New Comm Ave

"It's a place for nostalgic connection. People come for spirituality and religion: mass, communion, a sacramental life--but also for connecting to the past," explained Father Claude Scrima of St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish. A friendly, older priest with an Italian accent, he speaks fondly of this magnificent church and its long tradition.

In 1902, Franciscan brothers and sisters opened a parish school, which they named St. Anthony's (St. Leonard, par. 6). There, children learned to speak English and were encouraged to pursue talents and subjects in which they showed promise (Scrima). Gradually, the school's enrollment grew to include one thousand children, indicating the great importance of the school to the community (St. Leonard, par. 9).

Social organizations and recreational centers also developed around St. Leonard's Church, such as a summerhouse named St. Anthony's Villa as well as religious and dramatic societies (St. Leonard, par. 8, 9).

Fr. Claude, in particular, spoke of programs initiated by the church for the youth such as the Boy Scouts and the Fifteenth Bugle and Drum Call that encouraged children to learn how to play musical instruments.

St. Leonard's drew children from the streets inside, providing entertainment for them in a time when TV did not exist. Ultimately, it enabled the children to find their place in a society that was unfamiliar to them as well as helped them shape their identity despite the confusion of their misplacement (Scrima).

Today, St. Leonard's Church continues to remain a place of great beauty, historical significance, and rich tradition. More than one hundred years later, it still proudly professes the words of the Friars who bravely came to America and established it: "Peace and goodness to all." Its strong gilded pillars, high domed ceiling, and old pipe organ are mesmerizing, specifically illustrating St. Leonard's age and rare, enduring quality.

Most extraordinary, however, is the church's existence in such a noisy and busy location. It seems out of place among the numerous popular restaurants on Hanover Street and the frequently visited Paul Revere's home around the corner.

Hidden among the more obvious tourist attractions, it is debatable whether many people even know where St. Leonard's is located. The large trees that surround its sign and entrance as well as the flourishing garden preceding it truly contribute to preserving the church as one of Boston's best-kept secrets.

The value of discovering this unique parish, though, is great, and the time and fare spent to get to the church in the North End by T is more than worth it. St. Leonard's holds it own by offering something that no other place in the North End can: peace and solitude. From its tranquil peace garden outside to its rows upon rows of empty wooden pews inside, St. Leonard's provides a quiet atmosphere in which people can think, pray, and simply relax.

Today, St. Leonard's continues to stand for the same values upon which it was founded and has a great deal of history worth learning about. However, one must also recognize that it is not the same church it once was in the age of the Italian immigrants and has transformed itself in the modern era.

The community surrounding the parish is no longer composed of purely Italian immigrants, but of "young professionals and graduate students (St. Leonard, par. 11)." Fr. Claude refers to the newcomers as "yuppies:" and "dinks: double income no kids." He describes them to be mostly third or fourth generation Americans.

As a result, the youth as well as the majority of the adults now have little "emotional attachment" to the church (Scrima). "There's been a change in the church. The young come and go, but the old gang remained attached," Fr. Claude sadly asserts.

Along with the change in the demographics of the surrounding community has also come a change in the needs of the people and therefore the function of St. Leonard's. As opposed to the church serving a social purpose as it did many decades ago, its purpose now is almost strictly liturgical: for mass and sacraments (Scrima).

It is probable that the church will continue to evolve in the coming years, though it is uncertain what exactly will become of it. Fr. Claude, with a tone of regret in his voice, expresses his concern that attendance has not been as good as it once was and may continue to drop.

No matter what happens, however, St. Leonard's of Port Maurice will always be remembered for its importance to a troubled and struggling community many years ago. Even if it only holds a special place in the hearts of a remaining few, its legacy will live on in the stories people tell and its written history.

Fr. Claude explains, "The seventy-year-olds and eighty-year-olds come because they feel that this is my church: my mom was married here, my father buried here." The social and family past of the older generation, the Italian immigrants, lives on inside the walls of the parish. When people visit today, they are reminded that they too have a past, a past that they must remember and value for all their life.

• 2007 Spring
• Feature