News and Updates – Page 43 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

September 25: St. Paul Bell Tower Project Update

The refurbishment of our Bell Tower is well underway! The work is now about 30% complete, and is on track to be finished by the end of November. As of September 11, we have received $114,069 in cash gifts and more than $24,000 in outstanding pledges toward our total budget of $487,200 for the renovation. Thanks to your generosity, we were able to pay the first contractor bill of $102,431 with cash donations received, so we have not yet had to borrow from our line of credit with the Archdiocese.

Many thanks to all who have donated or made a pledge to the Bell Tower Fund. If you have not yet had a chance to contribute, envelopes are available at the entrance to the church, and gifts may also be made online.

St. Paul Parish is pleased to announce that all donors giving $5,000 or more will have their names listed on a commemorative plaque to be installed in the church’s gathering area…

Getting to Know Our Guest Celebrants, Part II

This is the second installment in our series featuring our guest celebrants to help you learn a little bit about them and put faces with names!

Fr. Borja Miró Madariaga S.J.
Fr. Borja was ordained to the priesthood this past June in Spain. Born in Bilbao, Spain to a Catholic family, Fr. Borja joined the Society of Jesus in September 2012, and is currently at Boston College studying Moral Theology. In an interview prior to his ordination, Fr. Borja was asked what a 21st century priesthood should be like (translated from the Spanish):

“For me the priesthood is the way that the Lord has chosen for me as a servant of his people. No more no less… to bring the people closer to God through the ministry of the word, the spiritual exercises and the sacraments…

This Weekend’s Events Celebrating the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul

Over the past few weeks, we’ve shared the history and mission of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. We’ve also shared the history of our SJSP Conference and told you about the work we’ve done to help our friends in need here in our local community, made possible by your generous donations.

The Second Collection at all Masses this weekend will support the on-going work of the SJSP Collaborative Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. Thank you for helping us to help the many friends in need in our community through your generous donations.

All parishioners are invited to participate in this weekend’s Community Walk and Welcome Back Luncheon events, sponsored by our SVdP Conference…

Update On Our Live Stream Schedule

Since early 2021, when the equipment was installed in both parishes in response to the pandemic, we have livestreamed all regularly scheduled weekday and weekend Masses in the Collaborative. Now that we are returning to a more “normal” routine, and in an effort to conserve resources, beginning this weekend, September 24-25, we will stream two weekend Masses live (with recordings available to watch later on our YouTube channel) for those who are ill or homebound:

5:00pm Vigil Mass from St. John the Evangelist Church
11:00am Sunday Mass from St. Paul Church

We will continue to live stream First Communions, Confirmations, and other special liturgies for family and friends who cannot attend in person. Funerals, weddings, and baptisms may also be livestreamed if the family so chooses…

Support Our Young Pilgrims Going to World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon!

Please support our young pilgrims by participating in our World Youth Day Closed End Raffle – all proceeds will be used to help defray travel and other expenses associated with attending this week-long event. Only 500 tickets will be sold so be sure to get yours early! Tickets are $100 each and you could win one of these prizes:

1st Prize: $5,000 2nd Prize: $2,000 3rd Prize: $1,000

Our young pilgrims and their chaperones will be on hand at Masses to sell tickets – look for the purple shirts! Tickets can be purchased in-person by cash or check, by scanning the QR with your smartphone. You can also purchase tickets online right now by clicking…

Cardinal O’Malley Statement on Venezuelan Refugees and Immigration Policy

Immigration policies and practices stand as an abiding moral, legal and political challenge to our Commonwealth and our country. We have delayed far too long in developing an effective response to immigrants, migrants, and refugees at a moment when the movement of men, women, children, and families surpasses any other known example in our history.

Our common humanity is the lens through which our response to immigrants and refugees must be judged. Pope Francis has made the plight of immigrants and refugees a constant theme of his pontificate. The Holy Father’s witness, in word and deed, has been based on understanding immigrants and refugees as pilgrims forced by socio-economic conditions, human rights abuses, and the climate crisis to leave their homes in search of safety, security and stability for themselves and their families.

From Our SVdP Conference: Special Stories of our Visits and Assistance Provided

The SVDP Conference has shared in this space the life of St. Vincent de Paul and the international society dedicated to the ministry of serving the poor that he inspired. We also have shared our local history and an overview of the numbers we have served in our community of Wellesley and Newton. Below, we would like to share a few reflections on some friends we have worked with through the generous donations of many parishioners and how that experience has inspired us.

A First Home Visit:It was to be my first home visit. I was to accompany two other members of our local SVDP Conference who had home visit experience. We began with a prayer in the car as we awaited the start of the visit. The friend who had reached out for help was a single mother with three school-age children. She found herself short of funds as she worked through the break-up of her marriage, and needed help to pay her children’s school tuition. As we listened to this mother’s situation, one thought ran through my head – this young friend is just like all of us…

Getting to Know Our Guest Celebrants

As you well know, we have been blessed here at the Collaborative by the outpouring of support for Fr. Jim from his brother priests. Since June, we have been celebrating Mass with guest celebrants from nearby parishes as well as with priests from the Jesuit Community at Boston College. We are going to be featuring our guest celebrants in the bulletin in the coming weeks to help you learn a little bit about them and put faces with names!

Fr. Brett O’Neill, S.J.
Fr. O’Neill is a recently-ordained Australian Jesuit studying at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry. Before entering the Society of Jesus in 2014, Fr. O’Neill worked in public policy with the Australian Government. As a Jesuit he has worked in policy advocacy with Jesuit Social Services…

September 17-18: Second Collection for the Clergy Trust

For priests, bringing the presence of Christ to others is a daily calling that extends far beyond the walls of the Church, and impacts the lives of people of all faiths and backgrounds throughout the entire community. There are countless examples of priests in the Archdiocese of Boston working tirelessly and selflessly to make the world a better place for all of us. Our priests don’t just enrich the lives of Catholics in parishes, they enrich the lives of everyone in all communities.

It’s simple: healthier priests mean stronger communities.

You can help by contributing to the Clergy Trust special collection at all Masses on the weekend of September 17-18…