I am sad to let you know that our beloved Fr. John Connelly died yesterday afternoon. I was with him for several hours, along with Kelly Meraw, our Director of Pastoral Care, and both Kelly and Fr. Hehir were with him when God took him home.
Obituary and Services…
This Saturday, July 3, the time of our regularly scheduled Confessions at St. John will be later in the afternoon, from 2:00 – 3:30pm, as Fr. Connelly’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated in the morning. Confessions will resume at the
Bring your lawn chairs/blankets and join us for our Sunday 5pm Outdoor Mass at St. Paul Church beginning this Sunday, June 27 and continuing through Labor Day weekend. The Sunday 5:00pm Mass will remain outdoors at St. Paul all summer, as the space there lends itself better to larger crowds.
We are excited to be able to bring back some of the music from the Sunday 5pm Youth Mass at these outdoor Masses, and to introduce you to our new Youth Music Coordinator, Christian Wilson…
We had a great group of rising 6th graders attend our 6th Grade Summer Blast Program last week! They had fun learning about the timeline of the Old Testament, Saints, the Mass, stories from the Bible and more via brief classroom sessions and relay races, emoji puzzles, Pictionary and other fun activities. Thank you to Fr. Brogan who helped with clues for the games! The students also completed Community Service Projects, had Altar Server training and participated in the 9:00am Mass with Fr. Jim at St. Paul on Wednesday. We had a group who even “presented” the Gospel via a skit they created. Thanks to all who helped make this a success!
Regardless of whether you’ve been worshiping at home or back in the pews, you must be feeling it!? Thanks to the formidable work of scientists and health care workers (not to mention our own vigilance) we are seeing parish life return in a more recognizable way.
We are in need of help in every area in order to accommodate our growing congregation. No long-term commitment required – sign up to help at a single Mass or several as your schedule allows…
Fr. John Connelly has been in residence at St. John the Evangelist Parish since 2013, when he retired at the age of 90 after 30 years as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Newton. We are so blessed to have had him with us for the past eight years, and will be forever grateful for all the ways he has enriched our faith community with his wisdom, grace, and humor, and for the profound impact he has had on parishioners and staff alike. Fr. Connelly recently made the decision to move to Regina Cleri, the priests’ retirement home in Boston, and asked us to share this message.
I have enjoyed quite a remarkable tenure here in Wellesley, and St. John’s will always have a special place in my heart…
All are welcome to an evening with Rabbi Rachel Saphire (Temple Beth Elohim), Rev. Margaret Schwarzer (St. Andrew’s Episcopal), Rev. Dr. Kelly Murphy Mason (UU Wellesley Hills), and Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Music and Liturgy (St. John-St. Paul Collaborative) on Zoom for sisterhood, faith, and fellowship.
Each spiritual leader will share a few teachings from their tradition that speak most meaningfully to them. We’ll have an opportunity for discussion and questions as well. All people of faith from all traditions are welcome!
This event will take place through Zoom – pre-registration is required…
Monsignor Lind, the beloved former pastor of St. Paul Church, recently moved to Regina Cleri, the priests’ retirement home in Boston. Monsignor has continued to celebrate Mass at St. Paul’s and we are grateful for all the ways he has enriched our community with his priestly ministry. We may not be seeing him as regularly now but we will always be happy to welcome him home. I know that you join me in expressing our gratitude for all Monsignor has given to the St. Paul’s community for so many years.
Thank you, Monsignor. Our warmest wishes and prayers go with you. Please come and see us soon!
Race Amity Day Prayer Vigil Natick Common
Sunday, June 13, 2021 from 7pm-8pm
Race Amity is about peace and harmony between peoples of all cultures and races. Sunday, June 13, is Race Amity Day in Massachusetts. Local alumni from the JustFaith programs have planned an interfaith prayer vigil to celebrate the Race Amity Day with the wider community, and we warmly invite you to join in this hope-filled occasion.
Aware that the opportunity to participate in Sunday Mass is increasingly available and increasingly safe for our Catholic people, we are joining dioceses in the Boston Province (Boston, Fall River, Springfield, Manchester, and Portland) in lifting the dispensation of the Sunday and Holy Day Mass obligation, effective the weekend of June 19 and 20, 2021.
This obligation does not apply to those who are ill; those who have been recently exposed to COVID or any other communicable illness; those who are confined to their homes or to hospitals or other facilities due to illness, infirmity, frailty, or age; and those who are not yet able to be vaccinated, due to age or any health consideration. Parishioners should consult their local pastor if they have questions about the obligation.