DUXBURY -- In the wake of an unthinkable tragedy, the members of Holy Family Parish in Duxbury were quick to come together in prayer and solidarity. Not long after that, the husband and father of the victims spoke out, demonstrating and calling for forgiveness despite his loss.
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LOWELL -- Citing a decline in enrollment, Ste. Jeanne d'Arc School in Lowell has announced that it will close at the end of the current academic year. The news was shared in a Jan. 13 letter to the school community, signed by Principal Mollie Williams and Board of Trustees Chair Monique Letendre. It was also shared through the school's social media.
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WOBURN -- Each year, the Holy See and the World Council of Churches publish resources to help Christians observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Since 2018, the churches of Woburn have taken turns hosting an ecumenical service for this occasion, which took place this year at St. Barbara Church on Jan. 29.
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As promised last week, I'll begin my post this week by recounting my experience at the March for Life in Washington, D.C. Thursday evening, we gathered in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for the Opening Mass of the Prayer Vigil for Life.
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WESTON -- Regis College has been awarded $820,000 from the Wagner Foundation to continue the university's critical work through the Regis In Haiti program. The grant will support the next phase of Regis' collaboration with partners in Haiti to establish a new, groundbreaking Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program to improve health access, equity, and outcomes in one of the world's most impoverished countries.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Although Roe v. Wade was overturned last year, the Archdiocese of Boston continued its tradition of participating in the National March for Life on Jan. 20, joining thousands from across the country in protesting abortion and testifying to the dignity of life.
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Before participating in the March for Life on Jan. 20, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley celebrated Mass for the Boston priests and seminarians from St. John's Seminary, Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, and Redemptoris Mater Seminary who were in Washington, D.C. to attend the march. The Mass was held in the chapel of the Dominican House of Studies, located across Michigan Ave. from the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
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Last Friday, I was visited by Sister Janet Gaudet, the provincial of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception who run Mount Alvernia Academy. Sister Janet had been on her order's international leadership team in Rome for many years and, prior to that, had been a missionary in Papua New Guinea. So, she was very acquainted with the work of our friars there. I was able to let her know that the former Capuchin provincial there, Father Jonathan Williams, whom she knew very well, had just passed away and will be buried next week.
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BRAINTREE -- Over 2,500 years ago, the prophet Jeremiah described Rachel, one of the matriarchs of Israel, "weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more" (Jeremiah 31:15). He then passed on the Lord's message to cease such mourning, offering hope for Rachel's descendants.
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BROCKTON -- Over nearly 50 years, Pregnancy Help has supported thousands of mothers and children by providing a range of free and confidential services -- none of which would be possible without the support of the archdiocese and its parishes.
Read moreSTOUGHTON -- For the past year or so, Pregnancy Help has enjoyed a collaborative relationship with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Council of Boston. There are 160 St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP) conferences throughout the archdiocese. Their programs include assistance with food, rent, utilities, furniture, and other needs. These are ascertained through home visits, which they try to conduct within 48 hours of initial contact with a new client.
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With almost 40 years of being a vigorous advocate for the pro-life movement under her belt, Lynn Kenn, the founder of the Parish Baby Shower program in the Archdiocese of Boston, says that she found encouragement in the words proclaimed in the Gospel of Matthew: "I needed clothes, and you clothed me, I was sick, and you looked after me, I was in prison, and you came to visit me" (Mt 25:36).
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A week ago, as we were vesting for Pope Benedict's funeral Mass, I greeted Cardinal George Pell, a longtime colleague on the Council of Cardinals. Cardinal Pell, who died in Rome on Jan. 12 at the age of 81, was a formidable man, physically, intellectually and in the multiple roles he fulfilled as a priest, bishop, and cardinal in Australia and the Roman Curia.
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BRAINTREE -- For nearly half a century, the high point of each year for the pro-life movement has been the national March for Life in Washington, D.C., marking the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case that made abortion legal nationwide. But since the Dobbs v. Jackson decision reversed the Roe decision in June 2022, people have wondered whether the march would continue. While some groups and individuals are choosing to focus on pro-life efforts in their state, a delegation of pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Boston will still participate in the national march, which will take place on Jan. 20, 2023.
Read moreBRAINTREE -- Permanent deacons play a significant role in promoting pro-life causes in the archdiocese. As the U.S. adjusts to a post-Roe v. Wade landscape, they show no sign of slowing down in prayer, ministry, and advocacy for the unborn and their mothers.
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WESTON -- Each January, coinciding with the national March for Life, dozens of parishes across the archdiocese hold Holy Hours with pro-life themes. This year, three seminarians from Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary, a national seminary for late-life vocations, used their creative abilities to raise awareness and encourage participation in these prayerful events.
Read moreBRAINTREE -- The Archdiocese of Boston announced Jan. 11 that Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley has appointed Sylvia Fernandez del Castillo to be the director of the Pro-Life Office for the Archdiocese of Boston.
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BRAINTREE -- Members of the archdiocese's Black Catholic community came together last month for an Archdiocesan Day of Reflection at the Pastoral Center. The event, held multiple times in the past, has returned for the first time since the pandemic. Despite the long interval apart, the day drew a significant number of in-person participants from parishes across the archdiocese.
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In addition to being New Year's Day, Jan. 1 is also Haitian Independence Day. So, since I arrived in Boston, it has been my tradition to celebrate a Mass with the Haitian community on that day. It's an opportunity to bring together the Haitian priests and parishioners from all the different parishes of the archdiocese.
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Just hours after Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was laid to rest in Rome, a small crowd of worshipers gathered for mid-day Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross to remember and pray for him. An image of the late pope was placed to the left of the cathedral's main altar, flanked by vases filled with white roses. As worshipers entered the cathedral, several stopped before it, bowed their heads, and made the sign of the cross.
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As he was preparing to depart for Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley spoke to The Pilot Jan. 2 about his experiences with the late pope and his impact on the Church. The interview has been edited for clarity.
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Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley has announced the appointment of two regional episcopal vicars for the archdiocese effective Feb. 1. Regional vicars assist Cardinal O'Malley in the governance and oversight of the clergy, parishes, schools, and apostolates within their region and also celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. Regional episcopal vicars are also members of the cardinal's cabinet, the Presbyteral Council, and the Board of Consultors.
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Each year, the Hispanic community of the Cathedral Parish holds Las Posadas, which is a novena that reenacts Mary and Joseph seeking a place at the inn in Bethlehem. It is usually done going from home to home, something like caroling, but on Friday night, they held it at the cathedral.
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Richard Patrick "Dick" Flavin, 86, of Quincy died Dec.28, 2022. Flavin was born on Dec. 7, 1936, in Boston and grew up in the Merrymount section of Quincy. He was the beloved son of the late James and Helen (Donovan) Flavin.
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