Hello and welcome! Last Friday, I was pleased to attend a luncheon at the Harvard Club celebrating the 40th anniversary of Ray Flynn’s election as Mayor of Boston. Among those there to honor Ray Flynn was John Kerry I was invited to give a blessing and make some remarks.   When I became Bishop of Fall River 31 years ago, Ray Flynn was already in office.  I had met him a number of times, and at one point, he wrote a fanciful novel in which the Irish Bishop of Fall River was elected pope.  I accused him of writing science fiction!  I told him that, in revenge, I was goin ..read more

Hello and welcome! On Holy Thursday, I was visited by Jennifer Hooper, the incoming head of the Newton Country Day School of the Sacred Heart.  She will begin her new role on July 1, as Mother Rogers completes her term after 35 years leading the school. With Jennifer Hooper and school Board Chair Maura Murphy Jennifer studied at the University of San Diego and has spent her whole career in various aspects of Catholic education.  Most recently, she served as President of Nativity Prep in San Diego.  She is very happy to be able to begin this responsibility at Newton Country Day ..read more

Hello and welcome! As I do each year for Holy Week, I am posting my blog a day earlier than usual so as to be able to better prepare for and observe the liturgies of the Paschal Triduum. Saturday, I was visited by a group of parishioners from St. Leonard’s in the North End, who came accompanied by their pastor, Father Michael Della Penna. They wanted to talk to me about proposed changes in their prayer garden. It was very good to see them, and they very graciously brought a lot of pastries from Modern Pastry in the North End. Also that day, I went to St. Mary’s in Brookline for the celebratio ..read more

Hello and welcome! Last Thursday afternoon, I went to Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School in Methuen for a celebration of the school’s 20th anniversary. Notre Dame Cristo Rey, along with Cristo Rey Boston, is one of two Cristo Rey model high schools we have in the archdiocese.  Under this model, students go to school four days a week and work at a local business one day a week.  This not only gives them experience in the professional world, but their wages offset the cost of their education. I was there at their founding, and when the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur started this school ..read more

Hello and welcome! Last Saturday, while I was still in Rome, I had dinner with Cardinal Adalberto Martínez and Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik. Cardinal Lazzaro studied at St. John’s Seminary and is the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy.  Of course, Cardinal Adalberto was one of my priests in the Virgin Islands and is now the Archbishop of Asunción in Paraguay. As I mentioned last week, it was a great joy to be able to present some of our seminarians who were in Rome for spring break to the Holy Father before the audience with the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors ..read more

Hello and welcome! Last Saturday, while I was still in Washington, I celebrated a 50th anniversary Mass and renewal of vows for Pablo and Amelia Ortiz, a couple whom I married 50 years ago at St. Matthew’s Cathedral.  Their children, grandchildren and many of their friends were there to share the occasion with them. It was a joy because I don’t get many opportunities to celebrate 50th anniversaries of couples whose weddings I celebrated.  But I told them that theirs was one of the ones that I guaranteed for 50 years, or their money back!  So, I was delighted to go back and bles ..read more

Hello and welcome! As I mentioned last week, I joined our recently ordained priests on their retreat last weekend for a time of conversation.  On Friday, I was also very happy to celebrate a Mass for them for the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter. Saturday, there was a youth encuentro at St. Stephen’s in Framingham.  Unfortunately, I had a cold and was unable to attend, but they were kind enough to send some photos. We are very grateful to Bishop Cristiano for his participation and for the hard work of Sister Elsa and the other organizers in bringing this gathering together. Monday ..read more

Hello and welcome! As I mentioned last week, I was in Rome for meetings of the C9 Council of Cardinals.  Before I left, I was very happy to have the opportunity to sign an agreement of cooperation between the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome and the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors.  The university has offered to make classrooms and spaces available for us and is anxious to work with us around the whole area of safeguarding. The rector, Father Luis Navarro, came to see me at the Domus Santa Marta, where we signed the agreement of cooperation between ..read more

Hello and welcome! As I mentioned last week, I was very happy to take part in the Life Fest gathering, sponsored by the Sisters of Life and the Knights of Columbus. Despite the fact that there was considerable snow by Washington, D.C. standards, about 6,000 young people were able to gather for that event, which featured witness talks, confession, adoration and Mass. I was very pleased that so many priests and young people from Boston were able to be there with us. I concelebrated the Mass with Archbishop Lori, the Supreme Chaplain of the Knights of Columbus, and I was very honored to be asked ..read more

Hello and welcome! As some of you may have read, this week, we are announcing a change to age for the Sacrament of Confirmation for the archdiocese.  For the last four years, there has been a great deal of discussion about the best pastoral approach to the confirmation age.  A committee began considering this issue four years ago, but the process was prolonged because of Covid.  Now, having received recommendations from so many and discussing the matter with the Presbyteral Council, we are announcing that confirmation will be offered in 8th grade. We are hopeful that this will a ..read more