RCAB – Page 2 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Special Pastoral Message on Immigration by the Bishops of the United States

“We as Catholic bishops love our country and pray for its peace and prosperity. For this very reason, we feel compelled now in this environment to raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity.”

On November 12, 2025, and for the first time in 12 years, the U.S. bishops issued a Special Message addressing their concern for the evolving situation impacting immigrants in the United States. Collectively, the bishops have invoked this particularly urgent way of speaking as a body of bishops.

In this video, some of those bishops come together to give voice to the message, which advocates for a meaningful reform of immigration laws and the recognition of the fundamental dignity of all persons, including immigrants. Archbishop Henning participated in the drafting of the statement and also appears in the video.

November 15-16: Second Collection for Hurricane Melissa Relief

On October 28th, a category 5 hurricane with winds of 180mph slammed into Jamaica. In the wake of Hurricane Melissa, communities in Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic, as well as Cuba and the Bahamas, have experienced deaths, injuries, and widespread damage. Recognizing the immediate and expected need for assistance, Archbishop Henning has requested pastors consider taking up a voluntary special collection to support Catholic Relief Services (CRS). CRS is already on the ground and will provide lifesaving support—including emergency shelter, clean water, and essential supplies—to families most at risk.

St. John-St. Paul Collaborative will hold a special second collection next weekend, November 15-16. Parishioners are asked to address their checks to their parish (St. John or St. Paul) with “Hurricane Melissa Relief” in the memo.

Archbishop Henning’s message following the release of the Holy Father’s Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi te

Archbishop Henning’s message following the release of the Holy Father’s Apostolic Exhortation, <i>Dilexi te</i>

Today, Pope Leo offered a meditation on the mystery of the Lord’s particular love for the poor and the summons for all disciples to participate in His compassion and solidarity by our own embrace of those who are poor in any sense of that term.

United with the witness of Pope Francis, Our Holy Father Leo XIV has offered a gospel vision of faith hope and love in a time of violence and division. I encourage all of us to make this important reflection a part of our own spiritual reading.

The Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi te, may be found here.

September 6-7: Special Second Collection for Gaza Relief

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is asking dioceses to consider a special collection for Gaza relief efforts. In a letter to U.S. Bishops, Archbishop Broglio, President of the USCCB, wrote:

Our Church mourns the terrible suffering of Christians and other innocent victims of violence in Gaza and surrounding areas who are struggling to survive, protect their children, and live with dignity in dire conditions. The Holy Father continues to call for a cease fire and for aid to enter the territory, noting with great sorrow that “Gaza is starving.”

Archbishop Henning supports this effort, and requests that parishes consider taking up this collection as soon as possible. We will hold our special collection here at our Collaborative on the weekend of September 6-7…

This Weekend, July 26-27: Special Collection for Texas Flood Relief

As you may know, devastating floods in over twenty counties in Texas have brought enormous destruction and a great loss of life. The floods have killed at least 134 people, and many homes and business have been destroyed or badly damaged. Many families have been displaced and are in need of immediate assistance. The Guadalupe River rose some 26 feet in 45 minutes and resulted in the deaths of at least 27 children and camp counselors from Camp Mystic, a girls’ summer camp. This was part of a large weather system that impacted most severely Texas as well as the southwest.

Recognizing the immediate and growing needs, Catholic Charities USA is seeking assistance for relief efforts in response to the floods, with local Catholic Charities agencies on the ground providing essential aid to those affected. In the spirit of solidarity, Archbishop Henning is asking parishes to consider a special collection to support Catholic Charities relief efforts…

Boston Deaf Apostolate: ASL/English Masses

The Archdiocese of Boston Deaf Apostolate is dedicated to empowering and supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing faithful by providing full access to their faith especially to the Sacraments.

ASL/English Masses are celebrated at St. Jude Church in Waltham – all Masses are streamed live:

Saturday: 4:00pm Vigil

Sunday: 8:30am and 10:30am

Monday – Friday: 9:00am

Livestream: saintjudewaltham.org/streaming

Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

“Jubilee” is the name given to a particular year; the name comes from the instrument used to mark its launch. In this case, the instrument in question is the yobel, the ram’s horn, used to proclaim the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)… It was intended to be marked as a time to re-establish a proper relationship with God, with one another, and with all of creation, and involved the forgiveness of debts, the return of misappropriated land, and a fallow period for the fields…

A Holy Door is the most powerful sign of the Jubilee, since the ultimate aim of the pilgrim is to pass through it. The opening of the door by the Pope constitutes the official beginning of the Holy Year… For the 2025 Jubilee Year, holy doors will only be opened in Rome. However, Pope Francis did give permission for local pilgrimage sites for those who cannot go to Rome.

“Count on the commitment of all of us to stand with you in this challenging hour,” says Archbishop Broglio

This afternoon, Archbishop Henning shared Archbishop Broglio’s reflection with all parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston, and he joins with Archbishop Broglio in his sentiments on this important issue.

“As your shepherds, your fear echoes in our hearts and we make your pain our own. Count on the commitment of all of us to stand with you in this challenging hour,” said Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), addressing the surge in immigration enforcement actions. He offered a reflection on behalf of the bishops of the United States and acknowledged that while law enforcement actions to preserve order and ensure community security are necessary for the common good, we cannot turn a deaf ear to the anxiety and fear in communities…

This Weekend’s Second Collection: Our Missionary Appeal for the Diocese of Galle, Sri Lanka

As part of the annual Missionary Cooperative Program, Bishop Raymond Wickramasinghe of the Diocese of Galle, Sri Lanka, will be with us at all Masses this weekend. Bishop Raymond’s diocese sits at the southern tip of his island country. There are 2.1 million people in his diocesan but Catholics are less than 1% of the population. This means his 47 priests and 70 sisters travel great distances over difficult terrain to bring the Word of God to the people.

Proceeds from this weekend’s collections will help Bishop Raymond educate and catechize workers on remote tea plantations, support a large ministry to families with disabled children, and reach out via home visits to the elderly who live a great distance from Catholic facilities…