St. Leonard of Port Maurice Catholic Church, or more simply St. Leonard's, is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

in the

Archdiocese of Boston The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Boston () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or archdiocese, of the Catholic Church in eastern Massachusetts in the United States. Its mother church is the Cathedral of the Holy Cross (Boston), Cathedral o ...

. It is noted for its historic parish church located at the corner of Hanover and Prince Streets in the North End of Boston, one of the oldest churches built by Italian immigrants in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The church is a pending

Boston Landmark A Boston Landmark is a designation by the Boston Landmarks Commission for historic buildings and sites throughout the city of Boston based on the grounds that it has historical, social, cultural, architectural or aesthetic significance to New Engla ...

. It is named after

Leonard of Port Maurice Leonard of Port Maurice, O.F.M., (; 20 December 1676 – 26 November 1751) was an Italian Franciscan preacher and ascetic writer. Life Leonard was born 19 December 1676, the son of Domenico Casanova and Anna Maria Benza. He was given the name ...

History

In 1873, Archbishop John Williams asked the

Franciscans The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest conte ...

of the Immaculate Conception Province to minister to Boston's growing population of Italian immigrants. Fr. Angelo Conterno, OFM, founded St, Leonard of Port Maurice Church soon afterwards. Construction of the current building, designed in the Romanesque style by architect William Holmes, did not begin until 1885. The church in the basement opened to the public in 1891, with an estimated 20,000 parishioners. The upper church and the

friary A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may ...

on North Bennet Street were completed in 1899. The interior, with its ornate Italian style and color scheme, was created by immigrant craftsmen who were also parishioners. The influenza epidemic of 1918 left many North End children orphaned. Fr. Antonio Sousa, the pastor of St. Leonard's Church at the time, founded the Home for Italian Children in

Jamaica Plain Jamaica Plain is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Roxbury. The community seceded from Roxbur ...

to care for them. The home separated from the Catholic Church in 1968 and was renamed the Italian Home for Children in 1974. It is now a residential treatment center providing clinical services for emotionally challenged children. Today, St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish also includes the nearby Sacred Heart Church, Saint Stephen's Church, Saint Mary's Chapel, and Saint John Catholic Elementary School. St. Leonard's Church is known for its attractive Peace Garden, and for its St. Anthony shrine, which is the oldest of its kind in Boston. Masses are held in English and Italian, with a weekly radio ministry every Tuesday on

WUNR WUNR is a radio station serving the city of Boston, Massachusetts, licensed to nearby Brookline. It broadcasts on 1600 kHz on the AM radio dial with an ethnic format. History The station first signed on in 1948 as WVOM, a local station. WVOM ...

(1600 AM). The parish office is located at 14 North Bennet Street. The parish sponsors the annual St. Anthony's festival celebration in the North End. St. Leonard's Church has had twice-hourly bells daily from 7 AM to 10 PM.

References

External links

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St. Leonard's Church videoSacred Heart ChurchItalian Home for Children
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Leonard's Church, Boston 19th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in the United States North End, Boston Italian-American culture in Boston Roman Catholic churches in Boston Romanesque Revival architecture in Massachusetts Roman Catholic churches completed in 1899 Religious organizations established in 1873

History

See also

References

External links