Our Thanksgiving Day Mass – Thursday, November 23 at 9:00am at St. Paul Church

Our Thanksgiving Day Mass – Thursday, November 23 at 9:00am at St. Paul Church

This year, our Collaborative Thanksgiving Day Mass will be at St. Paul Church – all are invited to join together in thanksgiving for our many blessings. (The Mass will be livestreamed for those who may be traveling – please click the St. Paul Livestream link.) Please consider sharing your blessings by bringing non-perishable items for the Bristol Lodge Food Pantry.  Suggested donations include: snacks for kids, pasta and sauce, tuna, peanut butter, rice, cooking oil…

“Faces at the Manger”: An Advent Reflection Group

“Faces at the Manger”: An Advent Reflection Group

This Advent and Christmas season, the Collaborative will be offering a 5-week small church community to reflect on the “Faces at the Manger.” Weaving together prayer, art, poetry, and music, this group will gather to reflect on those who joined Jesus in the manger that first Christmas – Mary, Joseph, the Inn Keeper & Animals, the Shepherds, and the Magi – while providing prayerful space to grow in our faith.

NEW! Two groups are now being offered – one on Tuesday mornings at 9:30am that begins November 28 and one on Wednesday evenings at 5:00pm that begins November 29.

To register please click here…

Service: “College Behind Bars” Mentoring Program – Zoom Info Session Thursday, November 30

Service: “College Behind Bars” Mentoring Program – Zoom Info Session Thursday, November 30

In an effort re-launch our Prison Ministry work, our Collaborative Service Commission is working with a local organization, Partakers, to help recruit  mentors for their College Behind Bars program.  Partakers  pairs mentors with incarcerated men and women earning college degrees from Tufts University, Emerson College, Boston College, and Boston University… If you’re interested in learning more about the program and what being mentor involves there will be a Zoom Info session on Thursday, November 30 at 7pm. Please RSVP by completing the form available…

St. Paul Giving Tree – Take a Tag or Scan a Code Starting this Weekend!

St. Paul Giving Tree – Take a Tag or Scan a Code Starting this Weekend!

This year’s Giving Tree program begins this weekend, November 11-12, with two boards set up in the St. Paul Sanctuary with gift tag requests. To participate:

Choose a tag or tags from the board/tree
Fill out each tag with your name and phone number
LEAVE the small detachable portion in the box near the board or tree
KEEP the remaining portion of the tag and attach it securely to the wrapped gift so it can be sorted and distributed to the correct location and person

New this year – support the Giving Tree with a click from your phone! Several of the organizations we are supporting this year have provided Amazon Wish Lists to make giving easier… 

Mass of Remembrance and Healing for Pregnancy & Infant Loss

Mass of Remembrance and Healing for Pregnancy & Infant Loss

The Pro-Life Office and Project Rachel ministry of the Archdiocese of Boston will sponsor a Mass of Remembrance and Healing for Pregnancy and Infant Loss on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:00pm at Bethany Chapel in the Pastoral Center in Braintree. Celebrant and homilist will be Rev. J. Bryan Hehir. A light reception and opportunity for Sacramental Reconciliation (Confession) will also be available after Mass.

A special invitation is extended to parents, grandparents and siblings who grieve the death of children as a result of miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion or early infant death. These losses may be recent or extend over many years…

At the Collaborative this Weekend, November 11-12: Star of Bethlehem Handicrafts

At the Collaborative this Weekend, November 11-12: Star of Bethlehem Handicrafts

A representative from Star of Bethlehem Handicrafts will be at both parishes on November 11-12 representing over 100 Christian families living in the Holy Land who make their living by selling hand carved olive wood religious articles.

After all masses this weekend there will be a display of these beautiful pieces, including nativity sets, crucifixes, rosaries, and other sacred statues. Please stop by and purchase some early Christmas gifts, while also helping to support these Christian families living in the Holy Land.

Synthesis Report for the First Session of the Synod on Synodality Released

Synthesis Report for the First Session of the Synod on Synodality Released

In the late afternoon of Saturday, October 28, 2023, the members of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops adopted the “Synthesis Report of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops.” The report, which summarizes discussions at the assembly of the Synod of Bishops, said the church may need more welcoming pastoral approaches, especially to people who feel excluded, but also acknowledged fears of betraying traditional church teachings and practices.  Among the topics addressed in the report were clerical sexual abuse, women’s roles in the church, outreach to poor and the concept of “synodality” itself.

After the voting on the synthesis concluded, the pope said he wanted to remind everyone that “the protagonist of the synod is the Holy Spirit.” He briefly thanked the synod officers and joined members of the assembly in giving thanks to God…

Collaborative Book Club – Thursday, November 9: “The Diary of a Country Priest” –

Collaborative Book Club – Thursday, November 9: “The Diary of a Country Priest” –

The SJSP Book Club will meet this Thursday, November 9 at 7:00pm in the St. Paul Rectory to begin our discussion of The Diary of a Country Priest by Georges Bernanos.

This novel recounts the life of a young French country priest who grows to understand his provincial parish while learning spiritual humility himself.  This week we will discuss chapters 1-4.

Newcomers welcome! For questions or information about joining us, please email bookclub@sjspwellesley.org

“Welcoming the Stranger” – Our Collaborative Response

“Welcoming the Stranger” – Our Collaborative Response

Cardinal Seán O’Malley has alerted every parish in the Diocese regarding our readiness to assist in an ever-expanding immigration crisis beyond the state’s capacity to respond effectively.

To help make it easier for our parishioners to participate in responding to this critical need, our Collaborative Service Commission has set up “Welcoming the Stranger” donation lines in both churches. Attached to the lines are individual cards listing specific items of clothing, toiletries, and personal care needs. 

At Mass this weekend, please pick out and take cards for as many items as you’d like to contribute – the cards serve as a reminder of your commitment to welcoming the stranger. If you miss the chance to pick out specific cards this weekend, know that all items listed below will be welcomed…

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