The Christmas Wish effort is gearing up and we are looking for new and continuing volunteers to administer this growing program. The program supports families in St. Johns as well as families in Brockton, Lowell, South Boston, and Roxbury by providing Christmas gifts to about 400 children in need. We are looking for volunteers to assist in any number of ways:
- Coordination with one of the parishes and the sponsors/shoppers providing wishes for that parish
- Administrative support
- Program communication
- Shopping
Please consider even a small amount of time to the program as we enter this time of giving. If you would like to help, please feel free to email Liz Corcoran, Kathy Maher, or Christine Kehoe .
Once again St. Johns will be hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless at the Bristol Shelter in Waltham. Please consider cooking or baking for this important outreach program. In order to serve over 100 guests we will need the following COOKED items: ten 18-20 lb. unstuffed turkeys; mashed potatoes, gravy, butternut squash, corn, green beans, stuffing, rolls; cranberry sauce; cider and cranberry juice. Turkeys, as well as the other side dishes, can be cooked as early as the Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving. In addition to having a drop off time at St. John’s on Wednesday, individual food pickups can be arranged. Please contact Deirdre Heilbron at 
Holy Day of Obligation
Christmas Youth Choir rehearsals have begun. All students in grade 1-8 are invited to participate. High School Assistants are also welcome (counts towards confirmation community service credit)! Children will participate in the Parish Christmas Concert on December 9 AND/OR Christmas Eve 5:30 Family Mass. All rehearsals are in St. John’s Chapel. Remaining rehearsals will take place on the following dates and times:
We invite all parishioners to the Social Hall for a showing of the movie THE WAY, starring Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez. THE WAY is a powerful and inspirational story about family, a story that stays with you, a movie that will provide for some insightful and reflective discussion. Please join us for a special evening together. SPECIAL REQUEST: Please bring your casserole or salad to Social Hall before Mass. Dessert and beverages provided.
As you know during the month of October, we invite the congregation to nominate individuals for our Parish Pastoral Council. Those nominated were contacted and from those who were willing to serve, we drew the names of two men and two women. We did this at the 9:00 a.m. Mass on Sunday, October 14. Our new member are: Steve Healy, Mary Mullen, Christian Rubio and Sheelah Sullivan. Out going members are: Maryellen Denning, Mike Holownia, Julie Pernokas and Jim Stokes. They have been an enormous help to us over the three years. We are genuinely grateful to them for their service. Our newest members now join with Kate Donovan, Art Greenwood, Jack Kapples, Mark Kelley, Marci Loeber, Stephanie Morgan, Ed Nelson and Suzanne Pasko. The Parish Council has many important issues before it including the study and implementation of the new Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan. The Parish can have great confidence that it has a Council that continues to be both discerning and dedicated in offering direction to the Parish.
This Week – Sunday, October 28: Grade 2 Mass 9:00 AM; Grades 1 – 6 Class 10:00 – 10:45 AM; Grade 10 Enrollment Mass 5:00 PM; Grade 7 & 8 Class 6:00 – 8:00 PM; Grade 10 Friends for Good* 6:00 – 7:00 PM; Grade 9 & 10 Class 7:00 – 8:00
MOUNT ALVERNIA HIGH SCHOOL
FONTBONNE ACADEMY
BOSTON COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL
MONTROSE SCHOOL
URSULINE ACADEMY
CATHOLIC MEMORIAL
From time to time, we will be giving you an update on what is happening around the grounds and the buildings of the Parish. In the middle of August, you probably noticed some activity around the Parish Center and at the entrance to the parking lot. Unfortunately, the sewer pipe from the Center to the street had disintegrated about forty feet from the building and also had been damaged and crushed by some tree roots closer to the street. This necessitated an unbudgeted expense of approximately $24,000. The street and ground were dug up and new pipe from the building to the street were installed and the large tree was removed.
