Storm Update! Important Mass Schedule Changes

Storm Update! Important Mass Schedule Changes

Heavy snow is expected to begin on Sunday in the early afternoon and continue overnight and through much of the day on Monday, with accumulations of up to 24 inches possible. The National Weather Service has stated that the heavy snow, combined with dangerously cold temperatures, will make travel difficult to impossible from Sunday evening through midday Monday.

In response we are adjusting our Mass schedule for Sunday and Monday to help keep everyone safe.

Sunday, January 25:
7:30am Mass at St. Paul
9:00am Family Mass at St. Paul (followed by Family Faith Formation)
11:00am Mass at St. Paul
12:00pm Mass at St. John
5:00PM YOUTH MASS CANCELLED

Monday, January 26:
9:00AM DAILY MASS CANCELLED

This Sunday, January 25: Family Faith Formation at St. Paul

This Sunday, January 25: Family Faith Formation at St. Paul

We’re so excited to welcome our Mustard Seeds families back to a new month of Family Faith Formation!

Our theme for January is The Sacraments of Initiation, and the sessions will be led by Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy. 

We will learn what a sacrament is and what is meant by “sacramental grace.” We’ll focus in particular on the three Sacraments of Initiation – Baptism, First Communion, and Confirmation.  These are the sacraments that welcome us into the Christian community and provide the foundation for our lifelong journey in the faith…

Leaving Lives of Certainty – A Reflection for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time by Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy

Leaving Lives of Certainty – A Reflection for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time by Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy

The readings from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time offer us a timely glimpse into our often unpredictable and erratic human experience. The reading from the Prophet Isaiah shares the redemption story of a people liberated to abundant joy and great rejoicing after a period of distress, darkness, and anguish.  

Our Psalmist today stokes a fire of trust in the Lord through her refrain “The Lord is My Light and My Salvation” in an almost conscious, effortful recollection of God’s provision. It is as if she has built an altar in her heart, an interior refuge, dedicated to the moments God has met her in turmoil and delivered her from fear. An altar she needs to visit and revisit, to remind herself of what is true, particularly in times of darkness…

February “Evening for Women” with Guest Speaker Dr. Brian Robinette

February “Evening for Women” with Guest Speaker Dr. Brian Robinette

February 3, 2026 at 6:30pm
St. John the Evangelist Church – Lower Level

“Evening for Women” is excited to welcome Dr. Brian Robinette, Professor of Theology at Boston College (and St. Paul’s Parishioner!) to speak about the theology and practice of contemplative prayer and how contemplation can help us in the context of a polarized world.  

Followed by a potluck dinner in Powers Hall – bring a friend and a dish to share!

Please visit the Evening for Women page for more information and the full schedule for the year.

Sponsor Someone On Their Journey to Become Catholic Through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)

Sponsor Someone On Their Journey to Become Catholic Through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA)

What is an OCIA Sponsor? Sponsors offer a welcoming presence and a familiar companionship that assists and encourages the Catechumen (a person seeking to become baptized member of the Catholic Church) or Candidate (a baptized Christian seeking full communion with the Catholic Church) through the various steps of the OCIA experience.

They may participate with the person they are sponsoring in some of the catechetical sessions, and they stand with the person they are sponsoring at the various liturgical rites. Most importantly, they provide a listening ear, an encouraging heart, spiritual support and a prayerful presence.

Being an OCIA sponsor is both an opportunity to share your faith with others and an opportunity to deepen your own experience of faith…

Do You Love to Knit/Crochet? Help Make Baby Items for our Mother’s Day “Baby Shower” for Pregnancy Help Boston!

Do You Love to Knit/Crochet? Help Make Baby Items for our Mother’s Day “Baby Shower” for Pregnancy Help Boston!

We will host our Annual Mother’s Day “Baby Shower” on May 9-10, 2026 to collect much needed items for the clients of Pregnancy Help Boston, a pregnancy resource center supported through the Archdiocese of Boston that provides compassionate, practical, life-affirming alternatives for women facing crisis pregnancies.

We also provided handmade baby items like hats and blankets for newborns, and the staff at Pregnancy Help have remarked on the quality of the knitted items – many women who come to Pregnancy Help are alone, so having such a unique and special item for their baby, knitted with love in magnificent colors, is a very special gift!

It’s time to get knitting!  We’re asking folks who love to knit/crochet to participate in this ministry once again…

A New Seasons of Hope: A Faith Sharing Group for Those Who Mourn

A New Seasons of Hope: A Faith Sharing Group for Those Who Mourn
Monday Evenings, 5:00 – 6:30pm
February 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16 
St. John the Evangelist Church – Powers Hall

If you have experienced the death of a loved one and are searching for meaning, consolation and companionship, we invite you to join our Seasons of Hope group here at the Collaborative.

Centered on Jesus Christ, Seasons of Hope is grounded in the healing wisdom, traditions, and practices of the Catholic Church. With sessions spanning over six weeks, each “season” of Seasons of hope utilizes scripture, prayer, reflection activities, and faith sharing to explore our experiences of grief.

Registration Required:  sjspwellesley.org/seasons-of-hope

Monday, January 19, 2026: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Monday, January 19, 2026: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

THE COLLABORATIVE OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY, JANUARY 19 IN OBSERVANCE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY

As Pope Francis wrote, “Dr. King’s dream of harmony and equality for all people, attained through nonviolent and peaceful means, remains ever timely. ‘Each one of us is called to be an artisan of peace, by uniting and not dividing, by extinguishing hatred and not holding on to it, by opening paths of dialogue’ (Fratelli Tutti, 284). In this way we will be able to see ourselves, not as ‘others’, but as neighbors, in the truth of our shared dignity as children of Almighty God. Only by striving daily to put this vision into practice can we work together to create a community built upon justice and fraternal love.”

Collaborative Book Club: Next Meeting Thursday, January 22

Collaborative Book Club: Next Meeting Thursday, January 22

Our next meeting will be this Thursday, January 22 at 7:00 pm in the St. Paul Office.  This week we begin our discussion of Jesus of Nazareth (Volume 1) by Benedict XVI, Chapters 1-4.

 Newcomers are always welcome! Meetings are in person on the 2nd and 4th Thursday evenings of each month.

For questions or information about joining us, please email us at: bookclub@sjspwellesley.org

January 11 Family Faith Formation Recap: Sacraments of Initiation with the Loaves & Fishes (Grades 3-5)

January 11 Family Faith Formation Recap: Sacraments of Initiation with the Loaves & Fishes (Grades 3-5)

During the  “Focus on Faith” reflection at the beginning of the session, we talked about what a sacrament is and what is meant by “sacramental grace.” The children learned that a sacrament is something we can see that is a symbol of something we can’t see, and that sacramental grace is a love that we can’t earn – it’s something given to you, as a gift.  We talked about and looked at some of the visible symbols of sacraments, including water, oil, bread, and wine.

In the second half of the session, while the children participated in activities with the Children’s Faith Formation team, parents gathered in small groups to discuss questions including: 

What compelled you to have your child baptized? Describe a feeling you have when receiving the Eucharist?

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