Of Many things Around Sacred Heart and Roslindale

by Rev. Francis H. Kelley

Restoration of Sacred Heart Church: During the summer months, the interior work has begun in Sacred Heart Church. We have closed the upper church in order to allow the workmen to complete the needed restoration. This work includes: restoration of the reredos, which is the wooden screen wall behind the altar; the stripping of the Stations of the Cross in the upper church; restoring the stained glass in the upper and lower church; repair of plaster damaged by water; and the painting of the upper and lower church. As you might imagine, one item has to be completed before the next item can be undertaken. The bad news is that we will have to be working on this into the fall; the good news is that the stained glass and plaster, though they are over 110 years old, are in good shape.

Project Slate: In order to pay for the Church's new roof and the many items mentioned above, we have raised $597,177.69 over the past year. Thank you to the 490 parish members who have contributed to our fund-raising efforts. We have received $481,582.02 to date and pledges for the next year amount to $115,595.67, so we are in good shape. If you have not met your pledge for this year, there is still time to send it in.

Sacred Heart School News: Have you seen the new logo and tee shirt at Sacred Heart's elementary and middle school? All of our middle school students received the tee shirts at the end of year. The rest of us will want to purchase one in order to wear it at the Golf Tournament on Friday, September 28. Proceeds from this year's tournament are to be used to help us build a playground for Sacred Heart School. I hope everyone can join us for this effort to raise monies for our school.

Project Slate Booklet: We have the Project Slate Booklet, which will be distributed to all of our contributors to the restoration of our Church. I hope the booklet expresses in a small way our thanks to all the parish members who have worked on this fundraising. As well, we hope it is a memorial of a moment in Sacred Heart's life. I want to send a special thank-you to Greg Tobin of our parish and Ms. Joyce Wells of his office. They have generously given of their time and talent to make this publication an enormous success.

Leaders Meeting for Roslindale: Thursday, September 13, at 9:00 a.m. marked the 20th year of Sacred Heart's hosting of the monthly meeting of the leaders in the Roslindale community. Everyone is welcome to join us for a one-hour meeting each month from September until June. We take a break for the summer months of July and August.

Former Sacred Heart pastor, Rev. George Vartzelis, began the meetings as a service that Sacred Heart Parish could offer to the many social agencies, schools, churches, police and fire departments, elected officials, and community activists in the Roslindale community.

At the meeting all attending speak concerning their agencies' activities. We discuss community issues as well; however, all discussions are "off the record." The newspapers are most welcome to join us, but we ask that they do not quote anyone. They are encouraged to speak with any of us following the meeting.

If you are new to Roslindale or simply have not had the opportunity to attend

the Leaders Meeting, please plan to join us next month. We meet on the second Thursday of the month from 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. For more information, please call Fr. Frank Kelley at (617) 325-3322 or e-mail me at .