A Message from the Archdiocese of Boston Regarding Catholic Relief Services

A Message from the Archdiocese of Boston  Regarding Catholic Relief Services

Once again, CRS needs your prayer and action in a significant way. On Tuesday night, Catholic Relief Services received formal notification that the administration has terminated all but two of Catholic Relief Services’ McGovern-Dole Food for Education school feeding programs – cutting off daily meals for nearly 800,000 children in 11 countries beginning in July. For many, this was their only meal of the day.

Your voice is urgently needed so we can continue to work for a world where no child goes hungry.

Without these meals, children will be forced to learn on empty stomachs, putting their health and futures at risk…

An Update from Our Friends at Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH)

An Update from Our Friends at Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH)

Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) supports over 9,000 vulnerable children and adults annually in nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Not only do we provide support to the children that live with us, but we also support children and families living in the community through our community outreach programs.

In Guatemala, 55% of the population lives in poverty with over 68% of the country’s child population living in poverty. This number jumps even higher for the country’s indigenous population, with 80% of indigenous group members living in poverty.

In 2022 in the city of Chimaltenango, NPH opened the Father William Wasson Family Center to better support the indigenous children and families, many of single parents, living in the community…

St. John Prayer Garden: Rest – Reflect – Remember – Rejoice

St. John Prayer Garden: Rest – Reflect – Remember – Rejoice

In one of our bulletin updates about the parking lot replacement at St. John last summer, we let you know about one of its important elements – that the statue of the Blessed Mother in front of the Parish Center would be moved closer to the building, and a small gathering area would be created for prayer and quiet reflection. 

After reading this, a parishioner with a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother approached Fr. Jim with their desire to make a significant contribution to the parish to fund this project…

Thanks to this generous donor, our Prayer Garden is a peaceful and beautiful space to, as the plaque on one of the benches reminds us, “Rest – Reflect – Remember – Rejoice”.  What a beautiful reminder to us all!

Young Adult Ministry: Another Great Event and Planning for the Future

Young Adult Ministry: Another Great Event and Planning for the Future

On Saturday, May 10, the SJSP Young Adults gathered for an evening of Games & Gumbo at the St. John Rectory.

The group welcomed new members as we bid farewell to our friends the Rackleys, who will be moving away this summer. As a parting gift, the New Orleans-natives treated the group to homemade gumbo and we enjoyed an evening filled with fun games, great joy and lots of camaraderie!

The Young Adult Planning Team is in the process of planning events for this summer and visioning for the fall– keep your eyes on this space for upcoming events! And if you’re a young adult between ages 21 and 40 sign up for our contact list so you never miss an update!

A BIG Thank You from Pregnancy Help Boston!

A BIG Thank You from Pregnancy Help Boston!

Our annual Mother’s Day Baby Shower was once again a rousing success! On the weekend of May 10-11, our Collaborative community showed up in a big way and showered the mothers of Pregnancy Help Boston with an abundance of blessings to help as they nurture the gift of life. The overflowing pack-n-plays in each church’s foyer was a visual reminder of our community’s abundant generosity…

A special thanks for the hand-knitted items – many of the women who come to Pregnancy Help are alone, so to have such a unique and special item for their baby, knitted with love in magnificent colors, is a very special gift!

Turning Dreams into Reality: An Important Update on Our Collaborative Lenten Gift

Turning Dreams into Reality: An Important Update on Our Collaborative Lenten Gift

We have been the grateful recipients of the outstanding Pastoral Ministry of Fathers Gabriel, Lesley and James… The mission of building a church in their local community in Cameroon was a tangible way to make a difference in the lives of the growing population of Catholic Christians. 

And BUILD THE FAITH has a special connection with our Collaborative, as it was inspired by the unwavering faith in God exhibited by Christina Dangond Lacouture, a young girl from our parish who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the tender age of 6…

It also inspired us to set an unprecedented goal of $100,000 for our gift…