June 9-10: Men’s Clothing Drive for St. Francis House

Posted on May 31, 2018 | Comments Off on June 9-10: Men’s Clothing Drive for St. Francis House

stfrancishouse_largeEach spring our collaborative community comes together to support  St. Francis House with a Men’s Clothing Drive. Each year the drive is a huge success because of your generosity and grace. St. Francis House serves approximately 50 clothing appointments per day (M-F), which is 250 full set of clothing per week, to their guests in need. To help meet this ongoing need, we are collecting men’s gently-used everyday clothing.

Right now, the highest needed items include:

  • Men’s pants (especially jeans size 30-40)
  • T-shirts, shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, & spring
    coats
  • Footwear (walking shoes and sneakers)
  • Backpacks/duffel bags/tote bags
  • Summer hats (baseball caps, beach hats)
  • NEW underwear and undershirts (in original
    packaging)
  • NEW socks (for their Foot Clinic)

We hope you will take the time for a quick spring cleaning, and remember to drop off the items to the St. John church garage on the weekend of June 9-10 from 9AM to 5PM. If you can put your items in boxes or secured bags, and label it with the general contents, it would be a great help with sorting. Thank you for your generosity!

Please Note: This year, women’s clothing can also be dropped off.  They DO NOT accept children’s clothing, used socks, or any discolored items.

If you have any questions please contact Shilan Yeung,  either email at shilanhappy@gmail.com or text/call at 508-801-7072.

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Posted in Important Announcements, Seasonal Initiatives, Service Commission

Renewing our Confirmation Program: A Focus on the Mass

Posted on May 29, 2018 | Comments Off on Renewing our Confirmation Program: A Focus on the Mass

In what we believe to be a movement of the Holy Spirit, the religious education professionals from both St. Paul’s and St. John’s have agreed on a common curriculum for Confirmation Preparation that will be centered on the students’ participation at Mass. To this end, beginning after Labor Day, the Sunday 5:00pm Mass will be a more deliberately youth focused liturgy and will rotate from week to week between St. John’s and St. Paul’s as the center of the Confirmation Program for our Collaborative.

On a couple of occasions during the past year, we experienced particularly vibrant and Spirit-filled liturgies in which all the Confirmation candidates participated and were actively involved in all aspects of the Mass. The Youth Music Group, made up of High School aged singers and instrumentalists from both parishes, was magnificent. The youth were lectors, Eucharistic Ministers and greeters. There was a contagious sense of excitement as the young people fully engaged in the liturgy. We are now building a program in which this will be a weekly occurrence! The Mass, supplemented with classroom work, will be at the center of preparation for Confirmation. Our hope is that this full, active participation in the liturgy, the source and summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed, will give our young people a lived connection to Christ Jesus and the community of the Church.

As always, all are welcome at these parish liturgies. The schedule and location of our Sunday 5:00pm Masses will be posted prominently on our websites and in the bulletin.

We are excited about this new initiative! Please join us in praying that the Holy Spirit continues to guide us as we seek opportunities to help our young people grow in faith.

Fr. Jim Laughlin

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Posted in From the Pastor, Important Announcements, Religious Education Program

Collaborative Summer Sunday Mass Schedule

Posted on May 29, 2018 | Comments Off on Collaborative Summer Sunday Mass Schedule

In order to provide a richer and better Sunday Mass experience for the St. John-St. Paul community, and after careful consideration of last summer’s Mass attendance, we have decided to implement a Summer Sunday Mass Schedule for our Collaborative, beginning Sunday, July 1. With this new schedule, we anticipate a fuller church at all of our Sunday Masses this summer, which will significantly enhance our worship.

Parishioners are encouraged to attend the Masses within the collaborative that are most convenient; envelopes and checks placed in the collection basket will be sent to their home parishes. (Now would be a great time to consider online giving, if you haven’t already. Online giving makes donating to your home parish simple and easy, regardless of where you are or the time of year, and this in turn provides the parish with more consistent and stable contributions. Please visit your home parish’s website or call the office for more information.)

ST. JOHN MASS SCHEDULE FOR JUNE:
Daily Mass (Mon-Sat): 7:00am
Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00pm (Confessions 3:00-3:45pm or by appointment)
Sunday Masses:  7:30am, 9:00am, and 11:00am
The Sunday 5:00pm Mass will return in the Fall with it’s new schedule.

COLLABORATIVE SUMMER MASS SCHEDULE
Sunday, July 1 through Sunday, September 2:

St. John the Evangelist Church
Daily Mass (Mon-Sat): 7:00am
Saturday Vigil Mass: 5:00pm (Confessions 3:00-3:45pm or by appointment)
Sunday Masses:  7:30am and 9:00am

St. Paul Church
Daily Mass (Mon-Sat): 9:00am
Saturday Vigil Mass: 4:00pm (Confessions 3:30-4:00pm or by appointment)
Sunday Masses:  7:30am and 11:00am

 

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Posted in Important Announcements, Special Mass Schedule

Next St. Vincent de Paul Society Meeting – Thursday, June 14

Posted on May 22, 2018 | Comments Off on Next St. Vincent de Paul Society Meeting – Thursday, June 14

It is quite exciting that we – as the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative – have decided to form a St. Vincent de Paul Conference! We will have a meeting on Thursday, June 14 at 6:30pm at the St. Paul’s Parish Hall where the nominees for president of the St. John-St. Paul SVDP will be presented and invited to speak about themselves and their vision for the Wellesley SVDP.  After this is done we will elect our President.  If you or a friend feel that you might be called to serve those in need — please come to the meeting on June 14!!

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Posted in SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Programs and Events

Saint John School
For God and Country

Posted on May 17, 2018 | Comments Off on Saint John School
For God and Country

This Honor Garden was created by the students and families of  Saint John School to honor our fallen heroes from Natick, Newton, Wellesley, and Weston. 

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For God and Country

Posted in Important Announcements, Saint John School

Immigrant and Refugee Services Brainstorming Session – Thursday, May 31

Posted on May 15, 2018 | Comments Off on Immigrant and Refugee Services Brainstorming Session – Thursday, May 31

Our collaborative has participated in fruitful planning meetings regarding Adult Faith Formation and Christian Service in support of the development of our Collaborative Pastoral Plan. One of the beautiful fruits of those meetings was a strong desire from individuals in both parishes to support immigrants and refugees in our community and beyond. There will be a preliminary planning session for all those who might be interested in participating this initiative on Thursday, May 31 at 7:00pm in the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative Office Conference Room (in the St. John Parish Center, 39 Washington Street, Wellesley) All are welcome to attend!

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

Veterans Memorial Mass – Saturday, May 19 at 4pm at St. Paul

Posted on May 15, 2018 | Comments Off on Veterans Memorial Mass – Saturday, May 19 at 4pm at St. Paul

FlagsAll military veterans are cordially invited to attend a special Veterans Ecumenical Memorial Mass at St. Paul Church at 4:00pm on Saturday, May 19 (Armed Forces Day.) Organized by the Wellesley Veterans’ Council, this annual event brings Wellesley veterans together as part of the 20th Annual Wellesley Wonderful Weekend (May 19 & 20). Veterans are invited (but not required) to wear their uniforms. We will gather in the St. Paul foyer and process in with the celebrant to reserved seats down front. During the Mass we will remember those veterans from Wellesley who gave their lives for our country.  We salute your service to our country and look forward to seeing you at the 4:00 Mass at St. Paul on May 19.

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Posted in SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Programs and Events, Special Liturgies

Appreciation Weekend May 19-20

Posted on May 15, 2018 | Comments Off on Appreciation Weekend May 19-20

All Masses will be in Thanksgiving for you who make our parish all that it is and continues to become!
Thank You All!

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Posted in Children, Family Mass, Important Announcements, Special Events, Special Liturgies

St. Vincent de Paul Society Coming to Our Collaborative

Posted on May 3, 2018 | Comments Off on St. Vincent de Paul Society Coming to Our Collaborative

It is quite exciting that we – as the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative – have decided to form a St. Vincent de Paul Conference!!

Nominations for President are now taking place through May 20. If you would like to nominate either yourself or someone else please submit your nomination along with a supporting paragraph to Father Robert at rblaney@sjspwellesley.org. After May 20 an email will be sent out including all of the nominees and information about them that was submitted. Then we will have a Meeting on June 14th @ 6:30pm at the St. Paul’s Parish Hall
where the nominees will be presented and invited to speak about themselves and their vision for the Wellesley SVDP.  After this is done we will elect our President.  If you or a friend feel that you might be called to serve those in need — please come to the meeting on June 14!!

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Posted in SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Programs and Events

Thursday, May 10 – Ascension of the Lord, a Holy Day of Obligation

Posted on May 3, 2018 | Comments Off on Thursday, May 10 – Ascension of the Lord, a Holy Day of Obligation

Ascension ThursdayMasses for the Collaborative will be celebrated:
7:00am Mass at St. John
9:00am Mass at St. Paul
12:00pm Mass at St. John
7:00pm  Mass at St. Paul

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Posted in Holy Days, Important Announcements, Special Mass Schedule