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  • 4/13/2018

    Salem shrine receives St. John Paul II relic

    SALEM -- Salem was abuzz on April 8 with camera crews, reporters, photographers, and crowds of people from neighboring cities and beyond. Yet, it wasn't one of Salem's many occult attractions that drew people there; indeed, it was just the opposite. It was Divine Mercy Sunday, and hundreds gathered at St. John Paul II Shrine of Divine Mercy for a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, during which he presented the shrine with a first-class relic of its namesake -- St. Pope John Paul II.

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  • 4/13/2018

    Ordination class of 2018: Deacon Michael Rora

    [This is the first in a series of articles profiling each of the seven men who will be ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Mission Church) on May 19.]

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  • 4/13/2018

    Sistine Chapel Choir to perform in Boston this summer

    BOSTON -- The Sistine Chapel Choir, often referred to as "the Pope's Choir," will sing in Boston this summer as part of its first-ever U.S. tour. Based out of Rome and serving as the pope's personal choir, the Sistine Chapel Choir is comprised of 20 professional singers, chosen from around the world. Its treble section, called the Pueri Cantores, is made up of 35 boys between 9 and 13. As part of their training, the Pueri Cantores attend an exclusive school, the Schola Pueroroum, which provides musical education as well as a typical school curriculum.

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  • 4/13/2018

    From Cardinal Seán's blog

    This week we marked the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Of course, there were many observances throughout the country. I was very pleased to have been able to attend the breakfast here in the archdiocese for the Martin Luther King holiday, where many people who knew Dr. King personally were present, and some of the early activists in the civil rights movement gave beautiful testimonies.

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  • 4/6/2018

    Triduum liturgies celebrated at cathedral

    Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley marked the Easter Triduum this year with services at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. Because of ongoing renovations, Triduum liturgies were held in Our Lady's Chapel, the lower church of the cathedral.

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  • 4/6/2018

    Solar panels to be installed over Pastoral Center lots

    BRAINTREE -- It's not being repaved or painted, but nevertheless, come summer, the parking lot of the Pastoral Center will be a little bit greener. The Archdiocese of Boston's Braintree headquarters will soon be the home of several massive solar panels, currently being installed in the parking lot. Raised 14 feet in the air and supported by sturdy beams, the panels will not only generate clean energy, but will also serve as carports, providing cars with protection from the elements. Lights installed underneath the panels will help illuminate the lot, creating a safer and more visible space.

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  • 4/6/2018

    Former Scituate parish property sold to Coptic Orthodox Church

    BRAINTREE -- The Archdiocese of Boston announced April 4 the sale of the former St. Frances X. Cabrini property in Scituate to St. Mary and St. George Coptic Orthodox Church. The transaction includes the 10,560 square foot church building, 10,438 square foot hall and 16.26 acres of land which is comprised of uplands and wetlands. The sale price was $2,450,000.

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  • 4/6/2018

    CYO tournament champions

    Each year, throughout the months December to February, teams from parishes and grammar schools of the Archdioceses of Boston compete in the various Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball leagues. At the culmination of each season, the winningest teams from each of the 11 archdiocesan divisions are invited to participate in the annual CYO basketball tournament.

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  • 4/6/2018

    Marian High School in Framingham to close

    FRAMINGHAM -- Marian High School in Framingham will be ceasing operations at the end of the current school year in June, after more than six decades of providing thousands of young men and women with a Catholic education.

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  • 4/6/2018

    Vatican journalists to speak at Holy Cross conference

    WORCESTER -- The College of the Holy Cross will host a conference on "Francis the Pilgrim: From Personal Devotion to Papal Diplomacy," April 11-12 featuring Pope Francis biographer Austen Ivereigh and Father Thomas J. Reese, S.J., senior analyst at Religion News Service, as keynote speakers. All conference sessions will be held in Rehm Library, Smith Hall, and are free and open to the public.

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  • 4/6/2018

    From Cardinal Seán's blog

    Palm Sunday This past Sunday was Palm Sunday (3/25) and, as is my usual practice, I went to celebrate with one of our parish communities. This year, I celebrated Palm Sunday with Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Parish in Waltham.

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  • 4/5/2018

    Worcester bishop rebukes 'blasphemous' writings of Holy Cross professor

    Worcester, Mass., Apr 4, 2018 ACI Prensa.- The Bishop of Worcester has issued a sharp rebuke to the College of the Holy Cross after it came to light that its Chair of New Testament Studies, Tat-siong Benny Liew, had written a book a decade ago suggesting that Christ was a “drag king” who had “queer desires.”

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  • 4/4/2018

    Former Scituate parish property sold to Coptic Orthodox Church

    BRAINTREE -- The Archdiocese of Boston announced April 4 the sale of the former St. Frances X. Cabrini property in Scituate to St. Mary and St. George Coptic Orthodox Church. The transaction includes the 10,560 square foot church building, 10,438 square foot hall and 16.26 acres of land which is comprised of uplands and wetlands. The sale price was $2,450,000.

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  • 3/30/2018

    Priests renew vows, celebrate fraternity during Chrism Mass

    MALDEN -- The pews of Immaculate Conception Church in Malden were filled. Partly with parishioners, partly with Archdiocese of Boston employees and deacons, but mostly they were filled with priests and seminarians. On March 27, priests from across the archdiocese gathered with Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley for the annual Chrism Mass to renew their priestly vows and replenish their stocks of holy oils for the year.

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  • 3/30/2018

    Mass held before March for Our Lives decries gun violence, urges action

    BOSTON -- A poster, bright red and depicting a pencil poised over the words "Erase Gun Violence" lay against a pew at St. Anthony Shrine. At first glance, the colors and message seemed almost out of place; they brought to mind protests and demonstrations, things typically at contrast with the solemnity and quiet of a church. Yet, during the morning Mass it was present for, the March 24 liturgy of peace, healing, and justice held directly before Boston's "March for Our Lives" rally; it was the poster that perhaps best captured the emotional undercurrents of the service.

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  • 3/30/2018

    BC seminar looks at importance of immigrants in Boston

    BOSTON -- A seminar held on the Boston College campus March 22 brought together local religious, academic, political, and community leaders to discuss the topics of immigration in the Boston area. Sponsored by the BC School of Theology and Ministry and the Scalabrini Centers for Migration in Boston, the all-day seminar featured four panel discussions that focused mainly on the role of immigrants in society and were led by migration experts and local leaders.

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  • 3/30/2018

    St. Columbkille School designated a 'laboratory school'

    CHESTNUT HILL -- Boston College's Lynch School of Education (LSOE) said that they will designate Brighton's St. Columbkille Partnership School a laboratory school on March 26, to enhance opportunities for teacher training, educational experimentation, research and professional development at the pre-K through grade 8 school.

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  • 3/30/2018

    My Brother's Keeper celebrates 30th anniversary

    EASTON -- Thirty years ago, on March 21, 1988, Jim and Terry Orcutt said a prayer which changed their lives and the lives of hundreds of thousands of others in Southeastern Massachusetts. Holding hands before a cross in their home, Jim and Terry quietly said the prayer which founded My Brother's Keeper: "God, we want to bring your love and hope to those who are lost and without hope, but we don't know what to do. If you'll guide us, we'll put your work first every day for the rest of our lives."

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  • 3/30/2018

    New leadership named for St. Mary's, Lynn

    LYNN -- St. Mary's, a Catholic, college-preparatory school for students in grades 6-12, has named John F. Dolan head of school and David J. Angeramo associate head of school. The appointments mark the successful conclusion of a national search that commenced in December, when former head of school Grace Cotter Regan left to become president of Boston College High School.

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  • 3/30/2018

    From Cardinal Seán's blog

    Meetings in Washington This past weekend I traveled to Washington, D.C. for one of our regular board meetings of the Catholic University of America. The Boston area is well represented on the board, with myself, Deacon Stephen Kaneb and Sister Janet Eisner as members.

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  • 3/23/2018

    Catholic Extension honors B.C. president Father Leahy

    BOSTON -- During an inaugural award dinner at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Boston, March 20, Catholic Extension honored Boston College president Father William Leahy with the Spirit of Francis Award for his commitment to provide theological education to Catholics from under-resourced mission dioceses.

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  • 3/23/2018

    Winning season for local Catholic high schools

    As the winter sports season comes to an end, several Catholic high schools came away with championships. In basketball, Central Catholic High girls won the Division 1/North title and ended the season at 21-2. Bishop Fenwick girls won the Division 3/North title and end the season at 15-9. Archbishop Williams High School girls won the Division 3/South title and the Division 3 state title and end with a record of 23-3. The Pope John XXIII High School boys won the Division 4/North title and the Division 4 state title (first in the school's history) and end at 24-1. Catholic Memorial captured the Catholic Conference Title, ending at 16-5 and longtime coach Denis Tobin reached 300 wins leading the Knights.

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  • 3/23/2018

    Vocations Office hosting seminar for vocation teams

    BRAINTREE -- The Archdiocese of Boston's Office of Vocation is hosting a seminar next month for Catholics interested in helping to spread the culture of vocation in their parish or collaborative. The free seminar, to be held April 28 at the Pastoral Center in Braintree, will teach participants how to effectively run a local vocation team, and will give insights into the life of a seminarian.

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  • 3/23/2018

    Sacred oils prepared for Chrism Mass

    Held during Holy Week in dioceses throughout the world, the Chrism Mass is the occasion for the local bishop to bless the sacred oils used to administer sacraments throughout the coming year: the oil of catechumens, used in baptisms; the oil of the infirm, used in the anointing of the sick; and the sacred chrism used in baptisms, confirmations and ordinations as well as in the dedication of a new altar or church.

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  • 3/23/2018

    From Cardinal Seán's blog

    Keynote address This Saturday (3/10), I was invited to give the keynote address at the regional Encuentro (Spanish for "Encounter") held at Our Lady of La Salette Shrine in Attleboro. Those gathered here were delegates from the dioceses of Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. There will be a second regional Encuentro for the dioceses of Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts on May 12. We are so grateful to all those who have devoted their time and efforts to this most important endeavor.

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