RCAB – Page 5 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

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.

Mass of Remembrance and Healing for Pregnancy & Infant Loss

The Pro-Life Office and Project Rachel ministry of the Archdiocese of Boston will sponsor a Mass of Remembrance and Healing for Pregnancy and Infant Loss on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:00pm at Bethany Chapel in the Pastoral Center in Braintree. Celebrant and homilist will be Rev. J. Bryan Hehir. A light reception and opportunity for Sacramental Reconciliation (Confession) will also be available after Mass.

A special invitation is extended to parents, grandparents and siblings who grieve the death of children as a result of miscarriage, stillbirth, abortion or early infant death. These losses may be recent or extend over many years…

“Welcoming the Stranger” – Our Collaborative Response

Cardinal Seán O’Malley has alerted every parish in the Diocese regarding our readiness to assist in an ever-expanding immigration crisis beyond the state’s capacity to respond effectively.

To help make it easier for our parishioners to participate in responding to this critical need, our Collaborative Service Commission has set up “Welcoming the Stranger” donation lines in both churches. Attached to the lines are individual cards listing specific items of clothing, toiletries, and personal care needs.

At Mass this weekend, please pick out and take cards for as many items as you’d like to contribute – the cards serve as a reminder of your commitment to welcoming the stranger. If you miss the chance to pick out specific cards this weekend, know that all items listed below will be welcomed…

“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!

Cardinal O’Malley says Hamas attack ‘requires a clear condemnation’

The sad and tragic historical truth is that the people of the Middle East have long suffered the scars and burdens of war. Even in this historical perspective, the massive military assault by Hamas on the State of Israel and its citizens stands as one of the worst moments in this long history. This act of aggression requires a clear condemnation in human, moral and legal terms. Both the purpose of the attack and its barbaric methods are devoid of moral or legal justification. There is no room for moral ambiguity on this issue. Resisting such terrorism and aggression is the moral duty of states to be carried out within moral limits…

Saturday, September 23: “Enlarge the Space of Your Tent: Rethinking Women’s Participation”

Enlarge the Space of Your Tent: Rethinking Women’s Participation is a Global Synod Gathering hosted at the Pastoral Center of the Archdiocese of Boston in Braintree on Saturday, September 23 from 2:00 – 5:00pm. Participants will be invited through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the resources of the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops to fruitfully contribute to Conversations in the Spirit. The event will include: a gathering and invitational liturgy, small group sharing, personal witnesses, fellowship, and a Vigil Mass celebrated by Father Richard Lennan.

Preregistration required…

August 26-27: Special Collection for Maui Relief

The images and news reports coming out of the Island of Maui are heartbreaking. The wildfires have killed more than 100 people, left many injured and missing, and destroyed homes and businesses.

Pope Francis has expressed his solidarity with the people of Maui including all suffering from this tragedy, while also invoking God’s blessing of “strength and peace.”

Recognizing the immediate and growing need for assistance, Cardinal Seán has asked that a special collection be taken in all parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston to support Church relief efforts in the Diocese of Honolulu…

Cardinal O’Malley’s Statement on Newton Tragedy

“As priests, we serve to minister to people in times of great loss and tragedy. Often words are not enough to help families and friends come to terms with the loss of a loved one. We look to God for answers. We seek to understand. Often, we simply cannot make sense of what has happened. But our faith sustains us, and in this moment of enormous pain, we know that God is with us always.

This week and for the weeks, months, and years ahead, the brutal and senseless murders of Gilda D’Amore, her husband, Bruno D’Amore, and Gilda’s mother, Lucia Arpino, will stay with us as we come to terms with this unimaginable loss. They loved Christ and the Church. On the day of their murders, Gilda and Bruno were to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary at Our Lady Help of Christians. They lived their Catholic faith proudly and in service to the Church…”