East Boston: Holy Week and Remembering Pope Francis

By Bro. Bob Metell, SDB

(East Boston, MA – April 23) – As part of our Salesian Boys and Girls Club Holy Week preparations, we conducted a Holy Week Palm Procession Prayer Service led by the Club’s CYM Fr. Rich Putnam, SDB. The Club’s members gathered in the snack area of the game room, where I conduct the weekly faith orientation sessions, and the staff and I give the Good Nights before the evening meal.

The youngsters and staff were given palms, gathered behind Fr. Rich, and began the procession, praying: “Hosanna! Hosanna! In the highest.” When the procession ended, the youngsters and staff took seats in the snack area for the weekly lesson provided by Fr. Rich. Fr. Rich usually does the Friday orientation sessions with the five-to-eight-year-olds, and I do the Wednesday sessions with the older Club members. Because the Club draws its membership from a broad range of Christian and non-Christian groups, we attempt to highlight some of the other religious beliefs of the club members. The Club serves Muslim, Jewish, and a few Buddhist members. We also provide events that bring the Club members' families together.

When the news broke of Pope Francis’s passing, I took some time out to walk along the beach and reflect on the legacy and challenges Pope Francis left us. Saturday, April 19, was Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts and a state holiday that honors the opening shots of the battles at Concord and Lexington and the beginning of the Revolutionary War. As a historian, I can compare the events that brought the colonies to war with Great Britain with the causes of the divisions taking place in our country today. Amid the confusion, fear, and despair of our nation and world today, Pope Francis's legacy is a beacon of peace and hope for a world torn by war, division, poverty, and environmental uncertainty. As we progress through the Easter season, let us follow Pope Francis's legacy and become beacons of hope to the young in a world of confusion and uncertainty.

The Club’s spring vacation camp began on Monday, April 21. Stay tuned for updates on the camp!