8th Annual Friends of the Poor Walk - Sep 29

8th Annual Friends of the Poor Walk

Sponsored by St. Mary’s St. Vincent de Paul Society

September 29, 2018

8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

With September comes the end of Summer, the first day of school and the SVdP Friends of the Poor Walk. The Walk, 1 ½ or 3 miles, is our only fund raiser. SVdP members offer help to all Franklin residents in their time of need. Your support enables us to provide this assistance. Last year we were able to help 186 families.

Registration will begin between 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.in the Benjamin Franklin Charter School parking lot on Pleasant Street and then the walk will begin there at 9:00 a.m. rain or shine. Please walk with us in fellowship and contribute to our drive with generosity. To make this Walk better than ever, go to www.fopwalk.org where you can either join the Walk or make a donation.

Join together, with family and friends to make our Walk better than ever!

8th Annual Friends of the Poor Walk - Sep 29

40th Feast of St. Rocco - August 9, 2018

Rides Open Thursday, August 9 from 5:00-10:00 PM

Times change and traditions evolve. This year’s annual Feast of St. Rocco, on August 9-12 will mark the 40th and final food festival in Franklin. Driven by the energy and passion of long-time committee members, and executed with the strength of 300 volunteers, this festival finale will be one to remember! 

This year’s celebration will feature more than a dozen food booths offering everything from fried clams, calzones and sausages to authentic Italian pastries and fried dough. Entertainment throughout the weekend will include live bands, DJs, raffles, and amusement rides. Commemorative T-shirts and aprons will be on sale. Raffles for cash prizes and homemade items will be available all weekend. 

Throughout the years, the festival has adapted to the changing lifestyle of the community. In the early days all food was donated and prepared in the kitchens of the parish faithful. For a time, food was prepared in the kitchen of what was then the St. Mary’s School. Today, the food is prepared under the tents where it is served, under strict board of health guidelines. The one constant for 40 years has been the enthusiastic volunteers who prepare and serve the food throughout the weekend.

Entertainment has changed over the years as well. Music has always been part of the celebration and the early days featured several stages with multiple bands and dancing. A pie eating competition and chocolate chip cookie contest are some of the past events. And the young and young-at-heart have enjoyed old fashioned midway games, carnival rides, cotton candy and laughter galore throughout the years! 

Weather has been noteworthy over time. The festival has been held in scorching heat and throughout thunderstorm-ridden weekends, but the spirit of the festival has always endured.

Don’t miss the final food festival beginning Thursday evening, August 9 and continuing through Sunday the 12th, held on the field beside the parking lot across from the St. Mary’s Church. Come for the food. Come for the rides. Come for the people. Just come… be a part of the St. Rocco Festival Finale! For more information or to volunteer to help on festival weekend, please contact the St. Mary’s Rectory at 508-528-0020.

Additional info can be found on the St Rocco page
http://www.stmarysfranklin.org/feast-st-rocco

40th Feast of St. Rocco - August 9, 2018

Franklin Almanac - Episode 14 (video)

Catching up to post the Franklin Almanac - Episode 14 (video). Polikseni has moved on to a regular weekend position with a TV station in Vermont.


Franklin Almanac, the compendium of life in Franklin. If you missed the broadcast via cable, you can catch up to Episode 14 via the YouTube link. Polikseni Manxhari hosts segments on


Introduction- 00:00-00:37
Franklin's new Treasurer Collector- 00:38-12:48
#2069 Erasing the stigma rally- 12:49-21:24
Election Day 2017- 21:25-27:00
Final Thoughts- 27:01-28:07

https://youtu.be/-Q2UQYi0BUg




The Election Collection for 2017 can be found here
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2017/08/election-collection-2017.html

September 4, 2018 will be the State Primary
November 6, 2018 will be the MA State election

Additional information will be posted as the election campaigns get active after primary day.
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/07/election-information-for-sep-nov-2018.html

and
http://www.franklinmatters.org/2018/08/election-information-for-franklin-2018.html

September 4, 2018 will be the State Primary

Remember when: Aug 9, 2015

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Franklin Lions Club

Lions meet the needs of local communities and the world every day because they share a core belief - to serve their community. 

Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization. We have 1.35 million members in more than 45,000 clubs in more than 206 countries and geographic areas. 

Franklin Lions Club

Lions have a dynamic history. Founded in 1917, we are best known for fighting blindness, but we also volunteer for many different kinds of community projects - including caring for the environment, feeding the hungry and aiding seniors and the disabled. Franklin Lions

http://www.franklinmatters.org/2015/08/franklin-lions-club.html

Attention: Solutions Job Postings

Solutions is the before and after school program operated by the Franklin School Department. There are some key positions open for those interested.

• Solutions Assistant Site Director Job Posting

https://www.schoolspring.com/job.cfm?jid=2987431

• Solutions Site Assistant Job Posting

https://www.schoolspring.com/job.cfm?jid=2987429

• Solutions Site Director Job Posting

https://www.schoolspring.com/job.cfm?jid=2987430



Thanks,

Jennifer Maitland
Associate Director
Solutions Extended Day/Enrichment Program
Franklin Public Schools
(508) 613-1772
http://franklinlifelonglearning.com/solutions_program/index.php

Attention: Solutions Job Postings

What is the Lifelong Learning Institute?

"The Lifelong Learning Institute is the community education branch of the Franklin Public Schools. Lifelong Learning provides educational experiences for Franklin residents (and those from surrounding towns) from pre-school through retirement and beyond. This all-encompassing mission is accomplished through the efforts of dedicated employees of the Franklin Public Schools, and is supplemented with the talents of a number of our “friends in education” who partner and collaborate with us. The Lifelong Learning Institute is a fully functioning part of the Franklin Public Schools and has been in existence since the fall of 1998. 

Two existing, stand alone programs, Adult Education and Summer School, were tapped to provide the foundation for the Lifelong Learning Institute. Adult Education has grown significantly and is now known as Adult Education and Community Learning. Summer School is now referred to as The Summer Program and enjoys enrollments of 2000 students annually. 

Schools are among the greatest resources a community has to offer its residents. In Franklin, the Lifelong Learning Institute provides opportunities for Town residents (and those from surrounding towns), who may or may not have school-aged children, to access a level of educational support, a sense of belonging and a feeling of ownership, while simultaneously enjoying a quality learning experience."

FTC Alert: Promoter pitches “secrets” to big bucks on Amazon

Promoter pitches "secrets" to big bucks on Amazon by Lesley Fair Senior Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC Online ads and in-person workshops for Sellers Playbook claim to offer "secrets" to making big money on Amazon. But like a lot of namedroppers, the truth doesn't live up to the hype. That's what the FTC and the Minnesota Attorney General allege in a lawsuit they filed. Read more https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/2018/08/promoter-pitches-secrets-big-bucks-amazon?utm_source=govdelivery This is a free service provided by the Federal Trade Commission.

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Feast of St. Rocco Festival - Through the years

The Feast of St. Rocco Festival began in 1978 as the brainchild of Father Michael Guarino. He sought to create a religious, social and cultural event in Franklin that followed the format of traditional Italian festivals. On a visit to what were once the grounds of the St. Mary School convent, Fr. Guarino found a statue of St. Rocco and his idea found a saint to celebrate in such a festival. 

St Rocco, the patron saint of healing, was born in the 13th century to a wealth family in France but gave away his inheritance and set out as a pilgrim who ministered to the sick, especially those suffering from plague. Having healed many people through intercessory prayer without contracting the disease itself, he finally succumbed to illness and in his great suffering, went away to a small hut the woods, so as not to be a burden on others. He was ministered to be a dog who brought him bread daily, and a spring miraculously appeared near the hut providing him with water.

Ironically, with the feast focused on healing, accessibility is a major challenge for many parishioners. Change is taking place not only with the evolution of the festival, but also within the physical building of St. Mary’s church itself. During the Festival Finale, construction will be in full swing for an addition to the church that will include an accessible entrance, indoor elevator, restrooms on both levels and a food service area. This addition to the church will also feature a permanent location for the statue of St. Rocco to reside, where people can visit with the saint and pray year-round in good weather and bad.

Since its inception, the festival has always included three separate Masses. Kicking off the week of the feast is the Opening Mass at 10:30 on Sunday, August 5 at the church. This Mass is celebrated for the deceased friends and family listed in the St. Rocco program book. At this Mass, rolls that have been blessed are given out to all who attend, just as St. Rocco’s faithful dog brought him bread when he was sick, that helped him survive.

The following week on Saturday, August 11, an Anointing Mass will be held at 10:00 under the tent on the Festival Grounds behind the school across from the church. According to Paula Coughlin, long-time volunteer and Parish Administrative Assistant, “This always attracts a large, reverent crowd. There is something moving about seeing all these people attend Mass and receive an anointing for healing, even as the booth volunteers are readying their booths to serve the people coming for lunch.”

This year, the 40th and final Closing Mass for the Feast of St Rocco will be held on Sunday, August 12 at 10:30 at the church. Following Mass, a procession will carry the statue of St. Rocco from the church to the field.

As the food and festival portion of this feast comes to an end, it paves the way for new traditions and ways to celebrate faith, family and friends within the parish. 

Fr. Brian Manning, pastor of St. Mary’s explains it this way: “As we conclude the Festival of Food portion of the Feast of Saint Rocco this year, we will continue to honor in new ways the vision of faith that Fr. Michael and his many lay volunteers shared with all of us then and through all the years.” 

With changes to the church, the statue of St Rocco will be permanently housed in the new addition where people can pray at any time. And while our faith and town community may not see the food booths and rides on the fairgrounds next year, new traditions will bloom that are compatible with today’s lifestyle and culture.

Don’t miss this historic event. Come for the rides, Come for the people. Come for the healing. Just come … be a part of the St. Rocco Festival Food Finale!

Additional info can be found on the St Rocco page
http://www.stmarysfranklin.org/feast-st-rocco

Photos from the St Rocco Festival in 2013