Mustard Seeds (K-2) and Loaves & Fishes (3-5)
following the 9:00am Family Mass at St. John
We will begin by gathering in the Upper Church at 10:00am for an Opening Prayer and an overview of the retreat activities. Parents and kids will move together through a series of Lenten activities before returning to the upper church for a closing song and prayer.
Archbishop Richard G. Henning introduces the 2026 Catholic Appeal, which provides support for Archdiocesan Ministries, ministries that provide invaluable aid to ALL parishes throughout the Archdiocese, parishes like ours. Please take a few moments to watch this short video message.
The Catholic Appeal launches this weekend across the Archdiocese of Boston.
A Weekly Exploration of Different Prayer Practices Led by Members of Our SJSP Young Adult Ministry
We are celebrating the Lenten season in a special way as a young adult community at St. John-St. Paul by “Practicing Lent”! Every Tuesday in Lent, join us for a different prayer experience from 7-8PM in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel in St. Paul Church. Join us as fellow young adults lead these experiences and we draw closer to God in prayer this Lent!
ALL YOUNG ADULTS (AGE 21-40) WELCOME!
On February 12, Sr. Colleen sat down with Father Dave Dwyer, CSP, host of the Busted Halo Podcast, to talk about loss, presence, and how faith and community can hold us when words fall short.
We all walk through different seasons of life, and Father Dave welcomes Sister Colleen Gibson to discuss accompanying those in times of grief. Sister Colleen belongs to the Sisters of Saint Joseph [of Philadelphia], and co-hosts the “Beyond the Habit” podcast. She currently serves as the Coordinator of Pastoral Care at St. John-St. Paul Catholic Collaborative in Wellesley, MA, where among many things she helps run a bereavement ministry called “Seasons of Hope.”
Sister Colleen first discusses her religious order. “Sisters of St Joseph are ready for any good work… “
Each year, in preparing for Lent, we reach out as a community to one particular place of need through our Lenten Gift. This year, we will stay very close to home, reaching into our own backyard to help students at our local community college be able to focus on their studies without undue financial stress. Students at community colleges tend to be stretched thin between a multitude of obligations and financial strains.
Tuesday, March 3 at 6:30pm
St. John Chapel and Powers Hall
All women of the collaborative are invited to an hour of “Potluck Prayer” – a Holy Hour of Eucharistic Adoration in the Chapel with an invitation for all gathered to share music, poems, readings, art, and anything else that may be preparing our hearts for our Lenten journey or inspiring our prayer life.
After our Holy Hour we will gather in Powers Hall for a potluck dinner and fellowship.
Bring a dish or beverage to share and invite a friend or neighbor to come along!
In our responsorial psalm today, we hear the psalmist sing, “Create in me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me…”
In what ways does your heart need to be purified?
What grace do you need to receive from God in order to maintain a steadfast spirit?
It is impossible to miss the irony of this passage from Matthew’s gospel as it is proclaimed on Ash Wednesday. As Jesus exhorts us to pray and fast in secret, we receive ashes on our forehead that proclaim to all we see that we are fasting! There is no magic in the ashes. Unlike the Eucharist, which confers grace, ashes are a sacramental, a sacred sign which disposes us to receive grace. Jesus is not decrying ritual or communal prayer. Rather he points to centrality of our “internal” transformation. Lent is a time for us to focus on that internal transformation by turning to the presence of the Triune God, who dwells within us.
I have read and re-read a book which has been very helpful in my own prayer. It is called The Impact of God: Soundings from St. John of the Cross by Fr. Iain Matthew, an English Carmelite priest…
Three Thursday Evenings: February 26, March 12, March 26
7-8:30pm at St. Paul Parish Hall or on Zoom
Catholic Social Teaching has been called the “best kept secret in the Catholic Church.” Join us as we dive deeper into this hidden gem of our faith with Fr. Ken Himes as a guide on the way! This three-session series will explore the pillars of Catholic Social Teaching and how they can call us to faith-filled action in our world today. Drawing from life experience and Gospel principles, this program promises a foundational understanding of CST and will bolster you spirit in the season of Lent and beyond!
Offered in a hybrid-format – participate online via Zoom or in-person in the St. Paul Parish Hall for fellowship and sharing as we learn from Fr. Himes and reflect together on the social implications of living out our faith! Registration is required – please register below…
Each year the season of Lent invites us to dive deeper into our faith. This season is one of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. It reminds us that our faith is meant to be lived and that we are blessed on the journey of life to walk with a God who uniquely knows what it means to be human. In Jesus, God became human and in Lent, we sit with our own humanity and draw closer to the Living God who longs to be in deeper union with us.
That union is beautifully captured in the paschal mystery of our faith—the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus— that we remember especially in the Triduum. Yet, before we can come to these momentous days of Holy Week and Easter, we must first make our annual Lenten journey.
This year as a Collaborative our theme for this Lenten journey comes from Psalm 51: “Renew a Steadfast Spirit within Us.” (Psalm 51:12b)