BRAINTREE -- The last of the Archdiocese of Boston's many pandemic-related safety measures is being lifted this weekend, just in time for one of the most important celebrations in the liturgical year.
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LYNN -- For decades, Michael Kwiatek has volunteered at Phillips Manor nursing home in Lynn and My Brother's Table, the largest soup kitchen on the North Shore. But it was only six months ago that he realized there was a way to connect the two ministries.
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This past week, I was in Rome for activities concerning the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. In addition to meetings of the executive committee of the commission, one of our major activities was a meeting on Friday between members of the commission and Cardinal Lazzaro You and representatives of the Dicastery for the Clergy.
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Bishop Robert P. Reed is an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Boston, pastor of St. Patrick and Sacred Heart parishes in Watertown, Massachusetts, and president of the CatholicTV network. He grew up in Swampscott, Massachusetts, and prepared for the priesthood at St. John's Seminary in Boston, and the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Though he describes himself as an "awkward and quiet" sort of fellow, Charlie Camosy nevertheless had some fun getting to know Bishop Reed (and discovering his favorite Marvel superhero) for OSV News readers.
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WEST ROXBURY -- Pentecost seemed to come early as members of the archdiocese's Asian communities gathered at Holy Name Parish for a Marian procession and Mass on May 27 in honor of Asian-American Heritage Month.
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The Archdiocese of Boston announced May 30 that Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley has appointed Father Cristiano Guilherme Borro Barbosa as episcopal vicar for the archdiocese's Central Region effective July 1. Father Jonathan Gaspar, the pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Brookline, has been serving as interim regional episcopal vicar since Feb. 1.
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BOSTON -- The Board of Trustees of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Boston (CCAB) announced May 30 that Kelley Tuthill has been appointed as its next president and CEO beginning January 2024. Tuthill has served as the chief operating officer since 2021 and will transition into the president's role this summer before assuming the CEO role.
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NATICK -- In 2013, St. Benedict's Classical Academy opened with just 25 students. Today, it boasts an enrollment of 250 students, and a faculty of 34. So perhaps it's no surprise that on May 19, the Catholic school broke ground for a new and updated facility at 89 Union Street in Natick.
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Last Friday, I met at the cathedral with the Archbishop Joseph Vu Van Thien of Hanoi, who came accompanied by some of his priests and seminarians. We have a very good relationship with the Archdiocese of Hanoi, and he came to see me because he has had seminarians studying at St. John's Seminary and would like to send more in the future.
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The Archdiocese of Boston announced May 30 that Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley has appointed Father Cristiano Guilherme Borro Barbosa as episcopal vicar for the archdiocese's Central Region effective July 1. Father Jonathan Gaspar, the pastor of St. Mary of the Assumption Parish in Brookline, has been serving as interim regional episcopal vicar since Feb. 1.
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BOSTON -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley ordained five men from four different countries to the archdiocesan priesthood in a Mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on May 20. The new priests are Father Paul Born; Father Rodrigo Martinez, originally from El Salvador; Father Jose Ignacio Montero, from the Dominican Republic; Father Peter Schirripa; and Father Hien Vu, from Vietnam.
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BOSTON -- Over 250 guests gathered at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum on May 17 to attend Catholic Charities of Boston's annual Spring Celebration Gala. Kelley Tuthill, the chief operating officer of CCAB, and Father John Unni, pastor of St. Cecilia Parish, served as emcees for the event, which recognizes Catholic Charities' supporters and raises crucial funds for their programs.
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BRIGHTON -- Bridget Whyte had not attended a Mass in 25 years. But when her children were about to start CCD, she decided to bring them to a Mass so they could see what it was like. She only planned to go once, but she ended up finding her spiritual home at St. Mary Parish in Foxborough. She came back to the sacraments and volunteered in various capacities in the parish. This led her to hear about the Lay Formation Program offered by St. John's Seminary, and she applied for admission less than two years after her return to the Church.
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FRAMINGHAM -- The priests of the archdiocese received a refresher course in liturgical celebration during their annual Spring Convocation, which was held at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel on May 16. The keynote speaker for the event was Father Paul Turner, pastor of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Kansas City, Missouri, director of the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, and author of "Ars Celebrandi: Celebrating and Concelebrating Mass."
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Last Friday, I attended the wake of Marylou Parrish, the mother of Father Bryan Parrish, who had been living with her husband at St. Patrick's Manor in Framingham. She was very active in the Church and had a great devotion to the Little Flower.
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BOSTON -- The day after the Celtics won against the Philadelphia 76ers, a different kind of gathering took place outside TD Garden. On May 15, a number of city, state, and religious leaders, including Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, gathered at North Station for a press conference marking the launch of a campaign to "Face Jewish Hate," part of a larger effort to combat antisemitism.
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BRIGHTON -- When most people think of a Catholic seminary, they might imagine something like a monastery, where men follow a strict life of prayer and study as they discern their vocations. They might not imagine playing sports, although such activities can help seminarians develop fraternity, discipline, and other areas of growth.
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BOSTON -- Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley ordained 11 men, coming from all three of the archdiocese's seminaries, to the transitional diaconate during a Mass on May 13, the feast of Our Lady of Fatima.
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As I mentioned in my previous post, last week, we had our plenary meeting of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. The Spanish magazine Vida Nueva did a wonderful write-up of the commission and our plenary session.
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BRAINTREE -- The life of faith is often described as a journey. Catholics' belief in the Communion of Saints -- the unity of the Church on Earth and the saints in Heaven -- gives the assurance that no one is alone in seeking Christ.
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AUBURNDALE -- Centuries of mission and decades of pilgrimage form the backdrop of St. Antoine Daveluy Parish, where Boston's Korean Catholic Community has made its spiritual home. The Korean Catholic Community in the archdiocese was first formed in 1976, but did not have a permanent home for almost 40 years. They relocated a total of seven times, hosted by various parishes that allowed them to use their churches. Finally, in 2013, Corpus Christi-St. Bernard Parish gifted their current church to them, and the community established itself as St. Antoine Daveluy Parish, with Father Dominic Jung as the pastor.
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This is the fifth and final article in a series profiling the five men who will be ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Boston at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on May 20, 2023. CHESTNUT HILL -- When Deacon Jose Ignacio Montero Burgos became a transitional deacon, his ordination cards had the verse from Isaiah 55:8, "'My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways,' declares the Lord."
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CAMBRIDGE -- Archbishop Bashar Warda recalled the words of Pope Francis when he asserted that "The Church in Iraq is alive" despite years of conflict and persecution in that country during a recent talk at the Harvard Catholic Center.
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Last Thursday, I was very happy to attend the Catholic Schools Foundation's 33rd annual Building Minds Scholarship Fund Dinner Celebration at the Copley Marriott Hotel. It was a wonderful evening, during which they honored Peter Lynch. The dinner was chaired by his three daughters, and over 1,200 people came out for this tribute to Peter.
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