November 11: Bishop Healy 30th Anniversary Dinner – Honoring Fr. Bryan Hehir and Sr. Tess Browne, SCN

November 11: Bishop Healy 30th Anniversary Dinner – Honoring Fr. Bryan Hehir and Sr. Tess Browne, SCN

All are welcome to attend the 30th Anniversary of the Healy Dinner and Celebration! The evening will include:

An opportunity for wonderful fellowship and music.

A celebration to honor Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, Secretary for Social Services in the Archdiocese of Boston, recipient of the 2023 Robert L. Ruffin Award and Sr. Marie Therese “Tess” Browne, SCN, the recipient of the 2023 Bishop James Augustine Healy Award… 

Missionary Cooperative Appeal Weekend: Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity

Missionary Cooperative Appeal Weekend: Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity

This weekend we will welcome Fr. Peter Marsalek from the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT) who will give a mission appeal at our parish.

Founded in 1958, SOLT is a Catholic international missionary community serving in 8 countries throughout the world. We are teams of priests, consecrated brothers and sisters, and laity who serve the Church. We imitate Mary’s virtues and seek to enter into her intimacy with the Most Holy Trinity. We go where we are needed and serve in many capacities, including education, evangelization, pastoral, retreats, health care and drug rehabilitation…

St. John Christmas Wish – Help Make Wishes Come True!

St. John Christmas Wish – Help Make Wishes Come True!

New this year – Christmas Wish has gone digital! Caring for our brothers and sisters means caring for the home we share, so we have eliminated the environmental and economic impact of a large paper mailing.

The Christmas Wish Program has been one of the highlights of our holiday outreach since 1993. This Christmas, we hope to grant the special wishes for more than 400 children based upon the caring generosity of our parish community. Each child is provided with a new outfit of clothing and a special Christmas Wish gift they have requested…

St. Paul Giving Tree – Coming November 11!

St. Paul Giving Tree – Coming November 11!

The annual Giving Tree Program starts November 11 and runs through December 3.    

This year, we will have our usual gift tags with the requested items listed as well as QR codes that can be scanned to access specific Amazon Wish Lists to make giving even easier with a few clicks from your cell phone! 

The scannable QR codes will be posted and the physical tags will be placed on boards (then moved to the Christmas trees) in the St. Paul Sanctuary beginning November 11 through Sunday, December 3…

Week Three of the Synod on Synodality: Participation, Governance and Authority

Week Three of the Synod on Synodality: Participation, Governance and Authority

The voting delegates participating in the Synod on Synodality began work on Wednesday, October 18 on the fourth Module of the Assembly, the last one dedicated to examining the contents of the Instrumentum laboris.

The fourth Module deals with the themes of Section B3 of the Instrumentum laboris, the one dedicated to participation – “Participation, governance and authority. What processes, structures and institutions in a missionary synodal Church?”

Please join your prayers to theirs in the beautiful, exciting albeit exhausting work. Pray the Holy Spirit will inspire and guide their Conversations in the Spirit. 

October 21: 15th Annual Archdiocesan Social Justice Convocation

October 21: 15th Annual Archdiocesan Social Justice Convocation

All are invited to join the Archdiocese of Boston in celebrating 15 years of education, inspiration, and collaboration with outstanding people working to promote Catholic Social Teaching, Justice, and Peace. We will also be honoring, with deep gratitude, the contributions of Cardinal Seán O’Malley and Fr. J. Bryan Hehir for their spiritual leadership over the past 15 years. The Convocation is free and virtual.

Fr. Hehir, RCAB Secretary for Health and Social Services, will begin by explaining what he calls the “Moral Triangle” of urgent and intersecting issues in Boston today: lack of affordable housing, food insecurity, and immigration…

Week Two of the Synod on Synodality: A Communion That Radiates

Week Two of the Synod on Synodality: A Communion That Radiates

On Monday, October 9, the Synod’s General Rapporteur, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, reflected on the previous week’s work on Module A of the  Instrumentum Laboris, and introduced Module B.

“In the first module, we reconnected with the experience of the ‘journeying together’ of the People of God over the past two years. We worked to bring the synodal Church into sharper focus as a comprehensive vision… We gained experience in using the methodology of Conversation in the Spirit and can thus feel more at ease in a way of walking together that we will continue to practice. Above all, we have begun to weave relationships and build bonds. We have begun to move from the ‘I’ to the ‘we’.” 

Cardinal O’Malley says Hamas attack ‘requires a clear condemnation’

Cardinal O’Malley says Hamas attack ‘requires a clear condemnation’

The sad and tragic historical truth is that the people of the Middle East have long suffered the scars and burdens of war.  Even in this historical perspective, the massive military assault by Hamas on the State of Israel and its citizens stands as one of the worst moments in this long history.  This act of aggression requires a clear condemnation in human, moral and legal terms. Both the purpose of the attack and its barbaric methods are devoid of moral or legal justification.  There is no room for moral ambiguity on this issue. Resisting such terrorism and aggression is the moral duty of states to be carried out within moral limits…

October 8: Deacon Good News

October 8: Deacon Good News

Thank you for warmly welcoming Rita and me into the St. John-St Paul Collaborative community. It has only been a few weeks, and I see that this is a special place where God’s grace and His Holy Spirit shine.  As a Deacon, I am called to serve in three key areas:

1) I proclaim and preach the Word of God (Proclaiming)
2) I help, and encourage others to help, those needing spiritual support (Service)
3) I reach out to, and inspire others to reach out to, those who are having difficulty getting by (Charity)

I will begin offering office hours to facilitate related discussions in support of Service and Charity…

Attention Young Singers! Join the Christmas Youth Choir!

Attention Young Singers! Join the Christmas Youth Choir!

Sign-up and first rehearsal will take place Sunday, October 29 from 11:15am-12:15pm in the St. John Chapel. Participation is open to all St. John and St. Paul parishioners in grades 1-8. Students in grades 9-12 are encouraged to participate as assistants – Community Service and Confirmation hours/credits are earned. Adult Family members are invited to join our Family Mass Musician Group for Christmas Eve. Attendance at rehearsals is required.

This year, the Christmas Youth Choir will participate in the 4:00pm Christmas Eve Family Mass at St. John (3:30 candlelight procession and prelude.) All rehearsals are in St. John Chapel…