St. John Bosco Parish

NOVENA TO ST. JOHN BOSCO

Click here to download the Novena to St. John Bosco.

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PARISH OFFICE CLOSED TO IN-PERSON VISITORS

The Parish Office will be closed until further notice to in-person visitors and most staff will be working from home. 

You can still call 203-488-1607 and leave a voicemail or email [email protected] to coordinate routine items such as Mass Cards, Mass Intentions, etc. 

Please use the following means of contactless drop-off for items such as envelopes, order forms, etc. - clearly marked in an envelope:

• Offertory boxes at the entrances of both churches during Open Hours (see below)
• Table in the office foyer (9AM-4:30PM, Mon-Thurs)
• Mail to 731 Main St, Branford CT 06405

All in-person ministry meetings and in-person Faith Formation classes are cancelled until further notice. Please contact the Faith Formation Office for remote learning information.

MASSES ARE STILL IN-PERSON, see information below!

SUNDAY DISPENSATION EXTENDED

The dispensation from the Sunday obligation has been EXTENDED through MAY 23, 2021 (Pentecost Sunday) 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. We will continue with our temporary Mass schedule below.

Please read the Archdiocesan guidelines at https://archdioceseofhartford.org/guidelines-for-opening-churches-for-public-worship-in-the-archdiocese-of-hartford/.

At St. John Bosco Parish, we have resumed the public celebration of weekday Mass. Important things to note:

• There is a limit of 76 seats at St. Mary and 70 seats at St. Therese (limit of spaces we can fit in our pews 6' apart), with no more than 100 individuals total. Everyone must follow social distancing and wear masks, with NO use of public restrooms. Communion will be safely distributed to those who choose. 
  
  
• Seats are now first-come, first-serve, with limited overflow seating available in the St. Mary Hall on weekends (including the distribution of Communion). To get a seat inside the church on weekends, we recommend arriving at least 15-20 minutes early. One entrance at each church will open 30 minutes prior to each Mass. While we hope not to have to turn anyone away, in the event it does happen we ask for your understanding, patience, and flexibility. 
  
  
• CONFESSIONS have returned to Saturday before the Vigil Mass, 4:00-4:30 PM at St. Mary or by appointment.

With any questions, please contact the Parish Office at 203-488-1607 or [email protected]. 

 
LIVE-STREAM MASS

Live-stream Mass every Sunday at 9:30 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 for this Sunday, to follow along with the hymns and readings during Mass!

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)

BIBLE IN A YEAR

Click here to see more information and links about "The Bible in a Year" Podcast by Fr. Mike Schmitz, and periodic reflection sessions with our own Fr. John! 

WEATHER CANCELLATION POLICY

EVA.US/JOHNBOSCO

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.

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. 

 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.