Gate of Heaven Parish History
1865: Establishing a Parish
In the early days there were very few Catholics living in the City Point section of South Boston. The establishment there of the Bay State Iron Works – popularly called the “Rolling Mills” – with many hundreds of working men on its payroll, brought many Catholics families to the district, and the number was increased by the building of shipyards, foundries, and other industrial enterprises. With the influx of people, the line of horse cars was extended to South Boston Point, and this new accommodation aided in the growth of the district. After 1855 the Catholic population of the district grew rapidly, and in the early sixties there were so many Catholics living east of Dorchester Street that Father Patrick F. Lyndon, then pastor of S.S. Peter and Paul Parish, ever mindful of the spiritual welfare of his people, erected the old Gate of Heaven Church on the corner of I and Fourth Streets for the convenience of the Catholics residing in the portion of the South Boston peninsula called the City Point. The Cornerstone of the church was laid May 1st, 1862. by Bishop McFarland, and the church was dedicated on March 19th, 1863. Bishop McFarland of Hartford, in absence of Bishop Fitzpatrick, preformed the dedication ceremony, and Rev. Bernard A. Maguire, S.J. preached the dedication sermon. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop DeGoesbriand of Burlington, assisted by Rev. John J. Williams, afterwards Archbishop of Boston. The Master of ceremonies was Rev. James A. Healey, later Bishop of Portland. There were also many other distinguished members of the clergy present at the ceremony.The church was a brick structure of pleasing exterior, simple in design, and was capable of accommodating about 1500 persons. There were three entrances into a small basement vestibule, from which, , by means of flights of stairs, approach was afforded to the main vestibule. The interior was very bright and very large. It was laid out and furnished in almost perfect consonance with the old style of churches. There was but little attempt at decoration, in fact, the walls were mostly plain. Most attractive, indeed, were the alter and the stations; perhaps because of the general simplicity and lack of ornament that pervaded everything else. The basement was seldom used for services. Father Lyndon, after building the church, immediately organized a parish school, and the basement of the church was so divided and furnished that is was used almost entirely for school purposes.
For the first two years, the Gate of Heaven was attended by priests from S.S. Peter and Paul’s and the sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. For the first year the church was administrated by Father Lyndon, who resigned in 1864. the next year the church was in charge of his successor, Rev. W.A. Blenkinsop who continued Father Lyndon’s good work. Besides organizing the schools, Father Blenkinsop did much toward making Gate of Heaven a permanent parish. He was a model pastor, full of zeal, full of charity, and full of compassion. In speaking of him it was most appropriate to say, “None knew him but to love him, nor named him but to praise.”
Rev. Patrick F. Lyndon
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