“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…

Ministering to the Catholic Community at Wellesley College

Ministering to the  Catholic Community at  Wellesley College

Late last spring, a group of Catholic students at Wellesley College reached out to Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, asking for guidance in how they could arrange for Sunday Mass to be celebrated regularly on campus. Kelly and Sr. Colleen Gibson, our Pastoral Care Coordinator, worked with the chaplain at Wellesley College to schedule weekly Confessions and  Sunday Mass in Houghton Chapel for the students.

We are so grateful for the presence of Fr. Gabriel, our Parochial Vicar, and our Scholar Priests in Residence, Fr. Lesley and Fr. James, which makes this ministry possible.

The Wellesley College Newman Catholic  Student Organization has asked Kelly to serve as their Advisor, and she and Sr. Colleen will continue to work with this group to provide pastoral care and leadership to these young Catholic women residing in our parish…

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…

Pray the Rosary With Us! Weekdays in October at 8:00am on Instagram Live

Pray the Rosary With Us! Weekdays in October at 8:00am on Instagram Live

By tradition, the Church dedicates each month of the year to a certain devotion. October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary, the best known of all Catholic devotions.  Join members of our Collaborative Staff and the Adult Faith Enrichment (AFE) team (and some special guests!) as they pray the rosary on Instagram at 8:00am every weekday morning in October.  

We look forward to growing our relationship with the Blessed Mother this month as she intercedes for us to her son and Our Lord Jesus Christ…

Our Collaborative Outdoor Mass is this Sunday, September 17 at 10:30am on the Lawn at St. Paul

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…

Welcome Sister Colleen!

Welcome Sister Colleen!

I am so happy to introduce you to Sister Colleen Gibson, SSJ, the new Coordinator of Pastoral Care for our Collaborative. Sister Colleen, whose primary office will be at the St. Paul Rectory Offices, will work in partnership with Kelly Meraw, our Director of Pastoral Care, on adult faith formation programs, service and outreach initiatives, and coordinating sacramental liturgies and services across the Collaborative. Below is a brief introduction – please join me in welcoming Sister Colleen to our Collaborative!

Sister Colleen Gibson, SSJ is a Sister of Saint Joseph from Philadelphia and recent graduate of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. An award-winning writer, her work appears regularly in Give Us This Day and the National Catholic Reporter

Attention Current (and Future!) Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors

Attention Current (and Future!) Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors

We are pleased to announce an exciting development in the way we organize the ministries of the Mass – a return to parish volunteers coordinating the schedules (the norm before the many disruptions caused by the pandemic!)  Dorene Christie will be coordinating the schedule of Eucharistic Ministers and Lectors for St. John, and Anne Cremonini and Leah Cinelli will be scheduling for St. Paul. You will be getting an email from them shortly since September – and the new schedule – are just around the corner!

On behalf of you, the parishioners, we thank our new coordinators for their service and look forward to lots of active participation in our vibrant liturgies! Mary Campion (mary.campion@sjspwellesley.org) will continue to be the staff liaison so if you would like to be part of ministry at Mass, please contact Mary, Dorene, Anne or Leah…