Service and Outreach – Page 4 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Christmas in October???

Yes, that’s a scary thought!

But when it comes to fulfilling Christmas Wishes for 400 children we need to start thinking about Christmas in October!

We only have a few weeks to recruit volunteers to sign up to sponsor a child this Christmas – will you be one of them?

Help make a child’s Christmas Wish come true this year by joining this collaborative-wide effort to grant the special wishes of children from Brockton, Lowell, Roxbury and Wellesley.

When you sponsor a child (or multiple children) you will receive a wish list for clothing and a special gift that you will purchase and drop off at a local Wellesley home to be delivered to the families. Your wish list instructions will be emailed to you the week before Thanksgiving and gifts will need to be dropped off the week after Thanksgiving…

October 25-26: St. Francis House Toiletries Collection

Please consider donating small/personal-sized shampoo, soap, hand lotion, shaving cream, deodorant for the guests of St. Francis House.

Complimentary hotel items are totally acceptable!

Boxes will be clearly marked and left in the rear of both churches for donations.

St. Francis House is deeply grateful for your continued generosity in providing dignity for their guests.

Scenes from Last Sunday’s Collaborative Outdoor Mass

We had a record-setting crowd and summer-like weather last Sunday for a beautiful celebration of the Mass and time of fellowship afterwards! Many thanks to everyone who helped make the day possible – parishioners, staff, and clergy.

Deep gratitude to our St. Vincent de Paul Conference who sponsored and served the cookout – we continue prayers that their fundraising efforts are successful this year so they can continue to provide much-needed support to our neighbors. (Donations to the SJSP St. Vincent de Paul Conference may be made online at sjspwellesley.org/svdp)

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul – Your Charity at Work
Special Second Collection September 27-28

As we approach the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul on September 27, we reflect on the significant impact that our Collaborative has for our friends in need through our SVdP Conference.

Our SVdP Conference provides support to families and individuals in our community who have hit “bumps in the road” and need help to overcome these challenges. Your generosity allows us to provide support in many ways: rental assistance, automotive repair and gas assistance, utilities assistance, food assistance, and more (including furniture, appliances, diapers, etc.)

the need in 2025 has been much higher than past years, and with the current funding status of government programs we anticipate that it will continue to grow. Your generous support is the key to our successful charitable works…

October 11-12: St. Vincent de Paul Fill-A-Truck Event at St. John!

Saturday, October 11: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday, October 12: 9:00am – 1:30pm

St. John the Evangelist Church Parking Lot

Items Needed:
Clothing: men’s, women’s, children’s, shoes
Accessories: handbags, costume jewelry
Linens: towels, sheets, blankets, comforters
Donations must be bagged and in good/clean condition.
NEW THIS YEAR! Books: hardcover and paperback (NO magazines, please!) Please bring books in boxes.

Questions? Can’t make the dates? We can pick up your donations – email svdp@sjspwellesley.org

September Update from NPH

Across Latin America and the Caribbean, where NPH homes are located, women face some of the highest rates of gender inequality and violence in the world. Female unemployment in the region is significantly higher than that of men (9.1% vs. 6.3%), and up to 40% of women have experienced violence in their lifetime.

At NPH, our program “Chicas Poderosas”, which means “Powerful Girls” in Spanish, empowers groups of young women to understand gender inequality, advocate for themselves, and take action to create a more just future…

Our Collaborative Outdoor Mass

Please join us on Sunday, September 28 at 10:30am on the St. Paul Lawn for our annual Collaborative Outdoor Mass and fellowship event! This will be our third time celebrating Mass on the expansive lawn in front of St. Paul Church, recreating what Fr. Jim calls “our own Tanglewood East!”

Our SJSP Society of St. Vincent de Paul chapter is once again 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 27-28…

October 11-12: St. Vincent de Paul Fill-A-Truck Event at St. John!

Saturday, October 11: 9:00am – 5:00pm
Sunday, October 12: 9:00am – 1:30pm

St. John the Evangelist Church Parking Lot

Prison Ministry: Partakers Zoom Info Session on August 28 at 7:00pm

Our last info session had several interested SJSP parishioners and we are very close to having a full team assigned to a new student next month!

If you’ve been thinking about mentoring, please register for the Zoom session

Email Chrissy Cassa (chrissy.cassa1358@gmail.com) with questions or for more information.

Prison Ministry Update

For over three decades, the Partakers College Behind Bars Mentoring Program has changed lives by matching teams of volunteer mentors with incarcerated individuals enrolled in college degree programs based in MA prisons. Partakers mentors develop transformative helping relationships with College Behind Bars students and support their mentees as they navigate the academic and personal challenges of pursuing higher education in the prison setting.

This past June EPI celebrated the graduation of several students many of whom spoke of their Partakers mentors saying they could not have done it without their support. Current students just completed their summer course work and have a 6 week break before their Fall session begins with Macroeconomics, Spanish 2 and other courses. Our SJSP mentors continue to support their students with visits and emails.

If you’ve been thinking you might be interested in mentoring, please email Chrissy Cassa (chrissy.cassa1358@gmail.com) for more information.