The History of Saint Zepherin Parish Early Years of the Catholic Church in Southern Wayland 1880-1955 During the latter part of the 1870's, the southern part of Wayland, known as Cochituate, was a thriving shoe manufacturing center. There were at least fourteen very busy shoe shops. As their volume of business increased, naturally, the owners needed more and more workers. They found a practically untapped supply of man-power in the French-Canadian and Maritime Provinces of Canada. Economic conditions in these sections were very unsatisfactory due to poverty of farm life where the richness of the soil was wearing thin and large families were growing larger while the sizes and numbers of farms were not increasing. The law of hereditary possession of the land going to the oldest son was another reason for the unrest among the young people. Lack of employment other than on farms made the tales of busy shoe factories sound like the answer to many a young man's prayer. Also, the climate in Massachusetts was less harsh. The lure of employment meant money in their pockets. Although food and home-spun clothing were plentiful on the farm, one had very little cash to call one's own. In Cochituate a man could rent or even own his own home. And so, - they came! The first adventuresome lads wrote home and encouraged others to join them. The enthusiasm spread. Young men and women married and established their families in this new community. It was necessary for these good people to walk to St. George Church in Saxonville or to St. Patrick Church in Natick to participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and other spiritual functions. They were grateful for the opportunity of exercising their religious rights but, except for the universal Latin language of the church, their inability to speak the English language caused them to feel like strangers in the church of their Faith. This proved to spur their ambition to have their own services nearer home. By 1880, there were enough Catholic families between the French, Irish, and German groups that permission was granted to have Mass celebrated at the Lokerville School and when the school was not available the Knights of Labor Hall was used. This Hall stood on the site of the present American Legion Building. (1988 note: now Finnerty's Restaurant.) A priest came from St. Patrick Church in Natick for the Sunday Mass and the priest from St. George Church in Saxonville cared for the sick people in Cochituate. The two priests divided the work between them. Although Father Delaney of Natick spoke French, he usually confined his efforts to reading the Gospels and announcements. As the number of French families increased, the hope of having a church of their own began to express itself. Under the leadership of a Mr. Lambert who had come from France, Mr. Napoleon Peredeau and Mr. Alphonse Allaire, a committee was appointed to petition Archbishop Williams for permission to build a church and have a parish priest. There were, at this time, 85 French families in this community. At about the same time, the English-speaking or Irish Catholics made application for a church, independent of the French group and under the leadership of a Mr. Welch. Inasmuch as the French families far outnumbered the Irish, His Excellency granted permission to the French faction, realizing, no doubt, that the larger percentage of Irish and English-speaking Catholics were situated in the central and northern sections of Wayland. In 1889 His Excellency, Archbishop Williams sent Rev. George A. Rainville to Cochituate to gather these French, Irish, and German Catholics to lay the foundation for a permanent parish. While waiting for the church to be built, Fr. Rainville continued using the schoolhouse and the Knights of Labor Hall. Both the French and English languages were used for reading the Gospels, delivering sermons, and announcing parish activities. The first baby to be baptized in this new parish by Rev. George A. Rainville was Philas Arthur Byron on March 20, 1889, son of Francis Byron and Malvinia Cumberland. The first couple to be married in the parish was Francis Davieau and Rose Brosseau. The first burial in the parish was Anastasia Gladu on April 23, 1889. The cemetery was known as Cochituate Catholic cemetery. Land for the church and a house to serve as rectory was purchased from Mr. Albert Dean who lived in the above mentioned house which at that time was small and perfectly square with no verandas. Ground was broken on March 9, 1889, Mr. William Fullick of Cochituate and parishioners Henry and Louis Cormier were the builders. The total cost of the building was $10,000. The formed edifice was constructed according to the French-Canadian style of having the main body of the church on the second floor, leaving the lower floor for classroom space for an anticipated parochial school. The original windows of the church were of cathedral glass of varied shades of amber. The pews were of solid quartered oak. Mr. Fullick, the architect, donated a beautiful central chandelier. The original altar crucifix was given by Mr. Fred Dufresne which he later replaced with another many years later during the pastorate of Fr. Maguire when the church was being renovated. Rose Casavant of Natick donated a gold-lined tabernacle and the first altar cloth was made and given by the Misses Emma and Jennie Dufresne. All the necessary and many other extras were given by the parishioners to have the cherished church ready and beautiful for the day of dedication. The church was dedicated on April 19, 1890 and at the request of Fr. Rainville it was named St. Zepherin in honor of his former pastor in Marlborough, Rev. Joseph Zepherin Dumontier. Incidently, St. Zepherin, or as in the Latin form Zephyrinus was the 15th Pope reigning from the year 199-217, a period of 18 years at which time he was murdered as were so many of the early Christians and notably the Vicars of Christ's Church. Indeed, at that time, to accept that most honored position was to seal one's doom as a martyr for Christ. After the impressive ceremony, the committee, Fr. Rainville, and the distinguished guests from Boston and elsewhere retired to the old Hawthorne House (Cochituate House) on Main Street corner of E. Cornmonwealth Rd. which is now occupied by the Morrill family. (1988 note: now Cochituate Village) There the french chef, Joseph Dupuis served a sumptuous banquet. After the excitement of having their long awaited hopes and dreams fulfilled, the. parishioners settled down to gathering up the loose but important threads of their cherished project. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was offered at 9 o'clock and Holy Communion was distributed at 8 o'clock. Sunday School classes were at 2:00 p.m. and Vespers at 3 o'clock. The first organist was Mr. Joseph Dupuis. The first Sunday School teachers were Mr. Charles Dufresne, Mr. Napolean Perodeau, Mr. James Carroll, Mrs Elizabeth Lucier, Miss Emma Dufresne, Miss Jennie Dufresne, Mr. Felix Noel, Miss Delia Scott, and the Misses Moquin. The choir members were Mr. Joseph Moreau, Mr. Jean Charboneau, Mr. Edward Cormier, Mrs. Napolean Gladu, Miss Emma Dufresne, and Miss Jennie Dufresne. The next baby baptized in the new church was Albert LeMoine born on March 11, 1890. The first marriage in the new church was between Charles Biron and Helen Rooney on May 26, 1890. The Dufresne girls, Emma and Jennie, volunteered to act as sacristans and they performed that duty excellently until they died a very few years ago. With the difficult task. of establishing a solid groundwork accomplished, Father Rainville was transferred to another section of the Archdiocese of Boston to exercise his talent for organizing a parish from nothing more than goodwill, enthusiasm and faith in God. He was succeeded by Reverend Joseph N. Jacques. 1891, the Wayland group became a Mission of St. Zepherin. The Sunday Masses at each place were at 9:00 and 10:00 on alternate Sundays thereby giving each locality an earlier and a later Mass on alternate Sundays. Holy Communion was distributed at the Cochituate church at 8:00 a.m. Father Jacques had to travel to Wayland by horse and buggy until the trolley cars were operating between the two ends of town. As a matter of economy, Father Jacques sold the horse and buggy and the barn to Mr. Perodeau who had it moved and today it is still standing in very good condition except for the cupola and a large bronze arrow weather vane which were lost in the 1938 hurricane. To add a bit more to church funds, Father Jacques repaired watches and also made hosts for the neighboring parishes. The faithful church workers tried desperately to raise money not only for current expenses but to take care of interest on the mortgage. They formed a society wherein each member paid twentyfive cents a month. Week after week some of the ladies would walk off more shoe leather than was collected for the church. This trudging continued for many, many years. During Father Jacques' term, our country called for volunteers for the Spanish-American War. In this small community there was a good many responses. Among the Catholics are listed the names of: William Bolieu, Louis Champagne, Edward LeMoine, Henry LeMoine, Henry Cheltra, Frank Moore, Joseph Moreau, and Thomas Murray. We feel sure there were others but cannot remember their names. We would appreciate some information regarding them. Fr. Jacques remained as pastor of St. Zepherin for 13 years continuing to usethe two languages and sharing his energies with the Wayland group, always handicapped by lack of money and harrassed byI transportation problems. In 1903, he was transferred and Reverend Father Joseph Genest succeeded him as administrator but remained only three months. The fourth pastor was Reverend Onesime P. LaCroix. An interesting incident of his regime was that he always rode a bicycle while journeying between and about his two parishes. His parishioners banded together and bought him a Model-T-Ford automobile in 1908. They made a big celebration of it. This gesture was significant in that the economic condition of the parish had improved. Reverend Rudolph Fortier was the fifth pastor after Fr. LaCroix, had served so many years. World War I was raging during Fr. Fortier's term. He took a keen interest in every boy who was in the service and in their families. An altar was erected--making a beautifully draped and decorated shrine before which votive lights burned day and night for the intentions and the spiritual and temporal welfare of St. Zepherin boys. It was during Father Fortier's pastorate that there was a great change in Cochituate from a manufacturing to a residential community. One of the largest factories, the Williams shoe shop burned, the Dean factory moved to Natick and several smaller shops closed or moved to nearby towns. Needless to say, that was a great blow to the parish that had struggled to keep its head above engulfing waters of debt for the past twenty-eight years. This change caused a wholesale exodus of Catholic families from Cochituate and Father Fortier was left with less than fifty families to shoulder responsibilities. Father Binette followed Father Fortier. The new pastor was energetic, ambitious for his people and had the necessary force to make his cause listened to and acted upon. His spirit of progress gave him the courage to undertake many necessary renovations such as having the pews moved to make a wide middle aisle with two narrow side aisles; new lights; a sidewalk to the church steps; converting the rectory porch which meantime had been added, into a sun room. He, personally, worked along with some of the men in improving the cemetery where a tomb was installed and a soldiers plot was established. It was through Fr. Binette's insistence that the Memorial Day parade and services were extended to include the heroes who were buried there. It was during his administration that Miss Sarah Evans presented the beautiful statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was situated on the rectory lawn on Main Street. When Fr. Binette was to make the pilgrimage to Rome, the members of his two parishes with the assistance of many non-Catholic well-wishers presented him with a purse of $1000.00. When Fr. Vincent was made our 7th pastor, the "monster", otherwise known as the mortgage, was paid up and a private ceremony of burning it was held. We wish to give credit to many of our non-Catholic townspeople who were generous in supporting the various fund-raising activities. Reverend George A. Chaput followed Fr. Vincent. He experienced the frustrations of struggling through the country-wide depression. The Depression caused a great many people to abandon their homes in the cities and take refuge in their summer camps. Although the catastrophe seemed insurmountable at that time, the long-range effects on Cochituate, in general, and the church in particular have been good. Reverend James Hurley felt the after effects of the Depression during his term of office but was able to begin renovating the church by having the first eight beautiful stained glass windows installed. Also he gave two large votive light holders. Following Fr. Hurley came Reverend Edward Maguire who was a quiet scholarly priest. The Ways and Means Committee was still plugging away by means of blanket clubs, weekly whist parties, etc. until there was sufficient money to carry out the renovations begun by Fr. Hurley. The project was finished in good time for Midnight Mass on Christmas and Fr. Maguire was transferred on January 1 to St. Patrick in Roxbury. Then we had an entirely different type of priest. Reverend Francis Shields was a dynamic orator and a dynamic personality! He was a great believer in higher education and adjured the young people to hiqher ideals in their outlook on life. He believed in doing things on a large scale. it was he who inaugurated the Turkey Whists and Spring Festivals at Mansion Inn. He had the outside of the church painted. Now, it was that St. Ann's Church was given its new pastor. St. Zepherin s boundary lines are now Route 9 on the south; and Cochituate Lake on the west. At Riverview Circle off of Stonebridge Road, the town line is the division. To the north the boundaries are the aqueduct and Fiske's Corner, and to the east the boundaries are Rice Road and Oak Street about half-way down to Route 9. Until the new St. James Church was built on Route 9 all East Natick was included in our parish.     North Natick is still with us. The rapid development of Stratford and Wethersfield began while Fr. Shields was here. He revived the Society of the Blessed Virgin Mary and also formed St. Zepherin Catholic Women's Club. When the Grey Nuns of Canada settled on East Plain Street, Fr. Shields immediately enlisted their services as sacristans to fill the vacancy left bv the deaths of Emma and Jennie Dufresne. The Grey Nuns also took over as Sunday School teachers. After Fr. Shields was transferred to Cambridge, our parish was singly blessed by having not only an excellent priest assigned to us but a doctor of medicine and a psychiatrist all in the one person of Reverend Otis F. Kelly, M.D. Harvard. In his quiet kindly way, Fr. Kelly has really outstripped any pastor I have heard of in the institution of spiritual activities. One of the first projects was the establishment of the Legion of Mary. The children are being taught to sing the High Mass in Latin. He has paid off the mortgage incurred by Fr. Shields and is starting a building fund. Over the course of sixty-five years there have been three young men, Henry Cormier, Henry Scott, and Onesime Lacouture who had been altar boys, have become priests. Fr. Lacouture is a Jesuit, twin sisters Lorettea and Lillian Cormier are nuns. St. Zepherin Parish is truly a monument to the spirit of a tiny Canadian colony of the late 1870's. What the next sixty-five years may bring we do not know but if a small group of the French-Canadian, German, and Irish people who are estranged because of the language difficulties can overcome such obstacles, we of the present day must not lag behind simply because we have "but everything" and have no need to get out and trudge, trudge, trudge. Authors: Rose Lizotte, Edna Hall 1955     The History of Saint Zepherin Parish Vatican II and Beyond 1955-1988 The only St. Zepherin Parish in the country, located in the only Cochituate in the world was about to enter the last third of its one hundred year history. The parish and the pastor, Fr. Otis Kelly, had a vision of a new Church building. The old wood frame church built in 1890 had served the parish well for over 63 years. But it was fast becoming too small due to growth in the parish. On Sunday, Mass was celebrated both in the church and in the first floor hall. The fifties had brought about a post war baby 'boom leading to extensive development in both North Natick (Stratford and Wethersfield) and Wayland (Bayfield, Brookdale and Daymon Farms). The community doubled in size. The old church building, though beloved and memorable, had to, make way for a growing parish. Financial support for the project came from every conceivable source and fund raiser: whist parties, raffles, auctions, bake sales and a well remembered 50/50 club which produced about $1000.00 a month. Soon an architect - James Charles Flaherty and builder - John F. Griffin of Cambridge were chosen. Ground breaking took place in the spring of 1959. The new church was dedicated on April 29, 1960 by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Riley, assisted by Fr. Kelly and Fr. Frederick Hobbs. Eight stained glass windows, stations of the cross, statues of Saints Jude and Francis Xavier were moved from the old church to the new. An outdoor statue of the Sacred Heart was also later moved from the church grounds when the rectory was built. The people now saw their church as the newest, most modern parish building in the Archdiocese. Their pride was soon to be overshadowed by tragic news. On June 29, just a few months after the dedication of the church, Fr. Otis Kelly was killed in a car crash on Memorial Drive in Cambridge. He was waked in the Rectory and his funeral Mass was celebrated a few days later in the church he had worked so hard to build. All the parish organizations, Holy Name Society, Women's Club, Tabernacle Society, Legion of Mary, Choir, CYO, CCD and a contingent of Knights of Columbus joined shocked parishioners in paying final tribute to a devoted pastor. Fr. Frederick Hobbs had served as the administrator and he was soon named the new and 13th pastor of St. Zepherin Parish. Little did he know at that time that he would serve as pastor for 23 years and during one of the most challenging times in the history of the American Catholic Church. Pope John XXIII had called for a renewal of the Church through a Council - now known as the Second Vatican Council. The Vatican Council brought a new dynamism to the Church. "The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy" was promulgated in 1963. A year before that, Cardinal Cushing in a Lenten Pastoral Letter called attention to the far reaching changes that were to be anticipated. None of this hit home until change began to occur. Parishioners first felt the Council when liturgical changes began to occur. In 1964 priest and servers began to use English rather than Latin. Soon the congregation also responded in English at Mass. In 1967 a temporary altar facing the people was set up in the sanctuary and a few years later the main altar was moved forward to replace the temporary altar and the tabernacle was moved to the right hand side. Missallettes were introduced and so were lectors. Fr. James Savage worked diligently at helping the parish to face the liturgical changes that would in turn begin to create a renewed Catholic Church. Greater use of music was introduced in the 1970's. Yet it was not till 1983 that our parish began standing for Communion and that the option of Communion in the Hand was provided along with the help of men and women to serve as Eucharistic Ministers. The spirit of Vatican 11 slowly permeated the parish. A new vision of what it means "to be Church" developed. That happened as young people were introduced to a new catechetics, one based on the "Good News of Jesus" though it moved beyond the Baltimore Catechism without denying that it had been a helpful instrument of religious education for an immigrant church. Adults began to realize that "they are the Church" when in November of 1970 the first meeting of the Parish Council was held. Let it be said that no one was ready for shared responsibility and collaborative activity. Here and in other parishes, priests often felt threatened by this emerging laity. Priests had not been prepared, trained or encouraged to develop the new skills demanded by changing times. One of the outstanding developments during this period was in the field of religious education. Growth in the community meant larger numbers of children and still greater numbers of volunteer teachers. During the decade of the 60's, over 1000 infants were baptized in the parish! The highest yield was 1961 when 147 infants were baptized. One can easily image the impact these numbers created for the women and men who responded to the call to develop a program of religious education. Their effort became a new phase of parish life, one similar to that of the first families who sacrificed so much to establish their parish. Every year, certainly from 1970 to 1980, a core team of coordinators led by Marty Salka organized themselves to recruit and prepare the more than 75 teachers needed to provide classes from elementary through high school. More often than not homes were used as meeting places from Jr. High age and up, while younger students met in the Dean House. The parish curates worked closely with this dynamic group of lay women and men in order to provide support and direction. A new age began in 1980 when the need for a full time coordinator began to grow. It was also a sign that a degree of professionalism had arrived. Not only in our parish but throughout the Archdiocese the time had come to support the work of so many volunteers in the area of religious education with professional paid staff. This was not only the end of a unique period of parish life, but it marked a new beginning the development of the Faith, one that will only come to full fruition in the years ahead. The word "ecumenical" became popular at this time. In our parish the wall between Christian churches suddenly came crumbling down. How apparent that was when at the time of President Kennedy's assassination, a Methodist minister, Rev. Mr. Jones, participated in a memorial service. Inter-faith services later developed, especially at Thanksgiving, when our choir and others joined together. With the active cooperation of parishioners, Fr. Hobbs worked to continue the traditional organizations and his love of sports saw him encouraging the formation of a CYO swim team, men's and women's bowling and a golf league. At one point between 1972 and 1975 there were 50 young people, boys and girls, in the parish swim team. They competed against swim teams from neighboring towns. One of the traditional events was the May Procession. All the children were involved in this Marian devotion. The participants gathered behind the church. Main Street was blocked off and the procession, sometimes with a band, made its way around the block and into the church where an older girl crowned the statue of Mary. This and other devotions left a legacy of Faith and Marian piety. Father Hobbs was also instrumental in developing the Wayland Senior Citizens group by providing the use of the parish hall. They celebrated a Christmas Party in the parish hall on Dec. 14, 1971 and in 1973, Fr. Hobbs was voted an Honorary Member of the group. In 1964 the parish priests moved to the former Dean House so that a new rectory might be built. The parish bought the Dean House in 1961 for $28,000. That house was particularly used for religious education classes. It was sold in 1988 for $425,000. The parish had made a wise investment! The new rectory finally provided adequate space for the three resident priests and space for parish offices and meeting rooms. In the early 70's an adult choir was organized under the direction of Cynthia Carpenter. About 20 members, male and female met each week to rehearse and sing at the 10:30 AM Mass. Through a series of dances and other fund raisers, the choir was able to purchase their robes and additional music. The choir disbanded about ten years later. -By that time, the Arise group had been organized by Maureen Dugan under the guidance of Father James Savage, and the music program changed from traditional to contemporary. Then the "Arise" group emerged under the leadership of Maureen Dugan and responded to the growth of contemporary church music, which was often in the "folk" idiom. It was to become the basic musical group in the parish for many years and the service given by both young and old has become part of the pride and history of the parish. In 1983, at the age of 75, Fr. Hobbs retired as pastor after faithfully serving the parish for 23 years. He had led the parish during changing times with characteristic New England steadiness. Wait and See is what we do about the weather. Wait and see is often what happened in many parishes during these times. The winds of change were controlled and our parish emerged with some bruises yet intact and ready to seriously face some growing needs. Fr. Robert Flynn of St. Peter Church in Dorchester was appointed the new pastor. He was a Natick native. His challenge was not only spiritual but especially material. A good deal of repair work was now necessary, both in the church and in the rectory. Carillon Bells, a new sound system, repairs to the stained glass windows were among the projects completed. In 1986, the parish planned a Spiritual Renewal Program. This brought together in working committees many of the active parishioners who were anxious to see the parish renew itself. The theme of the mission" was COME HEAR THE GOOD NEWS. For five evenings parishioners gathered to pray, reflect and grow as a community. Many who attended have since noted how the mission had a wonderful effect on parish life. In the Spring of 1988, Sacrificial Giving was introduced. All of this created a new spirit of hope and life. The Rectory was always open to visiting priests as well as parishioners. Lay involvement became more evident. Fr. Flynn encouraged men and women to contribute their time and talent aware that a growing shortage of priests would soon even impact on St. Zepherin's. Fr. Flynn gave particular attention to the need to provide both renovated space in the church and space for religious education classes and meetings. A wide variety of plans were studied as he enrolled a number of parishioners in the task of consulting with architects and engineers. The one serious ongoing problem was that of money. After quite a long period of negotiation the Dean House was sold in August of 1988 and the parish was now finally in a position to begin a serious look at its physical needs. In the summer of 1988, Fr. Flynn was asked to become pastor of St. Mary Parish in Brookline. Having recently completed a sabbatical semester in Ireland, he accepted with renewed enthusiasm. Oddly, another priest who had spent the same semester on sabbatical in Belgium was appointed the 15th pastor on August 16, 1988. Fr. Paul Berube was acquainted with one part of our parish, the Cochituate section, because he served as Administrator of St. Ann Parish in Wayland for 6 months before coming to St. Zepherin. Along with leading the parish during the Centennial Year, Fr. Paul may well have the responsibility of guiding the parish to the year 2000. The next 10 years will be fascinating ones for our parish, while the next 100 will be a greater challenge. Editor's Note: One thing struck us as we helped put together all the information that made up our Centennial Book. And that is that there have been many, many unmentioned people who have given long hours of devotion, emotion and talent to St. Zepherin Church in the last hundred years. Every time we saw a name we couldn't help but think how many others we have not remembered. We did the best we could and took comfort in the fact that the final recognition was in the eyes of the Lord. The good parishioners, of course, always knew He recognized them by showering Grace and Blessings on them. Centennial Committee, 1988   The History of Saint Zepherin Parish Construction, Renovation, Renewal 1988 - 1998 In 1983, with the support of caring parishioners, Fr. Flynn, a Natick native, began to develop plans to meet new parish needs. He wisely empowered parish leaders to solve a critical problem: the need for additional revenue. Their solution, one which actually turned the parish around, was to promote and develop what was then called Sacrificial Giving or today, Stewardship. As Fr. Paul Berube became pastor in 1988, he encouraged parish leaders to finalize plans for a new Parish Center. It was built in 1991. Background Today, on the eve of the millennium, St. Zepherin Parish is a suburban parish encompassing the towns of Natick and Wayland. Located in the Cochituate Village section of Wayland, the parish consists of a population of approximately 1,150 families or about 2,700 people, of which approximately 50% attend Mass regularly. The parish has a singular commitment to the leadership provided by the Second Vatican Council (1963-1965). For that reason, it has developed active lay participation. That in turn has helped to generate the need to renovate the church. Why We Renovated For many in our grandparent's era, Mass was a weekly event at which solitary worship was undertaken in the company of other solitary worshippers. It was a solemn, sober, passive experience at which active participation meant a brief nod and handshake with extra points for eye-contact. It was a place where silence was expected, singing was something others did, and involvement in any ministry was a precursor to the priesthood or the novitiate. Because the Second Vatican Council (1963-1965) restored and renewed the authentic tradition of the Church, today Mass is not simply a devotional practice at which attendance is the sole requirement. Rather, Mass represents our collective desire to worship the Father through Christ and to see Him in ourselves and in each other. In the Eucharist, he is the center of our lives just as worship with a community of friends and family is at the heart of our tradition. Remember what the space was like? One hundred and ten feet from altar to the last pew, poor lighting, a multiplicity of altars, a moat-like communion rail, a hidden baptismal font totally lacking in dignity, and worst still a New England factory-like positioning of the congregation at "work stations," one behind the other in neat rows. The change speaks for itself and invites the participation of all. The landscaped plaza provides a most appropriate transition from our hectic lives to our sacred celebration and Communion, while after Mass it invites the congregation to continue communion in the Parish Center. The gathering area immediately inside the church is conducive to hospitality and fellowship. It is here that the flowing waters of the Baptismal font regularly remind us that as members of the Church we have begun an eternal journey. The reorientation of the pews and the altar means no worshipper is more than fifty feet from the sanctuary and that all sight-lines to the altar and the ambo are unobstructed. The symbolism of Christ as the center of our lives is made practical by the gathered congregation in pews radiating out from the sanctuary. Great care and attention have been given to appropriate lighting and sound so that our participation is always invited. Would a coat of paint and a new carpet have spruced-up our building? Sure, but then, this has not simply been the remodeling of a usable space, and aesthetics are only a small part of the expression of Christ's presence. Our goal has been to create the best possible environment in which our community feels invited to His table, where we can bear His Word and receive His Body and Blood, in which the celebrant is afforded proper dignity, and in which we can celebrate in the company of friends and family. This century has taught us a great deal about the way people learn and interact with others based on their surroundings. The renovation is an attempt to apply so much of what we have learned to our Faith. We apply today's technologies in our homes, schools, and offices for significantly improved effects; are these applications any less appropriate in our worship? We look forward to the next century with confidence.   How We Renovated First, a Renovation Task Force was formed to study the need and to educate the parish community. For more than three years, the Task Force educated itself, produced a video to show the needs of the building to the congregation, and conducted a series of studies that assessed both the awareness of the parish and its level of support. At the same time, because we belong to the Natick Cluster (Catholic parishes serving Natick) for the purpose of pastoral planning, we consulted with those and other neighboring parishes. We explained the need that existed and sought their input and support. Archdiocesan officials, from the Regional Bishop to the Office for Worship, the Building Commission, and the Planning Office, all provided needed encouragement and help. The Task Force then hired an experienced church architectural firm, Keefe Associates (Boston) to do a feasibility study. Preliminary plans were drawn up, a model was produced and The Martin Moran Co. (New York) was hired as our fundraiser. Parishioners responded with close to 500 families pledging support. Final drawings were completed and approved by the Archbishop. Mass was celebrated for the last time in the 1960 church on Sunday, April 26, 1998. Following each Mass of that weekend, a procession carrying statues and other symbols made its way to the Parish Center where Mass was celebrated until October 25. The day after our final Mass in the 1960 church, pews were removed and work soon began on asbestos removal. Later in the month, the Greene Construction Co. of Boston, the lowest bidders, began construction with the help of many subcontractors and significant local involvement. In June, parish leaders decided that a courtyard/plaza was needed to complete the project. Marc Mazzarelli Associates were hired to design the space, funds were raised and that project was also awarded to the Greene Co. The rest is history.   Tidbits In compiling a parish history many interesting tidbits come to light. It is not always possible to work these facts into the main text so here is a substitute method of mentioning facts of interest. Father LaCouture S.J. was our first local man to become a priest. He was the great uncle of Father Sproule and received his training in Montreal. Father Sproule S.J., our summer replacement of many years, is the great grandson of Napoleon Perodeau, one of the founders of St. Zepherins. Father Vincent, our 7th pastor, was Father Berube's pastor in Salem. Fr. Flynn was a former caddy at nearby Sandy Burr Golf Club. Fr. Charles Kelley S.J. and his brothers Kevin and Michael were altar boys for Father Hobbs. Their father Frank Kelley once headed the C.C.D. program at the church. Rev. Dr. Otis Kelly and Dr. David Angell who served at the Community Methodist Church at the same time, were both medical doctors. Father Jacques, our second pastor, was here when he was 29. He served the parish for 13 years, the second longest pastorate. Alberto Salazar as a young parishioner, won the famed Boston Marathon after an outstanding Career at Wayland High School. He later went on to a distinguished career as a runner. Cynthia Carpenter, while our organist and choir leader, was Miss Massachusetts and a runner up in the Miss America contest. Rev. Daniel J. Mahoney, now Pastor of St. Francis de Sales in Charlestown, won the Fire Department Herds Medal for rescuing the Torah from a burning synagogue in Malden. Monsignor Edward Murray, now deceased, and formerly a frequent guest in our parish, was once the Rector at St. John's Seminary. He also served as the liason between The Vatican and the clergy of other faiths during Vatican II. Father Richard P. Little, who celebrated Mass with us for so many years, is a former Vice -Chancellor of the Archdiocese. At present, he is Pastor at St. Mary's of the Annunciation in Melrose. Fr. Otis Kelly received a gift for the parish ... a statue of St. Jude. He gratefully received the gift but publicly vowed that the statue would never be within the church until there was a proper place for it. For years it stood on the stairway landing of the old church. Fr. Kelly moved it into the new church as soon as it was erected indicating that some apparently lost causes are really not lost. Reverend Charles H. Waters, Pastor at the M.E. Church, now the Community Methodist Church, taught Fr. Rainville English. In turn, Fr. Rainville taught Rev. Walters French. (1887-1890) During the 1950's St. Zepherin Parish had a very active C.Y.O. Group under the direction of Father McGinty. Anne Kane of this parish received the organization's Vertas & Puritas Award and was also crowned Queen at-the Deanery in Framingham, November, 1955.     Return to the Parish Welcome Page

Part I - 1880-1955 Part II - 1955-1988 Part III - 1988-present Tidbits   Many Thanks We are grateful to Stu Cartwright, our first Web Master, for creating this extensive documentation of The History of St. Zepherin Parish.