This year’s virtual program – called Opening Doors to Stronger Communities – will take place on Tuesday, September 21 at 7:00pm.
Registration is complimentary – click HERE now to register!
Watch a preview of this year’s celebration – featuring our own Fr. Jim!
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 18-19…
“Lord, take me where You want me to go;
Let me meet who You want me to meet;
Tell me what You want me to say;
And keep me out of Your way.”
– Fr. Mychal F. Judge, O.F.M.
FDNY Chaplain
5/11/33 – 9/11/01
We are so happy to welcome everyone back as we return from summer and begin our new Collaborative Weekend Mass Schedule! We are excited for the launch our new Collaborative 9:00am Family Mass and for the return of our Collaborative 5:00pm Youth Mass! To celebrate we’ll have outdoor Coffee and Donuts after the 9:00am Mass and Make Your Own Sundaes after the 5:00pm Mass:
Sunday, September 12th on the lawn at St. Paul
Sunday, September 19th on the lawn at St. John
Please join us!
The Wellesley Board of Health has issued an indoor mask advisory for all individuals ages 5 and up when in public settings, to help combat the COVID-19 Delta Variant. The full advisory is below and was approved by the Board on Thursday, September 9:
In light of the recent increase in the COVID Virus Delta variant, which has proven to be significantly more transmissible, we are strongly advising that individuals over the age of 5 wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth when indoors in a public setting, regardless of their vaccination status. Please understand that information and data is changing rapidly, and we are doing our best to respond in a thoughtful and expedient manner. As additional information is released from the CDC and Massachusetts Department of Public Health our decisions may change. It’s important that we all remain flexible and vigilant during these times.
God never intended us to walk our paths alone – and yet, this is how many of us find ourselves today. Whether it be due to the isolation of the ongoing pandemic or the stress of everyday obligations, we, as women, often put our needs last. But the spiritual need is one that cannot be ignored, and neither is the need for human connection…
Let’s fill our hearts with community and our minds with God’s Word as we embark on a shared journey of discovery and growth that will lead us closer to each other and closer to God. We encourage all women of all ages to join our Walking With Purpose Bible Study entitled Reclaiming Friendship. No previous Bible Study experience is required…
Now that Star Academy is open, we have established a one-way traffic pattern and designated parking areas in our shared parking lot for the safety of the children, families, staff and parishioners.
When parking in the lot for a weekday Mass while school is in session, please observe the designated traffic pattern and parking areas.
Parking on Washington Street is strongly encouraged, when possible, to reduce pressure on the parking lot.
Please note: Additional parking will be available to the parish for funeral liturgies and other special Masses.
The social unrest and racial reckoning of the past year have inspired many to consider how faith ought to be lived in a public arena in the Covid era. As social distancing requirements ease, we have an opportunity to examine how we publicly practice our faith to stand in solidarity with those whom society marginalizes.
Join A Faith That Does Justice and Rev. J. Bryan Hehir for a Workshop to examine your public commitment to your faith. In-Person: Saint Cecilia Parish Hall 18 Belvidere Street, Boston Virtually: Zoom
Discerning Deacons invites Catholics to gather virtually to pray for the intercession of St. Phoebe, listen to powerful testimonies from Catholic women engaged in diaconal ministry, and express our collective hope that the Church would “receive them in the Lord,” just as St. Paul asked the Church in Rome to receive Phoebe the diakonos in Romans 16:1-2.
Click here to register for the Zoom liturgy.
Background
The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) renewed the ministry of the diaconate in the Catholic Church — restoring it as a permanent state of life, opening it to married men, and teaching that deacons are ordained to serve in liturgy, word and charity to the people of God. At the Council itself, and in the decades that followed, a question has consistently emerged among popes and bishops and many others: Might the restoration and renewal of this ministry also involve giving official recognition to the diaconal ministry exercised by women?
Discerning Deacons, a group whose mission is to engage Catholics in the active discernment of our Church about women and the diaconate, has released a short introduction to two women seeking ordination to the diaconate in the Boston region: Philomėne Pèan and our own Kelly Meraw. Both Philomėne and Kelly are working in full time positions to serve members of their communities and churches, and feel a longing to be ordained as deacons. This would, they say, be a faithful restoration of ancient orders for women to the diaconate, a respected role women held for centuries before it fell out of practice.
This fall, Pope Francis invites the Church around the world to go on a journey of renewal by becoming a more listening, participatory, and inclusive Church. Discerning Deacons hopes stories like Kelly and Philomėne can have space to be heard within this inspiring process. They seek to acknowledge these women’s work and dreams, and to hopefully reimagine how their gifts can be received within the Church… Please take a few minutes to watch this inspiring introduction to two extraordinary women of faith –