Fr. John J. Connelly (1922 – 2021)

Fr. John J. Connelly (1922 – 2021)

The Reverend John J. Connelly passed into the hands of God after he had served for seventy-one years as a priest. He was 98 at this time of his death on June 28th, 2021.

Son of the late John J. and Helen (Murphy) Connelly and brother of the late Mary Margaret Connelly and Helen Connelly, Fr. Connelly, a Boston native, attended Boston Latin School and Boston College before entering the U.S. Army in 1943, serving until 1945. He was ordained from St. John’s Seminary by Cardinal Richard Cushing in 1950. He then earned a Doctorate in Theology from The Gregorian University in Rome. He served on the St. John’s Seminary faculty for 26 years, followed by 30 years as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Newton Center. Since 2013 he had been serving as a Priest in Residence at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Wellesley…

Fr. John Connelly

Fr. John Connelly

I am sad to let you know that our beloved Fr. John Connelly died yesterday afternoon. I was with him for several hours, along with Kelly Meraw, our Director of Pastoral Care, and both Kelly and Fr. Hehir were with him when God took him home. Fr. Connelly lived an amazing 98 years. I know that we have all loved having him with us for the last eight years.  We were all enriched by his intelligence, wealth of knowledge and quick wit.  He was kind, caring and compassionate and, of course, a man of deep faith.  This true disciple of Jesus has touched many lives, including ours, over the last 98 years.  We now have a new advocate in heaven, where, I feel certain, Fr. Connelly is basking in the love of the God he has served so faithfully.  Requiescat in pace.

Obituary and Services…

Outdoor Mass is Back! Sundays at 5:00pm at St. Paul Church

Outdoor Mass is Back! Sundays at 5:00pm at St. Paul Church

Bring your lawn chairs/blankets and join us for our Sunday 5pm Outdoor Mass at St. Paul Church beginning this Sunday, June 27 and continuing through Labor Day weekend. The Sunday 5:00pm Mass will remain outdoors at St. Paul all summer, as the space there lends itself better to larger crowds.

We are excited to be able to bring back some of the music from the Sunday 5pm Youth Mass at these outdoor Masses, and to introduce you to our new Youth Music Coordinator, Christian Wilson…

6th Grade Summer Blast

6th Grade Summer Blast

We had a great group of rising 6th graders attend our 6th Grade Summer Blast Program last week!  They had fun learning about the timeline of the Old Testament, Saints, the Mass, stories from the Bible and more via brief classroom sessions and relay races, emoji puzzles, Pictionary and other fun activities. Thank you to Fr. Brogan who helped with clues for the games! The students also completed Community Service Projects, had Altar Server training and participated in the 9:00am Mass with Fr. Jim at St. Paul on Wednesday. We had a group who even “presented” the Gospel via a skit they created. Thanks to all who helped make this a success!

Sign Up to Help with Mass Ministries -July and August Schedule Now Open!

Sign Up to Help with Mass Ministries -July and August Schedule Now Open!

Regardless of whether you’ve been worshiping at home or back in the pews, you must be feeling it!? Thanks to the formidable work of scientists and health care workers (not to mention our own vigilance) we are seeing parish life return in a more recognizable way.

We are in need of help in every area in order to accommodate our growing congregation. No long-term commitment required – sign up to help at a single Mass or several as your schedule allows…

A Message from Fr. John Connelly

A Message from Fr. John Connelly

Fr. John Connelly has been in residence at St. John the Evangelist Parish since 2013, when he retired at the age of 90 after 30 years as Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Newton. We are so blessed to have had him with us for the past eight years, and will be forever grateful for all the ways he has enriched our faith community with his wisdom, grace, and humor, and for the profound impact he has had on parishioners and staff alike. Fr. Connelly recently made the decision to move to Regina Cleri, the priests’ retirement home in Boston, and asked us to share this message.

I have enjoyed quite a remarkable tenure here in Wellesley, and St. John’s will always have a special place in my heart…

Join “Women of Faith” with TBE Online – This Thursday, June 17th at 7:30pm

Join “Women of Faith” with TBE Online – This Thursday, June 17th at 7:30pm

All are welcome to an evening with Rabbi Rachel Saphire (Temple Beth Elohim), Rev. Margaret Schwarzer (St. Andrew’s Episcopal), Rev. Dr. Kelly Murphy Mason (UU Wellesley Hills), and Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Music and Liturgy (St. John-St. Paul Collaborative) on Zoom for sisterhood, faith, and fellowship.

Each spiritual leader will share a few teachings from their tradition that speak most meaningfully to them. We’ll have an opportunity for discussion and questions as well. All people of faith from all traditions are welcome!

This event will take place through Zoom – pre-registration is required…

A Note from Fr. Jim: Thank You Msgr. Lind

A Note from Fr. Jim: Thank You Msgr. Lind

Monsignor Lind, the beloved former pastor of St. Paul Church, recently moved to Regina Cleri, the priests’ retirement home in Boston. Monsignor has continued to celebrate Mass at St. Paul’s and we are grateful for all the ways he has enriched our community with his priestly ministry. We may not be seeing him as regularly now but we will always be happy to welcome him home. I know that you join me in expressing our gratitude for all Monsignor has given to the St. Paul’s community for so many years.

Thank you, Monsignor. Our warmest wishes and prayers go with you. Please come and see us soon!

Race Amity Day – Sunday, June 13

Race Amity Day – Sunday, June 13

Race Amity Day Prayer Vigil Natick Common
Sunday, June 13, 2021 from 7pm-8pm

Race Amity is about peace and harmony between peoples of all cultures and races. Sunday, June 13, is Race Amity Day in Massachusetts. Local alumni from the JustFaith programs have planned an interfaith prayer vigil to celebrate the Race Amity Day with the wider community, and we warmly invite you to join in this hope-filled occasion.

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