Weekly Bulletin June 6/7 & 13/14

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

Colleen M. Burns To Be The First Lay Executive Director of the Paulist Center

We are thrilled to announce that Colleen M. Burns will be the first lay Executive Director of the Paulist Center! After a national search, we are proud to have found a Boston resident who brings a familiarity with the Paulist Center and a vision for its future. The Executive Director is a new lay leadership position, and Colleen will be responsible for deepening our identity as a center of mission and outreach rooted in meaningful prayer and liturgy. Colleen will be getting oriented in June and July, spending time with staff and the Paulist Fathers. She will be present and available to the broader community starting August 1. Once scheduled, we will communicate about opportunities to meet her. Click on https://www.paulistcenter.org/lay-executive-director/ for Colleen’s bio.

The Worship Committee

The Worship Committee, a permanent committee of the Paulist Center Community, is looking to fill four (4) open positions. The overall purpose of the Worship Committee is to advise and assist the Pastoral Minister of Liturgy and Music in preparing and providing for the spiritual development of the Paulist Center through liturgical celebrations and significant prayer experiences. Members serve three-year terms and need to be actively involved in a liturgical ministry. The Pastoral Council invites self-nominations. If interested in serving, please send a brief statement of interest and related experience to worship@paulistcenter.org by Wednesday, June 10.

Called to Serve? The Pastoral Council Needs You!

The Paulist Center Pastoral Council is looking for new voices, new energy, and community-minded leaders — and you might be exactly who we need! Our Council is made up of eight community members who help guide the life of the Paulist Center. The Council:

collaborates with the Paulists
helps shape our budget
supports our permanent committees
keeps the community informed about important decisions and initiatives

It’s meaningful work that strengthens our mission and deepens our shared life of faith.

If you’re 18 or older, active in the community, willing to listen to a variety of perspectives, and able to attend monthly meetings (currently the last Wednesday evening of each month), we’d love for you to consider serving. Council members typically contribute 4–8 hours per month and are encouraged to be a visible, welcoming presence at Mass and community events.

To apply by Sat, June 6: gather 25 endorsement signatures from Paulist Center community members and submit a 250–300 word statement about why you feel called to serve and submit to pccouncil@paulistcenter.org. And then—get ready to vote!

Elections for three (3) new Council members will take place June 14 – 22. Your participation helps shape the future of our community, so mark your calendar and make your voice heard.

For more information, contact John Domino, Pastoral Council Chair @ pccouncil@paulistcenter.org

Live-Streaming

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

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

WORSHIP MATTERS
June 7, 2026, Issue #27

THE SIGN OF PEACE

Just before we approach the altar to receive the Eucharist, the Church invites us to share a simple but profound gesture: the Sign of Peace.

This often-misunderstood pause in the liturgy is one that carries deep theological meaning. Through the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the Church renewed its understanding that Christ is present in many ways during worship: in the Eucharist, in the proclaimed Word, in the presider, and in the gathered assembly. The Sign of Peace flows from this recognition that Christ is present in one another.

Far from being a modern addition, the Sign of Peace is one of the oldest rituals in Christian worship. Known in the early Church as the “Kiss of Peace,” it was a visible expression of reconciliation, unity, and love among believers preparing to share the Eucharist. Over the centuries, the practice evolved and, in some places, disappeared altogether before being restored following Vatican II.

Today, the form of the gesture varies according to culture and custom. Some exchange a handshake, others an embrace, a bow, a smile, or a simple spoken greeting. No single gesture is prescribed. What matters is not the form itself, but what it signifies: the recognition of Christ’s presence in another person and our desire to live in peace and unity with one another.

The Sign of Peace is not intended as a social greeting or a time for conversation. Rather, it is a sacred expression of the communion we are about to share. It is a moment to acknowledge that, despite our differences, we are one Body in Christ. Like a family gathering around a common table, we turn toward one another with a gesture of reconciliation, affection, and unity.

As we exchange this sign, we echo the words of Jesus: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” In that brief moment, we proclaim a profound truth—that Christ is among us, and that we are bound together in his peace and love.

Congratulations to Gabriel Cenizal!

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Gabriel Cenizal, who was fully received into the Catholic Church at the 6:00 p.m. Mass on Sunday, May 31.

After a period of prayer, discernment, and preparation, Gabe celebrated the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist, completing his initiation into the Catholic faith. We are deeply grateful to catechists, Pat Byrne and Chuck Ferarra, his sponsor, and community members who accompanied him on this journey of faith. Please join us in welcoming Gabe as a full member of our Catholic community and in keeping him in your prayers as he continues to grow in faith and discipleship. Welcome, Gabe! We are blessed to have you among us.

Please Remember In Your Prayers …

Please pray for Marilyn Saunders, mother of community member Rick Saunders, who is struggling with a serious illness. Please keep the entire Saunders Family – Rick, Gretchen, Kieran, and Finn – in your thoughts and prayers.

Summer Young Adult Faith-Sharing Group Schedule

This summer all young adults (ages 18-39) are invited to join Young Adult Ministry’s weekly faith-sharing group, (almost) every Sunday immediately following the 6:00pm Mass in the 3^rd Fl Library.

Gatherings will always include an invitation to check-in with the group, and a reflection on a brief text to be provided. These gatherings are a great way to get to know other Paulist Center young adults, and ‘center’ yourself as the week begins. We hope to see you there!

Faith sharing group sessions will occur:

June: 6/14, 6/28
July: 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26
August: 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, and 8/23

Juneteenth – June 19

Deriving its name from combining June and nineteenth, Juneteenth is observed to acknowledge that on June 19, 1865 federal orders finally reached and were announced in the city of Galveston, Texas. The proclamation stated that all slaves in Texas were now free. This official proclamation came two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which became official on January 1, 1863.

Juneteenth (June 19) is a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. The Emancipation Proclamation extended freedom to enslaved people; however, making that order a reality depended on military victories by the U.S. Army and an ongoing presence to enforce them as enslavers deliberately withheld the news. It wasn’t until more than two years later, in June of 1865, that U.S. Army troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas to officially announce and enforce emancipation. Texas was the last state of the Confederacy in which enslaved people officially gained their freedom.

The Paulist Center offices will be closed on Friday, June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. There will be no 12:00pm Mass or Confessions that day.

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.

The weekend of June 6 – 7 we raise up NETWORK; which transforms our society by shaping federal policies that achieve racial, economic, and social justice; serve the common good; and honor the dignity of all.

The weekend of June 13 – 14 we raise up SS Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worker – a small community in Worcester that provides hospitality to homeless men and women and publishes a periodical. Communal prayer, a weekly peace vigil, tending a squatters garden, and baking at the Bread not Bombs Bakery are some of the works there.

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

LGBTQIA Catholic Collective

The Paulist Center is a member of the Greater Boston LGBTQIA Catholic Collective which offers monthly Zoom meetings for friends and family of LGBTQIA Catholics and could be a resource for Paulist Center members who are actively supporting their families in embracing transgender or nonbinary family members. Email greaterbostonlgbtqiacatholics@gmail.com for the meeting schedule and Zoom links. More info @ https:/www.bostonlgbtqiacatholics.org

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.