Religious Education – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

A Message from Fr. Jim: New Seasons and New Beginnings – Thanking Maria Wardwell

No matter how long we’ve been out of school, the beginning of September always feels like the start of something new, and this year is no exception. I am particularly excited this year about the launch of the choral season at the Collaborative, under the direction of William Endicott, our new Director of Music. Over the summer, William announced the debut of a new Collaborative Children’s Choir, open to children in grades 3-7 (with some flexibility, just ask!) The choir will be singing the 9:00am Family Mass each week during the school year, as well as Family Masses on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday…

At this time, it is important to acknowledge and thank Maria Wardwell, who has served for more than 20 years as the Director of Christmas & Easter Youth Choirs for St. John the Evangelist Parish, and in recent years for the Collaborative. Beginning as the cantor for the St. John Family Mass more than 20 years ago, she continued in that role after we moved to our Collaborative Family Mass program…

Our Collaborative Outdoor Mass

Please join us on Sunday, September 22 at 10:30am on the St. Paul Lawn for our annual Collaborative Outdoor Mass and fellowship event!

NEW THIS YEAR! Our SJSP Society of St. Vincent de Paul chapter is sponsoring a cookout after Mass, providing hotdogs, hamburgers, and veggie burgers for all! Please plan to bring a side dish/salad to share if you are able!

So that as many members of our community as possible can join together for this special liturgy and fellowship event, there will be a reduced Mass schedule at the parishes on the weekend of September 21-22…

Religious Education News

All registered families have been sent an email with program information for the upcoming year. This email has detailed information about each program, a link to the calendar and a link to the corresponding Parent Guide. If you have not received the email please check your spam folder and if it is not there please contact Linda.Messore@sjspwellesley.org to resolve any communication issues.

Please note that we are still looking for teachers to help out with our Wednesday afternoon classes. There are only 9 sessions and they will meet from 3:30 -4:30 pm on Wednesday. Please consider sharing your faith with the young people in our program, it is a very rewarding experience…

Our New Collaborative Children’s Choir

We are delighted to begin our choral season at the Collaborative, and we are especially thrilled about the debut of the Collaborative Children’s Choir. The Children’s Choir will sing the 9:00am Family Mass weekly during the school year. Its repertoire will be broad and will aim to introduce the singers (and congregation) to music from different parts of the Church’s history up to and including the music of today.

The Children’s Choir is open to grades 3-7 (with some flexibility, just ask!) and meets at 8:15am before the 9:00am Sunday Mass. There are no prerequisites, just an enthusiastic attitude and the desire to sing beautifully.

The goals of this choir are to give the children an opportunity to participate more fully in the liturgy…

New in the Weekly Bulletin: “Summer Kids Corner”

While our Sunday 9:00am Family Mass and its wonderful worship aid with activities for children is on summer vacation, we still have something for the kids!

Each week, the bulletin features a “Summer Kid’s Corner” page with activities and coloring pictures tied to the readings of the day, and baskets of crayons are available in the narthex of both churches.

So be sure to pick up extra copies of the bulletin each week on your way in to Mass for the kids!

Religious Ed Registration Extended through June 10!

As we let you know earlier this year, the Archdiocese has lowered the age for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation to 8th grade. In response, we have several exciting updates to our program this year which impact Grades 6-10 and our sacrament preparation program, so please pay careful attention to the information below.

With these changes, it is more important than ever that families register their children for Religious Education as soon as possible. Registration extends through June 10. All registrations received after June 10 will incur a $25 late fee per child…

May 18-19! Last Youth Mass and Family Mass (and Coffee & Donuts)

Every year, our Sunday 9:00am Family Mass and 5:00pm Youth Mass programs go on their own “summer vacation” from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend.

This Sunday, May 19 will be our last 9:00am Family Mass (and Coffee & Donuts!) and last 5:00pm Youth Mass until September 8, so be sure to join us!

Exciting Religious Education Updates for 2024-2025 – Register Now!

Registration for our 2024-2025 academic year is now open! The Archdiocese has lowered the age for the reception of the Sacrament of Confirmation to 8th grade. In response, the Collaborative has several exciting updates to our Religious Education program this year which will impact Grades 6-10 and our sacrament preparation program. With these changes, it is more important than ever that families register their children for Religious Education as soon as possible. Registration extends through May 31…

May is the Month of Mary – Join us for May Crownings!

At the 9:00AM Family Mass on both May 5 (St. John) and May 12 (St. Paul), we will celebrate Mary by having a May Crowning. All parishioners are invited to bring flowers and participate in a May Procession at the end of Mass. One child at each Mass will be selected in a drawing to place a choral crown on Mary’s head. Children who have made their First Communion (in 2024 & older) are invited to take part in this drawing.

Look for the entry forms and drawing box in the lobby of each church through April 28…

Family Adoration: Friday, March 8 from 5:00-5:30pm at St. John Chapel

This family-friendly liturgy is a great way to celebrate Lent with the whole family. The purpose of Family Adoration is to welcome families and to help young children learn to adore Christ present in the Eucharist. This informal program is designed to accommodate children of all ages, and allows for families to arrive and leave as needed. We will have coloring pages, a worship aid with activities, and an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

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