Statue of Our Lady from St. Andrews finds a Fitting Home

by Carole Anne Scott

We've all heard the saying "a match made in heaven" applied to those events where so much serendipity is involved that they seem too perfect to have been engineered on this earth. That was the case recently when the incredibly beautiful and beloved statue of the Blessed Mother, which had graced the grounds of St. Andrew Parish in Forest Hills for so many years, found a new home at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish in Hampton, New Hampshire.

Calling to interview its pastor, Father Maurice R. Larochelle (also known as "Father Moe"), I initially spoke to Lil Hammarstrom, the parish secretary. Her voice was filled with joy as she exclaimed, "The statue is just beautiful. It looks like it has always been in that spot. It belongs here." Ironically, Greg Cooney, the parish facilities manager, echoed those exact sentiments, as did Father Larochelle himself when I caught up with him for our interview.

Father explained that for many years, his parishioners had been very anxious to acquire a statute of the Blessed Mother. He has been the pastor of this good-sized parish of about 2,500 families for the past six years now and knows his parishioners' needs very well.

The costs of acquiring such a beautiful object can be quite prohibitive, however. Estimates easily run to $60,000 for the statue alone. That made this generous gift from St. Andrew's legacy all the more helpful. Even with the donation of the figure of Our Lady and its base, the expenses of moving, installation, and beautification easily ranged from $15,000 to $20,000.

Father Moe explained that two families in the parish, both of whom wish to remain anonymous, donated all the funds necessary to transport this very heavy object, made of solid white marble, all the way from Forest Hills to Hampton. He also told me that one of the donors had a previous connection with St. Andrew's and knew of the statue's existence. He suggested that Father Moe contact Sacred Heart pastor, Monsignor Francis H. Kelley, who has charge of all the sacred objects from St. Andrew, regarding the possibility of acquiring this lovely depiction of Mary.

In another twist of serendipity, Greg Cooney is the son of longtime Sacred Heart parishioner Corinne Cooney who now resides at the Sophia Snow House. Greg is a graduate of Sacred Heart School in Roslindale, served as the landscape and maintenance worker at St. Andrew's during the 1980's, and was married at St. Andrew's eighteen years ago. Both Corinne and Greg also suggested to Father Moe that the sculpture would be perfect for its new location. In fact, over a year ago at the Sodality Banquet, Corinne asked Msgr. Kelley about the possibility.

Father Moe then wrote to Msgr. Kelley asking for the sacred object. Monsignor wrote back promising that when the time arrived and with the permission of the Archdiocese, he would be agreeable to that. In June, at Monsignor Kelley's urging, Father Larochelle submitted a formal request asking for the statue. This letter was presented to and approved by the Archdiocese of Boston. Arrangements were made quickly, and Vozzella Monuments was hired to transport the figure. They ensured that it arrived safe and sound. It took a crane to place the statue on the solid pedestal base, which also came with it.

Greg himself dug the footings for the massive figure. They required 31 bags of cement and went down four feet deep. The space in front of the statue features two granite benches and a kneeler. Father explains that it is intended as a meditation area and is already a very popular site for parishioners who gather there to pray.

The spot where the statue now resides is directly in front of the church in a place where the parish sign previously stood. Father Moe explained that the statue of Our Lady looks out over U.S. Route 1, thereby serving "…as an invitation to all who pass by that the Mother of Christ invites everyone to come and worship her Son Jesus here at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Church…

They can't miss seeing her," he added.

In another one of those serendipitous touches to this story, Father confided that at the time all this was happening, they had been in the difficult process of trying to hire a new principal for their school. He stated, "The very day that the statue was delivered, the new principal signed the contract, and started working." He went on to add, "Our Lady has shown up, and now I have no worries." In yet another of those twists, the name of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal's parish school is Sacred Heart!

Father Larochelle wishes to express his gratitude and that of his parishioners.

In the insert he wrote for his parish's bulletin, announcing the arrival of the statue and entitled, "The Blessed Mother Is Coming!" Father Moe concluded by saying, "We are grateful to God, the Archdiocese of Boston, and Msgr. Francis Kelley…We are especially grateful to the people of St. Andrew Church who have blessed us with their generosity."

Showing a lot of empathy for the parishioners of St. Andrew Parish, Father Moe told me, "It is always heartbreaking when a parish closes. I hope the people of St. Andrew's can take some comfort in the fact that their statue has a good home here and has made our parishioners very happy." Perhaps that is the most serendipitous thing of all.