Robert W. Bullock Papers 1940-2006 MS.2006.024 http://hdl.handle.net/2345/1006
Archives and Manuscripts Department John J. Burns Library Boston College 140 Commonwealth Avenue Chestnut Hill 02467 library.bc.edu/burns/contact URL: http://www.bc.edu/burns Table of Contents
Summary Information ...... 3 Administrative Information ...... 4 Biographical Note ...... 5 Scope and Contents ...... 5 Arrangement ...... 6 Other Finding Aids ...... 7 Collection Inventory ...... 7 I: Artifacts and ephemera ...... 7 II: Awards ...... 8 III: Correspondence ...... 8 IV: Director of Campus Ministry meetings ...... 8 V: Facing History and Ourselves ...... 9 VI: Photographs ...... 10 VII: Sermons and talks ...... 10
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 2 - Summary Information
Creator: Bullock, Robert W. Title: Robert W. Bullock papers Collection Identifier: MS.2006.024 Date [inclusive]: 1940-2006 Physical Description 12 Linear Feet (19 containers) Physical Description 40 Gigabytes (396 files with approximately 67 hours of audio plus digital documents) Language of the English Material: Abstract: Papers document the religious career of twentieth-century Boston Catholic priest Robert W. Bullock. Materials include correspondence, sermons and talks, photographs, ministry documents, awards, artifacts and ephemera, and a scrapbook. It also contains material relating to Bullock's work with the non-profit organization Facing History and Ourselves. Preferred Citation
Identification of item, Box number, Folder number, Robert W. Bullock papers, MS.2006.024, John J. Burns Library, Boston College.
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 3 - Administrative Information
Publication Information Processed by Sarah K. Nytroe, November-December 2006; minor updates 2009; Rachael Young in 2018. This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace.
Conditions Governing Access Collection is open for research.
Materials from Series VII. Sermons and talks, including Subseries D. Sermons and Subseries E. Talking Religion radio shows, were received digitally. This content has been migrated from source media; digital use copies can only be accessed onsite in the Burns Library Reading Room.
Provenance Gift of the Bullock Estate and Padriac O'Hare of Facing History and Ourselves, in 2006.
Restrictions on use These materials are made available for use in research, teaching and private study, pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. The original authors may retain copyright to the materials.
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 4 - Biographical Note
Robert W. Bullock was born in Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1929. He attended St. Sebastian's Country Day School. In 1951 he earned a degree in economics from Boston College. He entered St. John's Seminary and was ordained a priest in 1956. Between 1956 and 1966, Bullock served at numerous parishes in Massachusetts, including St. Camillus in Arlington. He joined the Boston Archdiocese's campus ministry in 1964 and was appointed its first director of campus ministry in 1966. In addition, Bullock served as Catholic chaplain at Brandeis University from 1969 to 1978. After working in campus ministry, Bullock was assigned to Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Sharon, Massachusetts. He served at Our Lady of Sorrows from 1978 to 2004.
Bullock's interest in interfaith relations, particularly Jewish-Christian relations, surfaced and developed while he served as the Catholic chaplain at Brandeis University. He read extensively on the Holocaust. In 1976, he began collaborating with Facing History and Ourselves, an organization that focuses on helping teachers and students engage with issues of racism, prejudice, and anti-Semitism. During his thirty year relationship with Facing History and Ourselves Bullock traveled around the country talking with students and teachers about the past and its implications for the present. Bullock traveled to Israel, Germany, and Poland in 1973 where he studied Jewish-Christian relations within campus ministry. He led several interfaith trips to Israel from 1973 to 1980.
In addition, Bullock was engaged in a variety of other religious organizations. From 1964 to 1974, Bullock served as a member of the Archdiocesan Ecumenical Commission. Bullock also regularly participated on the WBZ Sunday morning broadcast of "Intersect." Bullock became a vocal critic of the Church's handling of the sexual abuse crisis in the Boston Archdiocese. He signed a letter along with other priests calling for the resignation of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law and founded a support and network group for Boston priests, the Priests' Forum.
Diagnosed with liver cancer in the spring of 2004, Bullock died at home on June 19, 2004 at the age of 75.
Source:
Rourke, Mary. "Robert Bullock, 75; Priest, Critic of Church's Role in Sex Scandal." Los Angeles Times, June 23, 2004. Accessed on December 17, 2020, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-jun-23- me-bullock23-story.html
Scope and Contents
The papers primarily document the religious work of Robert W. Bullock, a twentieth-century Catholic priest in the Boston area. The collection includes a significant body of sermons and talks, correspondence, ministry meeting information, photographs, a scrapbook, awards, and artifacts and ephemera. Many of Bullock's talks focused on spirituality, the relationship between the Vatican and the American church, Jewish-Christian relations, issues of anti-Semitism, and the sexual abuse crisis in Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 5 - the Catholic Church. Additional materials relate to Bullock's activities with the non-profit organization Facing History and Ourselves.
Arrangement
Arranged in seven series: I. Artifacts and ephemera, II. Awards, III. Correspondence, IV. Director of Campus Ministry meetings, V. Facing History and Ourselves, VI. Photographs, and VII. Sermons and talks.
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 6 - Other Finding Aids
More detailed description for the digital content in this collection is available in the form of a directory tree with a file listing. Please request these materials from Burns Library Public Services.
Collection Inventory
Series I: Artifacts and ephemera, 1951-2006 Arrangement
Alphabetical.
Processing Information
Both the Our Lady of Sorrows scrapbook and the untitled scrapbook were disassembled for preservation purposes; their original presentation (through photocopying) and contents (individually foldered) have been preserved.
Address book, undated box 9 folder 25
Apostolic Blessing and Plenary Indulgence for the Hour of Death box 16 folder 2 -- certificate, 1955
Artwork by Sam Henderson given to Robert Bullock, undated box 16 folder 1
Bachelor's degree from Boston College, 1951 box 13
Business card, undated box 9 folder 15
Crocheted cross, undated box 12
Ephemera from the occasion of Mary Bullock's death, 1978 box 9 folder 19-23
Holy Year Program of Renewal and Reconciliation for Priests -- box 7 folder 78 schedule and participants, undated
In memoriam book, undated box 13
Newspaper articles, 1964-2006, undated box 9 folder 26-27
Our Lady of Sorrows Diamond Jubilee Road Race -- program box 9 folder 24 ribbon, 1981 August 29
Our Lady of Sorrows -- invitation for Robert W. Bullock's box 7 folder 70 thirteenth anniversary, 1991 September 15
Our Lady of Sorrows -- parish scrapbook, approximately 1991 box 6 folder 9-105 box 7 folder 1-67
Our Lady of Sorrows -- program for the installation of Reverend box 7 folder 69 Robert W. Bullock, 1978 June 27 Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 7 - Passports, 1978, 1983, 2000 box 9 folder 16-18
Scrapbook, 1960s-1970s box 8 folder 37-66 box 9 folder 1-14
Wood rosary, undated box 12
Wrist watch, undated box 12
Yearly planners, 1998-2002 box 10 folder 1-5
Series II: Awards, 1955-2002, undated
Catholic Youth Organization Council, plaque, 1964 box 15
Woburn Deanery of the Catholic Youth Organization, plaque, box 15 1964 April 26
National Conference of Christians and Jews Pioneer Award, box 14 certificate of recognition, 1982 February 17
Recognition for "Promotion of Respect and Understanding box 16 Between Christians and Jews and the Struggle Against All Bigotry", plaque, 1983 October 30
Facing History and Ourselves Twenty-Fifth Anniversary New box 16 England Benefit, plaque, 2001 April 3
Series III: Correspondence, 1964-2004
Cardinal Cushing, 1964-1970 box 1 folder 1-5
Cardinal Mederios, 1972-1978 box 1 folder 6-8
Occasion of Mary Bullock's death, 1978 May box 1 folder 9-10
To parishioners, 1985-2004 box 1 folder 11
Thirteenth Anniversary at Our Lady of Sorrows, 1991 box 1 folder 12-16 box 2 folder 1-2
Series IV: Director of Campus Ministry meetings, 1966-1974, undated Scope and Contents
Meeting agendas, summaries, and notes from meetings between Bullock and Cardinal Richard Cushing and Humberto Sousa Cardinal Medeiros.
Cardinal Cushing, 1967-1969, undated box 6 folder 1-5
Cardinal Medeiros, 1974, 1974 box 6 folder 6-7
Memorandum, 1974 March 12-May 29 box 7 folder 68
"Notes for His Eminence on 'Nuns in Newman'", 1966 October 29 box 6 folder 8
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 8 - Series V: Facing History and Ourselves, 1978-2006, undated Scope and Contents
Consists primarily of talks given by Bullock, but also includes correspondence, a draft of the organization's amended by-laws, and agendas for board of directors' retreats.
About Zezette, 1999 March 11 box 8 folder 16
Advertisement for discussion of "Twilight: Los Angeles", undated box 8 folder 9
Amended by-laws, 2001 box 8 folder 4
Annual board retreat -- agenda, 2001 November 4-5 box 8 folder 2
Annual report, 2003-2004 box 8 folder 7
Biography of Michael Berenbaum, 2001 May box 8 folder 12
Board of Directors meeting -- agenda, 2001 October 15 box 8 folder 1
At Canton, 2002 April 21 box 8 folder 26
Canton adult education course, undated box 8 folder 33
"Catholic Teachers", 1999 March 10 box 8 folder 15
"Christian Roots of Antisemitism", 2002 August 5 box 8 folder 27
"Documentation of Summer 1978 Workshop", 1978 box 7 folder 82-84
At Emerson College, 2003 August 4 box 8 folder 30
Facing History and Ourselves news, 1985 Summer box 8 folder 35
"From Margot Sterm Strom Executive Director", undated box 8 folder 10
At Hatikvah Holocaust and Resource Center, 1998 June 30 box 8 folder 14
Incoming and outgoing correspondence, 1998-2006, undated box 7 folder 80-81
Introduction of Jan Darsa, 2000 October 29 box 8 folder 20
Introduction of Jim Carroll, 2001 February 8 box 8 folder 21
Introduction of Michael Berenbaum, 2001 November 4 box 8 folder 24
List of Board of Directors and Board of Trustees, 2001-2002 box 8 folder 5
Miscellaneous material, undated box 8 folder 36
National Program Associates Retreat -- program, 2001 November box 8 folder 3 6-9
New England Regional Calendar, 2006-2007 box 8 folder 8
Participant lists for unknown events, undated box 8 folder 34
Profiles of nominees to the Board of Trustees, 2001-2002 box 8 folder 6
"Rationale" typescript, undated box 8 folder 11
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 9 - Retreat opening remarks, circa 2001 box 8 folder 25
Summer workshops talking points, 1998 June 23-July 13 box 8 folder 13
Talk at Twenty-Fifth Anniversary New England Benefit, 2001 box 8 folder 23 April 23
Talk given at board meeting, 2004 March 9 box 8 folder 31
"Teaching Hatred: Global Education and Youth in the 21st box 8 folder 32 Century", undated
At Tufts University, 2001 February 12 box 8 folder 22
Untitled talk at unknown location, 2003 May 2 box 8 folder 28
Untitled workshop talk, 1999 August 2 box 8 folder 17
Workshop for Jewish Teachers in Jewish Schools, 2003 July 8 box 8 folder 29
Workshop "Historical and Contemporary Views on box 8 folder 19 Antisemitism", 1999 June 21
Workshop talk at Simmons College, 1999 August 9 box 8 folder 18
Series VI: Photographs, 1940-2004 Arrangement
Photographs that included information regarding subject or date have been grouped together under the heading "annotated." Otherwise alphabetical by subject.
Processing Information
Photographs have been minimally processed. Color and black-and-white photographs were foldered separately for preservation purposes.
Annotated images, 1940-2004 box 18 folder 9-14
Celebrating Twenty Years at Our Lady of Sorrows, photo album, box 11 1998 June 20
General, 1940s-2000s box 18 folder 3-5, 8
Religious services and events, 1960s-2004 box 18 folder 2, 7 box 19 folder 1-3
Robert W. Bullock, 1960s-2004 box 18 folder 1, 6 box 19 folder 4
Series VII: Sermons and talks, 1971-2004
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 10 - Scope and Contents
Sermons and talks are documented through text documents, except for the Talking Religion Radio Show, which is captured on audio recordings.
Subseries A: Catholic Church talks, 1998-2004, undated Arrangement
Chronological.
To Marblehead clergy, 1998 March 16 box 5 folder 52
"Spirituality in the Wider Community", 2002 March 5 box 5 folder 53
Panel talk at Boston College, 2002 April 3 box 5 folder 54
Sexual abuse crisis talk at Stonehill College, 2002 April 8 box 5 folder 55
Panel talk at Regis College, 2002 April 16 box 5 folder 56
Boston priests' forum, 2002 May 3 box 5 folder 57
"The Struggle to Remain Catholic", 2002 June 9 box 5 folder 58
Parish leadership forum "Living in Truth", 2003 February 1 box 5 folder 59
Talk at unknown location, 2003 May 16 box 5 folder 60
The effects of the sexual abuse crisis on Jewish-Christian box 5 folder 61 relations, 2003 July 29
"The Vatican and the American Church Today?", 2004 February box 5 folder 62 10
Brockton Rotary Club, 2004 February 12 box 5 folder 63
Lenten series on the passion narratives, advertisement, undated box 5 folder 65
Scripture passages, undated box 5 folder 64
Subseries B: Inter-religious talks, 1990-2004 Arrangement
Chronological.
"Jewish-Christian Marriages: Let Them be Faithful to Jewish box 5 folder 24 Tradition", 1990 Spring
"On the Power of Group Dynamics in Hate and Reduction of box 5 folder 25 Hate", 1998 February 1
"On Diversity and Tolerance", 1998 February 14 box 5 folder 26
Yom Hashoah at Northeastern Law School, 1998 April 22 box 5 folder 27
"The Fragility of Democracy", 1998 May 7 box 5 folder 28
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 11 - "Evil and Forgiveness", 1998 August 19 box 5 folder 29
The Center for Spiritual Life, 2000 March 23 box 5 folder 30
Panel talk on the Jewish-Catholic dialogue, 2000 April 2 box 5 folder 31
Jewish-Catholic relations at Saint Cecilia Parish, 2000 April 12 box 5 folder 32
"In Memoriam of Murray I. Rotham", 2000 May 1 box 5 folder 33
"Anti-Semitism Anti-Judaism and Christianity", 2000 October box 5 folder 34 17
"Heritage", 2001 April 18 box 5 folder 35
"The Religious Rituals of Marriage", 2001 June 19 box 5 folder 36
Institute on Preaching and Jewish Christian Relations program, box 5 folder 37-38 2001 November 8
"The Charge", 2001 November 8 box 5 folder 39
Introduction of Jim Carroll, 2002 February 1 box 5 folder 40
"Supersessionism", 2002 March 6 box 5 folder 41
Rabin Peacemaker Award for William F. Murphy, 2002 April 2 box 5 folder 42
Yom Hashoah Commemoration, 2002 April 7 box 5 folder 43
Inauguration of the Rabbi Ronald M. Weiss Interfaith program, box 5 folder 44 2002 May 31
"Constantine's Sword", 2002-2003 box 5 folder 45
Temple Sinai in Sharon, Massachusetts, 2003 March 21 box 5 folder 46
Yom Hashoah, 2003 May 2 box 5 folder 47
Talk given to Confirmation class at Temple Sinai, 2003 June 2 box 5 folder 48
"Odyssey: Interreligious Conversation and Observations: box 5 folder 49 What is Common and What is Unique to All Religions", 2003 November 12
"The Passion", 2004 March 28 box 5 folder 50
Jewish-Catholic relations, 2004 May 5 box 5 folder 51
Subseries C: Other talks, 2001-2004, undated Arrangement
Chronological.
Scope and Contents
Includes invocations, prayers, penance services, and talks to community groups.
Memorial Day Invocation and Benediction, 2001 box 7 folder 71
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 12 - Confirmation Penance Service, 2003 May 8 box 7 folder 72
Talk about Margaret Steinfels, 2003 October 20 box 7 folder 73
Reflection on Rose Murra, 2003 November 24 box 7 folder 74
Penance Service for ninth graders, 2004 March 22 box 7 folder 75
Town Meeting prayer, 2004 May 3 box 7 folder 76
Respect Life Mission Statement, undated box 7 folder 77
Memorial Day Invocation and Benediction, undated box 7 folder 79
Subseries D: Sermons, 1971, 1997-2004 Scope and Contents
Typescripts for all of Bullock's weekly sermons from 1997-2004. He titled his sermons by the Sunday or feast day in the church calendar. There are also a small number of sermons for funerals and weddings performed by Bullock.
Arrangement
By event type, and chronologically thereunder.
Funerals, 1971, 2002-2003 box 5 folder 10-13
Weddings, 1998-2004 box 17 Physical Description Digital 1 data DVD content 99721 Conditions Governing Access
Files on optical media in box 17 have been migrated from source media. All original media was retained, but may not be played due to format. Digital use copies can only be accessed onsite in the Burns Library Reading Room.
Digital content summary
Total files: 55, Total size: 1 MB, Years (last modified): 1998 - 2004, Identified file formats: 1 (Microsoft Word Document)
Weekly masses, 1997-2004 box 2 folder 3-97 Physical Description box 3 folder 1-92 Paper documents and 1 data DVD box 4 folder 1-74 Scope and Contents box 5 folder 1-9 Paper contents cover sermons from December 1997 until May 2004; digital documents duplicate the sermons box 17 delivered between January 1998 and May 2004.
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 13 - Conditions Governing Access Digital content Files on optical media in box 17 have been migrated from 99719 source media. All original media was retained, but may not be played due to format. Digital use copies can only be accessed onsite in the Burns Library Reading Room.
Digital content summary
Total files: 276, Total size: 6 MB, Years (last modified): 1998 - 2004, Identified file formats: 1 (Microsoft Word Document)
Subseries E: Talking Religion radio show, box 17 2000 October - 2003 January Digital Physical Description content 90524 65 audio CDs Conditions Governing Access
Audio recordings in box 17 have been migrated from source media. All original media was retained, but may not be played due to format. Digital use copies can only be accessed onsite in the Burns Library Reading Room.
Processing Information
These materials were received on audio compact disc, and at the time of migration the disc with the show for 2002 February 24 could not be read. There are two recordings of the show for 2002 January 6, one of which contains a minute more content, and two different takes of the show for 2002 March 17. Both recordings of these shows are provided. One recording, for the 2002 March 3 show, contained content from a 2001 newscast at the end, which has been cut from the access copy.
Scope and Contents
Audio recordings of Bullock's participation on the multi- faith panel of WRKO's Sunday morning show Talking Religion, which discussed politics and current affairs from a religious and moral perspective. The show was recorded in advance, and many recordings begin with the date it was intended to be broadcast.
Subseries F: Voice of the Faithful talks, 2002-2004
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
- Page 14 - Arrangement
Chronological.
"Where are we Going", 2002 April 10 box 5 folder 14
Panel at unknown location, 2002 July 20 box 5 folder 15
Saint Eulalia's Church, 2002 November 4 box 5 folder 16
Saint Timothy's in Norwood, Massachusetts, 2003 February 24 box 5 folder 17
Saint Agnes in Reading, Massachusetts, 2003 February 26 box 5 folder 18
Saint Denis in Westwood, Massachusetts, 2003 October 8 box 5 folder 19
Saint Eulalia's Church, 2003 October 27 box 5 folder 20
Saint Paul's in Wellesley, Massachusetts, 2004 January 22 box 5 folder 21
Saint Mary's in Brookline, Massachusetts, 2004 February 2 box 5 folder 21
Unknown location, 2004 March 18 box 5 folder 23
Robert W. Bullock Papers MS.2006.024
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