News and Updates – Page 7 – St. John – St. Paul Catholic Collaborative

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…

A Message from Fr. Jim: New Seasons and New Beginnings – Thanking Maria Wardwell

No matter how long we’ve been out of school, the beginning of September always feels like the start of something new, and this year is no exception. I am particularly excited this year about the launch of the choral season at the Collaborative, under the direction of William Endicott, our new Director of Music. Over the summer, William announced the debut of a new Collaborative Children’s Choir, open to children in grades 3-7 (with some flexibility, just ask!) The choir will be singing the 9:00am Family Mass each week during the school year, as well as Family Masses on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday…

At this time, it is important to acknowledge and thank Maria Wardwell, who has served for more than 20 years as the Director of Christmas & Easter Youth Choirs for St. John the Evangelist Parish, and in recent years for the Collaborative. Beginning as the cantor for the St. John Family Mass more than 20 years ago, she continued in that role after we moved to our Collaborative Family Mass program…

SVDP Fill-A-Truck Event! October 12-13 at St. Paul

Saturday, October 12: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Sunday, October 13: 9:00am – 1:00pm

St. Paul Parking Lot
(behind the church – enter from Atwood St.)

Items Needed:
Clothing: men’s, women’s, children’s, shoes
Accessories: hats, scarves, costume jewelry
Linens: bedding, towels, sheets, blankets, kitchen linens
All donations must be bagged and in good/clean condition.

Clean out your closets and help those in need – let’s fill the truck! Thank you for helping us help others.

Questions? Need pickup for your donations? Email svdp@sjspwellesley.org during the week of October 6.

Important Informational Meeting for the Youth Ministry “Jubilee of Youth 2025” Pilgrimage

Our Youth Ministry Team is organizing a pilgrimage for students age 16 & up to the Jubilee of Youth which will take place from July 28 – August 3, 2025 in Rome. The preliminary itinerary includes a few days in Florence and Assisi before heading to Rome for the Jubilee. (Please Note: All dates and events are still tentative as we work with our travel agent to finalize the plans.)

All teens (and their parents!) who are interested should plan to attend this important meeting. Registration and commitments for the pilgrimage will happen by the beginning of October…

Young Adult Ministry Meet & Greet: Saturday, September 28 following the 5pm Mass

Young Adult Ministry <i>Meet & Greet</i>: Saturday, September 28 following the 5pm Mass

Young Adults in their 20s and 30s are invited to join our new young adult ministry for a meet & greet over dinner on Saturday, September 28 in the St. John Rectory following the 5PM Mass at St. John.

Come for an informal chance to meet other young adults, share a meal, and talk about what you’re looking for in this new ministry in the Collaborative. Even if you can’t make the 5PM Mass, feel free to join us at the Rectory (the house behind the church) around 6PM. All are welcome!

Please let us know below if you are coming by…

Our Collaborative Outdoor Mass

Please join us on Sunday, September 22 at 10:30am on the St. Paul Lawn for our annual Collaborative Outdoor Mass and fellowship event!

NEW THIS YEAR! Our SJSP Society of St. Vincent de Paul chapter is sponsoring a cookout after Mass, providing hotdogs, hamburgers, and veggie burgers for all! Please plan to bring a side dish/salad to share if you are able!

So that as many members of our community as possible can join together for this special liturgy and fellowship event, there will be a reduced Mass schedule at the parishes on the weekend of September 21-22…

Bible Study: Women in the Old Testament – Begins October 8

As Catholics, we often stick to the familiar stories from Scripture that we hear at Mass, but what about those stories that are few and far between in our lectionary?

This fall, join us as we explore the creativity, courage, and leadership of women in the Old Testament and come to know ourselves and God more deeply through the lens of their stories. Journeying with women such as Sarah, Deborah, and Ruth, this study will explore Israel’s beginnings, captivity and freedom, and tribal period from the perspective of the earliest women of salvation history.

No prior knowledge is required – only an open heart and mind, and a willingness to meet these holy figures in prayer and community…

Collaborative Book Club: “The Everlasting Man” by G.K. Chesterton – Begins September 26

Our first meeting of the new season will be Thursday, September 26, at 7:00pm in the St. Paul office building. Our book will be G.K. Chesterton’s The Everlasting Man.

Considered by many to be Chesterton’s greatest masterpiece of all his writings, this is his whole view of world history as informed by the Incarnation. Beginning with the origin of man and the various religious attitudes throughout history, Chesterton shows how the fulfillment of all of man’s desires takes place in the person of Christ and in Christ’s Church.

For the first meeting, we will discuss Part One, Chapters 1-4.

This Thursday, September 12: Wellesley Interfaith Lay Dialogue Event: “Synodality: A Language of Listening”

This Thursday, September 12: <i>Wellesley Interfaith Lay Dialogue</i> Event: “Synodality: A Language of Listening”

In late April, Temple Beth Elohim hosted a beautiful night of Shabbat services and interfaith sharing. Members of faith communities throughout the Wellesley community were invited to worship together and hear reflections from representative clergy. From that beautiful event the idea for an interfaith lay ministry arose. Members of various congregations met together and formed the Wellesley Interfaith Lay Dialogue – WILD – whose aim is to explore opportunities for lay conversation and collaboration.

Our first event, facilitated by Kelly Meraw, will be held on Thursday, September 12 at 7:00pm at Temple Beth Elohim in Wellesley. The topic of the evening’s dialogue will be “Synodality: A Language of Listening”…

Seasons of Hope: Fall 2024 – Begins September 23

If you have experienced the death of a loved one and are searching for meaning and consolation, we invite you to join our Seasons of Hope group. Seasons of Hope is a Christ-centered group where we will be able to share and learn from each other as we walk together in faith on our unique journey of grief.

Fall Session Begins September 23. We will gather from 5:00pm – 6:30pm at St. John the Evangelist Church in Powers Hall (lower level of the church) on the following dates: September 23, September 30, October 7, October 14, October 21, and October 28.

Registration is required: for more information and to register please visit…