St. Joseph Catholic Church

Father Rob's Weekly Column

July 3, 2022

Dear Parish Family,

I’d like to wish everyone a relaxing, safe, and happy Fourth of July weekend.  The Fourth of July is a good opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of freedom.  What is your definition of freedom?  Some people today think of freedom as the ability to do whatever we feel like doing even if it means going against God’s law.  But this is not God’s definition of freedom.  God gave us the gift of free will, which means that we have the capacity to choose the greatest good or we can abuse our freedom by choosing the worst kinds of evil.  C.S. Lewis refers to it as “the intolerable compliment” because the choices we make matter for our eternal destiny.  True freedom in Christ means that we’re free to choose the good and follow God’s laws.  It is based on the truth of Christ and it’s in living according to that truth that we are made free.  Jesus said that in knowing the truth, the truth will set us free (John 8:32).

The truly free person knows that only Christ can satisfy the deepest longings of the human heart for love, truth, goodness, beauty, and happiness. With this in mind, we know that the Ten Commandments and the teachings of the Church don’t restrict our freedom but actually liberate us from the disordered passions of our fallen nature.  Sin makes us a slave to our passions and robs us of the true freedom and joy that comes from living as His sons and daughters. Pope St. John Paul II put it this way:  “Freedom is the ability to live responsibly the truth of our relationship with God and with one another.”
During the month of July, the Church encourages us to meditate on the mystery of the Precious Blood of Jesus, shed that we might be washed clean and set free from the slavery of sin.

A Prayer to the Precious Blood of Jesus
Almighty and eternal God, You have appointed Your only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by His Blood. Grant, we beg of You, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life, so we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven.
Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Faithfully, in Christ,
Father Rob

Contact Us

St. Joseph Catholic Church
11007 Montgomery Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
301-937-7183

Office Hours

Join our parish Flocknote emails to receive regular updates and all the info you need to participate in parish events on Zoom:

To Request a Mass Intention

To request a Mass for your friends and family please come by the parish office during office hours or send us your request by mail. When sending in a request, please mail to St. Joseph Church, 11007 Montgomery Rd, Beltsville, MD 20705 and include:

• The name of the person you would like the Mass offered for (please notate if they are living or deceased)
• If you’d like the first available Mass, or Mass offered on a particular date (the Mass intention book fills up quickly)
• Your Name
• Your Phone number
• Your Email
• Mass stipend (suggested donation is $10)
• The address where you would like the Mass card mailed.

We will contact you to confirm your request.

The Mass Intentions for 2022 have all been reserved.  We are partnering with neighboring parishes to utilize some of their available Masses.  For additional information contact the Rectory at 301-937-7183.

The Mass Intention book for 2023 will open on October 1, 2022 at which time we will accept requests for the following year. 

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land (click for flier)
Walking where Jesus walked
October 12-21, 2022.  $4,385.00

Sight & Sound Theater, Lancaster, PA (click for flier)
David
Parish bus tour & lunch, October 29, 2022. 
$157 per person / $103 per child (ages 3-12)
To register, make checks payable to St Joseph Church

Mass & Confession Times

Holy Mass

Saturday:        8:00am (1st Saturdays only)
                             5:00pm Vigil
Sunday:           8:30am & 11:00am 
Monday:         8:00am 
Tuesday:         No Mass
Wednesday:  8:00am;  2:15 pm (School Mass-Students Only)
Thursday:      8:00am 
Friday:             8:00am  followed by Eucharistic Holy Hour at 8:45 am

Only the 8:30am Sunday Mass is livestreamed on Zoom

Parish Bulletin

Click to View the Current Bulletin

If you are new to the area and would like to become a parishioner,  please click here to register.  If you are interested in becoming Catholic or if you are in need of pastoral care, please feel free to email me at:  frrob@stjosephbeltsville.org   

Updated Safety Protocols

 Safety Protocols for Our
In-Person Masses

Confessions 

All confessions take place in the confessionals
Saturdays:  8:30 - 10:00am or by appointment 
 

Eucharistic Adoration

Fridays:  8:45 - 9:45 am (Virtual Zoom Eucharistic Holy Hour)
Immediately follows Holy Mass at 8:00 am

If you would like make a donation to provide assistance to the Church in the Ukraine and surrounding, supporting countries, please visit https://www.crs.org/

click here to visit the larger Calendar for more details
 

Upcoming Events
Fridays
Eucharistic Holy Hour after 8am Mass
Saturdays
8:30am - 10:30 am - Confessions
Saturday, June 25
10:15am - Summer Seminarian Talk I with Peter Trossbach
Wednesday, July 6
8:45am - Summer Seminarian Talk II with Peter Trossbach
Sunday, July 10
7:00 pm - Summer Seminarian Talk III with Peter Trossbach
 Save the Date • Sunday, September 25
Bull and Oyster Roast/Silent Auction
Parish Fundraiser.