St. John Parish Christmas Concert
Sunday, December 14 at 2pm

Posted on November 25, 2014 | Comments Off on St. John Parish Christmas Concert
Sunday, December 14 at 2pm

Please join us on Sunday, December 14 at 2pm in the Church for traditional and contemporary Christmas music performed by St. John’s adult and youth choirs, instruments, and soloists.  Featuring the “Puppet Nativity” from the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, sharing a wonderful telling of the Christmas story.  Admission is free.  Parking is available in the school lot on Ledyard Street and the Church is wheelchair accessible.

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Sunday, December 14 at 2pm

Posted in CME, Family Mass Music, Music, Parish Choir, Youth Choir

Advent Wreaths from “Trees and Trimming” Available This Weekend, November 29-30

Posted on November 25, 2014 | Comments Off on Advent Wreaths from “Trees and Trimming” Available This Weekend, November 29-30

advent-wreath-fully-litThis Sunday, November 30, is the First Sunday of Advent.  Advent wreaths will be available for purchase this  weekend  after the 7:30am, 9am, 11am and 5pm Masses, as well as at the 5pm Mass on  Saturday. No preorder necessary!

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Posted in Saint John School

Evening for Women – Tuesday, December 2, 6:30pm

Posted on November 21, 2014 | Comments Off on Evening for Women – Tuesday, December 2, 6:30pm

heart-of-godA wonderful way to begin our Advent journey! Through prayer, reflection and sharing, we will interweave this year’s theme, ‘Pondering Grace’ with Mary’s extraordinary ‘yes’ and journey with her. Come join us and bring a favorite Winter recipe for our fabulous potluck! All Welcome!All Welcome!
Chapel/Social Hall, Moderator: Sr. Evelyn Ronan, SND

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

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Posted in Adult Faith Formation

November 23: News from Religious Education

Posted on November 21, 2014 | Comments Off on November 23: News from Religious Education

Religious-Education-Contemporary_SMALL

This Week: Sunday, November 23
Grades 1 – 6 Class 10:00 – 10:45 AM
Next Week: No Classes. Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!

A full calendar of all events is available on the Religious Education page.

If you have any questions, please contact Jane Leonard, jane.leonard@stjohnwellesley.org, or Linda Messore, linda.messore@stjohnwellesley.org.

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Posted in Important Announcements, Religious Education Program

Help Make Christmas Wishes Come True…

Posted on November 20, 2014 | Comments Off on Help Make Christmas Wishes Come True…

Christmas Wish and TreeSome children wish upon a star. This year, about 400 children will wish upon the caring generosity of our parish community through the St. John Christmas Wish program, started by Fr. Tom in 1993 when he first came to the Parish. Needed clothing and a special Christmas wish gift will go to youngsters in our own parish and in parishes in Roxbury, Lowell and Brockton.  You can help make wishes come true by:

Sponsoring a child or family fulfilling specifically desired clothing and gift requests
Helping us shop for children who have not been matched with sponsors
Making a financial donation to be used to purchase clothing or gifts

Christmas Wish invitations with Helper and Applicant forms were mailed to all parishioners. Paper forms and checks can be returned to the Rectory Office. (Forms should be returned as soon as possible, but it is never too late to help!)  If you prefer, you can click the link below to visit our online sign-up page:

Christmas Wish Sign-Up

Donations can also be made online via ParishPay, St. John’s online giving program (you do not need to be a regular ParishPay user – anyone can use ParishPay to make a one-time donation to Christmas Wish):

ParishPay

Questions? Please contact Liz Corcoran (efcorcoran@aol.com) or Sarah Connolly at the Rectory (stjohnwellesley@stjohnwellesley.org or 781-235-0045)

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Posted in Christmas & Lent, Christmas Wish, Service Commission

Our Advent Gift: Birthing Kit Collection for Haiti Marycare – December 13-14.

Posted on November 20, 2014 | Comments Off on Our Advent Gift: Birthing Kit Collection for Haiti Marycare – December 13-14.

ServeHaiti-newborn-300x199St. John’s Service Commission has come to know about the extraordinary work of Haiti Marycare. Now, during this Advent season, our Service Commission again invites us, as a Parish, to assist in supplying “Safe Birth Kits” as a way to reduce the mortality rate for mothers and newborns in Haiti.  For many years, since making these “Safe Birth Kits” available in the village of Jacquesyl, no mothers or babies have died during childbirth. If you would like to help, please prepare one or more kits with the items listed below and bring to our collection on December 13-14.

To prepare a Safe Birth Kit, place the following items in a gallon-size Ziplock bag:

  • One receiving blanket
  • One large wrapped bar of soap (any brand)
  • Two pieces of string, each approximately 8” in length, placed in an envelope

Safe Birth Kits will be received at our Glen Road entrance to Church during the weekend of December 13-14.

Financial donations are also welcome to complete the kits with medical supplies and to defray shipping costs. (Checks can be made payable to St. John Parish – please note Haiti Marycare in the memo.)

The Safe Birth Kits will be completed and assembled for transport after Christmas – please let us know if you would like to help.

Contacts: Andrea Reilly or Barbara Pyles, Parish Service Commission
Email: SC@stjohnwellesley.org
Haiti Marycare: www.HaitiMarycare.org

Lespwa fe‘ viv (Hope makes us live)

– Haitian proverb

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Posted in Advent Gift, Christmas & Lent, Service Commission

“Trees & Trimmings” – Saturday, December 6 from 9am – 5pm

Posted on November 17, 2014 | Comments Off on “Trees & Trimmings” – Saturday, December 6 from 9am – 5pm

Trees & TrimmingsPlease join us this Saturday, December 6 from 9am to 5pm for Saint John School’s annual holiday market, filled with everything you need for Christmas: freshly cut trees from Wilson Farm, custom decorated wreaths, boxwoods and roping, delicious homemade baked goods, a Toy Raffle with this year’s hottest toys, “Kids Corner Boutique” and a visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus! Red and White Poinsettias will be available at Trees & Trimmings this year. They are as lovely as ever, and no preorders needed.  Looking for a large tree this Christmas? (above our typically stocked 5-10′ trees) – Please contact outdoor Chair, Brian Loftus: loftusbjp@gmail.com for assistance in placing a special order from Wilson Farm for your space.

Our fresh and beautiful Advent Wreaths will be available for purchase on the first weekend of Advent. Saturday,  November 29th, after the 5:00 p.m. Mass and Sunday, November 30th, after the 7:30 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Masses. No preorder necessary!

One of Trees & Trimmings favorite traditions is Santa’s Bakeshop. Please consider contributing to this great tradition & fundraiser by baking any of the following: Christmas cut-out cookies, chocolate chip cookies, brownies, fudge,
peppermint bark and more. If you have questions, please contact Julie LaValle jdestino71@aol.com or Amy Baughman aebaughman@yahoo.com. Please drop off all treats at Philbin Hall on Friday, December 5! Thank you!

“Angel of the Waters” a signed, framed print by former Saint John parishioner E. Joseph Fontaine, will be our showcase raffle item this year. Tickets will be available after select Masses later this month and at Trees & Trimmings  on Saturday December 6 until 4:00 p.m. Please contact Christina McCormick at chmcc94@gmail.com with questions.

Questions about Trees & Trimmings or for volunteer opportunities, please contact Marie Carroll at carroll.marie@yahoo.com or Tricia Parmele at tricia.parmele@verizon.net

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Posted in Saint John School

Faith Formation Web Resources

Posted on November 17, 2014 | Comments Off on Faith Formation Web Resources

Check out these interesting and informative websites to learn more about the Catholic Church, our faith, and what is going on in the world.

Crux  was recently launched by the Boston Globe and features the work of John Allen (formerly Vatican correspondent for NCR). They are an English language site that seeks to cover world-wide Catholicism.
National Catholic Reporter  is a more established Catholic weekly paper, run by lay Catholics and focusing on the Church in the US.
Catholic News Service is produced by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and covers the worldwide Church, especially the papacy.

And don’t forget to check out St. John’s “FAITH MATTERS” blog! We regularly post reflection on a variety of Catholic faith topics with an eye towards exploring the richness of our tradition.

AFFC Logo

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

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Posted in Adult Faith Formation, Important Announcements

November 16: News from Religious Education

Posted on November 17, 2014 | Comments Off on November 16: News from Religious Education

Religious-Education-Contemporary_SMALLThis Week: Sunday, November 16
Grades 1 – 6 Class 10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
Grades 7, 8 Class 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Friends for Good 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Grade 9 Class 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Grade 10 Friends for Good 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Class 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 19
Grades 1- 6 Class 3:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Next Week: Sunday, November 23
Grades 1 – 6 Class 10:00 – 10:45 p.m.

Faith in Action
Many thanks to the 7th, 8th and 9th grade students who so generously donated warm hats for the men at the St. Francis House day shelter in Boston. We collected 75 hats. During the Friends for Good segment of the evening, students wrote personal notes wishing the men good health in the coming cold months and attached them to the hats.

A full calendar of all events is available on the Religious Education page.

If you have any questions, please contact Jane Leonard, jane.leonard@stjohnwellesley.org, or Linda Messore, linda.messore@stjohnwellesley.org.

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Posted in Important Announcements, Religious Education Program

St. John’s Anniversary Year

Posted on November 12, 2014 | Comments Off on St. John’s Anniversary Year

Bulletin_1963_November_RetouchedIn May, 1875 the first Mass was celebrated at St. John Parish. On May 17, 2015, St. John’s will celebrate 140 years of worship in our Church with special liturgies and celebrations. During St. John’s Anniversary year, we will occasionally be sharing copies of the bulletin with you from years gone by. The first and last pages of this week’s issue are copies of the bulletin from Sunday, November 10, 1963. Please enjoy them and take notice of how things have changed (or not changed) over the years in St. John Parish.

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Posted in Anniversaries