Category Archives: Special Collections

This Weekend: Special Collection for Super Typhoon Haiyan Recovery

Typhoon_HaiyanCardinal Sean has authorized a special collection to be taken this weekend, November 16-17, in all parishes of the Archdiocese in support of the relief efforts in those areas of the Philippines and Vietnam that have been devastated by the recent Super Typhoon Haiyan. All monies collected will be distributed from the Archdiocese to Catholic Relief Services. This special collection will assist persons directly impacted by this storm as well as the rebuilding of the Church in the affected areas, so that the Church may be restored in her ability to serve the people.
At Masses this Weekend: Please give generously to our Special Second Collection at all masses this weekend. (Checks should be made out to “St. John the Evangelist Parish” with “Super Typhoon Haiyan Recovery 2013” in the memo.)
To Donate Online via ParishPay: Click this link and choose “Typhoon Haiyan Recovery” under One-Time Donations. (Please Note: You do not need to be a regular ParishSoft user to make a one-time donation – anyone can make a secure, one-time donation with a credit card.)

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A Special Mass for Victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan
Saturday, November 16, 6:30pm at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross

The Filipino Apostolate of Boston, in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Boston and the different local Filipino organizations and communities of Boston and nearby areas, has scheduled a special Mass to offer prayers for the repose souls of those who perished in the storm and for the strength to bring the needed healing to the injured. During the Mass, a collection will be taken to assist our Filipino brothers and sisters affected in recovering from this natural disaster. All are welcome to attend. (Cathedral of the Holy Cross, 1400 Washington St, Boston, MA 02111)
Statement from Rev. Cyriac C. Mattathilanickal, MS, Chaplain, Filipino Apostolate of Boston:
“I am calling on all Filipinos to join His Eminence Sean Cardinal O’ Malley and the Archdiocese of Boston to unite, pray, and help our brothers and sisters in the Philippines… Let us stand in solidarity with these brethren and pray for God’s healings in the midst of all grief and loss. We will emerge stronger than the typhoon for our faith is greater. May San Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod, the patron saints of the Philippines, intercede for us. May the Blessed Mother, Mama Mary, draw us closer amidst our loss and grief.”

Residents walk on a road littered with debris after Super Typhoon Haiyan battered Tacloban city in central Philippines

A Midland Beach Christmas Concert of Hope and Inspiration

SlideshowA message and video from our friends at St. Margaret Mary Parish: On Saturday, December 8th, 2012 the parish of St. Margaret Mary and the neighborhood churches of Midland Beach sang together as one at a Christmas concert of hope and inspiration. The concert brought light and joy to the overflow crowd and Christmas spirits were brightened for our Sandy-ravaged community.  One highlight of the event was a slideshow presentation during the singing of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” highlighting the experiences, pain, suffering, volunteerism and resolute spirit of the people of Midland Beach. Click the play button below to view.

 

 

Our 2013 Lenten Gift: Rebuilding in Faith – Supporting St. Margaret Mary Parish, Staten Island

Rebuilding in Faith_Logo_LargeWeek 4: The Need  St. Margaret Mary Parish relief efforts are focused on helping families, like the Rodriguez family who were introduced in last week’s bulletin, to secure supplies to help rebuild “houses” and make them “homes.” Volunteers from both inside and the outside the parish community are volunteering their labor but the basic cost of materials and equipment still need to be covered. A typical rebuilding effort to get a family back in their home with just the basics includes:

$3,500-$4,000 for Materials
$4,000 for Systems/Appliances
$2,500 Furniture
Expenses are already tight for many Midland Beach residents like the Rodriguez family without factoring in a natural disaster. A few thousand dollars of assistance can close the gap between the cost to rebuild and any insurance and FEMA benefits. Our gift can allow this family of four to stop living “on-hold”, and make their house into a home. A home because with the basic appliances the family can now eat and sleep, laugh and cry, and pray and live together.

Our Outreach

During Lent we follow Catholic tradition by turning toward God through prayer, fasting and charity with the knowledge that God has chosen to enter the world today through us and others. In fact, God only asks us for only one thing and that is Love.  Let’s show our Love for Christ and compassion for the residents of Midland Beach and St. Margaret Mary Parish on Staten Island in both spiritual and concrete ways. First, these families need our prayers as they engage in the struggle to rebuild not just their homes but also their lives. Second, let’s donate to St. Margaret Mary Parish’s rebuilding fund which augments recipients’ available funds to reframe houses and rooms and help buy appliances such as stoves, ovens and refrigerators. In essence, our gift will enable these families to “help themselves” rebuild their homes and lives. Please consider a prayerful and generous donation to our 2013 Lenten Gift collection, next week Saturday, March 16th and Sunday, March 17th.

We are reminded in St. Theresa of Avila’s beautiful prayer which we also sing here at St. John’s, that we are Christ’s body:

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on Earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world.

Easter Flowers and Music

easter flowersWould you like to make a donation towards our Easter flowers or Easter music in memory of a loved one during this holy season? If so, you may make a donation using you offertory envelopes, the collection basket, ParishPay, or by dropping your donation off at the rectory or in the mail. Please make sure to include the name of the person you want remembered in this special way. The deadline to submit names of loved ones so that they are included in the Easter bulletin is Wednesday, March 20. Thank you!

This Weekend’s Second Collection: St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children (January 19/20)

St. Mary's CenterThis weekend’s special collection is to assist St. Mary’s Center for Women and Children, a ministry of the Archdiocese of Boston, which supports 500 women and children annually with shelter, clinical and educational services, job training, employment placement, and search for affordable permanent housing. Working with one family at a time, St. Mary’s helps families break the generational cycle of poverty and homelessness, achieving self-sufficiency and stability.

Second Collection for Retired Sisters – November 17 and 18

This weekend the Archdioceses will take up the Collection for Retired Sisters.  Now in its 23rd year, the Collection provides needed financial support for the retirement and health care needs of Sisters who have served the Archdiocese of Boston as educators and health care and social service providers. Please give generously in recognition of the Sisters’ years of dedicated service. Your contribution does make a difference. For more information, please contact Sister Marian Batho, CSJ, Delegate for Religious at 617-746-5637 or Sr_Marian_Batho@rcab.org or please visit www.retiredreligious.org.

Second Collection This Weekend, October 20 – 21: World Mission Sunday

“The offerings that will be collected [on World Mission Sunday] are destined for a common fund of solidarity distributed, in the Pope’s name, by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith among the missions and missionaries of the entire world.”  – Pope John Paul II  For more information, please visit the World Mission Sunday page on the website of  The Society for the Propagation of the Faith.

Annual Financial Report and 2012 Parish Annual Appeal

Please watch for the St. John Annual Financial Report and 2012 Parish Annual Appeal  mailing, which should be arriving at your home this week.  The report can also be found on the Finance Council’s page on our website.  The report reflects the income and operating expenses for the past year (July, 2011 – June, 2012) and the 2012-2013 budget for both the parish and Saint John School. Finance Council Members will be at all the Masses this weekend (September 29-30) to highlight the key points of the report.
Also included in the mailing is a 2012 Parish Annual Appeal Collection pledge card.  ParishPay, our online giving program, can also be used for contributions to the Annual Appeal.  Please visit the ParishPay page on our website for more information.
Thank you for your continued support of St. John the Evangelist Parish!

Second Collection: Society of St. James

This weekend, Fr. Desmond Tynan, a visiting diocesan priest from the Society of St. James, will give us some insight into the state of the missions in South Africa. The Society, founded by Cardinal Cushing in 1958, has about forty members serving in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Each year a few members come north to spread the word about their missionary work and to appeal for donations. Please be as generous as your means allow. For more information on the Society of St. James visit their website: www.socstjames.com

Second Collection for Catholic Relief Services August 5

This weekend’s second collection is for the Catholic Relief Services. This collection supports emergency relief, human development, and peace initiatives in 99 countries around the world, where nearly half the population lives on less than $2.00 a day. The collection funds the ministries of five Catholic Church organizations: Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), Migration and Refugee Services (MRS), Social Development and World Peace (SDWP), and The Holy Father’s Relief Fund. For more information, please visit www.usccb.org/crscollection.