Saint Patrick Parish, Lawrence, MA

Saint Patrick Parish, Lawrence, MA


Pillars & Foundations was started as an effort to explore my surrounding communities through their religious institutions, and to share my experiences. These institutions share a drive to make a difference which they deliver upon, regardless if it is with one person looking for hope & community, or a recipient of their charitable work.

History/Building

This church dates from 1869. Construction of the church was begun in 1881, and the upper church was completed in 1894 (courtesy of history information on parish website). Saint Patrick Parish boasts an upper church and a lower church. I attended Mass in the lower church. At some point I will need to return to experience Mass in the upper sanctuary. The Parish website has an some excellent links providing images and details of the stained glass windows in the upper church, as well as the lower church. Rev. Paul B. O'Brien joined the church in 2001 and oversaw the parish becoming tri-lingual, as well as the establishment of the Cor Unum meal center which provides enormous charity to the community.

Who are the Parish

The St. Patrick's community celebrates its diversity. It conducts multiple masses in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. The number of the masses it hosts in a large church speaks to the size and activity of this inner city parish in Lawrence Massachusetts. Activity in the church spans not only different cultures but also generations, as evidenced by programs such as Sunday Night Basketball for high school students.



The Mass

Father Paul B. O'Brien delivered a creative homily based off of the readings. I highly recommend checking out this Catholic TV interview with Rev. O'Brien where he talks at length about helping the poor and homeless of Lawrence, it really gives a feel for the vibrancy of this pastor, and by extension what Saint Patrick Parish means to the community that it is in. The homily was focused upon the readings, especially Genesis 3:9-15 speaking of original sin, and Mark 3:20-35 states that all sins will be forgiven, but those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit will be guilty of eternal sin. Father O'Brien described this action as one where the sinner knows the sin, recognizes the existence of God, but persists in the sin without seeking forgiveness. 

Another side item of interest was how the gospel passage from Mark uses the word brother, with relation to Jesus. Father O'Brien noted that this was because there was no old Aramaic word for cousin, that the word brother was used for such relations. In translations, "brother," was then used as a consequence. This was mentioned to educate the parish against the occasional critiques that may arise siting this as evidence that Mary was, or did not remain a virgin.  

Perhaps tying together with this last point, the homily discussed how parishioners must not be upset at family and friends who may be overly critical or consider Christians to be mentally ill because of their faith. Father O'Brien stated that it is a reality that this will happen, that it is a norm in today's world, and in this country. He also stated that in the time of Christ it was also not unusual, as Mark 3:20-35 suggests that Jesus's family was trying to remove him from the company of the sinners or those they thought to be unequal. To this Christ called these individuals, or anyone who does the will of God, his brothers and sisters.

To close the homily Father O'Brien suggested that before anyone judges those who mock them, judges them, calls them mentally ill, too harshly, that they perhaps should get a mirror and look into it. I thought that was a pretty powerful statement.

It was a gorgeous day on my visit. I attended the 7:00 am Mass, unfortunately the church appears to face west which casts some shadows. Regardless the photo does have sort of a nice feel to it.

How the Parish Gives Back/Outreach

As a highlight of Saint Patrick Parish's outreach the previously noted Cor Unum meal center serves nearly a quarter of a million meals per year to people in need. Parish members volunteer at the organization, and others are also welcome to support the organization's staffing needs. The parish is also affiliated with Lawrence Catholic Academy, an elementary school which used to be know as St. Patrick school. Saint Patrick parish has numerous ministries that parishioners can be involved in. These range from faith based or organizations to support Mass, to charitable ministries such as the Giving Tree which provides clothes for those in need. Some ministries provide culturally based social connection, as an example Grupo de Adultos Mayores, an organization for Spanish speaking adults.  



The sanctuary/nave of the older church is quite large. The steel support posts scattered throughout do obstruct the view slightly. To accommodate this it was noteworthy that the priest walked up and down the main aisle during his homily.


The lower church, while more simple in design than the upper sanctuary still boasts ornate stained glass windows and wainscoting giving it a very warm finished appearance. Unfortunately a bit of water damage by this window. I believe this window correlates with the description of the 11th window (see lower church window website link above) Symbols of the eucharist.

Conclusion

Saint Patrick Parish is an organization where multiple generations of residents likely had a large portion of their lives unfold. It supports the community with guidance and opportunities to belong to something greater than ones self. It also gives back in diverse ways, from providing activities for young people to participate in, to providing for those in need. Lawrence and surrounding communities are better for the efforts of the parish.

A photo of a portion of the bulletin in an effort to show how grand the upper sanctuary appears

Close up of the Lower Church altar as I was leaving. Ornate woodwork by the tabernacle, and marble on the walls make this secondary sanctuary more detailed than many primary sanctuaries elsewhere.


Text and photographs by George Parks
Sources are embedded in links

Comments

  1. UnknownJune 11, 2018 at 8:44 AM

    Very nice. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJune 11, 2018 at 8:50 AM

    PS I invite you to look at my blog about the history of Greater Lawrence, often through its churches and religious institutions.
    This is about St. Mary's in Lawrence: https://www.ofaplace.com/home/irish-pride-back-in-the-old-days-in-lawrence-the-writings-of-mary-okeefe-omahoney8792479
    This one is about the Augustinian fathers: https://www.ofaplace.com/home/the-villanova-connection-the-augustinians-in-greater-lawrence
    This one is about the Oblate fathers of Lowell: https://www.ofaplace.com/home/french-canadians-la-survivance-and-the-oblates-of-lowell-mass-and-vicinity
    This is about the rivalry between North Parish Church of North Andover and South Parish Church of Andover: https://www.ofaplace.com/home/december-20th-2017
    This one is about the French Canadian churches of Lawrence: https://www.ofaplace.com/home/st-annes-church-the-society-of-mary-marists-and-the-french-canadians-of-greater-lawrence

    ReplyDelete

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