Important Announcements – Page 2 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

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…

Special Second Collection August 31-September 1: Thank You Fr. Kevin

Fr. Kevin Onyeka Chukwuka of the Archdiocese of Onitsha in Nigeria has been with us this summer while on break from his studies at the Pontifical Institute of Moral Theology, Alphonsian Academy in Rome. Once his studies in Rome are complete, he will return to his home diocese to help grow the Church in Nigeria.

We are taking up this Special Second Collection to help support Fr. Kevin’s ongoing educational journey as he prepares to return to his studies in Rome at the end of September.

We a grateful for his time with us and for the opportunity to support him in his education and ministry…

Saturday, September 14: Under the Stars with Build the Faith

BUILD THE FAITH is a nonprofit organization inspired by the unwavering faith exhibited by Christina Dangond Lacouture, a member of St. John the Evangelist Parish who was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer on December 12, 2012, at the tender age of 6.

A primary focus of the organization is the construction of Catholic churches in economically distressed areas… They are now assisting a church community in Cameroon where Fr. Gabriel served as pastor.

Please consider supporting Build the Faith’s efforts by attending this four-course fundraising dinner on Saturday, September 14 in Weston…

Come Sing in the Choir!

We are overjoyed to welcome back choristers from the summer break to the choirs in the Collaborative.

If you are interested in singing, no matter your level of experience or skill, we would love to have you in our ranks.

All choirs will be back in action on the weekend of September 7-8.

There are many opportunities to sing each week:

Saturday 5:00pm Vigil Mass at St. John – Sung by the St. John Parish Choir
Sunday 9:00am Family Mass (Rotating) – Sung by the NEW SJSP Children’s Choir
Sunday 11:00am Mass at St. Paul – Sung by the St. Paul Parish Choir
Sunday 5:00pm Youth Mass (Rotating) – Sung by the Sunday 5pm Youth Music Group

Thursday, August 15: The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

A Holy Day of Obligation

MASS SCHEDULE

7:00am Mass at St. John Church
9:00am Mass at St. Paul Church
7:00pm Mass at St. Paul Church

The Assumption refers to Mary, “free from… original sin,” being assumed (taken up) into heaven, body and soul, at the end of her life…

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…

Welcome Fr. James!

Fr. James Taah, a priest of the Diocese of Buea in Cameroon, has joined us as a Scholar Priest in Residence while pursuing his Master’s Degree in Theology at Boston College.

Ordained to the priesthood in 2022, Fr. James has served as a parish priest, a secondary school chaplain, and as a Diocesan Master of Ceremonies, coordinating diocesan liturgical activities and assisting the Bishop.

Please join us in welcoming Fr. James to our Collaborative!

Welcome Back Fr. Gabriel!

We are thrilled to let you know that Fr. Gabriel was recently notified by the Clergy Personnel Office that he is to begin a new assignment as our Parochial Vicar, effective this month!

Fr. Gabriel Tokoh Afumbom joined us at the Collaborative in August 2023 as a Scholar Priest in Residence while completing his Master’s Degree in Leadership and Administration at Boston College.

Before coming to Boston, Fr. Gabriel served for many years as a pastor and in other leadership roles in his home diocese of Bamenda, Cameroon. He quickly embraced all aspects of parish life here in Wellesley, both sacramental and social. We were all blessed by his priesthood and his warm, welcoming presence…

Our Regular Summer Mass Schedule Returns This Weekend, August 10-11

We are excited to announce that beginning this weekend, August 10-11, we are able to return to our regular Summer Mass Schedule.

Saturday 4:00pm Vigil Mass at St. Paul
Saturday 5:00pm Vigil Mass at St. John*
Sunday 9:00am Mass at St. Paul*
Sunday 11:00am Mass at St. John

The St. John parking lot will be open for Weekend Masses and funeral parking (but may be closed at other times to facilitate ongoing work on fencing, gets, etc.)

Please drive slowly and carefully while entering, parking, and exiting, and park in the normal layout…

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”…