Our Collaborative Offices at both St. Paul and St. John will be closed on Tuesday, December 26.
Tuesday, December 26 – Collaborative Offices Closed
POSTPONED! Advent Lecture with Fr. Bryan Hehir
Fr. Hehir’s Advent Lecture, “Two Wars: One Moral Framework,” originally scheduled for Monday, December 18, has been postponed and will be rescheduled in January 2024.
Please stay tuned for a new date.
St. John “Carol Sing” – Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00pm
All are invited to join us Tuesday, December 12 at 7:00pm for a good old-fashioned Carol Sing!
Come to sing all your favorite Christmas Carols!
Bring your family and friends –
and some festive sweets to share!
Archdiocese of Boston Cheverus Awards 2023
We are thrilled to announce that Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care for our Collaborative, was awarded the Cardinal’s Cheverus Award medal this past weekend. These medals are conferred upon selected laypeople, religious, and deacons from around the Archdiocese each year at a prayer service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
The medal recipients are chosen for their service to the Church and God’s people. We know you join us in extending heartfelt thanks to Kelly for her dedicated service to the Church and for the many ways she ministers to the people of our Collaborative and beyond.
Service: “College Behind Bars” Mentoring Program – Zoom Info Session Thursday, November 30
In an effort re-launch our Prison Ministry work, our Collaborative Service Commission is working with a local organization, Partakers, to help recruit mentors for their College Behind Bars program. Partakers pairs mentors with incarcerated men and women earning college degrees from Tufts University, Emerson College, Boston College, and Boston University… If you’re interested in learning more about the program and what being mentor involves there will be a Zoom Info session on Thursday, November 30 at 7pm. Please RSVP by completing the form available…
At the Collaborative this Weekend, November 11-12: Star of Bethlehem Handicrafts
A representative from Star of Bethlehem Handicrafts will be at both parishes on November 11-12 representing over 100 Christian families living in the Holy Land who make their living by selling hand carved olive wood religious articles.
After all masses this weekend there will be a display of these beautiful pieces, including nativity sets, crucifixes, rosaries, and other sacred statues. Please stop by and purchase some early Christmas gifts, while also helping to support these Christian families living in the Holy Land.
“Welcoming the Stranger” – A Message from Cardinal O’Malley
Cardinal Seán wrote to pastors and the parishes of the Archdiocese regarding a growing humanitarian and societal crisis that is building in the Commonwealth and Archdiocese of Boston. The issue involves the fate of immigrants arriving daily in Massachusetts and in need of basic shelter and compassionate care. The Cardinal’s letter is posted in it’s entirety below, and all parishioners are encouraged to take time to read it.
In the coming weeks, the Collaborative, with the help of our Collaborative Service Commission, will make every effort to respond generously and effectively to answer the call to “welcome the stranger” and give aid to our immigrant sisters and brothers. Stay tuned for details!
October 8: Deacon Good News
Thank you for warmly welcoming Rita and me into the St. John-St Paul Collaborative community. It has only been a few weeks, and I see that this is a special place where God’s grace and His Holy Spirit shine. As a Deacon, I am called to serve in three key areas:
1) I proclaim and preach the Word of God (Proclaiming)
2) I help, and encourage others to help, those needing spiritual support (Service)
3) I reach out to, and inspire others to reach out to, those who are having difficulty getting by (Charity)
I will begin offering office hours to facilitate related discussions in support of Service and Charity…
Service: “College Behind Bars” Mentoring Program
The Corporal Works of Mercy are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a model for how we should treat all others, as if they were Christ in disguise. One of the Corporal Works of Mercy – to visit the imprisoned – is at the heart of Prison Ministry programs.
In an effort re-launch our Prison Ministry work, our Collaborative Service Commission is working with a local organization, Partakers, to help recruit mentors for their College Behind Bars program. Partakers pairs mentors with incarcerated men and women earning college degrees from Tufts University, Emerson College, Boston College, and Boston University…
Our Collaborative Outdoor Mass is this Sunday, September 17 at 10:30am on the Lawn at St. Paul
Please join us as we gather together as a community on the expansive lawn in front of St. Paul Church to celebrate our first Collaborative Outdoor Mass since 2019. Parishioners are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating. A section of chairs will be set up and available for those who require them due to mobility issues. We ask all others to please bring their own lawn chairs/blankets for seating. After Mass, please join us in the parking lot behind the church for fellowship, food, and fun!
We will have a reduced Mass schedule on…