Saint Patrick Parish, Stoneham, MA

Saint Patrick Parish, Stoneham, MA

Pillars & Foundations documents an exploration of communities, as well as faith through religious institutions. My intent is to share experiences, and spread the positivity that I observe. The hope is to provide a window into these organizations allowing those who might not other wise venture in to appreciate these thoughtful, often intimate groups in our midst. Faith centers embody 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 expansive charitable work.

Building & History

St Patrick Parish has a very different feel depending on which angle you are observing it from. The view above is the traditional front of the flower shaped window gives the feeling of a country parish. In spite of Stoneham's close proximity to Boston, their are still portions of the town that are very quaint, leafy and idyllic. Not far from a picturesque New England town common, the campus of this church does have that feel. However if you walk around the back you may notice the dense parking lot organized such that you drive in one way, and drive out the other, parking front to back as though you are on a ferry boat. It betrays how the town has increased in density and does not have a ton of space or parking. Some modernization has also been made to other portions of the building, and some impeccably manicured grounds, a beautiful grotto, and several statues really make St. Patrick Parish stand out in its suburban neighborhood. 

St. Patrick Parish was founded in 1868, and the building was constructed in 1887. Through the years various adjustments to the building have been made. It is clear that the building has recently been modernized. Today it has an angled sanctuary and is brightly decorated in white while retaining ornate columns, and intricate woodwork behind the altar and tabernacle. Beautiful stained glass windows are described in detail on the Parish website. 

The Parish/Community

St. Patrick Parish seems very active. The website claims that the parish has over 16,000 members, and when one considers that the population of Stoneham is only around 22,000 it is quite remarkable. It shows that this parish is likely drawing substantially from beyond Stoneham's borders. It has five weekend Masses, Saturday at 4 pm, Sunday at 8 am, 10 am, noon, and 6 pm.

Beyond the physical beauty of the church and its history, the passionate Fr. Mario J. Orrigo, the main pastor who presided over the Mass I attended, almost certainly contributes to this parish's strong attendance and involvement.

When I was awaiting the Mass to begin, I heard some boisterous laughter, talking, and joking around. Surprisingly, and amusingly when I turned around, I'll be honest, to see who was disturbing the peace of the sanctuary, I chuckled to myself to see that it was Fr. Mario talking to parishioners filtering in. He seems approachable, engaging, and energetic based on this one time I've seen a Mass at Saint Patrick. His voice is polished and controlled when he talks, and he sounds as though he should be in broadcast radio or television. All of these qualities are very endearing, and help keep the attention of all parishioners from start to finish.

Note that someone has placed flowers in Mary's arms.

The Mass

The readings from the Mass on August 19th were focused on the Eucharist, and recognition of salvation in faith in Christ. John 6:51-58 in particular describes how those who take this sacrament, have faith in Christ and follow him will live forever.

On a somber note, Fr. Mario read a statement of the church of actions it intends to take, and an expression of shame, an acknowledgement of criminal wrong doing, failure of the Catholic Church with regard to adequately addressing sexual abuse.

Upon concluding this, Fr. Mario passionately spoke for the need for action, change, prayer in a manner that was incredibly powerful, not prepackaged. It was honest, and clearly expressed the outrage, and hurt that people both inside and outside the Church are dealing with. What I took from it was that the Catholic Church needs to be true to its values, that it needs to pray with vigilance and strict adherence. That words, tradition, ceremony and any committees aren't enough that there needs to be serious action in the true purpose of the faith. You really got a feel for his genuine frustration and desire to do whatever he could to help the Catholic Church rectify this horrible situation. The pastor has a note on the subject posted on the parish webpage.

Some Thoughts

I debated whether or not to include this as part of my write up, as I intend for these to be positive, focused on the good. I do believe that Fr. Mario did an excellent job addressing a very difficult situation where someone else may have avoided it, and I think that is positive. 

The Catholic Church is very much a deep cultural experience beyond simply the tradition and the faith. And I think it is important to recognize that the parishioners are overwhelmingly decent, caring, family and community oriented people. Blanket assessments of people, religions, and cultures based on a few bad apples, is one of the many scourges of humanity. And even good people often fall into ugly reactionary patterns of labeling and prejudice. It is critical in my view to separate the bad apples, the corruption, and the horror from these churches. They do far more good, than the casual observer is aware of. This is one of the core reasons I started writing Pillars & Foundations, because we really need more understanding in this world.

The Rosaries, and flowers placed on Mary speak to the nature of the devotion of the parish, and the character of a community where such offerings are honored, undisturbed in well travelled streets

 

This fountain is adjacent/part of the grotto area, where manger scenes are set up during the Christmas season

Outreach

The parish is involved in many activities that enrich Stoneham and the surrounding communities. The bulletin alone mentions donations for the charity Saint Vincent de Paul Society, bringing Eucharist to those who are ill, a bereavement and support group, a ministry for grieving parents that lost a child, various education prep courses and education assistance programs and a long list of people who need the parish's prayers. There are many ministries related to the operation of the church itself, as well as some other charitable functions such as a group that weaves prayer shawls. The parish has a "How to Help," webpage where they are seeking out hospice volunteers for Hallmark Health VNA and Hospice. By browsing the new on the parish's main page you can also see many other community events and activities.

Adjacent to the church is St. Patrick School, a K-8 facility.

Saint Patrick really is one of the spiritual cornerstones, foundations of the community of Stoneham. The memories, the community, the charity that this organization has brought to generations is really difficult to quantify.

Note the reflection of the candles which can be lit in prayer. The foyers and hallways of St. Patrick Parish are beautifully decorated. Every aspect of these grounds seems to have thought, and care put into them.

Note these unique wooden stations of the cross. You can see how the one to the left is lower, indicating the slope to the sanctuary floor.

Text and photographs by George Parks

Sources are embedded in links