April 27: Mass Honoring Persons with Disabilities and the Deaf Community at the Cathedral in Boston

April 27: Mass Honoring Persons with Disabilities and the Deaf Community at the Cathedral in Boston

In celebration of Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope, the Archdiocese of Boston invites you to join us for a Mass honoring persons with disabilities and the Deaf community. The Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Richard Henning at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Sunday, April 27 from 1:30-3:30pm. Participants and their families have an opportunity to volunteer to serve at the liturgy.

This Mass will be accessible for all and include a sensory-friendly space, ASL interpreters, Braille and large print worship aide, and a designated drop off and pick up location…

Registration for Religious Education for 2025-2026

Registration for Religious Education for 2025-2026

Registration for our 2025-2026 academic year is now underway. The registration process will take place in person via short meetings with parents/guardians and the Religious Education staff. Families will sign up for a 15-20 minute session to discuss their child(ren)’s program and any considerations to support their faith journey. Sacrament preparation families will be prioritized to early Spring sessions.

For more information about next year’s program and to sign up to register please visit…

Come Sing in the Children’s Choir on Easter Sunday!

Come Sing in the Children’s Choir on Easter Sunday!

Special Rehearsal for Easter Sunday on Saturday, April 12 from 9:00-10:00am at St. John Church

We are seeking new members for the SJSP Children’s Choir! We are especially excited to welcome new members as Easter approaches, so if your child has been on the fence about joining and singing at the 9:00am Family Mass, there is no better time than now! The Collaborative Children’s Choir will be singing the 9:00am Family Mass on Easter Sunday, April 20 at St. John the Evangelist Church.

To learn more or express interest for your child, please…

Adult Faith Enrichment: Lenten Bible Study Concludes

Adult Faith Enrichment: Lenten Bible Study Concludes

This past Tuesday marked the completion of our Lenten Bible Study on Women in the Old Testament. Thank you to the group of 25 that gathered for discussion and connection – learning about women far and wide in the Old Testament. From Eve and Esther to Woman Wisdom and Judith (and with lots of women in between) this group shared the joy of engaging scripture together during this season and sharing faith in the process, all the while discovering the beauty of our faith, ever ancient and ever new! 

Stay tuned for more opportunities for Adult Faith Enrichment in the coming months!

Question for the Fifth Week of Lent: In what ways have you been prone to judge and condemn those around you?

Question for the Fifth Week of Lent: <i>In what ways have you been prone to judge and condemn those around you?</i>

The Scribes and Pharisees are eager to condemn the woman in today’s Gospel without considering the ways they themselves fail to live in accordance with the law. Jesus compels them to self-reflection.

In what ways have you been prone to judge and condemn those around you? Are your judgments related to the ways you fail to examine your own conscience effectively? 

Partakers College Behind Bars Mentoring: We’re Looking for a Few Good Mentors!

Partakers College Behind Bars Mentoring: <i>We’re Looking for a Few Good Mentors!</i>

Zoom Info Session Thursday, May 1, 2025, 6 PM – 7:15 PM
For over three decades, the Partakers College Behind Bars Mentoring Program has changed lives by matching teams of volunteer mentors with incarcerated individuals enrolled in college degree programs based in MA prisons.  Partakers mentors develop transformative helping relationships with College Behind Bars students and support their mentees as they navigate the academic and personal challenges of pursuing higher education in the prison setting. 

We now have six SJSP mentors and it would be great to get another team of 4! Please join us to hear about Partaker’s powerful mentoring program…

Lenten Gift Story Part 3: The Connections

Lenten Gift Story Part 3: The Connections

When Fr. Gabriel arrived in the St. John-Paul II community in Bamenda, the people had no place to worship together and were hanging on by a thread. He told himself, “We must have a church here.” The people asked him, “Father, how can we have a church here? We have no land, we have nothing.” He answered, “We just pray. God will show us a way.” Fr. Gabriel told them to look for anything – any building, any place someone offers to start their church. A family came to him and said, “Father, we have a piece of land, and a chicken coop…”  

So they cleared out the chickens, cleaned up the building, and started their church. Even this seemed like a small miracle, despite the fact that half of the large and growing congregation had to remain outside during Mass. They continued to dream of and pray for the proper church they would build someday – even if it took 30-40-50 years – where the whole community would be able to worship in together…

Question for the Fourth Week of Lent: Is there an area in your life that feels lost or separate from God’s love and mercy?

Question for the Fourth Week of Lent: <i>Is there an area in your life that feels lost or separate from God’s love and mercy?</i>

The parable of the Prodigal Son invites us to consider the relationships in our lives and the extravagant love of God that is offered to each of us. Whether we are lost or found, Jesus says to each of us “you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31)

Is there an area in your life (a relationship, feeling, emotion, or habit) that feels lost or separate from God’s love and mercy? What would it mean to let God embrace this area of your life?

Watch Monday Evening’s Taizé Prayer and Reconciliation Service

Watch Monday Evening’s Taizé Prayer and Reconciliation Service

Monday night’s program featured outstanding sacred music, scripture, and poetry that spanned the ages of our Catholic tradition. While these elements were woven together, participants were guided into prayer and contemplation surrounding their personal Lenten journey. After, the Sacrament of Reconciliation was available to all who wished to receive it. 

The ensemble included Kelly Meraw and William Endicott, and several parishioners served as readers of sacred scripture and poetry along with Fr. Jim and Sister Colleen. Fr. Bryan, Fr. Gabriel, and Fr. Lesley were also on hand to participate in the service and offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  

Many parishioners remark that this evening is one they look forward to all year, because the opportunity for prayer, reflection, and the Sacrament of Reconciliation has become an important part of their personal Lenten journey…