From the Pilot: As the global Church began its new liturgical year, a Mass celebrating the initiation of the “synodal way” took place at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Nov. 27, marking the official opening of the synodal
The St. Paul Adult Choir, directed by Mary Lee Cirella, is pleased to announce that the Christmas Pops Concert is back! The program will open with the joyful work Te Deum by Mozart. The Te Deum is one of the ancient prayers of the Church and a joyous hymn of praise and thanksgiving to God for all of His help in this difficult time. There will be a group of inspirational works in remembrance of our loved ones as well as Christmas Carols, old and new, accompanied by orchestra, harp and organ. With special guest soloist, Fr. Jim Laughlin! Donations to the St. Paul Music Program will be gratefully accepted.
The St. John-St. Paul Collaborative is dedicated to both the prayerful and practical support of those experiencing loss. In the coming months, we will be hosting two special retreats.
In December, we will host “Blessed Are Those Who Mourn”, a half-day retreat offering Christ-centered consolation in the midst of grief.
In February, we will be hosting a one-day retreat with The Emmaus Ministry, which was founded to serve the unique spiritual needs of grieving parents…
Saint John School’s Trees & Trimmings Christmas Market is returning outdoors on December 4, with online pre-sale options if you would like to avoid the crowd onsite. Please note new start times: 8:00 – 8:30am for Seniors and 8:30am – 2:00pm Open to All (while supplies last.)
Are you worried about the US shortage of Christmas trees? Do you hate standing in line in the freezing cold? Want to avoid scratching the roof of your car, or filling the back with needles?
…We have the solution for you!
St. John School is auctioning off 3 Premium Christmas Tree Packages…
Our POWIR committee is overjoyed to share with you the arrival of the Afghani family we will be supporting in the coming year. They arrived at Logan Airport on Friday afternoon at 4PM. Mom, Dad, 2 year old boy and 1 year old baby girl are happily settled into their new home in Boston. Our housing volunteers worked tirelessly on Thursday and Friday preparing a warm and welcoming home for the family thanks to all of your generous donations.
We are still gratefully accepting financial contributions to their resettlement efforts, and any volunteer support you feel prompted to give. From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for making this massive contribution…
God bless you, and keep you, and walk beside you, at Thanksgiving. . . . and always.
This year, our Thanksgiving Mass for the Collaborative will be celebrated Thanksgiving morning at 9:00am at Paul Church, and will feature music from both the St. John and St. Paul music programs. Please join us – in person or on the St. Paul Livestream!
Please Note: This will be the only daily Mass of the day; there will be no 7:00am Mass at St. John on Thanksgiving.
During this time of year, we feel the need to gather in unity, return to our values, and offer gratitude. Wellesley area clergy invite you to join them in fellowship for the second annual Zoom Interfaith Thanksgiving service.
Our pastor, Fr. Jim, and Kelly Meraw, our Director of Pastoral Care, will join clergy from other Wellesley congregations to lead us in prayer, scriptural readings, song, and words of comfort.
This event is available on Zoom and pre-registration is required…
At Saint John School’s Trees & Trimmings Christmas Market, the SJS Community comes together outside to semi-custom decorated wreaths, greenery, Christmas trees and boxwoods to our school, church and local community.
Online, we also have a toy raffle with the hottest toys, a calendar raffle, an opportunity to purchase wreaths (simple and decorated) & greens early, and more. All available online now.
All of the money raised goes toward supporting our beloved Saint John School, its students, activities and operating costs.
Thank you, in advance, for your support!
After 11 years, our Thanksgiving feast for the guests at the Bristol Lodge in Waltham has come to an end. Just as the pandemic has changed many facets of our lives, the same is true at Bristol Lodge.
Many thanks to all the parishioners who participated in this ministry. Since 2009, rain or shine, you brought cooked turkeys and gravy, green beans, peas, carrots, corn, stuffing, sweet and regular potatoes, dinner roles as well as beverages to the school parking lot the day before Thanksgiving. Most of you then returned home to start cooking for your own family’s feast. What generosity! We had many families who participated year after year, even one family where multiple generations contributed…
We are looking forward to the return of the Christmas Youth Choir (in its 20th year) that will sing at the 4:00pm Mass at St. John on Christmas Eve.
After further consultation with medical experts, and cognizant of the recent example of our SJS students safely participating in school choir activities before the availability of vaccinations for this age group, we are modifying our protocols for the Christmas Youth Choir. While vaccinations are certainly strongly encouraged when medically appropriate, they will not be required for participation. We understand that the decision of when and whether to vaccinate in this age group is a complex one.
We have been reassured by the data, and by the medical experts we have consulted, that the mask requirement is the most important thing we can do to reduce the risks for all involved. Masks are required for all in-person rehearsals and to sing with the choir on Christmas Eve.