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The Holy Rood Collaborative
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  • Home
  • About
      • Welcome Home!
      • Staff
      • Holy Rood? Please explain...
      • Our History
      • Our Patron Saints
      • New Collaborative Signage
      • Directions
      • From the Pastor
      • Homilies
      • Deacon John's Blog
      • Our Lady Star of the Sea
      • The Windows of St. Mary's
  • Worship & Sacraments
    • Worship
      • Lent 2023
      • Holy Week/Easter 2023
      • Mass Times & Devotions
      • Liturgical Ministers
      • Holy Days of Obligation
      • Eucharistic Adoration
      • St. John Music Ministry
      • St. Margaret Music Ministry
      • St. Mary Music Ministry
      • The Rosary
      • The Divine Mercy Chaplet
      • Funerals
    • Sacraments
      • Baptism
      • Reconciliation
      • Eucharist
      • Confirmation
      • Marriage
      • Holy Orders/ Vocations
      • Anointing of the Sick
  • Faith Formation
    • FAMILY FAITH FORMATION
      • Welcome
      • Program Overview 2022/23
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Tuition Angels
      • Ways of Praying
      • Deep Dives
      • Faith Fundamentals Tracking
      • Confirmation
      • Catechist Corner
      • Calendar & Schedules
      • FORMED
      • RCIA (for youth)
    • YOUTH FORMATION
      • Youth Ministry
      • Permission Slip
      • Catholic Heart Work Camp
      • Discipleship Week
      • Mass On A Mountain
      • Steubenville East
      • Teen-Led Stations of the Cross
      • VBF (Coming Soon!)
    • ADULT FORMATION
      • Adult Bible Study
      • Becoming Catholic
      • Catholic Resources
      • The Institute for the New Evangelization
      • And The Answer Is...
  • Parish Life
    • Up and Coming Events
      • Parish Events
      • Lent 2023
      • Blood Pressure Clinics
      • Capuchin Mobile Ministries
      • First Friday
      • Ministry Fair
      • Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage
      • St. Patrick's Day Dinner
      • Trivia Night!
      • $5000 Bonanza WINNERS
    • Video Library
      • Fr. Brian Video Messages
      • Parish Presentations
      • Photo Albums
      • Other
    • Parish Life
      • Bulletins
      • Calendar
      • African Community
      • Annual Outdoor Mass and BBQ
      • Bible Study
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  • Stewardship
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  • I would like to
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    • Effective July 1, 2021, St. Mary, St. John the Evangelist and St. Margaret of Scotland joined together to form a single, three-parish collaborative, The Holy Rood Collaborative. Many have asked... "What is a rood?"

      Let us explain...


    • Huh? What? Hmmmm.... Did you say RUDE?  
                     Well, it IS pronounced that way, but is FAR, FAR, FAR from that meaning...


      The Holy Rood refers to any image of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and John, the favorite disciple, standing together at the foot of The Cross.

      Okay, but...



       

      It is said that when 21-year-old Margaret had to flee to Scotland following the conquest of England in 1066, she brought her most valuable treasure with her... a true relic of the specific wooden cross upon which Christ was crucified and died. In 1070, her husband, Malcom III,  founded the Abbey of Dunfermline, where she kept this relic enshrined in an ebony colored crucifix—this is how the term Black Rood came into being, which it is often referred to. In 1093, as she lay dying, it was this relic to which she clung.

      Her great love and devotion of this relic inspired her son, King David I, the youngest of St. Margaret's children to erect the Holy Rood Abbey in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1128. It was here that the relic continued to be safeguarded until it was regained by the English in 1346.





      We look forward to our journeying together as a new collaborative family towards the One True Cross!

      • Mary, Mother of God... pray for us!
      • St. John the Evangelist... pray for us!
      • St. Margaret of Scotland... pray for us!
       

    • Thank you to ALL who helped in the discernment process of bringing the parish families of St. Mary, St. John the Evangelist and St. Margaret of Scotland into a single, three-parish collaborative through the submitting of surveys, attendance at town hall meetings, conversations and most importantly, prayer!

    • April 18th Article
    • FAQ's
    • Survey
    • Town Hall Meetings
    April 18th Article
    • The following article appeared in the April 18th Bulletin, following pulpit talks from both Fr. Brian and Fr. Ray at their resepctive churches...


      Over the past few months, Fr. Brian and Fr. Ray, Administrator of St. Margaret of Scotland, Lowell, and members of both the Finance and Pastoral Parish Councils from all three parishes—St. John the Evangelist, St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Mary—have been holding meetings. The idea of adding St. Margaret to the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative has been discussed. Some of the reasons for thispartnership are as follows.

      • The number of priests in the Archdiocese is decreasing. It is expected that this trend will continue. In five years, it is estimated that there will be 140 priests and 270 parishes.
      • As a result of the statistics, several discussions, and prayer, we recommend that a proactive approach is needed and to take our destiny into our own hands.
      • Our proposal is for St. Margaret of Scotland to join the Chelmsford Catholic Collaborative. In doing this, each parish would maintain their own financial resources. At the moment current Mass schedules would remain in place.
      • Among the many benefits are creating administrative efficiencies, expanding the Faith Formation program, a larger faith community and a greater opportunity for evangelization.
      • A larger collaborative would perhaps assure continued support from the Archdiocese.
      • Each parish would maintain its own identity and allow all three parishes to build off these successes.

      This is not a done deal. Parishioner support and prayers are needed with this grassroots proactive proposal. According to the below
      schedule, Fr. Brian and Fr. Ray will host Town Hall Meetings using the capabilities of Zoom, LIVEVIEW, as well as offering in-person
      attendance. At these meetings, parishioners will be able to express views and concerns as we further this exploration. It does not matter which parish you belong to; you can attend the meeting that best fits your schedule or you can attend all three! ZOOM invites will be sent via FLOCKNOTE as we get closer to these dates.

      Additionally, a 3-question survey will be sent to parishioners on April 24th via FLOCKNOTE, allowing for additional input from you. For those who do not have access to a computer, paper questionnaires will be made available. Details on how to access these will be available in next weekend’s bulletin. Lastly, as we attempted to foresee questions that may arise, we have authored a Frequently Asked Questions document which you can find on the tab to the right. We kindly ask that you read through these before reaching out with questions, as you may very well find the answer there!

    FAQ's

    •  


      Why should we consider joining with St. Margaret?

      Adding St. Margaret to our collaborative would enrich our community. It would help to strengthen our faith sharing and sharing of finances expenses for staffing, which would hopefully allow us to add more staff and be able to meet the needs of the communities in a better way. It also would allow us to be more proactive in determining how to face what is going to happen in the not-too-distant future concerning the number of priests available to service parishes.

      Are either St. Margaret or the CCC in trouble? 

      No, all are viable parishes.

      How would this affect our Mass schedule? Will they change again?

      The schedule will not be affected at this time. At some point changes may need to be made, but this would be due more to the decline of available priests rather than changes to the Collaborative.

      How will this affect our Daily Mass? 

      The Daily Mass times would remain unchanged. At some point changes may need to be made, but again, this would be due more to the decline of available priests than changes to the Collaborative.

      How will this affect Fr. Ray?  Will he still continue to say Masses? 

      Fr. Ray will stay with the parish and continue to serve.

      Will Fr. Ray move into residence with Fr. Brian? 

      Yes.

      How will this affect our parish finances? 

      The finances of each parish would not be affected.  Each parish would contribute towards collaborative expenses; ie: staffing, Faith Formation, but otherwise finances would stay with the individual parish.

      How will this affect the CCC staffing at St. John [offices]?

      The staffing at St. John [offices] would remain in place.  If we add St. Margaret to our collaborative we would likely increase staffing so as to meet the needs of the communities in the best way possible.

      How is Faith Formation at CCC doing with St. Margaret registrants,
      and are all age levels being serviced? 

      Faith Formation is doing very well with St. Margaret registrants, for all age levels, from K-Confirmation.

      Will the St. Margaret bulletin information be incorporated with the CCC bulletin?

      Yes, with areas within the bulletin for each of the respective parishes.

      Will any of the churches be closing?

      No.

      Where would the parish offices be located? 

      The offices would be located at St. John’s. 
      In time we would explore what we would need to do to serve St. Margaret.

      Each parish has similar ministries, would these ministries have to merge into one, or would they stay at their own parish? 

      Each ministry would stay with their own parish, but would be able to work collaboratively as they wish.

      What happens to the Parish and Finance councils? 

      There would be one combined Parish council, with members from each parish. Each parish would have separate Finance Councils.

      How would sacramental preparation work? 

      Sacramental preparation would be shared by all three parishes, with celebrations at the parishioner’s parish.

      Would the lay ministers and altar servers be able to serve at all of the  parishes, or would they stay with their current parish? 

      They would be able to serve at all of the parishes.

      How long would this take to be finalized and what is the timeline? 

      We would like to move as quickly as possible, with a venture on July 1, 2021.

      What would our parish identity be? Would we retain our parish name, or would there be one name for all three of the parishes? 

      Each parish would keep their name, but would operate under the umbrella of the not-yet-named collaborative.

      How is the final decision made, or who makes it? 

      The pastors will reflect on the input they receive from parishioners and, if they find that the parishes want to move forward, they will present that recommendation to the Archdiocese for Cardinal Sean’s blessing and approval. 

    Survey

    •  


      The Survey is NOW CLOSED... Thank you to all who participated!

    Town Hall Meetings

    •  



      Thank you to all who participated in our Town Hall meetings!

      Monday, April 26 at St. John the Evangelist
      LIVEVIEW, In-person and ZOOM
      ZOOM invite can be found in April 25th bulletin and will be sent via FLOCKNOTE on Sunday, April 25th

      Wednesday, April 28 at St. Margaret of Scotland
      In-person and ZOOM
      ZOOM invite can be found in April 25th bulletin and will be sent via FLOCKNOTE on Sunday, April 25th

      Thursday, April 29 at St. Mary
      LIVEVIEW, In-person and ZOOM
      ZOOM invite can be found in April 25th bulletin and will be sent via FLOCKNOTE on Sunday, April 25th

      LIVEVIEW
       

  • Home
  • About
      • Welcome Home!
      • Staff
      • Holy Rood? Please explain...
      • Our History
      • Our Patron Saints
      • New Collaborative Signage
      • Directions
      • From the Pastor
      • Homilies
      • Deacon John's Blog
      • Our Lady Star of the Sea
      • The Windows of St. Mary's
  • Worship & Sacraments
    • Worship
      • Lent 2023
      • Holy Week/Easter 2023
      • Mass Times & Devotions
      • Liturgical Ministers
      • Holy Days of Obligation
      • Eucharistic Adoration
      • St. John Music Ministry
      • St. Margaret Music Ministry
      • St. Mary Music Ministry
      • The Rosary
      • The Divine Mercy Chaplet
      • Funerals
    • Sacraments
      • Baptism
      • Reconciliation
      • Eucharist
      • Confirmation
      • Marriage
      • Holy Orders/ Vocations
      • Anointing of the Sick
  • Faith Formation
    • FAMILY FAITH FORMATION
      • Welcome
      • Program Overview 2022/23
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Tuition Angels
      • Ways of Praying
      • Deep Dives
      • Faith Fundamentals Tracking
      • Confirmation
      • Catechist Corner
      • Calendar & Schedules
      • FORMED
      • RCIA (for youth)
    • YOUTH FORMATION
      • Youth Ministry
      • Permission Slip
      • Catholic Heart Work Camp
      • Discipleship Week
      • Mass On A Mountain
      • Steubenville East
      • Teen-Led Stations of the Cross
      • VBF (Coming Soon!)
    • ADULT FORMATION
      • Adult Bible Study
      • Becoming Catholic
      • Catholic Resources
      • The Institute for the New Evangelization
      • And The Answer Is...
  • Parish Life
    • Up and Coming Events
      • Parish Events
      • Lent 2023
      • Blood Pressure Clinics
      • Capuchin Mobile Ministries
      • First Friday
      • Ministry Fair
      • Shrines of Italy Pilgrimage
      • St. Patrick's Day Dinner
      • Trivia Night!
      • $5000 Bonanza WINNERS
    • Video Library
      • Fr. Brian Video Messages
      • Parish Presentations
      • Photo Albums
      • Other
    • Parish Life
      • Bulletins
      • Calendar
      • African Community
      • Annual Outdoor Mass and BBQ
      • Bible Study
      • Eucharistic Adoration
      • Faith and Family
      • Hail Mary Challenge
      • Knights of Columbus
      • Outreach Ministries
      • Parish Councils
      • Parish Ministries
      • Protecting God's Children
      • Register in the Collaborative
      • Scholarship News and Announcements
      • St. Vincent de Paul
      • Social Justice Committee
    • Community
      • ACTS
      • Archdiocese of Boston
      • BINGO
      • Boy Scouts: Troop 77
      • Knights of Columbus
      • La Salette Shrine: Attleboro
      • Marriage Encounter
      • National Marriage Week
      • Natural Family Planning
      • Project Rachel Ministry
      • Pro Life
      • Recovery
      • St. Vincent de Paul
      • The Institute for the New Evangelization
  • Stewardship
      • Stewardship: Living a Christ-Centered Life
      • On Line Giving
      • Weekly Offertory
      • 2023 Second Collection Schedule
      • 2023 Grand Annual Campaign
      • 2023 Catholic Appeal
      • Financial Reports
      • St. Mary Elevator
      • Building Updates
      • End-Of-Year Donations
  • I would like to
      • Watch Mass via Livestream
      • Register in the Collaborative
      • Get Married
      • Have My Child Baptized
      • Plan a Funeral
      • Request a Prayer Shawl
      • Reserve a Room
      • Subscribe to FLOCKNOTE
      • Complete My CORI Form
      • Be an Altar Server
      • Remember a Loved One
      • Request A Prayer
      • Report a Facility Issue
      • Get Directions
 
Home to St. John the Evangelist, St. Margaret of Scotland and St. Mary Parish Families. Leading ALL to the ONE TRUE CROSS!

Parish Offices: 115 Middlesex St. | North Chelmsford, MA 01863
Phone: (978)-256-2374

Office Hours:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 9 am - 5 pm | Wednesday 9:30 am - 5 pm | Friday 9 am - 3 pm

Please contact Christine Trznadel, Communications Director, with any edits or comments regarding our website. Thank you!

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