Songs of the heavens, stars and night –Complimentary tickets are available for St. John parishioners in the bulletin.
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Posted in Important Announcements, Music
The Feast of All Saints Day, which is celebrated on
November 1, falls on a Saturday in 2014 and
therefore is not a holy day of obligation. Mass will
be celebrated at the regular times of 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
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Posted in Holy Days, Important Announcements, Special Liturgies
Everyone is welcome to join our next First Sunday Choir on Sunday, November 2. No auditions required – just the desire to experience the joy of singing. Music for November’s First Sunday includes the gentle beautiful “Sanctus” from Fauré’s Requiem and the African American spiritual “Stealing Away”. The First Sunday Choir sprouted up a couple of years ago with the sole aim of bringing together as many singers as possible at one time. With a designated day (First Sunday), singers budgeted their time and invested a small window of their time and energy into the joy of singing. The “one day, one rehearsal, one Mass” mantra came about. The thought was to keep commitment as snug as possible. This approach worked fairly well except that some singers wished to have more rehearsal time, devote more time to learning music resulting in boosted confidence. To that end we have added the Thursday evening rehearsal—the Thursday before the first Sunday. Below is the schedule of the Thursday Rehearsals and the First Sundays.
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Posted in Music, Parish Choir
Tuesday, October 28, 5:30 p.m.
LIFE MATTERS: REFLECTIONS ON THE SYNOD ON THE FAMILY
Lecture by James Bretzke, S.J.
Boston College Theology and Ministry Library Auditorium, Brighton Campus Free of charge.
This talk reflects on the recently concluded Extraordinary Synod on the Family called by Pope Francis, and discusses the major themes that emerged from that October meeting of bishops and Church leaders from around the world. Particular attention will also be given to the input offered by the American bishops, especially in light of the perennial concerns voiced about the array of life matters and family values that intersect with political choices Catholic voters must make in the election.
Tuesday, November 4, 6:30 p.m.
EVENING FOR WOMEN
St. John Church/Social Hall, Moderator: Sr. Evelyn Ronan
Cardinal Carlo Martini once described grace as knowing that “you have been loved for a very long time.” Through prayer, reflection and sharing, this year’s
program will take us deeply into this truth, that we may help each other embrace its reality and be transformed. Includes a fabulous ‘Pot Luck’; please bring your
favorite Fall recipe. All Welcome!
November 13, 7:30 p.m.
ST. JOHN’S BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP: THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS ON THE FAMILY
St. John Parish Center
All members of the parish are invited to the November 13 meeting of the Parish Book Discussion Group. The topic will be “The Synod of Bishops on the Family”, and our discussion will focus on both the process and structure of decision-making in the Vatican and the substance of the many issues discussed (or that should have been discussed!) There has been extensive press coverage of the October meeting in Rome; thus we are asking participants in the November 13 meeting to read as much as possible and come prepared to express your conclusions, opinions, reservations, hopes and expectations. These are obviously important challenges in the life of our Church and we all have a serious responsibility to become as informed as possible. One new and wonderful source of information is CRUX, the website of Catholic news sponsored by The Boston Globe. For further information and to give us an idea of how many will attend, please contact John Stewart (617.969.0950) or Peter Mongeau.
St. John’s Adult Faith Formation Commission
Email: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org
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Posted in Adult Faith Formation, Important Announcements
This Week: Sunday, October 26
Grade 2 Enrollment Mass 9:00 a.m.
Grades 1 – 6 Class 10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
Next Week: Sunday, November 2
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 Friends for Good 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Class 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Grade 10 Class 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, November 5
Grades 1- 6 Class 3:30 – 4:45 p.m.
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
Check out these interesting and informative websites to learn more about the Catholic Church, our faith, and what is going on in the world.
What is faith – specifically, religious faith? Read the latest post in our FAITH MATTERS blog where we begin to lay the groundwork for a longer discussion of the first person of the Trinity, God the Father.
Wednesday, October 22, 4:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion at Boston College
Presenters: Claire E. Wolfteich, Roberto Goizueta,
Colleen Griffith, and Thomas H. Groome
B.C. School of Theology and Ministry, 9 Lake Street,
Room 100, Brighton Campus
This event celebrates the publication of Invitation to Practical Theology: Catholic Voices and Visions (2014, Paulist Press), a collection of essays which promises to advance the vital conversation around practical theology, especially in Catholic circles. Free of charge and open to the public. Early registration recommended.
Friday, October 24, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Taking the Church to the Street
Presentation by Rev. Debbie Little
B.C. Gasson Hall, Rm. 100
Free of Charge.
St. John’s Adult Faith Formation Commission
Email: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org
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Posted in Adult Faith Formation, Important Announcements
This Week: Sunday, October 19
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 Enrollment Mass 5:00 p.m.
Friends for Good 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Class 7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday, October 22
Grades 1- 6 Class 3:30 – 4:45 p.m.
Next Week: Sunday, October 26
Grade 2 Enrollment Mass 9:00 a.m.
Grades 1 – 6 Class 10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
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.
Comments Off on October 19: News from Religious Education
Posted in Important Announcements, Religious Education Program
Over the next few weeks, we will begin to take a look at the first person of the Trinity, God the Father. But before we can start that, I would like to lay some groundwork – some preliminary ideas that help us when we start to think more specifically about God.
A good synonym for faith is trust. Religious faith, then, is trust in a god. For Christians, religious faith means trust in our God, the god of Christianity. Faith in a god or gods is the foundation of most of the major religions of the world. In general, religious faith or trust means that the individual recognizes his or her powerlessness and createdness in the face of the supernatural. In other words, the believer understands the god or gods to be in control of reality as creators of reality and the ones who sustain or keep it going.
Based on this definition of faith, we can begin to understand what a religion is. In the broadest sense of the word, a religion is a community of people who share a religious faith in a god or a specific group of gods. For example, Christianity is the community of people who profess their faith in the Triune God (the Trinity). As you can see, a religion requires a group of people. In addition, the practice of a religion takes place within the community. While all religions do emphasize the internal faith, devotion, and prayer life of the individual, all religions are also defined by the outward signs of faith, devotion, and prayer of the community as a whole. In Christianity, all Christians, no matter what their specific denomination, gather to worship God on Sundays.
Some of the religions of the world are monotheistic. Monotheistic religions believe in and worship only one God. There have been several monotheistic religions in history; the three most common monotheistic religions today are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These three monotheistic religions are related historically and share many similar beliefs. Polytheistic religions are much more common in the history of the world. Polytheistic religions believe in and worship more than one god. The largest polytheistic religions today are Hinduism, Shintoism, and the native religions of the indigenous populations of the Americas, Africa, and Australia. The ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians, among many other civilizations, were also polytheistic. Finally, there are several religions that do not fit either of these two categories. They are called religious philosophies because they tend to focus more on the proper behavior for this world or on the individual’s development of their own social or meditative skills. Buddhism is a religion that is not at all concerned about the gods, although they do recognize the existence of gods; Buddhists focus on meditation to clear the mind and reach enlightenment. Confucianism is another religious philosophy. Again, Confucianism doesn’t deny the existence of the gods, but it focuses on how an individual is supposed to live a good and proper life for the benefit of all in the community.
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Posted in Adult Faith Formation, AFFC-blog
Check out these interesting and informative websites to learn more about the Catholic Church, our faith, and what is going on in the world.
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.
Wednesday, October 22, 4:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion at Boston College
Presenters: Claire E. Wolfteich, Roberto Goizueta,
Colleen Griffith, and Thomas H. Groome
B.C. School of Theology and Ministry, 9 Lake Street,
Room 100, Brighton Campus
This event celebrates the publication of Invitation to Practical Theology: Catholic Voices and Visions (2014, Paulist Press), a collection of essays which promises to advance the vital conversation around practical theology, especially in Catholic circles. It will feature presentations by contributors Roberto Goizueta, the Margaret O’Brien Flatley Professor of Catholic Theology, B. C. Department of Theology; Colleen Griffith STM Associate Professor of the Practice of Theology and Faculty Director of Spirituality Studies; and Thomas Groome, STM Professor of Theology and Religious Education, and Chair, Department of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry. Moderated by editor Claire Wolfteich, Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Spiritual Studies, and Co-Director of the Center for Practical Theology. Free of charge and open to the public. Early registration recommended.
Friday, October 24, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Taking the Church to the Street
Presentation by Rev. Debbie Little
B.C. Gasson Hall, Rm. 100
One day more than 20 years ago, Debbie Little looked at all the people sitting on the Boston Common park benches and thought, “The church is out here, not where buildings are necessarily, but where people are. We need to show up for it!” With this inspiration, she was moved to take the gifts of the church out to people who cannot come in to receive them—gifts which she describes as celebration, accompaniment, welcome, continuity, prayer, music, Bible study, and pastoral care. Who are these people, how do we serve them, where do we begin? Say YES to the small voice within and the leading of Pope Francis, and join Rev. Little as she shares experiences, graces, and struggles of church life on the street. “Jesus was a homeless man and so am I,” says Billy, who will join her with others to share blessings they receive from being met by church on the street. Rev. Dr. Debbie Little is founder and missioner of Ecclesia Ministries and Common Cathedral Boston. Sponsored by the School of Theology and Ministry. Free of Charge.
Thursday, October 30, 5:30 p.m.
Sacraments and Chicken Soup: Sacramental Living in a Post-Conciliar Church
Lecture by Kathleen Hughes, R.S.C.J.
B.C. Corcoran Commons, Heights Room, Chestnut Hill Campus
After identifying some key sacramental insights of Vatican II, assessing the reception of the liturgical reforms in the United States, and concluding that genuine catechesis based on a new theology of sacrament has not yet happened, this presentation will consider a fresh method of opening up the mystery of sacrament. “Mystagogy” as method invites believers to explore the intimate relationship between the liturgy and the way we live our lives, between sacraments and chicken soup. Sponsored by the School of Theology and Ministry. Free of charge.
St. John’s Adult Faith Formation Commission
Email: AFFC@stjohnwellesley.org
Comments Off on October 12: News and Resources from the AFFC
Posted in Important Announcements
Our P.O.L.O. (Parents of Little Ones) Playgroup is a parent-organized drop-in group that meets Wednesday mornings from 9:00 to 11:00am in the Church Social Hall. Come out and meet new families – bring your coffee and snacks and let the kids run and play! Send an email to Chrissy Cassa to be added to the POLO Email Notification List so we can let you know about any cancellations or changes to the schedule.
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Posted in Family Mass, POLO Playgroup
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
FAITH DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY
