Weekly Bulletin April 26/27

menu

(A PDF version of the bulletin as printed is available here)

With Profound Gratitude

On behalf of the Paulist Center Community, we express our profound gratitude to the large number of community members and staff who contributed in many ways to make our Lenten and Holy Week celebrations so spiritual and prayerful.

To our choir members, instrumentalists, the creativity of Christine Tardiff and our dancers, lector team coordinators and lectors, our sacristans, greeters, bread bakers, livestream technicians, presiders, the children and all who assisted with the foot washing logistics, the folks who helped clean the chapel and execute the many art and environment transitions, our LGBTQ+ ministry for leading us in prayer the Wednesdays of Lent, our lay reflectors and our guest reflectors who helped us to pray on the Wednesdays of Lent and on Good Friday, and our support staff who handle lots of additional tasks during this season: your generosity of time and talent and your prayerful participation in your ministries makes this a truly communal effort and a truly communal celebration. Our community is blessed and extremely grateful. Alleluia!

We especially thank Norm Gouin, our extremely talented Pastoral Minister of Liturgy and Music. Not only have you channeled the Holy Spirit in creative ways, Norm, you have done the painstaking work of planning and coordinating all the rest of us in this endeavor to praise Jesus Christ our Savior.

We are so blessed to have you among us!

Family Religious Education Program (FREP) –

All FREP classes K – Jr. High, and teen confirmation, will meet this Sun, April 27.  This is the last FREP Sunday for classes K – Jr. High!  But, we hope to see many of our kiddos at the Auction, Walk for Hunger, and the year-end FREP party and First Communion reception on May 18 after the 10am Mass!

First Holy Communion – Will happen on Sun, May 18, at our 10am Mass.  All are welcome to come celebrate the 16 children who will make their First Holy Communion!

Teen Confirmation – The last formal class is May 18. Rehearsal will happen on June 1 in the Chapel after the 10am Mass. Bishop Reed will join us on Sat, June 14 to celebrate the sacrament of confirmation at the 5pm Mass.

Pope Francis

We join with many across the world as we mourn the recent death of Pope Francis.  And we also celebrate his life, especially his unwavering commitment to compassion, peace, and human dignity.  May he rest in peace and may his memory continue to guide us as we strive to build a world that reflects his vision of love and compassion for all.

In Memoriam, Pope Francis, 1936-2025

In memory of Pope Francis, we remember the prayers he offered us, and which we will continue to pray.  The following is from the 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’.

A prayer for our earth

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of your creatures.
You embrace with your tenderness all that exists.

Pour out upon us the power of your love,
that we may protect life and beauty.
Fill us with peace, that we may live
as brothers and sisters, harming no one.

O God of the poor,
help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth,
so precious in your eyes.

Bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

Touch the hearts
of those who look only for gain
at the expense of the poor and the earth.
Teach us to discover the worth of each thing,
to be filled with awe and contemplation,
to recognize that we are profoundly united
with every creature
as we journey towards your infinite light.

We thank you for being with us each day.
Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle
for justice, love and peace.

Live-Streaming

Find all the livestreams and recordings on youtube.com/ThePaulistCenter

Sunday, April 27, 10am 2nd Sunday of Easter  YouTube Link  

At the time of each livestream, the appropriate Order of Worship will be available at paulistcenter.org/order-of-worship.

50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ISAAC HECKER AWARD FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

Since 1974, the Paulist Center Community has presented the Isaac Hecker Award for Social Justice to an outstanding North American Catholic. Recipients of the award have included locally and nationally recognized women and men – lay people, sisters, priests, and bishops. Isaac Hecker, the founder of the Paulist Fathers, was particularly concerned with the growth and development of American Catholicism. Hecker and the early Paulists devoted themselves to mission preaching and communication of the Word of God.  The award was named to honor Isaac Hecker.

Hecker Award 50th Anniversary Celebration – Future Events

  • Sun, June 1 @ 11:15am:  Short film on Isaac Hecker and American Catholicism.  Meet & Greet with Paulist Fathers John Duffy, CSP and Patrick Johnson, CSP who moved into our Park Street location this past fall.
  • Sat, June 7 @ 10am: How Hecker was influenced by Transcendalism.  Paulist Center Members gather at Walden Pond for a film, lecture about transcendalism, and walk to Thoreau’s cabin.  Bring a picnic lunch!
  • Fall date & event TBA

Our 42nd Annual Paulist Center Auction!

Puttin’ on the Ritz:  A Roaring 20s Extravaganza
Saturday, May 3 – 6:15pm

Put on Your Glad Rags — The ’20s Are Back and the Party’s About To  Begin!”

We are just one week away from our annual Auction! If you haven’t already gotten your ticket you can visit www.paulistcenter.org/auction2025.  The evening will be better with you!

If you can’t attend but still want to bid on items, please email us at auction@paulistcenter.org by noon on Friday, May 2nd with your:

  • Name,
  • Contact information,
  • Name and number of the item you’d like to bid on, and
  • Your highest offer.

Several people were successful last year so don’t be shy!

Please see the bulletin insert for items that have specific dates so you can plan before the big night. And, please go to our website to see the list of all our live auction items.  You can also sponsor the Auction.  Please go to the same website.  Your support is greatly appreciated!

Thank You For The Easter Flower Donations

Thank you for helping us to beautify our Chapel this Easter season! Donations are still coming in so we will be publishing a list of donors and their loved ones next weekend – May 3rd – 4th.

Donations received by Tuesday, April 29 will be listed.  If you would still like to donate, here are the steps:

Contributions can be made:

  • at the Front Desk Mon – Fri from 10:30am – 4:30pm;
  • by going to Donate Online, and choose “Flower Donation” and note who it is “in honor of”, or  “in memory of”; or
  • by using the envelopes in the pews.

Please write legibly when notating your loved ones’ names.

57th Annual Walk For Hunger – Sun, May 4

Please join the Wednesday Night Supper Club at the 57th Annual Walk for Hunger! The Walk started here at the Paulist Center in 1969. It is now a collaboration with Project Bread: 60% of what we raise comes back to sustain our operations each Wednesday and 40% goes towards advocacy.    How can you help?
Please join us on May 4 for the Walk, create a fundraising page, or make a donation here: https://give.projectbread.org/team/643790. We appreciate your support!
Questions: Contact supperclubfood@gmail.com

Stewardship

​The Paulist Center receives no funding from outside sources. All costs to operate our ministries for both members and the wider Boston community, maintain the building, and pay our staff are supported solely by your financial donations. We are so grateful for your financial support!  See paulistcenter.org/give/ways-to-give for a variety of ways to give to the Paulist Center.
Two options include:

Give a one-time or recurring donation using your bank account or credit card by visiting tinyurl.com/DonatePaulistCenter or scanning the QR code on this page outlined in blue. You can use this method for donations for specific programs, too, and, if you are a registered member with us, these donations will be included in a year-end tax statement sent to you for any donations that are tax deductible per IRS regulations. Giving by this method helps us with our budgeting and stewardship efforts.

Use Apple Pay or Google Pay by visiting donorbox.org/paulistcenter, scanning the QR code on the red cards in the pews, or scanning the QR code on this page outlined in red. Please note that these donations will not be included in any year-end giving tax records, and they solely support our general operations.

Community Gift

The Paulist Center gives 5% of our annual offertory to 52 other charitable organizations with missions consonant with our own. These organizations receive an equal amount from our annual offertory.

This weekend, April 26 – 27, we raise up Lay Ministry Grant which offers tuition money to an active Roman Catholic lay student for a first level graduate theological or pastoral degree program.

Mass Intentions

Please stop by the reception area during the week, email Sal Whooley at sal@paulistcenter.org, or call 617-742-4460, if you would like to arrange for a Mass and/or purchase a Mass card:

  • in memory of someone who has died,
  • in honor of a special occasion,
  • or for the special intentions of yourself or a loved one

Paulist Center Rosary Circle

All are welcome to the Paulist Center Rosary Circle which meets every Monday at 7:30pm via Zoom. ID: 487 503 158; passcode: 021078.
Do you have a special intention that you would like the Paulist Center Community to pray for?  Our weekly Rosary Circle is happy to include your intentions (may be anonymous).  Go here for the form.

Low-Gluten Hosts

Low-gluten hosts are available upon request. Please see the presider in the Chapel or Sacristy fifteen minutes before Mass and indicate where you will be seated in the Chapel so the communion minister in that section will have the low-gluten host for you at communion.

Spiritual Direction

Spiritual Direction is an opportunity for one to reflect and share one’s life and prayer experience and be guided in one’s search for God.  Spiritual Direction is available at the Center from Sister Kathleen Hagerty, CSJ, or Christopher O’Rourke.
Sister Kathleen can be reached at 617-755-9729.
Christopher can be reached at 617-817-3977.