The Church teaches us that we are all a part of the communion of saints – the community of all men and women of good will, both living and dead. But this is a difficult thing to imagine, this communion of saints. Fortunately, the Bible gives us a wonderful image. Continue reading
FAITH MATTERS: A Great Cloud of Witnesses: The Communion of Saints
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Posted in Adult Faith Formation, AFFC-blog
Faith in Our Future: An Invitation
Rev. Thomas F. Powers
and the
Saint John the Evangelist Parish Community
cordially request the pleasure of your company
at a reception inaugurating our
Capital Campaign
All parishioners will receive an invitation in the mail. Please select the time and date that is most convenient for you and let us know by returning your reply card or by sending an email to stjohnwellelsey@stjohnwellesley.org. (RSVP helpful but not required to attend. If you did not receive an invitation in the mail, please let us know so we can correct our mailing list.)
- Thursday, November 21 at 7pm
- Monday, December 2 at 1pm or 7pm
- Wednesday, December 4 after 7am Mass*
- Monday, December 9 at 1pm or 7pm
*All receptions will be held in the Rectory, except for the reception following 7am Mass on December 4th, which will be held in the Social Hall.
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Posted in Capital Campaign, Important Announcements
November 10: This Week in Religious Education
This Week: No Sunday classes due to Veteran’s Day.
Saturday, November 16
Grades 9 & 10 Optional Movie Matinee & Discussion at 3:00PM, Church Social Hall.
Pre-registration is required; please email
jane.leonard@stjohnwellesley.org.
Next Week: Sunday, November 17
Grades 1 – 6 Class 10:00 – 10:45 AM
Grades 7, 8 Class 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Friends for Good 7:00 – 8:00 PM
Grade 9 Class 7:00 – 8:00 PM
Grade 10 Friends for Good 6:00 – 7:00 PM
Class 7:00 – 8:00 PM
Wednesday, November 20
Grades 1- 6 Class 3:30 – 4:45 PM
Grade 3 Parent Visit
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Posted in Important Announcements, Religious Education Program
Collaborative FAQ 15: Will We Be One of the First Collaboratives?
Question 15. When will St. John’s officially begin its Parish Collaborative with St. Paul’s? Is St. John’s and St. Paul’s going to be one of the first Collaboratives to form in the Archdiocese?
The Archdiocese is implementing the Pastoral Pl,an in phases. Phase One began on June 4, 2013, when twenty-eight parishes came together to form twelve Collaboratives. Phase One is being carefully followed by the Archdiocese. Phase Two parishes were announced in September, 2013 and these Collaboratives will begin on June 3, 2014. In Phase Two, forty-four parishes will come together to form twenty-one Collaboratives. Each year going forward, about twenty new Collaboratives will form. We don’t have an exact date yet for the collaboration of St. John’s and St. Paul’s, but we will make an announcement as soon as we have any information.
We welcome your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments about Parish Collaboratives to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com
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Posted in Disciples in Mission, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Planning - FAQ
Our Capital Campaign: Faith in Our Future
This weekend, our pastor Father Tom is announcing the inauguration of a parish Capital Campaign – Faith in Our Future – with a goal of raising $1,250,000 in order to address some much needed updates to our parish facilities. Sections of the original part of the church, most notably the tower, are in need of significant repair and reconstruction. Our heating and cooling systems need updating and our parking lot needs repaving and improved lighting. This campaign will allow us to address these important projects that have been deferred over the years because we are unable to fund them through our regular operating budget and Grand Annual collection.
This past spring we conducted a Planning Study to determine the extent of support for this effort. Input was sought from parishioners in a variety of ways, including one-on-one interviews, focus groups, and a general parish-wide mailing. Thank you to all who participated in the study. The primary concern people raised was the new Archdiocesan pastoral plan for parishes. This plan means that St John’s and St Paul’s will be in a Collaborative together. In this new relationship, each parish is still responsible for the upkeep and care of their own assets, such as the church and other facilities. Parish income, including our Capital Campaign, will remain designated for St. John Parish.
There will be more information about the Capital Campaign in the up-coming weeks. Watch for a special invitation to be sent to all registered parishioners. You and your family will be invited to attend a special Campaign Reception hosted by Father Tom.
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Posted in Capital Campaign
FAITH MATTERS: What is a Saint?
November 1st is the day on which Christians celebrate all saints, known and unknown. But what is a ‘Saint’? In St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians we read: ‘To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,’ (I Cor 1:2). What does St. Paul mean by use of the word ‘saint’? In other translations of the Bible, ‘called to be saints’ is translated from the original Greek as ‘called to be holy.’ So saint is a synonym for holy. Continue reading
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Posted in Adult Faith Formation, AFFC-blog
November 12: AFFC Lecture with Fr. Liam Bergin – “Proclaim the Lord’s Death Until He Comes in Glory”
Join us on Tuesday, November 12 at 7:00pm in the Social Hall for a lecture with Fr. Liam Bergin – “Proclaim the Lord’s Death Until He Comes in Glory.” How does our faith in Jesus Christ influence the way we meet the challenges that face the church and the world in times of economic, political, ecclesia and personal uncertainty? In 1932 the German Benedictine Odo Casel wrote that Christian life and worship is an insertion into the “mystery of Jesus Christ”. Although not well known, the influence of Casel on the Second Vatican Council and beyond has been significant. This lecture presents some of the ideas of Casel that may well inspire women and men of faith today.
Liam Bergin is a priest of the diocese of Ossory (Ireland). He has been teaching sacramental theology at Boston College since 2011. Previously he was rector of the Pontifical Irish College in Rome for ten years. He has written and edited a number of articles and books in theology and has commented on many contemporary Church issues in the media. Since transferring to Boston, he has become an incurable Red Sox fan!
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Posted in Adult Faith Formation
Next AFFC Film/Potluck Supper on November 9
The next Film/Supper night will be held on Saturday, November 9 and will feature the movie Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The event will take place in the Social Hall following the 5:00 p.m. Mass. Bring your favorite Fall recipe and drinks. All Welcome! The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel follows a group of British retirees who decide to “outsource” their retirement to less expensive and seemingly exotic India. Enticed by advertisements for the newly restored Marigold Hotel and bolstered with visions of a life of leisure, they arrive to find the palace a shell of its former self. Though the new environment is less luxurious than imagined, they are forever transformed by their shared experiences, discovering that life and love can begin again when you let go of the past.
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Posted in Adult Faith Formation, Important Announcements
Evening for Women: Tuesday, November 5 at 6:30pm
This year’s theme, Becoming a Space for God… A Journey Into the Heart of Life invites us to travel down new avenues of seeing and hearing to experience the grace in everyday life. Through reflection, prayer, sharing, with a fabulous potluck, we’ll travel this road together every first Tuesday evening. Join us this Tuesday, November 5 at 6:30 p.m. in the Social Hall. (Bring a favorite Fall recipe!) All Welcome!
Moderator: Sr. Evelyn Ronan, SND
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Posted in Adult Faith Formation
Friday, November 1: All Saints Day
Mass Schedule:
7:00am
9:00am*
12:00pm
5:30pm
St. Paul’s Schedule: 6:45am, 9:00am, 7:00pm
*The 9:00am Mass at St. John will be celebrated with the children of Saint John School – all parishioners are most welcome to join them!
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Posted in Important Announcements, Special Liturgies, Special Mass Schedule