Evening for Women: Tuesday, October 2 at 6:30pm at St. John

cross_impressionistAll women of the collaborative are invited to the year’s first Evening for Women on Tuesday, October 3, 2017 at 6:30pm in Powers Hall at St. John the Evangelist. Our guest for the evening will be Fr. Robert Blaney, and we look forward to meeting and welcoming him.

Please bring your favorite Fall recipe to share.  If you have a friend or neighbor who would like to learn more about this special group of women, bring her along, too!   

Update from the Archdiocese regarding this weekend’s Special Collection for Disaster Relief

Last week, Cardinal Seán announced a special collection in support of Catholic Charities USA’s relief efforts in areas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Based on recent forecasts, the Archdiocese has amended the collection to include Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma, as well as other natural disasters that may affect the United States this year. The power and size of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are of historic proportion. Their arrival on back-to-back weeks will stretch the capacity of relief efforts.

Give today using ParishPay – you do not need to be a regular user of ParishPay – anyone can make a one-time donation by credit card. Just click the ParishPay link below (or on our website), choose Start Giving, and select Special Collection for Hurricane Disaster Relief under Secondary Collections.

Give at Mass this weekend – donations may be placed in the regular offertory basket at all Masses this weekend.  Please make checks out to St. John Parish and be sure to note “Hurricane Disaster Relief” in the memo. Cash donations should be placed in an envelope marked “Hurricane Disaster Relief”.  

Donations may also be mailed to or dropped at either parish office through September 15.

Please note: any checks/envelopes previously noted “Hurricane Harvey” will be included in this collection – there is no need to change the designation.

Catholic Charities USA is the official agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to deal with national disaster relief. While not a first responder that will have vehicles and personnel wading through flood waters, it is an agency that will look after the immediate short-term and long term needs of shelter, food and other recovery needs of families and individuals no matter what their background or religious beliefs. Because Catholic Charities USA is rooted in the community through local dioceses and parishes, this enables the organization to assist people through the various stages of the recovery process over a long period of time.

Please also remember all of our brothers and sisters in the afflicted areas, as well the first responders working on the relief efforts, in your prayers. On behalf of the Cardinal, thank you for your attentiveness to this important collection and expression of our solidarity with those who are suffering.

Our Sunday 5:00pm Mass Resumes this Sunday, September 10

Our Sunday 5:00pm Teen Mass returns this Sunday, September 10! The Mass will feature contemporary music appealing to teens and young adults and their families, and will include teen participation in the various ministries of the Mass. If you are interested in becoming involved as a Eucharistic Minister or Lector please contact Ronda Dew.

Peer Ministry Kick-Off this Sunday, September 10

Eleventh and twelfth graders are invited to participate in St. John’s Peer Ministry Program. Peer Ministers gather each Sunday evening when class is scheduled to build community among themselves and to facilitate activities and prayer services for the seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth grade Religious Education students during our Friends for Good program. They serve as outstanding examples of faith in action.

We invite our returning Peer Ministers and any interested confirmed High School students to join us for our Kick-Off Meeting on Sunday, September 10 at 6:00PM in Powers Hall (lower church.) Dinner will be served and we will review this year’s Friend’s For Good activities. To get more information or to RSVP for the 10th, please contact Chris Bauer, our Peer Ministry Coordinator.

Our Family Mass Program Resumes this Sunday, September 10

Family Mass_AltarWith the return of our regular Mass Schedule, our Family Mass Program also returns from summer vacation. What does that mean? It means our music, readings, & homilies will be geared towards families with young children. There are also a lot of helpers – families and children bringing up the gifts to the celebrant, children helping with the collection baskets, parent lectors. If you think you or your child would enjoy helping during the Family Mass – we’d love to have your help! Please contact our Family Mass Coordinator, Chrissy Cassa.

And, yes, right after the Family Mass there is our Donut & Coffee Social Hour downstairs in Powers Hall. Please consider helping one Sunday this year. It’s easy – everything is delivered to the church you just need to set-up and clean-up. The kids love to help out! Please contact our Family Mass Coordinator, Chrissy Cassa.

September 9-10: Special Collection for Hurricane Harvey Humanitarian and Recovery Efforts

Cardinal Seán has authorized a special collection this weekend, September 9-10, in all parishes in the Archdiocese of Boston, in support of the relief efforts to those areas devastated by Hurricane Harvey. There has been loss of life, property, and livelihoods. The funds collected will support the humanitarian and recovery efforts of Catholic Charities USA, the official domestic relief agency of the U.S. Catholic Church, and will provide pastoral and rebuilding support to dioceses in those areas impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

Donations to this special collection can be made now using ParishPay.  You do not need to be a regular user of ParishPay – anyone can make a one-time donation by credit card using the Start Giving feature. Just click the ParishPay link below or on our website, choose Start Giving, and select Special Collection for Hurricane Harvey Humanitarian and Recovery Efforts under Secondary Collections.

 

Donations may also be placed in the regular offertory basket at all Masses on the weekend of September 9-10, or they can be mailed to or dropped at either parish office through September 15.  Please make checks out to St. John Parish and be sure to note “Hurricane Harvey Collection” in the memo. Cash donations should be placed in an envelope marked “Hurricane Harvey Collection”.

Please also remember all of our brothers and sisters in the afflicted areas, as well the first responders working on the relief efforts, in your prayers. On behalf of the Cardinal, thank you for your attentiveness to this important collection and expression of our solidarity with those who are suffering.

Music Changes at St. John

With the recent departure of Chris Holownia, we are left with a vacancy at both the Sunday 9:00am Family Mass as well as the Sunday 5:00pm Mass.  In the short-term we will have Larry Carson, St. John Music Director, play at the Sunday 9am Mass on September 3.  Anne Mears will play all other Sunday 9am Masses until October. Anne will also play at the Sunday 5pm Masses when they begin in the September. Anne Mears is a member of our Collaborative and has been directing and playing liturgical music for  many years in the UK and here in Wellesley for the last 17 years, working with the High School Music Group at St. Paul Parish and formerly with St. Paul School. She looks forward to working and worshiping with the   St. John community while also continuing her work with the High School Music Group at St. Paul Parish.

Religious Education: Opening Day and Class Schedule

Religious-Education-Contemporary_SMALLClasses for all grades will begin as follows:
Grades 1–6: Sunday, 9/17 from 10–10:45am or Wednesday, 9/20 from 3:30–4:45pm
Grades 7–10: Sunday, 9/17 from 6–8pm

In an effort to make our opening days for Religious Education as successful as possible for our staff, students and teachers we will NOT be accepting new registrations/students on opening day. Please register immediately if you plan on having your children attend Religious Education and you have not done so already. Please note that we were able to get additional teachers for our Wednesday program so registration for Wednesday classes is open again. We are still in need of teachers for our Sunday evening program, so if you are available to teach please contact Ronda Dew as soon as possible.

All registered families should have received an email detailing opening day procedures with links to the final calendar and program information on the Parish website. If you registered and did not receive the email please contact Linda Messore.

Teachers: The kick-off meeting for all teachers is Sunday, September 10, at 6:00pm in Philbin Hall, in the basement of St. John’s school. Important information will be provided so please make every effort to attend.

Cluster Families: The opening meeting for those registered as clusters will be held on Tuesday, September 26, at 7:00pm in Philbin Hall, in the basement of St. John’s school. Lesson plans will be distributed.

If you have any questions regarding our Cluster program or the opening meeting, please contact Andrea Fay.

Teen Mass
The 5:00 pm Sunday Teen Mass returns Sunday, September 10th! The Mass will feature contemporary music appealing to teens and young adults and their families, and will include teen participation in the various ministries of the Mass. If you are interested in becoming involved as a Eucharistic Minister or Lector please contact Ronda Dew.

Religious Education Registration for Wednesdays is Re-Opened

Religious-Education-Contemporary_SMALLWe are able to re-open our Wednesday program registration thanks to additional Wednesday teachers have volunteered.

The online registration process that can be accessed from the Religious Ed page of the Parish website.

PLEASE NOTE: Religious Education registration for 2017-2018 commenced in early March and concluded on May 31. Any registrations received from this point forward will incur the $25 per child late fee.

PLEASE CONSIDER BEING A RELIGIOUS ED TEACHER: We once again find ourselves short teachers for our Religious Education program.  You do not need any special skills or abilities, just the willingness to share your faith with the children of our parish.  We provide materials and support to help you and are especially in need for help on Wednesday afternoons.  Whether you are a parent, a grandparent, a high school or college student, or just a parishioner looking to encourage the youth of the parish in their faith, we want to talk to you.  Please contact Linda Messore at linda.messore@stjohnwellesley.org to set up a meeting to discuss options and opportunities.  Thank you in advance for considering to volunteer.

 

Tuesday, August 15: Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Assumption of Mary_ContemporaryMass Schedule for the Collaborative

7:00am at St. John Church
9:00am at St. Paul Church
12:00pm at St. John Church
7:00pm at St. Paul Church