Service and Outreach – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Annual Adult Clothing Collection June 3-4

Put your gently used clothing to good use to support men and women in need! St. Francis House serves approximately 50 clothing appointments per day (M-F), providing 250 full sets of clothing per week to their guests! Donations may be dropped off in the St. John Garage (behind the church) OR the St. Paul Garage (behind the rectory) between 9:00am – 5:00pm. Please box or bag everything – no hangers.

Please note that over 80% of St. Francis House’ guests are men, so it has been our tradition to have a men’s-focused clothing drive, but women’s clothing is also accepted. Children’s clothing is not accepted…

Attention All Volunteers! It is Annual CORI Submission Time!

Each year in the Spring, all staff and volunteers age 18 and older (including Eucharistic ministers and lectors, choir members and musicians, members of councils and commissions, ushers and counters, other Mass volunteers, etc.) must complete an annual Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) background screening (except for Religious Education volunteers who complete their screening in the early Fall), as mandated by civil and Archdiocese of Boston authorities.

Staff and volunteers will be available after each Mass this weekend, April 29-30, to assist you in completing your annual CORI form…

This Weekend March 25-26: Special Second Collection for “City of Goodness”

Throughout Lent, the Service Commission shared the story of City of Goodness with you. We’ve told you how, on February 24, 2022, people all around Ukraine woke up to air raid sirens and bomb explosions and their lives changed forever. We told you how, in response, City of Goodness has transformed from a social service and support center into a shelter for Ukrainians fleeing war and violence.

This is our opportunity as a Collaborative to show Christ-like love for our neighbors in distress, and for each of us to answer Lent’s clarion call to love extravagantly. On behalf of the Collaborative Service Commission, we ask that you be as generous as your means will allow.

Checks can be made payable to your parish, with “2023 Lenten Gift” noted in the memo, and can be placed in the special second collection this weekend of mailed/dropped at either parish office. You may also contribute online by scanning the QR code on the posters in both churches or by visiting the Collaborative Lenten Gift page on our website.

Telling the Story – Part 3: Building a New History of the City of Goodness

Since the onset of war over a year ago, City of Goodness has become a shelter, a home that gives security, comfort, and love for women with children (and their pets!), elderly and disabled people, and evacuees from orphanages – children from birth to 7 years. They are now in the process of constructing additional buildings so hundreds more children and moms can be safe.

This place will become a rescue for those who lost their home due to war… for those who have no parents waiting for their loving families… for those who need home and comfort… While our buildings are looking for their patrons and are built brick by brick, hundreds of children, dozens of mothers, several elderly, our rescued pets are waiting in the already created and functioning buildings… they are waiting for food, medication, rehabilitation, treatment, psychologist services after experiencing terrible events… and every day we provide residents with everything they need, because they are our family and our great responsibility… All of us together are building a new history of the City of Goodness… brick by brick… window by window…

Telling the Story – Part 2: Ukraine One Year Later

It has now been just over a year since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Army expected quick victory, but instead were met with fierce resistance from the Ukrainian Army and Ukraine’s many citizen militias. Russia has received widespread international condemnation, with the United Nations General Assembly condemning the invasion and demanding a full withdrawal of Russian forces.

The invasion has caused tens of thousands of deaths on both sides and instigated Europe’s largest refugee crisis since World War II, turning more than 8 million Ukrainians into refugees, with another 8 million people displaced inside Ukraine. Many Ukrainian men face mandatory conscription and many more, including teenagers, have opted voluntarily to join the resistance. This means that most refugees are women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

City of Goodness was originally established as a social service agency and shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence situations. With the onset of war their mission has expanded…

Telling the Story – Part 1: Introducing Ukraine Forward and City of Goodness

Day after day, we have watched and read about the horrific conditions that have beset Ukraine as a result of the Russian invasion. Millions of people have died or fled their homes as refugees. Families have been torn apart and many individuals who have survived are struggling with serious injuries and terrible living conditions.

To find out how best to help, we contacted the pastor of Christ the King Ukrainian Catholic Church in Jamaica Plain, Fr. Yaroslav Nalysnyk. He recommended and vouched for Ukraine Forward, an initiative of the Ukrainian Educational Foundation of Boston…

Myron Kravchuk, a Christ the King parishioner and founder of Ukraine Forward, met with the Service Commission to discuss their history, mission, and current projects. One new project is with City of Goodness, a social service center for women and children. With the onset of the war, it has become a shelter for women and children from across Ukraine…

Announcing Our 2023 Collaborative Lenten Gift: City of Goodness in Ukraine

City of Goodness is a social service and support center that was originally established to care for women and children fleeing domestic violence. With the onset of the war, City of Goodness has become a shelter for women with children, families (with their pets!) and elderly people from all over Ukraine. They settle them, feed them, provide medical treatment, and try to make this time a little less traumatic for the little ones. They have also taken in evacuees from three orphanages from the South of Ukraine – children from birth to 7 years – and are constructing additional buildings (with bomb shelters) so they can accommodate another two hundred evacuee children.

Our gift will help with construction costs and the constant need for food, medicine, hygiene items, pillows, baby food and formula, and clothing…

“Lent: A Time to Listen, A Time to Let Go, A Time to Laugh” – Saturday, February 25

The SJSP SVdP Conference welcomes you to this free Lenten Retreat. Sr. Carlotta delves into the story of The Passion. What does it mean today? Sister helps bring it into practice as we enter Lent, and especially Holy Week.

Saturday, February 25 – 9:00am to 1:00pm

St. Joseph Spiritual Ministries
71 Walnut Park Newton, MA

Numbers are limited – to attend please RSVP to SVDP@sjspwellesley.org
Questions: Julia: 781-816-9748

Wellesley Food Pantry Collection at St. Paul Church – Soup!

On the first Sunday of each month, items are collected for the Wellesley Food Pantry at St. Paul Church.

NEW! We are currently collecting SOUP for the Wellesley Food Pantry. All soups are appreciated, but the pantry is specifically in need of the following:

Beef * Vegetable * Lentil * Tomato * All Chowders

We will be working with the Food Pantry to focus our collection on the Pantry’s most pressing needs. At some times of the year it may be soup, at others times it may be laundry detergent or canned fruit – watch the bulletin and website for updates…

Thank You from the Christmas Wish Team!

For almost 30 years the Christmas Wish team has reached out and asked for sponsors and donations and once again our parishioners answered the call! This program is only possible because of the incredible generosity of our parishioners who donate gifts, money and time to us each year.

This year we were able to support 334 children and their families in Wellesley, Roxbury, Brockton and Lowell. Each child received a special gift as well as clothing and their family received a $200 grocery gift card. In addition, we were able to give Julie’s Family Learning Center in South Boston a substantial number of food cards that the women use throughout the year.

Thank you for the amazing response this year. We are beyond grateful for your continued support.

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