USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Boston > Metropolitan Boston; a modern history; Volume V > Part 17
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A long list of able pastors, beginning with
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Rev. Francesco Zaboglio, the first priest of the Church of the Sacred Heart, North Square, Boston, have carried forward the work most successfully. In 1889 Father Theodore Paroli served from February 7 to August 25, when Father Guiseppe Martini took charge, con- tinuing until June 12, 1894. Then Father Domenico Vicentini served until January, 1895, being followed by Father Giacomo Gambera. On November 12, 1901, Father Roberto Biasotti became pastor of the parish; and on January 1, 1907, he was succeeded by Father Paolo Novati, who served until March 27, 1908. Then came Father Vit- torio Gregori, March 28, 1908, who accom- plished the building of a beautiful and artistic church and assisted in the founding of the parochial schools. He served until 1921. Since then the following pastors have served: R. D'Alfonso served from the spring of 1921 to 1922; Rev. Father L. Toma served from 1922 to 1927; Father Chenuil took the parish in January, 1927, and in the spring of 1928 he built the new church, which was of Romanic structure, under the supervision of H. Casal, architect.
Rev. Pacifico Chenuil was born in Perlo, Aosta, Italy, October 7, 1869, son of John Baptist Chenuil, a farmer, and Agnes (Neyvoz) Chenuil, and after receiving a thorough pre- paratory training pursued his theological course in the Seminary of Aosta, Italy. Since tak- ing charge of the Church of the Sacred Heart here in Boston he has devoted his talents to the interests of the parish and has taken a deep interest in the early history of the Ital- ian Catholics in Boston.
In the early part of 1929, Father Chenuil completed the rebuilding of the entire inter- ior of the church, and it is one of the most beautiful in the diocese. It seats about 1,000 people, the pews being of oak. There are six stained glass windows on a side; three aisles, and at the head of the centre aisle there is a beautiful altar; on either side two smaller al- tars. The choir loft seats about one hundred and has a beautiful Estey organ. The church is one of the finest in acoustic qualities to be
found anywhere in this section, it being possi- ble to hear in any part of the church with no difficulty. There are two halls for the young people's organizations. The parish has about 10,- 000 souls, and the school has some four hundred pupils. Father Chenuil is assisted by four priests.
As a worthy successor of these able and faithful pastors of this well-known church Rev. Pacifico Chenuil has ably continued the work so well begun, and has endeared himself to the parish of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, North Square, Boston, by his ready sym- pathy, his noble Christian character, and his keen appreciation and understanding of the special needs of his parishioners.
REV. RUDOLPH A. FORTIER-St. Anne's Church of Salem, Massachusetts, has been well cared for since July, 1920, by Rev. Rudolph A. Fortier, who is at present (1929) ably assisted in his work by two curates, Rev. William E. Drapeau and Rev. Joseph O. Boucher.
St. Anne's Church of Salem had its real be- ginning when the first Canadian-French fami- lies located in the city. In 1880 Monsieur Desiré Menard erected in Wilson Street the first home built by a Canadian in the village of Salem. In 1885 Monsieur Pierre Caisse estab- lished his family on the same street, and other families soon followed. By 1890 about eighteen Canadian-French families were living in the dis- trict known as "Castle Hill," and by 1900 a considerable group of families were located in this beautiful section of the old city of Salem. It is natural for Canadian families to group themselves about the parochial steeple. These families were distant from the church, being served by the priests of St. Joseph, and bad roads and the severity of the winters deprived them often of the consolation and strength of religious ministrations. These difficulties were
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set before Father Gadoury, curate of St. Jo- seph's parish, and realizing the justice of their desire for a chapel, he undertook, under dioce- san authority, to realize their hopes. Under his direction the residents of "Castle Hill" were organized and began the work of raising funds. The sum of eight hundred dollars was raised by the first effort, and Father Gadoury, having acquired a piece of land on Jefferson Avenue, sold it to the future parish, October 27, 1900. November 23, 1900, Messrs. Elisée Marchand and Henri Boucher signed the contract for the construction of the new church, and the following year the work was completed. Mon- sieur Pantaléon Pelletier, who owned the land at the rear of the church, gave two feet along the entire length of his property to permit the erection of a stone wall to mark the boundary of the parochial property. The purchase of the land and the construction and furnishing of the church cost $21,816.60. Monsignor Wil- liams, Archbishop of Boston, authorized Father Gadoury to borrow $13,000, and by their zeal and their sacrifices the people of "Castle Hill" had paid off $6,417.53 of this by October, 1902. Meantime, the church had been dedicated in June, 1902, but all was not yet ready for re- ligious service. Having yet in their ears the sweet sound of the church bells of their native parishes in Canada, the faithful wished to have a bell which from the highest part of the steeple should announce marriages, baptisms, and buri- als. On September 29, 1902, at the Church of St. Joseph, Monsignor Bégin, Archbishop of Quebec, blessed a bell and gave it the name of Marie-Anne. This was hung in the steeple of St. Anne's, but it soon became defective and, in 1903 it was replaced by the bell which is now (1929) in use.
The priests of the parish of St. Joseph had devoted much time to the welfare of the new parish, but the work there had grown rapidly and Father Gadoury now asked Archbishop Williams to appoint a curate for St. Anne's. Rev. J. A. Peltier, then curate at St. Joseph's, was appointed pastor, and in October, 1902, he entered upon his duties as the first rector
of St. Anne's. The parish was vast, bounded upon the east by Marblehead Road, south by the limits of Marblehead and Swampscott, west by the village of Swampscott and the city of Lynn, and north by the south side of Highland Street, but the families were mostly grouped about the new church. As there was no rectory Father Peltier took up his residence in the house in the rear of the church. Faithful women were already teaching classes of chil- dren in their own homes, and soon a small house was rented by Madame Turcotte for the purpose of teaching the Catechism and the French language to the children who could not attend the city schools. As the numbers of these children grew classes were established in the house in which Father Peltier was living. In 1904 Father Peltier was granted a leave of absence for travel and study, and during his absence his place was filled by Father H. O. Paré, who served as administrator. At the end of two years Father Peltier returned to his duties, refreshed and strengthened, and devoted himself with new zeal to the work of the par- ish. In 1908 he placed the work of the schools under the direction of the Sisters of St. Chré- tienne, who made their home in the parish of St. Joseph. Two Sisters, and then three, were brought each morning and taken back to St. Jo- seph's each night. In 1912 larger quarters were needed for the school and Father Peltier built a new rectory, leaving his old quarters for ad- ditional classrooms. In 1914 a fire which de- stroyed a large part of the city, burned the provincial home of the Sisters of St. Chré- tienne, in St. Joseph's parish, but left the Castle Hill district intact. Father Peltier installed a group of the Sisters in a modest house in Cleve- land Street, and later sold to the Community of the Sisters of St. Chrétienne the magnificent property known as Loring Villa, thus bringing the provincial home of the order to St. Anne's parish. In November, 1915, the Sisters began the construction of a fine brick building for a boarding school and acadeniy and repaired the existing building to make it a convenient con- vent. The doors of the boarding school for
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young ladies were opened September 18, 1918, but as the terrible "flu" epidemic was then rav- aging the country the Sisters transformed their boarding school into a hospital and offered it, with the rest of the building and their services, to the city, free of charge. Since that time the Sisters have developed a large boarding school for young ladies, and each year they have more applicants than they can accommodate at Lor- ing Villa. There are now eighteen Sisters in the building, and Reverend Mother Felix is Superior of the Convent and Provincial of the congregation.
Meantime, in June, 1915, a curate, Rev. J. Emile Dupont, had been appointed to assist Father Peltier in the work of St. Anne's parish. 1918 saw the first change in personnel in the parish. Father Peltier was succeeded by Rev. J. L. M. Lévesque, as pastor of St. Anne's, and at the same time the curate, Father Dupont, was transferred to North Chelmsford, leaving the new pastor alone until December, when Rev. F. X. N. Tanguay was named curate of St. Anne's. This was the period of the World War, and Father Lévesque continued with zeal the work of his predecessor, making numerous repairs in the church and completely changing the heating system. He erected a memorial to the eighty-four young men of the parish who served in the World War, at the corner of Jefferson and Lawrence streets. In 1920 he was removed to Marlborough, Massachusetts, and in July, 1920, Rev. Rudolph A. Fortier, the present pastor, took charge of St. Anne's.
Rev. Rudolph A. Fortier was born in Baltic, Connecticut, April 4, 1879, and received his early education in Montreal, Canada. Later, he pursued his collegiate course in Baltimore, Maryland, and then entered the Grand Sem- inary in Montreal, Canada, where he com- pleted his course with graduation and was or- dained a priest by Bishop Cloutier, June 29, 1905. He then came to the States, and was assigned to the Church of St. John the Baptist, at Lynn, Massachusetts, where he served from 1905 to 1909. His next charge was in Lynn, Massachusetts, where he served from 1905 to
1909. His next charge was in Lowell, Massa- chusetts, from 1909 to 1913, when he went to Marlborough, where he served until 1914. In that year he was made a pastor at Cochituate, Massachusetts, and served until July, 1920, when he came to his present charge as pastor of St. Anne's Church, in Salem. Since coming here he has accomplished a great work. He repaired and beautified the church building, added five Sisters to the teaching force of the school, and so increased the interest in the parochial classes that the Derby School, lo- cated at the corner of Jefferson and Lawrence streets, was abandoned by the city as a public school. This Father Fortier purchased and remodeled into the present parochial school. He also built a new convent to accommodate fifteen Sisters of St. Chrétienne, and here the eleven Sisters who teach in the parochial school find a pleasant and convenient home. The work of the parish so increased that more assistance became necessary, and when Father Fortier was placed in charge of religious services in the Academy of St. Chrétienne, known as Lor- ing Villa, more help became necessary. Ac- cordingly, he again enlarged the rectory and in 1921 Cardinal O'Connell named Father G. A. Godreau as curate at St. Anne's. Since that time the parish has always had two assistant priests. In the autumn of 1921 Father Tan- guay, who had been a curate, or assistant, since December, 1918, went to Newton and was suc- ceeded by Father L. E. Raymond. In Decem- ber, 1922, Father J. O. Boucher replaced Father Godreau as assistant, and he is still serving here. An account of his life appears in a fol- lowing paragraph. In February, 1926, Father William E. Drapeau replaced Father Raymond as assistant.
In 1926 St. Anne's celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and great rejoicing. The work had prospered greatly in every way, and that progress has continued. The parochial school has enrollment of 460 pupils (1929), taught by eleven Sisters. A parish house has been built for social gather- ing, the usual sodalities are prospering, St.
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Anne's for women, St. Mary's for girls, Holy Name for men, St. John the Baptist, of America, a Council of Benedict XV, and many others. The priests of St. Anne's say Mass every day at Loring Villa, which now enrolls one hun- dred and twenty students, and Father Fortier and his two assistants, Father Boucher and Father Drapeau, are devoting every energy to the welfare of St. Anne's.
Rev. William E. Drapeau was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, educated in the parochial school there, and in the Brothers' School at Sher- brooke, Canada. He then entered Petit Semi- nary. After graduating he returned to Boston to enter St. John's Seminary, at Brighton, Massachusetts, for his theological training, and was graduated there and ordained a priest in Holy Cross Cathedral in 1917. His first as- signment was at Reading, where he remained until February, 1926, when he came to St. Anne's as assistant to Father Fortier, replac- ing Father Raymond.
Rev. Joseph O. Boucher was born in Salem, Massachusetts, March 7, 1896, and educated in St. Joseph's parochial school as a boy. He then entered Nicolet College, near Quebec, Canada, and when his course there was finished he returned to the States and entered St. John's Seminary, at Brighton, where he was ordained in Holy Cross Cathedral in 1922. He was then assigned to St. Edward's Church in Brockton, Massachusetts, where he remained until De- cember 15, 1922, when he was appointed an assistant at St. Anne's.
REV. JAMES A. O'ROURKE-In South Boston, as elsewhere, the first generation of Catholics underwent the usual hardships of pioneers, but, as is true in all phases of life, difficulties once overcome, become the surest stepping stones to ultimate success and happi- ness. In the earliest days of Catholic settlement in South Boston the nearest place of worship was the cathedral on Franklin Street, Boston.
There was no road to the city in those days ex- cept the one over Dover Street bridge, and no public conveyance. This made for many of the scattered Catholics a long and difficult journey to the cathedral, and as early as 1818 a sep- arate parish was organized. The history of this, one of the oldest parishes in the diocese, is one of abiding interest to all who are aiding in the work of advancing the interests of the Holy Church. The parish of SS. Peter and Paul has for more than a century been minis- tering to increasing numbers of communicants, and as the years have passed has become the parent parish of a number of other churches. As pastor since 1915, of the Church of SS. Peter and Paul, located on Broadway, in South Bos- ton, Rev. James A. O'Rourke has proven himself to be a worthy successor of the many fine and consecrated priests who have preceded him in the leadership of this old parish.
In the. early days when Catholic worshippers in the section now known as South Boston found it necessary to travel to the cathedral on Franklin Street in Boston to receive the ministrations of the Church, traveling mission- aries aided in the work of looking after these scattered members of the flock, but the journey to the cathedral, on foot, was a long and ardu- ous one, and it was natural that some more convenient and accessible place of worship should be sought. A small piece of ground was purchased and a Mortuary Chapel, thirty-five by thirty feet was built, known as St. Augustine's Mortuary Chapel. In 1831 this was fitted up as a temporary church. In 1833 it was enlarged and for eleven years was used as the parish church. This was situated in St. Augustine's Cemetery, in South Boston. As the population increased in this section of the city the congre- gation increased rapidly, and in 1844 a new church building was begun. It was completed in 1845, Rev. Terence Fitzsimmons, pastor, but in 1848 came one of those catastrophes which are frequently transformed into most effective stepping stones to greater progress. The new church building, which had been so earnestly desired and so willingly worked for, was burned to the ground. Father Fitzsimmons then took
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his congregation to a hall on Sea Street, and the work of rebuilding was begun. Slowly, but steadily, the work went forward, and by 1850, the new building, not yet completed, was ready for use. In 1853 it was ready for dedication, and in that year the Very Rev. P. F. Lyndon was made pastor. The new church, which was twice as large as the old one, is the present SS. Peter and Paul Church on Broadway, in South Boston. It is built in the Gothic style, designed by the famous architect, P. C. Keely, and the interior was finished by a brother of the famous architect. Father Lyn- don remained in charge for a period of ten years, from 1853, the year of the dedication of the present church building, to 1863, and was noted for his unselfish devotion to the welfare of his church and parish. During all of that time the parish included the whole peninsula, and it included all of that extensive area from 1845 until 1865, two years after the close of Father Lyndon's ministration there. Father Lyndon established a parochial school for girls and a convent for the Sisters of Notre Dame, who are in charge of the school, and in 1857 he es- tablished SS. Peter and Paul Library Associ- ation. As was natural, the pioneer parish of SS. Peter and Paul became the mother of several other churches, four flourishing churches being founded and set off from the parish between the years 1845 and 1865. These were: the Gate of Heaven, the new St. Au- gustine's, St. Vincent's and Our Lady of the Rosary, in the order named. In 1863 Rev. William A. Blenkinsop took charge and under his direction the school accommodations were greatly enlarged and improved, another school building being erected, and the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul organized. His establishment of the Academy of the Sisters of Notre Dame was a matter of great importance to the parish. In 1892 it was enrolling a thousand girls annual- ly in its various departments and had already graduated hundreds of educated young ladies who were carrying into the world the refine- ment of manner and the good sense cultivated by the influence of the devoted Sisters. Father Blenkinsop founded the parochial school in the
Gate of Heaven parish, and it is interesting to note that he was a member of a family whose members contributed important services to the Church, a sister of his having been Mother Superior of the Sisters of Charity in the United States, and a brother of his, a member of the Society of Jesus, having been at one time pres- ident of Georgetown University. Father Blenk- insop died, mourned by many for his admirable character, and because of the valuable service which he had rendered; he was succeeded by Right Rev. John Brady, in 1892, and upon the death of Bishop Brady in 1910, the Right Rev. George W. Patterson became pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church. Five years of able service brought much of progress to the church, and in 1915, the present pastor, Rev. James A. O'Rourke, took charge.
Rev. James A. O'Rourke was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in September, 1866. As a boy he attended the public schools of Salem, af- ter which he entered Holy Cross College, at Worcester, Massachusetts, where he finished his course with graduation in 1888, the year of the famous blizzard here in the East. He had chosen to devote his life to the service of the church, and after the completion of his college course he began the life of the neophyte at St. John's Ecclesiastical Seminary, at Brighton, Massachusetts. He finished his course at the Seminary and was ordained a priest in Decem- ber, 1892. His first appointment was as assis- tant pastor of St. Mary's Church at Cambridge- port. Three years of service in the church brought him transfer to St. Patrick's Church at Stonehanı, Massachusetts, and seven years later he was assigned to St. Margaret's Church at Brockton, Massachusetts, where he remained for a period of eight years. In 1911 he was again transferred, this time to Foxboro, Mas- sachusetts, where he served until he came to SS. Peter and Paul in 1915. The parish of SS. Peter and Paul is one of the oldest in the Boston diocese, founded in 1818, and at the present time (1928) has about thirty-two hundred commun- icants.
Father O'Rourke has been for thirteen years carrying forward the work which his predeces-
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sors so firmly founded, and he now (1928) has a very fine school for boys, and an equally ample provision is made for the education of the younger girls. Two buildings accommodate about eight hundred and fifty children, who are carefully taught by twenty-five Sisters of Notre Dame. The convent adjoining the church property furnishes accommodation for thirty Sisters, and the children when they finish the courses under the Sisters are graduated into the higher grammar grades of the public schools. The work of the parish has grown to propor- tions which make necessary the assistance of three priests, and, as has already been stated, the membership numbers about thirty-two hun- dred souls. In 1892 the seating capacity of the church was recorded as one thousand, and the congregation given as ten thousand, but the setting off of other churches, and the change in the character of the population of a part of the territory left to SS. Peter and Paul account for the lower figures. Such old parishes are content with diminished numbers when they remember that from them have gone out church- es which have grown strong and powerful and have, in turn, become the parents of other con- gregations. Father O'Rourke is much beloved by his parishioners, and is respected by all the community, regardless of religious faith.
REV. WILLIAM MARTIN STINSON, S. J .- Native of Boston, Rev. William Martin Stinson, of the Society of Jesus, was born August 20, 1876, son of Patrick Joseph Stinson, retired, and Mary Elizabeth (Donnelly) Stin- son. A Roman Catholic and imbued with ad- miration for the high standards of learning per- sonified in the Jesuit priesthood, he graduated from Boston College, class of 1897, and entered Woodstock College, of Woodstock, Maryland,
Jesuit College for Higher Training. He was granted the academic degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts, and in 1913-14 took
special advanced studies in Europe. Meanwhile, having completed his courses at Woodstock, in 1902 he became professor of classics, Loyola College High School, Baltimore, which chair he retained until 1907. From 1911 until 1913 he was professor of classics, in St. Joseph's College, Philadelphia, and from 1914 until 1918 dean of the college. For the school year 1919-20 he held the office of dean of Loyola College, in Baltimore; in 1920 became professor of classics in Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Boston, con- tinued in that chair until 1922, and in 1922 he was appointed librarian, Boston College Library. Here he has been through the years following until the present time (1929). He has specialized in, and is particularly interested in, Jesuit library work.
During the period of America's participation in the World War, Rev. Stinson served overseas as chaplain, with rank of first lieutenant, in the 3d Corps of Artillery, 1918. In October of that year he saw action in the Argonne drive, which lasted into September. He was chaplain of General Hospital No. 7, 3rd Corps Artillery Park, and served with the 1st Corps Area. Rev. Stinson is a member of the Catholic Educational Association, a Fellow of the Geographical Society, and member of the New England Col- lege Librarians. He makes his residence at Chestnut Hill.
REV. WILLIAM McNAMARA-Though Rev. William McNamara has been pastor of the Holy Name Church at West Roxbury, Massachusetts, only since July 4, 1927, he has already accomplished much here, and in the near future the results of his labors will be seen in the form of a new church edifice which will seat about one thousand people. A fife and drum corps composed of two hundred boys and girls, uniformed, and carefully trained, is a unique feature of the parish life, and these boys and girls have made for themselves
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and for Father McNamara, who organized the corps, a reputation which extends far beyond the bounds of the parish.
Rev. William McNamara was born in Bos- ton, Massachusetts, May 3, 1878, and received his early and preparatory education in the pub- lic schools of that city. When his high school course was completed he entered New Bruns- wick University and after graduating entered the Catholic University, at Washington, Dis- trict of Columbia. Before his course was com- pleted, however, he had decided upon the serv- ice of the church as his field of life work, and when his college training was finished he en- tered St. John's Seminary, at Brighton, Mas- sachusetts, where he received his theological degrees and was ordained a priest. For thirteen years after his ordination he was located at St. Anthony's Church in Allston, Massachu- setts, as a curate. At the end of that time he was transferred to St. Mary's Church, at Cambridge, where he remained for some years. From Cambridge he went to St. Thomas' Church at Jamaica Plain, where he served for five years. He was then made a pastor and assigned to the Church of the Blessed, Sacra- ment at Hough's Neck, now (1929) in charge of Father Mullen. This parish has about two thousand souls in the winter, with a consider- ably increased membership in the summer. While at Hough's Neck Father McNamara or- ganized his first fife and drum corps, and so successfully was this work carried to comple- tion that eventually he had a corps of one hundred and fifty fifes and drums played by boys and girls, well trained and uniformed. This attracted much attention, and in its or- ganization and management Father McNamara took a great pride. Not only did they play for affairs of the church, but they were engaged by different bodies and organizations and ap- peared frequently upon the streets of Greater Boston, and nearby towns, in some of the most prominent parades. Their appearance and per- fect execution of their music elicited much applause and many compliments. This corps is still (1929) continuing most successfully. On July 4, 1927, he was appointed to his pres- ent charge as pastor of Holy Name Church
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