News and Updates – Page 49 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Cardinal O’Malley releases statement on Texas shooting

Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley released the following statement May 24, after a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

“Today’s tragedy in Uvalde, Texas leaves us all stunned by the unthinkable loss of so many innocent young lives and the teacher who devoted her life to educating and nurturing the children.

Our nation has too often become a place of unspeakable crimes of gun violence that have taken far too many lives, though none more heartbreaking than innocent children. We must take action to stop this senseless carnage…

Our “Question of the Week” for May 22 – Sixth Sunday of Easter

We invite you to actively participate in our Synodal Intentional Listening Initiative by answering this week’s “Question of the Week”: Click here to submit your answers online. (If you missed any previous “Questions of the Week” you can answer those

Remembering the Children of NPH – Special Second Collection This Weekend

Anne Mears Shares Her Experience with NPH
I had the privilege of visiting the NPH Dominican Republic home during the Summer of 2019 when I chaperoned the high school service trip from our St. John-St. Paul Collaborative in Wellesley. I had worked with NPH in the past when the Pequeño Tour had come to play and sing during our Sunday Masses. The young people who visited from the Guatemala home during this visit were an outstanding group of young people. NPH emphasizes that they strive to make their homes as close as they can to a stable loving family atmosphere and that was more than apparent as I met the respectful, loving, caring and fun individuals who anyone could clearly see had a strong familial bond.

When I went to the NPH Dominican Republic home I saw this for myself. The children live in small group homes within the larger complex of Casa Santa Ana and are looked after by Tías (Aunties)…

Saturday, May 21: Veterans Memorial Mass at the 4:00pm Vigil at St. Paul

All military veterans and their families are cordially invited to attend a special Veterans Memorial Mass at St. Paul Church at 4:00pm on Saturday, May 21. Organized by the Wellesley Veterans’ Council, this annual event brings Wellesley veterans together as part of the annual Wellesley Wonderful Weekend. Veterans are invited (but not required!) to wear their uniforms. We will gather in the St. Paul foyer and process in with the celebrant to reserved seats down front. During the Mass we will remember those veterans from Wellesley who gave their lives for our country. We salute your service to our country and look forward to seeing you at St. Paul on May 21.

Share Your Answers Online!

We are so grateful for every voice who participated in our in-person and virtual synodal listening sessions! Given the rising Covid numbers in our communities, we have made the decision to cancel our final in-person Listening Session, which was scheduled

Our “Question of the Week” for May 15 – Fifth Sunday of Easter

We invite you to actively participate in our Synodal Intentional Listening Initiative by answering this week’s “Question of the Week”: The question can be answered on the cards provided in the churches and dropped in the boxes in the lobbies,

Our “Question of the Week” for May 8 Fourth Sunday of Easter

Bike Collection for “The Bike Connector” – Sunday, May 15 at 1:00pm in the Saint John School Parking Lot

The Bike Connector is a non-profit, 100% volunteer-run, community-based program that provides free bikes for people in need: children who have never had a bike and adults who need transportation. They also offer “Do It Together” bike repair workshop, affordable bicycles, and hands-on educational programming.

They recently provided free bikes to the three Afghani young men we are helping to resettle through the POWIR program.

The Bike Connector only works when they have bikes. They depend on generous donors to donate outgrown or unused bikes. Their volunteer team makes necessary repairs to ensure a safe ride.

If you have an idle bike – child or adult – please consider donating it to The Bike Connector at our Bike Collection event!

Remembering the Children of NPH – Social Media Campaign and Special Second Collection May 21-22

Unlike any other moment in our lifetime, the Covid-19 pandemic upturned our lives and our understanding of the world. But unlike in the U.S., the countries where NPH Homes reside didn’t have the benefits of government subsidies, local nonprofits, or food pantries to help them survive. During that same time, NPH USA had to cancel all their in person fundraising events and postpone international trips as Covid-19 restrictions swept across the globe. NPH Homes were thereby faced with a $2M budget deficit.

NPH’s survival has come down to cutting any expense beyond meeting a child’s most basic level of needs. This meant that even the core programs, dedicated to lifting children from poverty, had to be eliminated just so they could focus on keeping the pequeños safe, fed, and loved.

The St. John-St. Paul Collaborative has been a part of the NPH family since 2017…