Service and Outreach – Page 6 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Hunger Doesn’t Take Vacations – Your Help is Needed This Summer!

As you know, our parishes collect non-perishable food items for local food pantries – the Wellesley Food Pantry at St. Paul and the St. Katharine Drexel Food Pantry at St. John. What you may not know is that food pantries face their greatest need in the summer. Why? Families with children who receive free/reduced-cost breakfast and lunch have to find a way to replace those meals during the summer break – so they turn to food pantries for help. At the same time, food pantry donations drop as folks who regularly support the pantries go away.

We have already seen a significant drop in both parish food pantry collections since Memorial Day…

NPH Update: Modesto’s Story

The St. John-St. Paul Collaborative has been a part of the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) family since 2017. You can learn more about the history of our partnership with NPH on our NPH: Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos page.

NPH will be providing periodic updates that we will share in the bulletin and on the website to help us stay current on their amazing work!

Dear Parishioners,

The mission of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) – meaning ‘our little brothers and sisters’ – is to transform the lives of vulnerable children in nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean… I want to share a recent story of a young boy Modesto, who joined the home in Mexico in 2015, because his family lacked resources to take care of him…

Clothing Drive for St. Francis House a Huge Success – Thank You!

Last weekend’s collection for St. Francis House was a huge success, exceeding expectations as always – both garages were overflowing with donations! It was a great response to the collection – in fact, it required two trips to transport two full

Collaborative Lenten Gift Update – Thank You!

As you know, our 2023 Collaborative Lenten Gift raised awareness and funds for City of Goodness in Ukraine. City of Goodness was a social service and support center that, with the onset of the war, has become a shelter for women with children, and families (and their pets!) from all over Ukraine.

We are thrilled and grateful to let you know that our Collaborative has raised over $37,000 for City of Goodness! Our gift will help with construction costs and the constant need for food, medicine, hygiene items, pillows, baby food and formula, and clothing. We are currently working with Ukraine Forward, the U.S.-based non-proft that will disperse the funds to City of Goodness, and we will keep you updated! Thanks again to all who contributed so generously!

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…