Updates from the November 19 School Committee Meeting: Vote Postponed to December 10, New Models Being Considered

Updates from the November 19 School Committee Meeting: Vote Postponed to December 10, New Models Being Considered

Our Pastor, Fr. Jim, and Kelly Meraw, our Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, have both spoken at recent School Committee meetings to explain the centrality of Good Friday in Christian belief and worship. We are grateful to all who have taken the time to share their thoughts with the School Committee, both during public comment and via email.

Thank you for recognizing that while we are speaking on behalf of our own Catholic Christian community, we are also in solidarity with the other faith/cultural communities involved in this discussion.  In particular, we want to thank our high school students and the students from other faith/cultural traditions who spoke so eloquently about their own personal faith journeys and practices. A number of students shared how meaningful it has been this year to have their holidays recognized not only by their town but also by their friends and neighbors…

Update: Good Friday and the Wellesley Public Schools Academic Calendar

Update: Good Friday and the Wellesley Public Schools Academic Calendar

As we explained in last week’s bulletin, the WPS Academic Calendar Task Force has presented a recommended option to the School Committee that retains Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Lunar New Year as holidays. It also adds either Eid Al-Fitr or Eid Al-Adha (depending on the year) and removes Good Friday and Diwali as holidays.

Kelly Meraw, our Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, spoke at the School Committee meeting on October 29.

Fr. Jim Laughlin, our pastor, hopes to speak at the meeting on November 12.

All are encouraged to share comments with the School Committee via email at: School_Committee@wellesleyps.org or during the public comment…

Good Friday and the Wellesley Public Schools Calendar

Good Friday and the Wellesley Public Schools Calendar

Since the 1990s, Wellesley Public Schools have been closed on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Good Friday, in addition to the mandated statewide legal holidays. In recent years, requests have been made to add additional religious/cultural holidays to the calendar, and in December 2023 the School Committee voted to add three holidays to the 2024-2025 calendar: Lunar New Year, Eid al-Fitr, and Diwali. This past spring, a task force was appointed to study the recognition of religious/cultural holidays and make recommendations. The Task Force considered several options, ranging from a statewide-holidays-only option to this year’s 6-holiday option.

Last week, the Task Force presented their recommended option to the School Committee. This option retains Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Lunar New Year as holidays. It also adds either Eid Al-Fitr or Eid Al-Adha (depending on the year) and removes Good Friday and Diwali…

October 31, 2024: Installation Mass for Archbishop-designate Richard G. Henning

October 31, 2024: Installation Mass for Archbishop-designate Richard G. Henning

Archbishop-designate Richard G. Henning will be installed as the tenth bishop and seventh archbishop of the Archdiocese of Boston on Thursday, October 31, 2024 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Due to limited space, the Installation will be by invitation only, yet participation in the event is possible via livestream. All are invited to watch the Installation Mass live on CatholicTV, beginning with the procession at 1:30 p.m.

The installation will begin with Archbishop-designate Henning entering the cathedral. It is traditional for him to knock on the cathedral’s doors, and be welcomed by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, who will present the new archbishop to the assembly…

A Letter of Gratitude from Fr. Kevin

A Letter of Gratitude from Fr. Kevin

I write to express my deep gratitude for the incredible hospitality and generosity you have shown me during my time here at St. Paul’s Parish.

From the moment I arrived in July, through the months of August and September, you welcomed me with open hearts and made me feel part of your parish family. Your kindness, warm conversations, and spiritual support have made my stay not only comfortable but deeply enriching. I found another home away from home.

The memories of our shared moments at Mass, parish gatherings, and the many expressions of friendship and care will remain with me as I continue my journey of faith and study in Rome…

“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

“Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

As we begin the month of October, a month the Church sets aside in intentional prayer for the dignity of life and the flawless witness of our Blessed Mother, it seems only fitting that we remind one another of the abundance of life in our own Collaborative.

Our Sunday 9AM Family Mass is not the only place where you will find the faithful witness of young families gathered to participate in the celebration of the Mass. Voices and hearts of all ages make up the fabric of each of our Masses. We are so grateful that at the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative it is rare to experience a Mass without the simultaneous presence of those with a lifetime of devotion and wisdom under their spiritual belts as well as little hearts learning to know and love Jesus…

Our Collaborative Outdoor Mass

Our Collaborative Outdoor Mass

Please join us on Sunday, September 22 at 10:30am on the St. Paul Lawn for our annual Collaborative Outdoor Mass and fellowship event! 

NEW THIS YEAR!  Our SJSP Society of  St. Vincent de Paul chapter is sponsoring a cookout after Mass, providing hotdogs, hamburgers, and veggie burgers for all!  Please plan to bring a side dish/salad to share if you are able!

So that as many members of our community as possible can join together for this special liturgy and fellowship event, there will be a reduced Mass schedule at the parishes on the weekend of September 21-22…

This Thursday, September 12: Wellesley Interfaith Lay Dialogue Event: “Synodality: A Language of Listening”

This Thursday, September 12: <i>Wellesley Interfaith Lay Dialogue</i> Event: “Synodality: A Language of Listening”

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 the Wellesley Interfaith Lay Dialogue – WILD – 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 7:00pm at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. The topic of the evening’s dialogue will be “Synodality: A Language of  Listening”…

Our Regular Weekend Mass Schedule Returns on Sunday, September 8 – with the Addition of a Sunday 7:30am Mass!

Our Regular Weekend Mass Schedule Returns on Sunday, September 8 – <i>with the Addition of a Sunday 7:30am Mass!</i>

Our Regular Collaborative Weekend Mass Schedule returns after Labor Day on the weekend of September 7-8. 

Sunday, September 8 is the 2nd Sunday of the month, so the 9:00am Family Mass (and Coffee and Donuts!) and 5:00pm Youth Mass will be celebrated at St. Paul – we look forward to welcoming you back to these special liturgies!

NEW! Sunday 7:30am Mass

We are excited to let you know that after careful consideration of our current ministry schedule and available celebrants, Fr. Jim has made the decision to add a 7:30am Sunday Mass to our Regular Weekend Mass Schedule effective Sunday, September 8…

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