WALTHAM -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley ordained Father Francis Huy Duc Pham to the priesthood on Nov. 30 in a Mass at Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Parish in Waltham. Father Pham is the 14th priest ordained for Boston this year. He was not ordained with the other 13 candidates last May because he was required to spend a year outside the United States in order to renew his religious worker visa.
Read more
FRAMINGHAM -- The middle school students at St. Bridget School in Framingham do not know when they will receive the list of electives available in the next trimester. When the moment comes, they are told to silently read the options and rank their top three preferences. This eliminates any opportunity to consult with their peers and sign up for the same classes as their friends. Instead, the electives mix grades six, seven, and eight, bringing together students of different ages who have similar interests.
Read more
On Thursday evening, I went to the Harvard Club in Boston for a dinner in honor of Dr. Lorenzo Berra, who has been appointed to the Reginald Jenney Associate Professorship at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, in recognition of his achievements in the research and practice of anesthesia. The award ceremony was directed by Dr. Jeanine Wiener-Kronish, chief of anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Read more
SOUTH END -- Cardinal Seán O'Malley presented the Cheverus Award to 124 individuals and two religious communities in a prayer service at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Nov. 24, the feast of Christ the King.
Read more
RANDOLPH -- The Black Catholic Ministries of the archdiocese held the 26th annual Bishop James Augustine Healy Award Dinner on Nov. 23 at Lombardo's. During a reception before the meal and speaking program, music was provided by the Tempo International Steel Pan Band. The evening kicked off with a dance performance by the Singing Stars Youth Group of St. Andrew Parish in Worcester.
Read more
BOSTON -- Seventh- and eighth-grade students from Trinity Catholic Academy in Brockton and St. John Paul II Academy in Dorchester greeted people arriving at the Boston College Club for the Campaign for Catholic Schools' luncheon on Nov. 20.
Read more
On my way back from last week's meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I stopped in New York to celebrate the Mass of Investiture for the Order of Malta on Friday. Our Boston members of the Order of Malta are part of the American Association, which is based in New York. Though I usually do not attend the investiture, Cardinal Dolan was in Rome, so he asked me to celebrate the Mass in his place.
Read more
BRAINTREE — An independent inquiry into St. John’s Seminary has been completed, finding some internal shortcomings regarding the governance and culture of the seminary, but no evidence of illegal activities or a culture of sexual misconduct by students or faculty members.
Read more
BOSTON -- Over 160 people, including 25 law students and dozens of legal professionals and their families, gathered at Our Lady of Good Voyage Seaport Shrine on Nov. 17 for the annual Red Mass, organized by the Catholic Lawyers Guild of the Archdiocese of Boston.
Read more
BRAINTREE -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley will present Cheverus Award Medals to laypersons, deacons, and religious during a 2 p.m. daytime prayer service Sunday, Nov. 24, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.
Read more
BRIGHTON -- The Theological Institute for the New Evangelization (TINE) of St. John's Seminary hosted its 15th annual All Souls Memorial Concert on Nov. 16 in the seminary chapel. The concert featured faculty, staff and students performing songs dedicated to deceased loved ones.
Read more
In honor of Discover Catholic Schools in New England (DCSNE), the Catholic Schools Office ran its second annual DCSNE Art and Essay Contest. The contest had guidelines that were tailored to different grade levels.
Read more
On Sunday, I went to Most Holy Redeemer Parish in East Boston to celebrate a Mass for their 175th anniversary. The church was packed -- both upper and lower churches -- and they had screens set up in the basement for those who are unable to fit in the upper church.
Read more
BROCKTON -- Firefighter Peter Reardon played bagpipes on the stage as students, teachers, and parents entered the Cardinal Spellman High School auditorium on Nov. 8. Greeters handed out programs, bracelets, and prayer cards with pictures of community members' relatives who are veterans. The stage was framed with banners, one on top saying "Freedom is never free," and two on the sides saying, "We stand as one."
Read more
BRAINTREE -- Planning for the archdiocese's annual trip to participate in the 2020 March for Life in Washington, D.C. is already well underway. This year, the Archdiocese of Boston is offering two options, called "tracks," for people who want to participate in the Witness to Life Pilgrimage to attend the march.
Read more
WEST ROXBURY -- Every year the students of St. Theresa of Avila School in West Roxbury have a parade in their Halloween costumes. But this year, they took the parade to a new destination: Deutsches Altenheim, a senior living community located near the school.
Read more
BOSTON -- On Nov. 4, 16 corporate teams gathered at State Street's One Lincoln Street office to raise money for the Inner-City Scholarship Fund (ICSF) through the sixth Annual Corporate Trivia Challenge. The hosting sponsor, State Street Corporation, has supported the work of the ICSF for nearly 30 years and has been the lead sponsor of this event for five years. Through sponsorships and live fundraising at the event, $40,000 was raised to provide scholarships to at-risk young people.
Read more
BOSTON -- The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston's Board of Trustees Nov. 7 announced the appointment of Catholic Charities Board Chair Kevin M. MacKenzie as interim president upon President and Chief Executive officer Deborah Kincade Rambo's Nov. 30 retirement. MacKenzie has served Catholic Charities as chair of the board since January of 2019 and a member of the board since 2013.
Read more
Last Friday, All Saints Day, I was very happy to visit St. Francis Chapel in the Prudential Center to celebrate a Mass to mark the 50th anniversary of the chapel's founding by Cardinal Richard Cushing. (As I often quip, I could spend my whole life celebrating 50th anniversaries of initiatives that Cardinal Cushing started!)
Read more