Parishioners Ponder Future of Historic Catholic Church
The fate of one of Dorchester’s oldest Catholic churches was discussed
in-depth during a Monday evening meeting on Bowdoin Street. Many
parishioners of Saint Peter’s Church (photo, right) thought this would be the meeting
in which they hear news they’ve long feared: that the 164 year-old
church will be closed. That did not happen. Bishop Robert Hennessey told
a crowd in the parish hall that closing St. Peter’s is “the last thing
we want to do.” Still, Hennessey did leave that possibility open,
saying, “If we do close the church, I will be the first to tell
you.” The rationale for local fears is sound. Two weeks ago, the parish
school closed its doors for the last time. St. Peter’s is one of three
Catholic schools that will not re-open in Dorchester this fall. Even
more worrisome is the $4 million dollars in deferred maintenance at the
church itself. The parish’s interim administrator, Rev. Richard Conway,
led parishioners through a slideshow at Monday's meeting. A $4 million
investment is needed just to bring the old church up to code, Conway
said. Conway also discussed early plans for six Dorchester parishes to
"collaborate" by staggering mass times and even pooling priests.
Record-keeping and church secretaries would also move to one location,
instead of six, under this plan. The proposed collaboration could
include St. Ann's, St. Mark's, St. Peter's, Blessed Mother Teresa, St.
Ambrose, and Holy Family, Conway said. One promising piece of news for
St. Peter’s is a bid placed by the Compass School in Jamaica Plain to
lease the just-closed St. Peter School. At least one member of the
archdiocese familiar with the bid said it "has a chance." The
Compass School is focused on special and remedial education for city
children.
Athletic Club Tries to Sign up Dorchester Youngsters for Irish Sports
Two athletic sports with deep roots in Ireland will take to Dorchester’s playing fields this summer. The newly-formed St. Brendan's Gaelic Athletic Club kicks off its opening season later this month. The club will teach Dorchester kids how to play Gaelic football and hurling. The sports have been played locally at Canton’s Irish Cultural Centre. But this is the first attempt to get teams started among children in the city. The league hopes to cater to boys and girls of all backgrounds, not just those of Irish descent. Hurling boasts the reputation of being the fastest field sport in the world. Players use wooden sticks to advance the slitter, or ball, up the field. In Gaelic football, players can kick, carry and throw the football, which resembles a soccer ball. St. Brendan's will compete in regional and national tournaments as one of five clubs in New England. The league will include children and teens ages 5 to 18. Registration takes place Sunday, July 13 from 2 to 5 p.m. That’s at the IBEW Hall on Freeport Street.
Longtime Business and Civic Leader Dies at Age 96
One of the neighborhood’s leading business and civic leaders of the last century has died. John Byrne, who once led the Dorchester Board of Trade and Kiwanis organizations, passed away on June 26. Byrne was a native of Dorchester’s Harrison Square neighborhood, just south of Fields Corner. He operated a successful real estate and insurance company, and he was a pioneer in the field of travel to Ireland in the 1950s. Byrne, who was 96 years old, was buried in Cedar Grove Cemetery, where he served as a longtime trustee.
Dorchester Community Calendar. . .
Today marks the start of the Neponset River Greenway Festival in Dorchester. The summer-long program includes a free Thursday night movie series under the stars at Pope John Paul II Park in Neponset. The movie series is kicked off this afternoon with a kite and bike festival at the park, that starts at 5:30 p.m. The movie starts at dusk. For full details on the festival, check out the website for the Boston Natural Areas Network. And, another free take in Dorchester’s great outdoors is coming up later this month. The Boston Landmarks Orchestra will return to Dorchester Park on Sunday, July 27, for a live performance. The orchestra will perform Gospel and Gershwin classics. Make sure you mark your calendars for that show, which again is Sunday, July 27th, starting at 6:30 p.m. Free parking will be available at Carney Hospital.
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