THE PRINT EDITION
THURSDAY DECEMBER 23, 2021
VOLUME XIX- ISSUE 74
E
Christmas Over Two Millennia, Until Now
ver since the First Christmas, there are hu nd re d s , m ay b e thousands of Christmas stories that are told and retold every year. Some of them, particularly the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, go back 2021 years (as nearly as we can calculate). They tell of an evening in a sma ll Judea n town na med Bethlehem – the “House of Bread”. The traditional time and date: Around midnight, as winter began and the calendar day turned into December 25. To state the obvious, all of us associate Christmas with gift-giving. Even two millennia later, we know that the gifting tradition began with the Wise Men from the East (or Kings, or the Magi, or even astrologers – whatever you choose to call them). But whatever the Wise Men are named, their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh
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Special Kids & Young Adults Supper at the Ollie It was a social get-together for South Boston’s Special Kids & Young Adults (the SBSK) at the Christmas Supper held at the South Boston Neighborhood House (the Ollie), and it was a really joyful event. The sound of laughter accompanied greetings and conversations in the Ollie’s dining room and kitchen. This event follows a Christmas Party held at the South Boston Yacht Club on Sunday. Photos on Page 8 & 9
initiated more than 2,000 years of giving at Christmas – to family, friends, colleagues, and those in need. Oddly enough, we
really don’t know if there were actually three men who came from the East. All we truly know is that they brought three gifts
with them – gifts of great value then, and still of great value today. Twenty (20) centuries
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Continued from Page 1
Christmas later, giving has become a power f u l, mea ning f u l, a nd permanent Christmas tradition. Ma ny ot her Christ ma s customs a re still obser ved, even though they are a lso quite ancient. Almost exactly 800 years ago, St. Francis of Assisi created the first manger scene with live farm animals to commemorate Christ’s birth. That was more than 1,200 years after He was born. The message here is that St. Francis took a very old tradition, and used it to create a new tradition – a manger made into a newborn’s crib, the Holy Family in a stable full of animals. We still recreate this 2,000-yearold scene, eig ht centuries after St. Francis did. That’s
a lasting tradition, for sure. One of t he Christma s stories we really like tells about a n incident during World War I – “the War to End All Wars” (yeah, right!). And this story is mostly or completely true. It was Christmas Eve in 1914, and trench warfare was
a lready under way. In that style of warfare, each side had been essentially fixed in place for long periods. Supplies were running low. Suddenly, entrenched Brit ish sold iers heard “Silent Night” (“Stille Nacht” in German) sung by the enemy. They recognized
the melody immediately. They responded. Despite militar y comma nds, which t hey apparently ignored, soldiers of both sides peacefully joined each other in the middle of the battlef ield to share food and celebrate Christmas together, at least for a few hours. There was no better way to remember what the Angels traditionally said to the shepherds at the first Christmas: “Peace on Earth”! “To Men of Good Will ”! So this year, despite disease and perhaps even some despair, hold onto the traditions of Ch rist ma s, wh ich a re fa r more numerous than the few traditions – very few – we were able to quote above. Food banks are in place all around South Boston. Please support them. Cold weather is coming; many families don’t have clothes or shoes. There are homeless people in Boston, including those inside the remaining Mass/Cass “tent cities”. Are we justified in telling them, “There’s no room at the inn”? Think about that. What do our Christmas traditions say about t h at re spon se? Have yourself a VERY (!) Merry Christmas. Pray; eat well; exchange gifts; talk and laugh a lot; enjoy your family and friends. Two millennia later, these are still the most important Christmas traditions. R e me mb e r, Christmas is the only time of year we use t hat joyous word “Merr y”!
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 23, 2021
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Julie’s 2021 Reception and Concert – “Angel” Bob Monahan Honored by Rick Winterson
J
ulie’s Family Learning Program held their 2021 Annual Reception and Holiday Concert on Thursday evening, December 16, 2021. The Reception took place in the elegant Higginson Hall, a part of the Boston Symphony Hall complex. It was certainly an event to remember, especially since it was taking place after the 2020 hiatus caused by the pandemic. Julie’s co-Founder Sr. Louise Kearns, Board Chair Sharon Asiaf, and Joanne Kelly, Julie’s newly appointed E xecutive Director, joyfully welcomed a full house of guests. Between e nt hu s i a s t ic c onv e r s a t ion, hors d ’oeuvres, and historic surroundings, the first hour of the Reception f lew by. Simply
stated, it was so good to see everyone again that it seemed the Reception could (and should) go on forever. And those in attendance were all part of a cross-section of South Boston’s most dedicated communit y members. Ju lie’s Fa mily Learning Program itself is nearly 50 years of age. It was founded in 1974 by Srs. Jean Sullivan SND and Louise Kearns SND. Ever since then, Julie’s has been an integral and important part of the South Boston community. A s you’ve hea rd, Bob Mon a h a n, t he lon g-t i me Director of Julie’s Fa mily Learning Program, was selected as the 2021 Julie’s “Angel”. Last Thursday at 7 p.m. he received his “Angel” Award; it was the high point of the evening. His Award ceremony began with a
Tribute Video from members of South Boston’s many non-profit agencies, all of whom praised Bob in their own words for his 47 years of devoted community service. Keith Lockhart, the Conductor and Musical Director of the Boston Pops Orchestra, stopped by Julie’s Reception to congratulate Bob in person. Bob himself received his “Angel” with humility from Julie’s co-Founder Sr. Louise Kearns and Board Chair Sharon Asiaf, and then proceeded to thank everyone for their support during his lifetime of service. (You can read about Bob’s long, self less career of community efforts in the November 18 issue of South Boston Online, page one.) The 2021 Julie’s Annual Reception and Holiday Concert culminated in Boston Symphony
Hall, where Keith Lock hart conducted the Boston Pops Orchestra in a beautifully programmed two-hour medley of Christmas music. The Pops Orchestra’s superb performance was additiona lly graced by the memorable singing of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus. Did you know this world-famous Chorus, founded 41 years ago, is composed entirely of volunteers? All in all, it was a magnificent Pops Concert, absolutely filled with Christmas spirit – a perfect way to end Julie’s Annual Event. And Bob Monahan promised everyone that he’ll be returning to community se r vice in South Boston af ter a short break early i n 2 02 2 . Me a n w h i l e , farewell and Godspeed, Bob!
Pops Director Keith Lockhart congratulates Bob Monahan, as Jimmy Callanan looks on.
Anna White, Laura Massey, and Rev. Burns Stanfield at Julie’s 2021 Reception.
Bob Monahan with his brother Sean at Julie’s 2021 Reception.
Bob Monahan is congratulated by Sr. Louise Kearns, SND; Sharon Asiaf holds Bob’s “Angel” Award.
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A Christmas Collection for the Homeless by Rick Winterson
F
or years, The SPOT at 380 Dorchester Avenue in Southie has been the location for shirt printing, banner printing, embroidery, sports/business uniforms, and other custom printing needs. Dave Moynihan is The SPOT’s Founder and Owner. This week, he volunteered The SPOT to serve as the storage point for a huge collection of winter
clothes and other gifts that will be delivered to two homeless shelters on Sout ha mpton Street – 112 Southampton (for men) and Woods-Mullen (for women). Together, these two shelters provide safe, warm quarters for approximately 500 homeless people. And you don’t have to be told that severe, cold weather has arrived. The collection was organized by a group of men, many of whom regularly lunched at Mirisola’s
2021 Christmas Mass Schedule
Christmas Eve Friday, December 24th 2:00PM at St. Brigid Church 2:00PM at Gate of Heaven Church with Children’s Pageant 4:00PM at St. Brigid Church 4:00PM at Gate of Heaven Church 5:00PM at St. Augustine Chapel (Limited Seating) 9:00PM at Gate of Heaven Church
The photo shows the collection’s pickup-and-delivery crew at The SPOT – (kneeling, from l.) Dwayne Brown, Samuel Odige, Ricardo Gonzalez; (standing, from l.) Rob Pacitti, Corey Grier, Rep. David Biele, Pedro Rodriguez, Ben Williams, Dave Moynihan. before it closed – Rob Pacitti, Chris Cook, Jeff McArdle, Jinty McGrath, Aaron Morrill, Steve Boozang, Guy Mirisola, Stephen Flaherty, Kenny Ryan, Billy Allen, and Paul Dewey. This squad of Mirisola graduates not only organized the collection, many of them also contributed to it. Other generous contributors included
The Broadway, the Cronin Group, the Ollie, The SPOT, and GVW Contractors. In addition to winter clothes and footwear, the contributions included gifts like two 75-inch TVs. W h at a m a r ve lou s ly successful Seasonal project! Merr y Christma s to a ll.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
Christmas Day Saturday, December 25th 8:00AM at St. Brigid Church 9:00AM at Gate of Heaven Church 10:30AM at St. Brigid Church No evening Mass on Christmas Day
Feast of the Holy Family Sunday, December 26, 2021 8:00AM at St. Brigid Church 9:00AM at Gate of Heaven Church 10:30AM at St. Brigid Church 12:00PM at Gate of Heaven Church
No 6PM Mass on Sunday, December 26th or Sunday, January 2nd
State Representative David Biele
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 23, 2021
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An Outstanding Christmas Concert at the Fourth by Rick Winterson
T
he Fourth Presbyterian Church has long been known for the quality of its musical works, in part because of the Faith exhibited there, as well as the talents of its singers and musicians. And the Church is led by its Pastor, the Rev. Burns Stanfield, who himself is a talented professional musician and a dedicated, knowledgeable teacher. This was again shown at the Fourth Church’s A nnual Christmas Concert on Saturday. A nd t he Concer t had a n unusual twist to it. Twelve (12) musicians and singers took part in person, and another thirteen (13, if we counted correctly) took part virtually. We are jumping ahead in the Concert’s chronology a bit, but the joint singing – the in-person group and the virtual groups – really worked well. W hat do you think? Could this foreshadow the future for concerts of all kinds, not just church concerts? Christmas music is f illed with joy, of course, but in addition, the Seasonal music is very melodic, which started with the Concert’s opening number – “There Are Angels Coming Down”. Melodious songs and music continued throughout. Bluesy treatments
The Fourth’s joyous Christmas Concert gets underway. of various carols lightened up the Concert. The instrumentation included piano (mostly played by Rev. Burns), guitar, and drums played by hand. The latter lent a truly lively sound to t he va r ie d C h r i st m a s
presentations, as did the virtual p er f or m a nc e s t h at n ic e ly matched the in-person music. The solos and the singing by the ensemble were both excellent Nea r t he end of t he Concert, “Go Tell It on the
Mountain” smoothly led into a candlelit rendering of “Silent Nig ht” by t he mu sicia n s a nd t he members of t he audience – the f inal number in a memorable, 90-minute, Christmas musical “happening”.
Msgr. Thomas J McDonnell and Frank Kelley Christmas Dinner Please call 617-586-5824 if you would like a meal delivered to your home. Meals will be delivered on December 24th between 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (City of Boston Covid-19 protocols in place). We will not be able to gather at the hall to enjoy a meal together. Volunteers and delivery drivers greatly needed and should meet at St. Monica’s @ 9:30 a.m. on December 24th. Any questions email: manning.danielr@gmail.com
Checks can be made payable to: South Boston Seaport Collaborative (memo: Holiday Dinner)
Please mail or deliver checks to: Deja Brew 704 East Broadway South Boston, MA 02127 A classic Advent wreath at the Fourth – three candles lit.
The Tradition Continues
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 23, 2021
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A Blessed and Merry Christmas to All!
All of us in the K to 6th Grade Religious Education Program Hope and pray that everyone will have a Blessed and Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year! God Bless Everyone!
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 23, 2021
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Singing Trees at Christmastime by Rick Winterson
Y
es, there are such things as “Singing Trees”. They have been brought to life by stories like the Harry Potter series and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But now, Singing Trees have arrived for real in South Boston, performing from 12 noon until 2 p.m. on every Sunday afternoon from now through 2022. These Concerts are located at recently opened “The ROCKS at Harbor Way” Park, which is a short walk off the south side Seaport Boulevard (get off at the Silver Line’s first stop at the Courthouse, if you take public transport). They are a novel kind of Christmas music. Each Singing Tree Concert consists of magical musical monotones that play over each other and blend with themselves. The effect is often mysterious; it recalls New Age music to mind. There are certain areas
in “The ROCKS” Park where the Concerts are better heard, so walk slowly around the Park until they come in well. And the Concerts are still taking place, even though the trees have lost their leaves and the weather has turned cold. According to one of the information signs, the Concert performances star “several sugar maples and sassafras trees”, all of them from New England. And we were informed
they perform in “the key of tree”. You are aware that living plants have certain biorhythms, which are accompanied by very
small electric currents. About ten years ago, an outfit that calls itself “PlantWave” developed a high-tech way to pick up these tiny electrical wave forms from plants, and then translate them into musical pitches. The pitches are then programmed into musical instruments like synthesizers, amplif ied, and broadcast into open air spaces. Listen to the music of plants and trees next Sunday, the 26th, in “The ROCKS at Harbor Way” Park. And when you are finished, cross over Seaport Boulevard and take one, final turn through Boston Seaport’s Holiday Market. That’ll be open all next week, through the New Year’s weekend.
Christmas Mass Schedule
NEW YEAR. NEW PHASE. DECONSTRUCTION BEGINS AT 776 SUMMER
_ _
Christmas Eve 4 PM Lithuanian at St. Peter’s 4:30 PM English and Spanish at St. Monica’s
Christmas Day St. Monica’s 10:30 AM English & 12:30 PM Spanish St. Peter’s 9 AM English & 10:30 AM Lithuanian
Sunday Schedule Sunday December 26th - Regular Sunday Schedule
Seaport Shrine of Our Lady of Good Voyage
Christmas Eve 4 PM, 7 PM & 11 PM all in English
Christmas Day 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM all in English
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Special Kids & Young Adults Supper at the South Boston Neighborhood House (the Ollie)
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 23, 2021
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Article 80 Meeting Schedule
Dorchester Bay City The BPDA will be hosting a series of Virtual Public Meetings in connection with the submission of the Draft Project Impact Report for the proposed Dorchester Bay City project. These upcoming topic-specific Public Meetings follow an initial Kick-Off Public Meeting, which was held on December 15th.
January 10,2022 | 6:00 PM Virtual Public Meeting | Transportation, Infrastructure, Sustainability and Resiliency Register Here: bit.ly/3ysaUEy January 20th, 2022 | 6:00 PM Virtual Public Meeting | Housing & Economic Development Register Here: bit.ly/30szFDY
January 31, 2022 | 6:00 PM Virtual Public Meeting | Inclusive Public Realm Improvements and Placemaking Register Here: bit.ly/3s9UXC2
February 17, 2022 | 6:00 PM Virtual Public Meeting |Urban Design & Open Space Register Here: bit.ly/3J3mbjI
All vital project documents, including an Executive Summary of the Draft Project Impact Report, are available for review in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese on the Dorchester Bay City project webpage on the BPDA’s website. Interpretation will be provided for all Public Meetings in Spanish, Vietnamese, Cape Verdean Creole, Haitian Creole, Mandarin, and Cantonese. To submit a comment on this Proposed Project in a language other than English please email bpdawebcontent@boston.gov. If you have any questions about the BPDA review of the Dorchester Bay City project, please contact: Aisling Kerr at (617) 918 - 4212 or by email at aisling.kerr@boston.gov BostonPlans.org
@BostonPlans
Teresa Polhemus, Executive Director/Secretary
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The 6th graders did a wonderful job with their reenactment of the Christmas Nativity Play! We want to thank all the 6th grade students, their teachers, Ms. Sarah Hoisl, Ms. Faith Smith, our Principal, Dr. Helenann Civian, the Pastor, Father Robert Casey and our Vice Principal, Mrs. Denise Moriarty for their assistance in making this reenactment and video possible! If you would like to see this SBCA Christmas Nativity Reenactment Play, the LINK to the video is… https://c.themediacdn.com/link/http/WEsd6Y/ t9avWzpsO5o/ifiVuxsHAvA_1?dl=1. We hope everyone will have a healthy, happy and restful Winter break! On behalf of our Principal, Dr. Civian, our 6th and 4th Grade students and all of us at South Boston Catholic Academy, we wish everyone a Very Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Happy New Year!
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Festive Southie
THURSDAY DECEMBER 23, 2021
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