Important Announcements – Page 18 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Video Message of the Holy Father to the people on the vaccination campaign against COVID-19

Pope Francis and six Cardinals and Archbishops from the US and Latin America have come together for a message of unity in support of COVID-19 vaccines and access for all.

“Vaccination is a simple but profound way of promoting the common good and caring for each other, especially the most vulnerable. I pray to God that everyone may contribute their own small grain of sand, their own small gesture of love; no matter how small, love is always great. Contribute with these small gestures for a better future…”

Weekend Weather Update: Masses On As Scheduled, Sunday 5pm Mass Will Be Inside

Given the latest guidance regarding the storm’s impact on our area, we will plan to celebrate all Masses within the Collaborative as scheduled, with the Sunday 5pm Mass moving inside St. Paul Church.

In the unlikely event that conditions warrant cancelling any Masses, we will make announcements via email and on our website and social media.

August 21-22: Collection of Non-Perishable Items for the New “Free Mini Pantry” in Natick

Are you looking for a way to help fight food insecurity in the local area? The St. John-St. Paul Collaborative will be holding a collection of non-perishable food and personal items for the recently established “Mini-Free Pantry” in Natick this weekend, August 21-22. Please consider supporting this effort by donating unexpired, non-perishable items to the collection bins at either church. At St. Paul the collection bins will be in the foyer of the main doors of the church and at St. John the bins will be at the Glen Road entrance.

Most needed items include: peanut butter, canned fruit, personal care items, diapers and wipes. Thank you!

New Collaborative Weekend Mass Schedule Begins the Weekend of September 11-12

Our current Summer Mass Schedule is in effect through Sunday, September 5 (Labor Day weekend.) As we look to the fall, we are mindful that the pandemic is not completely behind us and that uncertainty remains. At the same time, thanks to the formidable work of scientists and health care workers (not to mention our own vigilance!), we can begin to plan more concretely for the months ahead, and to bring back many of the things that provide a richer Mass experience for our community.

We have developed a weekend Mass schedule for the upcoming fall through spring that…

Welcome to Our New Coordinator of Pastoral Care, Mary Campion!

It is with great pleasure we introduce our new Coordinator of Pastoral Care, Mary Campion, who will be joining us later this month. Mary is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and has a MA in Hispanic Studies from Brown University and a MA in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College. She has worked in the Archdiocese of Boston since 2005 and is a certified Pastoral Associate. She is very happy to be joining us in the St. John- St. Paul Collaborative. Mary’s past ministry has involved social justice, adult faith formation, ministry management, sacramental preparation and much more…

Welcome to Our New Coordinator of Pastoral Care, Mary Campion!

Pilot Obituary: Father John J. Connelly, oldest priest of the archdiocese

He was the oldest priest of the archdiocese. He was the second in ordination seniority of Boston priests. He was the last Boston priest who was a veteran of military service in World War II. He was the last, of whom many priests would have saluted as the “greatest generation” of St. John Seminary faculty members (his late friends and fellow faculty members Father James O’Donohoe and Father Philip King would also be included). He was a consummate gentleman. He was a greatly loved pastor. He was a wise counselor. He was Father John J. Connelly — who died at Massachusetts General Hospital on June 28, 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

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…

Time Change for Confessions at St. John on Saturday, July 3: 2:00 – 3:30pm

This Saturday, July 3, the time of our regularly scheduled Confessions at St. John will be later in the afternoon, from 2:00 – 3:30pm, as Fr. Connelly’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated in the morning. Confessions will resume at the