Immaculate Conception Parish History: 1854 2004

Immaculate Conception Parish History: 1854 2004

Immaculate Conception Parish
History: 1854 2004
IN THIS YEAR of Our Lord, 2004, t he
Immaculat e Concept ion Parish plays an
import ant role in t he life of our fine cit y.
When referring t o our church, school, rect ory
and cemetery, people oft en use t he letters
I.C. . Those t wo let t ers have a familiar ring
because
of
t he
great
cont ribut ions
Immaculat e Concept ion has made over t he
years in t he growt h of our communit y. They
have been years marked by j oy and
happiness, care and sorrow, and somet imes
by misunderst anding and opposit ion bet ween
t he newly arriving Cat holic immigrant s and
t he non-Cat holics already est ablished in t he
communit y in t he mid-ninet eent h cent ury.
As we j oin in t he celebrat ion of t he 150th
anniversary of our parish, it is with a sense of
pride t hat we review t he sequence of past ors
and event s t hat cont ribut ed t o her growt h
from humble beginnings in 1854 t o our own
day.
ago. The few Cat holics in Marlborough in t he
year 1850 did not have a church in t he
communit y. They were required t o walk or
ride t o Worcest er or Saxonville if t hey
want ed t o at t end Mass. So, t hey hailed t he
opport unit y t o celebrat e t he first Cat holic
Mass in Marlborough as a very special and a
very blessed event . That first Mass was said
aft er our Cat holic ancest ors sent out an
urgent appeal for t he services of a priest . In
answer t o t hat appeal, Rev. George
Hamilt on, past or of St . George s Parish in
Saxonville came t o Marlborough one Sat urday
in Oct ober 1850. He heard confessions and
t he next morning he celebrat ed Mass at t he
home of William Brewin on South Street.
The second Mass in Marlborough was t he fruit
of an organized hunt for t he services of a
priest , since Fat her Hamilt on was unable t o
come t o Marlborough. Christ mas, 1850, was
drawing near and t he Cat holics in
Marlborough were great ly dismayed at t he
prospect of observing t he Feast of t he Birt h
of our Lord wit hout Mass. They formed a
committee to go to Worcester to find a priest
In Marlborough t oday a Cat holic may
convenient ly sat isfy his obligat ion t o hear
Mass at one of t wo Cat holic Churches.
At t ending Mass was more difficult 154 years
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who would be free t o celebrat e Mass. The
hunt ended when t he commit t ee finally
present ed it self t o Fat her Mulledy at Holy
Cross College. The good Jesuit Fat her could
not resist t he earnest ness of t he appeal and
t hereby grant ed t heir request .
Fat her
Mulledy celebrat ed t he first Christ mas Mass
in Marlborough in t he home of William
Brewin. The next priest t o visit Marlborough
was Rev. Napoleon Mignault of Webst er.
Father Mignault celebrated two Masses during
t he wint er of 1850-1851 in a home on Lincoln
Street. A small number of Irish and French
families at t ended t he services, and Fat her
Mignault preached bot h in French and
English.
Marlborough began t o express forcefully t heir
desire for a church. They called a meet ing
t o discuss means of raising a building fund.
How t o finance such a proj ect was quit e a
problem as t he wages of workingmen were
only $1.00 a day. Father Farrelly encouraged
t he plan and promised t hey could build when
t hey had accumulat ed $1,000. Meanwhile, a
more pressing concern present ed it self, and
that was to obtain a suitable temporary place
of worship. A privat e house was now t oo
small t o hold t he fait hful. A request was
made t o obt ain t he Town Hall for t his
purpose. The selectmen, thinking that public
opinion would severely condemn them if they
grant ed t he request of t he Cat holics, refused
at first .
But a subsequent request was
grant ed. It was believed by many Cat holics
t hat t he request was init ially denied because
non-Cat holics viewed t he Cat holics as
intruders.
In 1851 t he Catholics of Marlborough were
encouraged by t he promise t hat t hey could
expect t o have Mass once a mont h. In t hat
year Fat her John Farrelly, successor t o
Father George Hamilt on at St . George s
Parish in Saxonville, visit ed Marlborough. He
found such an increase in t he populat ion t hat
he felt it his dut y t o make Mass and t he
sacrament s available every mont h. He said
t he first mont hly Mass on March 17, 1851 at
t he home of William Brewin. Because it was
such a fine day, it was decided t o
accommodat e t he large congregat ion at an
out door Mass. An alt ar was erect ed under a
t ree. As t he Irish congregat ion knelt before
t he alt ar t hat day, t hey were convinced t hat
t he great Saint Pat rick had not forgot t en
t hem.
Knowing how harsh old-fashioned
wint ers were, it seemed incredible t hat Mass
was said out doors, but t he Irish have proven
so oft en t hat a bit of weat her can never chill
t he ardor of t heir devot ion t o t he pat ron
saint of Ireland. Fait hful t o his promise
Fat her Farrelly saw t o it t hat Mass was said
each mont h at t he home of Lawrence Carey
on Lincoln Street.
About
1852
t he
Cat holic
people
Two years passed before members of t he
congregat ion gat hered enough money t o buy
a plot of land on Mount Pleasant Hill, now
Charles Street. This was to be the site of the
new church.
On July 12, 1854, Fat her
Farrelly purchased t he land from Lambert
and Emily Bigelow for t he sum of one
hundred and fift y dollars and work began on
t he church. Every available workingman in
t he parish volunt eered t o help wit h building
t he church. The cornerst one was laid August
15, 1854, the Feast of the Assumption, and in
November 1854 Fat her Farrelly celebrat ed
t he first Mass in t he church. It was a small,
humble edifice, but every heart in t he
congregat ion t hrobbed wit h pride and j oy t o
hear t he sound of t he consecrat ion bell
wit hin t he sacred walls of t he church t hey
had built . Fat her Farrelly s int ent ion was t o
name the church after his favorite Irish saint,
Saint Columba, but at t he dedicat ion service
on May 15, 1855 Bishop John Fit zpat rick
named t he church Immaculat e Concept ion in
of
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honor of t he Blessed Virgin Mary. It was an
appropriat e t it le, since t he lit t le church was
built during t he same year t hat Pope Pius IX
infallibly pronounced t he dogma of t he
Immaculate Conception.
Fat her Conlin t o t he Marlborough School
Committee.
No priest was more loved by his flock t han
Fat her Conlin, so it was a shock t o t he parish
when he was reassigned in January 1869 t o
t he past orat e of Bridgewat er. He already
had t he plans drawn for t he new church on
Prospect St reet and had st art ed work on
laying the foundation.
Fat her Farrelly was t ransferred t o Milford in
December 1854. The Bishop appoint ed Rev.
John Walsh t o t ake his place as past or of St .
George s Parish in Saxonville. Fat her Walsh
was a man of excellent foresight . In 1856 he
bought t wo and one-half acres of land on
Gat es Hill for a parish cemet ery. Unt il t hat
t ime, Cat holics in Marlborough were obliged
t o go as far as Hopkint on or Worcest er t o
bury t heir dead. In 1862 when he saw t hat
t he Cat holics in Marlborough were increasing
in such numbers t hat t heir lit t le church
would soon be inadequat e, he purchased t he
plot of land on Prospect St reet which marks
t he present sit e of our church. He looked
forward t o building a new and larger church.
At this point, however, parish members made
an appeal t o Bishop Fit zpat rick for a resident
priest at Immaculat e Concept ion Parish. The
Bishop grant ed t heir request and appoint ed
Rev. John A. Conlin as t he first past or of
Immaculat e Concept ion Parish in January
1864 wit h Maynard, St ow, Hudson and
Southborough as missions.
Rev. Michael Maguire
1869-1870
On his first Sunday as past or, Fat her Maguire
introduced himself t o t he congregat ion and
announced t he financial condit ion of t he
parish. The mort gage on t he old church was
not yet paid, and t here was no money t o
continue building t he new church. To raise
t he funds needed t o carry on const ruct ion,
he visit ed t he Cat holic households and t he
shops and succeeded in collect ing $20,000.
In 1869, a church fair net t ed several
t housand dollars t owards t he building fund.
Fat her Maguire was now ready t o move
forward with construction of the church.
The foundat ion of our church is made of
quarried st one. Fat her Conlin planned t o
also build t he walls of t he church of t his
stone. Father Maguire believed however t hat
t here was t oo much delay in get t ing delivery
of t he st one. He t herefore decided t o build
t he superst ruct ure in brick. He had a good
deal of experience in building.
Before
coming t o Marlborough he had been at t ached
t o t he Buffalo, New York Diocese. In t hat
diocese he had built a church at Lima, New
York, and a church and school at bot h Mt .
Morris and Genesee, New York. He was
det ermined t o complet e const ruct ion of t he
new Immaculat e Concept ion Church. To aid
him in his work he asked t he Bishop for an
assist ant . The Bishop appoint ed Reverend J.
Rev. John A. Conlin
1864 1869
Fat her Conlin, born in
Ireland, was a man from t he
ranks of labor.
Before
ent ering t he seminary he
had worked as a shoemaker.
He was dedicat ed t o upholding t he right of
his people t o polit ical and social recognit ion.
He formed a societ y called t he Irish Union
to educate his parishioners of their rights and
dut ies as cit izens.
It was a powerful
organizat ion and it succeeded in elect ing
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Cosson, a French-Canadian, and he proved t o
be a valuable assist ant in caring for t he
French Cat holics, whose numbers in t he
parish were increasing rapidly.
Father Maguire was greatly loved by all under
his j urisdict ion. He was a man of delicat e
physique and his healt h broke under t he
st rain of his endeavor. He went t o Florida t o
recover but died t here on December 8, 1870,
at t he age of fort y-four.
His body was
returned to Immaculate Conception for burial
in our parish cemetery.
Fat her Maguire not only had great abilit y as a
builder, but even great er abilit y as a moneyraiser. The cost of t he new church was
$60,000. In less t han t wo years he had
almost complet ed t he work of const ruct ion,
and at t he same t ime raised $45,000 t o meet
t he debt .
Much of his success can be
at t ribut ed t o t he fact t hat t he parish had
out grown it s lit t le church and t he
parishioners ent husiast ically endorsed t he
plan t o rebuild.
Furt hermore, t he lit t le
church on Mount Pleasant Hill had recently
been damaged when st ruck by a bolt of
light ning. Nevert heless, t he accumulat ion of
so large a sum in so short a t ime was t ruly a
great accomplishment , especially in a period
when wages were so pit ifully low, and a
working-man was paid only $12.00 a week. It
could only have been done by a parish
animated by a great spirit of sacrifice.
Rev. John Delahunty
1871 1876
Rev.
John
Delahunt y
succeeded Fat her Maguire in
January 1871 and soon won
t he affect ion of his flock. One of his first
act s was t o purchase a parcel of land and a
small parochial residence locat ed bet ween
Washingt on and Grant Court s.
He t hen
t urned his at t ent ion t o decorat ing t he church
int erior wit h a beaut iful oil paint ing of t he
Immaculat e Concept ion, which he brought
from Spain. Bishop Williams dedicat ed t he
new church on July 30, 1871. In his remarks,
he said the people of the parish certainly had
reason t o be proud, for t hey had erect ed a
church
unsurpassed
in
it s
maj est ic
proportions by any in the town, and by few in
the state.
Serving t he needs of Cat holics in t he Town of
Hudson, at t his t ime, was t he responsibilit y
of Fat her Maguire, since Hudson was a
mission of Immaculat e Concept ion Parish.
Fat her Maguire was not long at Immaculat e
Concept ion when he assembled t he Cat holics
in Hudson and t old t hem he int ended t o
purchase land on Maple St reet in Hudson and
erect a small church. He asked for t he
parishioners assist ance and gained it .
Wit hin a year, in February 1870, t he
complet ed church was dedicat ed t o t he
service of God, under t he pat ronage of St .
Michael, by t he Right Rev. Bishop John J.
Williams (lat er Archbishop). In 1870, t he
French Cat holics at Immaculat e Concept ion
also request ed a parish of t heir own, St .
Mary s, and t heir request was grant ed by
Bishop Williams.
During Fat her Delahunt y s five years in
Marlborough he raised $20,000 t o clear t he
parish debt . In 1876 he was t ransferred t o
St. Francis de Sales Parish, Roxbury.
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Rev. James B. Donegan
1876 - 1886
beaut y of t he new church by adding a bell
t ower surmount ed by a loft y spire. The bell
was christ ened Pet rus in honor of t he
pastor.
Appoint ed past or in April
1876, Rev. James B. Donegan
came from St. James Church,
Boston.
He was born in
Ireland and came t o t his
country about 1866.
Genial, bluff and
hospit able by nat ure, he gat hered his people
about him as a loving fat her would his dot ing
children. Like Fat her Conlin before him, he
was much concerned for t he civic as well as
t he spirit ual welfare of his flock.
To
safeguard t heir int erest s, he served nine
years on t he Marlborough School Commit t ee.
He considerably enlarged t he parish
cemet ery by acquiring addit ional land on Mt .
Pleasant Hill.
The parish lost a wise
counselor and a t rue shepherd of souls when
he died in February 1886 at t he age of fort yeight.
He also bought addit ional land and had
erect ed on it a spacious rect ory. Fat her
McKenna was a priest who applied his skills
t o a wide range of act ivities. He est ablished
t he Marlborough St ar, a bi-weekly parish
publicat ion which he edit ed for t he good of
religion
and
t he
encouragement
of
t emperance. He will be remembered for his
insight ful sermons and brilliant lect ures. His
reput at ion as a preacher brought him
invit at ions t o address gat herings all over t he
count ry. He was somet imes called t he pulpit
orat or of New England. Father McKenna died
in Oct ober 1896. On t he day of his funeral,
t he shops, schools and places of business
closed. The church was filled t o capacit y
and many st ood out side for t he service. All
religious denominat ions were represented.
He is buried in Immaculat e Concept ion
cemetery.
Rev. Peter A. McKenna
1886 - 1896
Rev. Pet er A. McKenna was
init ially
assigned
to
Immaculat e
Conception
Parish as an assist ant t o
Fat her Delahunt y from 1870 t o 1876. During
t hose years he had great ly endeared himself
t o t he Immaculat e Concept ion Parish by his
int erest in t he act ivit ies of t he young people
and his devot ed at t ent ion t o t he elderly and
t he sick. In January 1876, Hudson was made
a parish and Fat her McKenna had been sent
t here as t he first past or.
The sadness
occasioned by t he deat h of Fat her Donegan
was relieved when it was learned t hat Fat her
McKenna was ret urning t o Immaculate
Concept ion as past or. Marlborough welcomed
his return after an absence of ten years.
In his first year as past or of Immaculat e
Concept ion, Fat her McKenna enhanced t he
Rev. Thomas B. Lowney
1896 - 1929
Rev. Thomas B. Lowney
replaced Fat her McKenna as
pastor
of
Immaculat e
Concept ion Parish. The parish
is great ly indebt ed t o Fat her
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Lowney. He had a deep int erest in providing
a Cat holic educat ion for t he children. In
1910, on t he grounds of t he rect ory, he built
a magnificent parochial school and a convent
for t he Sist ers of St . Joseph whom he invit ed
to staff the school.
Father Lowney died in 1929 at t he parish
house, age 86, aft er a five week illness. He
is buried in t he Immaculat e Concept ion
Cemetery.
Rev. Msgr. James J. Phalan
1929 - 1932
Rev. James J. Phalan, lat er
named Monsignor, succeeded
Fat her Lowney.
Fat her
Phalan s st ay in Marlborough
was less t han t hree years.
They were t he years of t he Great Depression
when t here was a t went y-five percent
unemployment rat e and t hose who were
fort unat e enough t o have a j ob, had t o t ake
wage cut s. Fat her Phalan devot ed himself
wholeheart edly t o t he work of t he St .
Vincent de Paul Society seeking to relieve the
dist ress of t he unemployed.
Gent le and
unassuming by nat ure he is remembered for
his count less act s of charit y. In 1932 he left
Marlborough t o become t he past or of St .
Joseph s Parish, Somerville.
Tall in st at ure, very dist inguished in bearing,
a bit st ern of feat ures, priest ly in conduct ,
he always commanded at t ent ion when he
appeared on t he scene.
Fat her Lowney
direct ed t he act ivit ies of t he parish for
thirty-t hree years.
He made many
renovat ions in t he parish, saying, There is
nothing t oo good for t he Lord . Because he
played such a predominant role in t he lives
of his parishioners during t hat long span of
years, he has become a legendary figure.
Rev. John J. Fletcher
1932 - 1943
The great event in Fat her Lowney s life,
after ordination, came on his 50th anniversary
of ordinat ion.
The parish gave Fat her
Lowney a celebrat ion, one of t he great est
demonst rat ions of love and affect ion ever
given t o a person in t he vicinit y. It was
observed in Pastime Hall on December 18 and
19, 1924. Dist inguished guest s reminisced
about being an alt ar boy during Father
Lowney s t enure as past or. Ot hers said t hat
he was always willing t o do anyt hing that
would help some poor fellow who had strayed
from t he pat h t hat leads t o goodness. It was
obvious t hat Fat her Lowney cont ribut ed
much t o his adopt ed cit y, whet her money or
moral support .
He loved t he people of
Marlborough and t he people of Marlborough
loved him in return.
Rev. John J. Flet cher
followed Fat her Phalan. It
was during his past orat e
t hat
New
England
experienced
it s
first
hurricane in 1938.
The
st orm t ook a t errific t oll in
Marlborough,
and
t he
great est casualt y was t he
steeple (bell t ower and loft y spire) of
Immaculat e
Concept ion
Church
which
crashed under t he st rain of t he hurricane
winds.
Fat her Flet cher immediat ely
proposed a fund-raising campaign t o repair
t he damage.
He considered it unwise
however t o build so t all a spire again and
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t herefore used a much short er spire t o cap
the tower. The abbreviated spire gave a new
look t o t he church but insured t he church
against furt her hurricane damage.
The
recurrence of hurricanes, wit hout damage t o
t he new st eeple, has since proved t he
wisdom of his design.
Rev. Msgr. John J. Phelan
1943 - 1952
His
Eminence,
William
Cardinal
O Connell,
appoint ed Rev. John J.
Phelan,
Past or
of
St .
Joseph s Church in Kingst on,
t o succeed Fat her Flet cher.
The Immaculat e Concept ion
Church was now sevent yt hree years old, and ext ensive repairs and
improvement s were needed. Aware of t his,
Fat her Phelan first undert ook t o rest ore t he
lower church: new columns were erect ed t o
bear t he weight of t he upper church, new
light ing fixt ures were inst alled, a new
lit urgical alt ar replaced t he old one, and t he
ent ire int erior was beaut ifully decorat ed,
t hus giving t he parish t he Mary Chapel of
which it was so fond. Deeply concerned as
he was for t he rest orat ion of t he church
propert y, he showed even great er concern
for t he spirit ual development of t he school
children.
He was a daily visit or at his
parochial school, and t he children eagerly
awaited his visit.
Throughout
his years at
Immaculate
Concept ion, Fat her Flet cher demonstrated
great int erest in t he welfare of t he young
people of t he parish and in t heir Cat holic
educat ion. He always encouraged and
assist ed t he st udent s in t heir pursuit of
continued educat ion in high school and
college. His int erest in t he children and his
kindness and concern for members of t he
parish and for people in general earned him
great respect and friendship. In 1943, Father
Flet cher was assigned as past or of t he
Immaculat e Concept ion Parish in Malden.
Members of t he parish were saddened t o see
him leave.
An event of pride and love for t he Cat holic
Church occurred on t he weekend of Oct ober
3, 1947. A gigant ic holy hour for members of
t he nat ional Holy Name Societ y, which was
meet ing in Bost on, was conduct ed on t he
evening of Oct ober 3 at Braves Field wit h
Archbishop Cushing (later Cardinal) giving the
main address. The Holy Cross College and
Bost on College bands part icipat ed.
On
Sunday, Oct ober 5, more t han 125,000 Holy
Name members marched down Beacon St reet
in Bost on, led by Archbishop Cushing. The
t hree Marlborough Cat holic churches had five
hundred marchers in t he parade, led by t he
Akroyd-Houde Post , American Legion Drum
Corps and St . Ann s Band. The Immaculat e
Conception delegat ion was led by Fat her
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James Glennon. Hundreds of Marlborough
people were among t he est imat ed one
million who wat ched t he parade, which
last ed more t han eight hours. It was a very
proud moment in t he hist ory of t he
Archdiocese of Boston.
ready for use in Sept ember 1956.
More
parish children were now able t o obt ain a
Catholic education.
Fat her Phelan was appoint ed past or of Saint
Ann s Church, Dorchest er in Sept ember 1952
and later elevated to Monsignor.
Rev. Msgr. Henry J. Evers
1952 - 1967
In Sept ember 1952, Rev.
Henry J. Evers, Past or of
t he St ar of t he Sea Parish in
Salisbury, was appoint ed t o
succeed Fat her
Phelan.
Before
ent ering
t he
seminary in 1924, Fat her Evers served t hree
years in t he U.S. Navy in World War I and
t hen at t ended Bost on College. Aft er arriving
in Marlboro, he soon embarked on an
ambit ious plan t o enlarge bot h t he
Immaculat e Concept ion School and t he
convent t hat housed t he Sist ers of Saint
Joseph nuns, who taught at the school.
Reverend Thomas J. Curt in, a curat e at
Immaculat e Concept ion, had big plans in
1964 for t he boys and girls of Marlborough.
He, along wit h many adult volunt eers in t he
parish and t hroughout t he cit y formed an
ecumenical drum corps and drill t eam. The
drum corps and drill t eam, 200 boys and
girls, were known as t he Ecumen and
Ecumenet t es.
Financial support was
essent ial for such a large undert aking, so t he
organizers sponsored a t hree day Immaculate
Concept ion Lit t le World s Fair in July 1964.
Word of t his program for t he benefit of area
yout h spread t hroughout t he cit y and
surrounding communit ies.
Thanks t o t he
generosit y of many, t he Fair was a huge
success. The needed financial foot ing was in
place t o pay for uniforms and inst rument s.
Rehearsals began in t he Spring of 1965, and
t he sound of music quickly spread t hroughout
t he vicinit y of t he Immaculat e Concept ion
School grounds.
Aft er many hours of
rehearsals, t he t wo unit s were ready t o enter
compet it ion in t he CYO and Mayflower Drum
and Drill Team Circuit s.
Much t o t he
amazement of many, bot h unit s t ook first
place honors in t heir very first compet it ion.
This was t ruly an except ional and
encouraging achievement . The boys and girls
in t he unit s were t hrilled, as were Fat her
The property of a coal company at the corner
of Washingt on and Prospect St reet s was
select ed as t he sit e for t he new school. It
was purchased in 1953 by t he Archdiocese.
The new school was t o house Grades 5
t hrough 8 and it s est imat ed cost was
$350,000. The building plans also included a
parish hall. Archbishop Cushing officiat ed at
a special Mass at Immaculat e Concept ion in
December 1954 t o celebrat e t he 100th
Anniversary of t he dedicat ion of Immaculat e
Conception Parish in 1854. The Archbishop
announced at t he Mass, at t ended by 1500
people, t hat const ruct ion of t he new school
would soon begin. Bot h t he new school and
t he enlarged convent were complet ed and
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Curt in, t he managers, inst ruct ors, parent s
and the City of Marlborough.
Marlborough and surrounding communit ies.
They demonst rat ed in a Christ ian way t he
good t hat
can come from act ively
participating in worthwhile causes.
By t he end of t he season in Sept ember 1965,
t he Drum Corps and Drill Team had won
everything there was to win in their first year
in t he Class C circuit . They t ook bot h CYO
and Mayflower championships, out performing
every drum corps and drill t eam in t he
Archdiocese of Bost on.
Unit s from
Weymout h, St ought on, Hull, Tewksbury,
Franklin, Dorchest er, Charlest own, Lynn,
Lowell, Lawrence, Wakefield and West
Roxbury had all been defeat ed by t he
Immaculat e
Concept ion
Ecumen
and
Ecumenet t es.
As a result of t heir
performance, t he unit s were elevat ed from
Class C t o Class B for 1966.
In 1962, Pope John XXIII direct ed t hat a
Council of Cardinals and Bishops examine
modern condit ions of fait h and religious
pract ices in t he Cat holic Church.
He
described t he work of t he Council as
opening t he Church s windows t o let in a
breat h of fresh air. Called Vat ican II, t he
Council held periodic sessions in Rome under
t wo Popes during t he period 1962 - 1965.
Reforms in t he Church brought about by
Vatican II had a profound and posit ive impact
on t he Immaculat e Concept ion Parish as well
as t he Cat holic Church t hroughout t he world.
Lay persons were encouraged t o become
act ively involved in church affairs as
Eucharist ic minist ers, lect ors, parish council
and finance council members. There was an
outgrowth of church lay minist ries t hat
focused on t he lit urgy, feeding the poor, civil
right s, helping t he infirm, speaking out on
injust ice and t he right t o life, and
emphasizing t o elected officials t he
importance of legislat ion t hat did not
infringe on people s God given rights.
The names Ecumen and Ecumenet t es were
changed in 1966 t o t he Dukes and Duchesses.
Also, in 1966, Junior Dukes and Duchesses
unit s were est ablished for 250 younger boys
and girls ages 8 t o 12, bringing t o 450 t he
number of children in t he program. The new
unit s served as a feeder corps for t he Senior
Dukes and Duchesses.
More inst ruct ors,
managers, and moms and dads were added to
t he program.
The Junior Duchesses unit
capt ured in 1966 t he CYO Music Fest ival
Championship, and t he Junior Drum Corps
was runner up in t he drum corps division of
t he same event . All four unit s won t he CYO
Championship in 1967 and t he Junior
Duchesses also won t he Mayflower Circuit
Championship. The Senior Unit s received t he
t hrill of a life t ime when t hey were invit ed
and marched in t he 1968 St . Pat rick s Day
Parade in New York City.
The effort s of Fat her Thomas Curt in and t he
volunt eer
adult s who
managed
and
chaperoned t he Dukes and Duchess through
t his glorious period in parish hist ory will long
be remembered by t he resident s of
Celebrat ion of t he lit urgy, under Vat ican II,
would hencefort h be in t he language of t he
people rat her t han in Lat in. The alt ar was
relocat ed in t he sanct uary so t hat t he priest
could face t he congregat ion during t he
-9-
lit urgy. There was a renewed emphasis on
t he import ance of Bible reading and st udy,
lit urgical music, and act ive congregat ion
part icipat ion in t he Mass. The Church also
recognized t he import ance and t he benefit s
of an ecumenical movement t o unit e all
Christ ians. Due t o Vat ican II, t he Church is
now referred t o as t he people, and not as an
institution.
Fat her Evers at Immaculat e Concept ion in
t he 1960's, soon recognized aft er arriving in
Marlborough t hat a number of t een-age boys
well known to the Marlborough police needed
some direct ion in bot h t heir social and
spirit ual lives. The boys were frequently
t ruant from school, used vulgar language,
and had been charged by t he police wit h
vandalism. Fat her Daily and a group of five
men began t o ment or t he boys in basket ball,
boxing and swimming. He even caj oled a
professional boxer int o t eaching t hem t he
finer point s of boxing. While all t his was
happening, Fat her Daily began t eaching t he
boys t he good t hat can come from knowing
and pract icing t he Ten Commandment s. Not
all in t he communit y were happy wit h t he
soft approach used by Fat her Daily, but his
caring concern seemed t o t ouch God s spirit
in each of t he boys. It would be inaccurat e
t o say t hat all problems were solved, but
progress was made and perhaps a few souls
saved. Fat her Daily, t hrough his work wit h
boys and immigrant s wit h language and
economic problems, became affect ionat ely
known in t he parish as Fat her St . Vincent de
Paul Daily.
He remained at Immaculat e
Concept ion, helping people in need, until
volunteering for the Society of St. James. He
was assigned t o Peru in 1967, where,
alongside
our
own
Fat her
Rudolph
Masciarelli, he cont inued his work of helping
people in need.
The many societ ies in t he parish at t he t ime
were ready t o assist and support t he effort s
of Fat her Evers, t he curat es and t he nuns as
Immaculat e
Concept ion
prepared
to
implement t he reforms of Vat ican II.
Members of t he Holy Rosary Societ y at t ended
wakes and recit ed t he rosary. They also
served as honor guards at funerals and met at
church weekly t o recit e t he rosary. The
Newman Club produced and held minstrel
shows t o ent ert ain members of t he parish
and t he cit y. The Ace of Clubs assist ed in
coordinating parish programs and event s. All
t hree societ ies were for female members of
t he parish, and t hey raised funds for parish
needs. The Saint Jude Guild raised funds and
collected clot hing for t he poor and homeless.
The School Parent s Associat ion assist ed at
t he school and raised money for t he benefit
of t he school.
The Holy Name Societ y,
consist ing of adult male members of t he
parish, professed reverence for t he Name of
Jesus Christ . Immaculat e Concept ion had a
large Holy Name Societ y. They received Holy
Communion as a body and met as a group in
t he school hall. Because of t he int erest ing
guest speakers at t heir meet ings and dinners
and t he cohesiveness of t he group, many
parish members were at t ract ed t o t he
Society. They engaged in numerous activities
for t he bet t erment of t he parish. The above
societ ies were, in effect , t he forerunners of
ministries created by Vatican II.
Fat her Evers was appoint ed a Monsignor
while at Immaculat e Concept ion.
This
recognition of Father Evers by the Archbishop
pleased members of t he parish who
appreciat ed his many accomplishment s while
at Immaculat e Concept ion: He doubled t he
t ot al number of st udent s enrolled in t he
parish school; provided spirit ual, social,
educat ional and at hlet ic opport unit ies for
t he yout h of t he parish; renovat ed t he
church, rect ory and convent inside and out ;
Rev. Vincent Daily, a young curat e under
-10-
and fost ered a cohesive, spirit ual and loving
feeling t hroughout t he parish. He ret ired, at
age 75, in November 1967, while past or at
Immaculat e Concept ion.
He lived his
remaining days at Regina Cleary House in
Boston, and communicat ed frequent ly wit h
his many friends in Marlboro.
Rev. Msgr. William
Sullivan
1967 - 1971
March 4, 1910, t he son of John and Margaret
Meehan. He graduat ed from Bost on College
in 1931. He was ordained in December 1936
by t he Most Reverend John McNamara at
Roland Park, Balt imore, MD.
Aft er
ordinat ion, Msgr. Meehan pursued furt her
st udies at t he Cat holic Universit y of America
for four years. He later served on the faculty
of Saint John s Seminary and several ot her
Cat holic educat ional inst it ut ions. He was
named a monsignor in 1961.
P.
Rev. Monsignor William P.
Sullivan was appointed the
past or
of
Immaculat e
Concept ion Parish in November 1967,
succeeding Rev. Monsignor Henry Evers.
Monsignor Sullivan was ordained in May 1939
and elevat ed t o Monsignor in 1964. Prior t o
coming t o Immaculat e Concept ion, he had
served as Chaplain at Met ropolit an St at e
Hospit al in Walt ham.
At Immaculat e
Concept ion, Msgr. Sullivan worked t o keep
t he parish school in operat ion while under
some severe financial const raint s.
Cost s
were rising and fewer nuns were available for
t eaching in t he school.
Lay t eachers
replaced t he depart ing nuns. This was a
difficult t ime for many parochial schools,
some had t o event ually close. When Msgr.
Sullivan t ransferred from t he parish in 1971,
t he school was operat ional, but rising cost s
remained a concern for t he parish and t he
Archdiocese.
Rev.
Msgr.
Meehan
1971 - 1985
Francis
Soon aft er being appoint ed past or at
Immaculat e Concept ion, Fat her Meehan was
not ified by t he Archdiocese t hat t he financial
plight at Immaculat e Concept ion could result
in t he closing of t he parish school. Not
want ing t o close t he school, Fat her Meehan
enlist ed t he counsel and support of t he
Parent / Teacher Associat ion, members of t he
parish, and cit y officials. A vot e was t aken
by parishioners in February 1972 and t hey
overwhelmingly support ed keeping t he school
open.
The decision reached by Fat her
Meehan and the Archdiocese was: moderately
raise t uit ion, lease space in t he upper school
at t he corner of Washingt on and Prospect
St reet s t o t he Cit y of Marlborough for much
needed public school classrooms and
administ rat ive offices, relocat e Immaculat e
Concept ion upper school st udent s t o t he
Washingt on St reet School, and implement a
number of volunt eer fund raising proj ect s t o
help fund t he school.
Thanks t o Fat her
Meehan and many ot her concerned people in
t he parish and t he cit y, t he Immaculat e
Conception School remained open, continuing
t o provide a first class Cat holic educat ion for
the children of the parish.
X.
Rev. Monsignor Francis X.
Meehan
was
appoint ed
past or
of
Immaculat e
Concept ion
Parish
on
October 12, 1971. One of six
children, he was born in Jamaica Plain on
In 1972, Fat her Meehan began implement ing
some changes dict at ed by Vat ican II. He
est ablished a parish council. Members of t he
council reviewed lit urgical, educat ional,
financial, and social programs in t he parish.
-11-
The council not only offered suggest ions for
improvement s, but it s members assist ed in
implement ing change. This new, innovative
approach t o involving lay parish members in
t he det ails of how a parish funct ions was
viewed by some conservat ive clergy as
unnecessary and a dangerous precedent .
Many of t he clergy, however, viewed it as a
dawn of enlight enment . Fat her Meehan and
his associat e clergy were members of t he
latter group.
t he Mass sought by Vat ican II. In t oday s
Mass, t he congregat ion is now encouraged t o
act ively become more engaged in t he
proceedings. The movement from a passive
t o act ive assembly hopefully creat ed a new
dynamic in Mass attendance.
A landmark court decision in 1973 set
Marlborough, a normally quiet communit y, in
t he nat ional spot light . The U. S. Supreme
Court ruled, in Roe vs. Wade, t hat st at e laws
could not forbid a woman from having an
abort ion during t he first t hree mont hs of
pregnancy. Also, t hat during t he second
t hree mont hs t he st at e could regulat e
abort ions only t o prot ect a woman s healt h.
This landmark decision voided ant i-abortion
laws of nearly every st at e. Support ers of
abort ion almost immediat ely began t o
est ablish abort ion clinics t hroughout t he
count ry. Marlborough was ment ioned as a
possible sit e for such a clinic. Members of
t he clergy in Marlborough and a number of
cit izens support ed a Cit y Council proposed
legislat ive ban on abort ion clinics in t he cit y.
Fat her John Roussin, an associat e past or at
Immaculat e Concept ion, voiced his support
for t he ban. This brought t o Marlborough on
June 29, 1974 and again on July 7, Bill Baird,
t he organizer of t he nat ional Right t o Choose
movement . He and several of his followers
marched in front of t he church holding
confront at ional banners and placards during
Mass, and t hey t hen picket ed t he rect ory. A
verbal exchange between the Right to Choose
support ers and a group of Marlborough
resident s grew heat ed. Police arrived and
quickly quelled t he dist urbance.
Father
Roussin, support ed by Msgr. Meehan,
remained firm in his support for the proposed
ban on a clinic in Marlboro.
He also
quest ioned t he propriet y of a request by a
Marlboro resident and Bill Baird support er of
abort ion t o have her child bapt ized in t he
Immaculate Conception Church. This brought
Fat her Meehan also designat ed members of
t he parish lait y as Eucharist ic Minist ers who
assist t he clergy in dist ribut ing communion.
Lectors were also appointed to read Scripture
and announcement s from t he lect ern. These
changes were revolut ionary in t he Church
and t hus were int roduced at Immaculat e
Conception t hought fully and aft er proper
t raining. The t ransit ion brought about by
Vat ican II was smoot h, and achieved an
obj ect ive of Vat ican II -- t o recruit lay
persons t o be act ively involved in t he lit urgy
and ot her aspect s of church life.
The
Church, once viewed as t he clergy only, was
now considered the clergy and the laity.
Vat ican II had challenging t imes for t he
Church musicians, including t hose of t he
Immaculat e Concept ion Parish. The mandat e
for more part icipat ion of t he lait y in Mass
creat ed a necessit y for a new body of
singable music t o be writ t en in t he language
of t he people, in our case, English. The preVat ican II experience was more of a list ening
congregat ion,
while
t he
choir
and
accompanist , usually an organist performed
t he music in Lat in. Biblical st udies in t he
Cat holic Church creat ed a wealt h of
inspirat ion for lit urgical composers and
t hereby, creat ed an abundance of new
lit urgical hymns t hat could be sung in t he
language of t he communit y. This facilit at ed
act ive part icipat ion of t he congregat ion in
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Bill Baird and his support ers back t o
Marlborough on Tuesday, August 20, 1974,
where t he child was bapt ized on t he front
st eps of t he church by a Roman Cat holic
Jesuit priest from New York who was
associat ed wit h an organizat ion called
Cat holics for Free Choice. It was report ed in
t he newspapers t hat t he priest was
subsequent ly sanct ioned by t he Jesuit Order.
An abort ion clinic was never est ablished in
Marlborough.
past oral dut ies, Fat her Meehan found t he
t ime t o propose and sponsor many Cat holic
educat ional opport unit ies for adult s of t he
parish. This enabled t he adult s t o obt ain a
deeper knowledge and underst anding of
Scripture, doct rines and core values of t he
Church. Genesis II, Bible st udy and Lay
Minist ry t raining were but a few. Through
t his t raining, t he adult s were able t o bet t er
underst and and part icipat e in t he spirit ual
act ivit ies of t he parish. They also gained
sufficient confidence t o t each in t he parish s
religious educat ion t raining programs and t o
get t o bet t er know, appreciat e, and enj oy
t he many t alent s and skills of ot her parish
members. Social event s were import ant t o
Fat her Meehan as well. Parishioners looked
forward t o t he many dinner/ dances, church
bazaars, picnics at Camp Marian, choir
concert s and ot her enj oyable, family event s.
A young Church group known as Chi-Rho, ages
18-30 , wit h Fat her Bruce Flannagan as it s
spirit ual direct or was very act ive in planning
social, spirit ual and service event s in t he
parish. The mix of spirit ual, educat ional and
social act ivit ies result ed in a cohesive parish
for young and old.
In response t o a proliferat ion of abortions
t hroughout t he count ry, a parish Respect Life
Commit t ee was init iat ed at Immaculat e
Concept ion in 1979. This was done wit h t he
encouragement and cont inued support of
Fat her Meehan. It s focus was t o educat e
parishioners regarding t he value of all human
life. From it s incept ion t o t he present , the
Respect Life Commit t ee has sponsored
speakers at seminars and religious educat ion
present at ions. It s members also t ake part in
t he annual Respect Life peaceful march of
more t han 100,000 in Washingt on, D.C. The
Commit t ee
dist ribut es
Respect
Life
informat ion t o t he public, and has
cont ribut ed funds t o t he format ion of a
homeless shelt er in Marlborough and t o
Respect Life pregnancy counseling services.
Members of t he commit t ee also monit or t he
vot ing records of st at e and nat ional elect ed
officials regarding abort ion issues. Wit h t he
support of t he clergy and lait y at Immaculat e
Concept ion over t he years, t he Respect Life
Commit t ee has st eadfast ly st ood up for t he
God given rights of the unborn.
The Parish celebrat ed t he 125th anniversary
of t he founding of t he parish at a reunion
held on June 9, 1979, at t he Navin Skat ing
Rink.
Father Meehan, at age 74, was reassigned in
February 1985 as Chaplain of St . Pat rick s
Manor in Framingham.
Rev. Paul J. McLaughlin
1985 - 2001
Throughout his fourt een years at Immaculat e
Concept ion, Fat her Meehan worked t irelessly
t o develop and maint ain a vibrant , informed,
loving parish. His effort s led t o a number of
parish act ivit ies: spirit ual, educat ional and
social. While immersed in t he educat ion of
t he children of t he parish and his many ot her
In February 1985,
t he
dynamics of
Immaculat e
Concept ion Parish changed
wit h t he inst allat ion of a
new pastor, Reverend Paul J.
-13-
McLaughlin. Fat her McLaughlin grew up in
Sout h Bost on, at t ended Cat holic schools
t here, and ent ered t he seminary in Bright on.
He was ordained in 1955.
Prior t o his
appoint ment as past or at Immaculat e
Concept ion, he was past or of St . Pet er s
Parish in Lowell.
Fat her McLaughlin and now Fat her MacEwen,
assist ant clergy, parishioners who assist ed
financially and t hose who volunt eered t heir
t ime and,
of
course,
t he st udent s
t hemselves.
All have shown t remendous
pride in t he school and a willingness t o work
for its betterment. It is this kind of teamwork
t hat has sust ained t he school since it s
inception in 1911.
When
Fat her
McLaughlin
arrived
at
Immaculat e Concept ion t he quest ion on t he
minds of many was: Would t he Immaculat e
Concept ion School remain open?
Many
feared t hat low enrollment , expenses
exceeding income, school buildings needing
repair and a short age of nuns could result in
t he closing of t he school. Parishioners soon
learned, however, t hat Fat her McLaughlin
was det ermined t o not only keep t he school
open but t o increase st udent enrollment ,
renovat e t he Upper School, and upgrade
equipment and curriculum.
The Upper
School was renovat ed in 1986 and reopened
for Grades 5 - 8 in Sept ember 1986. A
kindergart en was added t o t he Lower School
at t hat t ime. At t he end of t he school year,
June 1987, Sist er Joan McCart hy, Principal of
t he school for five years t ook a new
assignment. Wit h her reassignment , t here
were no longer any nuns assigned t o t he
parish. Mrs. Mart ha McCook was appoint ed
Principal of t he school in t he summer of
1987.
One of t he changes brought about by Vat ican
II was t he rest orat ion of t he permanent
Diaconat e which had been discont inued in
t he earlier days of t he Church. Immaculat e
Conception Parish had previously been served
by t ransit ional deacons (seminarians who
were preparing for priest hood and who were
ordained t ransit ional deacons several mont hs
before being ordained priest s).
In 1985,
Deacon Doug Pelt ak was assigned t o
Immaculat e Concept ion Parish.
He is a
permanent deacon.
Bot h permanent and
t ransit ional deacons are a sign of t he servant
Church.
They can bapt ize, wit ness
marriages, assist at Mass, and preach. They
may not , however, celebrat e Mass, anoint
the sick, or preside at t he Sacrament of
Reconciliation.
Deacon Doug Pelt ak was
ordained in May 1979 and assigned for several
years at St . Ann s Parish in Marlborough
before being assigned t o Immaculat e
Concept ion. During t he years t hat Deacon
Pelt ak has been at Immaculat e Concept ion,
he has been highly valued by bot h t he clergy
and t he congregat ion. He is visible in t he
parish whet her at a wake, funeral,
part icipat ing in t he lit urgy, visit ing t he sick,
chairing t he Bereavement Support Group, or
at a social event . He also has served as an
int erim Religious Educat ion Coordinator.
Wherever and whenever needed, Deacon
Pelt ak is t here t o show his support of
parishioners in t heir spirit ual j ourney and t o
assist the priests where needed.
Since 1987, st udent enrollment has increased
while need for a parish subsidy of t he school
decreased. The school became financially
independent in 1998 and has remained so
ever since. The school has also remained
compet it ive academically wit hout ever losing
sight of it s focus on Fait h format ion. Several
reasons can be given for t his remarkable t urn
of event s . The dedicat ion of t he school
principal and t eachers, t he int erest and
cooperat ion
of
t he
School
Parent s
Associat ion, t he School Advisory Board,
-14-
Fat her McLaughlin, int erest ed in t he
different cult ures of t he world, want ed very
much t o int roduce members of t he parish t o
Cat holic cult ures different from t hat at
Immaculat e Concept ion. The opport unit ies
were many, since priest s from ot her
count ries oft en st udied during t he summer
mont hs at some of t he renowned schools in
Massachusetts. A succession of t hese priest s
st ayed at t he rect ory one or t wo mont hs at a
t ime over a period of several summers,
celebrat ed Mass and shared t heir life
experiences wit h members of t he parish.
Some of t he visit ing priest s were: Rev. Pet er
de Ruiter of Holland, Rev. Joe Srinivasan of
India, Rev. Rosario Rocha of India, Rev. Kevin
Golden
of
Scot land,
Rev.
Anat ole
Tiendrenbeogo of West Africa, and Rev. Lours
Kwena of Kenya. Rev. Rudolph Masciarelli, a
Marlborough nat ive and member of t he
Missionary Societ y of St . James t he Apost le in
Lat in America, also frequent ly celebrat ed
Mass at Immaculat e Concept ion. Each of
t hese priest s had fascinat ing st ories t o t ell in
a way t hat members of Immaculat e
Concept ion could bet t er underst and t he
world-wide mission of t he Cat holic Church.
What came t hrough clearly was t hat alt hough
cust oms varied from count ry t o count ry, t he
core values and doct rines of t he Cat holic
Church remained int act universally. Many
friendships bet ween t he visit ing priest s and
t he
parishioners
grew
from
t hese
associations.
Hall as t he locat ion for serving t he meals.
Each church served a full course dinner once
a mont h. Using t his scheduling met hod, one
meal was served each week. As addit ional
churches and organizat ions j oined t he
program, t he number of meals increased t o
t wo a week and t hen in 1988 t o t hree a week
----- Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings
at 5:00 P.M. Because of t he need for space
at Immaculat e Concept ion, t he program
relocat ed t o t he First Bapt ist Church of
Marlborough in Oct ober
1994 where
volunt eers cont inue t o serve t hree meals a
week as of 2004.
Current church and
organization participants are:
Marlborough:* First Bapt ist , Saint Mat t hias,
Saint St ephen, Church of Jesus Christ of
Lat t er Day Saint s, Greek Ort hodox Church
Saint Anargyroi, First Church Congregat ional,
Immaculat e Concept ion, Hudson-Marlborough
Unitarian, AARP
Hudson: First Federat ed, Grace Bapt ist ,
Servant s for Christ , Saint Michael-Christ t he
King
Northborough: Saint Bernadette
Southborough: Saint
Mat t hew,
Church, Saint Anne, Fay School
Pilgrim
Westborough: Saint Stephen
*Saint Ann, a long-time part icipant in t he
program, ceased t o exist as a parish August
29, 2004.
An ecumenical program t o feed t he hungry,
known as Our Fat her s Table, began in
October 1986. It was st art ed by clergy and
volunt eers from t he following churches: First
Congregational of Marlborough, St. Michael of
Hudson, Trinit y of Nort hborough and
Immaculat e Concept ion of Marlborough.
Fat her
John
Carroll
of
Immaculat e
Concept ion,
an
early
organizer
and
part icipant in t he program, offered Meehan
The t ot al number of volunt eers exceeds t wo
hundred and fift y, and alt hough a t reasury is
maint ained wit h donat ions from t he
churches,
local
organizat ions,
and
individuals, much of t he cost for food is
borne by members of t he t went y volunt eer
groups. Our Fat her s Table is t ruly a visible
-15-
sign of Christ s love at work.
cont ribut ions t o t he parish in j ust four years
have made a difference in how we act and
how we do t hings. His cont ribut ions t o our
young people especially in t he field of
educat ion have been very const ruct ive and
helpful t o t heir growt h .
Reverend Walt er H. Cuenin was assigned t o
Immaculat e Concept ion Parish in July 1989.
As an associat e t o t he past or, he became
act ive in t he parish s religious education
programs for children and adult s, and
mat t ers pert aining t o t he lit urgy.
He
formulat ed and present ed numerous t raining
programs. At t he t ime, t here was a need for
additional volunt eers for church minist ries.
His int erest and concern for t he good of t he
parish so ent hused parishioners t hat t hey
were honored when asked t o volunt eer for a
minist ry. Wit hin a very short period he was
deeply involved in most aspect s of parish
life, always available t o console, counsel and
assist t hose in need of guidance, young and
old. And he did it wit h grace and charm. He
also played a significant role in t he
Marlborough-Hudson
Clergy
Associat ion,
becoming involved in t he ecumenical
movement of t he churches t o bring t he word
of Christ t o t he people. On November 18,
1990, at a cit y-wide ecumenical Thanksgiving
Service celebrat ed at Immaculat e Concept ion
Church, t he Mayor of t he Cit y of Marlborough
expressed grat it ude for t he cooperat ive
effort of t he churches.
During Christian
Unity Week in January 1991, a cit y-wide
pulpit exchange saw Fat her Cuenin offer t he
homily at t he Holy Trinit y Episcopal Church
and Reverend Pet er Booke offer t he homily
at Immaculate Conception.
On December 9, 1990, members of
Immaculat e Concept ion welcomed t he
Brazilian Cat holic communit y t o Immaculat e
Concept ion Parish. Like t he Irish immigrants
of t he 1850's, t he Brazilian immigrant s of t he
1980's and 90's want ed very much t o pract ice
t heir Cat holic fait h. Due t o t he increasing
number of Brazilian immigrant s, t hey needed
a building where Mass and religious education
classes could be held. Want ing t o assist in
any way it could, Immaculat e Concept ion
opened it s church for use by t he Brazilian
communit y and it s rect ory t o house t he
Brazilian priest.
The Brazilian communit y at Immaculat e
Concept ion is one of sevent een such
communit ies in t he Archdiocese of Bost on.
There are approximat ely four hundred
members in t he communit y. Members are
primarily from Marlborough and Hudson wit h
ot hers from
West borough,
Worcest er,
Clint on,
Nort hborough,
Sout hborough,
Maynard, and Act on. Approximat ely eight y
st udent s are in t he religious educat ion
program t hat meet s weekly in t he lower
church. The Confirmat ion Program has from
t en t o fift een st udent s annually. There is
also a yout h group of approximat ely sixt y
children, ages sixteen and above.
In June 1993, Cardinal Bernard Law
appoint ed Fat her Cuenin past or of Our Lady
Help of Christians Parish in Newton. This was
bit t ersweet for t he parishioners. They were
pleased t hat he was recognized for his many
abilit ies and accomplishment s, but sad t hat
he was leaving Immaculat e Concept ion.
Fat her McLaughlin said at t he t ime, I t hink
we all can agree t hat Fat her Cuenin brought
a different flair t o t he minist ry.
His
Mass, celebrat ed in t he Port uguese language,
is held in t he upper church on Sunday at 7:00
P.M. Fat her Jonas Moraes was t he first
Brazilian priest at Immaculat e Concept ion.
On Oct ober 14, 1991, Cardinal Bernard Law
celebrated Mass at Immaculate Conception to
honor t he Brazilian Pat ron Saint Our Lady of
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Vaparecida. It was bot h a spirit ual and
festive day for the many in attendance.
reconst ruct ed for use as an early childhood
cent er. It was blessed and dedicat ed by
Bishop Emilio S. Allue on June 7, 1998.
Several hundred persons at t ended t he
dedication and blessing and t hen t oured t he
school.
Fat her Geraldo Franco replaced Fat her Jonas
Moraes.
Fat her Franco remained at
Immaculat e Concept ion for t hree and onehalf years. While here, he was honored by
t he Brazilian government for his work wit h
t he Brazilian communit y in t he Archdiocese
of Boston. The ceremony was held in Meehan
Hall. The Brazilian Consul General present ed
Fat her Franco wit h a medal recognizing his
except ional cont ribut ion t o t he Brazilian
people. Fat her Franco ret urned t o Brazil
where he cont inues his priest ly dut ies. He
was replaced by Father Jose Luis.
In 1996, Immaculat e Concept ion Parish
celebrated t he 125th Anniversary of t he 1871
dedicat ion of t he church on Prospect St reet .
As part of t he celebrat ion, several event s
were scheduled. The opening event was a
wine and cheese social for parishioners, held
at t he rect ory on May 19. Two parish logos
were displayed at t he recept ion, one
designed by a st udent at Immaculat e
Concept ion School and a second designed by
a parishioner. The logos were affixed t o
shirt s t hat were sold aft er Mass during t he
year. Ot her event s included: a board game
night; a family picnic, attended by more than
four hundred persons; and a skat ing part y.
Cardinal Bernard Law celebrat ed t he lit urgy
at Immaculat e Concept ion on August 25,
at t ended by many former Immaculat e
Concept ion priest s and nuns, followed by a
recept ion on t he rect ory grounds.
The
Anniversary Banquet was held at Royal Plaza
Hot el in Marlborough on Sept ember 14, and
at t ended by more t han six hundred persons,
including many priest s and nuns formerly
assigned to the parish.
Fat her Jose Geraldo Flores has been t he
Parochial Vicar of t he Brazilian congregat ion
at Immaculat e Concept ion since February
2001.
Wit h t he support of minist ry
volunt eers, he is shaping a st rong Brazilian
religious communit y t hat is a model of
responsibilit y in t he Cit y of Marlborough and
the Archdiocese of Boston.
In 1995 t he parish began planning for maj or
rest orat ion of t he parish church, rect ory and
school buildings.
Renovat ion cost s were
est imat ed at $1.5 million. Since t he parish
had very lit t le reserve funds, a Rest orat ion
Fund Drive and t he sale of a sixt een acre
vacant parcel of land belonging t o the
Church, known as Camp Marian, became
viable opt ions.
The Rest orat ion Fund,
through the generous support of parishioners,
raised $607,000. The land, purchased by t he
Cit y of Marlborough and placed in
conservat ion for use by it s resident s, raised
another $975,000. These funds enabled t he
parish t o do ext erior and int erior work t o t he
church, rect ory, and t wo school buildings.
The former convent building, no longer in
use, had fallen int o maj or disrepair. The
convent building was redesigned and
Members of Immaculat e Concept ion Parish
experienced a very sad day on December 24,
1999 when t hey learned of t he sudden deat h
of Reverend Charles Chip Herlihy at age
44. Fat her Herlihy, who had j oined t he
parish as parochial vicar six mont hs earlier,
died of an apparent heart at t ack. He was
scheduled to celebrate his first Christmas Eve
Mass at Immaculat e Concept ion lat er t hat
day. But , when he did not arrive for a
morning lit urgy, Fat her McLaughlin went t o
his room and discovered t hat he had died in
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his sleep. Fat her Herlihy is remembered as a
selfless, compassionat e, down-to-eart h man
wit h a great sense of humor. In his short
t ime at Immaculat e Concept ion, he made a
st rong, posit ive impression on many of t he
families in t he parish. His funeral Mass was
held on December 30 at t he Church of St .
Raphael in Medford, his home parish. The
church was filled t o capacit y.
Many
parishioners from Immaculat e Conception
attended the service.
innocent people died on t hat day of t ragedy
at t he World Trade Center and t he Pent agon,
and t housands of ot hers were inj ured, many
crit ically. Fat her MacEwen spoke at lengt h
about t he t errorist at t acks, counseled
parishioners where needed, and celebrat ed a
special Mass to pray for the dead, the injured
and t heir families. He encouraged members
of t he congregat ion t o express t heir love for
one anot her, for t he vict ims and t heir
families. He reminded us t hat life is a gift
from God, a gracious gift t hat should be
celebrated by each and every one of us every
single day.
Forty-six years aft er his ordinat ion, Fat her
Paul J. McLaughlin retired on February 14,
2001, at age 71.
Past or of Immaculat e
Concept ion Parish for 16 years, he was
honored by parishioners and friends on
February 9 at t he Best West ern Royal Plaza
Hotel in Marlborough.
Then, a few mont hs lat er, t he clergy sex
abuse scandal in t he Archdioceses of Bost on
and in ot her sect ors of t he Cat holic Church
widened
beyond
most
everyone s
imaginat ion. The alleged act s commit t ed
shocked and numbed t he people of
Marlborough and t hroughout t he count ry and
t he world. Many asked t he quest ion, How
could t he Lord and t he Church let t hese
horrible act s occur? Father MacEwen, like
so many ot hers, was devast at ed by t he
act ions of t he abusers. He said wit h all of
t his in mind, I j ust want t o let you, t he
parishioners, know how t hankful I am t o all
of you who come t o Mass week aft er week
while st ruggling wit h t his issue. You have
made a decision t o remain a fait hful
Cat holic. It is t he right decision and I t hank
you for it . These were t he words of a
sincere man, who has earned t he respect and
admirat ion of t he people of Immaculate
Concept ion Parish.
Our parish is t ruly
blessed t o have as our clergy Fat her Michael
MacEwen, Fat her David Whit e, Fat her
Jonathan Gaspar, Father Jose Geraldo Flores,
Fat her Ignacio Jesus Berrio and Deacon Doug
Peltak.
Also Mart in Dzengeleski, a
seminarian at St . John s Seminary, on part time assignment at Immaculate Conception.
Immaculat e Concept ion Parish implemented
Rev. Michael W. MacEwen
2001 Cardinal
Bernard
Law
appoint ed
Reverend
Michael W. MacEwen pastor
of Immaculat e Concept ion
Parish in February 2001.
The son of Carmela and
William MacEwen, he lived in Newt on and
graduat ed from Newt on Nort h High School.
He entered the Seminary in Brighton and was
ordained in 1985. His prior assignment was
personal secretary to Cardinal Law.
Fat her MacEwen had been at Immaculat e
Concept ion only seven mont hs when on
Sept ember 11, 2001, foreign t errorist s st ruck
in New York Cit y and Washingt on D.C. Had it
not been for some courageous passengers on
an airplane t hat crashed in Pennsylvania, t he
home of t he President of t he Unit ed St at es
(Whit e House) or t he Unit ed St at es
Congressional Building could have also been
under deadly at t ack.
More t han 3,000
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Archdiocesan procedures designed t o avert
future abuse incident s.
An educat ional
program, known as
Prot ect ing God s
Children, was int roduced in February 2003
t o parish st aff and volunt eer adult s. The
program focused on ways t o recognize and
prevent child abuse, procedures and
requirement s for report ing suspect ed abuse,
and recognizing safe environment s for
children.
All parish st aff and volunt eer
adults now and in the future will be expected
t o part icipat e in t he child abuse prevent ion
program.
Ensemble who provide t he wonderful music
t hat resonat es t hroughout t he church. The
Art s and Environment Commit t ee ensures
t hat t he church is always beaut ifully and
appropriat ely decorat ed. And, t hen, t here
are t he men and women who serve on t he
School Advisory Board, School Parent s
Associat ion, School Technology Commit t ee,
and t he Hospit alit y Commit t ee, all of whom
do so much in t heir special way t o make t his
parish a place of spirit ual, educat ional, and
social fulfillment .
Today s volunt eers,
numbering in excess of t hree hundred, and
t hose of prior years t hroughout t he long
history of Immaculat e Concept ion can be
proud of t heir service t o t he Lord and t o t he
people of the parish.
Cardinal Bernard Law, an honorable and
caring man, was viewed by some people as
not having act ed forcefully enough t o
prevent t hese abuses. Many ot hers in t he
Archdiocese, however, st ood firmly in
support of t he Cardinal.
The Cardinal
event ually decided t hat , in t he best int erest s
of t he Church, t he vict ims and t heir families,
he would request reassignment . His request
was grant ed. On December 13, 2002, Bishop
Richard Lennon was designat ed Apost olic
Administ rat or of t he Archdiocese unt il Bishop
Sean O Malley was named Archbishop of t he
Boston Diocese on July 30, 2003. The healing
process for t he vict ims and t heir families and
for t he Church will be long and arduous.
Cat holics t hroughout t he Archdiocese pray
for the victims and their families.
A religious educat ion program t o inst ruct
parish children in t he life of Jesus, sacred
script ure, and Cat holic beliefs has exist ed at
Immaculat e Concept ion for many years.
When t he first Immaculat e Concept ion
Church was dedicat ed on Mount Pleasant Hill
on May 15, 1855, t here were fift een
st udent s, all born in Ireland, in t he religious
educat ion class. In 1911, t he Sist ers of St .
Joseph came t o Immaculat e Conception t o
t each in t he new parish school. In addit ion
t o t heir parochial school role, t hey also
t aught religious educat ion t o parish children
enrolled in t he public school syst em. These
classes were held for many years on Sunday
morning in t he parochial school following t he
9:00 A.M. Mass. As t he number of Sist ers
decreased in t he 1970's, t he role of
inst ruct ing st udent s in t he Religious
Educat ion Program moved gradually t o t he
lait y of t he parish. The Sist ers of St . Joseph
will be remembered for t heir dedicat ion t o
t he yout h of t his parish for more t han
sevent y years. They are and always will be a
very import ant part of t he hist ory of
Immaculate Conception Parish.
The past eight een mont hs have been a
difficult period for t he Cat holic Church. But
it has also been a period of deep
commit ment t o t he Church by it s parish
members.
Members of
Immaculat e
Concept ion Parish cont inue t o graciously
volunt eer t heir t ime and t alent s for t he
bet t erment of t he parish.
They serve
fait hfully as alt ar boys and girls, Sacrist ans,
Eucharist ic minist ers, lect ors, ushers and
greeters, and as members of the senior choir,
children s choir, and Cont emporary Music
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The Religious Educat ion Program t oday is
t aught by parish volunt eers (cat echist s)
under t he guidance of Mrs. Colleen Ahearn,
Religious Educat ion Administ rat or. In t he
school year 2003 - 2004, more t han four
hundred and fift y children, grades one
t hrough t en, were regist ered in t he program.
Forty-five volunt eer men and women of the
parish served as inst ruct ors. The program
fost ers a deep and syst emat ic knowledge of
Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Catholic
Church, so t hat t he fait h of t he mat uring
believer becomes an int egral part of that
person s spirit ual
and religious life.
Knowledge of t he Cat holic Fait h obt ained by
t he st udent s in t his program is beneficial t o
their receiving t he Sacrament s of Holy
Eucharist , Reconciliat ion and Confirmat ion
and performing t he work of t he Lord
t hroughout t heir lives. It is t his kind of
student and lait y involvement in t he life of
t he
parish
t hat
makes
Immaculat e
Conception Parish so very special.
academically wit h t he very best students
from ot her schools.
We are blessed at
Immaculat e Concept ion, blessed wit h caring
and giving st udent s, and blessed wit h a
dedicat ed Principal, t eaching and support
st aff. The school is a beacon of light t o all,
reminding us t hat t he Holy Spirit is present
and act ive in Immaculat e Concept ion Parish
and in t he Cit y of Marlborough. Those who
came before us would be pleased t o know
t hat t he school built by Fat her Lowney
ninety-four years ago cont inues t o graduat e
st udent s who are well educat ed in Fait h and
Knowledge.
One of t he many funct ions of t he past or of a
parish is t o ensure t hat t he parish propert y is
periodically upgraded and maintained in good
condition. Fat her MacEwen has done j ust
t hat since coming t o Immaculat e Concept ion
Parish: paint ed ext erior of Lower School,
repaved Upper School parking lot , remodeled
Meehan Hall kit chen, replacing maj or
appliances; ext ensive renovat ions of Upper
and Lower School bat hrooms, and upgraded
t he fire alarm syst em in t he Lower School;
repaired church s slat e roof, paint ed rear
alt ar, sanct uary and archway of upper
church, repaired and sealed front st eps of
church, paint ed met al roofs at church
ent rances, repaired and releaded several
st ained glass windows, provided a personal
list ening syst em for t he hearing impaired,
installed new carpet in lower church,
replaced ent rance doors t o lower church and
side doors t o upper church and paint ed
church ext erior t rim; paint ed ext erior of
rect ory and some of int erior, repaired
rect ory roof and chimneys, repaired front
st eps, inst alled new flooring in t hree rooms
of t he rect ory, inst alled new walkway in
front of rect ory, repaired heat ing syst em,
and purchased new lawn equipment for t he
cemetery. An Eagle Boy Scout parishioner,
Sean Aucoin, his family and friends paint ed
Immaculat e Concept ion School has provided
children of our parish wit h a qualit y
educat ion for more t han ninet y years. The
st udent s are t aught not only English, Social
St udies, Mat hemat ics, Science and comput er
skills, so vital in moving on to high school and
college, but t hey are also t aught Christian
values, morals, a love of God and neighbor.
These Christian traits of service to others and
spreading t he Good News are clearly evident
in t heir school act ivit ies: collect ing wint er
j acket s and coat s and donat ing t hem t o t he
Marlborough Communit y Services, providing
much needed food t o t he Food Pant ry,
adopt ing families in need during Advent ,
donat ing funds t o t he Mayor s Fuel Assist ance
Program, and part icipat ing in various
minist ries of t he school and parish. As t his
work of t he Holy Spirit is growing wit hin
t hem, t he st udent s are being challenged
int ellect ually. They are able t o compet e
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t he lower church. Members of t he school
Parent s Associat ion seal-coat ed t he Lower
School parking lot , inst alled new playground
equipment and wood chips in t he Lower
School playground, and complet ed t he
inst allat ion of energy efficient windows in
t he Upper School.
The Immaculat e
Concept ion School s Technology Commit t ee
guided t he bid process leading t o t he wiring
and net working of t he t hree school buildings.
The offices and classrooms are all on-line.
The necessary funds were raised t hrough
sponsorships of t he school s web page and
t wo very large gift s t o t he Technology Fund.
The school also received a $30,000
compet it ive Technology Grant for t he 2003 2004 school year.
Addit ionally, Fat her
MacEwen eliminat ed a more t han $100,000
parish debt t hat exist ed when he arrived at
Immaculat e Concept ion in February 2001.
The parish is free of debt and pays it s bills
when due. This is a t ribut e t o t he men,
women and children of t he parish who
support t he parish in so many ways. A very
special t hank you also t o Fat her MacEwen.
Polish, Brazilians and many ot her et hnic
peoples, all of whom have cont ribut ed t o t he
diversit y and great ness of t he parish. It is
t his diversit y t hat enables us t o bet t er
underst and and appreciat e t he many gift s
that each one in the parish contributes to the
well-being of Immaculate Conception.
In t he early days of Immaculat e Concept ion,
t he parishioners not only looked t o t heir
priest s for spirit ual guidance but also, in
difficult t imes, for emot ional and economic
assist ance. Two of t he role models of t he
t imes were men such as Fat her Pet er
McKenna and Fat her Thomas Lowney, who
were so eloquent in speech and manners and
had been held in such high regard by t he
people of Marlborough.
They inspired
Cat holics t o excel in life, and many did j ust
that. The parishioners were good people,
indust rious, generous, and t hey gave back t o
t he communit y and t he parish. As Fat hers
McKenna and Lowney look down upon
Immaculat e Concept ion t oday, t hey must be
saying, We re proud t o have been a part of
this loving Catholic community.
We, t he parish members of 2004, owe a debt
of grat it ude t o t hose who preceded us. The
few Irish Cat holic families in Marlborough
who were det ermined t o build a church on
Mount Pleasant Hill met wit h difficult t imes.
But t hey were a heart y group, indust rious
and det ermined t o succeed in life and in
t heir fait h.
And while t hese first Irish
set t lers met some resist ance from nonCat holics, t here is evidence of non-Catholics
cont ribut ing t o t he well-being of t he early
Cat holic set t lers and t heir families by
providing t hem wit h j obs, homes, friendship,
and opport unit ies. As t he French-Canadians
arrived in large numbers in t he 1860's, they
t oo st rengt hened t he Cat holic fabric of
Immaculat e Concept ion. Many families t oday
proudly
point
to
t heir
Irish-French
backgrounds. And t hen came t he It alians,
Father David Whit e, Parochial Vicar, has
been very much involved in t he life of
Immaculat e Concept ion.
Assigned t o t he
parish in Oct ober 2002, he brought wit h him
a priest ly demeanor, a t ouch of humor, a
love of people, and some real life
experiences. Before ent ering t he seminary,
Fat her Whit e served in t he Unit ed St at es
Marine Corps as a Lieut enant from 1974 t o
1978 and lat er, as a det ect ive for t he Cit y of
Bost on Police Depart ment from 1979 t o 1990.
Aft er his ordinat ion, he served in Ecuador as
a missionary in t he Societ y of St . James. In
Ecuador, he witnessed the misery and despair
t hat some children of God experience daily.
He is always ready t o make someone s day a
lit t le bright er, a lit t le bet t er, and he does it
in a warm manner t hat raises t hat person s
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self-worth. He is deeply concerned for t he
men and women who serve in t he armed
forces, making cert ain t hey are remembered
in his prayers, for t he children of t he parish,
and for t hose who are ill or lonely, reminding
us that a get-well card or a visit by telephone
or in person could lift t hat person s spirit s.
He is also Chaplain for t he Marlborough
Police Depart ment . The members of t his
parish are well served by Father White.
movie t heat er on Friday night , November 14,
2003, for Family Movie Night feat uring Walt
Disney s FINDING NEMO. Approximately one
hundred children donned t heir PJ s, packed
sleeping bags, pillows and st uffed friends and
brought t heir parent s for t his special event .
On December 21, 2003, approximat ely fift y
parishioners enj oyed t he Bost on Pops
Christmas Concert at the Worcester Centrum.
Anot her event , Irish night , March 20, 2004,
was a huge success. More t han t wo hundred
in at t endance t horoughly enj oyed t hemselves
singing and dancing t o Irish t unes at t he
Holiday Inn.
On May 2, 2004, t he
Archdiocese of Bost on Black Cat holic Choir
performed at Immaculat e Concept ion Church
at t he 5:00 P.M. Mass. Wit hin a mat t er of
minut es, t he choir had parishioners on t heir
feet , clapping t heir hands, swaying t o and
fro, and singing wit h great ent husiasm. One
word sums up t he Mass and t he choir,
superb . Baseball was in t he air on t he
evening of August
19, 2004, when
approximat ely fift y parishioners t raveled t o
Pawt ucket , Rhode Island and enj oyed t he
Pawt ucket Red Sox game. On August 22,
2004, approximat ely t went y members and
friends of Immaculat e Concept ion embarked
on a 7 day Boston to Bermuda cruise.
Fat her David Whit e and William Short cochaired the 150th Anniversary Committee. On
Sept ember 21, 2003, a Parish Picnic, t he first
event of t he celebrat ion year, was held at
t he Elks Pavilion in Hudson wit h more t han
eight hundred people in at t endance.
Recently appoint ed Archbishop Sean O Malley
was celebrant and homilist of t he out door
Mass t hat preceded t he picnic.
The
Archbishop remained for t he picnic, moving
t hroughout t he pavilion grounds t alking wit h
parishioners. This was t he first opport unit y
for members of t he parish t o meet t he
Archbishop, and t hey were very impressed.
On t he week-end of Oct ober 11, 2003, the
parish sponsored t he second annual Harvest
t he Parish , a social in Meehan Hall following
t he Sat urday aft ernoon and Sunday morning
Masses. Members of t he parish baked and
served pies, cakes and ot her assort ed goods.
It was a fest ive event at which parishioners
enj oyed t he food,
conversat ion and
opport unit y t o meet new members of t he
parish. Sunday, Oct ober 26, 2003 was a
special day for t he parish.
The Singing
St at e Trooper Daniel M. Clark and his wife
Mary performed in t he upper church.
Trooper Dan is well known for his pat riot ic
songs, having sung at numerous St at e of
Massachuset t s event s, sport ing event s, and
with t he Bost on Pops Orchest ra. It was an
aft ernoon of great enj oyment , including a
pat riot ic sing along led by Trooper Dan and
Mary. Meehan Hall was t ransformed int o a
A complet e list of t he 150th Anniversary
Celebrat ion event s can be found in t he
event s Memorial book.
Immaculat e Concept ion Parish is a giving
community. When a need arises or a disast er
occurs, members of t he parish are always
willing t o help. The parish has for many
years support ed t he Marlborough Communit y
Services in it s effort s t o provide food,
clot hing, and necessit ies of life it ems t o t he
needy people of Marlborough. Parishioners
support annually t he good work of t he
Archdiocese of Bost on in it s many social
programs including food banks, shelt ers,
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parent ing programs, hospit als and nursing
homes. The parish donat es care it ems t o the
homeless shelt er, and gift s at Christ mas for
t he poor children of t he cit y. The Missionary
Societ y of St . James, for whom Fat hers David
Whit e, Rudolph Masciarelli, Vincent Daily and
Henry Branagan worked so t irelessly in
helping t he people of Sout h America, has
received financial support from the parish for
many years. Fat her MacEwen est ablished in
May 2003 the AGAPE Fund (Aids and Grants to
Assist Parent s wit h Educat ion) t hat will
enable children from families having financial
difficult y t o cont inue t heir
Cat holic
educat ion at Immaculat e Concept ion School.
Within t hree mont hs, cont ribut ions reached
$27,000. These are but a few of t he wort hy
causes deserving and receiving parish
support.
necessary because there are fewer priests for
assignment t o parishes, fewer Cat holics who
regularly at t end Mass, rising maint enance
cost s for churches t hat are underut ilized and
in need of renovat ion, and a shift of
populat ion away from urban cent ers. Wit h
fewer parishes t o st aff, more priest s will be
available for assignment t o t he parishes t hat
remain. This means t hat parishes will be
bet t er equipped, as Archbishop O Malley
said, t o carry on t he work of evangelizat ion,
t o reach our young people, t o serve our shut ins, t o perform t he corporal and spirit ual
works of mercy, and t o pass on t he fait h t o
future generat ions.
Archbishop O Malley direct ed t hat parish
clust ers t hroughout t he Archdiocese meet t o
formulat e suggest ions for t he merging of
parishes wit hin each clust er.
The
Marlborough-Hudson clust er consist ed of St .
Mat t hias, St . Ann, St . Mary, Immaculate
Concept ion and t he already merged St .
Michael and Christ of King in Hudson.
Regional Bishops and Vicars met wit h each
cluster in the Archdiocese during January and
February 2004. Each parish in t he clust er
was represent ed at t hese meet ings by t he
parish past or and several members of t he
parish clergy and laity. When t he past or of
St . Mary ret ired in February 2004, Archbishop
O Malley named Fat her MacEwen as
Administ rat or of St . Mary s Parish, in addition
t o his dut ies as past or of Immaculat e
Concept ion. The Marlborough-Hudson clust er
based it s recommendat ions on a number of
fact ors: proximit y of one parish t o anot her,
declining numbers of parishioners at t ending
Mass,
number
of
sacrament s
being
celebrated, the size and physical condition of
t he parish buildings, and t he fact t hat t here
are fewer priest s available t o st aff all four
Cat holic parishes in Marlborough.
The
Marlborough-Hudson clust er submit t ed it s
report in March recommending the following:
The Knight s of Columbus and t he Ancient
Order of Hibernians, Cat holic service and
frat ernal organizat ions in Marlborough, have
for more t han one hundred years support ed
t he programs and proj ect s of Immaculat e
Concept ion Parish while cont ribut ing t o local
charit ies t hat improve t he lives of t he young
and t he disadvant aged in t he communit y.
These organizat ions were t here for Fat her
Lowney when he built and furnished t he new
Convent in 1911; t hey support ed Fat her
Flet cher in rebuilding t he church st eeple
damaged in t he hurricane of 1938; t hey have
support ed t he educat ional programs at t he
parish school, and t hey cont inue t o support
in 2004 the parish in so many financial, social
and spirit ual ways. The parish and t he
communit y have been blessed wit h t he
support of t hese t wo dedicat ed Cat holic
organizations.
In 2004, Archbishop O Malley will reduce t he
number of parishes in t he Archdiocese
t hrough a process of parish mergers, known
as reconfigurat ion.
Reconfigurat ion is
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1. Should t he Archdiocese find it necessary
t o close one parish in t he clust er, it should
close eit her St . Ann s Parish or St . Mary s
Parish. A number of reasons led t o t his
recommendat ion: dist ance bet ween t he t wo
parishes is t wo- t ent hs of one mile; declining
number of parishioners at Mass; number of
sacrament s being celebrat ed; size and
physical condit ion of t he parish buildings;
recent ret irement of St . Mary s past or.
celebrant , and Reverend Laurien Mart ineau,
who ret ired earlier in t he year as past or of
St . Mary s Church, was t he homilist . Clergy
from t he four Cat holic Churches in
Marlborough part icipat ed in t he Mass. Past
and present organizations of St . Mary s
Church present ed t he gift s of t heir
apost olat es as well as t he gift s of bread and
wine at t he Mass. During t he Communion
procession, members of t he parish t earfully
sang, We Are One Body , wit h t he refrain in
French, J irai la Voir un Jour, (I will see
you again). It was a very moving expression
of love, pride and sadness by a parish t hat
has given so much t o t he Cit y of Marlborough
and t o t he Lord s Work t hese past 134 years.
There was a sense t hat t he Spirit of St .
Mary s will live on.
2. Should t he Archbishop find it necessary t o
close more t han one parish in t he clust er, it
is recommended he consider one of t wo
options:
a. Recommended closing bot h St . Ann and St .
Mary for reasons noted above.
b. Recommended closing St . Ann s or St.
Mary s Parish and t he closing of St . Mat t hias
Parish.
Low church at t endance and
sacramental
index
were
import ant
considerations.
A Mass of Welcome for members of St . Mary s
Parish was celebrat ed at Immaculat e
Concept ion Church on August 8, 2004.
Fat her Michael MacEwen and William Short , a
parishioner at Immaculat e Concept ion,
welcomed t hose in at t endance. As t he Mass
began, members of St . Mary s Parish brought
int o t he Church t he Sacred it ems from St .
Mary s Parish: Holy Oils, Church Records,
Vest ment s, Chalice and Ciborium and
present ed t hem t o Fat her MacEwen. The
Mass and t he recept ion t hat followed in
Meehan Hall were filled wit h hope for t he
future.
After review, Archbishop O Malley announced
t hat sixt y-five parishes would close across
t he Archdiocese.
Sadly, t wo of t hese
parishes were here in Marlborough: St . Mary
and St . Ann. Bot h parishes made numerous
cont ribut ions t o spirit ual, social and civic life
in t he Cit y of Marlborough, so t he
announcement
was
underst andably
a
t raumat ic experience for members of t hese
t wo parishes.
In t he words of Fat her
MacEwen, our priorit y now at Immaculat e
Concept ion is t o help our brot hers and sist ers
through this t ime of pain .
St. Ann s Parish, in existence for eighty-three
years, celebrat ed it s Closing Mass on August
29, 2004. The Mass was held in a large t ent
in t he church parking lot t o accommodat e
t he 1,000 persons in at t endance. Father
Michael Bercik, celebrant ,
urged his
parishioners t o cont inue t heir fait h by
reaching out and praying wit h ot her people.
Fat her Bercik, loved by his parishioners, was
reassigned as pastor of a parish in Derry, New
Hampshire.
The Closing Mass at St . Mary s Church was
celebrat ed August 1, 2004. It was a Mass of
Thanksgiving, at t ended by more t han 700 St .
Mary parishioners. Sadness filled t he church.
The Most Reverend Walt er J. Edyvean,
Auxiliary Bishop of Bost on, was principal
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On August 30, 2004, St. Ann s Church became
a second church wit hin Immaculate
Conception Parish.
and the process used in making the decisions.
Seeking answers t o t hese issues is t he t ask
ahead for all Catholics. It will not be an easy
t ask, but we have learned t hese past one
hundred and fift y years t hat great t hings can
occur wit h det erminat ion and Fait h in our
Lord. And, so, we ask: Lord, take us by the
hand, and lead us on.
The reconfigurat ion of Cat holic Parishes in
Marlborough will creat e a new chapt er in t he
long hist ory of Immaculat e Concept ion
Parish. If t he past is an indicat or of t he
fut ure, t his new chapt er will reveal t hat t he
devot ion of our parishioners t o Jesus and t he
Catholic Faith is alive and strong.
Throughout t he past one hundred and fift y
years, Immaculat e Concept ion Parish has
demonst rat ed st rong Cat holic Fait h.
Our
ancest ors in 1850 want ed a church where
t hey could at t end mass, receive t he
sacrament s, and have t heir children
educat ed in t he Cat holic religion.
With
Father Edward Farrelly s assist ance, they
built a small church in 1854 on Mt . Pleasant
Hill. To accommodat e t he ever-increasing
number of Cat holics in Marlborough, Fat her
Maguire and parish members built our
present church, dedicat ed in 1871. Fat her
Lowney and Fat her Evers built parochial
school buildings for expanded religious
educat ion opport unit ies for our children. And
t he clergy and lait y of t he parish have
consist ent ly worked t o make t he parish a
loving, giving, spirit ual communit y. We, as a
parish,
can
be
proud
of
t hese
accomplishments during t he past one
hundred and fifty years.
Issues, however, remain in t he Cat holic
Church t hat need t o be addressed.
At t endance
at
Mass at
Immaculat e
Concept ion and t hroughout t he Archdiocese
of Bost on and beyond has decreased in
recent decades; fewer persons are ent ering
religious life, causing a serious short age of
priest s now and for t he future; and an
increasing number of members of our modern
societ y are crit ical of some Church decisions
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