St. Raphael's Church, Poultney VT

09/07/2026

09/02/2026

Faith Formation/OCIA Meetings begin on Sept. 10, 2026 and will continue on the second Thursday of each month through April 2027. The parishes of Our Lady of Seven Dolors, St. Raphael, St. Paul and St. John the Baptist invite you to join us. The venue is St. John the Baptist Church and Hall, 45 North Rd., Castleton, VT. Meetings begin at 5 PM. Please consider joining us.

08/27/2026

The Flame of Love Holy Rosary Thursdays at 6pm - St John the Baptist Castleton, VT, as we pray for priests and holy vocations.

08/25/2026

https://zeale.co/news/articles/catholic-accessories-for-back-to-school

Don't forget to include items that will help keep your faith front-and-center as you do your back-to-school shopping!

08/22/2026

https://zeale.co/news/articles/exclusive-to-serve-is-to-reign-how-marys-queenship-leads-the-faithful-to-christ

The Blessed Virgin Mary’s Coronation as Queen of Heaven invites the faithful to imitate her humility and offers women a model of holiness, the rector of the only Church-approved Marian apparition site in the U.S told Zeale News.

08/22/2026

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Catholic liturgical music wasn’t always like this — so what changed...

08/20/2026

https://zeale.co/news/articles/us-bishops-call-catholics-to-prayer-action-against-abortion-pills?utm_campaign=129541854-The%20LOOP&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8Ii3pX4NXaqH1jrtSdBWTrHSU5MwLWmo8zA6hqiud-TW4VxNackqvimhtrNuOgq-N6XI05adkM07Pl7eUW7p-5R0pGAw&_hsmi=35712211&utm_content=35712211&utm_source=hs_email

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) formally launched a nationwide campaign Aug. 18 calling Catholics to pray, educate others, and advocate against the growing availability of abortion pills.

08/20/2026

Today we turn our hearts to Mary under the title Rosa Mystica (Mystical Rose), whose apparitions in Montichiari-Fontanelle, Italy, continue to touch souls worldwide.

Between 1947 and 1966, Our Lady appeared to Pierina Gilli as a beautiful figure dressed in white, with three roses on her breast. She revealed herself as Rosa Mystica and Mother of the Church, calling especially for prayer and reparation for priests and consecrated souls.

Key Messages from Our Lady Rosa Mystica:
⬩ White Rose — The spirit of prayer: “Pray, pray, pray!”
⬩ Red Rose — The spirit of sacrifice and suffering offered with love
⬩ Golden Rose — The spirit of penance and reparation for sins

Mary urged a return to a holy life, greater fidelity among the clergy and religious, and a powerful renewal in the Church through these three simple but profound practices. She promised graces of healing, conversion, and peace for those who respond to her maternal call.

In July 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith expressed its positive opinion regarding the devotion to Our Lady Rosa Mystica. The sanctuary in Fontanelle has been officially recognized as a Diocesan Shrine dedicated to Rosa Mystica – Mother of the Church.

This beautiful devotion reminds us that even in difficult times, Mary is with us — interceding, guiding, and inviting us to deeper union with Jesus.

O Rosa Mystica, Mother of the Church, help us to live your message of prayer, sacrifice, and penance. Bless our priests and all your children. Amen.

Have you heard about Rosa Mystica before? Will you offer a decade of the Rosary or a small sacrifice today for our priests? Share your thoughts below — let’s support one another in living her call!

08/18/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CkHyTyRfs/

A few weeks ago I had flight problems. Big ones.

Weather canceled thousands of flights. My rebooking had me missing my own family vacation … and the same storm rerouted my wife's flight to Cleveland. So there I was, trying to find her a hotel before she landed, while fighting the Hertz robot voice for a human on the line.

The stress was real. Like "my head is about to explode" real.

But halfway through it, something struck me. Hard.

These were "blessed people problems."

I was stressing about getting home for a VACATION.
I was stressing about getting HOME.
I was missing my FAMILY. Who missed me.

And God cares about what's burdening me. He really does. But it helps to remember that while God is patiently hearing my plea to get home in his right ear... in his left he's hearing the cry of a man who has no home at all.

Now, I'm not trying to wave your stress away with the old line that "someone has it worse." Your crosses are yours, and they're real. But so much of my stress comes from managing all the ways God has blessed me. I'd guess the same is true for you.

Underwater from juggling all those kids? Overwhelmed by the job? Feel like you'll never get to that lawn?

Every one of those is a problem that only exists because of something God gave you.

Remembering that doesn't make the stress disappear... but it makes it lighter. Because it makes YOU lighter.

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