time of social distancing, such as the link for live-streamed Mass each week. There will also be groups for you to join, just like on the Parish App. Visit eva.us/johnbosco to sign-up and let us know if you prefer to receive emails or text messages from us!
DO YOU KEEP RECEIVING A RECURRING TEXT MESSAGE?
It has just come to our attention that for those cell phone numbers who were imported into Evangelus, a recurring invitation message will continue to be sent every time we send out a message UNTIL YOU DO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: respond YES to sign up to receive messages from us, or respond STOP to "opt-out" and not receive any more messages.
Unfortunately this is a system feature and there is nothing we can do on our end to stop it, unless you tell us directly you need help and want to be taken off (or just respond STOP to the message directly). If you need assistance please contact the Parish Office at 203-488-1607 or [email protected]. We apologize for any frustration it has caused!
Follow us on social media to stay connected to us despite social distancing. We will post updates, spiritual resources, etc. on the MyParish App and Facebook page regularly. *Note: you do NOT need a Facebook account in order to view the Facebook page. You can also receive direct emails and text messages through Evangelus!
The television Mass is broadcast seven days a week at 10:00 AM on WCCT-TV (WB20) and WCTX-TV (MyTV9). It can also be seen Saturday and Sunday at 5:00 AM on WCCT-TV. The Mass can also be found streaming live at these times on http://www.ortv.org/streaming/streaming.htm.
WELCOME TO ST. JOHN BOSCO PARISH
On June 29, 2017 the three Catholic parishes of Branford (St. Mary, St. Therese, and St. Elizabeth) were united into one parish named St. John Bosco Parish. This new, united parish will have the use of two church buildings: St. Mary Church and St. Therese Church. While St. Elizabeth Church will no longer have any regularly scheduled Masses, the parish family of St. Elizabeth will be a vital part of the new parish of St. John Bosco. We look forward to all the opportunities this merger will provide as our churches join together to form a more vibrant and prayerful Catholic community here in Branford.
We are excited to welcome the patronage and guidance of St. John Bosco into the Branford Catholic community. If you would like to know more about our new name and the patron saint of our new, united parish, CLICK HERE to find information about his life and service in the Church.
Upcoming Events
Recent Parish Events
Parking Lot Prayer
#BoscoStrong
Upcoming Funerals
There are currently no funerals scheduled at St. John Bosco Parish.
Parish Vision Plan
We are excited to present our Parish Vision Plan, which lays out goals for the next three years to help us live our mission more fully, and the milestones we've determined are necessary to meet our goals. These are priorities of where we feel we need to improve on as a parish, based on the results of our parish survey. Please take some time to read it by clicking here, and see how your family can help us achieve these goals. For more info or with any questions, please contact Sue Allen at [email protected].
Across the Archdiocese, some parishes have reported email scams which appear to come from the Pastor asking for money. At quick glance the email resembles a valid email address but in fact it is not. These email phishing scams falsely identify themselves as the pastor of the parish and may even reference his actual name. Under no circumstances do parishes or pastors ask for donations in this way and reference buying gift cards, wire transfers, or Bitcoin.
Parishioners in Branford have reported getting emails and even text messages from people appearing to be Fr. Keefe or Fr. Glen, asking for donations of gift cards. THIS IS A SCAM. If you have responded to any of these messages, consider changing your email passwords to ensure your own account safety. CLICK HERE to download a document "How to Tell if an Email is a Scam" to help you understand how to determine if an email is legitimate in any situation.
Promise to Protect
Please visit https://promise.archdioceseofhartford.org/, the Archdiocese of Hartford's website dedicated solely to responding to the sexual abuse crisis within the Church. Read the Archbishop's statements, watch video messages, find resources for the Office of Safe Environment and Victim Assistance and Reporting, and download prayers.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM FR. GLEN
WOMEN'S GROUP SCHOLARSHIPS
On June 29, 2017 the three Catholic parishes of Branford (St. Mary, St. Therese, and St. Elizabeth) were united into one parish named St. John Bosco Parish. This new, united parish will have the use of two church buildings: St. Mary Church and St. Therese Church. While St. Elizabeth Church will no longer have any regularly scheduled Masses, the parish family of St. Elizabeth will be a vital part of the new parish of St. John Bosco. We look forward to all the opportunities this merger will provide as our churches join together to form a more vibrant and prayerful Catholic community here in Branford.
We are excited to welcome the patronage and guidance of 
Across the Archdiocese, some parishes have reported email scams which appear to come from the Pastor asking for money. At quick glance the email resembles a valid email address but in fact it is not. These email phishing scams falsely identify themselves as the pastor of the parish and may even reference his actual name. Under no circumstances do parishes or pastors ask for donations in this way and reference buying gift cards, wire transfers, or Bitcoin.
