by Dick Matulis

When I was growing up in Dorchester, I was particularly impressed with the Howard Johnson chain. Billboards advertised its twenty-eight flavors of ice cream, each one unique and distinct. My personal favorite was caramel fudge, whether purchased at the Wollaston headquarters on our way to the Weymouth Drive-in Theater or in Marshfield adjacent to the Fieldston on the Atlantic Ballroom, a block from our first summer cottage rental in 1940.

As I reflect on the priesthood and how it influenced me personally, I think of these beloved clergy. Much like Howard Johnson ice cream’s twenty-eight flavors, each one is distinct and yet all have a common thread; of all of them it can truly be said, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Psalms, 110:4)

I’ll begin when I was growing up in St. Matthew’s Parish in Dorchester, which was under the leadership of Rev. Msgr. Thomas Reynolds. In this diverse ethnic neighborhood, the Monsignor was well ahead of his time in dealing with situations that would confront most parishes much farther down the road. The parish flourished in every way. Eventually, Msgr. Reynolds was transferred. He became pastor of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, and its adjacent Msgr. Reynolds Way was named in his honor.

Rev. James McWade was an amateur boxer during his youth, and as a pastoral associate at St. Matthew, he expanded the CYO program, financed in part by weekly Friday night dances that at a mere fifty-cents admission fee attracted a citywide following. I had the privilege of playing on CYO championship teams, as well as coaching their young players, and I spent two years under Father McWade’s tutelage when he taught our high-school CCD class.

Upon Msgr. Reynolds departure, Rev. Msgr. Waldo Hasenfus from St. Mary in Ayer became our new pastor. I likened him to a Germanic version of actor Barry Fitzgerald. Like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, he would disperse ice cream to crowds of youngsters. He sponsored “Bundles for Berlin, Germany” to aid German Catholic War refugees at a time when I myself was stationed with the military in Berlin.

I attended public schools from first through twelfth grade, so it wasn’t until I matriculated to Boston College (“BC”) that I was introduced to the Jesuit fathers. Two former Navy chaplains stood out in my early days there. Rev. Vincent de Paul O’Brien, SJ taught me English, Latin, and a lot about life. Rev. John Louis Bonn, SJ was my Greek professor while serving as the faculty moderator of the Dramatic Society. Here I had the honor of appearing in three performances of Euripides’ “Alcestis” at the Hatch Shell on the Esplanade. These wonderful priests even dropped by to visit several of us when we held summer jobs at the Mayflower Hotel in Manomet.

Rev. W. Seavey Joyce, SJ was my economics professor and later became my thesis director in graduate school when I wrote on “The New Market Area of Boston.” At the time, Rev. Joyce was heading up the Greater Boston Citizens Seminars which are still going strong today. He eventually became president of Boston College.

The final BC-connected Jesuit on my list was Rev. J. Donald Monan who as the College’s newly-appointed president addressed our class at its twenty-fifth reunion. He arrived just in time to help turn BC’s shaky financial picture around, making it into an institution that now boasts an endowment of over a billion dollars! Rev. Monan bonded with the business community and later served on the Board of Directors of the Bank of Boston where he personally assisted me in a financial matter.

In the workforce, many years ago, my future wife Joan and I had independently and without the other knowing of it, made contact with Rev. Zachary O’Friel, OFM then assigned to St. Anthony’s Shrine on Arch Street. He proved invaluably helpful to us. A physicist, he was traveling in Ceylon at the time of our wedding, but thoughtfully sent us a Papal blessing.

Later I developed a friendship with Rev. Fergus Healey, OFM who was also assigned to St. Anthony’s Shrine. Recently Joan and I had the privilege of attending the celebration of his fifty years in the priesthood.

As our wedding plans developed, I had to obtain my baptismal records from St. Peter’s Lithuanian Church in South Boston. Its pastor, Rev. Francis Virmauskas cordially received me. He even extended an invitation to me to speak at his parish’s Holy Name Society meeting.

Once married, Joan and I became parishioners here at Sacred Heart in Roslindale where we have been members for the past forty-seven years. When we first arrived, the pastor was Msgr. Edward Murray, a Holy Cross graduate and the former rector of St. John’s Seminary. Msgr. Murray was chaplain of the Catholic Graduates Club of Greater Boston when I was a member. Ecumenically, he was way ahead of his time as he served on the Board of Directors of the Boston Public Library and also of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He was a close friend of Sidney Rabb, then president of Stop and Shop. Some may have mistaken Msgr. Murray’s humility for aloofness, but I sensed him to be an extremely gifted and holy man.

His successor was Rev. Msgr. Francis Lally who served as Sacred Heart’s pastor for approximately a thousand days. Among his many accomplishments, he was chair of the Boston Redevelopment Authority (the “BRA”) and the editor of the Boston Archdiocesan newspaper, “The Pilot.” Msgr. Lally appeared to be a person who would be quite comfortable in the presence of princes and paupers alike. He was instrumental in working out an arrangement whereby Sacred Heart held an additional 4:00 p.m. Mass on Saturdays at the Episcopal Church of Our Saviour in Roslindale Village, which is now the Boston School of Modern Languages.

There followed in succession, Rev. William Coen, a product of the Missionary Society of St. James. He came to Sacred Heart from St. Paul’s in Dorchester during the heyday of the forced busing in the Boston Public School System that created havoc in those parishes with their own schools.

When he was a curate, one of the first pastors under whom Father Coen served was Msgr. John Cuffe. Upon retiring, Msgr. Cuffe was invited by Father Coen to take up residence at Sacred Heart where he assumed a full work schedule until his tragic death due to an automobile accident. Among his most memorable sayings, Msgr. Cuffe once told me, “I love Christmas. I wish it could last all year.”

During this period, Roslindale General Hospital was located on American Legion Highway. Among its staff members was Rev. Robert J. Maguire, SJ who served as chaplain. When Father Coen learned that Father Maguire was commuting daily from Cambridge, he invited him to take up residence at Sacred Heart, which he did for the next eighteen years right up until his passing.

Father Maguire carried a full workload at the parish and was also responsible for taking care of his “Garden of Eden” located beside the Rectory. It was reported that Father could hear a joke on Thursday and have the congregation laughing at that joke in church on Sunday. Since he was such an avid college basketball fan, one of the gifts presented at his funeral Mass was a Georgetown University athletic cap.

A touch of heaven arrived at Sacred Heart Parish in the person of Rev. Donal Finn (“Father Dan”). A physical-fitness buff who could be seen jogging on our highways and byways, Father Dan is remembered for his well prepared homilies delivered rapid-fire and his beautiful singing voice. His talents were recognized and earned him the position of pastor at St. Mark’s in Dorchester with its many Irish immigrants. He did such a good job at this diverse ethnic conclave that he was awarded a second parish to manage, the nearby St. Peter, with its beautiful Gothic church.

I once was writing a “Heart Beats” article on Rev. Robert Flynn, then in Rehab. Ever gracious and hospitable, Father Dan arranged a luncheon at St. Mark’s Rectory and made sure that Father Flynn was present.

Rev. George Carlson arrived at Sacred Heart after an assignment in Quincy’s Germantown section. His many talents were soon recognized and he was plucked for service on the Archdiocesan Personnel Board prior to being appointed as the pastor of a parish in Lawrence. He was then appointed to his current position as pastor of Holy Name Parish of Roslindale-West Roxbury where he has done a magnificent job taking care of the physical plant while not missing a beat in its continual spiritual development.

Rev. Ronald Coyne came to Sacred Heart from St. Margaret’s parish in Dorchester. He soon won the hearts of the young, the in-between, and the elderly alike. Father Coyne revitalized the altar servers, the CYO, and the Color Guard. Somehow he even procured three old school buses, along with volunteer drivers and mechanics to take the youngsters on field trips and the adults on excursions, which he also somehow found the time to arrange. Father Coyne introduced “Snoopy” vestments at the Children’s Masses and during the Super Bowl hosted pizza parties for teens, complete with TV screens set up in the parish hall. Truly he was a priest for all seasons.

During this period, Sacred Heart had a wonderful pastor, Rev. George D. Vartzelis. Our Blessed Mother is praised in song as “Gentle Woman.” I would nominate Father Vartzelis for the title of “Gentle Man.” He built rapport with school teachers and staff by holding his gracious luncheons for them and he was instrumental in the founding of “Heart Beats” as a “good news” parish-community paper, now entering its seventeenth year of publication. Father Vartzelis also maintained an excellent relationship with St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Roslindale Village.

Among our visiting priests, Sacred Heart was blessed to number Rev. Dennis Kelleher, a Salesian father from England who taught at Don Bosco High School. Extremely well-spoken, Father raised the English language to its true place of grandeur. A man of unparalleled politeness, he made it a point to try to thank everyone who participated in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Another superb priest, Rev. Gilbert S. Phinn, the brother of yet another wonderful priest Rev. Paul Phinn who is the current pastor of St. John Chrysostom in West Roxbury, was a high-school classmate of mine. An outstanding athlete, Father Gil was a gracious and talented gentleman who served under Bishop Jeremiah Minehan at both St. Theresa’s in West Roxbury and St. Catherine’s in Norwood. After a term on the Archdiocesan Personnel Board, Father Gil was appointed pastor of St. Elizabeth’s parish in Milton where he served until his untimely death last year. After his retirement at St. Gerard’s in Canton, Father Bill Coen joined Father Gil at St. Elizabeth’s as a priest in residence and also served there until his passing.

Rev. Peter Ayorogo arrived at Sacred Heart from Ghana via Louvain University in Belgium. He was in residence here while working on his doctorate at Boston College. I liken him to Bishop Fulton J. Sheen because of his well-prepared homilies. Since he was both quite athletic and quite erudite, I told him that I had a vision where he was wearing a cardinal’s hat, but I couldn’t quite determine whether it was of the St. Louis or the Roman variety.

Rev. Leonard Tighe has faithfully helped out at Sacred Heart’s weekday Masses. He is a certified tour guide for the holy places in Jerusalem. When I wanted to write about him for “Heart Beats,” he invited me to Sunday Mass at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital where he served as chaplain for nearly twenty years. What an inspiring sight! Afterwards, he took me on a floor-by-floor tour of patients with physical, mental, and spiritual challenges. In my opinion, his truly was the work of Christ on earth.

Involved in our merger negotiations with St. Andrew the Apostle Church in Forest Hills, I renewed my acquaintance with its pastor Rev. Richard Mehm, a “Singing Priest” of the Archdiocese. I had met him earlier at the Cluster meetings of nearby and contiguous parishes. Father Mehm did a yeoman’s job in helping to keep the sometimes testy negotiations between the two parishes on course.

Rev. Msgr. Francis H. Kelley, a Sacred Heart parishioner as a boy and the product of BC High and Holy Cross, arrived at our parish from a team ministry, shared with the above-mentioned Rev. George Carlson, at St. Boniface in Quincy. He was just on time for our church’s Centennial celebration. A volunteer at the Pine Street Inn from his seminary days to his service as Chairman of its Board of Directors, Father brought with him skills as an organizer and a coalition builder. He also did a fine job recruiting to our parish both the gifted Father John Mendicoa for our Spanish apostolate and talented clergy members studying for advanced degrees, including Father Sylvester Kuubetsuur and the above-mentioned Father Peter Ayorogo.

Just as things seemed to be stabilizing at the parish, Father Kelley became involved in a job that he had not sought, namely negotiating the merger activities between Sacred Heart and St. Andrew the Apostle. The talks resulted in temporarily keeping the two churches and the two schools open, with limited Archdiocesan financial input or direction.

A Redemptorist Father, who even when he was over ninety, could drive the golf ball with uncanny distance and accuracy, Father Joseph Manton was synonymous with the Wednesday novenas at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, i.e., the “Mission Church” in Roxbury. He captivated all the people in the pews, those listening to him on the airways, and those reading his books. When asked if the crowds were still coming to the Novena services, he jokingly replied, “Well, we don’t get too many Megabucks winners.”

In the Forties, then Auxiliary Bishop of Boston and later Richard Cardinal Cushing, confirmed me. He had aspired to the missions while the Jesuits sought him for his academic prowess. A product of both BC High and Boston College, he went on to direct the Society of the Propagation of the Faith. A gifted fundraiser, he founded the Missionary Society of St. James whose priests volunteer for service in South America. In 1960, I corresponded with him on the subject of Communism and received a beautiful personally written letter in reply. I still treasure it.

Whether it was an outing for youngsters at Nantasket Beach, a baseball game at Fenway Park with the nuns, a Thanksgiving dinner for senior citizens at Blinstrub’s Village Night Club in South Boston, or obtaining funds from Lou Smith, his Jewish friend and the owner of Rockingham Park in New Hampshire, Cardinal Cushing was equally comfortable with every person. He showed unparalleled ecumenism during his lifetime, and he humbly chose to be buried on the grounds of St. Coletta’s in Hanover, home to the loving exceptional children who were cared for there.

Another favorite of mine in the twenty-eight flavors of priests was Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. Over fifty years ago, I faithfully followed his TV series, “Life is Worth Living,” and now watch its reruns at 9:00 p.m. every Friday on cable TV’s Eternal Word Television Network (“EWTN”). In addition, I have read several of his books. A parishioner recently sent me a beautiful framed portrait of this wonderful priest whose cause for canonization is now being considered.

Last, but far from least, is the man who inspired me to climb a tree on the Boston Common in the pouring rain to get a better view of him: Pope John Paul II, the first non-Italian pontiff in over four-hundred years. It was 1979, and his first visit to America as Pope, though he had previously been here when a Cardinal. Give the Holy Spirit its due for influencing the voting Cardinals to select this learned and holy man, an athlete, a poet, a dramatist, a teacher, and a linguist. He set “Frequent Flyer” records with his visits to 129 countries throughout the world, and probably did more for the ecumenical movement than almost any pontiff in the history of the papacy.

Joan and I had the privilege of being in Rome two weeks after the September 11 tragedy at New York’s World Trade Center. We were able to attend a Mass celebrated by John Paul at St. Peter’s Basilica, surrounded by a sea of Cardinals in the Eternal City for a consistory.

May God bless the more than twenty-eight marvelous priests who are mentioned in this article. In my opinion, they are all different flavors, but they have the same common threads of dedicated caring service to God and God’s people, and all of them truly are “priest[s] forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.”