Category Archives: SJSP Collaborative

Collaboration Countdown

Posted on December 16, 2014 | Comments Off on Collaboration Countdown

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallNovember, 2012 Diocesan announcement of Disciples in Mission (Collaboratives)

June, 2013 Implementation of the Collaboratives in Phase I

July, 2013 The St. John-St. Paul Inter-Parish Team began bulletin & website announcements explaining the Collaborative

June 2014 Implementation of the Collaboratives in Phase II

June, 2014 St. John and St. Paul volunteer to be included in Phase III

September, 2014 Archdiocese announces St. John and St. Paul will be included in Phase III of the Collaborative Diocesan Plan

October, 2014 Diocese conducts consultation with St. John’s and St. Paul’s Parish Councils, Finance Councils and Staff

December, 2014 Proposed date for the announcement of the new Pastor for the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative (postponed)

June 2, 2015 Formal launch of the St. John-St. Paul Collaborative (Phase III)

Comments Off on Collaboration Countdown

Posted in Disciples in Mission, SJSP Collaborative

September 15, 2014: Phase Three Collaboratives Announced

Posted on September 15, 2014 | Comments Off on September 15, 2014: Phase Three Collaboratives Announced

Disciples in MissionThe St. John – St. Paul Collaborative is formally announced.  From the Disciples in Mission website:

These Collaboratives will formally begin on June 2, 2015.  For more details, see our Frequently Asked Questions document.  You can also go to two articles in the Pilot, here and here.

The Collaboratives are:

  • Saint Agatha in Milton
  • Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Albert in Weymouth
  • Sacred Heart in Weymouth/Braintree and Saint Thomas in Braintree
  • Saint Mary and Saint Bernadette in Randolph
  • Saint John and Saint Paul in Wellesley
  • Saint Mary in Franklin
  • Sacred Heart and Saint Brigid in Lexington
  • Saint Martha in Plainville and Saint Mary in Wrentham
  • Saint Gregory, Dorchester, Saint Matthew, Dorchester, and Saint Angela, Mattapan
  • Saint Mark and Saint Ambrose in Dorchester
  • Gate of Heaven and Saint Brigid in South Boston
  • Saint Vincent, Saint Peter, and Saint Monica/Augustine in South Boston
  • Blessed Mother Teresa, Holy Family, and Saint Peter, Dorchester
  • Saint Paul in Cambridge
  • Saint Ann, Saint Joseph, and Saint Catherine in Somerville
  • Saint Rita, Lowell, Saint Marguerite, Dracut, and Saint Mary Magdalen, Tyngsboro
  • Saint Mary in Georgetown/Rowley
  • Immaculate Conception in Newburyport and Holy Redeemer in West Newbury and Merrimac

Comments Off on September 15, 2014: Phase Three Collaboratives Announced

Posted in Disciples in Mission, SJSP Collaborative

St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News

Posted on August 15, 2014 | Comments Off on St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallThe St. John and St. Paul Collaborative will be formally launched in the summer of 2015.  For the past year, we have been answering Frequently Asked Questions about the new Collaborative in our parish bulletins and here on our website.
Where can I find any questions that I’ve missed?

All of the questions that have been published over the past year can be found here on the St. John the Evangelist Parish website – just click ST. JOHN-ST. PAUL COLLABORATIVE NEWS on the “Quick Links” menu. There you will find all the questions and answers that have been published so far, as well as important background and historical information about the Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan, the Collaborative process, and the proposed St. John-St. Paul Collaborative. In addition, The Office of Pastoral Planning of the Archdiocese of Boston maintains a detailed website called “Disciples in Mission” (www.disciplesinmission.com), which contains extensive information on the Pastoral Plan as well as updates on the process and resources for parishes.

The Inter Parish Collaborative Team welcomes your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com  

Comments Off on St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News

Posted in Disciples in Mission, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative Planning - FAQ

Collaborative Question: Who Will Become Pastor?

Posted on August 12, 2014 | Comments Off on Collaborative Question: Who Will Become Pastor?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallThe St. John and St. Paul Collaborative will be formally launched in the summer of 2015.  Following is a recently asked question and answer about the new Collaborative:

QUESTION: Why hasn’t it been announced that Father Powers will retire next year and Father Rafferty will become the Pastor?

It is not yet known who will be the Pastor of our Collaborative. Among the parishes which started their Collaboratives in Phase I and II, about 50% have Pastors which were selected from one of the parishes in that Collaborative. It is not known whether or not Father Rafferty will be selected to be the Pastor of our Collaborative. This will be decided ultimately by Cardinal Sean O’Malley. What we do know is that Father Powers will retire sometime in 2015. This was announced in the St. John’s and St. Paul’s bulletins on May 11 and May 18 over the signatures of Fathers Rafferty and Powers.

More information can be found on the St. John’s web site  (St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News) and on the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Planning website (www.disciplesinmission.com)

The Inter Parish Collaborative Team welcomes your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com  

Comments Off on Collaborative Question: Who Will Become Pastor?

Posted in Disciples in Mission, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative Planning - FAQ

Collaborative Question: What Does the Future Hold in Terms of Priests?

Posted on July 31, 2014 | Comments Off on Collaborative Question: What Does the Future Hold in Terms of Priests?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallThe St. John and St. Paul Collaborative will be formally launched in the summer of 2015.  Following is a recently asked question and answer about the new Collaborative:

QUESTION: 2s) What really does the future hold in terms of priests? I have not seen any projections for several years, but I strongly suspect the Archdiocese is heading toward a very serious crisis within the next decade, with not enough priests to respond to even the current level of demand for the sacraments.

Your concern for the future, in terms of the number of priests, is a major factor for the formation of Collaboratives in the Archdiocese of Boston. We are fast approaching the time when we will have too few priests to adequately cover all the churches in the Archdiocese, prompting the change to one Pastor per Collaborative. In Phase 1, as many as 4 churches were joined into 1 Collaborative having only 1 Pastor. The new Pastors of the Collaboratives will devote more of their time to ecclesiastical matters and less of their time to administrative duties which can be performed more efficiently by properly trained lay people. This transition will require more participation from the lay ministries in the daily operation of the church.

More information can be found on the St. John’s web site  (St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News) and on the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Planning website (www.disciplesinmission.com)

The Inter Parish Collaborative Team welcomes your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com  

Comments Off on Collaborative Question: What Does the Future Hold in Terms of Priests?

Posted in Disciples in Mission, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative Planning - FAQ

Collaborative Question: What Exactly is a “Pastoral Team”?

Posted on July 24, 2014 | Comments Off on Collaborative Question: What Exactly is a “Pastoral Team”?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallThe St. John and St. Paul Collaborative will be formally launched in the summer of 2015.  Following is a recently asked question and answer about the new Collaborative:

QUESTION: What exactly is a pastoral team and what does this mean for our Collaborative? Will our Collaborative get more than one priest? Will we get more than one Pastor?

The “Team within a Team” concept is an organizational structure that is going to be implemented in every Collaborative in the Archdiocese. The “team” will be composed of priests selected from all over the Archdiocese and the lay people will come from within the parishes of a given Collaborative. It is certain that
there will only be one Pastor for each Collaborative, including the St. John/St. Paul Collaborative. There may, however, be more than one Deacon, or Pastoral Associate. As for local governance, there will be one Parish Pastoral Council and two Finance Councils. The exact number of parishioners on each Council will be
determined by the new Pastor, with strong input from the newly formed Pastoral Council of the Collaborative. Formation of our new Collaborative will be a prime time for parishioners, from both St. John’s and St. Paul’s, to join a lay ministry and help plan and implement the future of our churches.

More information can be found on the St. John’s web site  (St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News) and on the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Planning website (www.disciplesinmission.com)

The Inter Parish Collaborative Team welcomes your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com  

Comments Off on Collaborative Question: What Exactly is a “Pastoral Team”?

Posted in Disciples in Mission, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative Planning - FAQ

Collaborative Question 11: What Does it Mean to be an Evangelizing Parish?

Posted on July 17, 2014 | Comments Off on Collaborative Question 11: What Does it Mean to be an Evangelizing Parish?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallThe St. John and St. Paul Collaborative will be formally launched in the summer of 2015.  Following is a recently asked question and answer about the new Collaborative:

QUESTION 11: If evangelization is a critical component of the Parish Collaborative Process, what does it mean to be an
evangelizing parish?

Evangelization (reaching out to our brothers and sisters and drawing them more fully to Jesus Christ) is a component of the parish Collaborative Process because evangelization and collaboration are two ways to enable the mission of Christ and the Catholic Church to grow stronger. To make our Catholic community stronger, we need to find ways to welcome our brothers and sisters back to active practice of the faith. Evangelizing parishes exercise what is called “radical hospitality.” They are always mindful of the lost. They pay careful attention to what they look like to people coming through the door for the first time. They make excellent and bold use of social media. They are committed to forming disciples, who in turn form other disciples. They have a strong focus on adult religious experiences, and adult faith formation, especially in small groups. We all know Catholics in Wellesley and elsewhere who have drifted away from the Catholic Church. To make our Catholic community stronger, we need to find ways to welcome our brothers and sisters back to active practice of the faith.

More information can be found on the St. John’s web site  (St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News) and on the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Planning website (www.disciplesinmission.com)

The Inter Parish Collaborative Team welcomes your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com  

Comments Off on Collaborative Question 11: What Does it Mean to be an Evangelizing Parish?

Posted in Disciples in Mission, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Planning - FAQ

Collaborative Question 10: How is Evangelization Part of the Plan ?

Posted on July 11, 2014 | Comments Off on Collaborative Question 10: How is Evangelization Part of the Plan ?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallThe St. John and St. Paul Collaborative will be formally launched in the summer of 2015.  Following is a recently asked question and answer about the new Collaborative:

QUESTION 10: How is evangelization part of the Pastoral Plan for the Archdiocese of Boston?

Evangelization is the work of reaching out to our brothers and sisters and drawing them more fully to Christ. Cardinal Sean, echoing the teaching of Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, has repeatedly emphasized that the Church will only be strengthened to the extent that every practicing Catholic embraces the “New Evangelization,” the work of reaching out to Catholics who are not currently active in the Church. Evangelization is a component of the Parish Collaborative Process because Evangelization and Collaboration are two critical ways which will enable the mission of Christ and the Catholic Church to grow stronger. We all know Catholics in Wellesley and elsewhere who have drifted away from the Catholic Church. To make our Catholic community stronger, we need to find ways to welcome our brothers and sisters back to active practice of the faith.

More information can be found on the St. John’s web site  (St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News) and on the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Planning website (www.disciplesinmission.com)

The Inter Parish Collaborative Team welcomes your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com  

Comments Off on Collaborative Question 10: How is Evangelization Part of the Plan ?

Posted in Disciples in Mission, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Planning - FAQ

Collaborative Question 9: How Will Our Pastoral and Finance Councils Change?

Posted on July 3, 2014 | Comments Off on Collaborative Question 9: How Will Our Pastoral and Finance Councils Change?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallThe St. John and St. Paul Collaborative will be formally launched in the summer of 2015.  Following is a recently asked question and answer about the new Collaborative:

QUESTION 9: How will our Parish Councils and Finance Councils change once the St. John and St. Paul Collaborative is launched?

There will be one Pastoral Council for both Parishes, to advise the one Pastor and to oversee the implementation of the one Local Pastoral Plan. However, each Parish will have its own Finance Council, to oversee the financial accounts, assets, and obligations of each individual Parish. The two Finance Councils
will come together regularly and hold joint meetings.

More information can be found on the St. John’s web site  (St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News) and on the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Planning website (www.disciplesinmission.com)

The Inter Parish Collaborative Team welcomes your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com  

Comments Off on Collaborative Question 9: How Will Our Pastoral and Finance Councils Change?

Posted in Disciples in Mission, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Planning - FAQ

Collaborative Question 8: Is there anything we should do or not do before the formal launch?

Posted on June 27, 2014 | Comments Off on Collaborative Question 8: Is there anything we should do or not do before the formal launch?

SJSP Collaborative Logo_SmallThe St. John and St. Paul Collaborative will be formally launched in the summer of 2015.  Following is a recently asked question and answer about the new Collaborative:

QUESTION 8: Is there anything that St. John and St. Paul parishes should avoid doing in the lead-up to the formal launch of our Collaborative?

The Office of Pastoral Planning has recommended that we should not invest money on meeting or residential space, without first having done a Collaborative space study. Additionally, we must not neglect to inform new hires of the details of the Collaborative process and the role they may play in the new Collaborative.

More information can be found on the St. John’s web site  (St. John – St. Paul Collaborative News) and on the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Planning website (www.disciplesinmission.com)

The Inter Parish Collaborative Team welcomes your comments and feedback. Please email your questions or comments to: stjohn.stpaul@gmail.com  

Comments Off on Collaborative Question 8: Is there anything we should do or not do before the formal launch?

Posted in Disciples in Mission, Important Announcements, SJSP Collaborative, SJSP Collaborative Planning - FAQ