Category Archives: Service Commission

News from the Service Commission

Our Parish Lenten Gift Weekend: Welcoming the Stranger

Iraqi_families_on_the_runThis weekend we will step up as a parish to join Catholic Charities Boston to Welcome the Stranger. Our Lenten Gift will allow Catholic Charities Boston to restart the resettlement of refugee families in the Boston area.  It also provides us with the opportunity to develop long-term relationships with these families, by providing volunteer help with English language conversation, life skills and financial literacy assistance, and employment coaching as they acculturate. We at St. John’s have this opportunity to Welcome the Stranger and bring Pope Francis’ words alive-

“At the heart of the Gospel of mercy the encounter and acceptance by others are intertwined with the encounter and acceptance of God himself. Welcoming others means welcoming God in person! Do not let yourselves be robbed of the hope and joy of life born of your experience of God’s mercy, as manifested in the people you meet on your journey!”  (Pope Francis, January 17, 2016)

Please give as generously as you can.

At Masses this Weekend: The Service Commission invites parishioners to perform an individual act of mercy by going to the front entrance/foyer of the church, to the large container, clearly marked and waiting for your contribution. (Checks should be made payable to “St. John Parish”, noting “Lenten Gift 2016” in the memo. We will total all funds and present one check to Catholic Charities Boston.)

By Mail or at the Office: Donations can be mailed to the Office or dropped off weekdays during regular business hours (9 Glen Rd., Wellesley, MA 02481)

Online via ParishPay:  Click  this link and choose 2016 Lenten Gift under Secondary Collections. (Please Note: you do not need to be a regular ParishPay user to donate online – anyone can make a secure, one-time donation with a credit card. No need to set up an account – just click Start Giving!)

For more information please visit our 2016 Parish Lenten Gift page.

Our 2016 Parish Lenten Gift: Welcoming the Stranger

Father_and_SonSt. John’s Service Commission has identified the current refugee crisis as the focus of our Lenten Gift this year. Caring for refugees is rooted in the Gospel and Catholic social teaching, calling us to respect life and dignity of the human person and provide for the poor and vulnerable. More recently, Pope Francis has stressed these themes and powerfully connected them with a response to the Gospel of Mercy.

Many of us can relate to the plight of the refugees, as our own ancestors were among those who came to this country to escape war, famine and hardship. In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, let us show the mercy of God by supporting those people who are now forced to leave behind everything they have ever known and loved.

Instead of using ‘collection baskets’ this year, the Service Commission invites parishioners to perform an individual act of mercy by going to the front entrance/foyer of the Church, to the large container, clearly marked and waiting for your contribution throughout the weekend of March 19-20. You may also make your donation through ParishPay, our online giving program. May we offer this Lenten Gift with compassion and prayer. It is a blessed Act of Mercy for St. John Parish.

Welcoming the Stranger – Chapter 3: A Somali Family’s Story

Maryam and her 6 children, Binti, Zhara, Abdullahi & Abdirahman (twins), Shamso and Zeinab have lived in a refugee camp since 1996. They fled on foot with literally the clothes they could wear and a little bit of food and walked for miles until they found relative safety across the Kenyan border in a refugee camp in Kenya. The UNHCR registered Maryam and family as refugees in 1998. In they the camp they were issued a sturdy tent for their dwelling, firewood, and one pot for cooking. They received a ration card for food (oil, salt, corn, soya, cereal and sugar) that typically ran out before the end of the month. Maryam’s children attended school run by non-governmental organizations.

They were finally approved by US Department of Homeland Security as refugees in 2012 after going through security background checks which includes multiple identity/name check, fingerprinting and in-person interviews with US immigration officials. In August of 2014, their case was referred to Catholic Charities of Boston for refugee resettlement and CCB agreed to welcome this family and waited for an arrival date. Maryam and family were put on their first plane ever, after going through another background check 7 days prior to their scheduled arrival in November 2015. They put their possessions into one battered suitcase, a donation from overseas. They were given a white plastic bag with their identity documents, which includes evidence that they are refugees and permitted to remain in the US indefinitely and work authorized. Also included in that white bag is a promissory note with a total payment due of $7,000 to the International Office of Migration, which will be broken up into manageable payments starting in the 6 month after their arrival.

Maryam and family arrived to JFK Airport in NY after 1 day and two planes, were inspected by US immigration officials and then put on a plane to Boston, scheduled to arrive at 11:50pm on a cold November night. While Maryam’s family was getting ready to board the plane in Nairobi, the resettlement staff at Catholic Charities Boston was busy preparing for the family’s arrival. The case management staff ordered the necessary furniture: a twin bed and bed frame for each person (a set of bunk-beds for the kids), 3 dressers, a dining room table with 7 chairs, and 2 couches/sofas. The case management staff also bought food (enough for a week), necessary toiletries, household goods and bedding to outfit the apartment.

Somali_2Maryam and family arrive at Logan International Airport after midnight and are greeted by their case manager and a Somali interpreter. Although this was a daunting experience, Maryam felt a sense of relief and comfort when she was greeted by a friendly face and someone else who spoke her language. The case manager explained that he would now bring the family to their new home and
brought them to their 3 bedroom apartment in Lynn. While at the apartment, the case manager provided a safety orientation and cultural orientation about the home, neighborhood and city. This apartment was found by the case management staff prior to the family’s arrival, to ensure that they had proper place to live upon arrival. Through the Reception and Placement federal program, Maryam and her family received what is known as “welcome money”. This is cash assistance provided to refugee families, which does not have to be paid back. Maryam and her family were given $925 per person, which is for the purpose of securing and renting an apartment for the family. The case manager told the family, through the interpreter, who to call in case of an emergency (911) and provided his contact information. The case manager informed the mother that he would be back in the morning to begin setting up the necessary services for the family.

The next morning, the case manager arrived at the apartment to find that the family had just finished eating. He walked into the living room and noticed that there was a pot burn mark on the hardwood floors. When the case manager inquired about this, the mother told him that they put the pot on the floor and eat around the pot as they did back home. The case manager seeing this explained that in the US that people eat at the table and not on the floor.

Throughout the week, the case manager focuses on making sure Maryam’s family is set up with all the necessary referrals and resources. An intake is completed to explain their enrollment in the Federal (Reception and Placement- 90 days) and State (Massachusetts Refugee Resettlement Program) programs. Each family member is eligible for an unrestricted social security number, which the case manager takes them to apply for at the Social Security office. Maryam is enrolled in English for Employment classes and Employment Services. However, for Maryam she believes it will be difficult to attend classes as she has two children at home to care for. The case manager encourages her to attend and bring her children with her. The case manager brings the family to the Department of Transitional Assistance to set up the TAFDC (temporary public cash assistance) and SNAP (food stamps). The family attends one of two health screenings and the school aged children receive their immunizations required for school at these appointments. Following the health screening, the case manager takes the children to enroll in the local public school and they are scheduled to start in a few weeks. Within the first month of her arrival, Maryam is scheduled for a classroom style Cultural Orientation in which she receives a comprehensive overview of life in the US.

Somali_5By 90 days after their arrival, Maryam and her children have received the basic core services: children are going to school, and Maryam is slowly learning how to navigate her new community. Maryam has indicated that she would like to meet more Americans and make friends, which would also help with her English speaking skills. The case manager told her that he will try to find a parish or community volunteer to help her, but says that it may take some time. After one year, Maryam will come back to CCA to meet with the legal immigration department to help her apply for her permanent residency (Green Card). Within 5 years from her date of arrival, Maryam and the children can apply to become US citizens.

Into the Heart of Mercy: Putting Mercy into Action…

Action_1Acknowledging God’s mercy is so infinite and life giving, it is difficult to fully understand, but we can at least acknowledge that it is there and available to us. This is the first step to putting mercy into action. As Pope Francis tells us, “the name of God is mercy.”

Accepting The next step appears to be easy, but is difficult for most of us. We acknowledge God’s bountiful mercy, but we find it difficult to accept it in our own lives. We can feel unworthy, or fail to acknowledge our own brokenness which is necessary to receive the full benefit of God’s mercy. “O God, be merciful to me a sinner.”

Transforming Once we accept God’s mercy fully and unconditionally, we allow it to transform our lives, making us merciful beings ourselves, and allowing us to more fully live as Disciples of Christ. Like the Prodigal Son, we must accept the Father’s mercy and allow it to change our lives.

Action_2Transmitting God’s mercy is meant to be shared! We use the transforming power of God’s mercy in our everyday lives and show mercy and compassion to others.

Pope Francis says “May your heart be large enough to welcome all the men and women you come across during the day.” Through our compassion and kindness others will experience God’s love.

Acts of mercy can include visiting the sick, listening to a friend and reaching out to those who are suffering. Pope Francis encourages us not to remain indifferent to the pain and suffering of others.

The Adult Faith Formation and Service Commissions of St. John Parish facilitate our journey into the Heart of Mercy.

Into the Heart of Mercy: Endow us with understanding minds…

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Our 2013 Parish Lenten Gift helped to rebuild the home of a family of four, parishioners of St. Margaret Mary, after Hurricane Sandy.

The goal of a virtuous life is to have a habitual disposition to imitate God’s revealing self in the life and love of Jesus. To become a mindful, merciful person is to pray and seek to learn God’s will for us and strive to act upon it.

Our understanding minds must start with the realization that every gift we have… (each breath) is not our own. We are temporary trustees of these resources, to be shared in mercy and justice with all of our sisters and brothers.

How does the petition “endow us with understanding minds…” apply to our lives?

Christmas Wish 2012

Christmas Wish 2012

The mindful disposition to be MERCIFUL was as radical in the culture of the Holy Land in the time of Jesus Christ as it is today in our secular culture. It all starts with a mindful understanding and view of ‘the other’. Are we in competition with ‘the other’, for: influence, power, gratification or resources, or are we in community, to be aware and to provide and share our physical and spiritual resources with the needs of ‘the other’?

As we continue to journey more deeply into the heart of mercy, may even the smallest acts of everyday living express our mindful disposition of mercy.

The Adult Faith Formation and Service Commissions of St. John Parish facilitate our journey into the Heart of Mercy.

Welcoming the Stranger – Chapter Two: Putting Faith into Action – How Can We Help?

Credit: Maria Lozano/Aid to the Church in Need

Credit: Maria Lozano/Aid to the Church in Need


For the past three fiscal years, the United States has capped the annual number of refugees it will accept to 70,000 people. There are plans to increase this number to 85,000 people in 2016 and to 100,000 people by 2017. The existing refugee screening processes are rigorous and effective. The vetting process can take up to 24 months and involves several Federal Government agencies including Departments of State, Homeland Security and Health and Human Services.

In partnership with its affiliates, the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), through its Migration and Refugee Services (MRS) resettled close to 30% of all refugees coming into the U. S. in 2015. The Catholic refugee resettlement network includes over 100 Diocesan offices across the country, one of which is Catholic Charities/Boston (CC/B). Without volunteers and resources from the community and parishes, USCCB/MRS and its Diocesan resettlement offices would not be able to undertake this tremendous task.

In recent years, CC/B has had to suspend its resettlement of refugee families because housing costs in Massachusetts are prohibitively high. CC/B receives a one-time cash stipend per refugee from the Federal government but it is insufficient to support a family as it gets established in the U. S. CC/B estimates that it needs to raise approximately $5,000 per refugee family to subsidize rent expenses for 6 months. Our Parish Lenten Gift would allow CC/B to restart the resettlement of refugee families.

The resettlement efforts focus on ensuring that refugees attain economic self-sufficiency. According to CC/B the first three months after a refugee family’s arrival are critical: the family needs to secure social security cards, enroll in the food stamp program, sign up for Mass Health and get the children enrolled in school. CC/B has case managers who handle these requirements with each family. At the same time the family must enroll in ESOL classes and job placement services. The goal for each family is to be self-sufficient by 6 months.

But even if a refugee family achieves economic self-sufficiency by 6 months, it takes much longer to acculturate and this is where our Parish can also help. CC/B needs volunteers to help refugee families learn ‘soft’ skills including employment coaching, English language conversation, and life skills such as grocery shopping (how to use coupons, for example), financial literacy, and how to negotiate public transportation among other things.

Just imagine what a refugee family’s experience entails: it starts in fear, with the trauma of having to leave behind family, a profession and possessions, and entails suffering along the way as well as a sense of disorientation before an uncertain future.

So this year’s Parish Lenten gift could have a one-two punch. First, we will raise funds for CC/B in order to subsidize the expenses of resettling refugee families in the U. S. But we could also develop long-term relationships with these families not only to help them learn ‘soft’ skills but also to “welcome the stranger” as Matthew’s Gospel instructs us.

Next week we’ll follow the journey of a refugee family from Somalia.

Into the Heart of Mercy: Bless us with listening ears and gentle hearts…

Matthew_7_24

The one who listens to me, who carefully seeks me in everyday things… that person will find true happiness. (Prov 8:34)

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise person who built a home on rock. (Mt 7:24)

Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.(Lk 11:28)

When Jesus speaks of a “listening ear” he is referring to the God-given grace of being able to listen to what the Spirit is saying and then acting upon it in
our hearts.

The Adult Faith Formation and Service Commissions of St. John Parish facilitate our journey into the Heart of Mercy.

Welcoming the Stranger – Chapter One: Who is a Refugee?

Refugee_MigrantLike many of you, we have been moved by what we’ve seen and read about in the media: the chaos at border crossings, the wretched conditions in makeshift refugee camps, and reports that in 2015 alone, as many as 3,000 people drowned in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to escape civil war and persecution in their own country. The full horror of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding on the shores of Europe was revealed late last year in the heartbreaking photograph of a drowned Syrian toddler, on a Turkish beach, after two boats bound for the Greek island of Kos sank.

In fact, caring for refugees is based on Catholic social teaching. Think of Christ’s life: the baby Jesus was a refugee who, along with the Holy Family fled the terror of Herod into Egypt (Mt 2:14-15). In his public ministry Jesus was itinerant, moving from place to place “with nowhere to lay his Head…” (Mt 8:20).  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs us to welcome the stranger: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Mt 25: 35-40)

In any discussion of displaced persons it is important to understand the distinctions between refugees, asylum seekers, migrants and immigrants. A refugee is a person who has fled armed conflict or persecution and who is recognized as in need of international protection because it is too dangerous for them to return home. Refugees are protected under international law by the 1951 Refugee Convention, which defines what a refugee is and outlines the basic rights afforded to them. Refugees must secure refugee status while still outside the United States. After a comprehensive screening process, refugees are admitted to the U.S. legally with work authorization and limited benefits. Eventually, refugees may apply for permanent residency and citizenship in the United States.  For example, those fleeing Afghanistan, Eritrea, Syria and Iraq are considered refugees.

An asylum seeker is a person who has applied for asylum on the grounds that if he is returned to his country of origin he has a well-founded fear of persecution. An asylum seeker is already present in the United States or is seeking admission at a port of entry. A migrant is someone who moves either temporarily or permanently from one place to another, generally for economic reasons. For example, those fleeing poverty in Nigeria would be considered migrants. An immigrant is a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence.

Next week we’ll discuss how the U. S. Catholic community is helping refugees to resettle in the United States.

Our 2016 Parish Lenten Gift: Welcoming the Stranger

Welcoming_the_Stranger_LogoLent’s clarion call to love extravagantly is what this Lenten Gift is all about. For many years in preparing for Lent, St. John Parish has chosen to reach out as a community to one particular place of suffering. This year, our focus turns to the plight of refugee families fleeing war and persecution in their own countries.  Throughout Lent, our Service Commission will tell you more about our opportunity to step in and help Catholic Charities/Boston welcome the stranger and invite them in. Please look for weekly installments of the story in the bulletin and here on the website.

Dear brothers and sisters, migrants and refugees! At the heart of the Gospel of mercy the encounter and acceptance by others are intertwined with the encounter and acceptance of God himself. Welcoming others means welcoming God in person! Do not let yourselves be robbed of the hope and joy of life born of your experience of God’s mercy, as manifested in the people you meet on your journey!                                                                        -Pope Francis, January 17, 2016

Into the Heart of Mercy: In a world that is so filled with turmoil and suffering, we need to experience God’s mercy in our everyday lives and bring that mercy to others…  

Be_Merciful_LukePope Francis invites us “to find in this Jubilee Year the joy of discovering and rendering fruitful God’s mercy, with which we are all called to give comfort to every man and every woman of our time”. How might we become more open to the needs of others so that people see in us a reflection of Christ and his mercy?

The Adult Faith Formation and Service Commissions of St. John Parish facilitate our journey into the Heart of Mercy.