We wanted to let everyone know that Fr. Hehir is fine – back home with us in Wellesley and back at work!
Thank you all for your concern, and please keep him in your prayers – and know that you are always in his.
We wanted to let everyone know that Fr. Hehir is fine – back home with us in Wellesley and back at work!
Thank you all for your concern, and please keep him in your prayers – and know that you are always in his.
Comments Off on Update from Sunday, September 2: Fr. Hehir is Well
Posted in Important Announcements
As young Christians… you are not only a part of the future of the Church; you are also a necessary and beloved part of the Church’s present! You are the Church’s present!
Pope Francis, Homily at the Closing Mass for the 6th Asian Youth Day, August 2014
Pope Francis reminds young Christians – and all of us – that young people are not just a part of the Church’s future, but an important and much-needed part of the Church’s present. Here at the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative, we are conscious of this reminder as we work together with our young people to renew and strengthen their connection to God, the Church, their parish and wider community, and to each other.
To this end, beginning on Sunday, September 9, we are launching a Collaborative Sunday 5pm Mass that will be a more deliberately youth-centered liturgy, with our high-school-aged young people central to and actively involved in all aspects of the Mass. From the music, to the homilies, to the Spirit-filled sense of vibrancy and joy, we are prayerfully approaching a liturgy that will touch the hearts and minds of our young people and all who come to celebrate the Mass and grow in faith together.
This new Sunday 5pm Mass will be a truly collaborative liturgy, rotating from week to week between St. John Church and St. Paul Church. On the 1st, 3rd and 5th Sundays of the month, the Sunday 5:00pm Mass will be at St. John, and on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, the Mass will be at St. Paul.
Schedule for September:
Sunday, September 9 – St. Paul Church
Sunday, September 16 – St. John Church
Sunday, September 23 – St. Paul Church
Sunday, September 30 – Collaborative Outdoor Mass/Special Mass Schedule
The full schedule for the year is available on our website – you can add the schedule to your iPhone or Google calendar so you always know where the Mass is week to week. (More information will be available soon about signing up for reminder emails and texts.)
All are encouraged to experience and support this new initiative with their prayers and their presence.
Comments Off on Our New Collaborative Sunday 5pm Mass Schedule Begins this Sunday, September 9 with Mass at St. Paul
Posted in Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Programs and Events, SJSP Confirmation, SJSP Youth Ministry
All high school students are invited to join our Collaborative Youth Ministry Program, which is being reinvigorated with new staff, new ideas and new initiatives in tandem with the updated Confirmation Preparation Program!
Luke Delvecchio
Jimmy Hastings
First we would like to re-introduce our Youth Ministers who started as members of the St. Paul Youth Group and evolved into Youth Ministers – Luke Delvecchio and Jimmy Hastings. Both are parishioners in the Collaborative and their tireless dedication and enthusiasm has continued to keep the St. Paul Youth Group alive and well!
Brenna Wertzberger
We would also like to introduce you to Brenna Wertzberger, a student in the BC Theology program, who has joined them as a Youth Minister.
Luke, Jimmy, and Brenna will all be Collaborative staff charged with empowering young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today. This empowerment will include (but not be limited to!) Mass participation, service within and outside the Collaborative, and activities to foster community.
For more information, please email youthministry@sjspwellesley.org
Comments Off on Youth Ministry News
Posted in Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Youth Ministry
A message from Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM. Cap. Archbishop of Boston from Archdiocese of Boston on Vimeo.
Comments Off on Video Message from Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap
Archbishop of Boston
August 20, 2018 in Archdiocese of Boston, Important Announcements, RCAB Announcement
Dear Friends,
It is with a mixture of sadness and gratitude that I announce that Tricia Fraser, the Director of Finance and Operations for the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative, left her position as of July 1 to pursue a new and exciting opportunity. Tricia has been named Vice President of Finance at St. John Seminary in Brighton. I am most grateful to Tricia for her tireless dedication to the collaborative over the past three years in this important strategic role. Our gratitude, thoughts and prayers go with her as she embarks upon this new adventure.
I am at the same time delighted to announce that Jackie Welham is our new Director of Finance and Operations, effective August 6. Jackie comes to us with an impressive career in accounting and finance as well as a passionate dedication to the mission of the Church. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Notre Dame and with a MBA with a concentration in Accounting from Babson College. Her initial professional position was with Coopers & Lybrand (“C&L”), where she obtained her CPA credentials. While at C&L, she specialized in utilities and in not-for-profits. She left C&L in order to take a job at one of her audit clients, Phillips Academy, and then spent eight years at Harvard University. After leaving full time employment, she consulted at various institutions, including several Harvard University departments (e.g. Financial Administration, Risk Management and Audit Services, and the Harvard School of Public Health), Simmons College, and Bethany College.
Jackie is an active participant in her home collaborative of St. Anne-St. Catherine, located in Littleton and Westford. She has served on the St. Anne Finance Council for sixteen years and on the Parish Council (first St. Anne and then the Collaborative Parish Council) for four years. She is a lector and a Eucharistic Minister, and has recently joined the Ministry of Hope. When not working, she enjoys playing tennis and spending time with her husband, Tom, and children, Elizabeth and Tommy.
We are thrilled to welcome Jackie to this key position in our collaborative. She is looking forward to getting to know the St. John and St. Paul community. Let’s extend a warm welcome to Jackie as she begins her new position!
Yours in Christ,
Comments Off on Welcome to Our New Director Of Finance and Operations, Jackie Welham!
Posted in From the Pastor, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative
“There are times when words fail us – when they do not capture the depth of overwhelming situations we sometimes face in life. For the Church in the United States this is one of those times.
The Pennsylvania Grand Jury’s report and the first-hand expressions of horror and devastating pain experienced by survivors once again wrench our hearts with the unimaginable that tragically is all too real for those who carry this pain. Once again we hear each excruciating word they share. We remain shamed by these egregious failures to protect children and those who are vulnerable and affirm our commitment that these failures will never be repeated.
While many perpetrators have been held accountable in one way or another for their crimes, we have yet to establish clear and transparent systems of accountability and consequence for Church leadership whose failures have allowed these crimes to occur. The Church must embrace spiritual conversion and demand legal transparency and pastoral accountability for all who carry out its mission. This transformation is not easily achieved, but in all aspects it is imperative. The way we prepare priests, the way we exercise pastoral leadership and the way we cooperate with civil authorities; all these have to be consistently better than has been the case.
As I have stated previously, there are immediate actions that we can and must take. The clock is ticking for all of us in Church leadership, Catholics have lost patience with us and civil society has lost confidence in us. But I am not without hope and do not succumb to despondent acceptance that our failures cannot be corrected. As the Church we have the responsibility to help people not to lose hope, that was Jesus’ message to all those he ministered to, especially in times of great trial. There is too much good in the Church and in our faith to lose hope. Often it is survivors who courageously teach us we cannot lose hope.
Although “zero tolerance” of sexual abuse has been declared and pursued and programs of advocacy and protection of children have been adopted in dioceses throughout country, the memory, the record, the burden carried by survivors and every other fact of sexual abuse stay with the Church. We can never become complacent, this is a life-long ongoing work that demands the highest levels of our constant awareness and attention.
The crisis we face is the product of clerical sins and clerical failures. As a Church, the conversion, transparency and accountability we need is only possible with the significant involvement and leadership of lay men and women in our Church, individuals who can bring their competence, experience and skills to the task we face. We need the help of the laity to address this scourge on our people and Church. If the Church proceeds with deep recognition of these realities the future can hold the opportunity to earn back trust, confidence and support from the community of Catholics and our society. We must proceed quickly and with purpose; there is no time to waste.”
– Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap August 16, 2018
From the Archdiocese of Boston Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection
To survivors in the Archdiocese of Boston who struggle to process their pain and whose wounds are opened especially wide with the reports from Pennsylvania, please know that Vivian Soper, Director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Pastoral Support and Child Protection and her colleagues stand ready to provide assistance. We encourage you to contact Vivian at 617-746-5985. To the survivors and their loved ones, we must again apologize and ask forgiveness. While much has been accomplished in the protection of children with the participation of the laity, there remains much more to be done. We are committed to the fulfillment of this responsibility as a continuing priority for the work of the Church.
PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE VERSION
Comments Off on Statement of Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM Cap
Archbishop of Boston
Posted in Archdiocese of Boston, Important Announcements, RCAB Announcement
RCIA is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It the process by which adults enter full communion with our Church, through the sacraments of Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist (Communion). RCIA can help you along your faith journey if:
If any of these describes your current situation and you seek full membership in the Catholic faith family, consider joining our Collaborative RCIA program. We meet weekly throughout the school year, with culmination in the celebration of the Rites of Initiation at the Easter Vigil in spring. RCIA begins in the autumn with a no-obligation period of exploration and discernment.
If you think RCIA might be for you, contact either parish office by phone, or email rcia@sjspwellesley.org. We’d love to hear from you!
Comments Off on Where Are You on Your Faith Journey?
Posted in Adult Faith Formation, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Programs and Events
Mass 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
Comments Off on Wednesday, August 15: Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Posted in Holy Days, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Programs and Events
We are excited to announce that this year we will be utilizing a common curriculum – Dynamic Catholic – for both the St. John and St. Paul Grade 9 & 10 Confirmation Preparation Programs. The program will consist of six Sunday evening classes, and will begin in September. There are many changes to the schedule and requirements so it is critical that families register as soon as possible so they will receive all of the pertinent information about our new program and schedule. You may register online HERE.
For your convenience, two meetings (attend one at either location) for St. John and St. Paul parents and students are scheduled for:
Thursday, September 6: 7:30pm – 8:15pm St. Paul’s Parish Hall
Wednesday, September 12: 7:30pm – 8:15pm St. John’s Powers Hall
Additional details about the meeting and program will be sent to all families registered for the Confirmation Preparation program. Again, it is critical that 9th and 10th grade students are registered as soon as possible. We look forward to sharing more details and information in the coming weeks!
Comments Off on Important Information About Our New Collaborative Confirmation Program
Posted in Important Announcements, Religious Education Program, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Programs and Events
Masses at St. John:
Saturday 5:oopm Vigil Mass
Sunday 7:30am Mass at St. John
Masses at St. Paul:
Saturday 4:oopm Vigil Mass
Sunday 7:30am Mass
Collaborative Outdoor Mass:
Sunday 11:00am at the Wellesley High School Football Field
Please Note: There will be no 9:00am, 11:00am, or 5:00pm Masses at either parish on Sunday, September 30.
Comments Off on Our Collaborative Outdoor Mass – Sunday, September 30 at 11:00am
Posted in Family Mass, Family Mass Music, Important Announcements, Music, Parish Choir, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Pastoral Council, SJSP Collaborative Programs and Events, Special Events, Youth Choir