A prophetic, Franciscan, Catholic community welcoming all people through prayer and outreach.

We extend a special welcome to everyone visiting the Shrine for the first time.

October 2023

The Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi is recognized annually on October 3rd.

100 Arch Street Boston MA 02110

www.stanthonyshrine.org
Telephone: 617-542-6440
Prayer Request Line: 857-206-7209
The Good Word: 617-542-0502
October 1, 2023
Twenty-sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Greetings of peace.

I need to point out three upcoming happenings at the Shrine.

Tuesday, October 3 – The Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi at 7pm. This is a prayer service of around 30
minutes, not a Mass. Fr. Frank Sevola, OFM presides and the preacher this year is Br. John Neuffer, OFM. This
service commemorates the death of St. Francis of Assisi, which occurred in the year 1226. The public is invited.

Wednesday, October 4 – The Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, 12:30pm. The annual Blessing of the Animals.
The Street will be closed off. Dogs, horses, and other animals expected. Masses that day are at 6am, 7am and
12:05 pm.

Wednesday, November 1 – All Saints Day. Masses are at 6am, 7am and 12:05pm. Holy Day of Obligation.

Also on Wednesday, November 1: The annual Franciscan Dinner and Pope Francis Award. This is a very
important event which raises about 40 percent of our annual budget. Information on this event is provided
elsewhere in this bulletin. Contributions are welcome, even if you cannot attend.

Blessings on you throughout the autumn.

Fr. Thomas Conway, OFM

Executive Director

A big thank you to Patrick Macnamara and Chris Donahue from the Massachusetts State Police
Association for serving at our monthly Veteran’s Appreciation Luncheon and bringing special care
packages for all of our veteran guests.

Images from the September

Veterans’ Luncheon at
St. Anthony Shrine.
Photo credit: Mary Ann Ponti

Thank you to everyone who responded to our request for feedback on Shrine services. We received about
50 responses - with many ideas and comments about what attracts you to the Shrine. We are grateful for
your presence and for your participation in our community. In response, you will see several
announcements in this bulletin of events resulting from your feedback. Please continue to read our bulletin,
website, and Facebook page for information on upcoming programs and events that further incorporate your
feedback, and please continue to let us know how we can help you deepen your relationship with God
and with one another.
 Monday, October 9
Holiday Hours
Shrine open
10am to 1pm

Mass at 12:05pm

Confessions
11am to 1pm

Lobby Booth Closed

Fall back into health!

Sunday, October 8th
10am - 1pm
FREE and OPEN to the public
for health promotion and disease
prevention purposes.

The following services will be available:

Dental Screening & Cleaning
Vision & Hearing Screening
COVID-19 Vaccination
Free COVID-19 Home Test Kits
Flu Shots
Blood Pressure check

Partners:
Cambridge Health Alliance Dental Center
Boston Public Health Commission
Lion’s Club

Contact via email:

info@africancommunityhealthintiatives.org
 What is the Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi: October 3rd?

Each year on the evening of October

3rd the Franciscan family throughout
the world pauses to celebrate the
solemnity of our Holy Father Francis’s
Transitus, passing over from this life
to the next. In his famous Canticle of
the Creatures, the saint from Assisi
wrote “Praised be You, my Lord,
through our Sister Bodily Death, from
whom no one living can escape.” That
line, written near Francis’s own
embrace of Sister Bodily Death,
reflects the importance and natural
character of death in the life of all
creation. Francis was not afraid of what would come at the end of his earthly life, choosing instead to
recognize in that experience, not an end, but a transition from one way of living to another.
Br. Thomas of Celano recorded an account of that transition, that transitus:
St. Francis spent the last few days before his death in praising the Lord and teaching his companions
whom he loved so much to praise Christ with him. He himself, in as far as he was able, broke out with the
Psalm: I cry to the Lord with my voice; to the Lord I make loud supplication. He likewise invited all
creatures to praise God and, with the words he had composed earlier, he exhorted them to love God. Even
death itself, considered by all to be so terrible and hateful, was exhorted to give praise, while he himself,
going joyfully to meet it, invited it to make its abode with him. “Welcome,” he said, “my sister death.”
(Celano, Second Life.)
When the hour of his death approached, Francis asked that all of the brothers living with him be called
to his death bed and softening his departure with consoling words, he encouraged them with fatherly
affection to love God. He spoke of patience and poverty and of being faithful to the Holy Roman Church,
giving precedence to the Holy Gospels before all else. He then stretched his hands over the brothers in
the form of a cross, a symbol that he loved so much, and gave his blessings to all followers, both
present and absent, in the power and in the name of the Crucified. (St. Bonaventure, Major Life.)
Every year on the third evening of October, Franciscans ritually remember the passing of Francis of
Assisi from this life into God as a reminder to renew our own commitment to follow Christ in the way
of the poor man of Assisi. A key part of the celebration is to read and reflect upon the Gospel passage
the Francis asked his brothers to read aloud, gathered at his death bed. The brothers read the Gospel
passage from the Mass of the Last Supper, Holy Thursday. This reading from the Gospel according to
John (John 13:1-17), where Jesus washes the feet of his disciples, provided a glimpse into the Gospel
Life that the little, poor man from Assisi sought to live, and which we his spiritual heirs have inherited.
At the heart of the reading stands the example of so-called servant leadership modeled by Jesus Christ
Himself.
Source: sacredheartfla.org
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Tampa FL
 Our piano in the second floor church
is nearing the end of its useful life.

We are asking for a benefactor to

consider donating a piano, or selling
us a piano at a reduced price.

The piano needs to be available

for inspection before we would
agree to accept it.

As always, thank you for your

generosity in considering this request.

Centering Prayer Sessions

To Resume in November
Centering Prayer is a form of Christian
contemplative prayer, to center
awareness on the presence of God.
This modern movement in
Christianity was initiated
by three Trappist monks of
St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, MA
in the 1970s. Participants aim to
be present to God, to “consent to
God’s presence and action during the time of prayer.”

Coffee & Donuts after the 10am Mass on Sunday, October 8th.

Sacristans Needed
The Shrine is seeking several members of the worshipping community to serve as
sacristans on an “as needed” basis. Currently, we need back-up Sacristans for 4pm Saturday
Mass, 7am and 4pm Sunday Masses, and 5:15pm on Thursday. If you are interested, please
contact: worship@stanthonyshrine.org for more information.

AA Meeting Schedule The Men’s Spirituality

at St. Anthony Shrine Group
Monday – Friday 7:30am – 8:30am. Thursdays 5pm – 6:30pm
Tuesdays 12pm – 1pm AA Open Discussion Meeting.
Upcoming meeting dates
Thursdays 5:45pm – 6:45pm AA Big Book Meeting.
October 12 &26.
All meetings are held in the Auditorium (Basement) Foyer For more information, please email:
unless otherwise noted. Questions, please call Br. Tony LoGalbo, OFM
Anthony Andreottola at 781-526-3679. tlogalbo@stanthonyshrine.org
 MC for the
2023 Franciscan Dinner
Nicole Estaphan
Reporter and Producer
WCVB Channel 5’s Chronicle
Emmy award winning journalist, Nicole Estaphan is
a reporter and producer for WCVB Channel 5’s
Chronicle, the nation’s longest running and top
rated locally produced news magazine, which airs
weeknights on WCVB at 7:30PM.
Nicole joined WCVB NewsCenter 5 as a general
assignment reporter in January of 2016.

Franciscan Dinner and Pope Francis Award

Our Franciscan Dinner and Pope Francis Award is on November 1, at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In four
short weeks, we will celebrate the extraordinary work of our Franciscan friars here at the Shrine. The highlight of
the evening is the presentation of the Pope Francis Award to Ronald M. Druker, President of The Druker
Company, Ltd. Boston. The Franciscans are grateful for his family’s legacy not only downtown, but throughout
greater Boston, and for all that he does to cultivate a community of people who care about one another.
As of Friday afternoon, we have raised $1,151,300 toward our $2.5 million fundraising goal.
We depend upon the success of this event, since it represents 40 percent of our $6.3 million operating budget.
We receive no funding form the Archdiocese of Boston, the cost is $17,000 a day to keep our doors open. For
more information, please contact Maryanne Rooney-Hegan at 617-778-1645 or
gala@stanthonyshrine.org.

Auction items
Dinner of dreams
Dinner for 10 prepared by Regina M. Pisa and Paul Gauron
Award-winning dinner for 10 prepared by Pope Francis Award Dinner Committee members Regina Pisa and Paul Gauron at
Regina’s home in Chestnut Hill. Highlights of the dinner will include a multi course meal prepared by Regina and Paul, finished by
Paul’s homemade pies and accompanied by rare wines from Regina’s world-class wine cellar. Regina is Chairman Emeritus,
Goodwin Procter, and Paul is General Counsel, New Balance, a/k/a Pisaville’s Master Chef and Master Baker, respectively!
Donated by: Regina Pisa and Paul Gauron

Florentine getaway
One-week stay in Florence, Italy
Situated in one of the most beautifully ancient Florentine streets, this apartment has been recently renovated and tastefully
furnished. Just a few meters from Piazza Santa Croce and a few minutes’ walk to the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio, it is the ideal
starting point to visit Florence. It is also a convenient central location, via excellent train connections, for day trips to the beautiful
and famous cities and towns of northern Italy, e.g. Assisi, Bologna, Lucca, Pisa, Rome, Siena. The 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom
apartment is served by an elevator, is air conditioned and consists of an entrance hall, a living/dining room, a kitchen, a study, a
double bedroom with en suite bathroom, a twin bedroom with second bathroom, a laundry room with washer and dryer and
high-speed Internet. Stay will be Wednesday to Wednesday. Donated by: Tecla Francese and Dominic Bisignano
 Franciscan Presenting Sponsor – $100,000
New Balance Athletics, Inc.
Assisi Sponsor – $50,000
Consigli Construction Co., Inc.
Ronald M. Druker
Goodwin + Regina Pisa
John Moriarty & Associates
David Manfredi and Elizabeth Lowrey
Leonard J. Monfredo EM Duggan
George Taylor

St. Anthony Sponsor – $25,000

Anonymous
Arch Street Glass
Dan Brownell and Kelley Laurel
Anthony Consigli
Matthew Consigli
Friends of Ron Druker
Carl J. Martignetti
John and Carol Moriarty
The Honorable Regina Quinlan Doherty (ret.)
Christine Selmi and John Jameson

Friar Sponsor – $15,000

Dennis and Norma Leonard

St. Clare Sponsor – $10,000 Arch Street Sponsor – $5,000J.J. Bell

American Plumbing & Heating A & A Window Products, Inc.
Arden Engineering/Corporate Mechanical of New J.J. Bafaro, Inc.
England J.J. Bell
A.W. Perry Boston Sand Gravel Company
BR+A Michael and Monica Braun
Cathy and Jack Brennan The Collaborative Companies & CB Cares
Canatal Industries Inc. Foundation
Century Drywall Larry and Patti D’Angelo
Eastern Bank Denterlein
Eversource Epsilon Associates
The Glynn Family Foundation Harold Brothers Mechanical Contractors, Inc.
Hinckley Allen
Goulston & Storrs
JB& B Consulting Engineers
Grant Communications Consulting Group
Lynnwell Associates, Inc.
J & M Brown Company McNamara · Salvia
J.C. Cannistraro, LLC Stephen and Mary Neff
David A. Martel Rockland Trust Bank
Mohan Family Foundation The Select Group Companies
New England Development SOEP Painting
Ben Niedermeyer and Joanne Hidaka TG Gallagher
Northeast Contractors, Inc. UG2
S&F Concrete Contractors, Corp. Waltham Lumber
Al and Mary Spagnolo Xquisite Landscaping
In Memory of Fr. Ronald Stark, OFM
T.J. McCartney, Inc.
A note about poverty and people who experience homelessness.
October 1, 2023
Greetings of peace.
We describe ourselves at St. Anthony Shrine as “a prophetic Franciscan Catholic community welcoming all people
through prayer and outreach.” We make every effort to serve our brothers and sisters experiencing homelessness,
and we try to do it with the compassion and dignity that every human deserves. We recognize the many issues that
can contribute to someone being homeless and see the damaging impact of the opioid crisis in our downtown
community. As the temperature outside drops, we are compelled to share our thoughts on best practices to help our
unhoused population.
There are four primary ways in which the Shrine works with the homeless population in downtown:
a. Medical Clinic. On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, we run a medical clinic for women. We intentionally seek
out the women who are in the greatest difficulty, and those who otherwise fall through the safety net of the social
services system. This effort is in partnership with Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. This Shrine program
has been remarkably successful and is widely acclaimed.
b. Food Center. We run a Food Center as a homeless-prevention program. The clients in the program do have a place
to live, but either were homeless recently, or are in danger of becoming homeless. We have two separate
programs. One program runs on the first Thursday of the month, and serves anyone who comes to us who needs
groceries. The second program runs every Tuesday, and is geared toward assisting people who are transitioning from
homelessness to housing. This program provides groceries, household necessities and moral support for those who
are moving into a place to live, sometimes for the first time in a long time.
c. Street Outreach. We do what we call “street outreach.” A group from the Shrine walks around downtown Boston,
sometimes with doctors or nurses. Through conversations, we familiarize ourselves with the homeless demographics,
the individual people and their particular issues. Part of this effort is providing new footwear to the those in need,
encouraging women to attend the clinic, and communicating to the unhoused population the multitude of services
available to them downtown.
d. Networking We are very well networked with all of the entities who interact constructively with and provide
services to the unhoused population downtown: Social service workers, St. Francis House, the Boston Police
Department, Pine Street Inn, the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District, the City of Boston, and many
other social services and law enforcement agencies. The Shrine participates in a weekly roundtable meeting where
homeless service providers, medical and mental health clinicians, law enforcement and recovery professionals gather
to discuss current services that are available for the homeless. It is also an opportunity to learn and teach best
practices with regard to care for the homeless, and to discuss the issues and needs of particular people out on the
street. We have formed many partnerships and there are currently seven different homeless street outreach teams
that cover downtown Boston. One wouldn’t necessarily recognize them as homeless outreach workers. Such “hidden
identities” are intentional: we want to maintain the dignity and privacy of those being helped.
The problem at hand. Decades ago, the unhoused population consisted of people with solitary problems: for
example, they were out of work or alcoholic. Currently the issues with a single homeless person are multi-dimensional
and quite challenging to solve: opioid addiction, life-threatening health issues, mental health issues, PTSD, and/or a
lack of employable skills. It’s also not unusual for the homeless to be under some other kind of threat from a domestic
abuse, a gang, or from human-trafficking interests. A sophisticated approach is needed.
The solution. The good news is that Downtown Boston, with its incredibly well-networked and highly-skilled social
services community, has exactly what the homeless population needs. We do indeed have incredible success stories.
The staff at St. Francis House have many such stories of people who have gone from addicted, in-the-street, no-skills
to with-apartment, with-skills, with-job, sober. Many of the people receiving food in our Food Center were formerly
homeless. Indisputably, the single most important factor in success is the cooperation of the homeless person with the
social services network downtown. It’s absolutely crucial to get the homeless population to walk into places like St.
Francis House, Pine Street, and St. Anthony Shrine and participate in the programming and services.
Continued
What can you do to help?
1. It’s not particularly helpful to give the homeless the things that enable them to avoid the available social service
agencies downtown. By giving food, blankets, sleeping bags, cash, etc., it becomes easier for a homeless person to stay
out on the street. Our preference is that people get off of the street, and into shelters which have available beds (Pine
St. Inn, etc.). It is much preferable that people eat a meal and sleep overnight in a shelter run by professional social
service workers than plan to sleep outside and eat a sandwich that you or I have provided. Needless to say, it is safer
and healthier to be indoors at night! Also, learning about the depth and the breath of the services available to a
homeless person is much more likely to happen in a shelter than on the street.
2. Think differently about the organizations that are part of the social services network. All of us, including the Shrine,
need your financial and moral support. Also, when well-intentioned people do their own miniature social services
operations, it actually works against the larger well-trained, sophisticated operations. The incentives have to be in the
direction of getting people to services, and away from encouraging to people to stay on the street cultivating a
network of sympathetic followers and benefactors. It is somewhat demoralizing for the social service workers in a
sophisticated operation to watch resources going to things that delay an unhoused person’s decision to come in for
help.
3. Volunteer at St. Francis House. They are often in need of volunteers, especially during the summer or holiday times
when their regular volunteers are on vacation.
4. Have friendly conversations with homeless people. To the extent that you are able to do so respectfully, get to know
them and call them by their names. Encourage them to cooperate with social service workers downtown and to stay
overnight in shelters. Resist temptations to give them cash. Be friendly, be nice.
5. Educate yourself about the many services and programs available to the homeless, and share that information.
Educate yourself about actions which are not helpful to the homeless. Educate your friends, co-workers, and family
about best practices regarding care for the homeless.
6. While it isn’t particularly helpful to contribute to groups that merely pass out shelter-in-place items such as
sandwiches and blankets, you can donate to networked organizations with professionals who design holistic plans to
help the homeless. St. Francis House and Pine Street Inn are the big ones, but there are many other smaller
organizations that also need help. These organizations provide for short-term needs (of food and shelter), and work
with the homeless in their long-term treatment/recovery/education plans. If you would like to donate to the Shrine’s
networked programs for the homeless, you may restrict your gift strictly for that purpose. We are happy to honor that
request.
7. Pray for the homeless and that we, as a church and as a culture, might treat them with increasing dignity and care.

This missive would not be complete without a huge thank-you to Mary Ann Ponti,
the Director of Outreach Services at St. Anthony Shrine. Mary Ann has encyclopedic
knowledge about the unhoused population downtown, best practices, and the current
services and programs available. She is also the heart and soul of the homeless services
and programming here at the Shrine. It is easy to get friars, staff and volunteers to rally
around her leadership in this area. We are grateful for Mary Ann’s work and all of you who
support her work. Finally, I am grateful for the education that she has given me about the
homeless population.

If you have questions or comments, you may write to me at tconway@stanthonyshrine.org.

Fr. Thomas Conway, OFM

Executive Director

Mary Ann Ponti at the recent

National Women’s Shelter Network Conference
 New October Programming!
Our Lady of the Rosary - October 7
In honor of the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we will pray a
scriptural rosary together virtually on Zoom on Saturday, October 7 at
9am. Please email jneuffer@stanthonyshrine.org if you are interested.

Grief Support Group - New Series starting October 22

A support group for anyone who is grieving a loss is beginning this
month at the Shrine. The group will meet weekly at the Shrine on
Sundays at 11:00 AM for 6 sessions starting October 22. Please
email jneuffer@stanthonyshrine.org if you are interested.

St. Jude Triduum Prayer - Starting October 26

To prepare for the feast of St. Jude, we will celebrate a triduum of
prayer. The prayer will be held after each Daily Mass on Thursday,
October 26 and Friday, October 27. For those unable to attend in-
person, we will also pray virtually on Zoom at 9:00 AM on October 26,
27, & 28. Please email jneuffer@stanthonyshrine.org if you are
interested.
 Monthly Prayer Card
Would you like to receive this beautiful monthly
prayer card asking St. Francis and St. Clare of
Assisi to intercede for you? Brother John
Maganzini, OFM, composes our inspirational
prayer card to accompany our monthly devotion
to St. Anthony of Padua.
Brother John plans our monthly devotion
program for the year. We will finish this
calendar year with the theme, “Rebuild my
Church.” This was the message God gave to St.
Francis of Assisi, while he was praying before
the crucifix in a dilapidated church in San
Damiano, near Assisi, Italy.
Francis thought our Lord was asking him to
repair the physical structure. Instead, the
message was to rebuild the whole church, God’s
people who were desperately in need of renewal. Please contact Ariana Green, Director of Stewardship at
Our Franciscan friars continue this 800-year agreen@stanthonyshrine.org or 617-542-6440 ext 232
tradition by living out the Gospel every day. to be added to our mailing list.

BOOK CLUB MEETINGS

Thursday, October 26, 12:15pm
Thursday, November 2, 12:15pm
Thursday, November 9, 12:15pm

The Universal Christ:

How a Forgotten Reality can Change Everything
We See, Hope for, and Believe
by Richard Rohr, OFM

Pre-registration required before October 16th:

Email Br. Bob at rfrazzetta@stanthonyshrine.org
Book provided for $15.00

Reviews:
“Keep teaching what you’re teaching” … Pope Francis
“Anyone who strives to put their faith into action will find encouragement in the pages of this book.” …
Melinda Gates
“Rohr sees the Christ everywhere, and not just in people. He reminds us that the first incarnation of
God is in Creation itself. I cannot put this book down” … Bono
“Here Fr. Richard helps us to see and hear Jesus of Nazareth in what he taught, what he did, and what
he is – the loving, liberating, and life-giving expression and presence of God. In doing so he is helping
Christianity to reclaim its soul anew.” … Bishop Michael Curry
* Seeking Worship Ministers *
Do you feel the call to volunteer as a
Worship Minister, either as an
Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist
or a Lector? If so, please email the
Worship Committee at:
worship@stanthonyshrine.org
for more information
and to sign up for training.

SHRINE SCHEDULE – Effective July 1, 2023

MASSES
Monday through Friday:
6am, 7am and 12:05pm
Thursday 5:15pm
SHRINE OPEN HOURS
Monday, Wednesday and Friday: 5:30am to 4pm
Tuesday and Thursday: 5:30am to 6:45pm
Saturday: 1:30pm to 5pm
Sunday: 6:30am to 5pm

Saturday: 4pm ♫ LOBBY INFORMATION BOOTH HOURS

Monday through Friday: 9:30am to 1pm
Sunday: Saturday: 3pm to 5pm
7am, 10am ♫, 11:30am ♫, 4pm ♫ Sunday: 9am to 1pm

♫ Music with The Arch Street Band CONFESSION SCHEDULE

Monday through Friday: 10am to 1pm
10AM Sunday Mass is Thursday: 4:30pm to 5:30pm
Streamed Live on YouTube Saturday: 1:30pm to 3:30pm
www.youtube.com/shrineboston Sunday: 3pm to 4pm