Category Archives: Service Commission

News from the Service Commission

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)

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 Marycarewww.HaitiMarycare.org

Lespwa fe‘ viv (Hope makes us live)

– Haitian proverb

“Coats for Kids” Drive Continues This Weekend

Coats for Kids Saint John Poster_2014_SMALLSt. John’s is participating in the 20th Annual Coats for Kids drive by Anton’s Cleaners. All you have to do is drop off the coats on the weekends of November 8-9 and 15-16, and we will take care of the rest.
What Type of Coats? Warm coats of all sizes for babies, children, teens, and adults in good quality with no rips, tears, broken zippers or permanent stains – coats you would give to a friend.
When/Where Do We Drop Off Coats? After all Masses on the weekends of November 8-9 and November 15-16 in the Rectory garage (behind the church.)
Questions? Please contact Shilan Yeung (781-237-2612) or Deirdre Heilbron (617-894-4416)

Thanksgiving Dinner at Bristol Lodge

Thanksgiving DinnerThanksgiving is just around the corner, and with it comes our commitment to serve Thanksgiving dinner to approximately 100 guests at Bristol Lodge in Waltham. Please consider helping with this important outreach program. Volunteers are needed to provide cooked turkeys and vegetable dishescranberry saucerolls, and beverages. (The turkeys and other side dishes may be cooked as early as the Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving.)
The food is dropped off between 12:00pm and 2:00pm on Wednesday, November 26 in the St. John parking lot. Volunteers are also welcome to help serve the meal on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, starting at 4:00pm.  For more details and to sign-up to prepare food and/or help serve, please visit our SignUp page:

Christmas Wish Kicks Off This Week – Help Make 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 this week. Paper forms and checks can be returned to the Rectory Office. (Forms should be returned as soon as possible or by Sunday, November 16.)  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

If you find your family needs assistance this holiday season, you are invited to complete a confidential Applicant form and return it to the Rectory Office.

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

“Coats for Kids” Drive: November 8-9 and 15-16

Coats for Kids Saint John Poster_2014_SMALLAre you preparing for the winter? Have your kids outgrown last year’s coats? Are there coats in your closet that aren’t being used?  Here is a great opportunity to share the warmth – when you donate a warm coat, you help warm someone’s heart!  
St. John’s is participating in the 20th Annual Coats for Kids drive by Anton’s Cleaners. All you have to do is drop off the coats on the weekends of November 8-9 and 15-16, and we will take care of the rest.

What Type of Coats? Warm coats of all sizes for babies, children, teens, and adults in good quality with no rips, tears, broken zippers or permanent stains – coats you would give to a friend. (Click on the image above for more details.)

When/Where Do We Drop Off Coats? After all Masses on the weekends of November 8-9 and November 15-16 in the Rectory garage (behind the church.)

Questions?   Please contact Shilan Yeung (781-237-2612) or Deirdre Heilbron (617-894-4416)

St. John Parish Service Fair – October 4-5

Service FairCelebrating Who We Are & How We Care
After all the Masses this weekend, October 4-5, come and see the Gospel alive! Come join us outdoors for refreshments and information on the many ways you can participate! Sponsored by Parish Service Commission.

Special Invitation from the St. John Service Commission

Service FairJust so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds, and glorify your heavenly Father.  –Matthew 5:15

To serve is to walk in the footsteps of Christ. To help one another is to live out His example. To give aid when it is needed is to take up his cross and be the light we are called to be. As disciples of Christ, we are called to take up the mantle of service and live for others. In acts great and small we are called to live out the example of Christ and let our example shine as a beacon for those who are in need of a little light.

In this spirit, the St. John Service Commission invites any parishioners interested in becoming more involved in the work of service to others to join us next year. The Service Commission acts as a coordination and oversight committee for our parish outreach and service programs, and provides a channel for exploring and incorporating new programs and new opportunities to serve into the St. John’s community. Our role is to be a catalyst for Christ’s call to serve, and a support mechanism for those who choose to answer that call.

The Service Commission meets approximately once every two months for 1 1/2 hours and typically members serve a three-year term. Requirements are that you feel a call for service and are looking for a way to express it. Those interested in becoming a Commission member should visit our page on the parish website  for information, or contact Michael Cassa or Mary McCauley.

Parish Service Commission Announcement: Our Lenten Gift to Bishop Nestor

For many years, St. John’s Parish has made the decision to reach out to one particular suffering amid so many in the world. As you know, our 2014 Lenten Gift was for the Central African Republic (CAR) to Bishop Nestor, a priest of the Society of Missionaries of Africa. Long after Lent ended, our parishioners kept responding. Now we have sent our completed gift to Bishop Nestor.  It is our great joy to tell you the extraordinary news that the amount of our Lenten Gift was $34,800 sent to Bishop Nestor’s Diocesan bank account in France. Bishop Nestor will have the discretion to use our gift to meet immediate needs (food, shelter and medical supplies) as well as long term rebuilding. How blessed are we to be able to so share our gifts! Thank you one and all!

The situation in the Central African Republic continues to be dangerous and unsettled, even as displaced families begin the long and arduous process of returning to their homes, farms and lives, and as the Church begins to rebuild. During Easter Week, Bishop Nestor and three of his priests were briefly kidnapped by Seleka rebels who planned to execute them; they were freed unharmed on Holy Thursday after one of the Seleka commanding officers, described  by Bishop Nestor as “a good man with a good conscience,” ordered that they be released.  You can read more about this incident on the CAR News and Resources page on our website, which we continue to update with news from CAR and  Bishop Nestor. 

Special Invitation from the St. John Service Commission

Service FairJust so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds, and glorify your heavenly Father.  –Matthew 5:15

To serve is to walk in the footsteps of Christ. To help one another is to live out His example. To give aid when it is needed is to take up his cross and be the light we are called to be. As disciples of Christ, we are called to take up the mantle of service and live for others. In acts great and small we are called to live out the example of Christ and let our example shine as a beacon for those who are in need of a little light.

In this spirit, the St. John Service Commission invites any parishioners interested in becoming more involved in the work of service to others to join us next year. The Service Commission acts as a coordination and oversight committee for our parish outreach and service programs, and provides a channel for exploring and incorporating new programs and new opportunities to serve into the St. John’s community. Our role is to be a catalyst for Christ’s call to serve, and a support mechanism for those who choose to answer that call.

The Service Commission meets approximately once every two months for 1 1/2 hours and typically members serve a three-year term. Requirements are that you feel a call for service and are looking for a way to express it. Those interested in becoming a Commission member should visit our page on the parish website  for information, or contact Michael Cassa or Mary McCauley.