Seeking Actors/Actresses in Grade 3 and older to help “perform” the Passion Play at the 9:00 AM Family Mass on Palm Sunday, March 29.
Attendance at one rehearsal Saturday March 28, from 9:00 AM- 12:00 is required/mandatory. Confirmation candidates earn 5 hours of community service credit.
Please contact Maria Wardwell (781-237-2148 or maria.wardwell@stjohnwellesley.org) or Chrissy Harding (781-416-7362 or cctharding@aol.com) for information and registration.
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Posted in Children, Family Mass, Music, Religious Education Program, Youth Choir
Children in grades 1-8 are invited to participate in the St. John’s Easter Youth Choir. High School Assistants are welcome. There are 5 rehearsals: 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22 and 3/29 at 10:50-11:50 in the Chapel. Sign up and first rehearsal 3/1. The children will sing at the 9:00 AM Family Mass on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2015. Registration closes Sunday 3/8. For more information and to register call Maria Wardwell 781-237-2148 or Maria.wardwell@stjohnwellesley.org.
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Posted in Music, Youth Choir
Back in November, parishioners were asked to complete a Music Survey, which was available both online and in paper form in the bulletin. The goal of the survey was to help us take stock of our current music ministry as a whole, in an effort to review, with your help, what we do well and to discover areas of potential change and/or improvement. More than 180 parishioners responded to the survey, which is the highest response to any survey we have undertaken here at St. John. Many thanks to all who participated and who took the time to provide such detailed feedback. The overall data results have been tabulated and is available in this week’s bulletin or online HERE.
Our next step is to study and analyze all the thoughtful and thorough answers provided in the comment sections of the survey to see what trends and conclusions can be drawn, and we’ll be publishing more information in the coming weeks.
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Posted in CME, Family Mass Music, Music, Parish Choir, Youth Choir
Again, St. John’s is highlighting some of its staff members who make our Parish a vibrant, welcoming community. We hope that this article, Who’s Who at St. John enables you to get to know each staff member a little bit more. These next three entries highlight members of St. John’s Music Ministries, Margaret Felice, Kelly Meraw and Dianna Doyle.
Margaret Felice – Cantor
Margaret Felice has been a cantor at St John’s since September 2013, singing the 5:00 p.m. Mass about once a month. She has worked with Chris Holownia on theatrical productions before, and he recruited her to join the fantastic community at St John’s. Margaret also does music ministry at Boston College, Boston College High School, and Gate of Heaven/St Brigid parishes near her home in South Boston. She is engaged to Robert Goulston, the New Haven bureau chief for Connecticut’s CBS affiliate, and the two will be married at St Ignatius Parish in April 2015. In addition to her musical pursuits, Margaret enjoys studying and teaching theology, and blogging about spirituality at www.margaretfelice.com/blog.
Kelly Meraw – Cantor
Kelly Meraw has been cantoring for over ten years; and joined the St. John’s Music Ministry two years ago. She is a cantor at four different Parishes but St. John’s is her spiritual home. Kelly studied at McGill University graduating with Bachelor of Music with minor in Religious Studies; and a Master of Voice Performance in 2007. She is currently playing the most incredible role of her life: Mom to Eva (7) and Noah(4) – who can be heard requesting donuts weekly during the 9:00 a.m. Family Mass. This year she can be seen waving her arms in front of the Parish Choir – who always inspire her with their dedication to glorifying God with their voices. When she isn’t singing she is running her own business called “sugar.”, which specializes in customized sweets!
Diana Doyle – Cantor
This is Diana’s third year cantoring at St. John’s as part of the Family Mass Group. Diana sings and has sung at many Catholic churches in the Boston area, including The Cathedral of the Holy Cross where for many years she was the soprano soloist and cantor. She makes annual appearances on Boston Catholic TV’s annual telethon. Diana is also very active in the local community theatre world. Her next theatre role will be singing the beggarwoman in Sweeney Todd. This concert is a fundraiser for Woodland Theatre; music directed by Chris Holownia. Diana graduated from a joint program between Tufts University and New England Conservatory and currently lives in Dedham with her two cats, Gordon and Shirley.
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Posted in Important Announcements, Music
More than 180 parishioners responded to our recent Music Survey, which is the highest response to any survey we’ve undertaken. The results are being tabulated now and will be published in the bulletin and on the website after Christmas so stayed tuned!
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Posted in CME, Family Mass Music, Music, Parish Choir, Youth Choir
Would you like to make a donation towards Christmas Music or Christmas Flowers in memory of a loved one this holiday season? If so, you may make your donation by using an offertory envelope, the collection basket, Parish Pay, or by dropping your donation in the mail or at the Parish Office in the Rectory. Please be sure to include the name(s) of those you want remembered in this special way, and to print their name(s) clearly. The deadline to submit the name of a loved one is Friday, December 19 at noon.
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Posted in Important Announcements, Music, Special Collections
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
Throughout the next several weeks, St. John’s will be highlighting many of the staff members at St. John’s who make our Parish a vibrant, welcoming community. The article, Who’s Who at St. John will enable you to get to know each staff member a little bit more. The first two entries highlight members of St. John’s Music Ministries, Maria Wardwell and Chris Holownia.
Maria Wardwell – Family Mass Cantor
Maria has been cantoring with the Family Mass Musicians since 1998. A Wellesley College graduate, Maria has performed as a singer and actress her whole life. She is very involved in community theater and performs in and around the Boston area. She is the president of the Footlight Club, America’s oldest continuously running community theatre which performs at Eliot Hall in Jamaica Plain. Maria and her husband have lived in Wellesley since 1990. They have 2 sons – Nate, who is a Middle School teacher for Teach for America in Charlotte, NC and Ben, who is a sophomore at Colby College in Maine. When Maria’s not cantoring at St. John’s or performing in a production she is busy working as a Learning and Development Account Executive and Facilitator for Wilson Learning Worldwide.
Christopher Holownia – Family Mass Music Director
Chris has been the music director for the Family Mass and Sunday 5pm Mass ever since he graduated from Yale in 2007. Chris grew up in the parish and his parents are still active parishioners. He is currently teaching foreign languages including Spanish, Latin and Chinese at the Rivers School in Weston. He advises the philosophy club at Rivers and also music directs their winter musical. Chris is the resident music director for the Woodland Theatre Company in Medfield and during the summer he is a music director for the Weston Drama Workshop. In his “free time” Chris directs the music for other area musicals, acts on stage, and sings in area choirs.
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Posted in CME, Family Mass Music, Music, Youth Choir
As we look ahead to a new season, the St. John’s music staff thought it prudent to take stock of our current music ministry as a whole in an effort to review, with your help, what we do well and discover areas of potential change and/or improvement. By completing this survey, you will provide us with important feedback that we will endeavor to implement as we move through the year. (A paper version of this survey will be available in the bulletin this weekend.)
Once the data is collected and analyzed a summary of the findings will be published in the bulletin and on the website. Thereafter, we hope to sponsor some focus groups after each Mass at which music plays a part so that we may have meaningful discussions about the results and chart a course for the future. Please complete your survey by November 16. We thank you for your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.
Blessings!
– St. John’s Music Staff
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Posted in CME, Family Mass Music, Music, Parish Choir, Youth Choir
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
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE
FAITH DEVELOPMENT
COMMUNITY