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Wednesday, June 20: Looking Forward with NPH

Anyone who is interested in working together to forward the Collaborative’s relationship with Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH, Spanish for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”) is invited to meet on Wednesday, June 20 at 7:00pm in St. John Powers Hall. Representatives from NPH will be there and we will find out about ways in which we can help to improve the lives of some of our most needy brothers and sisters.

Monday, June 25: Collaborative Immigrant and Refugee Services Committee Meeting with Fr. Bryan Hehir

There will be an ongoing development meeting of the Collaborative Immigrant and Refugee Services Committee on Monday, June 25 at 7:00pm in Powers Hall at St. John. This group was established as a sub-committee of the individual parishes’ service committees. It was born out of the fall Collaborative Service Forum and is committed to the creation and development of service opportunities in the field of immigrant and refugee support. Fr. Bryan Hehir will be sharing his expertise regarding the global migrant and refugee crisis and ways in which our collaborative can serve in this mission field. All are welcome to attend.

If you are not able to attend, but would like to be a part of the discussion at a later date, or have questions regarding the project please contact: kelly.meraw@sjspwellesley.org

We Need Your Help!

Our fiscal year is coming to a close on June 30th and we need your help to meet our budget numbers. We are currently at 88% of our Annual Appeal budget and need to collect about $40,000 in order to meet that goal. Together with the Offertory donations, the Annual Appeal accounts for 90% of the parish’s total revenue. This revenue funds all the clergy and lay staff, utilities, buildings and grounds maintenance, and many parish ministries.

Please take this opportunity to reflect on the role that St. John’s plays in your life and the life of your family.  The strength and vitality of our parish community comes from our collective contributions – large and small.  Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be placed in the collection basket at Mass or dropped off/mailed to the Parish Office.  If you prefer, you may donate online through WeShare, our online giving program, by clicking the link below. There’s no need to set up an account – anyone can make a one-time donation using a Credit Card, Debit Card or a Checking/Savings Direct Withdrawal.  

Thank you for your continued generous support of St. John the Evangelist Parish.

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Star of Bethlehem Handicrafts: June 23-24

St. John Church will welcome Maysoon Khair from Star of Bethlehem Handicrafts.  Maysoon will be selling carved Olive Wood handicrafts made by small family businesses and the older students of the School of Joy, which is a school for children with learning difficulties located just outside Bethlehem. Sales of the handicrafts directly benefit Christian families living in very difficult circumstances as well as the important work of the school.

“By buying from these articles you are not just supporting the school and the children, but you are also creating in them a sense of self-respect and confidence in their abilities.”

Maysoon will be at the back of the church after all Masses at St. John Church June 23-24. She will be visiting St. Paul Church later in the year.

Let’s Share God’s Word Together!

The Collaborative Faith Enrichment Team is offering a summer course on the Gospel of Mark. Our 10 sessions use the Little Rock Scripture Study program. Meetings will alternate between parish locations.

NEXT SESSION:
Monday, August 13, 7:00pm in St. John Powers Hall

Join us this summer in praying over God’s Holy Word as we study Christ’s earthly ministry. For more information or to enroll, contact scripturestudy@sjspwellesley.org

Lenten Gift Thank You from NPH USA

The greatest gift we offer our children when they enter our home is the sense of security and hope that once again they are a part of a family. A family that promises them they will never have to go back to where they have come from whether it be living on the streets, going days without food, never stepping inside a school, never seeing a doctor, never having shoes to put on their feet, or the fear of where they will end up after losing their parents. A family that provides the comfort of knowing they will always have food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, and an education. A family that loves them unconditionally and strives to instill the importance of forgiveness, strength, hard work and perseverance so that they will not live in the past but strive to change their future. This promise is evident at each and every one of our homes. There is a moment as each child settles into the home where if you watch closely, you can witness this transformation and see them smile from their eyes. It is in this moment, you know the child has found hope.

This feeling of security was significantly impacted on September 9th when the earthquake hit Mexico resulting in over 5 million dollars in damages to our NPH Mexico home that threatened the core of our programs. During a time when so many significant global disasters were occurring, our NPH home feared it would be years before being able to identify the funding to rebuild and return that sense of security back to our children while meeting their daily needs. It was in that moment, the mission of NPH came to life by the outpouring of support from our greater NPH family network of supporters, who returned that sense of hope, security, and sense of unconditional love. We cannot begin to thank the St. John – St. Paul Collaborative community enough for ensuring our children have hope. We are touched beyond words with your $20,011.00 of financial support to our NPH Mexico children. On behalf of our children, thank you from the bottom of our heart.

Monica Henry & Elizabeth Caletka
NPH USA Team

Our Sunday Family Mass Program is on Summer Vacation!

Our Sunday 9:00am Mass will be a regular liturgy until the Family Mass returns in September with child-focused  homilies and Donuts & Coffee.

Thank you so much to all the families who volunteered this year for Donuts & Coffee set-up and clean-up. This time after Mass is a wonderful source of community and connection, and the help from our volunteers is greatly appreciated.

Christina Dangond Lacouture and Our Girl Scout Troop 73848

Christina Dangond Lacouture presents Father Bayer with a check to build the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Colombia on behalf of Build the Faith, Inc. (Photo courtesy/Monica Lacouture)


Please take a moment to read the Pilot article, In her illness and death, a girl brings others closer to God”  about life of Christina Dangond Lacouture, the beautiful friendship between Christina and Andrea Villalba, and the amazing work of our own Girl Scout Troop 73848, based out of the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative under the leadership of Kim Meehan.