November 6, 2026

MOVING AHEAD

Dear Friends,

With the mid-term national election results in, the on-line, social media, radio and television advertisements pushing hundreds or candidates and issues are finally over. 

Regardless of who and what you voted for or against, all of us can breathe a sigh of relief that this particular cycle is now in the rearview mirror. 

Before we begin to turn our attention to preparing for the upcoming holidays, perhaps we can think about how our location could better inform and fulfill our mission statement:

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.

The last bit, “acts for justice”, is something I hope we will pick up on in light of the recent national election that highlighted the importance of our knowledge of civics. Living in the U.S. the past few years has brought to light the need for our citizens to come to embrace the study of Civics. 

This weekend we welcome Congressman Jim McGovern who serves the 2nd district that includes his hometown of Worcester. Rep. McGovern has taken the lead in advocating on behalf of the neediest in our Commonwealth and across the nation. 

Our synodal discussions helped us create our upcoming pastoral plan which emphasized the need for us to deepen Paulist Center members’ formation in Catholic Social Teaching.

Our staff looks forward to sharing some of the ways we will help make this goal a reality.

Fr. Rick, on behalf of the Paulist Center Staff

Alvaro, Colleen, Dorothy, Eryn, Norm, Fr. Rick, Rob, Sal, Susan, and Timmy

The Paulist Center Catholic Community will present U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) with the 2026 Isaac Hecker Award for Social Justice at our 5:00 PM Mass this Saturday, November 7.

All are welcome to join us as we celebrate his work.

For more than 30 years, Congressman McGovern has devoted himself to humanitarian and human-rights causes. He sees food, education, health, justice, and human rights as deeply connected, and he has worked to build policy that honors the dignity of every person, at home and around the world.

A leader in the fight against hunger, Congressman McGovern co-chairs the House Hunger Caucus and was a driving force behind the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in decades, which helped shape a national strategy to dramatically reduce hunger in the United States by 2030. He has defended SNAP and other nutrition programs and championed school meal programs for children in some of the world’s poorest countries.

As co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, he is also one of Congress’s strongest voices for human rights. He co-authored the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which allows the United States to sanction those responsible for gross human rights abuses, and he authored the Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act. He has also supported the Human Rights Defenders Protection Act to stand with those who risk their safety to speak for others.

His example reflects the Gospel call to feed the hungry and to defend the dignity of every human being, the spirit in which Fr. Isaac Hecker founded the Paulist Fathers.

Please join us this Saturday, November 7, at 5:00 PM

to celebrate Congressman Jim McGovern!

A reception will follow.

Paulist Center | 5 Park Street | Beacon Hill | Boston

FREP

(Family Religious Education Program)

this Sunday, November 8

• Classes: K through 6 religious education classes and teen confirmation classes will take place immediately following the 10 AM Mass.  
• Parent Faith Formation: During class, parents will gather in the auditorium with our Executive Director, Colleen Burns, to discuss the best ways the Catholic Church and specifically the Paulist Center, can best support families. Coffee and refreshments will be served. This is the first of our 4-part Parent Faith Formation series this year. 
• 1st Reconciliation Workshop for Parents and Children:

This Workshop - for those celebrating the sacrament of 1st Reconciliation in December - will take place at 12:30 PM in Room 22 on the 6th floor. This is for parents and children.

RITE OF ACCEPTANCE & RITE OF WELCOME

this Sunday, November 8 | 6:00 PM Mass

Over the past several weeks, a group of inquirers has been meeting with Fr. Rick, exploring their faith journeys and discerning their call to the Catholic Church. Having prayerfully decided to take the next step, they will celebrate the Rite of Acceptance (for the unbaptized) and the Rite of Welcome (for those already baptized).

Upon completing this ritual, those not yet baptized will enter the catechumenate and be called catechumens, while those already baptized who are seeking full communion with the Catholic faith will be known as candidates.

We joyfully invite our parish community to welcome Alana Stark and Aaron Jenkins (catechumens) along with Sam Cole, Gracie Stoller, Adrian Phelps, and Matthew Battles (candidates) as they continue their journeys of faith.

Why OCIA instead of RCIA?

You may be wondering why we no longer call this process of initiation the RCIA. The transition from RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) to OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation of Adults) was made to better reflect that initiation is a continuous spiritual journey rather than a single event. The word "Order" signifies a beautiful, structured framework that contains many distinct rites celebrated over time.

The first of these major rites takes place at the 6:00 PM Mass this Sunday. Please join us for this special liturgy, take a moment to greet our newest members after Mass, and keep them, their sponsors, and our OCIA team in your prayers as we accompany them on this sacred path!

VETERANS DAY

The Paulist Center will be closed this Wednesday, November 11

in observance of Veterans Day.

There will be no Mass that day.

CATHOLIC WOMEN: TENDING TO THE CALL

SAT, NOV 21 | 9 AM - 2 PM | Paulist Center - 3rd Fl Library
SAT, JAN 23 (Time TBD) | Paulist Center - 3rd Fl Library



At this fraught and fragile time, how does being a Catholic woman inform your spirit, your thinking, your action? What aspects of our tradition enliven you? 

We welcome a time of shared prayer, reflection and conversation for women across generations, stations in life, and political views. Whether you navigate these days with a sense of certitude or are in the midst of discernment, or somewhere in between, we welcome you into a day of community and spiritual care.

Let’s turn to one another and consider the many ways being Catholic women speak to us as we navigate relationships, work dynamics, triumphs, heartache, and simple spaces in between. And let’s imagine the possibilities for how our faith might find new ways of being revealed to us, both personally and communally, through prayer and thought, action and ministry. 

• $20 donation - if you are able - to cover lunch
• Please bring a morning treat to share (coffee & tea available)
• Emily Hankle and Sonia Caus Gleason will facilitate
• Contact sonia@soniacausgleason.org with questions

FORMATION SESSION FOR EUCHARISTIC MINISTERS

Sunday, November 22 | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Chapel



All those interested in serving as Eucharistic Ministers, including teens who have been confirmed, are invited to attend this formation session in the Chapel. Current Eucharistic Ministers seeking additional formation are also invited to participate. Please use the link below to register.

For more information about Eucharistic Ministry, please contact Julie Sloan at julieasloan96@gmail.com.

BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE

November is traditionally a time when Christians remember those who have died.

We invite community members to inscribe the names of loved ones who have passed away during the past year (November 2, 2025, to the present) in our Book of Remembrance.

The Book will be displayed in the Mary Alcove throughout November.

WELCOME TO THE PAULIST CENTER!

The Paulist Center warmly welcomes recently registered members:

Emily Chase and Evan Walker

SAVE THE DATE

THANKSGIVING EVE MASS

Wednesday, November 25 at 7:00 PM

Join us as we gather in gratitude for God's abundant blessings at our annual Thanksgiving Eve Mass.



The Mass will be livestreamed, but we warmly encourage everyone to join us in person and bring the bread they plan to share at their Thanksgiving meal for a special blessing.

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

TO HONOR YOUR LOVED ONES

Honor your loved ones, living or deceased, by making a donation toward the Christmas flowers and decorations that will adorn our Chapel during the Christmas season.

Suggested donation: $20.

Contributions can be made in the following ways:

In person: At the front desk, Mon–Fri,

10:30 AM–4:30 PM

Online:

• Click this link
• select Flowers
• select In Memory Of or In Honor Of
• write in loved one's name as you would like them to appear in the listing of Christmas Flower Donors and Loved Ones

Pew envelopes: Christmas Flower Offering envelopes will be available in the pews beginning next weekend, November 14–15.

SEEKING HELP WITH OUR MARRIAGE PREPARATION PROGRAM

We are looking for married couples to take part in our marriage preparation ministry. A number of times each year, we offer a marriage prep program for engaged couples across the archdiocese and beyond. This is staffed by Fr. Rick and two married (presenting) couples from our community. We use a program from the archdiocese, Transformed in Love, supplemented with materials we’ve developed, and as a presenting couple you would get materials, training and support before you present. We are looking for married couples who can present over a 3 hour period, on a Saturday morning or afternoon, ideally twice/year (we offer marriage prep sessions 10x/year). Questions or interest, please contact our program coordinator Eryn Underwood (eryn@paulistcenter.org). 

WALK WITH A SEEKER:

BECOME AN OCIA SPONSOR

Are you looking for a powerful way to renew your own faith while changing someone else’s life? Our Center’s OCIA (Order of Christian Initiation for Adults) program is looking for members to serve as spiritual sponsors for adults who are preparing to enter the Catholic Church this Easter.

An OCIA sponsor is not a teacher or a theologian. A sponsor is simply a companion on the journey: one who attends a couple of sessions on topics that might be of personal interest; who has the occasional conversation over a cup of coffee and who is willing to be a friendly face at Mass to one seeking to belong. If you are a Catholic over the age of 16, have received your Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist), and are willing to simply show up and be yourself, then you are fully qualified to serve.

Please respond generously if Fr. Rick or someone in the community asks you to consider this rather undemanding yet important role.

Please contact Fr. Rick @ rick@paulistcenter.org if you have any questions or concerns.

DATE CHANGE!

JIMMY TINGLE Live!

Humor and Hope for Humanity

Saturday, January 9 | 3 PM-5 PM

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

*100% of ticket sales will go to support the vital ministries at the Paulist Center!

Jimmy Tingle uses comedy as a force for good and a catalyst for social change, proving that personal resilience can inspire collective hope. Tingle exercises the fundamental right to free speech and artistic expression to critique society and address systemic issues. In addition, he demonstrates that privilege and talent come with a responsibility to give back. Through his organization Humor for Humanity, he uses his platform to fulfill a civic duty—raising funds and awareness for non-profits and mobilizing audiences to "turn toward" social causes and work for a better world. Jimmy is generously donating his performance to benefit the Paulist Center. 

Tickets are $40 and are NOW on sale!

*Give the gift of laughter for the holidays while supporting the Paulist Center ministries!

WORSHIP MATTERS -

The Gloria-

An Ancient Hymn of Praise



As we continue our journey through the parts of the Mass, we turn our attention to the Gloria, one of the Church’s most ancient and cherished hymns of praise. Its origins reach back to the fourth century, when it was sung as a morning hymn, giving voice to the Church’s gratitude for the dawning of a new day. By the fifth century, it had found a place in the celebration of Christmas, echoing the joyful song of the angels who proclaimed Christ’s birth: “Glory to God in the highest!”

SINGING RESISTANCE!

A COMMUNITY SING

BVOCAL at the Paulist Center

Saturday, November 21 | 1-3 PM



BVOCAL is a protest chorus committed to uplifting our rallies, marches, picket lines, and civil disobedience with singing ‐ wherever people gather for justice.

Social justice movements are stronger ‐ more joyful, more resilient, and more powerful ‐ when they sing!

Whether we’re celebrating victory in the midterm elections or responding to a crisis, this will be a time to learn songs of struggle and hope and to build community for the challenges ahead. All voices welcome!

Come Celebrate the

Thirty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time with Us!

Sunday, November 8, 10:00 AM

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:

All of our live streams are available in real time on our YouTube channel

& available there afterwards as recordings.