Sandwiches for “So Others May Eat” – This Sunday, June 24

Posted on June 23, 2012 | Comments Off on Sandwiches for “So Others May Eat” – This Sunday, June 24

Since 1995, St. John’s  has helped serve the homeless by providing sandwiches on the 4th and 5th (when there is one) Sunday of each month.  The sandwiches provide a nourishing mid-day meal for the residents of shelters which are closed during the daytime hours. We need your help to provide hundreds of sandwiches this Sunday, June 24 for the Bristol Lodge in Waltham. Please bring sandwiches (wrapped and without condiments) to the church kitchen refrigerator. For more information please contact Liz Phillips at (781) 237-4430 or email Liz.phillips@comcast.net

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Posted in Homeless/Feed the Hungry, Service Commission

Adult Faith Formation Update – June 17, 2012

Posted on June 13, 2012 | Comments Off on Adult Faith Formation Update – June 17, 2012

AFFC LogoJane Regan is a professor of theology and religious education at Boston College. Much of her research and writing have focused on adult faith formation, adult learning theory and adult spiritual development. She often serves as consultant to national groups on matters relating to faith formation. A few years ago she wrote a article in America with the very provocative title “Adult Faith Formation: Will it Catch on This Time?”. The major point of the article was that many in the church have been talking for years about the need for more emphasis on adult faith formation, but, sadly, the results have been meager. She offers four major recommendations or sets of ideas for people involved to ponder:

1) Shifting more of the emphasis and resources to the “faith-building” potential of families and adults generally would eventually have a wonderful impact on the education of children and youth. Parents (and grandparents) should obviously be the primary educators of their children, so helping more adults become comfortable talking about their faith makes them much more capable of explaining God’s presence in the lives of young people.

2) The fundamental focus of adult faith formation should not be on conveying information but on transformation in how people think of their lives as Christians. Adults, she argues, should be invited to look beyond the “what” to the “so what ?” We should be asking how we can better relate our spiritual lives to our daily “worldly” lives.

3) “Sustained, critical conversation is an essential component of the faith formation of adults.” Telling stories of real life incidents and talking seriously about things that matter is helpful for all of us. Among other things, it leads to better understanding and appreciation of the foundations of our faith and the implications of living a solid Christian life.

4) “The goal of adult faith formation is not only to enrich the faith life of the participants and strengthen the parish community. It does these things in response to the church’s primary task and reason for being: to evangelize.” Sharing what we know and believe is critical, especially as more and more baptized Catholics rarely, if ever, attend Mass or think seriously about the course of their spiritual lives. Professor Regan’s ideas about faith formation deserve to be taken seriously and considered by all. The documents of Vatican II made dramatically clear that each of us has a role to play in the Church. We have all been blessed to be part of a parish with a rich tradition of acting on that belief.

St. John’s Adult Faith Formation:  AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org

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Posted in Adult Faith Formation

Father’s Day 2012

Posted on June 13, 2012 | Comments Off on Father’s Day 2012

On this weekend, we remember all our Dads, both living and deceased; and hold them in love and grateful prayer.

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Posted in Important Announcements

Collection for St. Katharine Drexel Food Pantry This Weekend

Posted on June 8, 2012 | Comments Off on Collection for St. Katharine Drexel Food Pantry This Weekend

Please bring non-perishable items to assist our sister parish in Roxbury, Saint Katharine Drexel.  This weekend (and every second Sunday) we gratefully receive your donations at our Glen Road entrance.  Contact is Angela Spinale, 781-431-0008.

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Posted in Homeless/Feed the Hungry, Important Announcements, Service Commission

ST. JOHN PARISH FINANCIAL UPDATE

Posted on June 8, 2012 | Comments Off on ST. JOHN PARISH FINANCIAL UPDATE

Many thanks to all who have contributed to our 2011-2012 Annual Appeal. We are over 98% of our budget. Please consider giving generously this weekend to our Second Collection to achieve our goal!  However, we still need your HELP with the offertory if we are to make our budget. If you can help us bridge the $20,000 gap before June 30, we thank you in advance.  (Click HERE to view details in this week’s Bulletin) Remember, Parish Pay is available for online giving. Thank you all for your support.

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Posted in Important Announcements, Special Collections

Save the Date! Workshop on Visiting the Sick Starting Wednesday, October 3

Posted on June 8, 2012 | Comments Off on Save the Date! Workshop on Visiting the Sick Starting Wednesday, October 3

Starting Wednesday, October 3 and running for six weeks (Oct 3, 10, 17, 24 and Nov 7, 14), a workshop on Pastoral Care to the Sick and Homebound will be offered at St. John the Evangelistfrom 7pm-9pm. Kelly Dunn, a Certified Chaplain and former Director of Health Care Ministry for the Archdiocese and presently serving as the Coordinator of Nursing Home Ministry at Holy Family Parish in Concord, will teach the workshop. The workshop will include a review of communications skills, the basics of pastoral visitation, key illness issues, spiritual needs and concerns, grief, loss and dying, and other care giving issues. Eucharistic ministers, pastoral visitors, parish nurses and others are encouraged to attend. Fee $40.  Registration information is available in the Parish Office or call (781) 235-0045.  Pre-registration is required.  If this invitation is something you might like to explore further, Sr. Evelyn would be happy to meet with you. You may reach her by e-mail at evelyn_ronan@comcast.net or by phone at the number listed above.

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Posted in Important Announcements

Adult Faith Formation Update – June 10, 2012

Posted on June 8, 2012 | Comments Off on Adult Faith Formation Update – June 10, 2012

AFFC LogoThe Adult Faith Formation Commission has been meeting monthly for over a year now.  We feel we have accomplished a lot, but clearly there is much more to be done. Among the programs and ideas we are considering or seriously planning for next year are:

  • Continuation of the monthly gatherings for both men and women
  • Expansion of the very successful parish book discussion group
  •  Small group discussions of the book Faith Maps
  • Greater use of the magnificent film series “Catholicism”
  • Showing and discussion of the film “The Way” (Martin Sheen)
  • Continuation and expansion of the scripture study groups
  • Lecture/discussion programs, including special talks during Advent and Lent
  • Occasional weekday morning discussions for older members of the parish
  • Sunday afternoon workshop on “growing our faith through story-telling.”

As always, we would love to receive comments and suggestions. As thinking Catholics we all recognize the need to expand our understanding and appreciation of the gift of faith that has been given us. Inevitably the big challenge is finding the time and discipline to really do it! As we have said many times, our goal is simply to be of help to you in this effort.

The parish Book Discussion Group will be meeting during the summer to select the ten or so books to be read next year. We would love your suggestions. Because we meet monthly the books must be relatively short (200 pages or less), readily available, and inexpensive (under $20). Since the group was created eight years ago we have read books on an amazing variety of subjects and themes relating to Catholicism, Christianity and religion generally. We have read novels, biographies, books on church history, scripture, spirituality, prayer, liturgy, parish life, the sacraments, the papacy, books of poetry and books on the traditions and beliefs of Muslims and Jews. Our discussions are generally serious but always with some levity, sometimes contentious but always conducted in a spirit of genuine Christian love and respect for the opinions of all. If you want more information on the book group or want to be added to our mailing list, write to Peter Mongeau (pmongeau@verizon.net), who has labored long, hard and creatively to make the group so successful. Peter is assisted in leading the group by Anita Martin, Frank McConville and John Stewart.

St. John’s Faith Formation · AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org

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Posted in Adult Faith Formation, Book Discussion Group

This Weekend – Annual St. Francis House Men’s Clothing Drive!

Posted on June 5, 2012 | Comments Off on This Weekend – Annual St. Francis House Men’s Clothing Drive!

This weekend, June 9-10, drop off donations in the garage (behind the church) any time during the day (9am to 5pm) for St. Francis House, the largest day shelter in New England, serving over 800 men and women on a daily basis. Suggested donations are:
Men’s Casual Short Sleeve Shirts: M, L, XL, 2X, 3X
Men’s Jeans: Sizes 28-38 all length 32-34
Men’s Shoes and Sneakers: Sizes 7-12
New Socks
Spring/Fall Jackets: M, L, XL, 2X and 3X
Baseball Hats
Hooded Sweatshirts: Sizes M, L, XL, 2X, and 3X
Belts: All sizes
Plastic shopping bags

Please email Shilan Yeung or call 508-801-7072 for details.

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Posted in Important Announcements, Seasonal Initiatives

June 5, 7:30 pm – Lecture and Discussion on John Henry Newman

Posted on June 1, 2012 | Comments Off on June 5, 7:30 pm – Lecture and Discussion on John Henry Newman

by Father Robert Imbelli – Social Hall

Cardinal Newman’s extensive writings reflect his drive to make sense of the Christian vision, to appreciate in greater detail just how we arrive at faith. We too live in an age when many are struggling to understand the role that God plays in our lives. The thoughts and inspirations of Newman are as relevant today as they were when he died in 1890.  Father Imbelli’s talk and the discussion will focus on the chapter on Cardinal Newman in the book Faith Maps: Ten Religious Explorers. Copies of this book are available ($16.95), or we can send you just the chapter at no cost. Contact John Stewart at johnstewart@alum.bu.edu.

Fr.  Imbelli is an Associate Professor of Theology at Boston College.  This lecture is sponsored by the St. John’s Book Discussion Group.

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Posted in Adult Faith Formation, Book Discussion Group

Religious Education Registration

Posted on June 1, 2012 | Comments Off on Religious Education Registration

Religious Education registration packets for the 2012-2013 school year were mailed to all families. If you have not received a packet in the mail, it is available for download here.  The deadline for registering before the late fee is assessed has passed (MAY 31.)  As a reminder, all 10th grade Catholic school students planning to be Confirmed in 2013 must fully participate in the second year of the Parish Religious Education Program.

We are always looking for teachers who are willing to teach any of the grades 1 through 10. If you are interested, please contact the Religious Education Office at 781-235-5337 (grades 1–6) or 781-237-0141 (grades 7–10).

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Posted in Important Announcements, Religious Education Program