Local News
Home » Local
  • 15 couples convalidate marriages in cathedral ceremony

    BOSTON -- Fifteen married couples fully entered the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony by having their marriages convalidated in a ceremony at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Feb. 8, the second day of World Marriage Week and the vigil of World Marriage Sunday.

    Read more
  • Forming the Future: Diversity celebrated at St. Joseph School, Medford

    MEDFORD -- Andrea Sullivan, principal of St. Joseph School in Medford, is the first to admit that her school is "different." And she likes it that way. "It would be super boring if we weren't," she told The Pilot during a visit to the school on Jan. 16. "I always say I'm super weird, and that's okay, because everyone here loves everyone, and I mean that. And we're kind to everyone because that's what we do. That's what God told us to do. So, if we don't do that, we're not doing our job."

    Read more
  • Catholic Appeal enables mission, volunteers, priests told at launch event

    LEXINGTON -- Representatives of parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Boston gathered with Archbishop Richard G. Henning at St. Brigid Parish in Lexington on Feb. 1 to kick off the 2025 Catholic Appeal. Each year, the Catholic Appeal raises funds for programs that support the archdiocese's parishes, schools, and ministries.

    Read more
  • Gala supports new Chesterton Academy to open this fall

    NEWTON — On the night of Feb. 2, the Boston Marriott Newton was graced by an unusual visitor. In the hallway outside of the main ballroom, surrounded by well-dressed guests, none other than G.K. Chesterton, the British Catholic author and philosopher who died in 1936, was holding court. He was the man of the evening, regaling guests with anecdotes from his life, such as the time he was approached by a “constable” who told him to stop writing poetry in the street while “traffic was whizzing about.”

    Read more
  • Archbishop meets with leaders of archdiocese's religious communities

    BRAINTREE -- Archbishop Richard G. Henning welcomed nearly 100 leaders of men and women religious congregations present in the Archdiocese of Boston for Mass and fellowship at the archdiocese's Pastoral Center in Braintree on Feb. 3, in celebration of the World Day for Consecrated Life, which was observed the previous day.

    Read more
  • St. Peter School, Cambridge, highlights service during Catholic Schools Week

    CAMBRIDGE -- Students of St. Peter School in Cambridge donated 150 articles of clothing to homeless people in the Harvard Square neighborhood on Jan. 30 as part of Catholic Schools Week. The 195 students from pre-K to eighth grade donated socks, jackets, backpacks, and sweatpants, then packed them up for delivery to Christ Church in Cambridge. The ministry is part of the Harvard Square Churches Meal Program, a collaboration of churches in Harvard Square that provides food and clothing for homeless people in the area.

    Read more
  • Boston Catholic Directory announces new annual publishing date

    BRAINTREE -- The Boston Catholic Directory is moving its annual publication date from February to June. The archdiocese recently moved to make most clergy appointments effective on June 1 each year. So, the decision has been made to change the publication date to coincide with that updated information. The 2025 Boston Catholic Directory is expected to be delivered in mid to late June. This will be the new publication time frame for the coming years.

    Read more
  • Boston pilgrims journey to D.C. for March for Life

    WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The basement of the Northeastern University Catholic Center in Boston on the night of Jan. 23 looked like any other college hangout, minus the priests keeping watch. The center's basement was bustling with 47 young adults, students from Boston-area colleges, chatting and checking their phones. Star Wars and Indiana Jones posters hung on the wall across from an icon of the crucifixion, and a bookshelf containing catechisms, biographies of the saints, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. A toy basketball hoop was mounted to another wall, with a piece of tape warning "NO DUNKING" stuck beside it.

    Read more
  • Archbishop joins in Catholic Schools Week celebrations

    ARLINGTON -- The smell of incense perfumed the packed sanctuary of St. Agnes Parish in Arlington on Jan. 27, where Archbishop Henning celebrated Mass to mark the beginning of Catholic Schools Week. As the line of faithful snaked through the aisles to receive Communion, and an angelic hymn came down from the choir in the balcony, Lucas Sousa was putting on his own vestments, of sorts. To the sound of "O Sacrum Convivium," Sousa, a junior at Arlington Catholic High School, donned the fluffy head, paws, and suit (complete with six-pack abs) of the Arlington Catholic Cougar mascot. (On account of the cold weather, he was far from the only person in fur that day.)

    Read more
  • Webinar explores differing youth ministry needs of Gen Z, Gen Alpha

    BRAINTREE -- When Katie Gray was in high school, getting her driver's license was a sacred rite of passage. All she could think about was turning 16, and when she did, she got her license as soon as possible. A driver's license meant independence, freedom, and the ability to spend more time with friends.

    Read more
  • Archdiocese hosts Week of Prayer for Christian Unity prayer service

    BRAINTREE -- Representatives of Christian communities throughout Greater Boston gathered with Archbishop Richard G. Henning at the Archdiocese of Boston Pastoral Center's Bethany Chapel in Braintree for an ecumenical prayer service on Jan. 21 in honor of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The service was presided over by Metropolitan Methodios of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Boston.

    Read more
  • JPII Catholic Academy students inspired by healthcare innovator

    DORCHESTER -- "Oh my goodness, she's going to die in front of me." Dr. Laura Stachel had that thought as she stood in a hospital and watched a pregnant woman suffering from eclampsia, a pregnancy complication that causes dangerously high blood pressure. The woman lay on a cold, hard metal table, with no monitors to keep track of her vital signs.

    Read more
  • Austin Prep's James Hickey to be honored by NCEA

    BRAINTREE -- "I think it's important for school leaders to be bold," says James Hickey, head of school at Austin Prep in Reading. Hickey became head of Austin Prep in 2013. Under his leadership, the Augustinian school is at full enrollment, has a larger staff, and has invested $22 million in upgrades to its campus. In 2022, Austin Prep left the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association and joined the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council, which serves college prep schools like Austin, a move which Hickey said has improved the experience for players and coaches.

    Read more