News and Updates – Page 6 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

Updates from the Synod: Day 2 – St. Phoebe Prayer Service

Our parishioner, Svea Fraser, is in Rome with the Discerning Deacons/CEAMA Pilgrims and will be sending us updates from their journey!

We gathered at the Migrant Statue Angels Unawares for a Visio Divina, a meditation inviting us to enter the lives and struggles of the 150 different people from different eras and parts of the world who are molded in bronze. It is truly a “visual prayer”: a prayer that is not just about migrants, but about all of us and the future of the human family. The Pope called it a reminder of the challenge of welcoming. Rising out of the center of the statue are two huge wings, a reference from Hebrews: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”…

October 7: A Day of Prayer & Fasting for Peace in the World

Pope Francis has called for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in the world on October 7.

He says,

“In this dramatic hour of our history, while the winds of war and the fires of violence continue to devastate entire peoples and nations,” the Christian community is reminded of its call to “put itself at the service of humanity.”

Read more about how fasting relates to prayer…

Saturday, October 5: Confession Time Change 1:30-3:00pm

This Saturday, October 5, Confessions at St. John will be from 1:30pm – 3:00pm (instead of the regular 1:00-2:30pm) due to a number of scheduling conflicts. We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

Confessions are also available on Tuesday evenings at St. Paul from 7:00pm-8:00pm, and by appointment – please call either parish office to arrange. St. John: 781-235-0045 | St. Paul: 781-235-1060

Ministering to the Catholic Community at Wellesley College

Late last spring, a group of Catholic students at Wellesley College reached out to Kelly Meraw, Director of Pastoral Care and Liturgy, asking for guidance in how they could arrange for Sunday Mass to be celebrated regularly on campus. Kelly and Sr. Colleen Gibson, our Pastoral Care Coordinator, worked with the chaplain at Wellesley College to schedule weekly Confessions and Sunday Mass in Houghton Chapel for the students.

We are so grateful for the presence of Fr. Gabriel, our Parochial Vicar, and our Scholar Priests in Residence, Fr. Lesley and Fr. James, which makes this ministry possible.

The Wellesley College Newman Catholic Student Organization has asked Kelly to serve as their Advisor, and she and Sr. Colleen will continue to work with this group to provide pastoral care and leadership to these young Catholic women residing in our parish…

Young Adult Ministry is underway at the Collaborative!

Special thanks to those young adults who were able to join us for our first Meet and Greet this past Saturday. Our group of 12 (how’s that for a biblical number?!) filled the St. John’s Rectory with joy and laughter as we embarked on this new venture. The group has begun brainstorming ideas for upcoming programming and will gather again soon. Keep your eyes on the bulletin and website (and follow us on Instagram @sjspwellesley.org!) for more information.

And if you’re a young adult (between the ages of 21 and 40) interested in taking part in this new ministry, please visit sjspwellesley.org/adult-faith-enrichment/young-adults to sign up for our mailing list, so you never miss what’s happening – including a new survey out this week!

Updates from the Synod: Day 1 – Opening Mass

Our parishioner, Svea Fraser, is in Rome with the Discerning Deacons/CEAMA Pilgrims and will be sending us updates from their journey!

The Discerning Deacons/CEAMA Pilgrims arrived over the past two days, 55 pilgrims representing five countries and both hemispheres! Even before we got here, we were filled with great joy when we learned about the private audience that Pope Francis held for nine women from our group, among them Casey Stanton, Sister Elizabeth Young and the women leaders from the Amazon. It was a surprising opportunity for them to speak personally and offer support for a synodal church and to pray for him. As one of the Spanish speakers relayed to me, she could feel the weight of his mission and felt his compassion and the weight of the papacy on his heart, and his knees!

Sunday, September 29: “Night of 1000 Pinatas” Youth Ministry Event

This Sunday at St. John immediately following the 5pm Youth Mass!

All high schoolers are invited to join us at our Welcome Back Youth Ministry event – food, fun, and… PINATAS!!!

September 29-29: Second Collection for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul

Each year, on the weekend closest to the Feast of St. Vincent de Paul (September 27), our Collaborative Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) asks for your help in funding our mission – to provide urgently needed assistance to our neighbors in need for the basic necessities of life.

Our Second Collection this weekend supports this on-going work. Special SJSP SVdP envelopes are available in the churches, and checks may be made out to the “SJSP Conference SVDP Society” and placed in the collection or mailed/dropped to either parish office. Gifts may also be made online at sjspwellesley.org/svdp

Please help us to help the many friends in need in our community with your generous donations.

Tuesday, October 1: Evening for Women – “Women in Sacred Music”

All women of the Collaborative are invited to join us for our first event of the year: Women in Sacred Music

Tuesday, October 1 from 6:00 – 8:00pm at St. John the Evangelist Church (Powers Hall and Lower Chapel).

With guest speaker William Endicott – come and hear our new Collaborative Director of Music share about the significant contributions of women in sacred music.

Stay for a pot-luck supper! Bring a dish to share. Invite a friend! To help us plan for the evening, please let us know if you’re coming…

NPH Update: Guatemala

The St. John-St. Paul Collaborative has been a part of the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (Our Little Brothers and Sisters) family since 2017. NPH provides periodic updates that we share in the bulletin and on the website to help us stay current on their amazing work!

My name is Chris and I am a senior at BC High School. Today, I would love the opportunity to share my recent experience on a trip to NPH Guatemala, what I experienced at Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (“our little brothers and sisters”) and how we all play a part.

Last November, 19 Juniors and Seniors from my school traveled to NPH Guatemala for what I thought would be a generic service trip. To my surprise, it was far more than that. Our group toured the home, lived and ate rice and beans like the pequeños, visited other parts of Guatemala such as Antigua, and helped build an ecological recreation park for the children at the home, which honors a former pequeña Yocari – who recently passed away. Most importantly, our group spent a lot of time interacting with all the Pequeños at the home and seeing all that NPH provides them day in and day out…