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Our Parish History!

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Our Parish History! OUR HISTORY SAINT JULIA PARISH SAINT JULIA PARISH - OUR HISTORY St. Julia Parish is the Catholic community of Weston and Lincoln, Massachusetts. From the 1850's to 1900, the two towns were part of larger, multi-town parishes. Weston was originally a mission of Saxonville parish, which also included the missions of Wayland, Framingham, Natick, Rockbottom, Stowe, Sudbury, Needham, Ashland, Hopkington and Assabet (Maynard). Weston Catholics traveled to St. Mary Church in Waltham for Mass, or to St. Zepherin or St. Ann in Wayland. Lincoln Catholics attended Mass at St. Bernard Church in Concord, at St. Mary in Waltham, or at St. Brigid in Lexington. In the early 1900's, Catholics in Weston and Lincoln began to celebrate Mass in their own towns, first as missions, and then as St. Julia and St. Joseph Parishes. They continued this way until August, 2004, when the Boston Archdiocese instituted a parish reconfiguration. St. Joseph Parish became a part of St. Julia Parish, but St. Joseph Church is still maintained as a worship site in Lincoln. The history of each community has been compiled here using a number of sources written for special occasions in the past. The original documents, along with additional anecdotes from parishioners. TABLE OF CONTENTS Saint Julia Parish - Our History ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Saint Julia Parish, Weston .......................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Saint Joseph Parish, Lincoln....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 For we are all one in the Lord .................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Source Materials ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 8 1 SAINT JULIA PARISH, WESTON 1914 - 1919: MISSION OF ST. MARY, WALTHAM. DECEMBER 25, 1921: FIRST MASS IN ST. JULIA St. Mary Parish of Waltham maintained a mission in CHURCH Weston, sending a priest every Sunday to say Mass in the The first Mass was said in the newly constructed St. Julia old Town Hall, which was located on what is now the Church, which seated 300 people. A used parlor-organ Town Green, opposite the Josiah Smith Tavern. Two was brought to the church in a horse-drawn cart. Mrs. priests who grew up in Weston, also came to say Mass, Eunice Bassett served as the parish's first organist and Father William Conroy and Father James Walsh. After continued to play well into the 1960's, close to when she completion of the new Town Hall in 1917, both died in 1966. A two-story house was purchased and Episcopalian services and Catholic Masses were held moved to the site behind the church to serve as the there. Confessions were heard before Mass. There was a rectory. One Mass at 9:00 a.m. was said at that time, with growing population of Catholics throughout about 100 people in attendance. Father Foley lived in the Massachusetts, including Weston, where many were rectory, with his sister Katherine Foley, who helped employed to work on the estates of wealthy landowners. furnish the new church and rectory. A beautiful baptismal font was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Woods. AUGUST 11, 1919: ST. JULIA PARISH ESTABLISHED 1923 - 1937: PASTOR WALTER SWEENEY St. Julia Parish of Weston was established by William Father Walter Sweeney served as the second pastor of St. Cardinal O'Connell, who appointed Fr. William J. Foley as Julia Parish. Since he was in poor health, Jesuits from its first pastor. The church is named after the patron saint Weston College began coming regularly to St. Julia to of Fr. Foley's mother, Julia. This may be the only Catholic celebrate Mass. Daily Mass was held in the rectory Church in the United States named for St. Julia. A number because it was too costly to heat the church every day of Weston landowners, many of whom worshipped at during the Great Depression. The Filene family, owners of First Parish, supported the development of this new Filene's department store, regularly sent groceries to the Catholic Church so that their employees could worship in rectory and personally supplied refreshments for social Weston. events. The Filenes, who lived off Church Street, were one of the first Jewish families in Weston. Altar boys were 1919 - 1921: ST. JULIA CHURCH BUILT sent during the winter to gather wood from Mr. Bassett's Land in the center of town was purchased from George W. lumber yard on Saturday night to heat the church for Cutting, Jr., with the help of many of the wealthy Sunday morning Mass. Since it was too expensive to heat members of the First Parish (Unitarian). The architects, the church except for Sunday Mass, Choir rehearsals were Maginnis and Walsh, were nationally known as designers held at the Bassett home. of Catholic churches and institutions. Construction by John Capobianco cost $50,000. Local fieldstone for the 1937 - 1941: PASTOR FRANCIS CUMMINGS facade was obtained from the Coburn family and from the Father Sweeney retired and Father Francis Cummings Cronin and Sheehan families, who donated the stone walls was installed as pastor. Father John "Flash" Fogarty was from their own properties. assigned as the first curate since the parish was growing and more Masses were needed. He was dubbed "Flash" because he took so long to say Mass. In 1940, Katherine Foley donated the Hammond organ in memory of her brother. 2 1941 - 1945: HOLY NAME SOCIETY, SODALITY, 1956 - 1965: THRIFT SHOP FOUNDING JUNIOR CHOIR Father Graf became pastor of St. Julia Parish after Fr. Father John Dowd was installed as the next pastor. The McGlinchey died in 1960. Under his leadership, the Holy Name Society became active during this time. Our church became very active. He created a sacristy in the Lady's Sodality was formed in 1942, as was the first Junior basement of the church for the altar servers, and helped Choir. This was a period of parish growth, social events foster bazaars and other fund-raising social events. He and significant fund-raising. In 1941, Father Dowd paid started the St. Julia Thrift Shop. $6,000 to purchase the adjacent old Cutting's General Store, which had closed in 1939. He razed the store and MARCH, 1961: ADDITION TO ST. JULIA CHURCH cleared the land for construction of a parish center. But By the early 1960's, six Masses were held each Sunday, the parish would have to wait another 55 years before the most with standing room only. Work began on an addition center became a reality. Father Dowd "wore himself out", to the back of St. Julia Church to increase seating according to many, and died in 1945. capacity. It was designed by the original architectural firm, now Maginnis, Walsh and Kennedy, and was 1945 - 1951: RELIGIOUS EDUCATION EXPANDS constructed by Richard White and Sons. A basement was Father Leo Sullivan became the next pastor of St. Julia excavated under part of the original church for an Church and, because he was in poor health, he called auditorium where Masses could be said during the often on the Jesuits at Weston College for help. The renovations. The old rectory house was moved yet again Religious Education program had 80 children from first to the lot adjacent to the church to make way for the through seventh grade, and Confirmation was addition. C.C.D. (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) administered to seventh graders at that time. Religious classes, as religious education classes were known then, education classes were held in the Jones House (now the were held in the Jones House (now the Josiah Smith Josiah Smith Tavern). In 1952, the baptismal font Tavern) during construction. "disappeared". Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cronin of Cronin's Department Store in Waltham, donated a new baptismal MAY 12, 1962: FIRST MASS IN RENOVATED font. CHURCH The first Mass was said in the newly expanded St. Julia 1951 - 1960: FR. JOSEPH CASEY COMES TO ST. Church, which could now seat 500 people. The addition JULIA created a new and larger space for the altar and included a After Father Sullivan was re-assigned to his home parish, new sacristy and the new basement used for religious St. Mary, Star of the Sea, in East Boston, Father William education classes. The addition was so seamless that it is Gorman was named pastor. However, his health failed difficult to see where the old meets the new part of the very soon after he arrived, and Father John McGlinchey building. Father Graf was named a Monsignor shortly replaced him at the end of his first year. A few years later, before the 25th anniversary of his ordination. At that time Father Joseph Casey, S.J., a Jesuit from Weston College, Mass was still said with the priest facing the tabernacle, began his faithful tenure of assisting at St. Julia Church. In with his back to the congregation. Communion was 1953, when Father McGlinchey had to take a medical distributed by priests only, to parishioners who would leave, Father Casey served informally as an interim pastor come up and kneel at the altar rail. At that time for 6 months. Father Frank M. Graf was sent as an Communion was not received in the hand, but placed administrator under Fr. McGlinchey, when Fr. Casey was directly by the priest on the tongue. called to teach at Boston College, starting in 1956. Fr. Casey continues to serve at St. Julia Church to this day. 1953: FIRST YOUTH GROUP FORMED The first "youth group" at St. Julia Parish was formed for girls in 11th and 12th grades. In 1958, about 80 high school students attended Sunday school classes. By 1962 when formal CCD programs were established in parishes, that number jumped to 153 high school students. 3 JULY, 1965: MONSIGNOR ROSSITER ARRIVES 1971 - 1972: A NEW RECTORY Father Graf died two months after burning the mortgage The new rectory was built adjacent to the church on on the St.
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