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THE WEEKLY MISSIVE
May 29, 2026
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Atonement
Dear Friends,
Yesterday, Fr. Rick and I were interviewed by WGBH interested in Catholic leaders’ reactions to Pope Leo’s apology for the Catholic Church’s historical role in legitimizing and tolerating slavery. You can read the article at https://tinyurl.com/WGBHMay2026. Pope Leo called the Church’s historic involvement and delay in condemning the practice “a wound in Christian memory”. While previous popes have spoken against slavery, Leo is the first to apologize for the institutional complicity of our Church. What an important step this was for our institution for so many reasons.
In our Racial Justice Advocacy Ministry here at the Paulist Center, our mission involves exploring ways that, we, personally, and as an institution, are or have been complicit in racial injustice. We have focused on understanding the history of racism and system of white supremacy, the Voting Rights Act, the fight for Haitians to retain their TPS status, engaging in personal and collective introspection to reimagine and co-create within the Paulist Center Community deliberate systems and supports that achieve and sustain racial equity. Back in February at our intergenerational FREP session we participated in an initiative by St. Katherine Drexel Catholic Church to urge the Vatican to expediate the canonization of the “Saintly Seven,” seven African Americans whose lives exemplify faith, service, and perseverance. This push seeks recognition for the first African American saints in the Catholic Church's history.
We will continue to envision and identify opportunities to exert power and influence at the town, state and national levels, to disrupt and resist the status quo and to hold our elected leaders accountable for enacting policies and laws that promote racial and social justice. If you are interested in joining our ministry, please email our chair, Susan Buta at sue@buta.org.
As a Catholic community, we join Pope Leo in acknowledging the complicity of the Catholic Church in not upholding the dignity of all human beings as children of God and for the immense suffering endured by so many, and we too sincerely ask for pardon. As a community who “acts for justice,” we condemn any form of human trafficking and exploitation and commit to continuing to fight for dignity for all human persons.
Susan, on behalf of the Paulist Center Staff
Alvaro, Deb, Dorothy, Gus, Norm, Fr. Rick, Rob, Sal, Susan, and Timmy
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- FREP/Creation Care Planting Trees - 5/30
- Prayers for Marilyn Saunders
- All Are Welcome Mass - 6/5
- Pastoral Council Elections
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- Worship Committee nominations
- Young Adults Faith Sharing Groups for the summer
- PC's IAG - June events
- Stewardship/Community Gift
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Details for FREP/Creation Care Tree Planting
THIS SATURDAY, May 30
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When/Where:
this Saturday, May 30
10am-2pm
Mount Calvary Cemetery
366 Cummins Highway, Roslindale
Parking:
Chapel in Mt. Calvary
Volunteer Partners:
Paulist Center
Run of Show:
9:30am
Staff and volunteer leads arrive,
help set up
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10:00-10:10am
Welcome from Katie and TreeBoston
Prayer
10:10-10:30am
Tree Planting Demos (TreeBoston)
10:30-1:00pm
Tree plantings (may end earlier)
1:00-1:30pm
Clean up and final checks
Group photo!
1:30-1:45pm
Closing remarks
TreeBoston remarks
Closing prayer/reading
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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.
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The Greater Boston LGBTQIA Catholic Collective*
The Paulist Center is a member of the Greater Boston LGBTQIA Catholic Collective and is working with other local churches to sponsor two events in June.
next Friday, June 5 -
All Are Welcome Mass & Reception
The Paulist Center is excited to be hosting this year's annual All Are Welcome Mass on Friday, June 5 at 6:30pm.
Everyone is welcome as we celebrate Pride Month and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA community and renew our commitment to creating a more inclusive and accepting world for all.
Festive reception - following Mass, we’ll gather in the auditorium for refreshments and to continue the celebration with our friends and neighbors. Please join us!
Saturday, June 6 - Boston Pride for the People Festival
The Collective will be working together to staff a booth at the Boston Pride Festival happening on Boston Common on Saturday, June 6.
For more information email: greaterbostonlgbtqiacatholics@gmail.com
*Composed of: The Paulist Center, St. Anthony’s Shrine, St Cecilia Parish (Boston), Blessed Trinity Parish (Littleton/Westford), St. Susanna Parish (Dedham), St. Ignatius (Chestnut Hill), Dignity Boston, and Mary Queen of Martyrs Parish (Plymouth)
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Called to Serve? The Pastoral Council Needs You
The Pastoral Council includes eight community members and offers leadership in the Paulist Center community in several ways. The role includes approval of the budget, appointment of permanent committees, supervising the operation of the Center in collaboration with the Paulists, and communicating with the Paulist Center community about Council actions and general issues affecting the community. Council members, ages 18 or older, are expected to attend monthly meetings (currently held in the evening of the last Wednesday of the month), be an active member in the community, be willing to listen to different voices and represent the perspectives of all community members in order to help the Director fulfill his responsibilities. Council members typically contribute 4-8 hours of time per month and are encouraged to be visibly present at Mass and community events.
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To apply, you must obtain 25 signature endorsements from Paulist Center Community Members and submit a 250-300 word statement as to why you wish to serve in this capacity. Endorsements and statements are due by Friday, June 6.
Elections for council members will be held from June 14-22 for three new members who have a two-year term from Sept 1, 2026 to August 31, 2028.
For more information please contact John Domino, Pastoral Council chair, at pccouncil@paulistcenter.org.
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The Worship Committee
The Worship Committee, a permanent committee of the Paulist Center Community, is looking to fill
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.
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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 6:00 pm Mass.
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:
· May: 5/31
· June: 6/14, 6/28
· July: 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26
· August: 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, and 8/23
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Paulist Center’s
Immigration Advocacy Group (IAG)
Seasons of Faithful Witness - Boston
A meeting was held on May 12 and welcomed people to join the following workstreams:
· Responding to direct needs in our communities:
This group will support the direct needs of heavily migrant Catholic parishes whose members have been detained or risk detention by ICE by coalescing the anonymized stories to call for solidarity and explore direct support including financial and legal resources.
· Public Witness on Corpus Christi:
Corpus Christi, the feast celebrating the body of Christ and that we are the body of Christ, takes place on Sunday, June 7. This group will coordinate a Catholic coalition at Bearing Witness for Corpus Christi.
IAG Thursday Monthly Gathering rescheduled to June 4
Join the Immigration Advocacy Group by Zoom on Thursday, June 4, 7:00pm - 8:00pm.
Theme: partnering with Seasons of Faithful Witness - Boston
We will start with a prayer, review the May 12th meeting of Seasons of Faithful Witness - Boston, and, as a group consider our partnership with this effort.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83054229759?pwd=NJbToCyu4ULpR8phxN9284Q9B6z8bP.1
Meeting ID: 830 5422 9759
Passcode: 245183
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Come Celebrate Most Holy Trinity
with Us!
We hope to see you at Mass in person, but if you can't make it through the big red doors,
we welcome you to join us online:
| Remember: all of our live streams are available in real time on our YouTube channel & available there afterwards as recordings. | |
Most Holy Trinity
10am, Sunday, May 31
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Ongoing Opportunities/Needs & Notes
The most comprehensive listing of what's going on at the
Paulist Center is in the bulletin. Check it out!
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Encouragement to sustain our vibrant liturgies and our mission of healing, reconciliation, & justice through your financial investment in the Paulist Center. We prefer that you donate electronically through our website, but you can also use Apple Pay or Google Pay to donate via DonorBox if you do not require an annual tax donation statement. More info in the bulletin.
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For the Community Gift the weekend of May 30 - 31 we raise up Ignatian Spirituality Project which offers homeless men and women in recovery from addiction the opportunity to change their lives.
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How can the Paulist Center Community accompany you on your faith journey?
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Mass Cards - Please stop by the Front Office 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.
| | | | Attentive to the Holy Spirit and nourished by vibrant liturgy, we are a Catholic community that welcomes all, fosters healing and reconciliation, and acts for justice. | | Follow us on social media, and please share our posts with others! | | | | |
