Celebration of Catholic Faith in Brockton, MA

Presented to the People of God in the City of Brockton

May 30, 2015 ~ June 14, 2015

Table of Contents

Introduction 2 St. Casimir 3 Christ the King 5 St. Colman 7 St. Edith Stein 9 St. Edward 11 St. Margaret 13 St. Nicholas 15 Our Lady of Lourdes 17 Our Lady of Ostrabrama 19 St. Patrick 21 Sacred Heart 23

1 June 15, 2015

Dear Friends,

We have just completed our Celebration of Faith weekends in each of our parishes. All of us have benefited from the faith of those who have gone before us, be they family, friends or religious leaders. We have also been blessed here in the city of Brockton by the faith of those who built our beautiful churches. Though some of those churches have closed, our faith is strong today as in the past. We have become renewed parishes and this is what we celebrate. This booklet is meant to honor the Lord and the saints for whom our churches were named. I hope the sketches done by Jow Shaw of Christ the King Parish will inspire you. The write-up on the saints and the churches were done by our seminarians Chris Bae and Joe Hubbard. Fathers Garcia and Irineu helped translate the texts into French and Portuguese. Thank you to each of them. I hope that this booklet will inspire you and give you hope. We move forward in faith together.

God Bless you, Father Joe

St. Casimir Feast Day: March 4 Patron Saint of Poland and Lithuania 3 Casimir was born in 1458, the third of thirteen children born to Poland's King Casimir IV and his wife Elizabeth of Austria. He and several of his brothers studied with the priest and historian John Dlugosz, whose deep piety and political expertise influenced Casimir in his youth. The young prince did not like the luxury that came with his royal heritage, and chose a simple, devout life instead. He wore plain clothes, slept on the floor instead of a regal bed, and was known for his great charity to the poor. These sacrifices he made signify the simplicity and holiness with which he lived his life. His father the king and his advisors wanted Casimir to marry, but he chose to remain single so that he could focus more on his prayer life, his relationship with God and his service to the people he served. After experiencing symptoms of tuberculosis, Casimir foresaw his death and prepared for it by deepening his devotion to God. He died en route to Lithuania on March 4, 1484, and was buried with a copy of a Marian hymn he frequently recited. Pope Adrian VI canonized him in 1522. St. Casimir Parish was established in 1898 by Archbishop John Williams as a home to the Lithuanian community of Brockton. For more than 110 years, this parish served the faithful in the Lithuanian community and in 2009 when the parish closed, the parishioners were welcomed into St. Michael Parish in Avon and St. Edith Stein Parish in Brockton.

Christ the King Feast Day: The Last Sunday of Ordinary Time

5 Reference to Jesus under the title of Christ the King can be found in scripture several times, most notably in John’s Gospel when Jesus says “My kingdom does not belong to this world” (John 18) and in Revelation when Christ is referred to as the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (Rev. 19:16). Since the year 1925, Catholics have been formally celebrating the Feast of Christ the King. Pope Pius XI instituted this feast on the last Sunday of October and since 1970 it has been celebrated on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time, which is the final Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year and one week before the beginning of Advent. The placement of the feast at the end of the year emphasizes the importance of recognizing Jesus Christ as King of the Universe, and reminds us that at the end of our Earthly life, we hope to meet Jesus Christ, the King. The institution of this feast was seen as a response to growing nationalism and secularism and was communicated by Pope Pius through his encyclical letter Quas Primas. In this letter, Pope Pius said, “[Christ] must reign in our minds, which should assent with perfect submission and firm belief to revealed truths and to the doctrines of Christ. He must reign in our wills, which should obey the laws and precepts of God. He must reign in our hearts, which should spurn natural desires and love God above all things, and cleave to him alone. He must reign in our bodies and in our members, which should serve as instruments for the interior sanctification of our souls…” The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe serves as a reminder and source of meditation for us each year that our constant goal is to be united with Christ for eternity in heaven. Christ the King Parish was established in 2004 by Cardinal Sean O’Malley and is one of the Brockton Tri-Parishes. Both Sacred Heart and St. Colman parishes were closed and formed into the new community of Christ the King at the site of the St. Colman Church on the East Side. 6

St. Colman of Cloyne Feast Day: November 24 Patron Saint of the Diocese of Cloyne 7 St. Colman Mac Lenine was born in Munster around the year 510 A.D. He was endowed with many natural talents, and served as a poet and bard to the royal court of Aoch Caomh, King of Munster, at Cashel in Tipperary.

When he was about 50 years old, Colman converted to Christianity under the guidance of St. Brendan and St. Ita. He was baptized, renounced the splendors of Cashel and became a priest.

Colman was given a grant of land that used to belong to the kingdom of Cashel and it was on this site that the Church of Cloyne was established in 560. He oversaw this monastic foundation for about forty years and died on November 24 in 604. St. Colman wrote several poems, some of which are still remembered today.

Cardinal William O’Connell established St. Colman Parish in 1910. St. Colman’s served the Catholic faithful on the East Side of Brockton for 94 years before it was closed in 2004, along with Sacred Heart Parish, and the two joined together as the new parish of Christ the King at the site of St. Colman’s.

St. Edith Stein Feast Day: August 9 Patron Saint of Europe, loss of parents, converts from Judaism, and World Youth Day 9 Edith Stein was born in 1891 in Breslau, Poland and was the youngest child of a large Jewish family. She was an outstanding student and was especially interested in philosophy. Eventually she gained interest in the Catholic Faith, and in 1922, she was baptized at the Cathedral Church in Cologne, Germany. Eleven years later Edith became a Discalced Carmelite sister at the Cologne Carmel, taking the name of Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Because of the politics in Germany during the 1930’s, Edith was sent to the Carmel at Echt, Holland along with her sister Rose who had also converted and became associated with the Carmelite Order. When the Nazis conquered Holland, Teresa and Rose were arrested and sent to the concentration camp at Auschwitz. Teresa died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz in 1942 at the age of fifty. Pope St. John Paul II beatified her in 1987 in Cologne and canonized her in 1998 at the Vatican. Because of her beautiful life of consecration, prayer, fasting and penance, she is remembered as a most holy example that lived as a stark contrast to the evil that existed in Europe during the 1930’s and 1940’s, and thus she was named a patroness of Europe. Founded in 2003 by Cardinal Sean O’Malley, St. Edith Stein Parish is located in the former St. Edward’s Church in the Montello Section of Brockton. This parish community was formed by the parishes of St. Edward and St. Nicholas and has served in the Tri-Parishes of Brockton for more than 10 years.

St. Edward the Confessor Feast Day: October 13 Patron Saint of difficult marriages and England 11 Edward was born in 1003, the son of Ethelred II and Emma of Normandy. When Edward was a young boy, he and his brother Alfred were sent to Normandy to be raised in the court of his uncle the Duke of Normandy. Because of political situations, he spent much of his early life in exile, and came to see political ambition as foolish. Instead, he found great delight in assisting at Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, and in surrounding himself with the professed religious. The English crown was in the hands of Danish royals for many years, but eventually Edward and Alfred were convinced to return and try to seize power over the kingdom. Alfred was killed while fighting for the crown, and Edward decided to return to Normandy. However, the reigning king died suddenly and Edward was called by acclamation to become king, welcomed by the English and the Danish settlers alike, in large part because of his holy character. Edward’s reign was a reign of peace, and much of the potential conflict was avoided or handled for the most part without war because of Edward’s prudence and gentleness. Because of his lack of personal ambition, he focused his attention on the welfare of his people, lessening the burden they had by lowering taxes and sharing much of his wealth with the poor and the Church. He took as his consort the Earl of Godwin’s daughter Editha, a virtuous woman, and the two lived a very chaste marriage so that they could worship God with undivided hearts. Edward rebuilt St. Peter’s Abbey at Westminster, and this is where he was buried. In 1161 Pope Alexander III canonized Edward. He is called Edward the Confessor because that was the title given to someone of great piety and holiness who was not a martyr. St. Edward’s Parish was founded in 1897 by Archbishop John Williams and served as the parish church for the faithful of the Montello section, or North Side of Brockton for more than a century. The church building was built in 1915 and is now home to the St. Edith Stein Parish. 12

St. Margaret of Scotland Feast Day: November 19 Patron Saint of Dunfermline, Scotland and Anglo-Scottish relations 13 Margaret was born around 1045 and was the daughter of Edward the Exile and Agatha of Hungary. It is believed Margaret was born in Hungary, brought to England with her father and after his death was returning to the continent with her mother when a storm drove their ship to Scotland, where Malcolm III welcomed them under his protection. He took Margaret as his wife, though the marriage was delayed while Margaret considered entering religious life. As queen of Scotland, Margaret gave her great influence over to the causes of religion and piety. During her reign, a synod took place, and special reforms including the regulation of the Lenten fast and the observance of the Easter communion, among others, were implemented. In her private life, she was very pious and prayerful, and helped to build many churches, including one that housed her personal relic of the True Cross, called the Abbey of Dunfermline. Because of her piety, Margaret foretold her own day of death, which was November 16, 1093. She was buried at the Abbey of Dunfermline. In 1250, Pope Innocent IV canonized Margaret. Her relics moved several times throughout Europe, and have since been lost. Much of what is known about Margaret comes from a biography written by her confessor, Turgot, who eventually became Bishop of St. Andrews. Archbishop John Williams established St. Margaret’s Parish in 1902. After 100 years of faithful service to the parishioners on the South Side of Brockton, this parish was closed in 2003 and the parishioners were welcomed into the parishes of Our Lady of Lourdes and Christ the King

St. Nicholas Feast Day: December 6 Patron Saint of mariners, merchants, bakers, travelers, and children 15 Nicholas, one of the most popular saints in both the Greek and Roman Churches, was Bishop of Myra during the fourth century. We do not have very much historical information about him, but do have some legendary information. It is said that he was born in Asia Minor in a city called Parara. He made a pilgrimage to Egypt and Palestine when he was young and shortly after he returned he was made bishop of Myra. During the persecution of Diocletian he was imprisoned, but was released when Constantine became emperor. Nicholas is said to have been present at the Council of Nicea, though that cannot be confirmed. Nicholas is very popular in both the Eastern and Latin Rite Churches; with devotion going all the way back to the Emperor Justinian, who build a church in his honor at Constantinople. He is honored as patron of many cities and is very popularly depicted in religious art. According to legend, St. Nicholas was the origin of Santa Clause because of his affection for children and his ability to travel. His relics are still preserved in the church of San Nicola in Bari, and an oily substance, known as Manna di S. Nicola, which is highly valued for its medicinal powers, is said to flow from them. St. Nicholas’ Parish was established in 1964 by Cardinal Richard Cushing. For nearly forty years, St. Nicholas was home to the faithful community on the Abington-Brockton border, and in 2003 joined together with St. Edward’s Parish to form St. Edith Stein Parish.

Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day: February 11

17 The title of Mary as Our Lady of Lourdes dates back to the middle of the 19th century, when it is believed that Marian apparitions occurred on several occasions in Lourdes, France. A 14-year-old peasant girl named Bernadette first experienced this apparition while gathering firewood with her sister and a friend. When the two girls told their mother of the apparition, she believed they were making it up and so she punished them. However, Bernadette returned to the grotto and experienced the apparition again and again. The apparition asked Bernadette for prayer and penitence for the conversion of sinners. She was instructed by the apparition to dig in the ground and drink from the spring of water that was to be found. The water was the source of several miraculous cures. In 1860, the local bishop declared that the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette and approved veneration of Our Lady of Lourdes, which was confirmed by Pope Pius IX in 1862. A statue of the Virgin was created based on her description by Bernadette, and then placed into the grotto where the apparitions occurred. Many pilgrims, especially the sick, visit the site of the apparitions each year, seeking the same miraculous cures that occurred at the time of the apparitions and have occurred since by drinking or bathing in the water. Bernadette was canonized a saint by Pope Pius XI in 1933. In 1931 Our Lady of Lourdes Parish was founded by Cardinal William O’Connell. For the past 84 years, this parish has been home to the faith community located on the West Side of Brockton. This parish welcomed the parishioners of St. Margaret’s Parish when it was closed. Today, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish is part of the Tri-Parishes of Brockton.

Our Lady of Ostrabrama Feast Day: November 16

19 Our Lady of Ostrabrama, or Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn, is a devotion to Our Lady that originated in Lithuania. The name comes from a painting in the Chapel of the Gate of Dawn in Vilnius, Lithuania, painted in the 17th century. She is depicted in what was the traditional style of the Immaculate Conception. The painting was soon known as miraculous and devotion came quickly. The original painting was covered in elaborate silver and gold clothes according to the Eastern Orthodox tradition, which left only the face and hands visible. Our Lady of Ostrabrama is said to have come to the aid of the city of Vilnius during the Great Northern War of 1702. After this miraculous event, the following grew even stronger and devotion spread throughout Lithuania and Poland. In 1927, the painting was given the title of Mother of Mercy with the permission of Pope Pius XI. Pope John Paul II visited the chapel of Our Lady of Ostrabrama in 1993. Established in 1914 by Cardinal William O’Connell, Our Lady of Ostrabrama Parish was home to the Polish community of Brockton for more than 85 years. When this parish closed in 2001, the parishioners were welcomed into St. Edward Parish, which later became St. Edith Stein Parish.

St. Patrick Feast Day: March 17 Patron Saint of Ireland, the Archdiocese of Boston, engineers and paralegals 21 Patrick was born in Great Britain during the 5th century. When he was around the age of 16, Patrick was captured by Irish pirates and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he was held for six years before he was able to escape and return home. While in captivity, he worked as a shepherd and spent much time in prayer, which led to his conversion to Christianity. He became a priest and returned to northern and western Ireland where he ministered and eventually was ordained a bishop. It is said that Patrick baptized thousands and that he ordained priests to lead the Christian communities he established. The famous legend says that Patrick used the shamrock to illustrate the Christian teaching of the Holy Trinity. Because of this story, the shamrock has become a symbol of both the Trinity and of St. Patrick. The other popular legend was that St. Patrick banished all of the snakes from Ireland when he was converting the pagans. It is often thought that the snakes that Patrick banished are a symbol for the devil and that his great work was in fact the conversion of pagan Ireland to the Christian faith. Patrick is the patron of all Ireland because of his work converting the island nation, and devotion to him is popular among the Irish and people of Irish ancestry. St. Patrick Church was established as the first parish church of Brockton in 1856. For almost 160 years, St. Patrick’s has served and continues to serve as the spiritual home for the Downtown or Center of Brockton.

Sacred Heart Feast Day: 19 days after Pentecost, always on a Friday

23 Devotion of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus has become one of the most popular and well-practiced devotions of the Catholic faith. In this particular form of piety, the faithful meditates on the physical heart of Christ as a representation of his love for humanity, and his compassion for human suffering. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque was a French nun who lived during the 17th century, and her experience of apparitions of Jesus led to a greater understanding of and devotion to Christ and his Sacred Heart. According to tradition, in the first apparition, Margaret reported that Jesus permitted her to rest her head on his heart. In the next apparition she reported that Jesus requested to be honored under the figure of his heart, especially on the first Friday of each month. In what is known as the “great apparition” Christ spoke to Margaret and asked for greater devotion to his heart and a feast of reparation during the octave of Corpus Christi. In 1693, the Holy See established the feast to be celebrated only by the Confraternities of the Sacred Heart, but not for the whole Church. In 1856, Pope Pius XI extended the feast to the entire Roman Catholic Church, and in 1899, Pope Leo XIII wrote an encyclical called Annum sacrum, in which he decreed that the entire human race was to be consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 11 of that year. The Sacred Heart is often depicted as a flaming heart shining with divine light, pierced by the lance-wound, encircled by a crown of thorns, with a cross on its top and is seen bleeding. Since these formalized decrees of public veneration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, it has spread to be one of the most common forms of popular piety, especially acts of consecration, reparation and devotion, the Litany of the Sacred Heart and the First Friday Devotions. Sacred Heart Parish was established in 1891 by Archbishop John Williams. Sacred Heart was home to the French community of Brockton for 113 years, and in 2004, this parish was closed and formed into the new Christ the King Parish along with the former St. Colman’s.

The following websites were used in the production of this booklet: www.catholicnewsagency.com www.newadvent.org www.en.wikipedia.org www.boston.com www.parishesonline.com www.enterprisenews.com www.bostoncatholic.org www.wawrzak.org www.manta.com