News and Updates – Page 28 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

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…

Sunday 5pm Youth Music Group: Come Sing with Us!

Calling all teens in Grades 8-12 – do you sing or play an instrument? Join the Sunday 5pm Music Group!

We rehearse at 4:00pm before the 5pm Mass – we’re at St. Paul this Sunday, September 14 and at St. John next Sunday, September 21.

We’re a fun and easy-going group (promise!) – just show up and join in!

If you have any questions, please email Christian Wilson, Youth Music Coordinator, at christian.wilson@sjspwellesley.org

Starts this Sunday, September 14: Sunday Night Youth Group

Following the Sunday 5pm Youth Mass at St. Paul – join us in the Parish Hall from 6:15-7pm!

All high school students are invited and encouraged to attend – bring your friends! We’ll start getting to know each other and building our community as we plan together for the year ahead! (And yes, there will be food!)

If you can’t make it this Sunday, that’s ok – come next Sunday after the 5pm Mass at St. John – it’s going to be a regular thing!

For more info and updates visit the website sjspwellesley.org/youth ministry and follow us on Instagram @sjspyouthministry

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

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.

Our Regular Weekend Mass Schedule Returns September 6-7

Our Regular Collaborative Weekend Mass Schedule returns after Labor Day on the weekend of September 6-7.

Sunday, September 7 is the 1st Sunday of the month, so the 9:00am Family Mass (and Coffee and Donuts!) and 5:00pm Youth Mass will be celebrated at St. John the Evangelist Church – we look forward to welcoming you back to these special liturgies!

More Young Adult Summer Fun!

Friday, August 22nd, a group from the SJSP Young Adult Ministry gathered at Golf On the Village Green in Natick to share an evening of fun to end the summer. Mastering the art of mini-golf, the group took in the historic sites- hitting balls through Faneuil Hall and discovering that the curve in the green at hole 16 (the Granary Burying Ground) is no joke! Following a full round of golf, the group headed to Truly’s in Wellesley for a celebratory round of ice cream.

Keep an eye out for upcoming Young Adult events (open to ages 21-40) and be sure to sign up for our mailing list at sjspwellesley.org/young-adults so that you never miss a gathering!

Introducing Elsi Ojanen, Our New Interim Coordinator of Youth Ministry!

My name is Elsi Ojanen, and I am from Hampton, New Hampshire. I graduated in 2024 from the College of the Holy Cross with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Religious Studies, and I am currently pursuing my Master’s degree in Theology and Ministry at the Clough School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College.

I have been blessed with opportunities to lead and facilitate retreats and love working with people of all ages in their journeys of faith.

Most of all, I love Jesus with my whole heart, and I am excited to continue my time here at the Collaborative in this new role and for all that God has in store for us this year!

Renewing Youth Ministry at Our Collaborative

In 2024, the Archdiocese of Boston lowered the ordinary age of Confirmation from Grade 10 to Grade 8, to make the grace of this Sacrament available to young people in greater numbers, to strengthen the role of families in the faith formation of their young teens, and to facilitate a renewal in family engagement in the life of the parish, especially Sunday Mass.

As a result, this past spring, 234 young people in Grades 8-12 received the Sacrament of Confirmation at our Collaborative – an exponential increase in the number of newly-confirmed high school teens needing a robust youth ministry program to help them stay connected to their faith during a time of great transition and growth in their lives…

September 6-7: Special Second Collection for Gaza Relief

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is asking dioceses to consider a special collection for Gaza relief efforts. In a letter to U.S. Bishops, Archbishop Broglio, President of the USCCB, wrote:

Our Church mourns the terrible suffering of Christians and other innocent victims of violence in Gaza and surrounding areas who are struggling to survive, protect their children, and live with dignity in dire conditions. The Holy Father continues to call for a cease fire and for aid to enter the territory, noting with great sorrow that “Gaza is starving.”

Archbishop Henning supports this effort, and requests that parishes consider taking up this collection as soon as possible. We will hold our special collection here at our Collaborative on the weekend of September 6-7…