Kelly Meraw – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Young Adult Ministry: March “Theology at the Table” Gathering

Our Young Adult Ministry has been busy this Lent! From the weekly Practicing Lent series exploring different prayer styles to the latest installment of Theology at the Table, our young adults have been diving deeper into their faith lives and building community in the process.

This past Saturday, the group welcomed Kelly Meraw, SJSP Director of Pastoral Care, who shared about Women in Ministry: Past, Present, and Future. The evening was a blessed sharing of stories that invited all involved to better understand the way God calls us and how the ongoing discernment around women and the diaconate can give voice to God’s call in a particular way!

A Reflection on The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats

A Reflection on <i>The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats</i>

This reflection on Matthew 25:31-46 was prepared by Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, for the March “Evening for Women” program that was cancelled due to weather.

This is the last of Matthew’s great parables. Every instinct I have (formed by my concept of a God of unfathomably deep love and infinite capacity for mercy) wants to skip the second half of this Gospel reading. On the majority of occasions when the great judgement, at the end of time, is proclaimed at Mass, the short form is selected, eliminating “the eternal fire, the Devil, and his angels” from tenderhearted ears. However, who is our God of Mercy without our God of Justice?

How could we survive a time such as this, with the worst of humanity before our eyes every day, if we didn’t also rest in the knowledge that Jesus is still present…

Important Update from the Pastoral Care Team

Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, will be away from the Collaborative on medical leave following a planned surgery from January 29 until mid-March.

During this time, please reach out to Sister Colleen Gibson SSJ, Coordinator of Pastoral Care, for all Pastoral Care concerns. Sister Colleen can be reached by email at cgibson@sjspwellesley.org or by calling either parish office.

We will, as a Collaborative community, hold Kelly in our prayers while she recovers. Please know that she will continue to hold us in hers.

Leaving Lives of Certainty – A Reflection for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time by Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy

The readings from the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time offer us a timely glimpse into our often unpredictable and erratic human experience. The reading from the Prophet Isaiah shares the redemption story of a people liberated to abundant joy and great rejoicing after a period of distress, darkness, and anguish.

Our Psalmist today stokes a fire of trust in the Lord through her refrain “The Lord is My Light and My Salvation” in an almost conscious, effortful recollection of God’s provision. It is as if she has built an altar in her heart, an interior refuge, dedicated to the moments God has met her in turmoil and delivered her from fear. An altar she needs to visit and revisit, to remind herself of what is true, particularly in times of darkness…

“One Body, One Family” A Reflection for the Feast of the Holy Family

By Kelly Meraw for the BUILD THE FAITH BLOG

This reflection is being penned the day after another horrific mass shooting; innocent people murdered and wounded, parents left reeling, and students left with a life-long trauma that no surgeon could bind up. Yet another atrocity in a country so accustomed to gun violence that we have settled for it as an unchangeable reality. It’s unlikely this event will persevere in the headlines past the obligatory 72-hour news cycle. Our level of grief and outrage can simply not be sustained now that we’ve collectively resigned ourselves to living like this, deciding meaningful reform is unachievable…

Good Samaritan

A Reflection by Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, from the Build the Faith blog

Our Catholic lectionary recently brought us to this familiar dusty spot, on a hot and dangerous stretch of road. While the story itself is familiar and its message unequivocal, we see irrefutable evidence all around us that the Christian community still struggles with the concept of Love of Neighbor.

It seems clear, doesn’t it? You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, being, strength and mind; and love your neighbor as yourself…

Collaborative featured in WCVB report: “How Pope Francis changed the lives of these Massachusetts residents”

On Monday, April 21, following the announcement of Pope Francis’ death, WCVB5 Boston produced a report on local reaction to the news – Catholics across Massachusetts mourn pope, praise groundbreaking papacy.

As part of that report, WCVB reporter Ted Wayman reached out to Kelly Meraw, our Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, for a video segment: How Pope Francis changed the lives of these Massachusetts residents which appeared on the evening news broadcasts.

They spoke in particular about the Holy Father’s special connection with young people, and about our Collaborative’s pilgrimage to World Youth Day in Portugal in 2023.

Tuesday, March 11: “Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Perspectives on Deaconesses”

7:00-8:30pm on Zoom
Conversations about renewing the ancient order of deaconess are lively in both the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholic churches today. This event will compare the two conversations, with an eye to what is shared and what is different in terms of each church’s history, ecclesiology, and the intended roles for deaconesses today.

February 4: Evening for Women Program – “The Nameless Women of Mark’s Gospel” with Kelly Meraw

February 4: <i>Evening for Women</i> Program – “The Nameless Women of Mark’s Gospel” with Kelly Meraw

All women of our Collaborative are invited to our first Evening for Women of 2025!

As we continue to explore our theme, “Women in Scripture and the Church”, our Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, Kelly Meraw, will explore “The Nameless Women of Mark’s Gospel.” Come and enjoy an evening of reflection and prayer and see afresh the impactful faith of these women in scripture.

Bring a friend and a dish to share for a potluck to follow! Please RSVP…

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…

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