Adult Faith Enrichment – Page 5 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Evening Prayer on the Feast of St. Phoebe

On September 3 we gathered at St. John to celebrate the Feast of St. Phoebe with song, prayer, and readings from scripture.

Sr. Colleen preached on the life of St. Phoebe, a deacon and mother of the ancient Church, who shared the Good News of Christ’s resurrection through the letter she carried to Rome and the witness she gave by her life. She reminded us of the significance of the St. Paul’s letter to the Romans and the trust and faith he must have had in Deacon Phoebe’s ability to effectively preach it to an unfamiliar and important community. Phoebe’s example still brings hope for women in the Church, and reminds us that we are all called to share the good news and to receive others in the Lord…

Tuesday, September 3: Please Join Us to Celebrate the Feast of St. Phoebe

Please join us on Tuesday, September 3 at 7:00pm for our Feast of St. Phoebe Evening Prayer Service at St. John.

“I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy ones, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a benefactor to many and to me as well.”

Remembering Fr. Peter Gyves, SJ of “A Faith That Does Justice”

Fr. Peter Gyves, SJ, the founder and director of “A Faith That Does Justice,” died unexpectedly this past week.

Fr. Peter joined us in October of 2022 to celebrate the Opening Mass for our Evening for Women program, and to share the story of his life and his work with “A Faith That Does Justice,” an interfaith network that challenges people to experience God by living their faith intentionally in service to others, especially the marginalized of the world.

Before entering the Society of Jesus in 2003 at the age of 52, Fr. Peter was a pediatric endocrinologist. He was ordained to the priesthood in 2008…

Wellesley Interfaith Lay Dialogue (WILD)

In late April, Temple Beth Elohim hosted a beautiful night of Shabbat services and interfaith sharing. Members of faith communities throughout the Wellesley community were invited to worship together and hear reflections from representative clergy.

From that beautiful event the idea for an interfaith lay ministry arose. Members of various congregations met together and formed WILD (Wellesley Interfaith Lay Dialogue), whose aim is to explore opportunities for lay conversation and collaboration.

Our first event, facilitated by Kelly Meraw, will be held on Thursday, September 12 at 6:00PM at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. The topic of the evening’s dialogue will be “Synodality: A Language of Listening”…

Caring for Our Common Home – Roof Garden Experiment!

In Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter, “Laudato si’ – On Care for Our Common Home”, he notes that scripture tells us to “till and keep” the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). “Tilling” refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while “keeping” means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. He calls on all of us to consider how even our smallest daily actions and decisions can shape the future of the planet, for better or for worse.

This winter, staff members in the Collaborative Offices (the former Saint John Convent building) came up with the idea of using the roof of the former sunroom to “till and keep” a vegetable garden – the kind of small step that can help shape a better future. Rooftop gardens can have a positive environmental impact, because the increased surface area of vegetation lowers the surrounding air temperature, and the vegetation helps absorb and purify rainwater and storm runoff…

Kelly Meraw Preaching for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene on “Catholic Women Preach”

Please take a few moments to watch Kelly’s reflection on the readings for July 22, the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene.

Kelly reminds us of Mary’s deep listening to Jesus’ call, and her courage and perseverance in answering his call to “go and tell.”

“He is here. He is alive. He is speaking to us. And we’ve got to tell everyone!”

Click the Play button below to watch the video –

Webinar: 15th Annual Saint Mary Magdalene Celebration at Boston College

Beyond Rights: The Theological Case for Women

Monday, July 22 at 1:00pm* on Zoom (*lecture will begin at approximately 1:20pm)

Presenter: Cecilia González-Andrieu, professor of theological studies, Loyola Marymount University

In-person registration has reached capacity and is now closed. Click here to register for the lecture portion of this event via Zoom…

15th Annual Saint Mary Magdalene Celebration at Boston College

Beyond Rights: The Theological Case for Women

Monday, July 22 from 12:00-3:00pm at Boston College Simboli Hall, Brighton Campus
The celebration begins with Mass and lunch, followed by a lecture.
Event is free of charge, attend in person or virtually. (Please note: in-person space is limited)
Presenter: Cecilia González-Andrieu, professor of theological studies, Loyola Marymount University
To register…

Calling All Young Adults!

Are you interested in connecting with other young adults between the ages of 21 and 40 to build community, share faith, and socialize? Or maybe you know a young adult who is?

A group of young adults in the Collaborative is looking to start a young adult group and wants to gather the contact info of those who might be interested to discuss possibilities! If you are interested in this exciting opportunity (or know a young adult who may be)…

U.S. Bishops Release National Synthesis for the Interim Stage of the 2021-2024 Synod

On May 28, 2024, the USCCB released the National Synthesis for the Interim Stage which will, along with the contributions of episcopal conferences worldwide, form the basis of the work to be engaged by the Catholic Church until the Second Session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod in October 2024.

Below is the USCCB’s press release, which includes links to the document…